Chop-chop-chop.
“I’m done,” Leon said as he placed the knife down and stood up from the wooden stool.
“Hmm? What did you say, kid?” Merida called from the counter, her brows furrowing.
“I said I’m done, ma’am. I don’t think you’d want to gut more animals for the day — they’ll just rot.”
“What nonsense…?” Merida’s voice trailed off, her eyes narrowing. “You’re telling me you gutted all of them in just an hour and a half?”
She stepped over, her expression shifting from confusion to disbelief as she stared at the neatly separated meat.
‘How is this possible? I’ve been butchering animals for years, and he just did a full day’s work — faster and cleaner than me. This kid… he’s more useful than I thought,’ Merida mused, a smirk tugging at her lips as she nodded in satisfaction.
“So… can I go now, or do you need anything else?” Leon asked.
“You can go. Selling the meat’s my job now. Good work for your first day, kid. Oh — here.” She handed him a small bundle of fresh meat. “A gift for your family.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow at eight.” Leon flashed a grin and headed out.
“Bye,” Merida replied, watching him leave with an amused expression.
—
The Adventurer’s Guild…
The guild building stood tall in the market’s center, crafted entirely from sturdy wood. People came and went, some grinning with excitement, others dragging their feet, faces pale with grief.
“Hey, kid! You new? Wanna join my party?” a muscular man called out, stepping toward Leon. “We’re going on a horned rabbit hunt. You’ll get experience and some coin.”
“No,” Leon replied flatly, walking past him.
The man blinked, stunned.
“Did he say yes?” a girl asked, approaching him.
“No,” the man scoffed. “He’s got that newbie attitude… thinks he can do everything alone. He’ll be back. They always come crawling back, begging to join after their first failed quest, like you.” A cocky smirk spread across his face.
—
Leon stepped into the bustling guild hall. The air was filled with chatter, the clink of mugs, and the rustle of paper. His eyes locked onto the crowd gathered by the southern wall, where a massive wooden board hung:
[Quest Board]
“It’s always crowded in the morning…”
A soft, feminine voice spoke behind him.
Leon turned, coming face-to-face with a woman in her thirties. She wore a blue and white dress, her features mature yet gentle. Her boobs were big — but not as large as Elaine’s — and her ass was fit-to-hand size.
“Yeah,” Leon replied with a small smile.
“Here for a quest too?” she asked, her expression unreadable.
“Oh, no. I’m here to sell somethings,” he answered.
“Ah, I see. Follow me, then.” She smiled. “I’m Lisa, one of the guild’s receptionists.”
“Ah, I see…” Leon nodded, trailing behind her.
Lisa led him to a door labeled [Trading Room].
“Please, make yourself comfortable,” she said, closing the door behind them.
The room was spacious but mostly empty, there was only a single chair and a table in the middle of the room.
Leon sat down, looking at her curiously.
“So… what would you like to trade, sir?” Lisa asked, her smile warm.
“Venomous horns from one-horned rabbits — four of them. Sets of teeth, also four. And some fur,” Leon listed.
“Could you show me the items? I need to assess their condition first,” Lisa requested politely.
“Sure.”
“Withdraw…”
Suddenly, A screen popped up in front of him holding the items.
Leon clicked on them one by one and they started falling onto the table.
Lisa’s eyes widened slightly.
“Space manipulation magic? That’s rare to see. Are you a noble, by chance Sir ?” she asked, tilting her head curiously.
“…Do I have to answer that?” Leon asked, his brow furrowing.
“Not at all.” Lisa chuckled softly. “Let me assess these— wait.” Her fingers brushed the fur, her eyes narrowing. “This fur… it’s fresh. And these horns too. Did you just hunt these rabbits today?”
Leon’s expression darkened.
“Maybe I should sell them somewhere else — somewhere that doesn’t ask so many questions.”
“P-Please! S-Sir, I-I’m sorry!” Lisa’s voice shook, panic flashing in her eyes. “I… I have a bad habit of asking too many questions. Please don’t cancel the deal! I… I have kids to feed this winter. I need the commission. I already lost two sales yesterday. You’re my first customer today. I-I promise, no more questions!”
Leon stared at her for a moment, then sighed.
“How much can I get?” he asked.
Lisa exhaled shakily, regaining her composure.
“Let me see… Horns are five copper per piece, teeth sets are two copper, and the fur — since it’s in excellent condition — thirty copper for the lot. Please wait a moment. I’ll fetch your money.”
She hurried out of the room with the items.
Leon leaned back, smirking to himself.
‘Five coppers per horn… that’s twenty. Eight coppers for the teeth, and thirty for the fur… fifty-eight coppers total. Not bad for rabbit scraps.’
Click.
The door swung open, and Lisa returned, holding a small iron tray with a leather pouch on it.
“Here’s your money after taxes, sir,” she said with a strained smile.
“Taxes?” Leon blinked, confused.
“Guild tax — since you’re not a member — and the Basic Imperial Tax for the king.” She hesitated. “Your total comes down to forty copper.”
Leon’s eye twitched.
‘Taxes? There’s taxes in this world too? This is bullshit.’
“Umm… You can remove the guild tax by joining the guild. Do you want me to bring you a joining form, Sir ?” She asked with a smile.
“No, I am good.” Leon spoke as he took the pouch and stood up.
He then walked out of the room, thinking something.
“Please come back soon. I’ll be looking forward to trading with you again,” Lisa said, forcing a hopeful smile on her face.
“I can bet he is going to a brothel to fuck some slim woman.” Another receptionist spoke as she walked upto lisa with a smile on her face.
“Well, I can’t tell the young ones where to spend their money.” Lisa sighed as she started looking for another adventurer to trade with.
[Author: at 50 power stones, thank you. Two Chapters if we can get to 70 power stones. Happy reading.]