"Roland...?" William's voice echoed in the vast room, full of surprise. He hadn't expected to encounter Roland in this enormous city, let alone at the guild's office.
"Hey there, William," Roland greeted him, an affable smile lighting up his face. Turning to the receptionist, he nodded with confidence. "I'm acquainted with William here. I can vouch for him, if that would be sufficient."
William was taken aback by Roland's offer, a surge of gratitude welled up inside him. Vouching for him was a substantial risk as it meant Roland would be held accountable if William failed to repay the loan, or worse, decided to flee the city. And given that Roland had only met William once before, in the bustling marketplace, his willingness to take on such a risk was quite remarkable. This unexpected act of kindness touched William deeply, leaving him a bit emotional.
This gesture, though seemingly simple, meant that Roland trusted him enough to stake his own reputation on him, which in a place like this, was not something people did lightly. It spoke volumes about Roland's character and their budding friendship.
"Of course," the receptionist spoke respectfully to Roland, "we'll just need to see your Residential Card, Sir Roland. And if you wouldn't mind signing here," she gestured to a line at the bottom of the form.
It wasn't hard for William to notice the receptionist's deference to Roland. His frequent visits to the Adventurer's Guild were evident in her familiarity with him, as well as the courteous manner she addressed him with.
As Roland handed over his Residential Card to the receptionist, he turned to William, a look of genuine interest in his eyes. "I hope you don't mind me asking, William, but what are your plans for the loan money?" Roland's tone was not intrusive but rather polite, giving William the option to remain silent if he wished. William felt surprised once again by Roland's gentlemanly demeanor.
With a small nod of his head, William decided to answer. "Actually, I've been eyeing an old store in a perfect location for a business venture I have in mind. The previous owner is interested in selling it, so I plan on purchasing it at a reasonable price. The funds I'm trying to secure would be utilized for this purpose, and the remaining would be employed to jump-start the initial stages of my business."
As he spoke, William couldn't help but feel a bit excited, sharing his plans with Roland. His simple words encapsulated his dreams and ambitions, his hopes for the future, all tied up in a modest old store and the promise of a thriving business.
Roland's curiosity piqued further, "And what sort of business might this be? What exactly are you planning to sell?" His tone suggested genuine interest rather than prying.
William chuckled slightly, "Well, to put it simply, it's a bit like a clothing store." He decided to not dive too deep into the specifics at this point. However, seeing Roland's eagerness to know more, he decided to flip the coin a bit, "And what brings you here, Roland?"
Previously, William had misjudged Roland, taking him for just another womanizing playboy. But the Roland he was witnessing now was rather different, polite and genuinely kind. William was beginning to feel that becoming friends with someone like Roland might not be a bad idea after all.
"I'm here for knightly duties," Roland confessed, his eyes losing some of their casual luster. "I'm here to gather some information about the recent missions issued by the guild. There have been reports of people going missing in the Sunflower Garden area. So, I am looking for any leads or clues that might be hidden in the missions the guild has recently posted." He was still a knight at the end of the day, carrying out his responsibilities and hoping to solve the mysterious disappearances.
"Congratulations, Sir! Your loan has been approved. You've been granted 10,000 gold coins." The receptionist's voice rang out, echoing in the spacious hall. She returned to her desk with a small pile of white papers in her hand.
William reached out to receive the documents and quickly scanned through them. His eyebrows raised in surprise, 'The interest rate... it's been halved from 10% to 5%. I've heard from city folk that acquiring a loan of 10,000 gold coins is no small task. Usually, the guild provides loans of around 5,000 or 8,000 gold coins. For anything above 10,000, there would be days of paperwork and scrutiny.'
As William pondered this, he realised that the reason for this generous loan and decreased interest rate was most likely Roland. Roland was a respected knight in the city, and his endorsement must have instilled a great deal of trust in the guild towards William.
Overwhelmed with gratitude, William felt a need to express his appreciation to Roland. His voice was sincere, resonating with honesty, "Roland, I don't know how I can ever thank you. You have provided me with such incredible help despite us having met only once." William's heartfelt gratitude echoed through the quiet halls of the guild.
With a broad grin on his face, Roland reached out and gave William a reassuring pat on his shoulder. "There's no need for thanks, really," he said with a chuckle. In Roland's eyes, 10,000 gold coins were trivial, an amount that barely scratched the surface of his wealth as a noble and a knight.
Furthermore, Roland had seen William's choice to rent a house in Sunflower Garden for a monthly payment of 1,000 gold coins. This suggested to him that William either had the financial ability to manage such a cost, or had the confidence in his forthcoming plans to meet this expense. If William could handle a rent of 1,000 gold coins each month, then he certainly had the capacity to repay a loan within a span of five years.
Roland's voice turned a bit more serious as he spoke, "If there's ever a time in the future when you need my assistance, don't hesitate to reach out. I will do my utmost to support you." His words carried a sense of warmth and sincerity, giving William an unexpected sense of camaraderie.
A playful glint appeared in Roland's eyes as he continued, "And remember, once your shop is up and running, you have to offer me a discount when I come to shop." His words were said in jest, but William took them quite seriously. He nodded in earnest, seeing no disadvantage in offering a small token of appreciation to someone who had proven to be a benefactor in his hour of need.
