Ruiki looked at the person who had arrived beside him unnoticed, stunned.
"Shh. The vampires have a keen hearing. I am The Haggler, let's trade!"
Who is he? Looking at the person, he wore plain grey clothes — a grey shirt and grey pants — as if he was a laborer in a minor industry, sporting blackish-blue eyes and obsidian coloured hair.
Ruiki stared at his eyes as he asked the person, cautious. "You are?"
The person named as The Haggler raised a brow. "Who I am... does it even matter? For starters, let's say that I am your saviour."
My saviour... What? Perplexed, Ruiki asked him, "My saviour? You saved me from what, exactly?"
"You'll know, not so soon." The Haggler responded, seeking cover next to Ruiki as he raised three fingers. "Let's play a game of trade!"
In this situation, and from the books he had read, Ruiki deduced two scenarios and their corresponding outcomes depending on his answers,
First, it was to go along and play the game with the person in front of him, and the second was quite simple: deny such things and escape, alerting the vampires and letting the two of them fight it out.
Ruiki though, decided to play safe and go with the first option as the second option was too dangerous.
Who knows, maybe the vampires will go after me instead of him... It was at such times that Ruiki regretted his decisions deeply, feeling that he had been entangled with choices with only bad outcomes.
Ruiki nodded, "What will we trade?"
The Haggler continued, pleased, as if this was the obvious outcome. "We'll trade the gems you've collected in your magical pouch for my assistance."
Before Ruiki could ask further, The Haggler spoke. "I offer one of the three things, which are very beneficial for you."
"One, a renewed magical essence that matches one of the toys you possess." He pointed to Ruiki's magical pouch as he retracted one of his fingers.
"Two, upgrade and enhance an item further in your possession." He retracted the second finger.
"Three, lastly, a safe passage for you and your family to your destination." and finally, he retracted the last finger.
Ruiki listened quietly, taking his own time to decide as each of the options were enticing.
Thinking about the first, it was a renewed magical essence that matched one of the Wizard Badges he possessed, which could very well help him infiltrate the Order of Black Pits' branch in the Wind Flower City.
The second was not so bad either, with a chance to enhance an item in his arsenal, though he didn't have anything valuable at present.
The third however, was the most tempting —A safe passage to Madilan, which was the best if hurried.
Ruiki pondered for a moment, then asked, "What's the catch?"
The Haggler chuckled, pleased. "Since trades means the exchange of things with equal importance, the assistance I provide will be equivalent to the worth of the gems in your possession or even lesser."
Or even lesser, huh? Ruiki was unsure after hearing such words, taking a longer time to decide.
If I pick the first, then I'll probably get busted mid-way or even sooner... Not to mention the fact that the Order has tight security and takes intruders seriously, the fact that I have a Wizards' Badge being an apprentice is a problem in and of itself...
Ruiki quickly scratched the first option.
As for the second, It's actually decent and safer than the third, which has the highest risk...
Ruiki came to a decision soon after, his voice firm. "The second, upgrade one of my items,"
Ruiki hesitated for a moment, but then chose, "The magical pouch,"
Although he was first going to pick the dagger, Ruiki thought it would be better to upgrade his magical pouch first, as it could be utilised properly in the following days.
Knowing mother, she'll probably insist that we bring father's belongings with us. The dagger would've been a better option if I actually knew how to properly make use of it, but currently, the magic pouch is a better option.
"A very good choice," The Haggler's pleasant voice rang in his ears once again as Ruiki handed over his magical pouch to him.
The person in front of him accepted it as he held it in his palm, a cloud filled with bright light engulfing the magical pouch briefly as it soon receded, revealing a pouch with a different and darker colour this time.
"Presenting to you..." The Haggler first covered the pouch with his palm and then shoved it to Ruiki's face, "the Pouch of Myths!"
"Its storage capacity has now increased, and it can hold elephants now!"
"Elephants?" Ruiki asked, confused, when the subsequent knowledge flowed in his mind.
"Pouch of Myths: Can contain items ten times more than the original! Moreover, items related to knowledge and darkness can exist while consuming less amount of space."
"Negative effects: Since Ruiki Imara had traded the Pouch of Myths for an inferior item, the subsequent negativity surges within the pouch!"
"One, items stored in the pouch may be randomly lost and returned within a short period. Two, the pouch may gain sentience at times if not exposed to darkness. Three, the pouch cannot carry actual elephants!"
Looking at the side-effects, Ruiki looked at The Haggler and said bitterly, "I want my previous pouch back..."
The Haggler merely winked at him, laughing. "Refunds are not acceptable."
"If it helps, the negative effects don't affect items containing the traits of knowledge or darkness." The Haggler said, turning into a dark mist as he disappeared, laughing until the very end.
"..."
Ruiki stood there, dumbfounded, as he realised the vampires were long gone and that he was all alone in the cavern.
...
After searching the entire cavern and finding nothing, Ruiki headed back to the city gates as he reached his home safely after.
But reaching his home though, he realised a surprise awaited him.
"You are... Ruiki Imara, right?" Ruiki frowned, noticing an unidentified man in his house.
Then, as if noticing the absolute silence in his house, Ruiki looked around worriedly at the living room as the man comforted him, noticing his worries.
"Have no worries, your mother and sister are safe. Perhaps safer than ever actually,"
Hearing the words "safer than ever," an ominous foreboding unsettled him.
He looked at the man in front of him who was taller than the average with a rather thin build as he treated cautiously, "Who are you? Why are you in our house?"
Since the man wore clothes that befit a noble, Ruiki didn't immediately react defensively, but his tone and demeanor remained cold nonetheless.
"Looks like she told you who you are," the man in front said, nodding. "It would've wasted a great deal of my time to recount everything,"
"Good, a lot of time is saved."
Then, as if mechanically ordered, the man in front of him pulled out a piece of paper from his coat as he read the words solemnly.
"Breitle Williams, also known as Gina Imara and her two childrens — Na'ari Imara and Ruiki Imara residing in Dual-Mirror District of Wind Flower City, are to be brought to the Royal Palace under the orders of the Supreme King Evanus Williams The Second." The man read, his tone as solemn as ever.
"For escorting the descendents of the royal family safely to the royal palace, Viscount Kentucky Williams is to be sent — words of a high-ranking count rather than the king, actually."
Hearing the whole thing in absolute silence, Ruiki's tense expression gradually loosened as he sighed.
"It was Ployer's little plans, was it not?" Ruiki asked, resigned.
"It was one of the factors, yes." Viscount Kentucky nodded. "Another one of them was the foul thing you carry in your embrace," he said, pointing to the Pouch of Myths in disdain.
"It carries the most foul odor of Oathbreaker Paladins who've betrayed their teachings and gone astray." Ruiki's whole expression froze as a deep sense of guilt and regret overwhelmed him.
...
In a grand palace situated atop a grand hill, its surroundings encased in a mysterious fog.
"It has been a while, hasn't it..." Inside it, in a grand hall made of pitch black stones, Ruiki's mother — Gina Imara, spoke. "...father."
As she spoke, she looked at the figure sitting on the throne made of the same material as the rest of the hall, staring up at him calmly.
"It has indeed been a while," the figure sitting on the throne supported his chin on his palm, "... though not much in my standards, seventeen years should be alot for yourself,"
"...Breitle Williams, my foolish daughter."