《Shadowlove (Lite)》Chapter 17: The Adventure King's Journal
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The young merchant had red hair and looked to be on edge as she impatiently tapped her finger on her shoulder as her arms were crossed over her slim chest. She didn't even seem bothered by the sweat on her face from wearing such heavy clothing despite the sun being strong this day. Her attitude perked up when she saw not one, but two people approaching her booth. She straightens up her back and fixes her hair perfectly to keep her appearance presentable. She couldn't afford to lose these customers for minor things like that.
"Welcome!" She would chant. She wanted to continue on with the usual merchant greetings and such, but her mind went blank and she forgot her words. She didn't seem to mind the girl, her skin was fair and extremely smooth looking. Much like any of the girls from the noble district of the capital. But the one next to her just screamed dangerous to her. She wasn't sure what to point at, his dark skin, meaning he was the type to always be outdoors. The serious and murderous look in his eye, or the way he keeps his body hidden under the cloak he was wearing.
"Hello, what kind of things do you sell here?" Yasuline would greet her.
"Excellent question, my good friend. We have all kinds of things to sell today. Things you won't be able to find anywhere else. I can guarantee you that." She would say with such confidence. And she would be right as some of the things she had were fairly selective in her search for good merchandise to sell to people for profit. She was pleased to see that the girl was still browsing, but couldn't fight off the nervousness of having the man next to her nearby. She felt like she was staring in the face of danger while a chest of gold stood behind it.
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Yasuline would pick up a thick but old looking book with a lock and key on it. "What's this?"
"Ha, must be fate of some kind. That is the original journal of the most famous adventurers out there."
"Oh, really? Which one?"
"Why, the famous Adventure King of course?" She answers so proudly. Expecting her customer to be quite shocked. However, it was she who would be the one gasping in surprise.
"Umm, I don't think I ever heard about him."
"What? That's crazy. Everyone knows about him. Even the people who have been living under a rock would have some knowledge of him. He is as famous as that horrible White Reaper!"
"Hmm, nope. Sorry."
"He has done almost every kind of adventure out there! Walked on every land the planet has and has claimed all the largest and most dangerous to get treasures out there!"
"Wow, and this is that person's journal?"
"Sure is."
"No way, really? That sounds amazing!"
"It does, doesn't it. How about this, tell me how much you care to pay for this here thing?" She would say cockily as she takes the book back from Yasuline's arms before she would begin to step away from the booth to read it.
"Pay?"
"Yes, pay. These things aren't free, ya know."
"It isn't? But everyone was giving me free stuff all day."
"All day? Oooh, you must be that damsel that's been taking things from merchants and having your boyfriend pay afterward." Her smile was gone and she had a suspicious look as she scanned Yasuline and the White Reaper.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know." She would say to him. He would shrug and holds out a bag of coins.
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"Well, I can't give you the discount knowing that. Hmm, Let's have the price for this one of kind relic be about...50 gold." Yasu had nothing to use to compare if the price was good or not. When it came to the currency and everything, she tended to zone out during her studies. All she knew of them is that they were used for purchases and that chests are often filled to the brim with them, making lucky adventurers rich. She turned for the White Reaper for help, but he would appear to be neutral on the whole ordeal as he pulls out 5 silver coins and places them on the booth.
The merchant girl would smile and gently hands it back to Yasuline.
"A mighty fine purchase then. Thank you very much." She says, quickly snatching the coins and tucks then into her clothes for safekeeping. The coin purse connected to her pants was merely a decoy for any thieves. Only containing small rocks, it was useful for her to grabs some rocks from it and chuck it at her aggressors.
Yasuline would continue to look through the other things on display. One looked like a coin similar to the ones that the White Reaper had just used to pay for the book, but it had some of the markings on it all scratched up and surprisingly larger. Another was a key that had taken the shape of a sword, with the end of the blade portion being an actual key. The other didn't interest Yasuline by that much. Some were scrolls like the ones she had already seen but had a strange symbol on them.
"Hmm, I think I am good. I mean, I can always come back and buy some more from you, right?"
"That may be for many other shops on these streets, but not for me. I tend to put up new things on a weekly basis to liven things up. Anything that I don't sell, I send them to my ma and pa back home to sell."
"Oh really? You're a real hard worker. Well then, I'll be sure to visit your shop next time when you have new things." Yasuline promised and bowed her head to say farewell as she starts to take off with the book in hand. The White Reaper repeats her actions and begins to follow her. The merchant girl would watch him carefully. Her body shivered after she loses sight of him at last. She hugs her body as she sits back down on her seat. "Just what was that just now. Felt like my heart was going to rupture from beating so fast..."
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