Chương 24: Windfalls and Plans

Ch. 24 - Windfalls and Plans When I think of the sheer amount of information the entity that assigns classes and skills has access to … it scares me. A good example is one of the first skills that I gained when I crossed over to this world. Its original form allowed me to find the safest place to rest while out in the wilderness. When using this skill, I never had a single instance of a camp being attacked by monsters or bandits. It was always … safe. But how was that determined? How did the skill know?

My skill didn't create the safe place, otherwise I wouldn't have had to travel to find it. No, the skill somehow identified every single piece of data in my surrounding area, every living creature, and correctly predicted the movements and behaviour of every last one of them. And it was never wrong. I cannot wrap my head around anything being that powerful, that all knowing. That it seems to only concern itself with levelling up the sentient beings of this world is the most baffling thing of all.

- from the writings of Steadholder Eckhart"Isaek! Hey, Isaek!" At hearing Lera call out, a young man who'd been standing rather dejectedly behind a stall spun to face them. Wyatt saw his face light up, straightening and affecting a wide smile. He had sandy-coloured hair, looked close to Wyatt's age, and had been manning a stand that had artful little displays of various produce. The man spread his arms expansively as Lera approached. His eyes flickering to note Wyatt and Kit walking next to her.

"Ah, Adventurer Lera! Such a delight to see you again so soon. Have you come to purchase more of these delicious melons? I knew they would tempt you! I have a few in stock, only for valued customers like yourself and your kin! Are they nearby? Of course, I will always do whatever I can to keep enough produce in stock for your people, but business is business! So I'm glad you've come back before the demand of any other customers means that …"

Wyatt's mouth dropped open as the man, Isaek, spoke — seemingly without a need to draw breath. Kit had actually taken a few steps back from the merchant. Wyatt sidled closer to Lera, nudging her with his shoulder.

"Is that … normal?" The Protean grinned, whispering back.

"Unfortunately, yes. But he has his good points — he willingly caters to my kind. A lot of merchants don't take the best care with their produce; we try to avoid those. Proteans have a really sensitive palate, we can tell if something is beginning to turn. Isaek is the best — and he charges a premium for it."

"… unfortunately my stock is getting low, but rest assured that I still have —""Isaek!" The merchant blinked as Lera yelled over the top of him, interrupting. He didn't seem offended though. He rubbed at the back of his head, giving her a sheepish smile.

"I was doing it again, huh?"

"Yep! You know I don't mind, but you might be off-putting to the casual shopper." Isaek laughed.

"I know, I know. But I prefer my smaller and more loyal clientele. That's how I got my [Enterprising Trader] class after all!" Kit regarded the young merchant with a little more interest at hearing that. She casually flicked an ear at Wyatt.

'A specialised class at his age is quite impressive. He might be level twenty.' Lera grinned, folding her arms as she looked at the merchant.

"And I appreciate it, Isaek! And that is why I've brought my friend Wyatt to you." Isaek look at Wyatt curiously.

"Of course, anyone Adventurer Lera recommends is most welcome! It is good to meet you, Wyatt. Are you looking to purchase anything in particular?" Wyatt smiled as Lera nodded at him encouragingly. She hadn't stopped raving about how good the dungeon fruit was during their entire walk through the city, and so had done a good job of bolstering Wyatt's expectations.

"Actually, I have something you might be interested in buying. A new fruit." Isaek kept the smile on his face, but Wyatt could tell his interest had waned. The merchant's smile was slightly strained..

"Of course, I'll take a look at anything you think is interesting —" Lera interrupted Isaek, her excitement clear as she practically bounced on the balls of her feet.

"Isaek, you stock this fruit and I guarantee every Protean in the city will be buying it." Hearing her say that aloud made Wyatt hesitate. It felt sort of wrong to sell something Lera so clearly enjoyed to a merchant, who would then in turn presumably mark up the price even more. Wyatt frowned, thinking it over.

"Lera, if you like it so much I can just sell it to you. Or give it to you — you've helped me out enough for it." The Adventurer shook her head firmly, but gave him an appreciative grin.

"Thank you, Wyatt, but this is a good opportunity for you. And besides — Isaek has storage chests with preservation enchantments on them. His stock doesn't go off." Isaek nodded slowly, looking from Wyatt to Lera in interest.

"It's what I base my business on; produce as fresh as the day it was picked! Adventurer Lera, is this really as good as you say?"

"Show him, Wyatt." Wyatt took one of the fruits out of his bag of holding. He almost laughed when Isaek got the same look of apprehension on his face that everyone did when they first saw them. It swiftly changed though when Wyatt cut the fruit open, offering the merchant a sliver of the golden flesh. Lera casually snagged the rest of the fruit from Wyatt's hand, offered Kit half, and then shoved the rest into her mouth. She closed her eyes, chewing with every sign on enjoyment.

