My machete has gone missing. I know exactly what happened and I am pissed about it. The tall amazon-like woman picked up the arm guards I made and I haven’t seen her, or my knife, since. I forgot to even get her name. She did give a bonus of a small bottle of strong spirits though. The stuff that caused me to black out. I’m not sure if it was meant as an insult or not but I’m pretty sure it is. I can already see her smiling at me like she somehow trapped me. Either way it was delicious.

I watched the people building the new smithy to Long’s specifications. He was overseeing the entire thing like a hawk ever since I accidentally said he should. Thankfully it didn’t seem to slow these guys down too much. There was certainly a bit more fear in their eyes now though as they watched his sandals closely.

I glanced around the little space I had been working in. Soon we would be upgrading. I had to take a moment when that thought hit me. I'm just an observer on the outside. It wasn’t right to say ‘we’. The old man was getting an upgrade to his shop.

I’ve been trying to understand what’s going on and I don’t think I ever really will. I’ve been trying to distract myself by working and that only works half the time. I really do just want to go back sometimes. No matter how nice some of the people were it was still impossible to forget that in the end I'm just an outsider.

I shouldn't be here.

I don’t want to change the world, I sure as hell don’t want to fight for honor or justice or any of that shit. I’m just tired. Tired of the tedious labor for simple things, the inconvenient ditches used for ‘fertilizer’. The nuisance of not being able to read anymore.

Maybe I should just sleep.

I stared into the coffee that I was holding.

“Hup” Deep breath. Sharp exhale. I nearly slapped myself. Self pity won’t get me anywhere. I suppose I should probably start trying to earn some extra money. This little village had been bustling since the workers arrived and every day it seemed that more and more were deciding to bring their families here as well. The work should pile up soon.

At first I thought it was strange no one mistook me for a demon again, but I guess I had just gotten that vile while wandering the woods. This place had done wonders for my skin, and I didn’t remember my face being so toned before. It had reached the point I looked like I had a photography filter on in real life. It was kind of nice.

Long’s sandal had come off again. He had a sandal in one hand and what looked like a rolled up blueprint in the other. I supposed I should probably help the poor workers. They were really doing their best.

I had started to feel a sort of pattern around me recently. It was like things were simply meant to be the way they are. That’s a bad way to put it. More like things already knew what they were meant to be. That’s even worse. The easiest way to explain it might be to say it was like I just ‘knew’ things. That just makes me sound like a jackass. Maybe I could say…

Once again my thoughts were interrupted by a sandal flying into my face.

“If you tell me to calm down, that hammer is going up your ass.” Long Fa pointed his roll of paper covered in notes at me.

Fair enough. The large foreman gave me a pleading look as he defended himself from the sandal that was still in the old man’s off hand somehow. Well, I tried. I shrugged in the most apologetic way I could. Then went back without accomplishing anything.

I wonder how that spiced alcohol tastes in coffee.

Before I could test my idea I was interrupted by a disgusting feeling washing over me. I definitely would never forget it.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Excuse me.” An incredibly thin man with simple silk robes and an iron fan had arrived.

“How can I help you?” The feeling didn’t last long but I don’t think I’ll ever forget this slimy little man. I never found out what he was looking for but Long didn’t seem to like him either.

He gave me the most rigidly polite bow I had gotten since arriving in this world.

“I am needing something repaired.” He pulled a box out of his sleeve and held it up with reverence. He flinched when I grabbed the box and popped it open. There was what looked like a letter opener inside. It had a sheath of golden wood with a matching handle. It had been snapped in half. It was too small to really repair but I could probably make something similar.

“I don’t think I can fix it, you’ll just need a new one.” I shrugged and passed back the little box. He paled visibly at my words. Must belong to his boss or something.

“Is there really nothing to be done?” He seemed incredibly distraught.

Before I could respond, Long Fa had appeared and began to inspect the little letter opener. A sly smile crept to his lips.

“Just get the new one. Henry, treat it like a sword while you make it.” He laughed as he handed back the box to the confused man.

“Keep in mind it won't be cheap.” He started laughing harder.

This might be a bad idea. It’s just a letter opener though, what’s the worst that could happen?

________________________________________

Min Ryong inspected the small blade in her hand. It wasn’t bad for a backwater smith. He hadn’t put any of the formations she wanted into the equipment she requested so this should be fair compensation. The armor was also more comfortable than she had imagined. Normally she would just kill them, but she honestly wasn’t sure she could. It was the first time she had met someone that had taken body cultivation to further extremes than she did. Though he didn't have any form of core. He was also cowardly. In a sort of puppy dog way.

She channeled her energy into the small blade and felt it coil throughout and reinforce the entire structure. It was Very good for a backwater smith.

She grinned as she looked out to the remains of the small battlefield that surrounded her. Perhaps she should pay him a bit extra next time she sees him. They could even share a drink again if he was lucky.

She had been requested to keep an eye on the little village for some reason. They didn’t even tell her what she was looking for, but now she wasn’t nearly as angry about the assignment.

Usually it was the other side that handled highwaymen like these though.

Only one of the bandits could put up a fight and it wasn't much of one.

He was a foreigner. Short and pale, he had some strange ability that seemed to allow him to command the bandits around him like they were his limbs.

It didn't make much of a difference how well he could command if she just cut them all down.

____________________________________________________

Yong was raking his brain trying to come up with something. The old man had laughed at him like he was a fool when he tried to set up a business deal. The little village was already overrun with other merchants trying to make a fast dollar. It would have been insulting if there was such a thing as honor among merchants. This was one of his stops that not many even knew existed. Now that money was beginning to flow through here things were going to change quickly. He nearly slapped himself. This was certainly a storm, a god damn money storm and he was trying to run away from it like a fool.

If supplies were off the table maybe luxury goods? No, the old man was good but everything he made screamed simplicity. There weren't many other things worth buying here besides the homemade wine one of the younger men made. He grumbled to himself as he sat in the temporary building that served as a restaurant. Many of the other merchants had begun setting up little stalls nearby and creating a miniature sort of market, but that wasn't sustainable. They needed to make sure the influx of people and money wouldn't stop. Otherwise at best they would only end up trading between each other.

He looked out into the village. Sure they were putting up nice houses, but there was something missing. He almost overlooked it with the tents that were being used as temporary structures.

This place was going to need a new district. A place for merchants to set up shop properly. A place where there was a real restaurant. Hell he might even try hiring performers! He would create the biggest and most thriving entertainment district the world had ever seen! Well, if he could find investors. He also probably wouldn't get that big even if he did, but that was the secret to how he kept himself moving forward. Even if he couldn't accomplish his goals he set them far enough that he could still accomplish greatness.

Numbers started to fly though his head as he began to map things out.