After the negotiations with the Lunaley, we return to the airship. The Elders take off their thick clothes after stepping into the comfortable atmosphere of the Entylamo. They go to the meeting room to have an after-action meeting, and I follow them to discuss what I heard from Orlan, and what wants in relation to that subject.

“Governor Orlan wants us to take him to another ruling faction,” I explain once everyone gets situated. “I don’t know if other Governors will want to come with, but we can expect him to bring a few guards.”

I’m not sure what I would do in this situation. On one hand, he helped me with information; the payment is clearly that he wants us to ferry him safely to Helikan to try and gain allies in the war. On the other hand, he will be able to gain information on this airship. The batteries, being very volatile when damaged, are a major weak point; we do not want knowledge going around. The solution is simple; restrict him from entering the control sections of the airship.

“Is that wise?” One elder that I am unfamiliar with asks.

Several elders look to me for advice, seeing as I have the most experience with the Lunaley.

“It should be fine if we restrict him to certain sections,” I reply. “Mostly to the residential and industrial areas.”

The airship is separated into four distinct sections. The residential area, where everyone lives, bathes, and gathers for the Lojyo. The Industrial area, where workshops are, so more goods can be made during the voyage. The storage facility, to which visitors really have no reason to go, plus we don’t want any potential for theft. And, the airship control sections, where many of the battery systems and other vital functions are. The airship control section is usually restricted to only the crew anyway since we don’t want people wandering around and getting in the way, but it’s a loose rule; friends and family can visit, but if anyone is caught in this section and they don’t have a good reason to be there they will be told to leave.

With this design, it should be easy to keep visitors to certain areas.

“I doubt we will have to worry about that,” Guklaro says with a hint of an amused smile. “She is used to the cold, so she won't be comfortable with the normal temperature.” She referred to governor Orlan as a female, even though he was a man. The Runalymo do not have a concept of males, so even if I were to explain it to them they would have a hard time with the idea.

As for Guklaro’s point. I completely overlooked that. Spending so much time in the hot climate of the Nexus, even when my clone goes out, means I don’t bother thinking about the climate situation most of the time. Most, if not all, Lunaley will find the temperature and humidity in the Airship inhospitable. It’s not just hot; it’s hot, just a few degrees below boiling water; without innate heat resistance, one will be slow-roasted in here. I will have to keep a climate control spell active if he doesn’t already have an enchanted or magical item that does the same.

“I don’t think we should get involved in their affair,” another Elder speaks up. “For all we know, they are the bad ones. We don’t know enough about each country to make these important decisions.”

“We need friends on these lands who can help spread our influence and introduce us to the other rulers. Their help may be invaluable,” Another argues.

The Elders start going back and forth for several minutes until they finally settle on a helpful but neutral stance.

“Very well. We will offer all rulers a chance to meet in a neutral, non-hostile place. What they do amongst themselves is of no consequence to us; we will only provide the opportunity to meet.”

With that subject out of the way, I leave, glad that I am not the one making these decisions. It will be some time before we depart for another country and establish trade with them since we will build a market in this city and stay for about a week once everything is built.

It takes the better part of the day for everything to go through the Vocana bureaucratic system, which must have been lightning fast compared to normal operations. Once we are notified that we are now allowed to build on the lots, a team of builders file out of the airship and are escorted to the site.

I keep watch over them to make sure nothing goes wrong and notice they draw a lot of attention from bystanders.

By now, rumors must have made their way throughout the city. With the Entalymo being suddenly docked in the middle of the night, and now a group of foreign-looking people in exotic clothes being escorted by a group of guards, this will surely light the rumor mill ablaze.

The market is not actually in the city proper. Rather, it is just outside in a walled section that was built as the city expanded. The city has several of these expansions, and most have plenty of room. The area is actually a nice place. One would expect it to be the slums that would grow outward, but it seems the rich and wealthy like the less crowded spaces more.

The fact that it is in a walled place separate from the hustle and bustle of the city must have been a significant part of the decision-making of the governor, and I can’t help but notice that this expansion area seems to be the newest and least populated one. It’s possible that Orlan wants to drive development in this area and is using our market as an opportunity, but admittedly this is the best place for many reasons, including ease of security.

Despite it being after work hours since the builders had nothing to do for most of the day, they work diligently until it’s time for the Lojyo when they return to the ship. It will probably take them at least three days to have the market fully made.

