I stood in front of the reception desk at the Auction House, the polished wood reflecting the dim magical lighting of the hall. When the man at the desk finally noticed me, I leaned in and asked for Orzhan. He nodded with a practiced, professional air and called for him to meet me. This specific wing of the building was designed for logistics and commerce rather than public spectacle; it was filled with dozens of small, discreet meeting rooms where merchants could negotiate deals with their customers or business partners away from prying ears.

  After a few moments, Orzhan appeared. He didn't offer a loud greeting, simply nodding for me to follow him. We walked down the quiet corridor, our footsteps muffled by the heavy carpets, before stopping in front of one of the many heavy oak doors. Orzhan opened it and gestured with his right hand for me to enter first, maintaining the polite, distant posture expected of an auction house official in public view.

  “You are as cold as always when we are not alone, huh?” I said with a chuckle as I crossed the threshold and sat down on the plush sofa.

  The room was functional and intimate—it contained two sofas facing each other with a small trestle table in between. While the furniture was decently comfortable, the room felt a bit stuffy, the air heavy with the scent of old parchment and sealing wax. It was a space designed for two people to talk business and nothing more. Orzhan closed the door firmly, the click of the latch echoing in the small space, and finally dropped his professional mask. He sat across from me with a pleasant, familiar smile.

  “Now that you have come all the way to me at this hour, I can’t miss the opportunity to act like a professional. Huhuhu,” he said, his eyes glinting with a smirk. “So, let’s hear the real reason for your visit, Han. What moves are you making now?”

  “I visited Baymur recently,” I began, watching his expression to see if he recalled the name. “The town built around the bay that I mentioned to you before.”

  “Oh? Did you also bring those two cute slaves of yours along for the trip?” he asked, leaning forward as his curiosity got the better of him.

  “... Yes, I did,” I replied, feeling a brief flash of perplexity at his immediate focus on the girls. “I managed to find a local merchant there. We’ve established a partnership; he’s going to source valuable resources like pearls and high-end jewelry for me to resell here.”

  “Hooh… so it was a business trip? It sounds more like you were on a long break with those beautiful girls you bought,” he said, his tone turning mockingly playful. “Are they really that good at making you forget the world? To the point that you're buying them luxury items and taking them to the seaside?”

  “Huh? What are you talking about?” I countered, feeling a bit of heat rise to my face. “Y-yeah, they are excellent company, and I’m quite content that I purchased them. But I didn't buy them ‘luxury’ items just for the sake of it. Everything I’ve done has been for trade purposes and the efficiency of my party. I’ve already visited several merchants today to finalize deals for the Baymur goods.”

  “O-Ohh… I get it. I must have misunderstood your intentions, since they are quite attractive, huhuhu…” Orzhan looked a bit sheepish, clearing his throat and shifting in his seat. “Anyway, please continue what you were saying. I’m all ears.”

  “... Whatever,” I muttered, deciding not to delve into his teasing any further. “The point is, I’m planning to start a very large-scale, long-term business operation, and I need to generate a significant amount of capital to fund it. I’ve already visited most of the merchants I worked with previously today. The Baymur venture is just one part of it. I came to you last because I have a specific transaction I want to entrust to you.”

  “Is that so? Hmm…” He leaned back, his professional curiosity returning. “What exactly is it that you want to entrust to me? If it’s you, I assume it’s something profitable.”

  “I want you to act as my buyer for skill crystals,” I explained. “Whenever they show up in the weekly auctions or come across your desk, I want you to buy as many as possible for me. On the flip side, I will be bringing you equipment that I’ve personally modified—items with skill crystals already successfully implanted. I want you to handle the sale of those pieces. For the purchases, keep the price around the market average, or a bit higher at most if it’s a rare type. As for the sales, you have full discretion over the pricing as long as we aren't selling them dirt cheap.”

  Orzhan looked at me with a contemplative expression. “I see. Do you have any specific priorities for the types of crystals? As you know, the value of skill crystals varies wildly based on the monster they drop from. A common slime skill crystal might only go for 10 to 20 gold coins, while a high-tier goblin skill crystal could easily surpass 100 gold coins depending on the specific attribute.”

  “Let’s stick to the affordable ones for the time being,” I said, laying out the parameters of the deal. “Just collect the ones that can be added to standard armor and weapons. I’ll set a soft limit of 20 gold coins per crystal for now. We can discuss the high-tier ones later once the cash flow is established. As for your commission, we’ll keep our previous arrangement: ten percent of the total value of all the goods you purchase or sell on my behalf.”

  “Okay,” Orzhan said, nodding slowly. “How much total capital do you want to spend? I can’t exactly go on an aimless spending spree with the Auction House’s funds, after all.”

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  Our typical deal was straightforward: I gave him the instructions, he executed the operations using his connections within the Auction House, and I settled the bill upon my return, paying him his ten percent commission. Because he was a high-level employee here, he could secure items and hold the final payment for a short period until I arrived. When we first started working together, I had to provide substantial front payments, but as our mutual trust grew, he stopped asking for deposits.

