I found Marta at the Marida Trading Company’s Balga branch. It was located in the commercial district south of the city. I had promised Marta to sell him the materials from those same beasts that I had inadvertently saved him from.
The Marida Trading Company was a large, three-storied building that faced the main street in Balga’s commercial district. I originally thought Marta was a small-time traveling merchant, since he was unescorted. But seeing the main office of this branch suggested that his business might’ve been larger than I expected. The first floor of the trading company was dedicated to selling adventurer weapons and tools. It had more of a luxury brand vibe rather than a department store selling common goods, as its wares were for advanced users.
A store employee approached me at the door and greeted me with a welcoming smile.
“Welcome, how can I help you?”
“Hello, I’m Schwarz. I am an adventurer come to see Marta. Is he here? I’m here to sell him some beast materials.”
“I’ll call him right now. It may be a while, so I’ll take you to our reception room.”
We walked to the reception room, and I asked him if the trading company sold magic stones. It turned out that the Marida Trading Company originally started as a magic stone merchant. They collected magic stones from labyrinths and transported them to places with demand, selling them at lower prices to increase profits.
This approach led to growth, eventually expanding to sell other products. They transported them to places with high-demand and sold them at lower prices to increase profits. This successful approach led to the company’s eventual expansion into selling other products.
Tea was provided in the reception room. I was enjoying a cup when Marta entered with his round, jiggling belly.
“Thank you for waiting, Schwarz.”
“No problem. I am enjoying this delicious tea.”
“Do you like it? It’s tea from the eastern countries. It’s rare even in the royal capital. Now, let’s finalize the deal. The beasts you defeated were skinned in excellent condition. Their pelts sustained minimal damage.”
“Well, the dire wolf’s belly was full of holes...”
Marta’s demeanor shifted from a cheerful expression to a sharp gaze. “I’ve never seen such wounds before. What sort of weapon or magic did you use?” His mercenary mind seemed to be contemplating something when he mentioned weapons or magic. Would he believe me if I told him the truth?
I decided to remain furtive. “Ha ha. Well, that’s a secret.”
“A bit harsh, but I understand. An adventurer’s strength is their greatest asset, and I shouldn’t have questioned it. Please forgive me.”
Marta’s gentle smile returned as he took money out of the bag he brought. “Let’s continue. I’d like to buy the glass wolves at three silver coins each, and the dire wolf at sixty silver coins. How does that sound?”
“Great! By the way, I heard Marida Trading Company also deals in magic stone trading?”
“Why, yes. I’m here from the royal capital to purchase magic stones, in fact. Rumor has it a fourth labyrinth has been discovered. If true, that would significantly increase the magic stone trade in Balga. I would be failing as a merchant if I missed such an opportunity.”
“I’m not allowed into labyrinths yet. I need stones, though. Could you tell me what your prices are?”
“Certainly. And I bet you’ll be able to enter the labyrinth soon and thrive there.”
The information Marta shared with me about magic stones was invaluable. Our conversation extended into a light lunch, and, when we were done, it was too late to accept any quests that day.
Magic stones come in eleven attributes. The six basic attributes are: fire, water, wind, earth, darkness, and light. There are also four rare attributes: lightning, ice, wood, and space, plus stones that are non-elemental. The core beast determines the attribute variability. However, space attribute stones, which fuel the energy sources for tool bags and teleportation devices, cannot be obtained from beasts or humanoid species, but are found within the labyrinths.
Regarding trading prices, non-elemental stones are abundant and not very expensive. The basic six attributes trade for a few silver coins. However, the rare four attributes are difficult to obtain, and space stones, which are the rarest, are even pricier—ranging from dozens of silver coins to gold coins based on size.
Because of the fluctuating prices of magic stones, Marta strongly recommended direct trading with merchants like himself. The guild only traded at average minimum prices.
“Perfect! Marta is a great connection for trading magic stones, and cheap too!”
On my way back from the negotiation, I compared prices of non-elemental stones with a few other merchants. I also used forty of the seventy-five silver coins from my sale with Marta to purchase a few. When I got back to the inn, I converted all the non-elemental magic stones into Crystal Points.
The next day, I focused on getting better at elimination quests. I struggled with hunting in the natural world due to my inexperience, even if I did gradually accumulate guild points. I went to the archives. It was a library-like facility on the guild’s premises. My daily cycle as an adventurer involved accepting quests early in the morning, completing them by midday, and returning to Balga. After reporting completion, I visited the archives to learn more about this world’s norms—including its magical beasts, humanoid species, herbs, and minerals. I studied into the evening, and then I’d return to the inn.
The archives contained a wealth of information. Some of it was difficult to memorize, but I used a trick. My goggles had a screen capture function that allowed me to capture and save images from bestiaries and herb guides. I could access these images with the TSS, and that became my aid in identifying collected items.
I also tried to research what might have led to my fall into this world. I wanted to know if others had fallen here, and if there were ways to return. However, the archives in Balga lacked materials on myths, legends, or topics like world transfer and people from other worlds. As a result, how I got here‚ and how I could return—remained unknown.