《The Merchant and The Neutral Inn》


 The Merchant and The Neutral Inn - Chapter 1

    In the middle of the forest lies a clearing, exactly in between the Human and Demon territories.


    Few know why such a space exists. Maybe a fire brought about by lightning raged through the area. Maybe some sort of magic barrier was cast, preventing trees from growing inside. Either way, the grass-covered land had spanned enough space to form a small town.


    A river ran through the north towards the south of the clearing, dividing the place almost perfectly into two. A dirt road emerged from one side of the forest, the western Human territories. A similar one came from the eastern Demon side. Both ran in a straight direction before they turned, finally running parallel to the river. At the exact center of the field, the two roads finally met, converging at a small but sturdy wooden bridge.


    Two wooden structures rose from opposite sides of the river, each in front of the pathway. Their first floors were completely symmetrical to the other, a fairly common sight. Each had a door and a wooden sign with words painted in red. The second stories of the structures however, caused eyebrows to be raised.  The two were joined together on their second floors, that is, they were just one building.  Of course, that meant part of the second floor was hanging over the river.


    The structure was an interesting sight to see, but a first-time visitor would ask: Why would someone even build something in the middle of nowhere?


    That would be answered by the signage: The Neutral Inn.


    ---


    ¡°Search for the attackers, and protect the caravan!¡± I shouted.


    The normal routine of the night was interrupted by a bandit raid. We were fired upon by a barrage of arrows. I was told back then, one would get one attack ever two or three trips, but now, you had to prepare for two attacks per trip. People have fallen on hard times even after the war.


    ¡°They¡¯re attacking from our east flank!¡± one of the guards I hired pointed to the line of enemies.


    Just as he spoke, an arrow from the east hit him in the chest, right between the gaps of his armor, and he fell to the ground. Another guard dragged him behind one of the wagons. Our mage sprang into action and began to heal him.


    ¡°Sir, they¡¯re attacking from the brush. We can¡¯t pinpoint their exact location to shoot at.¡±


    ¡°Then, we don¡¯t engage. Let¡¯s just break the barricade and get out of here!¡±


    ¡°But sir, they may have a trap lying ahead of us!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather we risk that than turn into pincushions here. We¡¯ll be safer the moment we cross the river into human-patrolled neutral territory!¡±


    Our predicament started on our evening rush through the lawless neutral area when we were stopped by a wooden barricade blocking the road. Because the road conditions were narrow and our profits were directly related to the speed of our delivery, we found it difficult to decide to turn around and decided to attack the barricade instead. However, when we did that, arrows started raining down from the sky


    ¡°Our attacks aren¡¯t working on the barricade!¡± one of the guards reported, ¡°It must be fortified with magic or something.¡±


    ¡°We need to dispel it then,¡± I clicked my tongue, ¡°For now, concentrate on shielding the horses from the arrows.¡±


    Although the fact that they actually had it magically-enhanced means that they probably don¡¯t have a trap ahead. Most merchant caravans don¡¯t bother bringing a mage along, so I guess we have an advantage there.


    I called to our mage and pointed to the barricade.


    ¡°When you¡¯re done mending his wounds, go help them break it. I¡¯ll stall for some time with the staff.¡±


    She looked at me before nodding. I hurriedly ran to one of the middle wagons, avoiding stray arrows, and grabbed a staff. It looked ordinary, except from the fact it was made from obsidian, making it heavier than the usual varieties. The tip had a black orb attached to it, which emitted a faint purplish light.


    Using merchandise before I sell it¡­ It¡¯ll definitely lower the price, but I have to.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to use the staff. Ready yourselves!¡±


    ¡°Ready,¡± I heard the only female voice in the caravan reply.


    I raised the staff into the air, before shouting.


    ¡°Tenebris!¡±


    The black orb lit up brightly and a purple light shot from the rod. The light ascended until it reached a certain height, then it spread to the bottom, forming a hemisphere enveloping the caravan. It was as if an ebony curtain covered us, blocking even the starlight and moonlight. The aphotic interior was lit only by the glow from our own torches.


    ¡°Hurry and destroy that barricade! They may not see us, but they can still shoot at us!¡±


    An arrow zoomed past above her head, knocking her white pointed hat  over and exposing her blond hair. She remained unfazed and continued to cast her spell.


    ¡°Discutio!¡±


    As she spoke those words, the barricade broke apart into many pieces, littering the road. Seeing that the obstacle was destroyed, she motioned for everyone to get back on the wagons.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± I shouted.


    Everyone went to their usual positions, the wounded being placed in the back of our reserve wagon. The reigns were grabbed and the horses spurred. Suddenly, I heard the sound of glass breaking. I looked towards the source of the noise, which was in the direction of the bandits. I saw a hole piercing the hemisphere.  Cracks emerged from the gap and quickly spread throughout the entire structure. Light was trickling through the cracks. I mounted my own horse and joined the caravan as its tail. Hopefully, we would be long gone before our cover dissipates.


    Something broke through a Staff of Erebus so easily? Did I get conned?


    I looked at the staff I was carrying. The orb was still shining its purple light, indicating it was still functioning. The bandits probably had a mage with them, because of the enhanced barricade, but the effect of this staff shouldn¡¯t be dispelled by anything but high level magic. Of course, there was the chance it was fake¡­


    ¡°Damn it! And I paid good money for this!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± a voice asked me.


    I turned to my side, and saw the mage right next to me. The petite girl wearing a white robe was tilting her head sideways and looking at me with questioning eyes. Her hat (which she had apparently recovered before mounting) was sitting snugly on her head.


    ¡°Ah nothing,¡± I replied, ¡°Anyway, you stay a bit further ahead. We¡¯re still not sure if the bandits will give chase. It¡¯ll be dangerous if you get injured back here.¡±


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    She nodded and spurred her horse forwards.


    By now, our ¡°smokescreen¡± had disappeared. Luckily, it seemed that the bandits didn¡¯t follow us. We had gained quite a distance from them. Even if they decide to risk a pursuit, assuming they were on foot when they attacked us, it would take them quite some time to catch up.


    Although due to the attack, I will have to compensate the injured¡­ That would be more silver spent. Perhaps I could increase the price of my goods by some copper to compensate, but then which goods should I increase the price. Most likely the luxury goo-


    As I was sifting through my thoughts, two large fireballs whizzed by me and hit the sides of the roads. The field we were in unsurprisingly caught on fire.


    ¡°Stay on the middle of the road! The fire won¡¯t reach us if we do!¡± I shouted.


    I looked behind me. Two men wearing black hoods and cloaks were both riding horses and quickly catching up. I saw one of them raise both of his arms. While keeping his balance, he muttered something under his breath. Two fireballs emerged from his hands. The two flames rotated in sync mid-air and seemingly fused together, forming a bigger blaze. That conflagration was barreling towards us.


    We can¡¯t avoid that if we stay on the road!


    ¡°Discutio!¡±


    With those words uttered, the blaze disappeared instantly.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± I heard that same voice mutter those words.


    Contrary to my orders, the mage was still bestriding in front of me, not that I cared anymore given that she just saved me from a fiery demise.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, but more importantly, we need to stop them.¡±


    She removed her hat and pulled out a small stick from it before replacing her hat back on her head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get serious?¡±


    Seeing her pull out her wand, I immediately started to sweat. I shook my head severely and raised both of my hands, signaling her to lower it. Owing from previous experiences, I¡¯d really rather not have her use her offensive magic lest I want collateral damage. I reached into one of my pockets and pulled out a small bag which I tossed to her.


    We were going to use the non-magical approach to stop them.


    ¡°When I use the staff, pour the contents onto the road,¡± I instructed her.


    I faintly heard the sound of running water indicating we were close to the river. Our pursuers would most likely launch an all or nothing attack here. Realizing that it was now or never, I raised the Staff of Erebus into the air once more.


    ¡°Tenebris!¡±


    An opaque wall formed between us and our pursuers. Though it wouldn¡¯t stop them from going through, it would hide what we would do next. Right on cue, the mage immediately emptied the contents of the bag. Multiple iron spikes rained down on the road.


    ¡°Caltrops?¡±


    I gave her a thumbs up. The caltrops would at least slow the horses of our pursuers, buying us some time to reach a safe place. Although they were a bit pricey, it would have been much better considering the alternative.


    The duo passed through the wall, and as expected, I heard the sound of horses neighing in pain. Stepping on something sharp would definitely hinder movement. They couldn¡¯t catch up anymore, and if they tried to hit us with one of those flames, we would just dispel it anyway.


    Right in the nick of time too, we¡¯ve finally reached the bridge. If they had caught up to us when we were crossing it, we would be in trouble.


    I sighed in relief as I saw the stone arch spanning the river.


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough!¡± I suddenly heard the mage shout.


    I turned around and gazed upwards. I saw two silhouettes formed by the moonlight, two creatures flying in the sky, a pair of bat-like wings. They were plowing towards us at an incredible speed.


    Demons! Why are they attacking a human-only caravan? No, wait¡­ Did they realize it?


    I stared at the mage. She already readied her wand and was in a fighting stance on her horse. I reached into my pockets trying to pull out another weapon, but it was too late. Something had hit me forcefully, knocking me off the back of my mount.  The next thing I knew, I was up into the air.


    Time slowed down for me. I extended the Staff of Erebus. The mage lurched forwards, trying to grab it. I watched as her arm desperately reached out. Her eyes were wide open, her mouth was agape, and her face was in shock. I realized that it was inevitable.


    Don¡¯t worry about me. Just get to safety.


    I smiled to her.


