Aaron kept his senses sharp as he walked away from the Rogue until he heard the man stop following him. It sounded like he was returning to his post at the corner of the lab. For around 10 minutes while he walked through the streets Aaron did nothing but concentrate on spotting every anomaly he could find. Someone hiding, someone holding their breath, someone following him through the crowd. It was afternoon and the streets had cleared after a small rush to the street vendors at noon. So he did not have as much cover from the guard, but following him would also be much more difficult.
His next task was to steal a deed of land from a merchant who refused to sell it without him noticing it was gone. Not exactly Aaron’s specialty. He had never really been a thief. An opportunist at most. Well he had looted anything valuable from basically anyone he had ever defeated in the tower so far, but he did not really see it as stealing after killing them. Well fine, it was technically still theft, but Aaron was not really a thief. He did not steal for his living, he killed for a living and he was fairly sure that would not change in the near future.
The rogue keeping an eye on him was for sure looking for the aftermath of his little demonstration. The henchman should have helped the alchemist to a doctor already and they would probably send someone with an identify skill to see if Aaron had really stole the man’s class. If the rogue had such a skill and had activated it on him he would know that he was not just killing the spirits, but stealing them because right now if anyone identified him the spirit would be first in line. So he would show as being a Vessel, an Alchemist to be specific.
It made Aaron much more comfortable around the guards because even if they were to stop and question him, Aaron could simply pretend to be an alchemist and as a Cultivator could not be a Vessel it was a good disguise. Still not the best. If they demanded of him to brew a potion he was screwed. Hopefully that would not happen if he was careful.
Aaron asked another street vendor for directions after buying a delicious looking baked flat bread with meat and cheese on top. There were so many dishes and street vendors selling the most diverse types of food everywhere, it was actually kind of surprising. It seemed to be one of the most common occupations for normal people in the Town. Probably because real cooks with the class were rare and expensive. He seriously doubted any of the food vendors were Vessels. It did seem more like an easy way to make a couple extra shards for normal people. What else was left for them? Most well paying jobs seemed to have been taken over by Vessels with crafting classes.
He followed the vendor’s direction which led him to one of the nicer parts of the Town. Stone buildings and properly cobbled roads showed off the wealth of the people living here. Carts clattering over the cobbles made quite a racket though, although the giant beetles that pulled the carts seemed unperturbed. Here in the wider streets he saw more of the exotic pack animals than he had in the narrow streets surrounding the moat. To most people living here the beetles must be as common as horses had been on earth. Not to Aaron though, to him the beetles looked strange and out of place. The beetles also had significant drawbacks as far as he could see. Depending on their size they needed quite wide streets for their legs to move properly. Even the smaller ones needed some space and Aaron was not even sure if they could pull anything bigger than a handcart. Still they were ubiquitous and many people moved goods with them from one end of the Town to the other. Aaron idly wondered what they ate when he caught the sight of a pair of beetles being watered and fed big lumps of what looked like firewood. Huh, well wood was certainly not an issue with the whole first floor being basically a giant forest.
More opulent shops lined the main road and the traffic felt constant if not overwhelming. The clattering steps of insect feet on stone were a constant backdrop to the Towns soundscape. Aaron saw furriers and more expensive looking clothing shops, carpenters and blacksmiths that proudly presented their class level on big advertisements. Some shop had 3 or 4 Crafters above lvl 20, proudly boasting to be the highest leveled in their class. That high level was beyond what Aaron had expected to find. He was not even sure what level the alchemist had been, but it seemed like crafting classes had their own progression system that differed slightly from the traditional combat classes.
Aaron paused as the door to a restaurant opened while a small group of people left the establishment and he caught a whiff of fragrant, delicious smelling dishes, of meat and vegetables, of hot steaming noodles and curiously he stepped up to the restaurant. It proudly showed having two cooks at lvl 17 and 13 and it was basically a fancy Ramen shop. Which was wild to find in a Town like this with its entirely European looking roofs and bugs drawing carriages. He spotted some people leaping over the rooftops in the distance and wondered idly if they were doing that to look for him. A few meters away a mage was making way in the crowd by casting a flame the size of his head in front of him, making everyone scatter.
