*Helen POV*
“So… this is the town of Clorg.” Zeilan took in the view around him once the light faded away. The housing in Clorg was very simplistic in design, with angled roofs and thick walls, presumably to keep out the cold. There were a few buildings made of wood, but for the most part it was mainly stone and concrete. All around Zeilan were other players or peddlers roaming around the square he had appeared in. There was a particularly large crowd in one section but Zeilan ignored it once he saw it was just a player selling items. It’s not like I have a lot of money to buy things right now anyway.
Not knowing where to go next, Zeilan noticed a building larger than the others in the distance, so he decided to go in that direction. Big buildings mean important people, right? He thought as he headed towards the building. On the way he spotted a few townspeople walking around with large coats. Oh right. I need a coat first before anything else. It is a town in the north after all. Zeilan only now realized that it was quite cold so he instead changed his target to a nearby general goods store. The only reason he knew that it was a general goods store was thanks to the words that appeared at the top of his vision.
[Dolin’s General Goods]
Entering the shop, he saw that it was filled with all sorts of items ranging from health potions, weapons, and even just random utensils used for cooking. When he came into the door a bell rang, and it quickly got the attention of the clerk at the front desk. “Welcome to Dolin’s General Goods! We sell pretty much every kind of goods, and if you’re looking for a specific item you can place an order and we’ll find it within one week, guaranteed!”
“Uh… hello.” Zeilan was temporarily overwhelmed by the clerk’s enthusiasm.
“Oh! Sorry, I tend to get a bit overexcited when a customer comes in. Apologies! I should introduce myself first! I’m Dolin Grelt, owner of Dolin’s General Goods. Pleased to meet you mister…” Dolin trailed off as he extended his hand towards Zeilan.
“Zeilan. My name is Zeilan.” He shook hands with Dolin and the man seemed incredibly excited.
“Pleased to meet you Zeilan! So what can I help you with? You seem to be an adventurer yes? Have you come here to buy potions or new equipment? Or maybe you have treasure or monster materials to sell?”
“Slow down a bit sir.” Zeilan had a bit of a hard time keeping up with Dolin’s enthusiasm. “I’m here looking for a coat to buy, and if you could buy some of the items I’ve picked up that would be fine as well.”
“Excellent! Let’s deal with the items first shall we? I suspect that being new to this land you might not have a lot of money at the moment correct?” Before Zeilan could ask how Dolin knew that, he simply gave out a smile and said, “With enough years of experience, merchants will know exactly what kind of customer they’re dealing with. Now, let’s take a look at those items shall we?”
Zeilan nodded and took the items he wasn’t planning on using out of his inventory and set them on the table. Dolin didn’t even blink at Zeilan taking items out of thin air as he began to calculate the prices of each item. “Hmm hmm… let’s see here. Oh my, the shell of a Rock Crusher! That’s bound to sell for a lot. What else is there? This iron sword is still in good condition, I expect it will fetch a good price. Oh! Rabbit fur in very good condition! There’s also…”
Dolin began to list off each of Zeilan’s items and gave them all a price, and in the end he bought them all. “Here you go, that’s 18 silver and 59 copper.” Dolin smiled, handing Zeilan the coins. The game had a system of 100 copper makes 1 silver, 100 silver makes 1 gold, and 100 gold makes a diamond coin (which according to Dolin, wasn’t actually made out of diamond but just had the shape and shine of one).
Thanking Dolin for the money, Zeilan then asked about what kind of coats he sold. “Yes! Right this way then.” Dolin escorted him to the section of the shop which had various clothing all around.
“If it’s general use coats, I have many of them in stock!” Dolin boasted, indicating the large rack of coats he had on the side. “These multi-purpose coats come in all sorts of sizes, ranging from the diminutive dwarves and halflings to the hulking giants and draconians such as yourself.”
“I see… well I’ll take whatever is in my size. All I need it for is to block out the cold anyway.”
