The Flying Emporium

Severin was dispirited, his head hanging low as he walked through Hanvia’s streets. He still couldn’t understand it. How was he rejected? Why was he rejected?

Had he misjudged the man? Had he overestimated himself? Or the potential of his mountain?

‘No,’ he shook his head. He vehemently denied the possibility. ‘Then maybe I have just failed to sell it?’

But again, he rejected the notion; even a blind person should be able to see that the future of the Emporium was a glorious one.

Severin kept wrecking his brains, trying to come with an explanation he could accept.

When he felt a hand patting him on his back, causing him to tense up.

But neither the scolding nor the told you so he half expected occurred. Neither did Mylana tell him to turn around and offer up the third, still unaccounted for System [Employee] spot to sweeten the offer.

Instead, she gave him some slight, but very much uncharacteristic, words of encouragement.

“We’ll figure something out. It’s just a small setback. Especially with the System and all.”

Though still clearly bitter, just this well-intentioned gesture was enough to cause a shift in Severin’s attitude.

“Right. So what if he rejects my offer? There are more than enough auctioneers out there who would jump at the opportunity. Why would I even need one that is particularly renowned? Renowned for what, even?”

After the novelty of the auction had worn off, Severin had closely observed the man and even until the very end there had been nothing that stood out to Severin. For the life of him, he could not point out anything that made Reigh look particularly remarkable. Sure, he was very professional in his appearance, but so was everyone else working for the White Hall.

The more he thought about it, the more Severin wondered where Reigh’s reputation even came from.

Maybe he needed to see a regular guy in comparison to be able to appreciate his performance and to recognize the man’s alleged skill, but Severin had his doubts.

This realization further brightened his mood.

“As long as the items themselves are good, who even needs an auctioneer? Just let the items speak for themselves. Gold will always shine, as they say. Maybe this had been a fools-errand from the get-go.’

Mylana didn’t contradict him. But she also didn’t agree with him, either. In fact, she remained mostly silent as she followed Severin, who kept venting his frustrations.

Until finally he had calmed down and stopped his rant when they found themselves entering an alley even Mylana, as a native, didn’t recognize.

“So, what now? Do you even know where you are going? Do you want to head back?”

“No. Not yet. And yes, I do. In fact, we have already arrived,” he announced as they came to a sudden halt in front of a building which, though clearly renovated somewhat recently and generally well-cared for, appeared almost destitute in comparison to the White Hall they were coming from.

“We have? What is this? Where even is this?”

The puzzled expression on Mylana’s face somehow dispelled even Severin’s last hint of bitterness; it was a rare occasion that he knew something she didn’t and as usual when this was the case, it cheered him up immensely.

“This,” he said, “is where we’ll get our third man. Or woman, rather.”

“What? Here? Who could we possibly find here? Someone preferable to Reigh, that is.“

“Hehe,” Severin laughed, apparently not minding the mention of the now disgraced name.

“I already figured you haven’t been here before, but you should still be familiar with that person.” That said, and without further ado, he pushed open the heavy door in front of them.

“Welc- Oh? Oooh! It’s you?!”

What welcomed them wasn’t the lively music or the drunken shouts one might usually expect in an establishment such as this one, but rather the excited voice of a young child. He was maybe Emily’s age and showed some unmistakably elvish features.

“Nel was it, right?” Severin recognized the boy.

“Yes, Sir! Is there anything I can do for you?” the boy asked eagerly.

“Don’t let us distract you, just take care of your regulars,” Severin waved him off as he stepped further into the inn. Judging by the tray Nel was carrying, it was evident that Severin’s entrance had interrupted the boy in his work.

“I’m looking for your mother, but there’s no rush. We don’t want to interfere with business; we can wait. Just treat us like normal customers.”

For a moment, the boy seemed torn as he hesitated. On the one hand, there was the new arrival who, back then, had given him that tasty food which had granted him a buff. Back then, he had felt like a real adventurer!

On the other, there was still work to do and his mother would get angry if he fooled around again.

Ultimately, his sense of duty won; a small regretful nod, and the boy jetted off to serve his waiting customers.

Severin and Mylana followed the child at a slower pace, further out of the small entrance and into the inn’s main room.

Only to find it surprisingly empty.

‘Well, not that surprising given how quiet everything is.’

Severin walked towards one of the many empty seats further off to the side. Mylana followed him silently.

Once he sat down, he started observing.

Thirteen patrons in total, one group of five, and one of three. The rest were sitting alone.

‘Not that bad, I guess. Enough people for them not to go under, at least. Probably even slightly more than just the two of them can comfortable handle at a time. But still. The majority of seats remain empty. And I doubt any of these people will actually rent a room and stay the night.’ Severin was weighing his observations, trying to figure out their implications, when Mylana, who wasn’t used to being kept in the dark, and certainly not for that long, couldn’t hold in any longer.

“When will you finally tell me what we are doing here? Well, I think I can figure that out myself. But who are we here for?”

“I told you, you have already met her,” he pointed with his head towards the counter of the bar where a worn elf was currently busy rinsing mugs and washing dishes.

“Her?” she asked incredulously. But then she recognized. “Her! Isn’t she the one from that time? The one with the [Heating Spheres]?!”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

“Haha, you have to thank her for the princess’ sudden interest in those things. Has put quite some work on your shoulders. No wonder you want to hire her. Want her to work off some of the debt you owe to Jasmine, heh?” she accused jokingly. “What’s her name?”

“Mil-”

“Her name’s Milly,” interrupted a slurred voice, answering in Severin’s stead.

Both Severin and Mylana turned around in surprise to see a man of Nel’s size approach them with a wobbly step.

“Lng time no zee. What, hick, bringss you here?” the question sounded almost hostile. Without waiting for an answer, the dwarf pulled another chair and joined them.

“You are…?”

“Pah! Owner of the, hick, the in-infmous Em-Emporium, huh? Has become to- too good to remember uss common folk, hu- hick?”

“Gorik.” Before the small man could continue his unhinged rant, he was cut short by a woman drying her hands on her apron and stomping towards them.

“Gorik?!” Severin blurted in sudden recognition. Wasn’t that the grumpy dwarf who had made him, Timothy and Miriam, help with his deliveries when all they wanted to do was find a place to sleep during the Games? Back then, it was this dwarf who had introduced them to Milly, who he obviously had a crush on.

“Tah, so you doo remember,” Gorik ignored his admonishment and continued. “In that case, why don’t you, hick, help out thoze who’ve helped you out in the past? What do you say, hick? A few couples, hmm, let's say some, hick, hundred gold coins, for our Mi-Milly here? Shouldn’t be too much for a bigshot like you, huh?

“Gorik!” Milly finally shouted after the first time calling him hadn’t achieved anything.

By now, she directly stood behind the seated dwarf, glaring daggers at him.

“Well, I don’t know about gold,” Severin unexpectedly started answering the drunkard’s question. Though while speaking he did not look at the dwarf, but straight at Milly herself. “But I do have an offer to make.”