"So... How much money do I need?" Torrin asked through a mouth full of eggs and sausage, gesticulating with his fork as he sat at the bar eating.
Bell looked at him funny, stifling a giggle.
"It depends on what you need, really. The clothes that were purchased yesterday, including the boots, cost 80 coppers. An average family usually earns around 5 silvers for a month of work," Bell droned on, trying to instill the value of money in Torrin's thick skull.
Torrin sat pondering as he continued eating, brows scrunched in concentration.
'Why is the food here so good?!' he thought, shaking his head.
Seeing his reaction, Bell thought he didn't understand so she tried clarifying, "I make 1 silver per month myself, plus any tips I receive, if that helps any?"
Torrin looked up in surprise, "That little? Hmm..." He put it out of his mind as he finished off his second plate of breakfast. He forced himself to control his impulse to have a third. Today was sure to be a busy day and he needed to get started soon.
"So, Bell... How much is a Beast Core worth? Where would I even buy or sell one?" He asked curiously.
"A Beast Core? I'm not too sure. Far more than I could ever afford!" She raised her voice as she took the dishes behind the bar to the kitchen area.
Bell returned with a smile on her face, saying, "But as for where to trade for one, your best bet would be one of the crafting shops--an Alchemy Shop or maybe even a Blacksmith might want them. They can be used in certain recipes for elixirs or weapons." She explained as she wiped down the counter.
"Okay, thanks!" Torrin hopped off the stool, giving Bell a passing smile and going back to his room.
Torrin had far too much stuff in his backpack now. On his trip out of the forest, he had collected over 200 E-Rank Beast Cores, 78 D-Rank, and 31 C-Rank. He'd gotten only 3 B-Rank, so he planned to hold onto them. He wanted to sell all of his E-Rank cores as well as his D-Rank cores. The others he would save until Grams decided to find him.
Thinking of the old hag put a bad taste in his mouth, "Just stay alive, Stix. That's what she said. What a joke..."
Torrin didn't want to get mugged, so he brought only 2 silver coins and 1 each of the E, D, and C rank cores, to see what they were each worth, which he carried in his freshly emptied pouch. The pouch had contained a decent amount of silver in it, around 50.
He also decided to bring two burlap sacks of herbs with him, as a kid carrying around herbs shouldn't draw too much attention. He left everything else in his room, Stix looped onto his pants.
The town was bustling as he walked down the street to the Alchemy Shop that Bell had mentioned to him. People didn't seem to be too interested in Torrin now that he wasn't covered in dirt, shit, and blood. Even the random bits of bone and brain that had tangled in his hair were gone.
The warmth from the sun was a perfect contrast to the cool breeze touching the streets.
'Such a nice place! Oh, here's the shop, I think. "Balder's Boosts", eh?' He thought, approaching a sturdy looking wood building. The posts that held up an awning above the front porch were decorated with fancy runes and painted silver. They didn't glow to his mana sight, so he wasn't sure if they were real or just decoration.
He jumped backwards off the steps as a giant of a man with a bald head and ruddy complexion bustled out of the shop's front door.
"Move it, kid!" The guy growled, clearly not in a good mood.
Torrin completely ignored the interaction and continued into the store.
Tall shelves lined the walls. They held various Tinctures and Potions, Herbs and Elixirs, Pills sitting in glass jars, Books on Alchemy and Herbology. The place was filled head to toe with myriad Alchemical ingredients and products. The smell in the store was a heady mix of floral aromas and acrid, bitter scents. It was quite nauseating.
A glass case near the middle of the room held a display of what looked like marbles on velvet cushions. Looking with mana sight, Torrin realized it was Beast Cores. On another cushion in the case he could also see glimmering crystals of various sizes, he wasn't sure what they were.
"What do you need, boy?" A shrill voice cut over the chatter and hubbub of daily life outside the store that leaked in.
"Eh?" Torrin turned, seeing a pompous looking man who seemed barely taller than Torrin himself, the top of his head was balding with a ring of white wispy, wild hair circling his head. He had thin arms but a definite gut was visible, he had on a cotton shirt, with a silver embroidered vest over top that squeezed his bulging belly, the lower half of his short frame cut off by a sales counter.
"Oh, sorry, I was wondering if you needed anything from these herbs?" Approaching the counter, Torrin lifted his bags and placed them before the man.
"I doubt we'll need anything, but I'll have a look," The man replied curtly, removing the herbs from the bags. They were in pretty rough shape, some even losing their luster and leaves, even loose petals fell on the counter.
The mans face visibly reddened, seeing the state of the products.
"Young man, what ever did these poor things do to deserve you carrying them around? They are clearly mid-tier and even a few high-tier herbs, but the damage to them has drained most of their potency..." The man lectured in a strict voice filled with disappointment as he fondled the herbs, trying to find a decent product in the bunch.
"Whoever sent you with these is going to be very disappointed by what I can offer for such damaged goods..." Beady eyes stared at Torrin, who stood completely unphased by the concerns of the old coot.
