Sly Merchants At their Best

Much to the duo's delight no more beasts attacked them, even when they met Silver Ranked beasts they didn't engage and avoided the two like the plague, while it was mostly due to Lyra's bloody flames scaring them away Yu still wanted to believe he was part of the reason

After half a day of travel the due finally made it out of the quite woods, by that time the sun was already setting meaning they barely made out in time

"From here on the road should be pretty safe but that is also because there are many merchants coming from other roads, so I will have to unsommen you"

"Wuu Wu"

"I know, We will take a bath once I find a good place in the city"

"Wuuu"

After promising Lyra he unsummend, then he changed his outfit and moved toward the cities direction

He saw a few beasts on his way but no big groups, his crossbow was able to make short work of any normal bronze beast thus he didn't need to summon Lyra out

After thirty minutes of jogging he saw a wide road with a few merchant carts travelling to and from the large city in the distance

Some carts had mercenaries guarding them while some travelled without any of them probably because they didn't go far into dangerous sits, and he even spotted a fancy cart being escorted out the city by a bunch of guards

The whole scene gave Yu the feeling of a medieval city filled with adventure, the other cities couldn't compare to the bustling activity of this one, and that was just outside

Sure enough, once he entered the city using his mercenary ID he saw streets packed full with people and carts, vendors were yelling out their merchandise while small kids ran around chasing each other, guards stood alert at street junctions while some surveys the market for any thieves

"Don't stand in the way!"

He got pushed from behind for blocking the raid with his little pause, he frowned at the man but ignored him after seeing the long line forming behind him, he shouldn't idle on a busy street

Moving along the streets he found that most of the shops near the gate were food stalls or merchants selling and buying materials, then when he entered the big plaza he found shops selling various weapons and armour, blacksmiths and clerics, even a trading shop was there for you to trade rare items for ones of similar rarity

He didn't need to buy anything right now and he wasn't the type of person that liked shopping so he moved toward block that housed inns instead

'Wait, didn't I really let myself go when I was shopping before...'

Indeed, he acted like a shopaholic back in Denatro, it was very unlike him, he even wanted to buy an ecosphere which he had no use for whatsoever

'Hmm, I'm sure of it, something must be happening to my mind'

The inability to sleep, change of personality, and sporadic actions proved it

"Move out the way! Out the way!"

The sound of hooves and yells came from the back catching his attention, he looked behind him and saw tens of horses galloping through the streets, at the helm was a man he recognized quite well, it was baron Mund who he'd scammed yesterday

Yu didn't panic though, he was already in the city and they didn't know his face, name, or anything for that matter, they only knew the tone of his voice, and perhaps his smell was left on the barrels making it possible for them to sniff him out with beasts, but in a city as large as this they would need a specialised tracking beast or a high ranking one to track him down, both of which they didn't have

Thus he didn't act suspicious or avoid them he merely walked normally toward the inn's

He booked a room and ordered some food, once he filled his stomach he went to his room and lay on the bed

'I need to sort out my items and plan my future trips'

He thought as he stared at the ceiling yet he didn't move, his eyelids seemed heavy and his mind sluggish, soon his thoughts started to fade as he sunk into a deep slumber

****************************

A room filled with extravagant furniture, dotted with candles, and filled with sweet laughter baron Mund's sight

"Viscount"

He greeted the man on the couch, making sure not to stare too much at the girls within his arms

"Baron Mund! It's so nice to see you again, why didn't you inform me of your visit? I could have prepared a warm welcome for you"

'More like a show of might'

The relationship between these two nobles wasn't too friendly, this was due to the fact that while Mund was merely a baron his families assets was much higher than the viscount before him, this was all due to the losses the viscount would suffer during the beast horde attacks while Mund would be able to accumulate wealth at a steady pace

The jealous viscount made him the target of suppression, he was always subjected to insults or harsh treatments but he would bare it every time, after all as long as he didn't act up the viscount would never be able to justify any actions against him

This time though he came in askance of help, and with how urgent he needed it he would probably have to cough up a lot to subdue this mans desire, having already lost so many treasures he didn't feel so good

'No, as long as we find him I will take the treasures back, maybe even get a grimoire if he has one, that would be more than worth my efforts, in fact, I would give my city for a grimoire'