“Of course! Here you are Zeilan.” Dolin handed him a bunch of coats. “They come in black, red, blue, white…”
Eventually Zeilan picked out the red coat and paid 5 silver for it. “Ah, good choice. The great thing about these coats is that you can wear them over your armor! Well, it might get in the way of fighting but it does provide quite a good defense. It’s also warm.”
[Red Versatile Coat (Chest - Outerwear, Uncommon)] Durability (35/35) - A multi-purpose coat that provides warmth and stable defense. Defense +7, Adds 2 slots of inventory, Resists the cold.
Zeilan put on the coat and admired the look of it. The overall red color of the coat was occasionally broken by lines of black where the stitching ended. The two pockets were also quite large, and Zeilan realized that he might look like quite the bad-ass if he decided to put his hands in those pockets and posed. This looks… really cool! Zeilan managed to hide his smile though as he put on an impassive face. “Thanks for the coat. Do you mind if I look at the other stuff you have on sale here?”
“I don’t mind at all! Please, browse my wares all you like.” Dolin smiled and stepped back to allow Zeilan to take a good look at his wares. After about half an hour Zeilan bought a pair of gloves, new boots, some health potions, and other various supplies. All in all it cost 10 silver, and most of Zeilan’s money was quickly spent.
[Tough Leather Gloves (Arms, Uncommon)] Durability (25/25) - Strong, hardy gloves that can withstand long periods of usage. Defense +2, Vitality + 2, Strength +1.
[Metal-plated Boots (Legs, Uncommon)] Durability (30/30) - Leather hide boots with extra metal plating on the toes and soles. Heavier than usual, but provides a better defense. Vitality +1, Defense +4, Strength +2, Agility -1.
“Really, thanks for selling me these things.” Zeilan inclined his head and bowed towards Dolin.
“Hahaha, no need to thank me! I should be thanking you for buying these items.”
“I see. Can I ask you a question Dolin?” Zeilan asked, looking around the place.
“Is it about my products? Or do you want to place an order?”
“No. What I wanted to ask was, why aren’t there any other customers around here? You sell good products and the prices seem fair to me, so I’m wondering why business isn’t doing so well.”
“Oh…” Dolin’s face instantly deflated as he became depressed. “That’s… not really important. Hahaha. But if you could tell your friends to come here that would help me out.” Dolin smiled weakly.
Hmm… I smell a quest! Let’s see if flattery gets him to speak... Zeilan decided to investigate this matter more. “What do you mean it’s not important? Such a respectable establishment and owner aren’t getting the customers they deserve! As a satisfied customer myself, I’d like to know the reason why no one else comes here.”
Dolin’s shoulders trembled for a moment before he looked up at Zeilan thankfully. “Thank you Zeilan… Well… *Sigh*, I suppose that you should know what’s going on.”
It worked! Zeilan made a fist-pump inside his mind as he listened to Dolin’s explanation. “You see… This all started about a week ago, when adventurers began appearing left and right. Before then my business was stable with the townsfolk coming by every day, buying things and selling things, it was good. Then when the adventurers started to show up I thought, ‘This is an opportunity!’ So I began to collect many items in hopes of attracting all sorts of adventurers.
“At first, it worked well. My business was booming and I couldn’t be happier! The adventurers brought many new and strange items with them, and reselling those made me lots of money. They also sold a lot of materials from monsters so I was able to get a good connection with the leather-workers and blacksmiths and began providing them with a steady supply. Soon however, she appeared.
“One of the adventurers had a wonderful knack for business. She called herself ‘Carro’ and came to my shop one day and asked if she could help out with anything. Because at that point I was indeed getting a bit busy I decided to take her in as an apprentice. She showed great promise, and after a few days I decided to give her a bit of a test. I had her set up a stall to see how much profit she could make working by herself. Her results were shocking to say the least.
“She had made far more money than I ever thought she could with the products she was selling. I daresay even I wouldn’t be able to make that much money. Ah, but that’s besides the point. I was very impressed with her performance, and gave her a merchant’s permit to let her grow as a merchant by herself. Unfortunately now…”
“She’s taken over your business hasn’t she?” Zeilan finished.