"I understand, sir," He replied calmly, "But, do you want any of this?" he was trying to remain polite.
A look of greed flashed across the man's face, quickly covered up.
"Well, I can only offer you 5 gold for the lot. That's more than generous for a product such as these..." The shop keeper's hands circled above the herbs as he finished, as if he was trying to wash them off with an invisible rag.
'5 gold?! Wow! That's like... 500 silvers! And I got all this from just walking around the forest? Imagine if I had actually paid attention to keeping them in good condition!' He thought as the owner shocked him, but instead of showing surprise, he narrowed his eyes at the man. This old coot couldn't possibly be giving him a good price.
"Hmph, you actually want to play my master as a fool? After I go sell these to the shop a street over, I'll head by the Merchant Guild, letting them know of your depraved price gouging, don't even have me explain how furious my master will be hearing this as well, tsk," Torrin shook his head as if in disappointment, he knew the shopkeeper would give him an insanely low price as he was just a kid all alone.
'5 gold's more than enough for me to live comfortably around here, might even be able to check out a sword shop. But no way am I gonna let this greedy toad pull one over on me so easily,' he thought as he reached to bag the herbs back up.
"Wait! Surely you jest! You know how us shopkeepers are, coming here you must expect some back and forth, hahaha, prices are negotiable!" He chuckled nervously trying to block Torrin's hands from grabbing the herbs. As he looked down to stop Torrin, he saw the most beautiful ring on his hand. The same greedy look as before rioted across the shopkeeper's face.
"Negotiable? You try to rob me in broad daylight and now want to negotiate? Please, sir, you are the one jesting here, no?" Torrin said as he batted the man's hands away, pretending to be offended, not catching the look of greed on the man's face this time.
"15 gold! 15 gold! Okay? I'll almost be losing money at that price!" The shopkeeper seemed to plead.
"Okay." Torrin said simply with a smile on his face.
Seeing he'd been played the shopkeeper smiled back, but a dark gleam was set in his eyes.
"Haha, you've got a merchant's head on your shoulders, kid. You win this one, here," Handing the gold to the boy, he seemed a much more amiable person.
Torrin's eyes narrowed seeing the display.
'Is he just that good humored, or did I still get played?!' he thought incredulously, putting the gold in the pouch tied around his neck.
The shopkeeper laughed harder upon seeing Torrin's reaction.
"What else can I do for you, boy?" The shopkeeper seemed to be scrutinizing every detail about Torrin making him uncomfortable.
"As if I'd want to deal with an old fox like you any longer..." Torrin grumbled as he turned to leave, but passing the display case he remembered one of the reasons he came.
"Oh, actually," he said turning around, "How much do you sell Beast Cores for?"
"Oho, you're interested in those Beast Cores, are you?" The man's smile made him look like a shark.
"Maybe not..." Torrin had an uneasy feeling seeing that smile. He did not feel like hanging around any longer.
"Heh, I can sell you a red core for 5 gold!" The man boasted.
'What the fuck? 5 gold for a simple little core?! That's what he initially offered for the herbs it took me 2 months to gather!' Torrin thought, realizing the vast wealth he had acquired.
"Far too expensive!" Torrin shouted, leaving the shop quickly in feigned outrage. The man gave him a bad feeling.
With his herb problem taken care of, he took his burlap sacks back to the inn and put them away just as he did the experience in the Alchemy Shop, mind turning to his core problem. He needed to think of a way to sell his cores without getting scammed or robbed.
If a family made only a few silvers per month, what kind of fool wouldn't want to kill a kid and take a thousand years worth of wealth?! This town was feeling more dangerous the longer he stayed.
Sitting on his bed, he pondered the rune for an hour, but no progress was made. He decided to go visit a few more stores before mid day.
Walking across the street, he entered the clothing store. He chose this one not only because it was close, but because Bell mentioned they had fair prices and there was no need to haggle.
"Welcome! Let me know if there is anything you need help with today!" A cheerful girl sang from a counter at the back of the store, waving at Torrin. Her blonde hair was pulled back and a scarf was covering her hair. She had a charming face and wore a green dress with a deep neckline that matched her scarf.
"Thanks, just looking," Torrin called with a wave and a smile as he took in the available clothing.
Headless mannequins lined the front of the store, displaying dresses and blouses, shirts and vests, jackets and coats and cloaks, hats, gloves, and much more. The store was quite big, and tables were equally spaced throughout the store, they had various ready made clothing items lying directly on them.
A parchment nailed to one wall read off a list of items the store could custom make as well, listing various styles and materials that were available.
Perusing the store, Torrin quickly realized that there weren't many options for kids. Most things were simple dresses and clothes such as the ones he had on now. He quickly bought a pair of gloves that would be able to hide his ring from people, it was the only obvious thing of value he had on him.
