By now, the town flowed with full force. Not crowded, but you'd run into someone if you weren't careful enough.

“Hey, wanna head to the old geezer’s place after this run?”

“Come on, Charls is going to kill us if we don’t hurry.”

“The stinae meat was so juicy last night. What did you do?”

“What? You got that for 2 silver! That’s a steal if I ever heard one.”

The conversations flowed in one ear and out the other.

Overall, things seemed to be quite close to how Hallow described them. At least in terms of how cities functioned, but one thing was one major thing off.

Mana. Or rather, the lack of it.

For example, the street lamps didn’t contain light crystals like those in the bunker, supposedly perfect for stealing if I needed mana in a pinch, but here, they were just simple oil lamps.

Same went for the people. I had yet to sense another person with a mana core. It wasn’t common in Hollow’s time, but the only person in the city? That was on another level. I might need to be in a larger city, but it wasn’t a good sign. If I was the only one with mana, I’d always stick out like a sore thumb.

Those differences aside, I moved on, walking through the city. It took a while, but I’d tracked my path back from the night before, weaving between a few carriages and stalls. As I approached the door of the Sandy Elixir, I’d half expected another human head to bust through the door, but surprisingly, nothing happened as I’d entered.

The shop had a different layout compared to that of the Smoking Iron. On the left-hand side were a few wooden shelves populated with vials of liquid. I’m assumed to be elixirs of some sort, considering the shop's name. And on the other side were just some normal items like mirrors, gems, and glass goods. Nobody was present in the store, so it was kinda awkward, but I continued on regardless.

Considering the counter blocked access to the viles, I made my way over to the mirrors. As I walked up, I realized something. I don’t even know what I looked like. I know roughly how tall I am, that I had pale skin, and that my black hair reached halfway down my back, but nothing else.

Looking down, a hooded figure stood in the mirror, the light not quite reaching my face. With a heavy swallow, I pulled down my hood. I didn’t know what the standards were for a 10,000-year-old granny, but I looked… well, normal.

My eyebrows were thin and a small nose to match. Pronounced brown eyes stood out against the smoothness of my face and a few blemishes from the previous day's dirt, but overall, I looked healthy if I had to put a word on it.

After staring at my face for longer than I probably should have, I looked back at the counter. This time, a young lady stood there, staring back, so with a smile, I made my way over. “Hello, what can you tell me about this place?”

She responded. “Ahh yes, we have jewelry, gems, the mirrors you were looking at before, and other related accessories, anything in particular you're interested in?” That statement was missing something, the elixirs.

“How about the viles behind the counters?” I asked.

She lifted her eyebrows at my statement, looking back at the viles. “Oh those. Those are concentrates, like dies and scents for monster hunting. Something I can grab for a closer look?”

Doesn’t seem like the most popular product since she didn’t even mention it, but no elixirs? “Ah, before that., can you tell me about the elixir in the Sandy Elixir?”

“Our name? Sure! My grandma worked with the aspiration to one day work on elixirs, so she ended up naming the shop after her dream. Sadly, she never ended up getting that far, but she enjoyed every second before time took its toll. Even now, elixirs hardly exist anymore, just fairytales of years past at this point.” She said with a hint of sadness.

What? They hardly exist anymore! I know what I had was technically not an elixir in the typical sense, but I’d still hope to at least learn the basics, considering it’s the reason for my life's craziness.

Haaaa. I let out an internal sigh. Man, I’m going to stick out like a sore thumb if this society keeps on being non-magical. Hiding my class might be more important than I first thought.

“Oh, fairy tales? I’m not from around here.” I pushed further.

She gave me a weird eye with the statement, but continued. “Uhhhhhhh ok?” She gave me an answer completely and utterly filled with confidence before continuing. “Uhhhhh... the most common fairy tale, with elixirs at least, is the story of Hollow.”

Oh yark.

“He would go around and give people's new lives with his elixirs. From kings to peasants, helping all those in need. The most popular one is the kingdom of Gyor. Monsters had devastated their lands and their king was powerless to stop it. So Hollow gave an elixir of power, one to help the King lead his people. They returned triumphant and before the king could give his thanks, Hollow was already gone. Humble, to the point of not needing thanks or acknowledgement. Everyone around here has at least heard it once in their life.”

Oh… my… mana! Why didn’t he mention that in the letter?!

Was my father some yarking hero or something!? Oh, my mana. Ok, ok, ok. Nobody knows how I’m related to him and it could be some other Hollow for all I know, so it’s not necessarily what I think, but it’s up there.

Ahhhhhh. The internal sighs were becoming way too frequent for my liking. Gotta calm down before I flip out again.

