Directly beneath us, red-roofed buildings sprawled from the base of the gently sloping hill we stood on. The vast, blue ocean sparkled behind the hill. Unlike the peninsula we’d been located on mere moments before, the wind here carried a salty tang as it swept across the sea. Boats of all sizes dotted the water in the port below.
It was the same sight that greeted me the first time I arrived in Lamburt.
“You know, I kinda missed this place.”
No sooner had I said those words than the sled I was pulling succumbed to gravity and started sliding down the hill. I quickly yanked the rope and planted my feet to keep it from coasting all the way to Lamburt.
We made our way toward the north gate, as we had done last time. The closer we got to town, the more stares we drew. Ariane pulled her charcoal-gray cloak’s hood low over her face.
“Huh. It seems like we’re attracting even more attention than usual.”
“Kyiii…”
Despite Ariane’s efforts to hide Ponta from view, its face peeked through a small gap in her cloak.
Chiyome pulled down her oversized hat to conceal her ears. “Everyone’s interested in the fact that Arc is pulling that sled all on his own.”
Too late, I realized that a man in full armor dragging a heavily laden sled like a mule would naturally raise eyebrows. I was even more grateful that no mountain people had accompanied us.
We made our way past the line of people waiting to enter the town. Once we reached the inspection point, I handed the guards the copper travel pass with the Lamburt seal that I’d received the last time I was there. Surprise washed across the guards’ faces for a moment, but they quickly opened the massive gate to let us through.
At that point, I’d received travel passes embossed with the marks of two different noble families. As I looked at the long, snaking lines of people waiting to enter, I was glad I had them.
The atmosphere in town was much livelier than last time. The crowds in front of me parted as I dragged the sled along, which I’d now grown accustomed to.
Our best bet was probably to find the local merchants’ guild office, someplace similar to where I’d sold the orc and fang boar meat in Luvierte. Lamburt was a huge town to travel through, with both new and old districts. I didn’t want to be dragging the sled through the streets forever, hoping to find a buyer.
I figured it would be best just to ask someone where the merchants’ guild was, but any time I tried making eye contact, people immediately moved out of the way to avoid me.
I looked back to see Chiyome keeping a close eye on the sled. Ariane walked alongside it, her hand on her sword hilt.
It would have been difficult to draw more attention to our group than we already were.
And, of course, my appearance meant that merchants weren’t exactly tripping over themselves to buy our wares.
As we looked for an individual brave enough to talk with our terrifying gang, I spotted a young man walking straight toward us with a shocked face.
“Sir Knight? I would never have imagined meeting you here, in a place like this!”
The young man was well-dressed and had messy brown hair. He looked to be somewhere in his twenties.
He spoke in a friendly tone, as if we’d met someplace before. I searched my memories, eliciting a rueful laugh from the young man.
“Apologies for the late introduction. My name is Lahki, and I work as a merchant. You sold me some weapons back in Diento, and I would like to thank you for your generosity.”
I looked closely at the young man’s face, and it all came back. “Oh, you’re that merchant!”
Here, right in front of me, was the man I’d run into on the streets of Diento. I’d sold him the weapons I pilfered when we rescued the kidnapped elves. Just as before, he gave off the air of a warm, affable young man, wholly unlike the average merchant.
“Don’t mention it. You were a great help to me as well! Anyway, as I said last time, I am but a humble wandering mercenary. No need to thank me so politely.”
Despite what I’d said, Lahki once again bowed low. I supposed it was important for him, as a merchant, to be polite at all times.
I smacked a hand to my helmet. “I still haven’t introduced myself! My name is Arc. These are my friends Chiyome and Ariane.”
Lahki bowed in greeting before turning his gaze to the sled.
“Do you run a shop here, Lahki?”
Lahki scratched the back of his head and offered a weak smile. “Oh, no. I’m still…trying to see if any of my connections can help me open one here in town.”
“Wow! It’s pretty impressive to have your own shop at such a young age, no?”
Lahki shook his head. “Not exactly. I can’t open a shop without a permit, and I haven’t found a way to get one. I’m probably still years away from that dream, unfortunately.”
I asked Lahki about the shop permits, and he explained in detail. To open a shop, you needed a permit from the lord. Permits were tied to specific plots of land, like a business registration and deed rolled into one.
With all the monsters running wild in this world, it was normal to erect walls around towns. That made the land within the walls extremely limited, which also limited the number of shops.
Recently, several illegal slave traffickers had been shut down, and the permits for their shops would soon go on the market. Lahki hoped that his connections might help him get his hands on one.
The wheels in my head turned as I listened to his story. I had an idea.
I doubted I could walk into a guild office and sell our dragon parts with the same ease as bull boar meat. Not only would the guild office undoubtedly ask me where the items came from, but since there was a limited market for such goods, they would need to know to secure a buyer. That was far from ideal. However, if we could find someone willing to sell everything on our behalf…
Of course, that person would have to be trustworthy. Fortunately for me, the friendly young man standing in front of us certainly fit the bill. Besides, it would come in handy to have a human-fronted location where I could sell things in future.
“This is actually great timing. There’s something I’d like to talk with you about, Lahki.”
Lahki looked confused.
I laughed and pulled the sled up to give him a closer look.