The next morning, Jojo is on her own again. Frankie has to go back to work, so she suggests that Jojo go out and get acquainted with the town and maybe run a few errands while she’s at it.

  First stop? The adventurers guild!

  Well, kind of. As it turns out, the guild actually owns both of the buildings that neighbor it as well. One, a rather large but plain two-story building, is apparently a cheap lodging for adventurers while they’re in town. It’s pretty much just one big communal room, so it’s loud and there’s no privacy, but it’s always there if you need it.

  The other building is smaller, and just as nondescript. Its footprint is about half the size of the guild, and it’s only one story, but it also has access to a decently-sized fenced-off outdoor area in case it needs it. That’s the building Jojo has her sights on.

  She steps inside to find a small, somewhat cramped room with a heavy door off to one side and a window right in front of her. On the other side of the window is sitting an old but still fit man going through stacks of paperwork. He looks up as he hears the door swing open and waves Jojo over when he sees her.

  “Mornin.’” The man keep shuffling through the papers as he addresses her, occasionally signing or stamping something.

  “Um, hi,” Jojo says, stepping awkwardly up to the window. “I’m a new adventurer, and I was told I could sell some things here?”

  “A newbie, huh?” The old man gives Jojo a fresh look over. “Got your card?”

  “Mhm!” Jojo grins and pulls her new Adventurer’s Plate out of her pocket. It’s nothing special on the surface, just a little copper plate with her name on it, but apparently it’s ‘soulbound’ to her, meaning it can never be lost or stolen. She presents it proudly to the old man. “Right here!”

  He barely glances at it before nodding. “Good. So whatcha selling?”

  “Just some slimestones,” Jojo says. She grabs the pouch at her waist—borrowed from Frankie—and pours out her hefty cache of loot from her grinding. “All the ones I got from my, um, last push to reach level ten!”

  The man eyes the stones disinterestedly. “Three silver,” he says after a moment.

  “Huh? But… But Frankie said they should sell for five copper each!”

  “Yeah? So?”

  “So, there’s definitely over a hundred here! That should be at least five silver!”

  “Mmm… Nah.” The man shakes his head and loudly stamps a piece of paper. “Doesn’t look like a hundred to me.”

  “It… But…” Jojo pouts. “Surely this many is at least worth four silver.”

  “Maybe. Call it a service fee.” The man shrugs. “Three silver.”

  “I… Ugh.” Jojo huffs. “Fine. I’ll take three.”

  The man doesn’t even bother confirming past that. He just drops three coins on the counter, scoops the stones into a satchel, and promptly ignores Jojo as though she was never there.

  She frowns, takes the coins, and stomps out of the office loud enough that she’s sure he can hear.

  Outside, she takes a second to recenter herself, then sets off to her next destination.

  She follows the main road deeper into town until it brings her to a large square. People mill about, weaving around each other as they go about their day. Stalls are set up here and there, selling hot food or fresh fruits. In the center of the square, a crier shares the news of the day.

  Jojo stays to the edge of the crowds and heads into a humble little store not far from the main street. The door sits open, letting a pleasant breeze in to waft through the aisles of shelves stocked with all sorts of things, from rope to paint to spices.

  Frankie recommended this general store highly. Supposedly, its owner is—

  “Well, you’re a new face! Welcome, welcome!” A high-pitched voice comes from one of the aisles. Jojo follows the sound of the voice and at first sees nobody, until she looks down and spies the miniscule person standing before her.

  The woman can’t be more than a foot tall. She’s wearing a sharp gray suit, and streaks of white pepper her short-cropped hair. Her smile is businesslike and practiced, not marred even a little by the scar that runs across her upper lip.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  According to Frankie, this woman is a gnome. Jojo smiles politely and nods her head.

  “Hello! I’m a new adventurer in town, and Frankie from the guild suggested I stop by here,” Jojo says.

  “Well, ain’t that sweet of her,” the woman says. “I’m Ash, and this is Ash’s Batches, best general store in Petal Run. Here’s to a long and fruitful relationship!” Ash thumps her chest and nods in some sort of affirmative gesture. “So, didja need anything in particular?”

  “I did, actually. I don’t have much money just yet, but I was hoping to get one of these magic storage pouches for myself. Do you sell them?”

