Lewis sat on the counter with Lascze, counting some coins at the counter. They were assorted by the type of metal they made of—bronze, Silver, and Gold. Although Platinum, Mithril, and Dragon Coins exist in this world, these coins were as rare as treasure chests.

"You are a fast learner," Lascze remarked.

"Thanks." He learned.

Lascze thought that he learned math from somewhere. He wondered what kind of world did he came from.

From what he had heard, the Otherworlders died horrible deaths as soon as they came from this world. Eaten and ravaged by monsters or dying in the wilderness. Those who are lucky enough to appear in civilization were thought of as fools. Some integrated within society, while others died as fools in their adventures fueled by delusion. He sighed, as he had hoped that his new employee isn't the same as those fools who seek adventure in this world of untamed beasts and men within ruins of ancient pasts consumed by the untamed wilds. Few Otherworlders can be lucky enough to mark themselves into history. It is known that the first Fisher King of Aquinox was an Otherworlder.

To ensure that he learned math fundamentals, he let him count how much the store had spent on expenses and how much profit the store gained for the past weeks. Piles of bronze coins, Silver coins, and two gold coins were on the counter.

"We earned 50 copper coins, 20 silver, and 2 gold," Lewis reported. "But we spent 100 copper for amenities and goods, which leaves us to..." Lewis operated the abacus with astonishing speed. "19 Silver and 2 gold."

"Phew." He sighed. "Well, you should..."

He thought of what the boy shall do. Does he want to order him to help with finances or stick with basic tasks? He handed him a booklet. A booklet that contains a list of currencies of the city-states that Aquinox had traded with.

"Memorize the currencies of Northern Lemuria after you sweep the floors." He ordered. Lewis nodded in agreement, obediently following his instructions without question.

He sat behind the counter, scanning the booklet with interest unusual for his age. Lascze rubbed his bushy brows, a habit of his. His mind wandered. For him, it took him a week before he learned the mathematical basics of being a merchant when he self-taught himself when he retired from adventuring. Lascze removed the wooden barricades on the windows and hauled them into the storage room. The sunlight lit the entire store warmly; the goods seem to grow more vibrant by the minute. The room seemed to be more appealing than usual, unusually so.

And so Lascze waited on the counter for customers.

The store is now open.

Lewis swept the dust on the floor, cleaning it towards the backroom, where Colarbo verified his desk's financial reports. He swept away the dust, past the boxes and barrels of goods, and opened the back door towards the outside. The door creaked open, and he swept the dust and lint to the streets. The wind carried the dust in the air, and they walked with the men and women beside the canals.

The deep canals were as clear as always. Fish made their home inside the coral and seaweed, as simple wooden rowboats carrying passengers and grandiose colorful boats brought tourists, mostly nobles from other kingdoms, through the glimmering clear canals between the island-districts of Aquinox.

Lewis swept the floors inside the storage room, evicting the pesky civilizations of dust to the outside.

He was glad that he found a home to come back to. He was lost within this world, being chased by giant bugs that can liquefy one's insides and other monsters that bump in the night, but now he can settle comfortably with people he can trust.

The front door opened, and the bell rang.

"Welcome, to Lascze's General Store!" Lascze the Leviathans' Bane, now a [Merchant], greeted a customer behind the wooden counter.

The person nodded. His claw, enveloped with slick black feathers, closed the door. His beady eyes scanned the collection of common goods, waterskins, cheap potions in clay bottles, cheaply enchanted household items such as plates, utensils, clothes, knives, brooms, candles, candleholders, even weapons, and many more. His black feathers fell to the ground on his bird-like feet.

"Aha, so this is the famous store of the Leviathans' Bane!" The Kenku in a brown shirt and black cotton pants squawked in excitement.

"Eh, it's nothing." Lascze humbled. He really wished that people had used that moniker less often. He wanted that [Bards] and [Storytellers] quit telling his feats in the past. Or [Scribes] and [Writers] proliferating written works about his adventures on the waves and below its depths. Well, at least his reputation as a former Famed Adventurer prevented [Thieves] from robbing his store at the dead of night.

"I will buy these." He held a bundle of pink scented candles that smelled like strawberries, a fruit of the cold regions from his feathery claws.

"That would be...40 coppers in total." He calculated.

"He slid the exact amount on the counter, and Lascze slid it under the table.

"Thank you for buying." Lascze's head tilted slightly.

"Is it true that you had defeated a fleet of Stormwake [Pirates] with a single shot of your ballista?" He asked curiously.

"Nope. It took a couple of harpoons." He answered.

"How about when you slew a large pod of Leviathans? Is that true that you had saved Aquinox?"

"Yes."

The young customer's eyes gleamed with awe.

Another customer walked in. This time they are regulars in the store. A balding elderly Elf in a wheelchair, pushed by his Half-Elf grandson. His blonde hair seemed to glow in the sun, as all elven races tend to do.

"Good morning Sir Pomponio, and Sir Surrace," He greeted Lascze before he spoke. " Welcome to"

"Back in my day, I did not need to shop in dingy shops like this-"

"Sorry again." The Half-Elf interrupted as his grandpa went on an endless tangent when he was a [High Enchanter] in the Lainian Empire. "I brought him here because he has an eye for enchantments-"

"I know, I know," Lascze reassured. "What do you need today?"