With a casual air, Roland turned to William, "By the way, do you have any plans this evening?" he asked.
Taken aback, William responded with a curious, "Why?" He had been anticipating a busy schedule in the coming days due to the setting up of his new business. The thought of having free time seemed like a far-fetched idea. Yet, he decided to listen to what Roland had in mind.
Roland's face lit up with enthusiasm as he shared, "There's going to be a women's sword fighting event taking place in the eastern square of Emberfall city, this evening." He grinned mischievously, adding, "It's going to be quite a sight, lots of stunning women in action. I was planning to head over there and cheer them on."
The slightly sly smile on Roland's face and his enthusiasm for the event made William question his earlier decision about forming a friendship with Roland. The thought of attending a sword fight to cheer on beautiful women seemed outlandish to him.
With a good-natured roll of his eyes, he responded to Roland, "Perhaps another time when I'm not so swamped with work. This week, my hands are pretty full with setting up my business."
Roland, who seemed to be an extremely amiable and laid-back individual, took it all in stride. "Sure," he responded without a hint of disappointment. His charismatic personality made it easy for him to strike up friendships with a wide range of people, regardless of their interests or backgrounds.
"Oh, by the way," Roland suddenly remembered, "there's a grand festival that takes place here in Emberfall City. It's held every year and is coming up again in about two weeks." He looked at William, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "There's going to be group dances, singing performances, and so much more. How about we participate in the group dance? It's sure to be loads of fun."
Hearing about the festival sparked an intriguing business idea in William's mind. But he didn't reveal anything just yet. Instead, he asked, "Would it be alright if I bring my family along?"
Roland responded instantly, with a hearty laugh, "Of course, man. Everyone in the town is welcome. It's a community event, after all. Plus, the dance steps aren't that difficult to master. A little bit of practice, say an hour or so, should be more than enough."
William pondered over it for a moment. Attending the festival could offer an excellent opportunity for him and his family to socialize and become more familiar with their new neighbors. With that thought, he agreed, "Alright, we'll join in."
Roland beamed at him. "Great, it's a deal then! But, as much as I'd love to continue our chat, duty calls. I must be off now." With a firm nod of his head, Roland took his leave from the guild. Not long after Roland's departure, William, too, having received the loan money, decided to leave and start focusing on his next steps.
Full of excitement and anticipation, William headed back to the property guild. With a feeling of accomplishment, he paid 4,000 gold coins for the store, finalizing the purchase. Once the paperwork was completed, he held the deed to the store in his hands, a piece of paper that represented his first major step in his entrepreneurial journey.
Without wasting any more time, he set off to the next destination – a well-reputed renovation company within the city. William had clear ideas about what he wanted his store to look like, drawing inspiration from the high-end clothing boutiques he remembered from Earth. His vision was to create a space that was ample and airy, far from the cramped and cluttered atmosphere typical of many other shops. Important additions included a clean, well-maintained washroom for customers and a practical underground basement for stock storage.
He spent a good couple of hours sitting down with the manager of the company, diving deep into his ideas. He meticulously described the color schemes he wanted, the layout of the store, the lighting, and countless other details big and small that he believed would amplify the store's allure. It was an immersive conversation, full of back-and-forths, and adjustments until they had a solid plan for transforming the old store into William's dream.
Once everything was laid out, the manager made a quick calculation and presented William with a quote of 4,000 gold coins for the entire renovation and remodeling process. William, with his shrewd business sense, managed to negotiate the price down to a more reasonable 3,500 gold coins. Given the extent of the makeover, which was close to rebuilding the store from scratch, he felt it was a fair deal.
The manager informed him that the renovation would likely take around a week to ten days. The company was fortunate to have earth magicians on their team, who would use their earth magic to speed up the construction process considerably. As the most prominent renovation company in the city, they held a reputation for swift and quality work, which gave William the confidence that his store would soon be as he envisioned it.
With the plan in motion, William left the company, eager for the transformation to begin, carrying with him the hope and thrill of a new beginning in Emberfall City.
Once the store's renovation was well underway, William moved on to the next part of his busy day. He needed to finalize all the bureaucratic details to make his business legally operational. He traveled from one city office to another, filling out paperwork, procuring necessary licenses, and going through all the formalities that a new business owner is required to complete.
He dedicated the name of the company, or rather the store, as 'Fantasy Fashion Boutique'. The name represented the blend of imagination, style, and elegance that he planned to infuse into his store. He wanted to provide a fashion experience that was not just about buying clothes, but an adventure into the world of style and elegance.
The entire process was time-consuming and required a great deal of patience. The cogs of bureaucracy turned slowly, and it took another solid four hours before everything was finally in place. By the time all the administrative tasks were completed, the day had stretched long and the sun was sinking towards the horizon, coloring the sky with hues of pink and orange.
Tired but satisfied with the day's achievements, William climbed aboard a carriage to return home. He glanced out the window at the fading sunlight, the world bathed in the soft glow of the impending twilight. The city of Emberfall was starting to sparkle under the first stars of the evening, and amidst this, William felt a sense of contentment and anticipation for his venture that was slowly but surely taking shape. His day had been long and exhaustive, but he was one step closer to realizing his dream. He sat back and let the gentle rocking of the carriage soothe his weary body as it carried him towards home.
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