Horace's consciousness withdrew from the void and returned to reality.
He sensed Messmer's location.
Then he reached out and tore open space.
In an alley in Stormveil Castle, Limgrave.
Messmer was standing before a stall, haggling with its owner.
The stallholder was Sellen. Thanks to Ranni taking Daphne away, she had finally been freed from endless childcare.
With the thought, The world is so big. I want to see it, Sellen had become a traveling merchant and sorceress.
Her stall was filled with all kinds of dolls: large and small, exquisite and crude, expensive and inexpensive.
In the most conspicuous spot sat a particularly exquisite doll, with a cool expression and a Carian-style gown.
Limited-edition Melina.
Price: 500,000 Runes.
Messmer stared at the doll, his eyes transfixed.
"Ten percent off," he said.
Sellen shook her head. "No. Five percent off at most."
"Ten percent off."
"Seven percent off."
"Ten percent off."
"Could you be reasonable? This is a limited edition, handmade, with ninety-nine percent fidelity in the details. Do you know how much effort I put into it?"
Messmer remained expressionless. "Ten percent off."
Sellen took a deep breath. Even though they were in public, she very much wanted to hit someone.
She had finally found someone she could fleece. Why wouldn't he budge at all?
But...
"Fine, fine. Ten percent off it is."
In the end, Sellen reached for the doll. Although the thing had cost very little to make, that was still money!
If she could beat him in a fight, she would never have given in so easily.
She consoled herself: Forget it. At least we know each other.
Messmer's eyes lit up, and two little snakes licked his face.
Suddenly, a spatial rift opened behind him.
A hand reached out of the rift, grabbed him by