“Ah, thanks. Sorry for the trouble, have a good day.” With that statement, I left. Shuffling my way out before I made a better fool of myself.

The girl, I didn't even know her name, just stood there with her mouth opened as I exited the conversation abruptly. I kinda felt bad about just leaving, but it would just be more awkward when I wanted nothing in the store and just wanted to talk about child fairy tales.

And something became obvious after talking to her. I needed to find a library. I still didn’t know what Kingdom I was in or the political landscape. All important things if I wanted to stay alive. And now, the whole Hollow fairytale thing. Before I continued on my quest for knowledge, a voice called out from behind.

“You look new around here.” My feet left the ground at the voice being a bit too close, but I’d turned around, greeted by a young man. Freshly shaven with combed blond hair to match his suspicious smile. A tunic, well trimmed and stained to the color brown.

“Need any help?” His smile widened as its creepy factor increased.

Looking closer at his apparel, a shield symbol laid just above his heart, indicative of a guild member. Comparing him to the others traversing around, he seemed to be a cut above the rest with his well kept appearance.

“Don’t worry, miss, I’m always in search of a good deal and it pointed me towards you.”

What… a good deal? What does that even mean? “A good deal?” I asked back.

“Yes, a good deal, and nothing more. Anything and everything.” He did a small bow. “I’m Elos and I’m part of the Pioneering Merchant company, dealing with everything under the sun, so a good deal is anything and everything that my ability considers good.”

The fluent words, as anyone would be after a thousand times, was it an ability? If that's true, it’s kinda creepy, but surprisingly useful. The real question was, what do I have that's considered ‘a good deal?’

I’m just a random girl without her memories… But what does he want... Wait, I had the books Hollow gave me. That’s the only thing on me worth anything. Well, besides the items that keep my granny status under wraps.

He smiled, awaiting my response. What the heck? I’ll see what he can offer. I didn’t need them anymore. “Aylsia, and I may have something interesting to sell.”

His smile widened. “Of course! Follow me to the Pioneering Merchant.” Without missing a beat, he turned around and strutted away.

Does he trust his ability enough to pick some random person off the road? If he tries to drag me somewhere less than ideal, I can just run away, so I followed him, using [Identify Soul].

[Good Dealer Human]

Well, that doesn't help, but at least I know he’s human and not some half crazed myconid.

We continued our walk for a few minutes, eventually entering a nicer area. I didn’t think Greycott separated its businesses and residential aspects into districts, but considering how many merchant places we passed, it seemed that way.

I wanted to ask about it, but refrained for the time being. Didn’t want a professional merchant knowing they could practically rip me off and I wouldn’t know otherwise.

Rule number five; Keep everything to yourself. Don’t give information that could later compromise you. And I intended to keep those words.

We walked up to a huge wooden sign, Pioneering Merchant. The wooden structure stood proud, almost no blemishes up its three stories wall. I didn’t know what standards a ‘border’ city held, but it’s been good so far. Made me wonder what a capital city would offer.

“Here we are. Let's head in.” Elos says, continuing his suspicious smile.

Passing through the doors, I hesitate, sensing something I thought didn’t exist in Greycott. A concentration of mana in the room’s center. Looking closer, I saw a small stone supported by a chandelier. The mana moved from inside outwards, giving off light in exchange. Is this thing a street light stone that Hollow talked about? I thought it was the same as the bunkers’ lights, but it’s a bit… duller.

Considering it’s being used as a lobby centerpiece for a merchant company, mana rarity really seemed like a problem.

Breaking my line of sight, I looked back at Elos, talking to someone at a nearby desk. He finished and walked back to me. “Just reserved a second-floor room, sorry for the inconvenience.” He says before noticing my concentration was on something else.

“Ahhh, yes. This must be your first time seeing a mana stone. We are the only merchant company in Greycott that has one, since they are quite rare after all.” Elos responded with some pride in his voice.

So, they show off their wealth by having an expensive light. Well, that's one way I guess, but then that's going to make things a little more complicated with my class. Ahhh, I let out an internal sigh. Awesome, more problems for me to deal with. Well, I did ‘ask’ for this since I technically signed up for this, even if I don’t remember.

Carpets covered the floor and paintings line the walls, expressing the Pioneering Merchant status to full glory. At the room Elos reserved, he held open the door. I took a single step inward, but I paused.

Considering he brought me to a higher class area, I should be safe. But they had more power to do what they wanted. Whether that's good or bad has yet to be determined, but if things turned south, I’ll need to escape, so what were my options?