It was time to test his theory that restaurants were simply too expensive for normal people and so street vendors had become popular simply because of that fact. It was not because it had smelled amazing and Aaron was still hungry. Aaron sighed and felt that this hunger plaguing him was truly a bigger downside than he had expected. It made his will weak, eroded his discipline and made him impulsive in the weirdest ways. So he hesitated at the door and asked himself if he could walk away, he could, but he did not want to and he entered the restaurant in the end.
Inside it did look just like a fancy ramen shop should look like in his mind. A counter and an open kitchen in the back with tables and seats lining the wall across form the counter. It was small, cramped and the smell of broth filled the air. He got a seat and when a waiter came by he ordered whatever their specialty was. It turned out deer bone ramen. Which was not surprising considering the most popular meat in the Town was venison. Aaron had never had a venison ramen in either life and as he studied the prices he was glad to see that they were considerably more expensive. By around 5 or 6 times as much than any street vendor dish he had seen so far. He could watch the cooks assemble his bowl using many different ingredients and he didn’t have to wait more than 5 minutes for his meal to arrive. His bowl was massive, considering he had ordered the extra large ramen.
The broth was clear and had a golden color like liquid amber. It was topped with chopped up greens he did not know and massive slices of what looked like chashu, but was for sure venison. They gave him a fork, spoon and chopsticks to eat with and Aaron picked the chopsticks. Obviously. He was not a barbarian. He took a sip of the soup and was assaulted by the deepest flavor he had ever experienced in either life. He actually had to take a moment to recover from the assault of flavor. It was rich, beefy, fragrant and slightly spicy. He recognized none of the spices and there was no gaminess from the venison at all. Aaron was taken aback, absolutely shocked by the depth of flavor. His whole world shrunk down to this one bowl as he took another sip of the broth. It was in perfect balance with itself, none of the flavors were overpowering the other. He took some of the noddles and slurped them. Chewy and soaked full of the delicious broth. Aaron felt like he wanted to cry.
He suddenly knew why normal people could not compete with classes. This was leagues better than anything he had eaten in the Town so far. It was almost too good. The venison chashu was thick, so soft it was almost falling apart and tasted genuinely amazing. The broth was still the star of the show and he inhaled it more than he ate the bowl.
Aaron could not help himself and ordered two more bowls and quickly started to see that there was an underlying theme. The broth was always amazing and Aaron suspected one of the cooks, the lvl17 to be precise, to have a skill making it better. Somehow improving it or giving him the knowledge of how to perfectly balance flavors. The meat must be prepared by the other cook, because it stood out as well. All other ingredients and side dishes he tried were good, but nowhere close to this level. Including the noodles. Cooks seemed to have specialties they were exceptionally good at. Sensory Harmony went absolutely haywire while he ate. His focus narrowing down as his sense of taste took over completely for long minutes. It was addicting and almost a bit too much after the third bowl. Emotionally drained Aaron paid and quickly left the restaurant behind before he could succumb to his gluttony and order more bowls of soup. The staff had looked at him funny when he ordered his third bowl, because most people were more than satisfied with just one bowl, let alone 3.
Still Aaron could console himself that he had found some interesting connections between classes and their skills being focused, not broad. No, who was he kidding, he had just indulged himself. Aaron felt weak before food, his hunger and Sensory Harmony combined turned a simple meal into a sensual journey that he could barely compare to anything less than a drug binge. Aaron had never done those, he did not like drugs and the few times he had tried them they had not been “fun” like other people told him. He had felt good, but he had been constantly aware why he was feeling good. His lowered inhibitions were usually not a good thing either. He had a lot to hide from other people in his last life and in this life it had not changed much. While he had eaten that bowl of soup a whole army could have walked up to him and he probably would have ignored them in favor of finishing the bowl. It was scary how easily the combination overruled his own professional paranoia and caution.