Torrin quickly purchased two changes of the same outfit he had on and a few pairs of underwear as well. A cloak was added to his purchases; it was made for an adult, but a quick slice of sword energy would have it fitting him perfectly.
The trip to the inn was much quicker this time, he put away his clothes and set out for the Merchant Guild. He didn't know anything about it, but he'd seen it walking through the town and it definitely looked prestigious. Hopefully a kid could just walk in.
There were a few people walking in and out, some carrying in various products, and he did see some people who looked like runners speeding to and fro with messages in hand.
He made his way through the gilded doors and found himself in an opulent room that arched high above, there were granite counters lining one wall with men and women standing behind them talking to clients, above the counters was a railed walkway that extended about 10 feet from the wall. Lines were formed at the counters with different purposes, some for people to have their products appraised and inspected, some to get a license for opening shops, and some dealing with contracts.
The line he joined was one for appraisal and inspection, the sign above the lady behind the counter claimed it to be so.
People chatted amiably as they waited for their turn, speaking about the drudgery of their businesses and affairs.
'How long will this take?! I didn't expect there to be so many people here. What should I say once it's my turn?' Torrin was growing frustrated with all the yammering people in the lines.
Half an hour passed and finally he made it to the front of the line. A middle-aged woman stood behind the counter with a kind smile on her face as she regarded Torrin.
"How may I help you, sweety?"
"Hi, uh, I just need to have a few Beast Cores inspected... My master wants to make a contract with the Guild for a large sale and has a few examples for you to appraise." Torrin gave the speech he'd prepared while waiting in line, handing the woman the E, D, and C rank cores.
The woman's eyes glowed faintly as mana entered them and she inspected the cores.
"Okay, we would definitely be interested in a bulk sale if the rest are the same. Allow me to get someone that can take you to a room to discuss what your master has told you about the sale." The lady turned to a small girl that was sitting on a chair nearby, and the girl looked at Torrin for a split second before she shot to her feet, speeding off to deliver whatever message she'd been told.
"If you don't mind heading towards the end of the lobby, one of our people will be with you shortly," She waved her hand to indicate the meeting spot. Her smile never left her face during the entire interaction.
'Well that was much easier than I thought it'd be. Seems saying "Master" does the trick around here, same as my old world,' he chuckled to himself in his head.
Torrin stood apart from the lines and waited, arms crossed and tapping his foot as he waited.
The small girl was soon leading a man towards Torrin. The man had a head of graying hair cropped short, a bushy mustache that made Torrin subconsciously scratch his upper lip, and apparel that was very similar to the Alchemy Shop owner, but this man stood around 6 foot tall, with tanned skin and was in much better shape.
"Hello!" The man called cheerily, his mustache dancing as he spoke, "You must be the apprentice I'm looking for! Please follow me to an office and we can speak about the details," He wasted no time turning around and walking towards a stair case that led to the upper floor.
Torrin quickly made his way behind the bustling man and found himself at the top of the stairs, seeing people entering and exiting various rooms that adorned the second floor.
They made their way into one of the rooms; it was quite small, with only a table and two chairs as decoration, brightly lit by a rune-light hanging from the ceiling.
"Please, have a seat," The man said, extending his hand toward the closest chair.
"Eh, thank you, sir." Torrin said nervously. He wasn't used to having to deal with people in this manner. He had worked under many different people in his old world, but he had never made any type of formal business deal before.
"So," the man paused, stroking his mustache and examining Torrin, "What exactly can the Merchant Guild do for you today?"
The man held a steady gaze, eyes never leaving Torrin's. Torrin cleared his throat and decided to just spit it out.
"Ahem, my master has come into many beast cores recently, and he needs to sell them. You and I both know the merchants in this town..." Torrin trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid, "But the Merchant Guild? Nothing more needs to be said. He wants to deal with the best, and set up a future contract as well if possible." Torrin stroked the man's ego, attempting to set a good impression.
The man smiled wryly, "Yes, yes," he waved his hand through the air as if to dissipate the smoke being blown up his ass, "let us talk product and prices, no need for all the rest."
Torrin blew out a breath of relief.
"Sir, to get to the point, my master has 150 E-Rank cores we're willing to sell, as well as 30 D-Rank and 15 C-Rank cores from his recent hunting." Torrin said simply, letting the dice land how they may. If the man thought his backer was some powerful master, he knew at the very least he wouldn't get robbed by them.
The man's eyes narrowed as he stared at Torrin's blank face. He seemed to come to a decision, his face relaxed and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Let's start over. My name is Neil Wesler, I am one of the Merchant Guild's Supervisors. I am authorized to sign almost any business contracts in the name of the Merchant Guild." He introduced himself grandly, extending his hand.
Torrin's hand was engulfed by the man's as they shook, "Nice to meet you Mr Wesler, I am Rin Gram, my master has authorized me to negotiate over the contract." Torrin finished with a genial smile, well aware of how ridiculous it was for a child to even be speaking to this man, but he had no other choice but to venture on.