<h4>Chapter 45: Preparations</h4>


    When Joshua left the theater, there was a tinge of orange sunset in the sky.


    Melina had given Joshua a hand-drawn map before she left. Aided by the map, Joshua wandered themercial streets of Nond for half an hour until he found Melina’s temporary residence.


    Coincidentally, Melina’s ce was only two streets away from Nond National Theater. From there, Joshua could see the glow of the first official theater in Nond.


    The theater was going to host a show by ckswan Theater that particr night. Like its namesake, the troupe had be the most sensational ck swan in theke that was Nond.


    “Hyn... I have the tickets...”


    Sansa waved the two VIP tickets to “World of Laughter”, thetest production by ckswan Theater.


    Sansa had obtained the tickets from a male ssmate, some Ricard-whatshisname, with a promise that went along the lines of, “I’ll definitely get Hyn to the show,” or something like that.


    With less than an hour until the show began, those VIP tickets that originally cost around five hundred gold coins would now cost double.


    While Sansa was excited to see the legendary Flower of Fari earlier that day, her excitement was dampened after she watched “Beauty and the Demon”. She could also empathize with her friend, Hyn for losing her passion for live theater.


    “Don’t mind me and Ciri. After all, this is your only chance to see the legendary Flower of Fari, right?” said Joshua.


    “Yea... Hyn, it’s only going to take slightly more than an hour. Let’s go watch it together.”


    Sansa did not want to waste the two pricey VIP tickets, especially if she could see the so-called most beautiful woman in the world. Lucky for her, she did not pay for those tickets herself.


    In the end, Hyn epted the suggestions from her threepanions and went with Sansa to the theater.


    “Don’t you want to see the Flower of Fari too?”


    Ciri munched on a piece of bread that she had bought off the streets for dinner as she asked Joshua.


    “To each his own, I guess. Instead of a shy woman hidden underyers of make-up, I’d rather someone who can cook.”


    Of course, every man was inclined to pick a good-looking woman, but if it came down to a choice between beauty and ability, Joshua preferred thetter. It went without saying that having both would be ideal.


    Nevertheless, Joshua did not have the time to consider matters of the heart, and he did not have anyone particr in mind either.


    “You’re right. Those nobledies are mostly b*tches anyway.”


    Ciri loathed the noble and pampered women who whiled away their days in social dance parties since she had once been like them too. She lived the indulgent life of a noble when her mother was still alive, but it was also a life full of rules that she would rather do without.


    Ciri preferred to live with her current lifestyle than live like a flower in a greenhouse. That aside, she missed her mother.


    Joshua made noment. A mage like Ciri who dared to face a brown bear in a fight would be wasted as a socialite dancing in the ballroom.


    He followed the directions on the hand-drawn map from Melina and arrived at a neglected building on themercial street. It was the only building there without glowing rune signage.


    The three-story building looked spacious enough. Joshua was about to knock on the door when it opened without warning.


    “Your... Your Highness.”


    Ynor had sensed Joshua’s presence as he approached the building. Feeling respectful and anxious, the subi went to the door and opened it for him.


    “Where’s your mother?”


    Joshua did not refer to her as “the human merchant, Melina”. Ever since Melina epted Ynor as her own, the subi had followed the human willingly.


    “This way, Mr. Anneude. I didn’t expect you to visit us so soon.”


    Melina came down the stairs hastily as Joshua stepped into the building. The ground floor was mostly empty except for some furniture like a few disy cabs. The goods that were supposed to be those cabs had already been burned to ashes.


    “You’re the only merchant I know in this city, Madam. As an outsider to the trade, I can only rely on your expertise.”


    Joshua sat down at a table and Ciri took the seat next to him. After an indicative nod from Joshua, Ynor sat down on the opposite.


    “What kind of business are you interested in, Joshua? I will do everything in my ability to assist you.”


    Melina took out a teapot from one of the cabs and also something that looked like a spiritmp. However, themp utilized magic as fuel instead of alcohol. In the world of magic, even a merchant like Melina could do such tricks.


    “I want to convert the ground floor into a tavern.”


    Joshua took a sweeping nce at the ground floor area once again. The ce was just right for the purpose.


    “A tavern... But, Joshua... There are already many taverns here in Nond.”


    As apetent merchant, Melina had a sharp sense of business. By all practical measures, residents of Nond were mainly humans and dwarfs. For the dwarfs who worked underground, drinking was a favorite pastime after-hours.


    For that reason, merchants came in droves to Nond in the hopes of profiting from the locals who had cash to spare, luring in their customers with manmade liquor and grilled meat. However, the dwarfs were not indiscriminate in their spending and tended to stick only to a few taverns that suited their tastes.


    Human mages, on the other hand, would usually stay away from substances such as liquor that could cloud their minds.


    Running a tavern could be a lucrative business in Nond, but the risk was high as well.


    “I want to build a special tavern with a menu that will entice our underground friends and even the mages in this city. I will finance the structural works, while you, Madam, can help me look for a liquor supplier and a building contractor for the renovation works. ording to my estimations, it’ll take half a year to get the new tavern up and running.”


    Joshua thought of the Hearthstone Tavern as a long-term project that could also put the profits from “Beauty and the Demon” to good use. After all, he only needed very little money to produce his next movie.


    “In that case... Joshua, what do you n to do with the first and second floor?”


    Melina had little left to herself, and her future relied heavily on Joshua’s investment.