One-Eyed Monster

Igor and Kadi stood there, dazed, watching the bustling crowd.

Most who came here were small vendors, bringing a variety of goods, hoping to fetch a good price at this market.

It was early morning, and Igor and Kadi, focused on traveling, had forgotten where they had arrived.

It was only at this moment they realized they had unwittingly reached the edge of a city, the market square.

This market wasn’t large, but like a sparrow with all its vital organs in place, it had everything necessary, just not on a grand scale.

The vendors were busy setting up tents and stalls. Some even started arguing over stall positions, as there was no management yet due to the early hour. The Administrative Office staff hadn’t started work, so naturally, the more influential vendors began vying for a good spot. Unlike the bloody power struggles among Adventurers with Class, the merchants contended using gold coins. Thus, these disputes didn’t last long and soon quieted down. Those with more coins naturally secured better locations, while those with fewer stepped back.

The vendors were quite efficient; before long, a market formed here, selling clothes, food, books, ironware—various goods in abundance. Though the variety was limited, the categories were complete. You could find what you wanted here but would struggle to have multiple options, as competition was scarce for similar items.

The vendors’ efficiency surprised Igor and Kadi. They never thought a market could form so quickly, mostly constructed from tents and carts, ready to collapse at any moment. Igor and Kadi slowly walked past, their expressions of astonishment persisting.

”Does this belong to the Dusk Market or the Daylight Market?” Kadi quietly asked Igor, still unfamiliar with much from the mountains, fearing he might make a mistake.

”This kind of market is always the Daylight Market. Later, staff from the Administrative Office will certainly come to maintain order and collect taxes. Everything sold here are daily necessities; there won’t be any gray goods.”

”Oh.” Having heard Igor’s explanation, Kadi finally understood. This was just a very ordinary small market where daily essentials could be bought and sold. He wondered if Igor would find the instrument he wanted here.

Igor was initially struggling with what kind of story he should tell, but now he was completely captivated by the market. He carried quite a few gold coins, thanks to the Rum Fruit trade, which was a considerable sum. Seeing this market ignited his urge to spend...

He had grown tired of the dry rations over the past days, and seeing all the tasty pastries made him swallow hard.

Kadi seemed interested in everything, but wearing a mask limited his field of vision, which annoyed him a bit.

”Hey, you guys came too early! The market just opened!” A vendor greeted Igor and Kadi upon seeing them.

”Check out our candy, both sweet and soft, with a very nice taste!”

Once people arrived, vendors began shouting to attract attention, understanding that only by doing so could they sell their goods. Even with only Igor and Kadi as their audience, they spared no effort in calling out.

Igor looked around and, with Kadi, bought quite a bit of food. He said he wanted Kadi to experience the world’s cuisine and not just dry rations. He had already introduced Kadi to tavern snacks, and now, he was letting him enjoy some treats… though it was actually Igor who wanted to taste them.

”Uncle, do you know if there’s anyone here selling instruments?” Igor asked while eating a pastry.

The vendors treated these two teenagers with great courtesy as they weren’t short of gold coins. Many people wandered the market without buying anything, while these two seemed to want everything they saw!

In just a short time, Igor and Kadi had nearly spent two gold coins, buying a beautiful robe, a handful of walnuts, and a large box of pastries.

”Selling instruments? Of course! Even though the market is small, everything is for sale!” The vendor appeared quite proud as he pointed to a location where someone was packing tents, ”Over there is the musical instruments stall, they are currently organizing, and it should be ready once the sun is fully shining.”

Igor looked over and saw some vendors moving various boxes. Unlike others, these ones hadn’t started displaying their goods yet.

”Thanks, uncle!” Igor smiled at the pastry vendor and then led Kadi toward the musical instruments stall.

”Why hasn’t anyone else come here yet?” Kadi observed that it seemed late, with the sun almost turning from red to yellow, yet no one else was around except the vendors.

”Perhaps everyone here likes to sleep in,” Igor suggested.

Kadi shrugged, clearly not satisfied with this explanation.

”Ah, do you two need anything?” The musical instruments vendor asked, his tent not yet set up, upon seeing two teenagers approach. Greeting customers was second nature to vendors, as it increased the chance of selling their goods.

”Do you sell instruments?” Igor asked directly, unfamiliar with what he sought.

”Um, we sell instruments, but I’m not sure what kind you need! The range of instruments is extensive, and if you want something like a piano, we can’t provide that now! Besides, these two don’t look like wealthy folks!”

”The kind you hold in your hand, um...” Igor suddenly found himself at a loss for words, doubting his ability to play the part of a storyteller!

”Um, how about this—when we unpack later, you can see what kinds of instruments we have...” The vendor couldn’t think of another solution. It was unusual for someone shopping for instruments not to know what they wanted.

”Alright, we’ll take a look and decide what to buy!” Kadi, though calm, realized Igor seemed a bit off and promptly stepped in to help him out.