Sleepysoul

Prologue

I opened my eyes and blinked a few times. I sense unfamiliarity, but I still cannot think straight about this feeling that makes me so uneasy. 

Who I am? Where am I? After the moment had passed, I got up from the bed and saw everything in a daze. I was in a single bed that was made from wood and a thin mattress. 

The smells of burning wood lingering and I saw a fireplace in the room. There are no memories in my head. 

I shake my head as hard as I can and hope that things will get back in place. And then I saw a piece of paper that crumbled at my hand.
 
“Dear Vierra, as you wish I erased your memory from your old life and granted you the cooking skills that will help you in this new world. And let the memory of your recipe from passed life remain. I Hope your new life will give you a better life. From me who cannot be named.”

I let out a heavy sigh. Is this some lame joke? There is a sling bag under the tiny table beside the bed. I found a diary with a name written in front of it. 

“Vierra Maverick”

World of Lost and Found

We walked to the hallway which separated the main hall and the kitchen. Main hall is actually a place with few tables where the food will be served to the guest.


At the right of the main hall there was some stage with a large red and yellow curtain covering the wall.


At the end of the hallway, there was a door that painted with some dark blue color.


When it was open I could say that I was taken back.


This is not storage, it was some kind of big supermarket. Wait… did I say something again?


As I wandered around and saw all the things that sittin lookin so lonely on the rack, I remembered my talk with Lana the other day.


"Madame Anne, Is there no place for people to buy things?"


"There are some Adventure Guilds that collect things from Adventurer and Merchant Guild that make some trading activity. But you see, it still cannot provide enough for the community. Not to say that they were being monopoly by those riches brats and idiot noble"


I blink a few times. Did I just misheard something? Was Madame Anne calling a noble idiot?


"Is it because the journey is too far? Did trading within the kingdom not occupy the needs?"


Madame Anne looked at me with sparkling eyes. Somehow this makes me shiver. Is it a bad omen for me?


"Aren't you too brilliant for your age my dear?"


I gave her an awkward smile since I was wondering how I should manage this question. It's just a simple question but why the answer seems so complicated.


"There's different raw materials in each kingdom. And every kingdom has its own climate which is very important to cultivate or grow crops. For example"


Madame Anne stops her words and reaches out to a green lettuce.


My eyes sparkle unknowingly and show some foolish face. Madame Anne chuckles and continues her words.


"These green crops only grow in Ouranos Kingdom. But people there are not very likely to eat some vegetables like people from the Dranthia Empire who most likely need herbs and green supplement to make their potion. But both of the kingdoms were on the edge of war hating each other and refused to cooperate directly."


"So how do they cooperate as indirectly?"


"Merchant Guild. The Merchant guild that exist for three hundreds years holding a natural stance for each kingdom as they were powerful enough to not be sway by anyone"


"Weren't they likely selfish to keep it by themself and not to open it to everyone or anyone?"


"The merchant guild is like a place where they do some buying and selling of goods and services, with compensation paid by a buyer to a seller, or the exchange of goods or services between parties. Only the highest bidder could get their attention. The merchant guild is the only neutral party in this land that can negotiate within anyone."


"How do people get their necessities like clothes and food? There's no place to do trading?"


Madame Anne gives me a sweet smile, just like a mother that feels proud to her brilliant daughter.


"As for food, they would look at it by hunting in the woods. Some make exchange for those who have skills to craft anything. Sometimes there will be some small independent merchant guild that moves to places trading their stuff but you will never know because it will come around one a year?"


I let out a soft sigh and looked at everything around me. I promise to get some skin or fur for Lana. They need material for winter.


9: Trading Issue