"Do you have any good quality Bags of Holding in stock?" He asked.

"Hold on." Lascze ran towards the storage room. He rummaged inside the piles of boxes and grabbed a bunch of Pouch of Holding. Some were made of cloth, and some were made of leather. Some can store a couple of things inside it, more than an unenchanted bag, and some can even hold a house's worth of goods inside them. Lascze hauled a couple of the requested items. A couple was made with fabrics, such as cotton and silk, while others are made of quality leather from different saltwater crocodiles, seals, whales, narwhals, belugas, sea snakes, Sea Serpents, and stingrays.

"Don't you dare use any filthy mercantile Skills on me!" The old and worn Elf growled towards him.

"Relax. It's not like I'm a high-level [Merchant], after all." Lascze reassured.

The Half-Elf's grandfather rolled towards the counter, inspecting the Bags of Holding. Instantly, with his decades of experience as an [High Enchanter], he determined the quality of the Storage enchantments inside the bag. And he threw most of them away, scattering them on the floor. His grandchild stopped him, locking his wrists with his grip. With his strength from tons of Levels, he released himself from his grandson's grip. He stumbled, and in a flash, Lascze caught him.

He grabbed a specific Bag of Holding made out of Unicorn Narwhal leather. Lascze had forgotten about where he had bought it.

"Decent." The rude elderly Elf harrumphed. "Back in my day, I made better ones. I even helped enchant a Purse of Holding into an Artifact-grade one." He sweetly reminisced.

"Sorry about his-"

"It's fine," Lascze reassured the Half-Elf from his grandfather's rudeness. "That is 2 gold coins."

"Well, if grandpa chooses it..." The Half-Elf wallet ached and pulled out two glimmering gold coins from his leather wallet.

"Thank you for your purchase." Lascze smiled and received the gold coins. Good thing that he earned the respect of the nobility back then, but he wasn't a fan of them and their nonsensical political antics. He wondered if his friend, the [King] of Aquinox, was alright in there. The court of the [King] was, and is, a battlefield in its own right; a different kind of battlefield, where the power of will and political connections are the weapons and armor.

At least his customers were the humble lesser nobility, not like the pompous bunch that the Canal Lords are made of. And so, he waited for more customers to come. Lewis was already done sweeping the dusty floors in the shop.

"Lascze, can I go to my room to study?" The boy asked, clutching the booklet that

"Sure," Lascze answered. Lewis walked up the wooden stairs to memorize the different currencies of the city-states that Aquinox is trading with.

The brass bell that hung on the door rang yet again; the door opened for the third time this day. Walking inside the general store is a shirtless cat person holding a satchel.

"Good morning, Khasem." A Cat Tribe Beastkin, who hailed from the continent of Lemuria, who now resides in Aquinox to work as a [Foreman], entered the room.

"Do you have some ropes, nails, and hammers?" He asked Lascze. "And, a couple of nails and hammers. Bulk order." He confirmed.

"How many?"

"Around 8 rolls of rope, 1 box of nails, 5 sacks of Rominian Cement, and 50 iron hammers." He ordered a bulk of building tools needed for repairs on the damage.

"Damn." Lascze gasped. "That's for the damages from yesterday?" He asked, concerned.

"Well, I was in charge of repairing a few houses in the district," Khasem answered.

"Oh." Lascze mouthed. "Let me just calculate the costs, and I'll summon the [Haulers] from the Guild. Let me call my new employee first."

"Lewis!" He called Lewis from his room. Hastily, Lewis hurried down the stairs, still holding the booklet.

"That's your new employee?" Khasem asked. "Is that your son?" He asked.

"No," Lascze answered. "Why does everybody assume that?" He sighed in a slight bit of frustration.

"You look old enough to be a father, though," Khasem stated.

"True." Lascze sighed. "Anyways, let me calculate first." He grabbed the abacus from his table and calculated it with its help and Skill [Advanced Mathematical Calculation] to quickly crunch up the numbers.

Each roll of rope costs 30 silvers, a sack of Rominian Concrete costs 400 silvers. A wooden cargo box of nails costs a gold coin. Each iron hammer costs 20 silvers. And at the end of the calculations costs a hefty price.

"Why did you call me?" Lewis asked.

"Accompany him to the Merchant's Guild and hire some [Haulers]. Here is my badge. Don't ever lose it, or let it be stolen." He gave him a brass coin-shaped badge painted with paint that looks like gold. "Be sure to say that you are on behalf of Lascze Vela."

The boy nodded, memorizing the instructions.

"The price is 61 gold, 4 silvers, and 8 coppers, or 3004 silvers and 8 coppers," Lascze informed.

"Damn." Khasem sighed. "I'll tell that to my employer then. Can I pay you tomorrow?" He asked.

"Sure." Lascze agreed, writing an invoice for the costs of the materials. No one dared to bail out from a debt between the Leviathans' Bane, after all, so Lascze was assured that he would pay the debt.

