A Minor Conflict

Mace could swear to the heavens that he had never eaten such a delicious breakfast in his life.

Though all that sat on the worn wooden table before him was some ordinary white bread, beef, and vegetable soup, compared to the days he'd spent eating dried meat and drinking icy spring water, this was practically a royal feast.

"Praise the great Holy Soul. Thank you, Holy Soul, for granting us this food..."

It was probably the most earnest mealtime prayer Mace had ever said, but before he could finish expressing his gratitude, a voice spoke up.

"I never would have guessed, Mr. Mace. You're a believer."

At that, Mace hurriedly opened his eyes. Rhode and Lize were coming down the stairs, and they sat down in front of him. The young man still wore a calm expression; it was impossible to tell whether he was being sarcastic or meant what he said. The plump merchant could only give an awkward smile.

"Well... I'm always grateful for food. It doesn't really have anything to do with being a believer or not..."

At this, the plump merchant clearly had no intention of dwelling on such a trivial matter, so he quickly changed the subject.

"What are the two of you planning to do next?"

Rhode didn't answer the plump merchant right away. He first called over two breakfasts, then spoke.

"What about you, Mr. Mace?"

"Me?"

At Rhode's question, Mace froze, then lowered his head and slumped his shoulders.

"As for me, I'll have to go to Deepstone City and apologize to the people I was delivering the goods to, then compensate them for their losses. Sigh, I really had rotten luck this time. I lost the cargo and now I have to pay a huge sum on top of that. I really am unlucky..."

"I-I'm sorry..."

At this, Lize looked apologetic. It was only natural: her mercenary group had been responsible for protecting the merchant and his cargo, and now the cargo was lost. You could say they hadn't done their job properly. Many people might have considered it an accident, but Lize was a deeply conscientious person, and she couldn't just let it go.

"No, no, Miss Lize. This wasn't just your group's fault. I was at fault, too."

Perhaps because he was back in a peaceful environment, Mace no longer seemed as nervous as he had before. His sharp, capable merchant's side had resurfaced.

"If I'd known something like this would happen in that godforsaken place, I wouldn't have gone for the world. Sigh, but it's too late to say that now. The fact that I'm alive and sitting here, instead of ending up as a meal for those fearsome beasts in the forest, is all thanks to the two of you."

At this, the plump merchant paused, a rare, sincere smile appearing on his face. Then he reached into his coat and took out two money pouches.

"This is your payment. Miss Lize, thank you for saving my life several times. Without you, I probably wouldn't have made it this far."

"N-no, no, I was only doing my duty. After all, you paid us..."

Seeing the plump merchant push the money pouch toward her, Lize hurriedly jumped up and waved her hands, looking uneasy. But Mace was clearly an old hand; he didn't even wait for Lize to finish speaking before turning his attention to Rhode, who was sitting beside her.

"Mr. Rhode, especially you... To be frank, without you, I doubt either of us would have made it out of the Dusk Forest. I know this money isn't much to a noble, but please accept it as a token of my gratitude."

"You don't have to be so formal, Mr. Mace."

Rhode glanced at the money pouch, but didn't reach for it.

"You saved my life, too. If you hadn't ordered the boat to stop, I would have ended up as a beast's meal as well. So I think you should keep the money."

"Well..."

At Rhode's words, Mace looked troubled. He could afford to be firm with Lize, but he didn't dare do the same with this young man. In fact, the money wasn't just meant as a reward; he also hoped to build a closer relationship with Rhode. The plump merchant wanted Rhode to accept it, but didn't dare press too hard in case he offended him. As a merchant, he had dealt with plenty of nobles and knew how much they valued face, dignity, and status. Especially talented young men like this one, who tended to be very proud and eccentric. So instead of insisting as he had with Lize, Mace gave an awkward smile and reached into his coat again, pulling out a small silver badge.

"Since you put it that way, Mr. Rhode, I won't insist. But please accept this badge. It's a token of the Silver Hand Merchant Guild. Our guild may not be one of the most powerful organizations on the Dragon Soul Continent, but we do have some standing. If there's ever anything we can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask. We'll do our best to help."

This time, Rhode didn't refuse his offer. In fact, this was exactly what he'd been waiting for.

Rhode understood how merchants thought. To them, money was often worth more than anything else, even their own lives; both could be bought and sold. He'd offered the money simply to repay them for saving his life, and once the transaction between them was complete, that would have been the end of it.

But that wasn't what Rhode wanted. He had his own goal, and to achieve it, he needed help. Mace's merchant guild wasn't a particularly powerful organization, but it was still a guild, with connections and a trade network beyond Rhode's reach. With that in mind, it was a very good deal to have them owe him a favor for the long term.

Mace, of course, had no idea that Rhode had his sights set on him. He still trusted his own judgment: the young man sitting before him had to be a noble of high standing, with a powerful family behind him. Someone like that would be more than happy to curry favor with Rhode. Why would he need to earn a favor from a merchant?

It was a beautiful misunderstanding.

Rhode certainly didn't mind letting it continue.