Hmmm, only the chevaliers know about my memory situation, but I doubted they would help. They mostly deal with the bigger issues and I’m pretty sure a missing [Villager] doesn’t count. I talked to Sly at his shop, but I’m not sure that will change anything.

I had yet to sense anything alarming, so my chances were pretty good. The last thing they would expect was a few flying [Mana Bolts], especially given the only actual sign of mana I’ve seen was the magical light in the lobby and the mana fluctuations towards the city center.

“Are there any problems?” Elos asked with a concerned look.

“No.” I obliged and walked in, sitting on one of the two opposing sofas. The door shut, and he sat elegantly across from me. “I guess I should come clean.” He started off.

I tilted my head.

“Although the chevaliers pointed me in your direction, they didn’t tell me what you had. So I decided to at least have a look and one of my abilities did indeed inform me that a good deal was to be had, so I hope you can forgive me.” The words came out well rehearsed and prepared.

So it was the books, after all, explained the impromptu meeting. And Joss wasn’t kidding when he said that he knew someone.

“Now, if you don’t mind, let's get down to business.” His demeanor changed, leaned forward with his elbow on his knees and his hands clasped together. “What would you like to sell?”

I guess it's serious time now. Compiled by his words, I retrieved the books from my bag and laid them on the table.

His eyes narrowed with a scrutinizing gaze. He didn’t reach for them, but retrieved a pair of white gloves from his back pocket. He first inspects the exterior, twisting and turning the book. It took a minute before he laid the book back down.

Then opening the cover and looking through the first pages, taking delicate care as he gripped the page’s edge. This continued for sometime before he reinstated the conversation.

“There seems to be some sort of longevity enchantment used on the books, so the true age is difficult to determine. Someone else is better fit for this than myself. Hold on for a moment while I call them.” He stood and exited the room.

Hmmmm, is it time to run? Grabbing backup to steal a [Villager] girl's books? Or some drugged refreshments to knock me out? Before thinking of all the bad things that could happen, the door opened.

This time, Elos guided an older lady in. And when I say old, I mean old. The wrinkles were almost as bad as Stools, putting my 10,000 year age to shame. White hair accompanied her half dress, half business wear.

Elos remained standing as he watched the lady get to work, without introductions. She put on a similar set of gloves and began her observations, going through the same process that Elos did a moment before.

“The longevity enchantment no longer exists, around 5,000 years is my best guess, uncommon for a book and not worth the cost, but since the enchantment no longer exists, it is just a normal book now.” Standing up, she turned to Elos. “That's all I’m able to do.” And exited the room, not bothering to mention my existence.

Elos moved over and sat. The conversation stalled as I saw the gears moving in Elos’s head. Is it that difficult to determine the price?

“What’s on the table for the deal? Money, information, something else we could offer? I can offer you 8 gold per, or something equivalent with a 10% discount.” Elos said, after a minute of contemplation.

Holy yark, 16 gold. That’s enough for 3 months, according to Joss’ estimation. A compelling force to accept it washed over me, but I held back. Come on, I’m not in a rush and I don’t need money that badly. Let's think this through. What do I really need?

The books don’t hold that much value for me, but I might regret it later. They had little use now, but it’s kinda sad to see them go. I also don’t need the money, but it helps for the unknown ahead. Hmmmmm, I wouldn’t have any concerns if I knew where the books were going, just in case… is it worth the risk? The books contain nothing specifically related to me, but with enough context clues, it might be enough.

Let’s see what else I can get then. “You said I could get something else. What would that look like?”

His suspicious smile returned. “It depends, but if you would like to know something that is not easily obtainable, this would be the place to ask such a question. You can ask about people, places, or events. Anything you wanted that's difficult to obtain? You can ask here. The same with anything physical that would carry the same concerns.”

That's a lot to take in, but I’m stuck in the first step. I don’t even know what common information is or what would be an acceptable cost associated with it. I could end up paying for information that's not worth it.

To many unknowns overall, but I can always come back if I need something in that nature. I’ll miss the 10% discount, but it wouldn’t be worth it now. The same thing applies to any item I could want.

I should've come more prepared and gone to the library at least. Kinda got roped in. Well, he isn’t a [Good Dealer] for nothing, whatever that is.

Welp, I kinda did this to myself. “20 and it’s a deal.” Had to do at least a little haggling.

“Excellent, it’s a deal.” He took out a piece of paper and wrote a few words. “Take this down to the front desk. The Pioneering Merchant appreciates the business.” The satisfied look of a merchant showed on his face. A simple deal, the aspiration for many.

We shook hands, and I made my way down, making my way to the front desk and handing over the piece of paper.