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

Archmage Holuna Ruluna strolls through the new Runalymo market, admiring the exotic architecture. The buildings are sturdy and well built, even decorated, but that seems to be part of the Runalymo culture.

The marketplace is built in several rows of buildings which are all built two floors high, with the second floor being accessed by outside stairs and acts as a different shop from the first floor. This is to make the most of the available space since there are hundreds of Runalymo selling their products, more than anyone imagined given the size of their ship, which few are allowed to approach.

Banners hang from the shops, depicting their wares with detailed embroidery. Wares ranging in variety from furniture to potions are being sold. Although the price is high, they are making a lot of sales through the novelty of their products.

Ruluna has finally been sent to do a job that isn’t study this, study that! The other archmages and paladins are lucky that they aren’t burdened by paperwork, books, and futile attempts to try and research the workings of [Sense Mana].

Thankfully the Runalymo broke the monotony of all that, and now she is on guard duty for the market. Not the greatest of jobs, but at least it gets her out of the Order’s headquarters and away from Vulpun buzzing around her.

This doesn’t mean she can take it easy, though. She has to be vigilant. The market is buzzing with activity! Everyone wants to see the new market and the foreign Runalymo.

Most of the shops have put price tags on their products. The Runalymo don’t speak the local language, which makes trading difficult. That makes having the price written on the product itself the only way to easily facilitate a transaction.

The governor’s city guards and squads of greater Orders like the Order of Flame that Ruluna is part of patrol the market, keeping thieves away. It is imperative that not only the government gives a good first impression to these people, but the Orders too. And, the show of strong security is a good way to make sure the shadier side of the city doesn’t give the wrong impression as well.

That is what Vulpun strongly stressed to her when giving her this job. Alysara is only here because her people wanted to trade; they cannot afford to drive the Runalymo away.

Ruluna has found the Runalymo quite open and social amongst themselves, often bathing all together at the bathhouse they built. Ruluna had to stop several people from entering and burning themselves in that near-boiling water after the first incident; one would think the sheer heat of the place was warning enough.

Wherever they live, Ruluna does not want to visit. It is evident now that the Runalymo live in a very hot place, considering they wear winter-like clothes on a hot summer day.

“Ruluna!” a familiar voice calls to her from behind.

She turns around to see a young man with a carriage behind him,drawn by Forron beasts. The man has green hair and eyes, and he wears a verdant tunic with his family crest sewn onto the chest; the crest depicts three gold coins, the symbol of the Order of Merchants.

“What brings you here, Kayan?” Ruluna asks.

Kayan is a traveling merchant, one that she has worked for once before, but due to the long journey, they became acquaintances. Ruluna wouldn’t call him a friend, but it’s good to know people in the other Orders.

“I’m going to take some of this stuff down to Caerym, and while I’m there, I’ll pick up some of their stuff to sell to the Runalymo; I should be able to make a killing over this!” Kayan enthusiastically says.

“The frost kingdom? Kayan, don’t do that, the Runalymo will be establishing their own trade routes to all countries, and by the time you’ll get there, it won’t be profitable!” Ruluna warns the man, but he dismisses her argument with a wave of his hand.

“If I start now, I’ll beat the Runalymo to them”

“This is a bad idea, but if you insist on this, don’t spend all of your money. It’s a lot riskier than you think, and if it fails too hard, you may end up kicked out of the Order.”

“It’s not going to fail; trust me, I know what I am doing. I am a merchant, after all!” Kayan grins confidently.

Ruluna sighs and shakes her head. She can only hope he is right. Traveling merchants are often risk-takers; they go out in the wilderness, where they can be attacked by monsters and bandits, risking their lives for the sake of the chance at a better deal in foreign lands. In her time as a hired guard, Kayan made three risky decisions on the road that almost got people killed.

They often stake all their money on one big opportunity that may net them a huge profit, but the only successful traveling merchants are the few who get lucky and make that big deal and use the profits to open a store in the city. As for the rest, sooner or later the merchant will land short and lose all of their money.

This is not to say that all trade across borders is from traveling merchants; most are by caravans from businesses and companies who can afford the shipment costs upfront. Traveling merchants are just opportunist freelancers looking to make lots of money in one go.

The arrival of the Runalymo will bring great opportunity to many, but for every successful person, there are ninety-nine people who lose everything, and not all people are willing to blame their own misfortune or inability. There will be those who will turn their anger toward the Runalymo. Thieves and thugs are not the only ones Ruluna will have to look out for, but also the ones who blame the Runalymo for their own misfortune.