The sight convinced Isaek, and he tried his own small piece. Isaek went rigid, his eyes bulging. He swallowed so hurriedly that he started to cough, fumbling for a flask of water. That — what is that? I've never come across it before! And I have supply routes across the continent! Where — where did you get this?" Wyatt smiled crookedly.

"That doesn't matter, does it? Do you think it's something worth purchasing?"

"Yes! I'll take all that you have! I might have to sacrifice a few, offer some samples to my more select clientele considering the outside appearance … but it's so sweet, so refreshing!" Lera wiped some juice off her chin.

"Told you. Give him a good deal, Isaek." Isaek looked offended.

"Adventurer Lera, I never cheat anyone. You know that. Do that enough times and no one will sell to you again. Or you find a marked decrease in the quality of your supply. Besides, I have a skill for assigning price so that it's fair. May I see another of the fruit, please?"

"Sure." Wyatt retrieved another fruit and held it out to the merchant. Isaek leant forward, examining it closely.

"Thank you. How fascinating — it is so unappealing from the outside. And yet it more than makes up for the ugliness. Let's see now … [Assign Market Value]." Wyatt watched with interest as Isaek used his skill on the fruit. There merchant's eyes flickered, as though he was processing information. Whatever his skill was telling him, it excited Isaek.

"Nine silver! Almost a gold coin for — there must be something else besides the taste. Is there a magical component to it as well? But for it to be … Adventurer Lera. You said you … like this fruit?" Lera grinned.

"Love it. Best thing I've had in an age." Isaek stroked his chin, looking slightly pompous as he mused to himself.

"That tracks, a Protean's palate … wait. Rich in mana. Something I've never seen before. Is this … from the dungeon?" Wyatt nodded, impressed that the merchant figured it out so quick.

"That's right." Isaek shook his head in disbelief.

"Incredible. All those Adventurers, hauling back loot and monster parts … and no one spotted this? What floor did you find it, what area? Was it dangerous? I could hire a team, and —" Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Lera held up her hand to stop the merchant from speculating. She gave Wyatt a swift and amused glance before speaking to Isaek.

"Hold on there — before you start planning an expedition, I'll have you know that Wyatt here collected the fruit after a run in with two Orcs. He just collected the bounty on them in fact." Isaek blanched.

"Orcs … then you must have been on floor … damn. Hiring Adventurers to go that far into the dungeon would be too expensive. Not that they are any good at collecting fragile items anyway. No offence of course, Adventurer Lera." Lera laughed.

"None taken. I've always been better at hitting things than delicate work." Isaek looked at Wyatt speculatively.

"That means that the fruit is exceptionally hard to come by. That must be informing my skill as to the price. How many do you have?"

"I've gone through a few today, but around fifty." Wyatt felt a little guilty as he thought about the plethora of fruit along the waterways of the first floor of the dungeon. He wondered how long they would remain a secret once they hit the market of Skalholm. But then again, if Isaek was only going to sell them to a select few … Wyatt smiled at the merchant.

"Since Lera brought me to you, and I trust her, I'm willing to sell what I have only to you. Now, you said nine silver — I take it that's what you can get for it? What sort of margin are you hoping to make — what can you offer me?" Isaek looked at Wyatt appraisingly.

"Ah, I can appreciate a reasonable man. What do you say to … four?" Wyatt shook his head instantly.

"Not nearly enough. Lera already told you that her kin would buy it. You already have a market."

"I'll admit to that — but you have to take storage costs into account." Lera shook her head in amusement.

"Isaek …" The merchant looked pleadingly at the Protean.

"Please, Adventurer Lera, this is my livelihood." Wyatt tapped the fruit with his finger.

"Luckily the outer skin is pretty tough. And since you already said you have preservation on your chests, it's not an issue. Right? Besides, there aren't that many of them." Isaek licked his lips.

"I can go up to five then." Internally, Wyatt was cheering. Five silver for each fruit? Why would anyone ever do something so dangerous as fighting monsters? Still, he felt like he could get even more. What was the standard deal with haggling? If Wyatt went one more higher, then Isaek would meet him in the middle? Wyatt affected a confident mien.

"Six. You don't have any transport or storage costs. There's already a market for it. Six, and you make three on top, easily. Six, and I won't sell to anyone other than you." Wyatt smiled, expecting Isaek to come back with less. Instead he had to struggle to hide his surprise when the merchant agreed. Isaek held out his hand to shake.

"If you give me your word that I will be the only merchant you sell to — and Adventurer Lera is willing to witness — then you have a deal." Lera grinned with associated pride at Wyatt's accomplishment. He reached out and shook Isaek's hand, scarcely believing just how well he'd done.

