"Now, as I was saying. Let's talk business." I said as we sat down, the 4 still stuck with the ice on them and Serena glancing towards them from time to time to see if they were still fine.
She took a deep breath and looked me straight in the eyes. "What do you want to know, miss Aria."
"Oh~, you know, nothing much. Just, what are you really here for? If it was just scouting you have already done that and could've been done with it long ago, after all, what was the use of trading with us? I may not know much about the how trade works outside, but I sure as hell can tell that what you sold to me wasn't just simple merchantdise. And judging by the fact that you 5 could put those things into cargo and not be robbed on the way here either means, someone strong is backing you up, or you guys are the strong ones." I said as I eyed her suspiciously, I've been observing them since I met them before.
There was something off about 5 girls going to a monster ridden forest out of nowhere, and one just happens to be a merchant that sold Scar and the others what they happened to need for the defense and comfortability of our village.
There were too many 'coincidences' here that I need to know the reason off. The feeling of not understanding something, is one I do not want to put on myself after living a new life.
I watched as Serena sighed and answered my question with a bit of confusion as well.
"I don't know either. As you already know, I'm a merchant and those 4 are the adventurers tasked on protecting me and the cargo's. A few months back, before we met your stu-, I mean your people, I recieved a comission in the merchant guild."
She looked outside the house through the window, as if reminiscing about what happened.
"It was a mission about sending supplies to the nearest village past here, I heard that village was being rebuilt using the empire's money and I saw the price they would give to the ones who took it so I took it. When I went to the receiptionist to ask more about it, they told me that there was an adventurer party who would protect me and the supplies.
Happy with that fact I just accepted without hesitation after all, the village was only a few days away and there were adventurers to help. The journey to there was smooth sailing although for some reason when we got there the villagers already said that they were fine now and didn't need those supplies anymore. So we journeyed back but we encountered some monsters on the way as we ran away from them we were left to camp near your village which led to the meeting with your people." She said.
"Then why did you tell them you were gonna come back a 3 days after? Why did you bring the relics back with you, as a merchant you should've sold it." And why is it that everything she sold to me was useful in more ways than one, like with those gems we traded for the fruits. Speaking of that, I should inspect it and ask Leah or Fen on how to distribute it equally. And I need to plan out how to set up an economy here if I really plan on making this a kingdom.
But, those can be talked about later this needs clarifications now. If there was something I learned while climbing up the ranks in the underworld, it was the fact that you should never leave things unsolved or else it's gonna come bite you in the ass worse than it did before.
"For your first question, it was because I thought they were easy to fool. I got Mana shrooms, y'know? Those things cost a lot if you sell it to the right people, it could even go as high as one platinum for a dozen! Who wouldn't want that?
That's why I said I would come back 3 days later because that was the estimated time I could sell those mushrooms off. I didn't expect the mushrooms would be robbed on our way to town so we came back earlier thinking it was you guys who robbed it from us. I didn't know why we thought so, I mean they didn't take the relics with them which should've been suspicious enough, but we were already inside the forest before we came to and I just thought they did that so that we wouldn't think it was them."
"Then why did you give me the blade? It seems enchanted and looks valuable, I don't think a businesswoman like you would just give that without any hesitation?"
She turned her head to look at me this time.
"That's what I'm also curious about. Why did I give you that blade? Why did I even have it? I don't know, I thought by coming here again you would be able to tell me. But I guess you're also confused about it..."
Ha...so only one was able to be answered and the others were just dead ends, dang it. I hate this feeling, it's like some gears are shifting and I'm the one in the middle. It's just like back then!
"...I'm sorry." I heard Serena say, bringing me back from my thoughts.
"It's not your fault, and I think you were just used by someone to do this." I said with a shrug.
Heh.
If this is gonna be like before, then bring it on! I'll face you head on!
"Alright, I think that cleared up that. Now onto other matters," I snapped my fingers which slowly melted the ice on the 4's feet and made the bind disappear as well.
For a minute I thought they would attack me again but instead they just stayed there and took the makeshift gag on their mouth's.
"Not gonna attack me anymore?" I asked with a smirk and an eyebrow raised.
"Why? So you can beat us up and have your way with us? No thanks"
I choked at the second part of her words, what? Do they mean in the sense that I would torture them for info..or?
I malfunctioned for a bit which made them chuckle.
"Pft-, what happened to your tough attitude?" Rea said as she laughed with her head thrown back.
Dang it!
Now more of them show up! Why is it that more of them have fun with torturing me like this?!
Author: She say's that as if she doesn't like being bothered~(*^▽^*)
Little Theater:
Rea: laughs "What happened to your tough attitude, Aria?"
Aria: *still flustered from earlier* "W-Who said I lost it?! I was just... strategizing!"
Levy: grinning "Strategizing how to survive our teasing, maybe?"