“Ugh, it shames me to say it, but yes. The student has surpassed her master. I’m happy that she’s turned into such a wonderful merchant but… my business won’t last at this rate. It’s not just my business either. Other merchants across town as well are having trouble attracting customers due to her and other adventurers gathering them all. A few of my friends are also considering shutting down their business because they hadn’t received any customers in a while.”
“That certainly is a complicated set of circumstances…” Zeilan began thinking. So what can I do about this situation? If the other party involved is a player then things might get complicated… As Zeilan was wondering about what he could do, Dolin began to talk.
“Zeilan, are you willing to help me out here?”
“Of course.” Zeilan immediately responded. “What do you need me to do? Go talk to her or something?”
“Yes. If you could convince her to not attract all the customers that would be great.”
[New Quest] - The Merchant’s Plight
[Objective] - Investigate the player Carro and convince them to not take up all the business.
[Rewards] - Reduced prices from all Merchants in the town of Clorg.
Increased favor from the Merchants in the town of Clorg.
Well, the rewards are pretty promising. Though this quest is probably going to be a lot more complicated than it seems. But anyway, this game is amazing. It even incorporates players in its quest system. Zeilan nodded and accepted the quest. “Don’t worry Dolin, I’ll do my best to help you out.”
“Thank you!” Dolin shook Zeilan’s hand. “You’ll find her in the main square. She’ll probably be surrounded with many adventurers and townsfolk.”
Zeilan nodded and began to head over to the main square. He remembered there being a large crowd of players earlier, so presumably that’s where Carro was located. Once he reached the square he saw that the crowd hadn’t lessened at all, and instead grew even more. Zeilan got a bit closer and squeezed himself into the crowd. As he approached he began to hear a bright female voice which somehow made its way above the crowd’s.
“Welcome to our special one-day only Auction! Today we’ll be selling rare and special items that I guarantee you haven’t seen yet. Let’s bring out the first item shall we?” Zeilan watched as a large object covered with a tarp was rolled to the front.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
“This item is a very powerful armor suitable for those level 15 and above! It’s stats boost up defense and vitality, and it has a special ability that has a 10% chance to return 5% of the damage dealt to you! The bidding starts at 50 silver.” Upon hearing the effects of the armor, the crowd went wild as players surged forward to place their bids.
“60 Silver!”
“75 Silver!”
“Carro, please marry me!”
“1 Gold!”
A few strange shouts were mixed in with the bidders but eventually the armor was successfully sold for a whopping 2 gold and 20 silver. Wow, people sure can waste their money huh? Zeilan thought as he finally made his way to the front. Once he got there and got a look at Carro, he immediately understood why she was able to attract so many customers.
Carro was playing as a cat-kin, and her avatar was made to look as cute as possible. Her face was young and beautiful, and her clear blue eyes seemed to draw you in. Her cat ears constantly twitched above her long black hair. Her tail curled up through her short skirt, and every movement she made caused it to flutter endlessly. This was also accentuated by the fact that she was standing on a raised platform, giving the players an illusion that they could ‘see’ what was underneath.
That’s… pretty shameless. Though for some reason I feel that Simon could make a cuter avatar... Zeilan thought as Carro had another item brought out. The crowd only continued to grow, and whether it was for the items or for Carro, Zeilan didn’t know. The auction continued for almost an hour, and Zeilan didn’t get any chance to approach and talk to Carro until it was over.
Even after she stopped selling items, there were still a lot of players lingering around. Zeilan decided to use this opportunity to approach Carro, but was suddenly stopped by a few players.
“Hey, you trying to talk to our Carro?”
“Well sorry, but you need an appointment first.”
Zeilan didn’t say a single thing, but instead gave those players a single glare which sent a chill down their spines. Before the situation could escalate any further, Carro spoke out. “Let him through boys.”