Just a few days ago he had never even considered going into the Town out of fear of being discovered and now when he had an excuse because of the tasks Mars wanted him to do, he found himself helpless before his own desires. Since the first time he had lost himself and had joined the Night Market he had continuously taken bigger and bigger risks to eat more delicious food. That was not normal for him at all. Aaron shuddered and tried his best to ignore any smells of food to the best of his ability while he tried to find the merchants compound. He found it after looking for it a bit and he was glad he could focus on something else than his blossoming addiction to food.
The Merchants name was Merix and he must be quite proud of his establishment, because he plastered his own name in big letters everywhere. Merix Trading Company in this case. Aaron walked into the shop adjacent to the actual trading Company and studied the wares in it with interest. To his pleasant surprise the shop was almost entirely filled with spices and plants imported from Ambition or beyond. It was interesting because Aaron had wondered how they were getting some of the more exotic things. It seemed like this Merix was one of the primary ex- and importers in the Town. Which meant he had a hand in the trade caravans. So he was important and rich. That was clear from the inside of his shop. Intricately carved wooden paneling on the walls, chairs and little niches with upholstered seats while the staff brought different goods to you. There were almost 20 staff members all clad in blue and white colors, 90% female and attractive and besides 6 guards standing around like statues they all were normal people.
So the service industry might be another thing normal people could do, while the guards were definitively Vessels. Not the strongest he had faced, but not weak either. Aaron sat down and one of the girls came over and bowed.
“Welcome to Merix Trade Emporium, how may I help you today?”
“I wanted to ask if I could possibly import some things from Ambition that are not commonly available in shops here in the Town.” Aaron said while giving her a smile. He had made that up on the spot, but all he needed was a bit more time. The woman looked a bit taken aback and bowed again.
“Apologies, but that is not within my expertise. I will call for the manager if that is alright, sir?”
“Yes, please.”
Aaron smiled again and then concentrated while he leaned back in his seat. His ears picked up everything that happened in the whole shop. In the upper floor someone was counting shards, in another room a couple were going at it, which was unlikely to be of any consequence. From the snippets of hushed conversation he could hear it was two of the employees during their break. But beyond the shop he could hear what was going on in the Compound. Here he could hear men loading carts and someone giving orders. He focused on that man, but soon realized that was not Merix either. Finally he very faintly heard a woman call Merix name in a house across the yard.
“Yes, darling?”
“Elephia and me are going for some dress shopping.”
“Again?” the man said a bit tersely, as if he was losing patience.
“Yes, again. I am not going to wear the same outfit for the wedding.”
“Wedding?”
“Oh, Merix.” the woman said sternly and with a hint of exasperation.
“I told you we were invited to Mage Elder Ormunds daughter marrying Mage Alex. Its the biggest social event this season. We can’t be absent.”
“Ah, yes. Right. Fine, a new dress it is.”
“You should get a new suit as well.”
“What is wrong with the ones I already have?” Merix said dourly.
“You already wore those to plenty occasions. What will the people think? That we are too poor to buy a new outfit for such an important occasion?”
“Quite honestly dear, I could not give a damn about what “people” think.” Merix said sarcastically.
“And that is why you are not part of the guilds yet even though you are richer than half of them combined!”
Merix scoffed.
“As if those old scarecrows would invite a normal person to their ranks because he is wealthy. You know damn well that will never happen!” there was anger in his voice and Aaron could hear the man pacing up and down.
“That is not true, there are a few normal people in distinguished positions in the Alchemists guild. You just need to know the right Elders, have their favor and they will vote for your introduction.”
