9 The Quirky Coffee Trader Recruited?
Several minutes passed as Iralia swore at the collapsed counter and the broken glass. She was picking over the small remaining pieces of the counter, its whole frame split into hundreds of pieces. It was as if the wood had been rotten and eaten from within. It was probably true as well.
Taking a sip from my remaining coffee I watched as Iralia struggled not to pull her hair out, her eyes slipping to the small amount of change she had received from me that lay within her right hand. Tears slowly started to form at the sides of her eyes as she looked around, depressed, at the remnants of her family business.
The last fragment of my coffee slipped down my throat as she slowly walked towards my location near the counter, her feet stepping over the remnants of the counter.
"...I feel so useless. I do be thinkin that maybe my pa be wrong about me talents..." Her gaze lingered over the building once more as I just watched the Dwarven woman. Turning back to me she seemed utterly defeated.
"We used to be the best store on the street, now we be but a joke. Ma died just a year ago and me Da went a few months before her. Leavin me with the family business, a weight i do be thinkin that i can't hold onto anymore..."
She wasn't really giving me a sob story, it came off more like someone who just wanted to be sympathised with. One of my ears twitch as i felt some small amount of energy slipping off her body and travelling through into me.
'Emotions? Can i absorb those too?' Despite the confusion she continued her story.
"I may not have been the best daughter for me Da and Ma but I always wanted to carry their legacy. Now look at me, no customers, no partners or employees, a broken building, it be so tiring." She plopped herself down on a flat pieces of timber that was remaining from the counter as she put a single slender finger through her ringlet red hair. The sight was pitiful but ultimately I had very little sympathy, i had gone through a lot of pain in my past life, this was childish pain in comparison. Although i say that to myself i couldn't ignore the dejected and helpless expression that creeped onto her face.
'I'm going to fucking regret this...'
"Well... It just so happens that I come from a small village in the Great Forest of Jura, we are looking for skilled workers and people. I am quite sure that if i introduced you, you could possibly come and start anew." Iralia looked up towards me, my height amplified by her seated positions, her green eyes gleaming at me as i spoke. Cheeks twitching from the amount of effort it was taking not to show my emotions I watched as she went from completely beaten down to hopeful and exuberant.
"Really! Ye be wanting to aid me despite the fact we only met a few minutes ago!?" Her words were half yelling and half excited as she practically jumped t her feet, her cooking apron flopping around from the sudden momentum.
"As i said, we are looking for skilled people... I am sure the leader would be quite willing to take you in." Those four-leaved clovers appeared again as she walked up to me and started to scan my face for any attempts to lie. Her actions alerted me to a possibility of her true nature but just as quickly as she started she stopped, her face going back to her 'usual' happy expression.
"What would ye be wanting in recompense?" My brows furrowed as I looked at the woman, my senses telling me there was something dangerous with this dwarven coffee maker. I could tell now that she wasn't someone normal, an ability i had from my last life allowing me to understand that she was the opposite of normal.
|Observation Skill Gained|
|Ability Enhanced into the Unique Skill: Wisdom of the Arcane Observer|
'Well shit...'
~ Iralia - Dwarf Woman~
~Classification of Powers- Rogue/Thief/Barista~
~HP: 500 , MP: 200~
'A Rogue... Perhaps she is in connection with the Thieves Guild within Dwargon? Maybe she can help me understand some of the trade stuff...'
"Information, I suppose. We are new to Dwargon and need information on basic elements of society."
She blinked slowly as she smilingly looked at me, her expression covering her no doubt intense contemplation and analysis of my character. After a minute of awkward waiting later, as she stared at me, she took a step backwards onto the ball of her right foot. Her demeanour slinking into comfort and understanding.
"Fine, ye be wanting information, I'll be able to get ye it. First, however, ye be needing to make a magic pact with me... One to ensure ye silence with regard to certain information."
The talk of a pact made me instantly nervous but hearing that it was like a non-disclosure agreement but more binding i instantly agreed, holding out my arm for her. I wasn't a trusting idiot by any means however as I activated my magicules and had them waiting to reject any foreign influence over my mind or any signs of sleep magic. MY actions seemed unnecessary at the end though as the pact was as simple as she had said.