The players exchanged glances, then reluctantly let Zeilan past. As Zeilan approached her, she let out a bright smile and extended her hand. “I’m Carro, though you probably already knew that. What brings you here?”
Zeilan looked at her hand for a moment before shaking it. “I’m Zeilan. Well, let’s just get straight to the point. You’re causing trouble for the other merchants by taking over their businesses.”
For a moment, Carro was completely stunned as she hadn’t expected his response. Then, she began laughing. “Hahaha! I really didn’t think that you would come to me to say this. So,” all of a sudden her tone became serious. “Which one of my rivals sent you to tell me this? They must have paid quite a lot to send out someone as strong as you.”
Now it was Zeilan’s turn to be stunned, as he hadn’t expected this response from her. “Uhh… if by rival you mean Dolin, then he’s the one who sent me.”
“Dolin?” Carro hadn’t expected his name to pop up. “What do you mean? Why would he send you to me?”
“Are you saying you don’t know the trouble you’re causing for the townsfolk?” Seeing that Carro shook her head, Zeilan sighed. “To keep it short, you’re basically taking all the business in the area. Merchants all across town are having trouble keeping their businesses going, and apparently some are on the verge of shutting down.”
Carro’s eyes widened as she began muttering to herself. Zeilan could just barely make out what she was saying as she had her back turned to him. “Ahh! You’re so stupid Carro… why didn’t I think of… and now I’ll have to relocate… for his sake though…” Eventually she stopped muttering to herself as she turned to Zeilan with an apologetic smile.
“I’m sorry. I was so caught up in making more money that I completely forgot the effect it would have on the land’s economy. That and my rivals were really provoking me…” She temporarily let out a dirty look as she seemed to remember dealing with her rivals. “Oh, sorry. Lost myself there for a moment.” Her brilliant smile returned. “I’ll go talk to him and explain. Sorry for the trouble.”
Carro suddenly walked away to the direction of Dolin’s shop without saying another word. The players which were standing guard for her were about to follow her but she simply waved her hand and indicated they were to stay. Since Zeilan’s quest hadn’t completed yet, he decided to follow her there as well. Carro simply gave him a look as she continued to head towards Dolin’s shop. As the two of them walked forward, Zeilan heard a few whispers from the people watching them.
“Woah… look at the size of that guy. How much do you think Carro paid to hire him?”
“Heh. I could take him on no problem.”
“Quick, report this to Glaide. He’ll want to know she changed her guard.”
It seems everyone’s getting the wrong idea huh… Zeilan didn’t feel like clearing up anything though so he just walked on in silence. Soon enough the two of them reached the store, and Carro walked in.
“Welcome to Dolin’s General Goods! We… Carro? Is that you?”
“Hello again Dolin.” Carro smiled.
“Yo.” Zeilan walked into the store as well and gave Dolin a wave.
“Hello Carro, hello Zeilan.” Dolin nodded. “Um, Carro, why are you here? Did Zeilan explain the circumstances to you?”
“Yes.” Carro wore a slight frown. “I’m here to apologize. I hadn’t thought about the affect us adventurers would have on the economy. To overlook this aspect, I’m a failure of a merchant. I hope you can forgive me for disturbing the balance you’ve held in this town. I’ll be making moves immediately to pull back my business.”
“O- Oh! That’s no problem at all! As long as you understand then that’s good. It might take a while to get things back to normal, but I’m sure it can be done.” Dolin smiled and then turned over to Zeilan. “Thanks to you as well friend. Here, take this. It’s a token which shows that you can be a trusted person. All merchants in town have this, and they should lower their prices a bit if you show it to them.”
[Quest Complete!] - The Merchant’s Plight
Obtained Reward: Merchant’s Token
The token that Dolin handed over was a thick coin with a bag of money imprinted into the side. That was easier than I thought. Zeilan nodded in thanks while Carro stared at him. “You did this for a quest?” She asked. Zeilan simply shrugged as he put the coin in his inventory. “Well, doing this helps everyone doesn’t it? It doesn’t really matter why I did it.”