After that, the three of them chatted about a few inconsequential things before discussing their plans. Mace was pleased to learn that Rhode and Lize were also heading to Deepstone City. Lize's destination wasn't surprising, since her mercenary group was based there. Carter had taken Mace's escort job partly because he'd been planning to return home along the way. Rhode's choice, however, surprised Mace. He was especially astonished when he heard that Rhode had joined Lize's mercenary group. His eyes widened, and he was speechless for a long moment.

Mace knew about Lize's situation, of course, since he'd been the one to choose her mercenary group. He understood what condition they were in now, and knew the group was probably finished. But that wasn't his concern. He'd already paid them well, and Lize was a Spirit Master, so she'd have no trouble finding work anywhere. If she really had nowhere else to go, Mace wouldn't mind bringing her into the guild's ranks. Spirit Masters were invaluable and highly sought after everywhere, so it wouldn't be a bad deal for him.

But even he had never expected that this seemingly timid, indecisive young woman would grit her teeth and decide to keep going!

It would be incredibly difficult—and dangerous.

Mace wanted to offer her a few words of advice, but with Rhode standing nearby, he didn't dare say too much. In his eyes, this young noble had probably joined the mercenary group for fun. After all, he had no shortage of strength, money, or status, and was nothing like an ordinary mercenary. And besides... could it have something to do with Lize? Looking closely, the girl really was quite pretty and charming...

Mace, naturally, didn't dare say any of that aloud. Besides, as an outsider, he had no place meddling in their private affairs. He merely told Lize that she could come to him if she ran into trouble, and that he'd help as much as he could. He hadn't planned to do that at first, but after noticing that there might be something between the two of them that was best left unsaid, Mace decided it wouldn't hurt to build a good relationship with her.

After breakfast, once they'd settled on their next destination, Mace and Lize went their separate ways. Mace went to look for a carriage to Deepstone City, while Lize began preparing supplies for the three of them, as usual. Unlike in the Dusk Forest, she could finally take the time to prepare properly.

With both of them busy with their own tasks, Rhode was the only one with some free time. Lize had told him to get some rest, but he clearly had no intention of doing so. After finishing his meal, he went out for a walk.

Walking through the quiet little town and looking at the scenery on either side, Rhode couldn't help feeling wistful. In the game, this place had been a gathering spot for new players, with adventurers everywhere. Some shouted to find party members for quests, while others hawked rare gear they'd found. In Rhode's memory, it had always been a lively, bustling place. But without players, the town had a peaceful, tranquil feel.

That peace was soon broken.

Noise came from a corner of the street, and Rhode looked up curiously. Beside a carriage on the roadside, four people were arguing heatedly. One was a young man dressed in fine clothes, and two others looked like swordsmen serving as guards. The person facing them, red-faced and shouting, was none other than Mace, who had left the inn not long ago.

What was going on?

Rhode furrowed his brow, then walked over to the four of them.

"Don't think you can throw your money around and get whatever you want. Our lord is giving you face!"

"That's right. You're just a merchant. We show you some courtesy, and you still don't know your place!"

"Pah! What lord? He's just some third-rate noble. You really think our guild is easy to push around?"

"Hey, you fat bastard, are you looking to get yourself killed?!"

The argument grew louder. Rhode remained unruffled as he glanced around, then walked over to the plump merchant, who was spitting mad, and lightly patted him on the shoulder.

"What's going on, Mr. Mace?"

"Who's there? If you're here to find trouble too... Ah! Lord Rhode!"

Mace, who'd been cursing under his breath, turned around. The moment he saw Rhode, his expression transformed from a Siberian blizzard to the warm sunshine of a tropical rainforest.

"Just in time..."

As you'd expect of a merchant, Mace's attitude had changed completely the moment he saw Rhode. Judging from his humble manner now, it was hard to connect him to the arrogant, overbearing man from a moment ago. But Mace clearly understood the situation, so before Rhode could say anything else, he launched into a detailed account of what had happened.

The matter itself was simple. Mace, full of energy, had quickly found a carriage, and the two sides had agreed on a price and a departure time. Just as Mace was about to leave, these three had shown up and said they wanted to hire the same carriage. Their arrogant attitude had infuriated Mace. Merchants were supposed to keep the peace and profit from it, but Mace had been unlucky for days and had just lost an entire shipload of goods. He was already in a bad mood, so when someone provoked him, he couldn't help yelling back. Then the two sides started arguing.

Riverwood Town was just a small town, and it only had one carriage service. Mace wanted to make a good impression on Rhode, so there was no way he'd give up the carriage. The others seemed to be in a hurry, too, and refused to back down. The two short-tempered guards had even been itching to draw their weapons. They'd assumed that a merchant like Mace would cave as soon as he saw their swords. Instead, it had only made the plump merchant angrier. He'd seen everything these past few days, from wild wolves to ghosts. Was he supposed to be afraid of a couple of lowly attendants?

And so the two sides had reached a stalemate, with neither willing to give way.

I see.

After hearing the plump merchant's account of what had happened, Rhode gave a slight nod to show that he understood.

But before Rhode could say anything, one of the guards at the front suddenly drew his sword with a "shing" and pointed it at him.

"Who are you? How dare you meddle in our affairs?"