"Good! Now we can get down to ye business. What is it ye wish to know?"
Stopping to gather myself a little I began to list the information most relevant to my current situation.
'I need to know the countries of the World and their relations with each other. Secondly i need a basic understanding of the trade networks and problems that could arise for me and Rimuru should the nation be formed like it was in the story. Lastly, for this moment at least, I want to know about any skilled personnel that are down on hard times that could be picked up by us. Sounds good!'
"First, i would like to ask about the countries around the Great Forest of Jura and possibly their relations with one another."
"Oh! Well, we be knowing very little of that here information, we ain't a government... Hmm, most i can say is that there is: The Warrior Nation of Dwargon, The Kingdom of Brumund, The Kingdom of Farmas, The Kingdom of Ingrasia and The Sorcerous Sarion Dynasty."
"Other than them we know not as much... There are others I be sure, just don't be caring much about them. We hear things though."
I already knew most of this information but this ensured that there weren't a large amount of differences with regards to the canon of the anime... There were some nations she missed but that can be put down to holes in information networks or just a general lack of care for these nations.
"Thanks. Now, if i can i have two more questions." She nodded in consent as I lightly exhaled.
"Trade, i wish to know the trade routes around the Forest of Jura."
"Easy, give me a few hours an i can procure ye a map of them."
"That works out well."
"Happy to be helpin... Ye last question?"
Her expressions hadn't changed much as she looked around the building as if looking at an already abandoned and decrepit wreck. I don't know if her story about her 'Pa' and 'Ma' dying was truthful but I didn't want to question it too much as it seemed she was very handy at getting information as well as making coffee. I missed the coffee already...
"Are there any people that have fallen on hard times but are skilled in their craft? As i said, we are searching for talent and will accept most people, so long as they haven't murdered or anything of an extremity above that."
She put a finger to her rather thick lips as she struck a thinking pose, her right foot lightly tapping on the floor of the Café. She tapped her lips with the same finger multiple times until she stopped it halfway through a new tap.
"Aye, we do have some people who are piss poor and require some help... Recent lay offs in the mines have caused some big upsets for numerous blacksmiths, metalworkers, armour smiths, weapon smiths, miners and manufacturers. If ye can offer housing within a reasonin amount of time, food, water and work than I be sure some will accept ye offer."
'Great!'
"That would be very helpful if you could arrange that... Is there something you would like in exchange for these people you are introducing me to?"
"Ye catch on quick! Yes, i do be wanting a good start if i ma to be movin to a new village... In fact, we would like to house up there for a wee while."
I frowned at her words as it seemed i was inviting a thieves guild into the village before the nation was even formed. Concerns filled the pit of my stomach but I quickly came up with a way of securing myself against possible negative intentions.
"I would like to meet these 'friends' of yours before I accept any deals... I would not in good conscience accept their stay if they were not reputable or at least of a morally sufficient quality."
Her eyes widened as a grin crept onto her rather pale but chubby face.
"Hehe! Sure, ye not be learnin much but if it will assuage ye doubts then sure! Follow me." She walked over the top of the counter and opened up a door, waiting for me to step through and past her. I gulped a little at the possible danger but so far she had been forthright and ultimately honest so I decided to follow her through the door. If things went down I at least have Umbral Assault... That's what i was telling myself.
|Silviana Solaris|
|Species- Dark Elf|
HP: 360
MP: 410
STR- 36
CON- 36
DEX- 36
CHA- 36
INT- 41
WIS- 41
|SKILLS|
Unique Skills:
Unique Skill- Eidetic Total Memory
Unique Skill- Semblance: Umbral Assault
Unique Skill- Reincarnation's Blessing
Unique Skill- Growth
Unique Skill- Magicule Infinatatum Potentia
Unique Skill- Wisdom of the Arcane Observer (Gained Through Past knowledge and Residual Unspent Reincarnation Energy)
Normal Magic Skills:
Skill- Wind Control
Skill- Lightning Control
Skill- Water Manipulation
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