Sitting behind a long counter seated a middle aged man with thinning brown hair and a thick brown mustache, staring at the pounding rain outside his store. He had barely started the day, but was already tempted to close up shop as he knew not many would do their shopping in such weather. No desperate person anyway.
He quickly squashed the temptation though. Many shopped at his store and his customers were loyal and repeated customers for years. Not only was his prices decent and even some items relatively cheap, his products were fresh and of good quality.
The store also provided a little of everything. Fruits, vegetables, and cured meats neatly lined his counters. There was a section full of books, a section with a myriad of tools, a section for housewares, a section for weapons, a section for clothing, etc… If anyone needed anything, even the oddest trinkets of sorts, either he had it or he could find it.
Therefore, naturally he had a wide range of customers that frequented his store.
No matter rain or shine he would be open. Ever since the store's grand opening, never has he closed arbitrarily beyond business hours. The rainstorm today though could be counted as one of the worst he's seen. Nonetheless, he continued to wait as he stared into the downpour outside.
Thinking to himself, the merchant pondered about an impossible recent request from a high noble of the kingdom. The chances were practically none as the item was only in myth and legends.
"Wonder if that boy Ansel will ever find what I asked him to search for? That noble really wanted that root and was willing to pay big money for it. I doubt that it could really turn his tool down there larger and as hard as stone though. Legends and myths be legends and myths. Still, it'd be a miracle if Ansel finds even a tiny hair of that root."
Thinking about the possible money he could make, he couldn't resist but grin greedily, "I really hoped Ansel could finds it and more would be better." He knew plenty of men out in the world who would turn themselves into debt slaves to pay for something that could magically rid them of insecurities down below. It was a lucrative trade.
"The legends are probably and usually over hyped, but who knows though. Maybe because the root works so well that it caused the root to go extinct?" He knew the root existed at one point many eras ago, so knew there was a small possibility. The man tapped his counter as his face showed pity. "Ansel, he's an unlucky one that boy. My lucky star no matter, but he's life has not been fortunate."
The door to the store ringed as a hooded figure drenched in rain entered before shaking off all the water off his leather outerwear.
"Please be careful to not get water on the merchandise." The merchant nicely conveyed to his first customer. "Sorry old man Gin!" Ansel apologized as he slowly took off his hooded leather jacket and hanged it on a rack by the door while he left his leather bag on the floor.
"Speak of the devil and he shall appear! Ansel! I was just thinking about you! And stop calling me old! I'm only 38! Wait till you get to 38 and I'll call you an old man!" Gin pretended to grumble.
With a deep laugh, Ansel picked up his leather bag over his shoulder and joked back, "well by then you'll really be an old man, while I will only be an old man in name."
Gin smirked and replied, "alright boy, I know better not to argue with a kid, especially one with a mouth like yours. We'll be going at it like last time. Did you need something for your place? You couldn't have possibly already found Nota's root could you?"
Ansel took a deep breath before he went on a rant and vented. "At least we have fun joking! That busy-body lady down the street was trying to force me out of town again like I had the plague! Raving about how her daughter was a concubine to the city lord's son. She even tried calling the guards to take "garbage" like me out. She acts like she owns the town with her daughter being the concubine to a spoiled brat! I will never understand people."
The shop owner Gin was momentarily taken aback. He knew Ansel had no luck with people and constantly ran into those who harassed him. "I'm sorry kiddo. She wronged you. You're not anything at all like what she said. There are messed up people like her in the world. Worse ones too, but there's good…"
Ansel cut in, "yea, even in this pouring rain, it's my luck to walk into them. Anyway, yea I found Nota's root." Gin continued, "right, you never have much luck when it comes to people."
Ansel's last words sunk in, and Gin excitedly screamed, "What?!! You found it!! Where?! It was extinct for so long it's only supposed to exist only as legends!!"
Ansel grinned and teased, "weren't you just still showing me pity? did you get what I asked?"
Clearing his throat, Gin regained his composure before pouting at the young man, "I was boy! But you dropped a magic missile out of nowhere! You're always teasing me! And yes you brat, I got your crystal. Not sure why you'd want it as it's practically a fortune for a one time use."
Wide-eyed with excitement, Ansel rushed forward and grabbed Gin's hands while wildly exclaiming, "Where!!! Show me!! Let's trade! Now!!!"
Shocked at how quickly Ansel moved, Gin almost fell backwards while laughing. "Whoa there son! I guess I dropped a bigger magic missile. I can't work if I break my back." Ansel quickly apologized, "Sorry Gin! I've been waiting forever you know! Besides, it's only because it's you that I can talk comfortably like this with."
"I know. I know very well kiddo." Gin smiled before he turned around to the door behind the counter and called out, "Alex! Why are you still back there!? Come out and man the front, I need to use the back room for a while!"
Echoes from the thuds of footsteps from behind the door reminded Ansel of his dream. A young man in his late teens similar to Ansel's age and around his height came out followed by a very tall and muscular man who needed to duck underneath the door frame.
The teenage boy was Alex dressed in subtle luxurious clothing woven from expensive fabric similar to the shop owner Gin. They had the same brown hair, but the young man's thicker hair was trimmed short. He was also much more a looker than his father. The gods favored the young man well as he was gifted a well-defined face that would make anyone look twice. His emerald green eyes were set upon chiseled cheekbone and a straight nose.
He was born with the manly and handsome traits Ansel was envious of. Ansel didn't have much luck in the looks department. Not ugly, but besides his rare black hair, Ansel's face could only be missed and overlooked amongst the crowds. He could be called cute at best, and he knew it well.
Behind Alex was the tall and muscular body guard Ansel was always wary of.
Men with such large frames made Ansel uneasy as it reminded him of the man enveloped in the burning dark aura from his dreams and past life. Although cautious of the the bodyguard, even he was well-dressed with clean clothes behind his leather armor.
Ansel appreciated that Gin's store and everyone working there was well-kept and clean. Though he was sure plenty of customers came in just to talk to or sneak glances at the two men.
With Alex now behind the counter, Gin gestured for Ansel to follow him as he made his way to the back room. "Make sure you clear off the water on the floor Alex," Gin stated as he walked past his son. Alex gave a glare at Ansel, but Ansel shrugged and thought to himself. "What could I do? It was raining cats and dogs outside. Well I could use some magic, but I'd rather see Alex having to squirm. Besides even if Alex has a handsome face, he's being an ass today like usual." Ansel mentally gave him the finger before running off behind Gin.
Alex detested cleaning, especially after others, but knew his father liked the boy. With a swift swat of his hand in the direction of the water on the floor, it and the water on Ansel's leather jacket dried instantly.
He had to admit Ansel was capable. Over the years he had great, almost miraculous luck in finding many items from his father's requests. However, he found Ansel hard to to get along with. Everyone else folded to the palm of his hands because of his handsome face, but it would seem ineffective on Ansel.