Following Rina through the harrowing paths of the market and not getting lost proved to be a challenge of difficulty I did not expect to see in the slightest.
Mostly because of the throng of people that had seemed to grow since I last saw it.
Although keeping track of Rina, Katrina and Amanda was easy due to their noticeable traits.
Such as animal ears which was an unique sight amongst the crowd.
Blond hair which again was also unique among the throng of dark brown haired people.
And a head of black hair which was incredibly different from the dark brown hair and was again, unique.
Pushing my way amongst the crowd I slapped a greedy hand that couldn't help but try to yoink something from my belongings and horribly failing.
My eyes finally set on the place called the Merchants guild.
Which to my understanding so far from being at the adventurer's guild.
Would most likely be a gathering of merchants, young hopefuls and people setting requests at the main counter or on the large board.
Seeing the sigil of a hand holding a scale with gold and a pouch on each ends while being balanced.
Rina opened the door with me quickly following after.
Not after discreetly throwing a rock at the attempted thieves forehead using my skills.
Seeing them faint at the entrance of an alleyway only to later get dragged into it with blood leaking from their head.
Safe to say I didn't feel sorry.
You try to steal from me, I give you concussion.
Walking up the steps of the Merchants guild while passing the watchful eye of a nearby guard.
My eyes wandered and looked at the entire merchants guild.
And man was it different.
Instead of the mixture of a bar and request board filled with people who fight for a living.
This place was... Half of what I expected.
As if to boast of their wealth fancy looking items hung all around the place, being plated with slightly precious metals such as silver and gold, although in small amounts.
And unlike the Adventurers guild, a second floor overlooking the first was set above us.
Round tables like the Adventurers guild were set around as like the Adventurers guild the Merchants guild had the function of a restaraunt unlike the bar from the Adventurers guild.
Men and women dressed in clothes ranging from fancy finery to modest clothes talked to each other over the sounds of chewing food and clanking coins most likely talking about business prospects.
Looking around a loud voice captured my attention which honestly shouldn't have if not for the fact that a familiar name was called in it.
"Miss Rina! What makes you return so soon!? Is their anything you to buy from me? If so I'll gladly fulfill it"
Rina looked at the elderly old man with a long beard that reached down half his chest, wearing brown clothes consisting of hat, coat and pants, white shirt being underneath the coat.
Shaking her head she gestured at me.
"Remember what I said when I left Old man? I said I would return with a great customer"
Turning towards me with an appraising eye, the eyes on his head were instantly dragged to the chests both on my back and arms.
Putting on an almost genial smile laced with suspicion he gestured back at the counters.
"If you say so Rina, I trust your abilities as a silver ranked merchant, now then to find out whether or not you are telling the truth we should move to the counters, we can see for sure over there"
Walking along the aisles, safe to say that we attracted lots of attention.
A two meter tall guy wearing rather unique clothes, with two large chests nearly three quarters his size being carried on his back and a similarly sized chest in his arms was what I think might've attracted the attention.
Or it might've been the three beautiful woman who weren't an incredibly rare sight but were beauties nonetheless.
Or it might've been due to the man leading us as I may or may not have unintentionally eavesdropped on a conversation regarding the man in front of me.
---
In hushed whispers from the people nearest to us.
"---So we should start investing in the adventurer business as--" talking about some business venture that I couldn't care less about, his companion interrupted him.
"Hey Shut up" Slapping their arm discreetly they pointed at the old man. "The old man is leading someone"
The annoyance from being interrupted by his companion instantly disappeared as the man looked and saw what his companion said was truth.
Looking at the old man quietly, the attention was instantly diverted to me who was being led by this old man and the whispers continued.
Now from another table.
"Has the old man found a gem in the rough? Or has he mistaken the piece of coal from the gem?"
"I don't know, but see those girls? I recognize one of them" Discreetly pointing at Rina the girl continued.
"That girl discovered by the old man, she's already a silver ranked merchant"
"At such a young age!?" Whisper shouting to her comrade the girl lowered her voice even farther, although it wasn't quiet enough that I couldn't hear it the girl continued.
"And it seems the man is a companion of theirs so the man he's leading might be a piece of gold he's found"
Eyeing me up and down and lingering intently on the chests both on my back and arms she whispered to herself. "Well, we'll have to see don't we?"
---
'I understand things now' Smiling to myself as the old man went behind the counter to grab something from underneath the counter.
'This old man is testing me' From what I could tell from the whispers all around, Rina here was a silver ranked merchant which is most likely proportional to the Silver ranked adventurer token.
And this old man who seemed to have found Rina, is viewed as some sort of experienced player in the field of money.
'He's applying pressure on me and Rina to fulfil the expectations'
Chuckling to myself as the old man looked back up and eyed me with a strange look on is face from beyond the counter space he pulled down some sort of scanner hanging from a beam.
'I'm pretty sure my twenty five sleeps of doing nothing but getting on the grind for materials, monster drops and just honing fighting skill aren't for nothing'
"So kid" With a no nonsense attitude the old man stroked his beard while holding the scanner that looked suspiciously like the ones my world used at the cashiers.
"Show me what makes you so special that Silver here recommended you"
"Sure old man" Grinning I dropped the chests onto the ground making them both sink into the ground while opening the one in my arms.
+++
Tree