    But still, demons eh? At least this staff wasn¡¯t a counterfeit after all.


    I heard a splash. I was swept by the current of the river.


    ---


    I opened my eyes and looked around.


    I was lying on a bed in some sort of room with wooden walls and floor. Sunlight trickled through the window, warming my body. Next to the bed was a wooden chair and table. On it were my clothes and the Staff of Erebus.


    ¡­ Wait, then what am I wearing?


    I removed the blanket which was covering me. I was now wearing a set of¡­ female clothes? Before I could react to it though, the door burst open.


    ¡°Good morning!¡±


    A tall woman with shoulder-length black hair greeted me. She wore a plain brown woolen tunic and black trousers.  The sunlight from the window shone on her bright smiling face. Her sparkling black eyes gleamed, complementing her soft red lips. She was carrying a tray with a cup and a bowl of what looked to be porridge.


    Plain yet beautiful¡­


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re finally awake? Then I don¡¯t have to worry. Sorry about the clothes, by the way. I couldn¡¯t find any spare, clean men¡¯s attire,¡± she continued to speak, ¡°After we finish our laundry though, I can ask my brother to lend you some.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but where am I?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Ahh pardon me for not saying it first...¡±


    She paused for a moment, before bellowing at the top of her lungs.


    ¡°WELCOME TO THE NEUTRAL INN!¡±


    ---


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 The Merchant and The Neutral Inn - Chapter 2

    ¡°FIVE HUNDRED GOLD??!!?¡±


    The merchant¡¯s mouth was wide open. His eyes were bulging. His head was tilted almost horizontally. His hands lost power and the mug he was holding fell on the floor, spilling its contents on the floor. At the very least, he was wearing male clothing now.


    ¡°Give or take a few silver,¡± the tall black-haired girl next to him replied.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget the total for the food you ate, and that copper for that drink you just spilled,¡± a third voice added.


    The merchant turned to his side. A man, equally tall as the girl, was using a cloth to wipe the inside of a mug. Apart from the height, his hair was also of the same color, and his face was also similar to hers. He had a rough look and a muscular body, evidence of hard work.


    The three were in the dining area of the inn. Wooden tables and chairs were strewn across the room. The furniture and floor were spotless, as if brand new. One could say they were maintained well. The dining area itself was unusual. It was located on the second floor, instead of the first. Two set of stairs, one on the east and west ends of the expanse, led to the ground floor. A counter ran across the long side of the room and behind it were multiple barrels containing liquor.


    The merchant leaned on the counter, covering his face with his hand. The two others seemed to be waiting for his reply to the situation he was facing.


    How does this relate to me? Well, the truth is that merchant and I are one and the same.


    ---


    A debt of 500 gold less than a year after my coming of age? You got to be kidding me!


    ¡°You say I was unconscious for three days, so I was expecting at maximum, nine silver,¡± I calmed himself down before speaking.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Your deluxe room cost three silver per night for a total of nine,¡± the girl answered.


    ¡°Then please elaborate on how it escalated to five hundred!¡±


    ¡°Well, we were heading back from the nearest town when we found you unconscious by the river bed.,¡± she narrated, ¡°You were very cold and needed be warmed up.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see ho-¡°


    ¡°Let her finish, will you?¡± I was rudely interrupted by the man.


    ¡°Sadly, we didn¡¯t have enough left to camp out that night, so we had to carry you over here¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t like where this was going.


    ¡°Our cart contained the goods we just bought from the town, and we had to unload al- some of them for you,¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡±Well... the total amount of goods we discarded was worth five hundred gold.¡±


    ¡°Of course, we tried to return as soon as possible to see if the items were still there, but you can very well guess what happened,¡± the man added.


    ¡­ Did I hear that correctly? Did they seriously just toss away five hundred gold worth of goods outside of a town?


    ¡°So you just left them alone, unguarded?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the man replied, looking at the girl, ¡°Someone was insistent we get you over here fast.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have left ANYONE to guard the items?¡± I was shocked at their laxness.


    ¡°Oh, only we were travelling , just the two of us,¡± the girl answered.


    Carrying 500 gold worth of goods through country roads with just two people to guard it? That has to be the most ridiculous thing I¡¯ve ever heard!


    ¡°I know it¡¯s difficult for us to ask this, but we have to chain you down until the debt is paid.¡±


    ¡°And what proof do I have that you actually spent that much?¡± my suspicion rising, I questioned the duo.


    The man brought out two pieces of paper from his pockets and handed them to me. Each had the name of the buyer ¡°The Neutral Inn¡±, a list of goods, and the amount of gold spent for each. The seals of two reputable merchant families were on the paper. A subtle glow emerged from the seals, faintly enveloping the entire paper.


    What the hell?! The seals¡­ These are genuine! Or are they just good forgeries¡­ No, that can¡¯t be. Magical seals can¡¯t be duplicated with this high a quality.


    I handed the papers back and sighed.


    ¡°From the looks of it, I see you know they¡¯re real,¡± the man asked, ¡°And the seals prove the contents weren¡¯t altered, yes?¡±


    ¡°Regrettably, since the glow hasn¡¯t dissipated from the paper, the contents haven¡¯t been changed,¡± I answered, ¡°Although, it¡¯s interesting that you have those seals with you. I assume those trading posts you went to don¡¯t usually give out those.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I asked them to. These days, you can¡¯t be too safe. And in this particular case, it turned out nicely for us.¡±


    Nicely enough to shackle me with an outrageous amount debt¡­ But what in blazes! How can someone who can request a merchant family seal have such lax attitude with regards to safeguarding their belongings?


    ¡°One last question, this place is called, ¡®The Neutral Inn¡¯, yes?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I already told you, didn¡¯t I?¡± the girl pouted, bringing her hands on her waists.


    ¡°You can check the signage outside if you want,¡± the man lightly smiled.


    ¡°Got it,¡± I sighed.


    ¡°So you acknowledge it, the debt?¡± the girl spoke.


    ¡°Given the proof, I have no choice but to,¡± I said with disdain.


    Normally, I would vocally question other aspects of their so-called ¡°story¡±. They may have just hidden the goods somewhere else while pretending to have dumped them to rescue me.


    It¡¯s just that those papers¡­


    Not only do those papers give their story credibility, but the same can be also applied to the two people. The Goldkin and Midas families would never give away a document with a magical seal on request , unless the person asking was trustworthy. Faced with these realities, I had to give in. I could attempt to escape, but they did save my life.


    I could feel my subconscious weeping. Never before had I felt a mixture of shock and sadness.


    Hearing my answer, the girl wiped the brow of her forehead in relief. She then displayed a grin of confidence, like a lion who had captured her prey. The man however, kept his stern face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s time to celebrate yet,¡± the man warned his partner.


    ¡°Hehe, why is that? He says he acknowledges the debt. We can ask him to pay it back,¡± the girl looked momentarily confused.


    ¡°Therein lies the problem. Actually, I only have two gold and fifty-seven silver on me right now,¡± I broke the bad news.


    ¡°That totals to around three and a half gold, all in all. Obviously mountains away from the amount he owes us,¡± the man pointed out, shaking his head side to side.


    The girl¡¯s expression reverted to a straight face.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.¡°Paying this large an amount would be tricky¡­¡± I muttered.


    ¡°But you¡¯re an adventurer, right? A mage wielding a staff! Getting five hundred gold take a while, but not impossible!¡±


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m just a merchant with only basic knowledge regarding combat. This staff was just something I intended to sell.¡±


    The girl¡¯s tilted her head sideways, eyes wide open ¨C disbelief.


    ¡°I see, but since you¡¯re a merchant, you can take funds from your cache an-¡°


    ¡°That would be ideal, but I was just starting, and almost all the money I had was used on that failed caravan.¡±


    ¡°Failed caravan?¡±


    ¡°The result of that was me almost drowning in the river,¡± I answered.


    The girl raised one of her fingers. She then placed her two hands on the temples of her head ¨C distress.


    ¡°Then maybe you know someone who ca-¡°


    ¡°Sadly, I don¡¯t think anyone I know could pay that sum¡­¡± my voice trailed off, ¡°Scratch that, I do know someone, but they probably wouldn¡¯t even consider lending me a silver coin, let alone 500 gold.¡±


    The girl began to shake. She looked her companion, teary-eyed ¨C despair.


    ¡°Bro, what do we do now? That guy can¡¯t pay at all!¡±


    The man sighed. He placed his hand on his chin and thought for a moment. He then brought his hands together forming a steeple before speaking.


    ¡°You were the one who wanted to dump everything! Don¡¯t look at me. It¡¯s your responsibility. You think of a solution!¡±


    He just pushed the blame on her!?


    ¡°But you agreed to it in the end!¡±


    ¡°Because you kept on pestering me, saying that since he was an adventurer, he would have the means to pay!¡±


    ¡°That still doesn¡¯t change the situation we¡¯re in!¡±


    ¡°You wanted to save him!¡±


    The situation was quickly worsening. The two were arguing back and forth, their voices getting slowly louder. I suddenly heard a loud bang. The girl had slammed her hands onto the counter.


    ¡°The important part was we saved him. Five hundred gold is nowhere near close to the value of a life!¡±


    I looked at the girl. Her eyes were watery and red. It looked as if she was close to crying. Despite her weeping, I could see the sincerity in her face.


    I then glanced at the man. He looked away from the girl, grasping his arm on the side.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go downstairs for a while,¡± the girl said as she turned around, leaving the two of us.


    "I''m sorry that you had to see that," the man apologized.


    The room was soon filled with a silence.