Carro simply sighed as she rubbed her temples. “And here I thought you were a good guy…” she muttered.
“Hey, I am a good guy!” Zeilan protested. “The nice reward just happened to be a side-effect of doing a good deed.”
“Right… but whatever. If I gave you a reward, would you help me out?” Carro asked while staring Zeilan right in the eyes.
“Depends on the reward, and what I’m doing in the first place.” Zeilan grinned.
“Alright. I need you to help me take down my business rivals.”
“Okay… but why?”
Carro paced up and down an aisle as she began to explain. “My rivals aren’t going to let up with their businesses you know? I mean, I realize that my business is disrupting the economy, but at least I know when to pull back.”
But you didn’t know when to pull back because you were too focused on making money! Zeilan wanted to shout out, but he kept it inside as Carro continued speaking.
“My rivals on the other hand will only get more intense if I disappear from the scene. Therefore, I need to disrupt their business and keep their money-making at a minimum. Will you help me out?” She asked, giving Zeilan an incredibly cute look with her upturned eyes.
“Hmm… sounds interesting. What’s in it for me?”
“Prime prices for the best equipment possible. Not only that, I’ll buy whatever you sell me at a good price.” Carro appealed to Zeilan, keeping her eyes on him. Well, it does sound good to have a merchant ready on call. Not to mention I can get some really good equipment through her. Alright then, no harm in doing this. Zeilan nodded and held out his hand.
“We’ll have to talk about details later but for now… deal.”
Carro let out her brilliant smile as she shook his hand. “Deal.”
----------------------------------------
A/N: So... 200+ FOLLOWERS!!! Thanks for reading this far everyone! I didn't think I'd ever get this much of a following when I first started writing this (What did I expect? I dunno, my fiction to sit in the depths of RRL to be read only by a few people or something). Anyway, thank you everyone for your comments and reviews.
Now, let me talk a little about my writing. I'm sure by now that a lot of you have noticed that despite me putting in the "Adventure" genre tag, there isn't a lot of adventuring going on now is there? Yes, that's right. It's turned into more of a slice-of-life, and I'm totally fine with that. You see, that has to do with how I write things. When I'm planning out events for the story, I just make the general outline of what's going to happen - for example, the only thing I had written for the event that Q is going through was just: "The Town of Foria is in war. Q joins a side and wrecks shit."
Nothing else that happens was planned. Like Q meeting the Crios Blades literally came out of nowhere as I wrote about them, but somehow it turned into a really fun and interesting arc. Zeilan meeting Carro was also completely spontaneous. The only idea I had for this chapter was that Zeilan would go to the town mayor and get a quest or something, but then all of a sudden he met Dolin and Carro just because I thought: "Hey, Zeilan should be wearing a coat since it's winter."
I think I've gone on a tangent here though. Point is, I'll update the tags to show that this story does indeed have a lot of slice-of-life aspects to it. What does it mean for you readers? Absolutely nothing. The story will go on the way it has normally. I enjoy writing it this way, so I hope you guys do too. (I mean, if you didn't enjoy it, then why are you still here?)
Also, does anyone remember when I said that you'll get to see more of Helen/Zeilan's personality in the next 'Helen' chapter? Well... it seems this chapter turned into more of a "let's meet the merchants" thing instead of getting deeper into the mind of Helen/Zeilan. Really sorry. I made a contract with Kyubey promising that I'd deliver more of Helen's inner monologue. If I break that then... well, let's just say that Kyubey's contracts are absolute.
Anyway, thanks for reading everyone! Leave your comments and all that jazz down below.
Fun-fact: Foxes have whiskers on their legs as well as around their faces, which they use to help them find their way around places.
P.S: Every time I typed in Dolin I was severely tempted to type in Dolan instead... but tehn h wuld hev had tu tlak liek diz. iz dat wat yu wanan gyuz? yu wanan Dolan in diz fcton?