The grimoire was that important, if he didn't think Yu was powerful at that time he would have definitely struck to take it even if the chances of him owning one was thin, it was just that valuable

With renewed hope he decided to give into whatever demands the viscount might have, enough to make him help but not too much lest he becomes suspicious of their target

"Your presence is the warmest welcome Viscount, I am sorry to impose on you without notice but I came here on an urgent mission"

"Oh? What might be so important that you would come here personally with all your house's soldiers"

The viscount asked, his tone was very threatening and it contained the hint of warning, after all when he had heard that all of Calico cities best fighters are here with the baron he thought the guy finally couldn't take it and wanted to wage a war

A war was actually what he hoped for, after all his family, while poorer, was much stronger than the Secor family, they even had seven people that contracted beasts, victory was guaranteed

"They were the search team I prepared, a thief stole our family's heritage item, Dead Silence, and we had been on the hunt for him ever since yesterday"

"A thief? It couldn't have been a simple thief if he could steal it right under your nose, who might that person be?"

"We have no idea for he was very swift in his actions, he stole it just when we were celebrating a recent windfall"

He dared not tell him that the fellow was from the Southern Paradise, originally he wanted to inform him about it but that's when he thought the other party was strong, now that there was a grimoire on the line he wouldn't expose it

As for telling him about the celebration, it was a necessity, first because he knew there must be spies that would inform him of the party that was held, second to make it easier to believe someone stole something as security would be lax during such celebrations

"If you have no information whatsoever on him why would you come to me for help? I don't have the means to track down someone without any clues"

"We can't track him down but we do suspect someone who might be his accomplice, it is a trader who sold us elemental water, since the thief was able to navigate through the place as if he knew it by heart and he stole it right after the trader made his visit then the trader must have scouted the place for him when he was received"

"I see, then you want to use my sons beat to track him down"

"That is indeed so"

So far the viscount was more than convinced by Mund's fabricated story, it was after all very realistic, his lies were even better than Yu's as he backed them up with logic, a trait belonging to a sly merchant like himself

'I don't believe I even fell for that man's lies'

It felt humiliating, especially since the other party didn't even say anything concrete and he merely assumed everything on his own, practically fooling himself without the need for the other party to lie

'No, perhaps that is how a real merchant should be, making others fool themselves only by hinting at things with their actions'

This wasn't time for reflection though as the negotiations were about to begin

"I want nothing more than to help you find this thief that dared steal from nobles, but sadly my son is on an important mission concerning the safety of the city, if I recall him now it might put my dear city in danger, and I am not sure I could afford the consequences"

His words were obviously just to get him to pay for the service, still he had to play along

"I understand your concern for your city viscount but I am in dire need of his assistance, I would be willing to shoulder any damages you incur for recalling him, please help me settles this problem of mine"

"If you need him so badly then so be it, As for the damage estimation I think an extra twenty per cent taxes for the following year would cover it"

'Twenty percent?! Why don't you eat me while you're at it!"

One had to know that the taxes he had to pay were only seven percent, this increase was triple what he used to pay, and it was added to the seven percent and not replaced it

He grit his teeth and swallowed his reluctant, then agreed to the terms

Seeing him agree so easily the viscount confirmed his suspicions as he thought to himself

'How could a thief delve so deep in the treasury and only steal a useless heritage item? He must have stolen some other important treasures, hehe just you wait Mund, I shall milk you dry'

Supported by greed and jealousy he didn't hesitate to add onto the already unfair terms

"Furthermore I would need that elemental water you had traded for, believe it would help my sons handle their beasts better if they gave them good food"

"But lord viscount, that would tax my expenses heavily, please reconsider"

"I'm sorry but it is necessary for me to have it"

Mund grit his teeth in mock anger but he wasn't concerned on the inside, the water didn't mean much to him, he just wanted to pretend to be reluctant lest the viscount would be on to him

"Half the amount, that's all I could provide you with, or my people wouldn't have anything to eat"

"Fair enough, you are as thoughtful as ever of your people, much like I am, then let's start the search tomorrow at dawn, for now, have your men rest at the provided quarters and get your soldiers to retreat"

"Thank you for your generosity"

The two sly men finally sealed their deal, one happier than the other about its terms as each had his own agenda