“The Alchemists guild is not exactly fond of me, sweetheart. And besides the amount of manastones we would have to “contribute” every month for a guild post would be absolutely ridiculous.”
“As if we could not afford it, Merix. I told you it was a bad idea to buy that house. Its not worth it to offend an entire guild!”
“And I told you it was to garner favor to the other guilds! Where do you think our new contract with the Adventurers guild came from, hm? Thin air?”
“And I disagree. I personally think its good you put a stop to the expansion of that stain upon our Town. But the district will not take this standing down. Now I have to look over my shoulders every time I leave the house.”
Aaron realized the two were having an argument they had plenty of times before and about a house connected to the district? Interesting.
“Oh please, they would never do anything to you or me, we do have some friends in the other guilds. We are protected!”
“Protected?! We don’t have nearly enough friends to be “protected”. We are in a precarious position, we need to get accepted into a guild...”
“Enough!” Merix bellowed.
“I know what I am doing. It will all pay off in the end.”
“I am sure you do, but there was a time we would do things like this together.” the woman said frostily and then walked out, slamming the door behind her. Merix growled and stomped around angrily, while Aaron listened to the woman leave the house to go shopping.
That had been an interesting conversation. This deed of land he had to steal was obviously the one they had been fighting about and since they both at least considered district interference there was a good chance they would have the deed under lock and key somewhere. If they were smart not at their home. Finding the deed would be the real trouble, not necessarily stealing it. This was turning out to be much more difficult than he had at first expected it to be. Someone this rich and connected would have plenty of options to store important documents. What Aaron needed was information. Someone who would tattle about where Merix stored his really important treasures and for now Aaron had no idea how to find someone like that.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Finally a man approached Aaron in the shop and bowed. He wore a fine suit and had a neatly trimmed mustache.
“Sir, I am the day manager of this illustrious establishment. I heard you wish to import something from Ambition?”
Aaron focused on the man and nodded. What should he do? He needed to somehow find out more information about the intricacies of the House and where valuables might be stored. But how? Aaron remembered that there had been plenty of staff in the compound and in the main house where Merix lived as well. People underestimated what housekeepers knew and that might be his only in. The Manager cleared his throat and Aaron gave him a thin smile and looked around conspiratorially.
“Apologies, but it is of personal importance for me that this conversation stays between us.”
“I can assure you sir, we here at Merix Trading Company take confidentiality seriously. No word intended to be told in confidence will leave this house.”
“Well that is good to hear. I...am an Alchemist. Unfortunately I made a mistake recently and my superior has well...suspended my guild privileges. I am in a bit of a bind because unless I can prove myself and gain some more levels and skills to increase my expertise I won’t be able to regain my rightful place and convince his superiors that he made a mistake. The bastard.” Aaron grumbled. He was a decent actor, he had played a role every time he had attended any social gatherings since highschool. Still he was glad that the Manager looked interested and not suspicious.
“So, I need ingredients for potions that I have never made before and I can’t really rely on the guild to provide those materials. The only way I see is to buy those from Ambition. I can assure you though, shards are not an issue. I did well for myself before the...unfortunate mishap that put me in this position.” Aaron said and tried his best to look miserable about his situation.
“Of course sir, we can certainly help you with alchemical ingredients. What are you looking for?” Aaron had feared that question and tried to look sheepish.
“Well as much as I trust your security and sincerity in not telling anyone about this. If my former superior gets wind of my plan he will do his utmost to block it. I can’t take that risk, sorry. So...I might have to obscure what exact potion I am trying to brew. To your benefit of course, since I would be buying more ingredients than I actually need. Its just...do you maybe have a list of ingredients you commonly import?”
“Certainly sir. Please follow me.” the manager said and led Aaron to one of the small private rooms. Here he was served tea and given access to a giant leather bound tome that was filled row after row with names of ingredients, prices and quality. It was a dizzying array of numbers and words that made no sense to Aaron whatsoever. The manager stayed with him and Aaron mimed going over at least half a dozen pages before he sighed and looked up to the manager.