    ¡°Listen,¡± I spoke up, breaking the stillness, ¡°I have a proposal.¡±


    The man focused his gaze on me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can pay back the entire sum this instant, but I can probably pay it back little by little. Do you need the money that urgently?¡±


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t. We were planning to use the materials to renovate the inn, but I guess the inn can still manage in this state,¡±


    Nothing looks out of order in the first place¡­ Why fix something that isn¡¯t broken?


    ¡°Good, then I-¡°


    ¡°Wait! If you¡¯re thinking of just waltzing out there with a promise like that, you got to be joking,¡± the man stopped me, his eyes piercing.


    ¡°Of course! Merchants never shirk out of their word. I can even sign a contract if you wish.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough. We need a more solid guarantee,¡± the man was adamant, ¡°And before you even mention it. That staff of yours will not be enough as collateral.¡±


    I let out a deep breath. He needed something to prove that I wouldn¡¯t just back out of the deal, but as is, I couldn¡¯t offer him anything in exchange. I suppose a ¡°promise¡± isn¡¯t enough to satisfy a man who had the approval of the Goldkin and Midas families. I had to approach this in a different way.


    ¡°Very well. I understand your position.¡± I glanced around the room, before continuing, ¡°I normally wouldn¡¯t even consider doing this, but as you seem to have a reputable establishment here, what if I offer you this in compensation?¡±


    I reached into my clothes and pulled out an item from a hidden pocket and placed it on the table.


    ¡°This is?¡± he looked at it, eyebrows raised.


    It was a golden medallion, normally worth only as much as its equivalent weight in the metal it was made. The man however, looked like he had seen an impossible sight. His eyes were bulging and he covered his mouth with one hand. He was also shaking.


    ¡°This is genuine and it¡¯s resonating too!¡± he exclaimed.


    For a brief moment, a bright light emanated from the medallion.


    ¡°Then would you agree to that contract now that you know about this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°But with this¡­ That means¡­ No¡­ You can definitely pay the five hundred gold!¡±


    ¡°That may be true, but this is something I don¡¯t want to rely on.¡±


    The man stared at me, before bringing his hands back to his chin. I could see beads of sweat form on the sides of his head. A short time passed as he thought about the situation.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen.¡±


    He offered his hand. I met it with my own, and we shook.


    ¡°My name¡¯s Argent. I trust you already know the rest,¡± I introduced myself.


    ¡°Puer, I¡¯m the co-owner of this place along with my sister,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Well then, now that introduction¡¯s are over, let¡¯s talk about that proposal...¡±


    ---


    By the time the girl came back, she would have seen an odd sight. The merchant and her brother were standing up, shaking their hands firmly. On the counter was a piece of written parchment. Upon closer inspection, she saw two signatures on it, one of which was her brother¡¯s. The merchant would have had an expression of relief on his face, while her brother would  have had reverted to one of ambivalence.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± she looked confused as to the change of the atmosphere.


    She had recovered from her earlier bout and wanted to get back to the discussion, but she could sense that the concessions had already concluded.


    ¡°Ah Puella, you¡¯re back,¡± her brother spoke, ¡°About this guy, he will pay for the 500 gold.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s what this paper is for?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no, this contract states that we will work for us while he¡¯s paying back the debt.¡±


    The merchant approached the girl and reached out his hand.


    ¡°Good day, Ms. Puella. Until I pay off my debt, I¡¯ll be under your care as your inn¡¯s bookkeeper.¡±


    ---


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 The Merchant and The Neutral Inn - Chapter 3

    "I quit."


    These were the first words of Argent spoke after a long silence. Prior to said spoken words, his face was heavily contorted. His eyes were jammed open, and his mouth displayed an unnatural smile.


    "On the second week? But we had an agreement!" shocked by his words, Puella exclaimed.


    "And I want to back out of that while I still can," the merchant replied with an ersatz gusto, an unusually high pitch.


    He dropped  the book he was reading, and slowly walked to the room¡¯s exit.


    "Wait!"


    The girl leaped at him, tackling him to the floor. She immediately got up and rushed to the door of the study, blocking it.


    "I''m a merchant, not a miracle worker!" Argent said while picking himself up.


    "Miracle worker?" the girl asked.


    "Bad business."


    "Huh?"


    "Let me repeat. BAD BUSINESS!"


    The girl stood there scratching her head. The merchant on the other hand, sighed heavily. Although he just recently met her, he had a premonition. He knew that if he was going to explain things to her, it would be a long day. He had put up with this fiasco for a week, thinking that he could fix it, but in the end, he realized he was extremely na?ve.


    ---


    "I mean, how can this inn even stay running?"


    I raised my arms in surrender asking for an explanation...


    "What do you mean?"


    ... and all I got was another blank stare.


    Does that girl really know NOTHING about running an inn? More importantly, what about her brother? He knew about things like collateral. I don''t see how it could be this bad with him...


    "Forget that 500 gold I owe you. Even if I pay you guys back, according to these records, your inn would still be down 1752 gold!" I began to explain.


    "Yeah, we admit that. We do have a slight monetary problem," she said with a straight face.


    A perfect straight face.


    "Slight? I was suspicious at first about your little place, but this just cements my worries," I shook my head in disbelief.


    "Umm..."


    "Listen, you have no customers, are situated in the middle of nowhere, are 1800 in the negative, and you still planned to spend another 500 to renovate the place?"


    "Yes?"


    Her voice had no indication of worry whatsoever.


    "I''m doomed... No amount of management will bring you out of this debt..." defeated before starting, I opted to retreat instead.


    Noticing a small gap between Puella and the door, I sprang into action. I dove in and rolled through the space. Before I could get away though, I felt something tugging at my clothes, causing me to fall back first on the floor.


    That girl has good reflexes. If only that were also the case with running this inn...


    A split second after I moved, she had seen it and reacted accordingly. Grabbing onto my sleeve and pulling, she prevented me from completing my roll. She then methodically pinned me down, her arm pushing at my throat.


    "Hey, no matter what you do, it''s hopeless. I can''t do this," I tried to convince her, "I promise I''ll pay back the 500 gold, so can you please let me go."


    Seeing no response from her, I spoke again to the same effect. Her eyes were staring into the distance. Spacing out, it was if she was collecting her thoughts. Moments later, she began to talk.


    "Can you first listen to my story? After that you can decide whether or not you still want to help us."


    The history of the inn? Not that it''ll change anything for me.


    Considering my current predicament, it wasn''t like I could refuse anyway.


    "Our parents were adventurers, you see. They managed to slay some sort of dragon and get its treasure,¡± she began, ¡°That treasure trove amounted to a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°How much exactly?¡± I had to ask.


    She bent down and whispered the amount to my ear.


    !!!


    ¡°THAT MUCH?!?!?!¡± I exclaimed in the loudest voice I could muster.


    Puella just nodded at my words with an unchanged expression.


    Such an nonchalant reaction. Doesn¡¯t she know how much that sum would¡­ Wait, if they have THAT much, why would they even bother chasing down my 500 gold debt¡­


    ¡°Anyway, even if I¡¯m working for you, that large an amount is something you don¡¯t just say to others that easily! Aren¡¯t you worried that I might do something?¡±


    Puella shook her head and adjusted her ebony hair by her ear.


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for that. I trust you.¡±


    A gentle smile appeared on her face. At that moment, her eyes shone as bright as the sun. Her cheeks had the tint of roses. I couldn¡¯t help but stare at the sight.


    ¡°H-how are you so sure?¡± I tried to avert my eyes to no avail.


    ¡°Bro trusts you, and I have my own way of telling,¡± she pressed her index finger to her mouth,¡± but it¡¯s a secret!¡±


    ¡°Hey Argent, I found the missing records you wa-¡° just then, Puer walked in.


    He looked at the scene which had unfolded. His newly-hired worker being held down on the floor by his sister, and said worker staring at his sister in a trance-like state. It would be obvious what his reaction would be.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Argent. Please take care of my sister. She¡¯s a late bloomer after all,¡± he said as he left the room.


    WAITWAITWAIT! Is that how a brother is supposed to react to a situation like this?


    ---


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for that,¡± bowing profusely, Puella apologized, ¡°I just really didn¡¯t want you to quit.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I replied.


    We were back to normal, sitting down on two stools inside the study.


    ¡°Please continue your story then. What did your parents do after they got the gold?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, after they got the money, they acquired this land over here,¡± she resumed, ¡°They constructed this inn and ran it. Although, it wasn¡¯t very successful then.¡±


    It still isn¡¯t successful now¡­


    Puella then told the tale about how her father and mother met together at the exact spot where the inn stood, how they vowed to do stuff and killed a dragon, fluff, gibberish,  hyperbole and romance included. To sum it up, an adventure and things happened. In the end, they got their gold and decided to settle down here.


    ¡°So you and your brother want to keep running this inn?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°This inn represented a lot to my parents and to us too. We were even born here.¡±


    Remembering the records, I did a few calculations in my head.


    ¡°Listen, with the amount of money you have, you can definitely keep this place running for as long as you want.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point though,¡± she replied,¡± While they were still around, they always told me that they wanted this inn to prosper, not just to survive. Also, brother gets angry when I spend so much money, hehe.¡±


    ¡°Then why can¡¯t he just stop you from doing so?¡±


    ¡°Father and Mother only told me the location of the gold, so he can¡¯t do anything about it.¡±


    That would explain A LOT, to be specific, why the spendthrift sister and not the frugal brother has the pants on this family.


    At that time, I began to laugh. Silent at first, it slowly grew louder. Puella looked at me with a glare.