"Deal." It was quiet in the small room on the third floor of the inn, a hush that was both unnatural, and one that came at a premium. Wyatt had asked Lera for a recommendation in regards to accommodation, and the Adventurer had looked at him consideringly for a few moments before advising he seek rooms at the Silver Hind. It was a good choice, and Wyatt was glad that he'd asked her. After he had concluded his deal with Isaek, the Protean had insisted he take her out to lunch to celebrate.

As Wyatt had just made twenty-four gold coins by selling forty of the fruit — he'd kept some to give both Kit and Lera — he hadn't minded paying. Still, a full day in the city had left him weary. By the time the sun had begun to set, all he could think about was getting some time alone in which to think and process all that had happened. He had some decisions to make. The Inn wasn't the fanciest of establishments, but it had two amenities that had sold Wyatt on it.

The first was that the rooms were spelled by an [Enchanter] to block out most of the ambient noise of the inn, and the second was that there was a small bathhouse attached to the bottom floor. The prospect of being able to have a proper wash — not rinsing in cold water — almost made Wyatt giddy, and as soon as he heard the raucous noise from the downstairs common room he knew he'd be grateful for the quiet room.

Staying one night in the inn was setting him back four silver pieces, with an extra two for the use of the bathhouse. Before striking his deal with Isaek, Wyatt might have regretfully passed on The Silver Hind, and tried to find somewhere cheaper. But now he didn't have to — he was rich. Not rich rich, as Lera was quick to point out, but he was definitely flush with coin. He had options now, could fund almost anything he could think of doing. And he could also relax and enjoy himself.

Wyatt had almost wept when he first climbed into the heated bath. It had been so long since he'd experienced the sheer luxury of hot water. The bathhouse wasn't overly large, with a number of recessed pools that could fit maybe three people in each. There was some attempt at privacy screens, but they didn't do much for modesty. It hadn't mattered to Wyatt though; since he had used them so early in the evening so he'd had them to himself.

Wyatt had been slightly askance about the bathhouse at first — there hadn't been a place for people to rinse off before getting in, and he hadn't fancied bathing in the used water of who knows how many people. However when he inquired he learnt that there were purification runes inscribed on the tiles of each bath, and that they magically cleaned the water after each use. After Wyatt had washed, he'd had a small meal in the common area before retiring to his room.

He was feeling exhausted, ready for sleep, but he wanted to discuss what to do next with Kit first. Wyatt sat on the single bed in the room, the only furniture besides a small table and a chest at the foot of the bed. He looked at the silver fox as she curiously inspected their surroundings.

"So. What do you think, Kit?" Kit's tail was swishing about happily as she explored. Wyatt had paid for quite a large plate of stewed beef for her, and she'd gobbled the lot so fast that the cook had taken Wyatt to task for starving the 'precious little thing'.

'About what exactly?'

"About what we should do next." Kit's ears flicked in amusement.' I thought you were an Adventurer now. You're not going to do that?' Wyatt shook his head, smiling wryly.

"No, I don't think that's for me. It was only expedient that I got registered. If Lera hadn't been pushing, I wouldn't have done it."

'You might not have received the bounty if you hadn't. Wyatt shrugged at the silver fox.

"I know. But if I couldn't, I'd just have given it to Raek and the other's families. If I'd known about how much I could sell the fruit for, I would have anyway. I wish I had …" Kit regarded him for a moment, noting his dipping mood, then lithely jumped up onto the bed and lay across his lap.

'Stroke my fur. Don't mope.' Wyatt blinked at the demanding tone in the little fox's voice, but it made him smile.

"Sure thing, Kit." They sat in silence for a few moments as Wyatt stroked Kit's back. The little fox was the one to break the quiet.' So if you aren't interested in Adventuring, what do you want to do?'

"Well … I was considering a number of things. But I can't help but think about the forest. The Gateway Woods? Sam and the others might still be trapped there. And all the rest of the people from my world as well! Did I tell you about that, Kit? There are hundreds of people — all trapped in the valley we arrived in. With that damn forest between them and the rest of the world." Kit's fur was fluffing up as Wyatt spoke, and now she twisted about on his lap, placing a small paw on his chest.

Her voice was hard, brooking no argument.

'I'm sorry, Wyatt, but no. You are not going back to that place.'

"Kit. I wouldn't make you go. But I have to at least go and look. See if there's anything there that — I don't know! Marie said that the forest wasn't too far from here." Kit shook her head, actually growling at him.' Of course I'm not going to go anywhere near that place. I can't! But I'm not letting you go either. Absolutely not.'

"Kit …"

'I said NO. Getting out of there once was a miracle. Wyatt, if you go there — you will never come back. You will die there, lost and alone. And no one will ever know your fate.' There wasn't much that Wyatt could say to that. Kit just didn't sound angry; she sounded upset. Wyatt kept his voice soft as he spoke to her.