  “Sure do. Smallest one will run you two silver.” Ash leads Jojo over to a shelf holding all sorts of bags, from simple cloth pouches to extravagant purses to hefty backpacks. She grabs the smallest, plainest one hidden away on the bottom shelf and hands it over.

  Jojo purses her lips. “Dang. Well, I guess it’s a necessity, so…”

  Ash grins. “Tell ya what, sweetie. You seem like a promising girl, so if you say you’ll think of us first whenever you need some supplies, I’ll cut it down to one and a half silver for ya. How’s that sound?”

  “Would you really?” Jojo smiles wide and hands over two silver, and Ash gives her five large copper coins back as change. “Wow, thank you Ash! You’re so nice,” Jojo gushes.

  Ash chuckles. “Think nothing of it. Anything else you need?”

  “Hmm…” Jojo thinks for a second, then has an idea. “Oh! Um, it’s a long shot, but would you happen to know of a really good, really cheap alchemist in town?”

  “Good and cheap, huh? That’s a tough one…” Ash frowns in thought. “Well… I suppose there is one place. Girl doesn’t get many customers, but she does have the skills. Just… Be careful. She’s in a seedier part of town.”

  Jojo nods. “Don’t worry, I can handle myself fine!”

  “Alright…”

  Jojo gets directions, and soon she’s on her way. As she walks, she sticks Frankie’s bag in her storage and ties her new bag tight to her belt to make sure it won’t be easily stolen.

  From an outside point of view, the girl skipping gleefully down side streets and cutting through back alleys with a grin on her face probably seems woefully naive. Maybe some rich merchant’s kid who thinks she owns the town, or a noble who doesn’t realize she’s gotten separated from her guards.

  In reality, Jojo is perfectly aware of how she looks. It just doesn’t bother her, because her dimensional storage means she has nothing on her to steal. Plus, she’s an adventurer. Surely nobody would be dumb enough to mess with her.

  Unfortunately, the real world is unaware of her interiority, and eventually, as the streets empty out and opulent shops are replaced with dingy stoops, she takes a wrong turn. She heads down a shady alley, and she’s only halfway through it when someone steps out of the shadows in front of her.

  The man who appears is tall and gangly, with knobby joints and clothes that are more patches than whatever material they started as. He’s got a tiny, crooked knife in his hand, and he holds it loosely as he looms over Jojo.

  “Well, well, lookie what we have here,” he whistles. “Someone didn’t listen when their mommy told them where was safe to play.”

  Jojo gasps. “Woah! Are you a thief?”

  The man gives a raspy laugh. “Thief? Now, that’s just rude. I’m just a guy hoping for a little… Donation, is all.”

  “You are a thief!” Jojo grins and hops in place. “Ooh, this is exciting! Identify!”

  “Heyyy, didn’t nobody tell you that was rude?” The man sneers. “How would you like it if I went around identifyin’ you?”

  Jojo shrugs. “It wouldn’t really bother me. Maybe you should try, actually. You might realize something.”

  He gives her an odd look, then snorts. “Fine. Identify.” After a second, his eyes go wide. “Wait, ten? But you look like a kid!”

  Jojo laughs. “So, about that robbery.”

  “Robbery? I-I told you, I’m not a thief! I’m just hanging out in this alley, honest!” The man puts his hands up in surrender and backs away a few steps. “Seriously, I don’t want any trouble!”

  “Well, looks like trouble found you anyway.” Jojo smirks and cracks her knuckles, then shoots forward faster than the man can react. She kicks him in the shin, making him yelp in pain and fall to one knee, then she delivers two quick punches to his face.

  The man crumples to the ground, unconscious. Jojo dusts herself off as notifications roll in.

  “Well, that was easy.” Jojo chuckles. She reaches down, picks up the man’s knife, and stores it away. “I’ll just be taking that. Seems a bit dangerous to be playing around with! Heh.”

  Jojo gingerly steps over the man and walks out of the alley, then looks around carefully to make sure he didn’t have any friends waiting for him. When she’s sure she’s alone, she shrugs and continues on her way.

  “To the alchemist!”

  Back in the alley, a shadow reaches out and drags the unconscious man away.