    ¡°This inn is 1,800 gold in the red. It has no customers. It¡¯s situated in a route where almost no one travels. It practically has no security. Getting this in to ¡®prosper¡¯ is going to be next to impossible,¡± I enumerated the problems in front of Puella.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Her eyes drooped and her face fell. That expression, which fell to that of depression-


    ¡°Nevertheless, we¡¯ll figure out how to get out of this hole. I can see a way to remedy the problem.¡±


    ¡°We?¡±


    I nodded.


    -quickly recovered.


    ¡°Though the terms of my vocation were rushed (and is the reason why I¡¯m stuck in such an undesirable situation), I did give my word to help this place. Merchants don¡¯t shirk on their word!¡±


    ¡°¡­ Wait a minute. Weren¡¯t you so eager to quit just earlier?¡± Puella suddenly looked at me suspiciously.


    I raised both of my hands.


    ¡°That may be true, but hearing your story changed it!¡± I technically told the truth.


    She grasped my hands and teared up.


    ¡°The story is moving, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s so touching! After my parents told it to us siblings, we both decided to inherit their legacy. ¡±


    ¡°Not exactly¡­¡± I tried to avoid eye contact.


    ¡°Actually, I think he changed his mind when you mentioned the amount of gold we had,¡± Puer had entered the room again.


    Bull¡¯s-eye!


    ¡°Anyway, I see you two have toned down your actions a bit,¡± he coughed continuously.


    Puella and I immediately let go of each other¡¯s hands, while the black-haired man sighed.


    ¡°Is it true, Argent? You only changed your mind, because of the amount of gold we had?¡± she pleaded with the same teary eyes.


    Although those tears right now probably represent the opposite emotion of the ones earlier.


    ¡°Sadly, yes,¡± I replied frankly.


    Ignoring the broken state of the girl who just heard my answer, I began to speak.


    ¡°Capital.¡±


    ¡°Capital?¡± recovering quickly, Puella asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the amount of money we have initially and thus can work with on at the start,¡± I explained, ¡°Think of it as your initial investment. In your case, it¡¯s the amount that was spent creating this inn, and I suppose you can also add the 500 gold worth of items you lost.¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with the situation?¡± Puella¡¯s eyes were circling around as she spoke.


    Does this girl really have no business sense?


    ¡°You have to spend a bit before you can even think of earning. You can¡¯t set up an inn without constructing it, and in order to do that, you need gold.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense, but the inn is already constructed. Don¡¯t we just need gold to buy supplies and stuff that spoil?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It is true that the inn has already been constructed, but capital can be used in a different way, one which could help us come out of our predicament. Although, that would mean we would be spending more,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Spend more? Interesting comment from someone who was berating us for spending all that gold,¡± Puer jabbed.


    ¡°Shut up. It¡¯s your fault for not planning thoroughly enough. I mean, if I had that amount of gold, I probably would have at least broke even by now,¡± I quipped.


    ¡°Broke even?¡± Puella tilted her head at the unfamiliar term.


    ¡°It means you finally get back your initial investment. Given your example of 1752 gold (although this would include the amount you spent maintaining the inn), I would have ¡®broke even¡¯ when I earned 1752 gold back.¡±


    She nodded in response to my explanation. Although, I didn¡¯t know if she really understood it.


    ¡°Anyway, the money is in order to correct this inn¡¯s flaw.¡±


    ¡°The lack of security and the fact that no one comes here, right?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry that much about security. Our father was a mage and cast some sort of protection charm. The inn itself is secure from violence and theft,¡± Puer commented.


    ¡°I was going to propose employing someone to guard the place, but that works too. It will save us a lot in the long run. What about the road?¡±


    ¡°There are some lingering effects, but it¡¯s much weaker compared to the inn.¡±


    ¡°Alright, the problem now is the fact we have no people coming here. We have an inn, yet no one comes here except maybe the sporadic traveler.¡±


    I  stood up and walked over to a map hanging on the wall.


    ¡°Puer, you say that we¡¯re located in this area, right?¡± I pointed to an area on the map, right in the middle of the two kingdoms.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he gave a short affirmation.


    ¡°That means, we¡¯re actually much closer to Phobos and Shimamoto than the usual routes.¡±


    ¡°Are there any obstacles between here and either of the two?¡± I asked.


    ¡°None that I know of. Although the pathway isn¡¯t that known.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s the problem! The route we¡¯re in is much closer to the two main border cities of the Human and Demon kingdoms than the main thoroughfares, yet no one knows about this place.¡±


    ¡°So we need to make other people know about this route?¡± Puella asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! And that is what we will spend additionally on.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± I saw Puer rubbing his chin as he agreed.


    ¡°The problem is, how do we do that? We could post notices in the two cities, but that would probably be ignored¡­¡±


    I paused, trying to think of a good plan, but I drew a blank. I suppose it was hard to just think of a plan on the spot.


    ¡°I suppose you two don¡¯t have any ideas?¡± I fished for a suggestion.


    ¡°Something that will make this route well-known and in conjunction, make our inn¡­¡± Puer¡¯s voice trailed off.


    Puella scratched her head once again.


    ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m not good at these kind of things,¡± she spoke as she approached the map.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We aren¡¯t that much of a hurry, at least I think we aren¡¯t. Nevertheless, we need to come up with an idea,¡± I replied.


    I looked at Puer, my eyes asking him if he wanted to add anything.


    ¡°Sadly, I can¡¯t think of anything at the moment too. Anyway, what you said was true,¡± Puer spoke, ¡°This route does has a shorter distance, although it¡¯s not that obvious in this map. I think it would be less obvious in those small maps they sell at town.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s to be expected though. Really detailed maps are expensive; cheaper maps have less details on them,¡± I answered.


    Puer nodded at my statement. It appeared discussing it at the moment would yield no more ideas. We needed some time to think it through.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s try to think about it for some other time. I still have to sift through these papers, and it looks like it¡¯ll take a while, but at least with the amount of capital we can spend, we can get through this.¡±


    I picked up the record book I dropped and resumed and signalled that I didn¡¯t want to be disturbed.  Puer left the room, bringing along Puella, who had refused to leave.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame that we can¡¯t just use magic to emphasize the route in all existing maps.¡± Puella joked as she was dragged outside.


    I felt as if lightning suddenly ran through my head.


    That¡¯s it! That¡¯s what we¡¯ll do, but will that even be possible?


    ---


    Wait a minute¡­ The fact that Puer knew that Puella told me about the gold amount they had¡­ HE HAD BEEN WATCHING FROM THE START!


    ---


    PREVIOUS CHAPTER</a> || NEXT CHAPTER</a>

 The Merchant and The Neutral Inn - Chapter 4

    ¡°Wow, your brother was right. There are no threats whatsoever in this path,¡± I told Puella, who was walking behind me.


    ¡°Well, brother is usually right in regards to a lot of stuff,¡± she replied, puffing her chest.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you follow him whenever he advises you on how to spend mo-¡°


    ¡°Except for matters regarding money! I¡¯m in control there,¡± she interrupted me.


    Figures¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t travel often on other roads, but are they really that dangerous?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Considering we¡¯re travelling on neutral territory? This place is amazing!¡± I exclaimed, ¡°Usually by now, we would have to fight monsters or bandits.¡±


    My eyes were wide open in disbelief and excitement. I lifted the Staff of Erebus in glee. To think that traveling could be this safe! There was the matter of theft, but that aside¡­ I clasped my hands together and silently thanked Puella¡¯s father for this gift.


    ¡°I can¡¯t quite believe that. Roads have always been safe for me.¡±


    Just how sheltered is this girl? Or is she just messing with me?


    ¡°Then I suppose you wouldn¡¯t believe me if I told you that the worse roads only give you a few steps leeway between each encounter with an enemy,¡± I sighed,  ¡°You better change that way of thinking  soon if you want to survive outside of the inn¡¯s milieu.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to leave the inn anytime soon,¡± she said as she smirked playfully.


    And thus, the journey to Shimamoto, the trade city of the Demon Oligarchy, was underway.


    ---


    ¡°Maps,¡± I declared, ¡°Therein lies the answer to our problem.¡±


    ¡°What? You were taking my suggestion of using magic to emphasize the routes seriously?¡± a wide-eyed Puella asked me, ¡°Fufufu, I guess my plan was brilliant all along.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ That isn¡¯t my plan,¡± I disdainfully burst her bubble, ¡°We¡¯re going to produce new maps with our route highlighted.¡±


    ¡°Then you can still use magic to do so!¡± she said, her eyes practically glowing.


    ¡°That would be very impractical.¡±


    ¡°And why not?¡± the girl wouldn¡¯t give up.


    ¡°Because it would inefficient  to make detailed drawings using magic,¡± Puer came to my rescue, ¡°Remember what father said? Even a skilled magician would take quite some time to produce the fine detail needed in a map.¡±


    ¡°Ohh¡­ If brother says so¡­¡± Puella looked sad as she stepped down.


    ¡°And I suppose you have an alternative way to solve that conundrum?¡± Puer asked me.


    ¡°I have an idea, but I need to travel to Shimamoto for that.¡±


    ¡°Wait! You¡¯re not just thinking of leaving like that, are you? You¡¯re just planning to run away, right?¡± she accused me.


    ¡°Relax Puella, he¡¯s not going to just leave,¡± Puer reassured her,¡± I can vouch for him.¡±


    ¡°Brother, what happened to YOUR suspicious demeanor?!¡± Puella looked shocked at her brother¡¯s complacence.


    What happened to YOUR ¡°I¡¯ll trust my brother¡± attitude?


