Impossible!

Tork then proceeded to pull up the bag from his waist. "This is something I have been saving up for my daughter. She fell in with the wrong people and got a slave brand of Meira City. It is more than enough to buy her freedom, but I haven't got enough money to make the trip." he looked down because he felt incompetent being a father.

"It shouldn't be a problem, but do you have a map? I need to confirm something."

"Sure, sure," he was excited about the prospect that his daughter might return to him. He wanted to help this kind man in need. Tork pulled out a keyboard under the table and started taping on it. A tablet glowed into life behind Liam, he turned to see a tablet about the same size he saw in the office building.

A moment later a map opened on the tablet. He located Maple pretty fast and looked down the river. Pando, Wisteria, and then Meira. Meira looked to be situated in the middle of a shallow sea.

'Is that... I need to ask him later,' he made a mental note of things. There were many other things on that map that he had to memorize.

Liam turned back to Tork and smiled.

"You seem like a good person, where can I get lodging and a bath here?"

Tork didn't mind and handed him the pouches as he explained. After that he left, saying that he'd send Pauline back to him as soon as possible.

Liam went out with the bag a bit lighter in his hands. He entered the equipment shop next door. The bell on the door let the people know that a new customer had entered. They looked up but were disappointed in what they saw, a dirty looking guy who probably had no money.

"Hello sir, how may I help you?" a pleasant voice entered his ears.

"I wish to sell the content of my bag." a statement clearly rang in the store. Then he let go of the bag and it fell with a heavy thud on the floor.

The sound made all the attendant's attention turn to him. Even the ones working with other customers paused. Customers themselves looked at the newcomer oddly.

"May I inquire about the content of your bag?"

"Yes. Four Purple Runner whole skins and a few others," he said loud and clear. The whole room heard, and some let out audible gasps.

"Hmph," someone cleared his throat and hurried over, "Dear sir, may I escort you to a privet room, where we may examine and discuss the price of your wares?"

"Sure, lead the way," he answered nonchalantly. None saw his face and the attendant this time turned out to be the store manager.

He was led down a long corridor with several doors on either side. He guessed this was where the big deals went down. The showroom or the store hall was basically just for the show.

Double doors were opened to him, and he stepped inside. There was a huge table with great lighting in the middle of the room and some couches littered around the room.

Liam lifted his bag to the table and as he let go of it, the table creaked.

Another person entered the room.

"Hello sir, I'm Midge Lefiner, the evaluator." he extended his hand to Liam.

"Liam, I do apologize for not extending my hand, it's been a long time since I properly washed. Seeing this sir so tidy. Well, to put it simply, I don't want to contaminate this clean exterior of yours."

"Um, thank you," he awkwardly said after that.

Liam proceeded to open up the bag and pulled out four rolled-up skins. He untied one of the skins and laid it out for the two people to see.

"It seems that this sir knows one or two things about the skinning process," the evaluator tried his hand at praising.

"Only a little." He remained modest.

"Yes, but that little has made the skins more valuable than usual. They won't rot or smell as much and it makes the skin last longer when the excess meat and fat are removed as soon as possible," he examined the skin's inner side.

"No knife marks, that's good," he looked up at that moment, "May I see the other side?"

"Sure," Liam turned the thing with one swift move.

The examiner's face was practically against the exterior part of the skin.

"Marvelous!" he sighed in happiness, "I have never seen such a pristine skin of a Purple Runner. It has no burn marks, no holes, only the natural effects of the beast living its life, and its young. Maybe a three-year-old."

"You can determine the beast's age by its skin?"

"Yes, look here, they have scales that grow until they mature. The scale on this one was only this small. Once the beast has gone through the three stages then the scale will look five times the size of this one. The first is infancy, the skin is as soft as a baby and has no scales, protected by their mothers at that time. The scales form when the beast has gotten to the end of this period. The second period is when they learn to hunt and use their instincts and the things they need for survival. The third period is when they start mating and fighting against each other. Every creature has a different time frame for these stages."

"This one though has just finished the infancy, maybe that was why you could kill it so easily."

"What?" the manager couldn't keep his cool anymore. No one could solo-kill a Purple Runner. Was he hearing wrong?

"You did kill it, right?"

"I did," Liam said in a calm tone. He was sure that admitting that would be a big surprise.

"Impossible!" the manager shouted.

"It was still sleeping, I only had to cut deep enough, to bleed it dry," he lied. He didn't think that telling the truth would be a good idea. No one would believe him anyway.

But the picture he was painting of himself now was something he needed. He needed to look ruthless, so they wouldn't give him a too low price for those skins. He needed to look like someone they wouldn't want to piss off.

He didn't much care about the money, but money would give him a good warm bath this evening.

The manager was relieved by this, but this didn't make him feel better. His only thought at that moment was that this was the biggest deal he had ever made, and he shouldn't piss this guy off. How should he handle this? This guy didn't look like someone he could offer a bad price.

He looked at a certain corner in the room, the tiny light blinked once.

He thanked the heavens at that moment. The boss allowed him to give a fair price.

The deal was concluded in an hour and Liam's money was brought to him in another pouch. He left after that and didn't even look at the things on sale in the hall.

He wanted to take a look at those weapons. He saw the people on the wall use them, but it didn't look like they were for sale. He didn't want to look like a fool asking for something he didn't know the name of.

He remembered where Tork had sent him and soon after found the inn. He asked for a room with a bath. He, unfortunately, got an answer he didn't like. The wash area was communal.