“Apologies again, but I fear I won’t be able to complete my order today. I have to properly make a list of ingredients that I want to add to my original order. This is far more plentiful than I have expected.”
“Only the best here at the Merix Trading Emporium sir.” the manager said with actual pride.
“That I can see clearly. It was a good decision to come here today. But I live across town and I would really not like to make the trip every day. You wouldn’t know any good establishments to stay a night or two in the area?”
This was Aaron’s actual goal in the entire ruse. He needed access to the personnel of the trading company and the easiest way to get that was to find out where they would hang out after hours or during lunch. It was an old social engineering trick, although it would not be as easy as it had been in his old world. There he could have hacked their phones during lunch break or swiped their wallets or keycards. Here he had to find a way to make them talk. Which he guessed would involve plenty of booze and good company. Not his favorite way to gain information by far.
“Well, there is the Blue Inn just a few streets over, it is where most of our guests from Ambition reside when they stay here in the Town.”
“You have been there yourself? How is the food? The booze?” Aaron said with a small wink.
“I...well its not the sort of establishment a normal person can easily reside in.” the manager said stiffly.
“Oh apologies, I did not want to make you uncomfortable.”
“Not at all sir.”
“It sounds like a nice enough place, but honestly I would rather spend my shards on improving myself than lodging. Nowhere else you can personally recommend?”
The manager hesitated for a long moment and then opened up.
“Well there is Greyson’s Bar, they rent out some rooms and their prices are affordable. They have excellent ale and a good amount of spirits too. For food we usually go to the Deer’s Head. They only have a young apprentice cook, but the food is excellent and much more affordable than in other places around here. Their venison stew is fantastic.” the man said and smacked his lips.
“Well that sounds more up my alley. I am looking forward to trying that deer stew.” Aaron gave the big book another look and nodded to himself.
“Yes, I will return with a complete list tomorrow or in a few days at most. You seem to be able to procure most of what I need.” He stood up and shook the managers hand.
“I really appreciate your help and please, not a word to anyone. My former superior is sadly an influential man that would not stop at anything to see me destroyed. It is better to be safe than sorry.”
“Our lips are sealed, I can assure you.”
“Great. If I were to finish my list in the next few days how long would it take for the ingredients to arrive?”
“There are 4 caravans a year, the next one would have to take your order up to Ambition so it would take half a year, I am sorry to say.”
Aaron actually frowned at that. 4 caravans and that was enough to make this man this rich? Most of the spices he had seen on display in the shops were not even that pricey. But it was quite possible Aaron had a warped sense of value since he was spending shards freely and had eaten manastones on the regular before. It was possible he used up more money in a week than most normal people earned in a year. Still he suspected something more going on, but for now that was not as important. He said his goodbyes to the manager and walked out of the trade emporium. Then he started to look for Greyson’s Bar. Aaron really did not want to tempt himself with food again and considering the time of day, late afternoon, it was more likely to meet people working for Merix in the Bar.
Aaron also had to think about his disguise a bit more. First and foremost he kept his daggers not at the front but behind his back, making himself look less like a Climber and more like just a man with potions on his belt, like a good Alchemist should in his mind. Then he bought himself a simple cloak to hide the daggers sheathed on his back as well as some paper and ink, before he went and searched for the bar. The paper and ink had been expensive, but he wanted to keep up the facade at least and he would be able to take notes about people he met. This might actually take him a few days to find someone of importance that he could booze and chat up.
Greyson’s Bar looked at a first glance like any other two-story house on the street, but at a second look there were some significant differences. Unlike most other buildings it actually had glass windows on the ground floor instead of only shutters and it had a giant wooden sign proclaiming the Bars name above. A beer mug overflowing with foam was carved in the dark wood, making it clear what kind of establishment this was. It was also at least the size of two other houses on the street. Aaron gave the street a thorough look, but he did not spot anyone suspicious. No rogues hiding on the rooftops, no followers, just normal traffic. Which was almost as suspicious as seeing a dozen tails at once. Aaron frowned and entered the bar.