  “... No limit,” I said, a slow smile spreading across my face after a few seconds of silence.

  “... W-what? Wait a minute,” Orzhan stammered, his eyes widening in shock. “You said you’ve started working like crazy again. You mentioned the sea-based products, and now you’re talking about an open-ended buy order for skill crystals? Isn't that a bit much? How on earth do you expect to pay for the volume I could potentially move? I’m a friend, Han, but I can’t accept a deal like this unless you can guarantee that you’ll be able to afford the overhead. One bad week could bankrupt us both.”

  He was genuinely shocked, and I respected him for it. His reaction showed me that he was a rational, professional businessman who could differentiate between our personal friendship and the cold realities of commerce.

  “Calm down,” I said, raising a hand to soothe his panic. “I’m going to be back in the city every two days at the very least, if not every single day. If you’re worried about the scale, you can set your own internal limit—stop when the amount makes you hesitate. I’m only saying there is no limit because I know I can find a buyer or a use for skill crystals as long as they keep coming in. My liquid capital is going to be increasing rapidly starting tomorrow.”

  “Hmm… it is okay, then,” he conceded at last, though he still looked a bit stunned. He offered a mocking chuckle. “It seems like you really are going to fly around the continent, our little ‘Merchant with Wings.’ Huhuhu. I’m actually quite envious of your mobility, you know.”

  “I’m just trying to make the best possible use of my skills to earn money,” I replied, shaking my head. “Wouldn't you do the same if you were in my position?”

  “Of course I would. I didn't mean it as a slight,” he said, his smile turning warm again. He shifted from "Merchant Orzhan" back into my friend. “Don't worry, Han. I’ll take good care of the transactions you’ve entrusted to me. I’ll keep a sharp eye out for any bargains.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate it,” I said. Since our primary business was concluded, I decided to probe for more information. “By any chance, do you have any profitable rumors about trade goods coming out of the Kingdom or the Empire? Anything particularly popular or scarce lately?”

  “Huhuhu, you came to the right guy for gossip,” he snickered. He leaned in closer across the trestle table. “I heard from a merchant I know that…”

  He began to detail several rumors he’d picked up from the caravans and the shops. We spoke for a while longer, mixing business Intel with casual talk, before finally leaving the meeting room. Orzhan thanked me for coming and saw me off at the door of the hall. It had been a remarkably fruitful meeting. Beyond setting up the skill crystal pipeline, I had gained several valuable pieces of information that would shape my travel route.

  As I stepped back outside, the sun was sinking below the horizon, and the sky had turned a deep, bruised crimson. I turned my steps toward home, my mind churning with the information Orzhan had shared. Much of it aligned with what I already knew, but there were several key details that changed the math for my next trip.

  For instance, he mentioned the merchants currently working for Count Thedran Alveric. This was the same lord of Velshara—the father of the arrogant young noble who is the reason I had been forced to flee from the city. It seems his family’s merchants are attempting to establish a new trade road between Velshara and Yargan. They are clearly trying to position themselves as a dominant power center between the two nations.

  I hear about their activities from time to time—how they’ve been aggressively occupying various businesses and squeezing out smaller competitors. According to Orzhan, they have already begun manipulating the stores along the Kingdom’s border, essentially monopolizing the supply chains. It’s becoming harder to find specific goods in those areas without going through their sanctioned channels.

  Fortunately, I haven't relied on those border stores for much. I’ve even taken a few losses in that region previously, so I wasn't planning on heading back there anyway. As for the minerals I used to source from the Kingdom, I’ve already shifted my focus toward the water-based products from Baymur. They aren't traditional minerals, but in the eyes of a high-end jeweler, they serve the same luxury purpose.

  On the other hand, the border of the Ottovard Empire remains stable and profitable. Orzhan mentioned a new type of specialized tool being used there to refine minerals—something I haven't seen anywhere in the Hazaroth Union. If I can secure a few of those kits, I could sell them to the local blacksmiths for a massive markup.

  The second piece of Empire-related news involved fruit. Apparently, there are several varieties of tropical fruit that only grow in the Empire’s specific climate. Because fresh food is notoriously difficult to transport over long distances without spoiling, these fruits are extremely rare and highly sought after in other countries.

  To be honest, selling food isn't usually my most profitable venture. Even a rare fruit would only yield a few gold coins per batch. But profit is profit, and since I’ll be visiting the Empire constantly for fashion and tools, I can use my remaining inventory space to haul produce. It’s an accumulation of small wins that leads to a fortune.

  The only downside to all of this is the schedule. My hands are going to be incredibly full starting tomorrow. I’ll be bouncing between three different countries while trying to keep my operations in Yargan running smoothly.

  ‘I should try to relax once I get home,’ I thought, looking toward the residential district. ‘I don't even know if I’ll have the mana to visit the house every single day once the long-distance warps start. I just hope Nari won’t cause any problems for the twins.’

  With that lingering thought, I reached my front door and turned the key in the lock.

  [Edited]

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  Heroes:

  Koreyn

  NaTaS

  sjturner79

  Knights:

  udrea radu-cristian

  ?yb48