"Kit … it's just that I feel like I'm abandoning everyone. Here I am, safe and well-fed. And I'm happy. Enjoying myself. How is that fair?" The silver fox sounded stubborn.

'It's not your fault. And if anyone from your world would begrudge you for not throwing your life away on a lost cause, then they aren't worth it in the first place.' Wyatt sighed, leaning back and staring at the ceiling. He wasn't an idiot — he knew what Kit was saying was right. He'd even thought it himself. But he had to say it out loud, talk it out with someone first. Make it real. Wyatt stroked the fox soothingly on her back.

"I know, Kit. I … know. Don't worry, I won't do anything stupid." Kit settled down at his tone, but she still managed a derisive sniff.

'That remains to be seen.' They were silent for a few moments more, listening to the faint and muffled sounds of people eating and drinking in the common room below. Kit nuzzled at Wyatt's hand.

'So if insanity is not an option, and neither is Adventuring — what is it you are thinking of doing?' Wyatt smiled down at Kit, feeling like a weight had been lifted from his chest. A stress he hadn't been fully aware he'd been carrying.

"For starters, I need to collect some more of that fruit. Isaek said he would need a few days to get through his stock, but that he'd take as much as I can bring him. I won't go overboard — I don't want to saturate the market and lower the price — but it would be insane not collect more."

'It does seem lucrative.'

"And then some! Why would I risk my life adventuring or fighting monsters? Even Lera was impressed and envious by how much gold we made. And it's even easier with [Nature's Bounty]." Kit cocked her head at Wyatt.' I must say I'm interested to see what the criteria for levelling [Forager] is, and if you will be rewarded when you sleep.'

"What do you mean?"

'Well, a merchant would level from making a good deal, or acquiring a new and unique good to sell. So I was wondering if [Forager] only rewards you for gathering, or if you get experience for what you do with your goods. If the latter, surely making that much gold would count for something.' Wyatt's hand slowed as he stroked Kit.

"Huh. I guess I'll find out tonight. That ties into what I want to do though. Going back and exploring the dungeon."' And that isn't Adventuring?'

"Not the way I want to do it. Kit, I've been thinking about it since we first found ourselves in the dungeon. It's been bugging me. Why aren't there people living there?" Kit wrinkled her nose.

'… because it's a dungeon? You've seen what can happen in there firsthand.' Wyatt soberly nodded.

"And I'll never forget. But I also won't forget what caused it to happen either. It's just that … Kit, I'm sure that there is something in there for me. It's like what I always dreamed of when I was younger. A rich and fertile land. And this one has no one in it! Here, let me show you something." Wyatt pulled his old and beaten-up pack from the bag of holding. Inside of it, he carefully took out his prized possession, unwrapping the protective layers one by one. Kit cocked her head curiously' What's that?'

"Seeds. Seeds from my world. I carried them over with me because … well, it's kind of a dream I inherited. But it's important to me. And everything that I've done lately; finding those fruits, harvesting and seeing how much you and Lera like them … then selling them for so much gold! That's the closest I've come to living out my dream in years. And doing all of it … it made me happy." Kit regarded him for a long moment, then sniffed carefully at all the different seeds. She met his eyes, and seemed to smile.'

So you want to see what's possible in the dungeon. That seems like a fine goal. But have you considered the monsters, the dangers? Remember, even on the first floor there are Death Zones. Wandering aimlessly could be dangerous.' Wyatt smiled broadly, feeling his heart beat faster as he expanded upon his plan.

"So we buy a map! There has to be one if people have been going into the dungeon for hundreds of years. And as for monsters, we'll just have to be careful. There's no difference there."' And you have your skills.'

"That's right! I can use [Mask Presence] as we travel — we know that works. [Danger Sense] can warn me if we are about to stumble across any threats. And [A Safe Place to Rest] means we can sleep easy at night." Kit opened her mouth in a grin.

'You do seem well equipped for exploration.' Wyatt gave her a wry grin.

"I can thank that damned forest for that. But think of it, Kit — the dungeon is heaven in comparison! There are rivers, streams — all full of fish. And there is open land. Sunshine." Kits tail started to lash about excitedly.

'This is true. And that does sound far preferable to this city and all the people within. But are you sure? You've only been back amongst your own kind for a day. Are you really ready to head back out into the wilderness?'

"You doubt me? I haven't gone soft in a day, Kit!" Kit barked out an amused laugh.

'I know. But I did hear you groaning about how good that bath was.' Wyatt flushed slightly, but he kept his grin.

"That was nice, but there's no reason why we cant be a little more comfortable while we explore. Lera is meeting us tomorrow after breakfast — I'm going to see if she's willing to take us around the market some more. Give us tips on where to find the best gear."' What are you planning on buying?' Wyatt's grin widened.

"Everything."