The smell of spilled beer, high percentage spirits and pine needles tingled in Aaron’s nose. It was not as dim as some Bars Aaron had frequented before in his other life and the smell, although distinct, was not overwhelming, probably because they did burn pine needles in the hearth and had some scented candles burning in giant chandeliers. A long wooden bar snaked around one side of the big room that was filled with tables, stairs and a few benches. A staircase went up right next to the bar to the second floor. Small booths lined the other walls and were by far the most sought after spots as far as Aaron could see. The leather upholstery and fine tables as well as at least a bit of privacy from the booth’s thin wooden walls made it clear why. Two barmaids made the rounds, both wearing dresses and light blouses even with the snow and winter still knocking at the door. But it was warm in here because of the big fire that roared in a fireplace on top of which some meat was roasting alongside some metal pots with bubbling liquids giving off a meaty aroma. A stern faced man stood behind the bar filling mugs and small shot glasses. All in all it looked almost entirely like a bar or Irish pub he could have found in any major Town in his home country.
Well there was no electricity and no big TV showing the game, but besides that fact it felt just the same. Aaron had some experience in Bars. They were good spots to gain more information about potential targets. A directional mic or a bug placed at the right spot and Aaron had been able to listen and learn about potential weaknesses in their future plans or their routines. Although quite a few times whoever he was tailing had just left the Bar drunk enough that Aaron had been able to abduct them right there without anyone noticing. Drunk people were far too easy to convince they were in a cab or an Uber and before they knew it they ended up in a vat of chemicals in the forest with a bullet in their heads. But today he had not come here for that. Today he was here to be merry and give out drinks, talk to people, share their grievances and have a good time while subtly asking important questions drunk people thought were just gossip.
It was not a stereotype that people were much more likely to spill some secrets when drunk or high, it was a simple fact reinforced by many past experiences. When your brain is compromised, thinking about what you should say or not to the nice drinking buddy you found is not a priority. Aaron looked around and then found an empty booth at a window that gave him a look towards the compound. He sat down and pulled out some parchment and the quill and ink he had bought. It was by far the cheapest writing instrument he had found and although he was unfamiliar with it, how hard could it be?
One of the barmaids came over, a beautiful woman a head smaller than him with long dark hair and warm brown eyes. Her work clothes were intentionally revealing, but Aaron kept his eyes on her face. Better to be a good customer if he wanted to stay here a few days. She gave Aaron a smile that reached her eyes and said:
“Welcome to Greyson’s Bar, what can I get you?”
“What can you recommend? Its my first time here.”
The barmaid eyed him curiously and then started counting on her fingers.
“Well, we have 4 different kinds of Beer, a dark Ale, a pale Ale, a pale Lager and you guessed it a dark Lager. Then we have all kinds of fruit liqueurs, Ambition Vodka and Pine Spirits and of course the famous Pine Whiskey. But we also offer cocktails at the bar and some food, but that is just okay, the drinks are by far the best part of this Bar, well except the service.” she said and gave him a playful wink.
Aaron gave her his rendition of a warm smile back, but he noticed to his surprise that acting felt much easier to him than it had before. He wondered why. Either way this friendly barmaid could be an advantage. Maybe he could coopt her into helping him.
“I am sure the service is excellent.” he said and gave her a wink. “I think...I’ll take the pale Lager and hmmm maybe a cocktail? What kind of cocktails do you like?” he asked her and the Barmaid looked at him with slightly raised eyebrows.
“Why? Do you want to buy me a drink?”
“I always liked the custom of buying drinks for the staff of a bar, so yeah, sure.” Aaron said and gave her a smirk.
“Never heard of a custom like that.” she said with slightly narrowed eyes, but her smile made it clear she was just teasing.