As I waited for my payment, I felt something. Something very familiar as my insides turned, setting an uncontrollable feeling from inside my mana core. I looked over and the cause revealed itself a moment later. A man entered the door with an attendant following behind.

He exudes elegance from every fiber of his being. Glossed and slicked hair with a cane to match. His black button up suit accompanied by white accents and naturally narrowed eyes on his rustic face. The rest of the room paused, basking in his presence.

I felt the same way, frozen, my limbs stiff.

Despite this elegant exterior, something was off, in the deadly sense. A chaotic force of mana encircled his body, saturating my senses.

If the mana around Stool was a reaction to something, then this man was the cause.

The individual mana particles were violently thrown about against their will. They emitted cries of pain, a suffering calling out to me. I felt a need to help, but I couldn’t do anything, still frozen against my will.

The man seemed dangerous, important, and powerful. All the wrong combinations.

My muscles flexed, but my body refused to move. My instincts overriding my commands, yelling at me, run away! MOVE! But my body refused.

A helplessness grew as my mana core warped around itself, deforming against my will. A pain to the soul. I could only watch as he walked through the entrance. When he passed the light crystal hanging from the chandelier, it fluctuated in brightness as it became unstable.

An irregular heartbeat pounded in my chest, and a hollowness formed, tightening my chest further. The sickening returned as it welled in my stomach. The whole thing just felt wrong, and I almost wanted to scream out, asking for help.

One of the nearby attendants rushed to his location after a period of being frozen themselves, but they somehow moved against this force. He said a few words, but I couldn't understand anything as my ears rang. He was eventually led further in as the sweat poured down the attendant's face, and soon, disappearing behind another door.

The rest of the room moved again at his disappearance, free from the constrictive force holding them. The suffocating air, now breathable, but something was wrong with me. Everyone in the room just seemed stunned, surprised at his presence, but I felt something else entirely.

Run.

Of everyone I met, he was the most problematic, stronger than Stool and, for the matter of fact, even the whole chevalier squad combined.

I remained standing at the desk before someone spoke up from behind. “Miss, I’ve your order here.” I turned stiffly, facing the receptionist, but the pain from inside my chest only grew, resisting every movement.

My core was officially yarked, no longer the free forming core it once was; It was a mess of contorted strings all tied together into a knot, just like the mana around Stool. With every limb I moved, the knot only grew tighter.

I felt it in remarkable detail, every separately tied string. Each part pulling on one another. The ends wiggling out from the core, calling for help.

The small silk pouch laid on the desk. I tried to get some words in response to the receptionist, but nothing came out. My mouth just hung open, with my turbulent core constricting my lungs, making even breathing an effort.

Making a split second decision, I reached for the silk pouch, trying to ignore the pain, but I wanted to cry out. I stuffed it into my pocket as the receptionist gave me a weird look.

I couldn't care less at this point as I tried to walk out of the building. Moving got a little easier as the turbulent source seemed to walk further away, but the pain kept growing as my insides threatened to explode. Each step got easier, but I didn’t want to stop. Afraid that hesitation would be the end.

I rammed into the door without a care in the world, stumbling out into the street. I picked a direction and just ran. My eyesight became pudgy and unfocused as everything just became a blur. I tried to make as much distance as possible, but I was losing track of everything.

Figures and buildings flashed by, almost running into a few somethings, but they seemed to get out of my way or my perception was just that twisted. Just as my sickening stomach was about to boil over, I dipped into a nearby alley and let it all out.

It felt disgusting, to say the least.

Despite not seeing and my now ringing ears causing distress, I got all the way in the alley's corner. I tumble around, a bit pathetically, using whatever was left of my sense of touch. The pain eased a bit compared to back in the merchant building, but it felt numb from my fingertips to what felt like my soul.

My mind blanked out a little as nothing seemed to get better. The world felt like a twisted mess as I tried to regain my sense of self, but nothing worked. I tried hitting the ground with my hands, but felt nothing. I couldn’t even tell if I was moving, just using everything I had to sense something, anything.

My eyes were open, but nothing concrete registered through. And at some point, I laid on the ground with a coldness seeping in. I was powerless to do anything but to accept it.

Time passed, but I remained on the ground. Every time I tried to think, a blank sensation would take over, cutting off that thought. It all became a numb overcast of where I generally was. I felt vulnerable and frustrated, but the feelings were fleeting, disappearing into the white void of my mind as I lost track once again.

I would’ve cried, but all I could manage was a single tear. One of the few things I could feel as it moved across my face and then left it, dripping to the ground. It was colder as time passed, unable to do anything and hopeless to act. My focus drifted further, as it finally took me into a slumber of the great beyond.