    ¡°Argent seems to be a trustworthy enough person,¡± Puer drew a circle in the air while looking sideways.


    He was definitely bringing up the medallion. I nodded to signal him that I got what he meant.


    ¡°We can¡¯t be too sure. I¡¯ll go with him to Shimamoto!¡± Puella declared.


    ¡°Uhh¡­ I can handle this by myself, you know?¡± I rebutted.


    ¡°Nevertheless!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a waste of resources.¡±


    ¡°We have lots of money anyway!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be leaving your brother alone to manage the inn?¡± I gave one last argument.


    ¡°He can handle it on his own, not that we have people visiting here, anyway,¡± Puella spoke confidently.


    I walked up to Puer and whispered to him.


    ¡°She just wants to go to the city, doesn¡¯t she?¡± I spoke as I rolled my eyes.


    My statement was met with a quick nod and a reply of ¡°pretty much¡±. Puella, of course, heard  the exchange and began to leer us both. I merely shrugged at her.


    ¡°Either way, I¡¯m coming!¡± she put her foot down, ¡°Else you probably won¡¯t have anything to spend.¡±


    A mischievous smile rose on her face. I then realized that the one who held the money indeed had the final say. Unable to defeat such an opponent, I had to yield.


    ¡°Fine, but we¡¯re going to follow my itinerary,¡± I declared, ¡°We leave in a few days time once we get our supplies ready.¡±


    ¡°Sir, yes sir!¡± she saluted me.


    Puer coughed before speaking.


    ¡°So now that that matter of business is finished, can you tell me what exactly are the contents of your idea?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple actually. We merely need to acquire a single machine. After some modifications, we can probably mass-produce the maps.¡±


    ¡°And what object is this?¡± Puer looked surprised at the mention of the somewhat miraculous machine.


    "When I was in Shimamoto before the river incident , I happened to hear about it. Now that we have a use for it, we should acquire it before someone else does.¡±


    ¡°So, what exactly is this machine?¡± Puella asked, her hands clenched and her figure coiled like a spring.


    ¡°It¡¯s a printing press!¡±


    ---


    By noon on the third day, we had finally seen the walls of the city. I myself was shocked at how fast the transit was, considering that we were walking on foot. As the path was safe, we managed to walk even during night time without the fear of being attacked. This made our travel very efficient.


    For  merchants, being able to transfer goods like that would be a dream come true.


    ¡°We¡¯re finally here! No more of that jerky for dinner,¡± Puella sighed in relief.


    ¡°You could have stayed in the inn if you wanted to eat like a king, you know?¡± I quipped.


    ¡°Hehe, I wanted to go to the city badly, so that¡¯s ok!¡±


    So she really did want to just go to the city¡­


    We continued to walk until our dirt path merged with a much bigger cobblestone one. On the new path were swaths of walking demons. I could recognize a couple of humans on horseback and on carriages, merchants most likely.  The cobblestone path led directly into a gigantic gate on the wall, the city entrance.


    I glanced behind and saw that the path we came from was obscured by brush. Another strike for the inn unless we managed to clear it. For now though, we had to focus on the plan. Before long, we reached the gate, where we saw multiple queues.


    ¡°Do you have a visitor¡¯s card?¡± I asked Puella.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she didn¡¯t know.


    Honestly now, how could she have entered this place without knowing what a card was?


    "You have been to this city, right?" I asked her.


    "Yes, I did," her eyes glanced at me emptily.


    She''s lying...


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s similar to this,¡± I spoke as I brought out a small green-colored card from my pocket, ¡°This is a merchant¡¯s card. Before they make you enter, they have to approve you. For humans, if you have a card like this, you can enter without that many questions being asked.¡±


    I handed her the card. It was giving off a faint glow and had the emblem of the Demon Oligarchy. Other than that, it was a plain piece of colored paper.  She immediately handed it back.


    ¡°Oh that!¡± she leaped, ¡°Yeah, I do have one of those, hehe.¡±


    She scratched her head and laughed with a high pitched voice.


    She doesn¡¯t have one¡­ Not my problem.


    ¡°Anyway, you should probably line up over there,¡± I said as I pointed to a line specifically for visitors, ¡°I have to queue on the merchant-only one. Remember that there are separate ones for card holders and non-card holders.¡±


    ¡°Alright then!¡± she spoke with her confidence back,¡± But still, you got to wonder why they set up such a system like this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple, really. As a city, you want visitors to bring in money and trade, but at the same time, you don¡¯t want any unwanted guests with possibly malicious motives. Inspecting people as they enter . Setting up a checkpoint in the entrance is a compromise between these two conflicting ideas.¡±


    ¡°Then why is there a card system?¡±


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    ¡°That¡¯s really just to expedite the process. Inspecting everyone who arrives meticulously would result in time-consuming queues, which would be tedious for everyone. By having a card, the sentinels at the gates would already know you¡¯re somewhat trustworthy, so they can let you in with less questioning.¡±


    ¡°That does make sense,¡± Puella nodded, seemingly understanding my explanation, ¡°Although I have to wonder why I don¡¯t-¡°


    ¡°You two there!¡± a voice coming from above interrupted us.


    A gray-skinned demon descended from above us and landed. He had two horns on his head and a set of bat-like wings. He wore a brown military cap with a matching vest and uniform. A stern look was projected on his rocky face.


    ¡°Are you planning to enter or what? Those with visas queue on the left; those without on the right! If you¡¯re not planning to, don¡¯t stand there loitering,¡± his voice commanded authority.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry sir. I was just explaining to my companion over here how entry works.¡± I bowed to the gargoyle.


    ¡°Understood, now quickly queue up,¡± after saying those words, he took off the ground and began to fly around again.


    ¡°Anyway, I suppose that¡¯s all you need,¡± I addressed Puella, ¡°Let¡¯s meet by the central fountain plaza later. You just need to go straight after the checkpoint.¡±


    I waved goodbye to her as I walked towards the merchant¡¯s area. Merchants were given the special treatment, so they had their own entrance. After all, Shimamoto was a trade city. Merchants were now the life-blood of this place. The only problem was that the special entrance was a fair way off the main entrance¡­


    Judging by the fact that Puella doesn¡¯t have a card, I¡¯ll probably get in first. Looks like I¡¯ll have to wait for quite some time later.


    I reached the merchant queue and immediately noticed something peculiar.  It had surprisingly a low number of humans. Last time, even with a card, I had to wait an hour before I could get in, but at this rate I probably could get in with a fourth of the time. This was an odd occurrence.


    ¡°You, human. Visa holder?¡± I heard a gruff but familiar voice call me.


    I nodded to which the owner of the voice signaled for me to move to a separate, empty line.


    ¡°That queue you got on was for merchants with no visas. Judging by how you explained it earlier to your friend, I think you have one, yes?¡± apparently the gargoyle from earlier was the one in charge for this line, ¡°You have a staff, so I didn¡¯t think you were a merchant.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so I¡¯m the only one here with a card?¡± I asked, surprised at my surroundings.


    The gargoyle merely nodded and grunted in a low voice. It appeared he wasn¡¯t in the mood to explain the circumstances. He then reached out his hand, asking for my card. I gave him the green card, and he thoroughly inspected it. After a short time, he spoke up.


    ¡°The emblem and glow is still present. It doesn¡¯t seem counterfeit. Very well, Mr. Merchant, you may enter after a few questions.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    The exchange of questions and answers began.


    ¡°Please state your demon and human names.¡±


    ¡°My demon and human names are Human-273-Merchant and Argent, respectively.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any weapons to declare?¡±


    ¡°I only have this staff and a dagger,¡± I raised the Staff of Erebus and pulled out the dagger from my cloak¡¯s pocket.


    ¡°What is your purpose of visit?¡±


    ¡°I wish to purchase a piece of equipment for an inn.¡±


    ¡°Interesting Mr. 273-Merchant, why do you not have a horse and carriage if you wish to purchase equipment?¡± the gargoyle asked.


    ¡°I plan on purchasing the horse and carriage here.  I currently brought nothing to trade anyway, so bringing my own horse and carriage would be an extra hassle for me,¡± I replied.


    The gargoyle snapped his clawed fingers and gave me a thumbs up.


    ¡°All seems in order, Mr. Argent. Very well, you may enter,¡± he answered, ¡°Be reminded that you must abide by the laws and regulations of the city and the Demon Oligarchy.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± I bowed to him before entering the city.


    That exchange was surprisingly lenient even for a visa holder.


    I immediately headed towards the fountain plaza.


    Perhaps I should grab myself a bite to eat first¡­ Where was that cheap place again? I probably have to wait for Puella for quite some ti-


    My thoughts were interrupted by what I saw. Sitting down on a bench next to the fountain was Puella. She apparently managed to arrive before me. As I stood there, she noticed me and began to walk towards me.


    ¡°Oh Argent, you were fast. Anyway, let¡¯s go find an inn as soon as we can before they all fill up!¡± she spoke with a smile on her face.


    ¡°Ho-how did you get in this fast?¡± I was curious, extremely curious.


    ¡°Women¡¯s appeal, I guess?¡± she shrugged and looked as clueless as I was,¡± Never mind that though, let¡¯s go! I heard that there¡¯s this certain inn here that actua-¡±


    She quickly grabbed my hand and linked arms. She then dragged me off to a random direction. I tried to reason with her, but she refused to listen to me.


    Damn it, I thought we were following MY itinerary. And what the hell is with this arm strength¡­ I can¡¯t even pull my arm away from her.