“Oh it is a custom in a country from my world.”
Her eyes widened a bit and she leaned forward, clearly excited.
“Oh, does that mean you are a Summoned?”
“A Summoned? If you mean that I was reborn here in the Tower with a set of memories form my old life, then yes.”
“Which planet are you from?”
“Earth.”
“Ah, that makes sense.” she said and smiled broadly.
“Most Summoned don’t give me the time of the day, but I heard Earthers are different. This isn’t really a Bar for Climbers, so I rarely meet one of you. How does it feel to be chosen by Lord Emnu himself?” she asked with a hint of reverence in her voice.
“It feels like being thrown into a Death Match with the forces of nature themselves. Can’t say I enjoyed it much. I am an alchemist now, much more safe and lucrative.” he said with another wink.
“An Alchemist? Really? I would have thought you were a Warrior type, maybe a Pugilist?” she said eyeing his broad shoulders and big hands speculatively, while leaning even closer. But then she caught herself and actually blushed as she straightened.
“S-sorry about that. Its just rare that a Vessel does not treat me like furniture.”
“I understand, I think. No need to apologize.” he looked down on himself and then shrugged. “The benefits of being reborn in a 20 year old body I guess.”
The barmaid looked utterly fascinated at that comment.
“Does that mean you were older than that? How old are you?”
“That’s not a polite question to ask, is it?” Aaron asked with a small smile. “But a bit older, yes.”
“You must have seen a lot in your past life then.” she said with a hint of longing in her voice.
“They say on Earth nobody has any Powers, is that true?”
“Yeah.” Aaron said with a chuckle. “But we found other ways to discriminate against each other. Wealth and influence was our power. That not entirely being the case in the Tower is honestly refreshing.”
“But you were equal? Nobody was stronger than the other, right?” she asked with slight confusion.
“Technically yes. We just discriminated each other because of our social status or because of where we were born. It does not make much sense, but I can’t say Earth is the Utopia you seem to think it is.” She seemed actually disappointed by that.
“Sorry.” he added.
The barmaid shook her head and then straightened.“I’ll get your order.” she said quickly and then she walked away. But she was clearly feeling a bit down that a world with only normal people was not necessarily better than this one.
“Don’t forget your cocktail.” Aaron called after her and she turned back with a smile that put back a bit of pep into her step. Aaron personally thought all worlds were the same as long people stayed the same. If people could gain power over other people they would always do so and viola you had different classes of people with different social statuses. The only people he thought could go beyond this sort of base tribal behavior were the Cultivators. Living for centuries was just something that inevitably shifted your perspective. Aaron himself could barely comprehend it yet. But maybe he would in a century when he would look just the same. It was difficult to understand that time had less of a meaning to him. But in the end being nigh immortal might just exacerbate the problems humans always had. He did not know and honestly besides a mild curiosity he wasn’t too keen to find out for now.
Aaron let his senses sweep the area, checking the street, listening to everything happening in the bar and the buildings around him. His mana sense checking for any hidden Rogues on the roof, but it was all clear for now. He could hear the Barmaid order his cocktail.
“Two Peach Dreams and a pale Lager for table 5 please.”
He watched the people coming and going on the street while he waited for his drinks. Being back in civilization felt a bit weird, but not in a bad way. He did not miss the constant hiding, struggling and preparing for the worst that had taken up most of his time. Now he would have more time for other pursuits. Although training and cultivating would still take up a good chunk of his time. But Aaron did not feel like he had hit and kind of ceiling in his martial pursuits yet. He had barely scraped the surface of what the Unceasing Palm Kata could do and the Rejuvenating Fist Kata offered him more insights and different ways to use it every day. Wind Steps also had taken a leap forward with his increased Cultivation, which made sense since it was directly linked to the amount and quality of his Qi. He could not wait to see how it would change in the next major realm.