"Accompany our customer," Lascze ordered Lewis. Lewis walked towards him. They both left the store.

And Lascze was worried for some reason.

Outside the store is a city, a city like no other. Although there are roads filled with water to accommodate Seafolk, which can be traveled on even by non-Seafolk, most people here prefer to travel by boat beside the canals, filled with marine life. The canals' platforms are lined with moss, and the stilts of the piers on the stone platforms were decorated with stuck seaweed.

Meticulously crafted brick, mortar, and stone buildings that towered the canals between them have their own beauty that blends in the city's beauty.

Seafolk, Mermen, Humans, and Half-Elves' population go about in their daily lives, while tourists from other kingdoms, especially nobles, gawk at the sights that the city-state in the middle of the ocean has to offer.

A Cat Beastkin [Foreman] and a Human child walked on the wet bridge within it.

"Why did Lascze hire you anyway?" The [Foreman] asked.

"I needed a job." The boy simply answered.

"Fair enough," Khasem uttered. "Did your parents approve of your apprenticeship?"

"I have no parents." Lewis bluntly answered.

"I'm so sorry." Khasem blurted out, apologizing.

"Don't be," Lewis reassured. "I'm a Lost One, or so they say."

"A Lost One?"

"Yeah."

And so, they walked. Khasem and Lewis removed their shoes and walked at the sunken roads the city provides for the Seafolk. Khasem navigated the way towards the nearest Merchant's Guild. The bell from the bell towers and the temples echoed. It is now the first bell of the afternoon. The sun is sweltering hot, but luckily, the flooded streets cooled them down.

They arrived at the five-story yellow stone building. There is a large stone stable on the ground floor, barred by iron bars under stone arches and between pillars. Behind them were men armed with batons, wearing gambesons or leather armor. They walked upon the wide stairs at the building's side, leading towards the building's second floor, where the guild's reception area is.

They opened the double, double doors, with the first door is a grated door of iron bars that swung inward, along with the wooden doors behind it.

And so, they stepped inside of the surprisingly wide and tall interior. Compared to the outside, it is massive—the work of a spatial Skill.

The lobby is noticeably split into two areas, a "dry" area for non-Seafolk, and a "wet" place where Seafolk [Merchants] and [Traders] can freely move about without the threat of getting dry. Half of the lobby's floor is sunken, with fancy wooden chairs and benches lining the edges. The Seafolk [Merchants], mostly in their loincloths or wet tunics, carried a wooden dipper: a peculiar thing that came from the New World's southeastern region, especially in the Empire of Phalim.

They showered themselves with water, especially on their gills, to avoid dying from suffocation.

The dry area was carpeted and lined with cushioned chairs and sofas, where the terrestrial [Merchants] line up for the services. The room was posh, designed in Aquinoxian aesthetic, highlighting the flowy seaweed patterns, waves, and fishes in the decorative murals around the lobby. The [Slaves] and [Workers] of the [Merchants] were lazing on the worker's lounge in the other end of the room, waiting for orders.

And so, the two lined up with the [Merchants] to inquire about their services.

The line was quickly dealt with by the [Receptionists], and they were next in line. Behind the counter is a woman wearing a gambeson, her head missing. It was on her desk, beside the papers and inkpot with a quill. Her brown hair covered the table.

And the boy yelped in surprise, bumping Khasem behind him.

"Calm down, boy, she's a Dullahan." The [Foreman] reassured him, holding his should. The boy calmed himself down, the beating of his chest slowed.

The Dullahan put her head on, still smiling.

"Sorry about that." The Dullahan woman apologized. "Never knew that there is still somebody that hasn't heard of my kind before."

"Sorry." The boy apologized and bowed.

"It's fine." The woman licks her lips and smiled, with a parched look on her face. She never dreamed that she would meet a child as cute as him. "What are you here for, honey?" She asked with a mysterious change in attitude. The [Foreman] held the child closer, realizing her nature.

"We're here on behalf of Lascze Vela." The boy answered; he perfectly memorized Lascze's instructions. "We need [Haulers] for our delivery." He showed the badge that belonged to Lascze.

"I'll arrange, honey." She smirked. "That would be 40 silver. Or do you want to pay in something...different?" She smiled, breathing heavily.

"What do you mean by that-"

Khasem covered Lewis' mouth. "No, we will pay 40 silvers. At a later date."

"Okay then." She licked her lips at the sight of the boy and wrote an invoice in an instant. "Tell the Leviathans' Bane to pay up within three days. Head to the stables. The [Haulers] will be there." Khasem grabbed the invoice, and they headed outside.

They walked down the stairs, towards the stables on the ground floor, where the wagons and horses or raptors waited with the [Stablemasters], [Coaches], and [Haulers].

"That suspicious woman..." The [Foreman] muttered.

Khasem knocked on the grated door. A Half-Elf with a brown mustache, a [Guard] approached them.

"What do you want?" The [Guard] hoarsely asked. Khasem showed him the invoice from the receptionist. With a metallic groan, the door opened.

"Hey!" Lewis yelled.

Before they can enter, a child around the age of Lewis ran away from them.

With the badge that Lascze gave him.