    In the end, we got lost¡­


    ---


    Three days before departing from the Neutral Inn:


    ¡°Any luck?¡± I addressed Puer.


    The black-haired man dismounted from his horse and shook his head. He slowly walked to his wagon, slowly unloading the supplies he bought with his large hands.


    ¡°In regards to what you asked, no. There has been no word over there.¡± he replied gruffly.


    I shook my head. Perhaps I would find better luck in the demon city?


    "A shame, but thank you nonetheless for taking the trouble to check," I answered.


    "No problem. Besides, with how you described what happened in your caravan, my curiosity would have gotten the better of me anyway."


    Puer began to carry the multiple boxes on his shoulder. I offered my assistance, but he refused. We slowly walked to the entrance of the inn. Puella popped out of the door and greeted her brother.


    ¡°By the way, when you both found me, who was guarding the inn?¡± I asked, ¡°I just realized that you technically would have left this place unsupervised if you did leave together.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we locked up and placed a sign saying that we¡¯ll be back in a couple of days,¡± Puella clasped her hands together.


    Once again I heard something outrageous from that girl.


    I looked at Puer, asking for an explanation.


    ¡°What? I can¡¯t just leave my sister unattended in the city! I¡¯d rather lose business here than let her stay there alone and unsupervised,¡± he raised his hands, showing me his palms. The boxes on his shoulder wobbled and almost fell.


    I raised my eyebrow, pondering what he meant. He replied by pointing to Puella then forming a circle with his thumb and second finger.  I understood perfectly what he meant.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my friend. I¡¯ll make sure we don¡¯t go over the budget when we leave.¡±


    ¡°Good luck, my friend. She may be stubborn sometimes, but she does listen to reason¡­ sometimes¡­ well if you give a really good reason¡­ actually maybe not really¡­ yeah, actually I just wish you good luck and hope it¡¯ll go well¡­ probably¡­ but knowing her, most likely it won¡¯t.¡±


    I really don¡¯t feel confident after hearing that.


    ¡°Oh come on! A run-on sentence to emphasize that?¡± Puella shouted.


    She puffed her cheeks and stomped away. The rest of the day at the inn became a comedy routine, the sister ignoring the brother and the brother, trying to appease the sister.


    Not that I cared anyway.


    ---


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 The Merchant and The Neutral Inn - Chapter 5

    ¡°Response: I am sorry sir, but there are no reports whatsoever about this caravan, you are describing,¡± the near-robotic female voice of the clerk echoed.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. The Demon Guard still does routine patrols of the Neutral territory on the western bank, yes?¡± I spoke in disbelief.


    ¡°Response: That is correct; however like I mentioned, there have been no sightings of this caravan you speak, nor the humans you mentioned were in it,¡± the clerk answered, ¡°If you wish, you can still file a report regarding it. We normally do not handle attacks by human bandits in the neutral zone though, even if they occur nearer to our territory.¡±


    This doesn¡¯t make sense at all! So nobody found any remains of the caravan? Unless those bandits decided to leave with EVERYTHING including the carts, and take everyone as prisoners¡­ Damn it!


    ¡°What if they weren¡¯t human bandits though?¡±


    ¡°Question: Not human bandits? I do not understand your query.  You were travelling in a human-only caravan, yes?¡± the blonde woman tilted her head, asking.


    ¡°Ahh, don¡¯t mind that. I was mistaken,¡± I replied.


    So dead end here too, huh?  Puer already asked about it when he went to Phobos, and he got nothing there.


    ¡°Response: Alright then, just remember that the Demon Guard will always help merchants in need, Mr. 273-Merchant,¡± the woman smiled and bowed, ¡°Come again if you need our assistance.¡±


    I bowed to her and made for the exit. As I turned around, I felt a tap on my right shoulder. I faced the  direction of the tap and saw Puella looking at me with wide eyes.


    ¡°I hope you managed to find an inn and secure our lodging for the night?¡± I asked her, ¡°That''s the least you can do for your time-costly ''exploration'', making us miss the closing time of the city''s invention department.¡±


    ¡°Yep, I did just that!¡± she replied with a peppy voice, ¡°Although I have to say something about the prices here! They¡¯re expensi-¡±


    I covered Puella¡¯s mouth with my hand, and made a shushing motion.


    ¡°Ms. Puella, I suggest we leave the town barracks first. I don¡¯t think we should discuss such a topic under earshot of the city guard,¡± I whispered.


    I quickly dragged her outside of the building. The sun was already dyeing the town a bright orange, and the normal hustle and bustle was slowly growing quieter. Once we got to the street, I removed my hand.


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± she protested.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s very rude to outright complain like that. Let alone in front of people employed in the city who can jail you.¡±


    She crossed her arms and looked upwards.


    ¡°It¡¯s true though. The prices here are practically double of what we charge at the Neutral Inn!¡± she complained.


    ¡°That¡¯s only natural! The city usually has a higher cost and standard of living. The price of goods are higher, and since there are  more people, you can usually ask for a lot more for a certain item or service,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Well then Mr. Merchant, then tell me why there are practically no people in the inns at the moment?¡± Puella puffed her chest, ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean that they¡¯re doing bad business?¡±


    What did she just say? No people?


    ¡°The business was so slow in fact, that I managed to get ourselves a special treat. During the duration of our stay, we get free meals.¡±


    ¡°Puella, so the inns are offering free meals in conjunction with renting out their rooms?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! He asked for a deposit though.¡±


    Beads of sweat started to form on my head. This was a very odd occurrence.  Giving away free services in order to entice clients to go to your store was a common thing, but this was Shimamoto we were talking about, the trade capital of the Demon Oligarchy! Did Puella get scammed here? Then again¡­ were the streets always as empty as now?


    ¡°Was this offer exclusive to the inn you picked?¡±


    ¡°No, all inns I visited had something like that¡­¡±


    ¡°This is strange, definitely strange,¡± I muttered, ¡°There¡¯s something wrong.¡±


    ¡°Are we in danger?¡± Puella suddenly asked me in a weak voice.


    ¡°Danger? No, I don¡¯t think so. Though I recommend we find our goal and accomplish it as fast as we can, instead of perhaps wasting half a day, exploring and getting lost,¡± I raised my voice towards the end of the sentence, emphasizing a certain person¡¯s actions.


    Puella stuck out her tongue and knocked on her head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get to that inn then before nightfall. Show me the way then, Ms. Puella,¡± I curtsied to her before adding, ¡°This time, without getting lost.¡±


    ¡°Was that last part really necessary?¡± she looked at me with deadpan eyes, ¡°This time, I memorized the way there, you know.¡±


    ¡°Just making sure,¡± I chuckled.


    I moved through the streets of the town following Puella. The dimming light illuminated the wooden buildings of the town. Sometimes a brick and mortar structure would also be present, wedged between the sea of brown. As we walked, I noticed a multitude of different inns, each with its own unique name and signage: from the mundane ¡°The Bates Inn¡±, to the uncreative ¡°Inn #712¡±, to the bizarre ¡°Rock-Mole Feet Inn¡±, and to the just plain questionable ¡°Always Cheap Inn!¡± I secretly hoped that Puella didn¡¯t pick an inn falling into that last category.


    As we continued our walk, Puella turned into an alleyway. I immediately threw a suggestion.


    ¡°Err Puella, I think it would be better if we got back on the main road? The sun is setting, you know?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Why is that?¡± she looked at me oddly.


    I raised my free hand and covered my face.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s dangerous to go into those places when evening arrives?¡± I told her advice ala common sense, ¡°Bad things happen in the dark?¡±


    She looked at the floor then laughed nervously.


    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t tell me. You don¡¯t know the way to the inn other than through this alleyway?¡± I asked, crossing my fingers.


    ¡°Pretty much¡­ I traced my path, you see. The only way I can be sure is if we follow the same one in reverse,¡± she continued to laugh.


    Damn it, Puella! I would just look for a new inn, but you already paid the innkeeper in advance! A waste of money!


    ¡°Just go,¡± I gave up and signalled her to move forwards.


    We left the main road and weaved through a plethora of alleyways: badly lit, damp, pungent alleyways. All the time, I felt as if a sword was suspended over my head. I held the Staff of Erebus more tightly than usual. Pretty soon, the inevitable happened.


    ¡°Alright you and the lady, hands up and give me all your coins!¡± a mugger suddenly appeared, brandishing a small knife, ¡°You have until the count o-¡°


    Thud ¨C the man¡¯s head fell on the ground, making a sound. It was a clean hit and a one-punch knockout coming from Puella. She had moved even before the crook could finish his sentence.


    ¡°See? No problem right?¡± Puella smiled confidently, adjusting her long black hair.


    ¡°It still would be better if we weren¡¯t  targeted in the first place¡­¡± I mumbled under my breath.


    The next would-be-thief attempted to launch a surprise attack from a corner, but it was quickly foiled by Puella¡¯s quick reaction and an elbow to the face. The one after that tried to ambush us from above; it was swiftly dealt with as well by a jump kick.


    Oh yeah¡­ I nearly forgot that that girl was an expert at these kind of things.


    This pretty much cemented my suspicions that Puella was some sort of talented fighter. Her movements were too fast for a novice.  She could probably take on the guards I hired for my caravan and leave almost unscathed.


    A menacing smirk rose to Puella¡¯s face as she defeated each opponent. I had a bad inkling that she chose this dangerous path on purpose just to sate her boredom¡­ Not that the thieves were any smarter. Forget the fact that Puella beat every single one of them in one hit. Did they not see that I had a staff with me? A mage could have easily dispatched them. Unless of course, they knew I wasn¡¯t one and was merely bluffing, which I doubted.