The barmaid returned with a small platter with two martini glasses on top filled with a slightly pink liquid and a slice of peach as garnish. In the other hand she carried a mug of beer.
“There you go.” she said and set the platter down. Aaron took the mug of beer and pushed it to the side, before grabbing one of the glasses and taking a good look. It smelled slightly of peach and alcohol and there was no ice in it, just the cocktail itself. He turned to the barmaid and raised the glass with a smile.
“To new friendships. Cheers.” he said and the barmaid smiled and took the other glass.
“I’ll drink to that.”
They clinked glasses and both took a sip. It was a sweet cocktail to his senses barely balanced, the sweet overpowering the alcohol and the bitter was just some citrus that could barely catch up to the alcohol or the sweet. But it tasted alright, clearly a drink made intentionally sweet.
“So, whats your name?” Aaron asked as he put the glass down.
“Lesia, what about you?”
“Aaron, nice to meet you.” he said with a chuckle.
Lesia smiled and took another sip of her drink before she hesitated and then seemed to remember something.
“Oh, you pay for the drinks when they arrive usually.”
“No problem.” Aaron said and opened his shard purse and paid. It was not as expensive as he had thought it would be but considering there was no vessel involved the prices were modest even for a higher class establishment as this bar.
“How would you like to earn yourself a big tip.” he said and Lesia raised her eyebrows again and gave him a look.
“What kind of tip are you offering?” she said with a smirk.
“Nothing like that...for now. I assume a barmaid with such excellent service knows most of the regulars that come here?”
“Sure.” Lesia said slightly confused and maybe even a bit let down that he had not flirted back, but Aaron needed to steer the conversation back to his plans. He was not here for fun after all.
“Do you know some people working in Merix Trade Emporium?”
“Of course, they are right across the street. Quite a few come here after they are done with work.”
“Great! So could you maybe let me know when one of them comes in. Especially if they are like their accountant or something like that.”
Lesia frowned now and looked at him with slight apprehension.
“The thing is, I want to order a good chunk of the ingredients I am going to use to level up from that Trade Emporium. But from what I have seen they are far too rich to make their shards from 4 caravans a year alone. They feel a bit...shady.”
“Shady?” Lesia laughed softly. “Merix Emporium? That is the first time I hear about it.”
“Maybe I am just paranoid, but I would love to assuage my fears and I think you can help me with that.” He gave her a broad smile.
“Well...I do know some of their clerks that frequent this bar quite often and I could send them your way.” she started and then gave him a smirk.
“But I won’t do it for free. So what do you offer?” she said and leaned in while she sipped on her drink again, totally ignoring the rest of the room.
“Well that depends on how useful my conversation with that individual is going to be. Lets do it this way. At the end of the night you come back and I’ll make sure you get your just reward.”
“That sounds suspiciously vague.” she said still smirking. “But it does sound interesting.”
“Well I promise you won’t regret it.”
“Hmmm, well...fine, but only because you are so devilishly handsome.” she said with a wink.
“Thank you, I could say the same about you, but considering what you are wearing I feel a bit at a disadvantage.”
Lesia stepped back and did a little twirl making her dress flare. “Do you like it?”
Aaron made a show of checking her out and nodded.
“I love it.”
She smirked and then took a glance back at the rest of the room and the grumpy looking bartender that gave her a cold look. She sighed and then drank the rest of her Peach Dream.
“I got to get back to work. But I’ll send some of the clerks over if I get the chance.” she said.
“Great, thank you.”
“Oh you won’t be thanking me when I fleece you for all you are worth at the end of the night.” she said with a short laugh and walked away, her hips swaying from side to side.
Aaron smirked back at her and then settled down to wait. Now he only had to make sure to charm whoever Lesia send over. He hoped it was a good idea to make the flirtatious barmaid an ally, but she seemed competent at least. He could also be unlucky and nobody interesting would show up. All he could do for now was sit and wait.