The afternoon sun hung high in the sky, its golden rays piercing through the uneven rooftops of Aetheria's bustling marketplace. The scent of freshly baked bread mixed with the tang of exotic spices, forming a heady aroma that clung to the air. Merchants bellowed their wares, eager to capture the attention of wandering customers, while urchins wove through the crowd, their nimble fingers quick to relieve the unwary of their coin.
I walked through the throng at a leisurely pace, my hands tucked into the pockets of my coat, my expression one of mild amusement. To the casual observer, I was just another nameless figure blending into the background, a man with no real purpose, no weight to his existence. That was intentional.
The art of deception was simple. If you wanted to be unnoticed, you had to make yourself unimportant. People ignored the mundane. They overlooked the unremarkable. And so, I embraced that role, becoming just another nameless passerby.
But my mind was anything but idle.
Edgar's words from earlier lingered in my thoughts. The influx of magical relics from the western territories presented an opportunity. An opportunity that I intended to exploit.
But first, I need capital.
While I had some silver left, it wasn't nearly enough to make a proper investment. The best deals required not only coin but the ability to outbid competitors. And for that, I needed to increase my funds quickly.
I turned a corner, slipping into a quieter alleyway. The din of the marketplace faded behind me, replaced by the muffled conversations of those lurking in the shadows. This part of Aetheria was less glamorous, a place where the city's less reputable dealings took place. Information brokers, mercenaries, debt collectors—if you knew where to look, you could find them all.
I was searching for one in particular.
A few steps further, and I spotted him. A wiry man, his dark hair slicked back, his sharp eyes scanning his surroundings like a predator searching for prey. His clothes were clean but modest, his demeanor relaxed yet calculating.
Clyde, an information broker.
I approached him with the same casual gait I used in the marketplace. His gaze flicked toward me the moment I entered his peripheral vision, but he didn't react beyond that.
"Lyle Vance," he said, his voice carrying a note of interest. "Didn't expect to see you here."
I smirked. "Surprise."
He chuckled, motioning for me to sit at the rickety table beside him. I took the offer, leaning back as I observed the man before me. Clyde was good at what he did, but more importantly, he valued profitable partnerships. And that was exactly what I was about to offer.
"I hear there's a lot of movement in the relic trade lately," I began, watching his expression carefully. "Some real, some fake. The usual."
Clyde nodded. "That's true. Plenty of buyers looking for magical artifacts, and even more sellers eager to scam them."
I tapped my fingers against the table. "I want in."
He let out a low whistle. "Bold. What makes you think you won't just get ripped off like the rest?"
"Because I know how to separate the fakes from the real ones."
Clyde raised a skeptical brow. "And you expect me to just believe that?"
I reached into my coat, pulling out a single silver coin and flipping it between my fingers. "Believe it or not, it doesn't matter. What matters is that I can make you money."
Silence stretched between us before Clyde chuckled, shaking his head. "Alright, I'll bite. What's your plan?"
The plan was simple. There were too many fakes flooding the market, but genuine magical relics were still in circulation. The problem was that most buyers lacked the expertise to tell the difference, and sellers took advantage of that ignorance. I, however, knew the classifications of artifacts, their histories, and, most importantly, their true worth.
With Clyde's network, we could gather intelligence on incoming shipments, locate undervalued relics, and secure them before they reached the hands of wealthier merchants. By acquiring these items at lower costs and selling them at proper market value, we could turn a tidy profit.
"You realize this isn't risk-free, right?" Clyde said, eyeing me carefully. "The bigger merchants won't take kindly to someone undercutting them."
I smiled, a slow, deliberate expression. "That's why we won't undercut them. We'll sell to them."
His eyes widened slightly before a grin spread across his face. "Hah. Clever. Instead of competing, we feed their supply."
"Exactly. Let them believe they're still in control while we control what they receive."
Clyde exhaled, shaking his head. "You really don't think like a normal man, do you?"
That's because I don't see this world the way you do.
But I didn't say that out loud.
Instead, I leaned forward, extending my hand. "Do we have a deal?"
Clyde studied me for a long moment before grasping my hand with a firm shake. "We have a deal."
The first move had been made. With Clyde's network securing leads, I would soon have access to undervalued relics. My next step would be identifying the best items to invest in, but for that, I needed a proper base of operations.
The inn I was staying at was temporary, a place that provided nothing more than a roof over my head. If I wanted to build something sustainable, I needed a more secure location—somewhere I could store valuable items without fear of theft or prying eyes.
As I walked back toward the marketplace, my mind was already calculating possibilities. The outskirts of the city held affordable properties, but they came with their own risks. The inner district was safer, but far more expensive.
I need to establish a foothold before expanding further.
The city was a chessboard, and I was playing a long game. Every move had to be precise, every decision deliberate. Mistakes were costly, and I had no intention of making any.
This world was one I had created, but now, it was mine to control.
And I intended to shape it as I saw fit.