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    ¡°Oh yeah Argent,¡± Puella spoke, ¡°I was wondering about what you said earlier, about how it was strange for inns to do the stuff I told you to. Our inn doesn¡¯t do stuff like that.¡±


    ¡°You mean stuff like handing out free food?¡± I confirmed her question.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Is it a city-only inn thing?¡±


    ¡°Partly yes, but it¡¯s not only limited to the city,¡± I explained.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It has something to do with competition,¡± I began, ¡°Imagine this scenario: There are two inns in a town. Each has the same quality of service and the same price. Which inn do you think will people frequent more?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ they should be the same?¡± Puella replied with an unsure voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.  More or less, with the same quality, people will have no preference as to what inn to pick.¡±


    A dirty-looking man suddenly appeared in front of us, wielding a short sword. Tenebris, raising my staff, I encased his head in darkness and while he was flustered due to not being able to see, Puella punched him in the solar plexus. He fell down.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± I continued, ¡°Now what if one of the inns would give free food to people if they stayed. Which one would have more patrons now?¡±


    ¡°The inn giving out the food?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! By doing something extra, you are able to attract more clientele.¡±


    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t the inn giving the free food be in trouble after a while? They would spend more money in the long run, right?¡± Puella raised a point.


    Two people popped from out of nowhere, one in front and one behind.  They charged at us, screaming loudly. I immediately covered ourselves with darkness. Splat ¨C we heard the sound of the men ramming each other at full speed as we sidestepped the two.


    Oh come on. These attempts are getting more comical.


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit more complicated, but the key factor here is to have to balance how much more you get from the additional customers and the cost of keeping that extra service,¡± I resumed, ¡°But one thing you have to remember here as well is that the inn is also stealing the customers of its competitor.¡±


    ¡°And that is good?¡±


    ¡°Of course it is. If the inn keeps it up, the competitor is forced to match their opponent lest they want to lose money. And even if they did, the inn which moved first already profited more from the extra service.¡±


    ¡°So should we do something like that?¡±


    ¡°We have no need to. After all, the Neutral Inn has no competition (not that we have clients anyway,)¡± I continued to explain.


    ¡°Then why do you say it¡¯s odd that the inns here to have such a service,¡± she asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s because this is essential the trade capital of the Demon Oligarchy. The inns should almost always be full with merchants and visitors. The fact that they¡¯re empty and have to result to gimmicks means that something is odd.¡±


    Puella kept silent afterwards. She seemed to contemplate on what I just said. Apart from the addition thieves, the rest of the walk was uneventful.


    By the time we got out of the alleyway, the stars and the moon were already out, and we had a defeated a total of seven enemies.


    ¡°I told you it would have been just fine. We also got a couple of silver from them right?¡± Puella seemed to be pleased with herself.


    ¡°Only because I told you to check their person for any items we could use. Else we would have wasted our time for nothing!¡± I argued the opposite.


    ¡°Well anyway, we¡¯re close to the inn now. It should be over there.¡±


    Puella pointed to a moderately sized wooden building. The fa?ade looked brand new and spotless. The building itself looked sturdily built. A metal sign hang from a post. It read ¡°The Midas Inn¡±,  and a small golden hand was painted on it as a logo.


    Oh, the Midas family expanded here it seems.


    We opened the door and went inside. My suspicions only grew more as I observed the indoors. The bar was practically empty save a few men and women drinking alone. The furbished tables and counter were wasted on  such a number of people. Their free food gimmick seemed to have not attracted enough people.


    I didn''t think they could stay afloat here. Unlike some other inn with a HUGE start up capital, I doubt the Midas family will keep this inn running for long if they see that there is not enough currency flowing.


    Puella approached the counter and rang a small bell. A short, stubby looking man entered my view . He stroked his brown beard as he walked towards Puella.


    ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± the man spoke with a lisp, ¡°Ahh, you were the girl from earlier, yes?¡±


    Puella nodded.


    ¡°And this must be your companion? Welcome to ¡®The Midas Inn¡¯, young man,¡± he approached me and bowed.


    ¡°Yes I am,¡± I returned his bow, ¡°I presume you are the innkeeper?¡±


    ¡°Co-innkeeper actually. My boss is attending some sort of gathering in the town square,¡± he replied scratching his head, ¡°My formal name is Dwarf-51-Innkeeper, but you can call me Yama.¡±


    ¡°My formal name is Human-273-Merchant,¡± I replied., ¡°Nice you meet you Mr. Dwarf-Yama.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let me show you up.¡±


    Puella and I followed the dwarf to the second floor of the establishment. The hallways were equally spotless and dust-free as in the Neutral Inn.


    ¡°This is a nice establishment you have,¡± I broke the ice.


    ¡°Indeed it is, Mr. 273-Merchant. I¡¯m glad you find it likeable.¡±


    ¡°Although I have a question. Why are there so few people here? Surely such an amazing place like this wouldn¡¯t have trouble with customers at all.¡±


    ¡°About that, we were doing well until a couple of weeks ago. I have no idea why, but there has been a decline in the amount of visitors in town,¡± Yama seemed to sigh as he spoke, ¡°I have no idea why the event happened though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear about that. As a merchant myself, I can empathize with your predicament.¡±


    ¡°No worries. We all speak the common tongue of gold,¡± he began to laugh.


    The man soon stopped in front of a door. He then handed a Key to Puella.


    ¡°This is the room, and here is the key Ms. Human-Puella.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Puella smiled as she received the key.


    ¡°Meals are served each morning and evening. Have a nice stay,¡± he bowed to both of us before leaving.


    ¡°Wait, where is my room?¡± I asked Yama.


    ¡°A second room? Ms. Human-Puella only asked for one room for two people,¡± the dwarf looked confused as he spoke,¡± If there are no further questions, I will go back to the desk now. If you need any help, just ask me.¡±


    The dwarf soon left, leaving the two of us alone.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t book separate rooms?¡± I confronted Puella.


    ¡°Do we have to? My brother and I always stay in the same room, anyway,¡± she spoke while twiddling her thumbs.


    Because you¡¯re siblings! I suddenly realize why Puer was so adamant not letting you travel alone...


    ¡°Just go inside¡­¡± my voice trailed off.


    Puella slowly opened the door. The room was surprisingly roomy. There was a table and two chairs. Additionally, there were spaces and notches on the walls were we could probably hang our clothes. There was one main problem though.  I expected at the very least  she got us two single beds, but¡­


    ¡°Puella¡­ Why does this room have a double bed?¡±


    ---


    AUTHOR''S NOTES:


    Hello all, it''s the author here. I hope you''ve been enjoying the story so far!


    I''m just here to say that I''m getting busy in the following two months, so releases will be less frequent.


    Thank you all for your understanding.


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 The Merchant and The Neutral Inn - Chapter 6

    ¡°I heard a merchant was looking for me? A human one no less,¡± a blond man slowly descended the flight of stairs at the back of the workshop.


    Adjusting his glasses, the man weaved through the workshop floor which had multiple pieces of ubiquitous wood and metal. Tools and shavings littered the stone floor, with inventions and contraptions lying around the side. Multiple forges and workbenches were also scattered throughout the floor.  Numerous muscular men were active at work, and their noises filled the room.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. I¡¯m searching for Vampire-5-Inventor,¡± standing by the entrance, I answered him.


    The man reached my position. Contrary to the majority of the workers in the room, his build was fairly lean. He wore a dirtied white shirt with dirtied brown pants. Black ink stains were all over his body.  He examined me for a moment, sizing me up with his eyes.


    ¡°You look like a capable one. What is it you need?¡± he inquired.


    ¡°My name is Human-273-Merchant. You may call me Argent. I¡¯m here to inquire about your invention,¡± I bowed to him as I spoke.


    ¡°Ack, sorry. I forget my manners. I did not sleep well last night,¡± the man returned my bow with one as well, ¡°You may call me Gutenberg.¡±


    That name sounds a bit foreign.


    ¡°No worries, Mr. Vampire-Gutenberg. I also didn¡¯t  sleep well last night.¡°


    ¡°It is forgiven then,¡± he paused before continuing, ¡°What may I help you with regards to my invention then?¡±


    ¡°About the printing press, I wish to inquire about it.¡±


    ¡°You should have gone to the city¡¯s invention department for that. They manage all inquires about them.¡±


    ¡°I did, and they sent me here to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°Ack- how could I forget? The meetings are still going on now. The chiefs probably cannot entertain you at the moment.¡±


    ¡°A meeting?¡±


    ¡°Do not worry. It is nothing of concern. They will end eventually.¡±


    The man placed his hands on his head and rubbed his temples.


    ¡°Come on in then. I apologize but the sunlight is a bit tough at the moment,¡± Gutenberg spoke as he pointed to the workshop interior.


    Oh, it is nearing noon after all.


    He weaved through the busy floor once again and I followed him close by. The smell of sweat assailed my nostrils. We made our way to the second floor.


    I was greeted by a scene contrasting the one of the previous floor. The second level was relatively deserted. The dimmed interior was also nearly spotless. Stacks of paper were neatly organized on the wooden floor. Tools were placed on tables and arranged by use. Shelves with different bottles of ink were on the walls. On the center of the room was an eye-catching contraption.


    The machine was mainly made of wood. Four legs supported its body, and a flat surface lay on top. A metal plate with indentations was hanging a distance over the flat surface, supported by a frame. A lever and screw allowed the metal plate to lower itself onto the flat surface.


    So this is the printing press.


    ¡°I am terribly sorry for the mess. Anyway Mr. Human-Argent, what about this machine do you wish to inquire about?¡± Gutenberg rubbed his chin while asking.


    ¡°May I look at it more closely first?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead as long as you do not damage it.¡±


    I walked towards the apparatus. In addition to what I noticed earlier, the metal plate had letters jutting out of the bottom. On closer inspection, the letters seemed to be removable. A case containing other letters and numerals was placed on a table next to the device. The contraption also had some sort of sliding mechanism which allowed paper to move smoothly along the machine¡¯s flat surface.


    ¡°So you just slather the bottom of the plate with ink and stamp it on the paper, huh?¡± I commented.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. With the device, you can produce prints with remarkable ease. No need to write them anymore,¡± Gutenberg nodded at me, ¡°The removable letters allow you to print multiple different words without having to etch a new metal plate!¡±


    ¡°Can you remove the entire plate and easily replace it with a new one?¡± I inquired.


    ¡°Definitely, if the old plate gets damaged in any way, you don¡¯t have to disassemble the machine change the plate.¡±


    ¡°It seems marvelous. How many pages can you print in a day using it?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re printing without changing the plate, you can probably do above 4000 in a day. Compared to writing a full page, it¡¯s a hundredfold more efficient.¡±


    All the time while explaining his invention, Gutenberg slightly raised his arms and closed his fists. His eyes were incredibly focused. A loud and cheerful tone came from him.


    ¡°Could you demonstrate it for me?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Sure thing!¡±


    Gutenberg went towards the machine. He picked up a bundle of paper from the floor and placed it on flat surface of the device. In one smooth motion, he lowered the inked metal plate, raised it, and removed the paper using the sliding mechanism. He picked up the paper and handed it to me.


    The paper has crisply printed words on it. The blocky letters looked odd, but they were readable. I stowed the paper in my cloak. It would take time for the general populace to get used to non-handwritten texts, but once they do¡­


    ¡°Alright, I would like to buy it,¡± I said with conviction, ¡°I believe your invention will be something that will change the world.¡±


    Gutenberg¡¯s eyes lit up after he listened to my words. He clapped his hands and jumped, smiling. His glasses almost fell off his face.


    ¡°Good! About the price, It is only right that you pay me a tota-¡°


    ¡°Wait!¡± I interrupted him, ¡°I¡¯m not here to buy just the machine.¡±


    The vampire raised an eyebrow and adjusted his glasses. He placed his hand on his cheek and tilted his head.


    ¡°I am sorry, but what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I would like to purchase the rights to the invention.¡± I answered, ¡°The machine is credited as yours in the city¡¯s invention department, yes? Thus only you and your chief can sell this device.¡±


    ¡°That is correct.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like you to agree to transfer the credit to my own name. That is, the machine becomes my invention.¡±


    Gutenberg¡¯s jaw dropped, and he leered at me. He brought his two hands together and cracked his knuckles.


    ¡°Why would I even think of doing that? It is my own invention! I will not just sell that fact!¡±


    I reached into my pocket and pulled out a piece of paper which I had previously written a number on. I bowed and presented it to Gutenberg with both hands.


    ¡°This is!?¡±


    ¡°It is no joke. It¡¯s definitely in gold. We may still negotiate if you find the value small.¡±


    ¡°This amount is...¡±


    ¡°So do we have a deal?¡± I grinned at him.


    ---


    I opened the door to my room in the Midas Inn. Inside, Puella was sitting on the double bed. She was tapping her feet on the floor, her hands on her waist. Having noticed that I had entered, she flicked her ebony-colored hair and glared at me.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°It took you long enough!¡± she shouted in an extremely loud voice.


    I covered my ears in response and shook my head.


    ¡°Negotiating deals with people isn¡¯t exactly easy, you know?¡± I replied.


    ¡°You had me going around town looking for something, then you have me wait here for an hour?¡± she pouted, ¡°I wanted to go to the merchant district.¡±


    Hey, hey, you had the EASY job.


    ¡°And what did you find out?¡± I ignored her disdain and proceed to ask.


    ¡°Hmmph,¡± she grunted, ¡°The main town square was filled with some people. Some sort of anti-sound spell was cast over it, so I couldn¡¯t hear what they were talking about.¡±


    ¡°That must be that elusive meeting that we¡¯ve been hearing about. Have you tried to enter the boundaries of the spell?¡±


    ¡°I tried to, but some senti-somethings were guarding the edges. I couldn¡¯t get in even with my female charms,¡± Puella touched her lips with her index finger as she spoke.


    I shook my head once again.


    ¡°You mean, sentinels,¡± I corrected her,  ¡°It definitely is important considering that they didn¡¯t let you in. We can presume  that those attending are the owners of the establishments here.¡±


    ¡°Oh so that explains why Mr. Yama¡¯s boss wasn¡¯t here yesterday,¡± Puella¡¯s snapped her fingers, ¡°I wonder what they were talking about. It has to be something if they want to conceal it to us.¡±


    ¡°Rather, I think they¡¯re concealing it from the visitors only. Not that there are a lot of us here anyway,¡± I spoke, ¡°And for good reason too, they¡¯re talking about something which they don¡¯t want visitors to hear.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡± she inquired.


    I produced the piece of paper I got from the printing press and gave it to Puella. On it was a notice of meeting for all heads of establishments in the town.


    ¡°I figured that they would need some way to inform those concerned about the meeting topic, time, and place. Naturally, the printing press would be one of those ways to inform everyone via giving them individual notices. Fortunately, the letters used for the notice was still on the press.¡±


    ¡°Smart.¡±


    ¡°Killing two birds with one stone, and for the record, I did secure the deal. Albeit, we need to proceed to some sort of bidding before we can purchase it.¡±


    Puella began to sift through the paper.  Her eyes sharply moved through the text. She read out loud.


    ¡°                                                                       ¡°


    DO NOT LET OUTSIDERS SEE!


    VIOLATORS WILL BE DEALT WITH!


    WHO: Establishment owners


    WHAT: Disappearance of caravans


    WHERE: Town square


    WHEN: 5th of Rokmonth


    -THE SENTINEL


    There¡¯s really something more in this town than meets the eye.


    ¡°This is¡­ Argent, your caravan!¡± her voice increased in  volume.


    ¡°It seems that they do know something about what happened to my venture,¡± I agreed, ¡°Plus we need the invention chief to start the bidding process. Either way, this meeting affects us.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s our plan then?¡±


    ¡°I suppose we have to get into that meeting. We have valid reasons anyway,¡± I proposed, ¡°The problem is with the guards.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll barge in! We¡¯ll force them to let us in whether they want to or not,¡± Puella suggested.


    For a moment, I saw a smirk appear on her lips. I started to break into a cold sweat.


    ¡°No no no no no, That¡¯s a bad idea,¡± I raised my hands while speaking quickly.


    Puella frowned and glanced away. She clicked her tongue, muttering ¡°boring¡±. I brought out a map of the city and spread it on the table.


    ¡°Can we use stealth magic to pass the guards? This alley over here seems discreet enough for us,¡± I pointed towards a certain area on the map.


    ¡°I doubt it. The senti-guards will probably have a sensor or a mage among them. Unless we can use tremendously high level magic, I don¡¯t think we can pass them even here.¡±


    My mind pictured the image of a certain white-hatted mage. Her expertise would have been more than welcome in this situation. I knew that she would be able to fend off for herself, but I still felt a small pang of worry for her.


    ¡°Can we sneak past them normally then?¡±


    ¡°Using the roofs and timing the jumps correctly, I could perhaps, but as for you¡­ I think you would have a hard time.¡±


    She got me there. I¡¯m no acrobat.


    ¡°The sewers are probably also patrolled. I checked the tunnel entrances and saw some guards go in and out of them periodically,¡± she added.


    ¡°That means we¡¯re stuck outside unless we¡¯re invited in,¡± I remarked.


    Puella nodded to me. She brushed her hair and placed her index finger on her cheek. Her black eyes looked perfectly straight at the map. She frowned for a moment before her lips changed back to a straight position.


    From what I saw, I had to conclude that Puella was actually deep in thought. I jumped backwards, mouth agape at this revelation. Interestingly enough, Puella didn¡¯t notice me at all. She continued to stare at the map. Suddenly, she burst into action.


    She pulled out a handful of copper coins for her pockets and spread them on the map, placing them between alleyways, on top of buildings, and on main thoroughfares.


    ¡°These are the locations of the guards around the town square. The only probably way we can get through is if we create a situation they can¡¯t ignore, like a thief or something. Afterwards we can use this alley here.¡±


    I was speechless at her actions.


    ¡°Is it no good? Did I forget something?¡± she raised her eyebrows at me inquisitively.


    I shook my head.


    ¡°It¡¯s the opposite. I didn¡¯t expect you could think up of something like this.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± she growled, ¡°Did you think of me as some sort of idiot?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± without blinking, I replied instantly.


    ¡°An instant answer¡­¡± Puella fell on her knees.


    ¡°But at least for now, your plan was ingenious, so let¡¯s go with that,¡± I smiled at her.


    Her face brightened up and she leaped at me. She grabbed both of my hands and continued to jump up and down. Puffing her chest, she returned by smile. Surprised at her abrupt actions, I faced away from her.


    ¡°A-anyway, let¡¯s set the plan into motion. I have an idea on what to use as the distraction.¡±


    ---


    AUTHOR''S NOTES:


    I was working on this chapter a bit earlier, so I decided to release it before all hell breaks lose here in my RL, so please forgive me if I don''t release any more soon. Anyway, enjoy the story.


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