A merchant with a story to tell

The merchant man didn't see anything wrong with what the man said but when he mentioned those men across he slightly frowned and cursed inwardly this action of course did not escape the beautiful man's eye

"Actually business is fine even if those men were still here I believe just like you said my goods have great quality but it doesn't mean I have alot of customers a lot of people still comes to look for them, I mean didn't you stop in front of their shop as well?"

"I did but I didn't come for them I was just wondering around when I caught an expression from you so I couldn't help but prey"

The merchant heart skipped a bit and he suddenly remembered when he first saw the carriage and cursed inwardly, 'this guy looked like he came from a high famiy I better correct things now' the merchant panicked

"Actually Young master that was never directed at you I just couldn't help myself when I thought you were there to petronize those four merchants I mean I have nothing against them but with their recent bad records I'm just surprised people still come to find them almost every day so I couldn't help but frown when I realised that even when they weren't available someone still paid attention to them"

"I see but this should not be surprising since it's been more than a week since the incident and alot of people has been under investigation who dare to come look for them and buy stuff and not knowing that there were no longer around"

The beautiful man asked but he didn't refer it to the merchant he just found it worth investigating this was because apart from other towns and cities outside the merchant town anyone who wanted to buy something most especially from someone whom they had a bounty on their head would have known by now that these men were not in town and if they didn't know then that means they were never there to buy anything from them to begin with

The merchant who heard this didn't find anything wrong and thought some people just didn't believe it from the soilders till they had sent someone over

"Actually Young master I think the family that sent the servant boy still wanted to confirm I mean I know I'm also in the same line of business as those men but they also have quality stuff as well so maybe the family needed more proof and even when I walked up to the boy he didn't answer me this alone shows that he was only interested in those men"

The beautiful man raised an eyebrow enquiring more details about the family or its crest but the merchant shaked his head and spoke

"There was no carriage the kid walked out of that lone part were the big tree which stood at the centre and could be considered a small picnic ground, and he stopped right in front of those shops now that I think about it ever since they found those bodies there almost everyone has been afraid to walk that path but that child walked out from there....maybe I'm thinking too much besides not everyone knew exactly what happened"

The beautiful man felt strange with what the merchant said because this was not true in his own view, right now the capital and alot of towns and villages which were only a few miles apart from each other had heard what happened even though they haven't been there, majority still knew were the place was and this was a merchant town once a seller had something to sell that's worth it alot of people would know about it talk more of body parts found within the town it's all over the place

and just like he said no one dared to follow that part after the incident occurred and those who did follow maybe because it was a short cut to their destination moved in groups.

Though everyone knew the suspicions fell on those men but those who saw the bodies felt like it was a monster and the four men had seen it and ran away this was also why until now they couldn't conclude this investigation but to make the masses less worried they subdued the thought that it was a monster and put it all on the men who had not yet been found

"I'm sorry I've taken your precious time but I would like one more thing from you before I leave of course I'll buy all the things I've picked out so far is that alright"

The merchant smiled, this wasn't the first time he was questioned on this matter in fact as his shop stood opposite those four shops he happened to be the prime suspect but he had good relationships with his close neighbours and they all vouched for him that he was with them the night the incident occurred and that he was never a troublesome person this warmed his heart but did not help his business much

as he was directly opposite them and the road that led to the incident some shoppers quickly passed too afraid to acttract a bad omen

Soon another man walked over with a note pad and sat beside the beautiful man

"I would like you to describe the child you saw, anything could do"

"Ohh ok he has a small frame I'll say his about ten or maybe twelve, he has a very short hair that's close to being bald but he looks healthy and his clothes looks like his from a rich home but it's still colours relating to servants"

"Another thing like eyes, mouth and skin colour would do"

"Ohh yes sorry he has a full small lips, small nose and...a slightly big grey eyes with a brown skin colour I just remembered his very beautiful for a boy I have to say, I almost thought he was a girl because of his clear eyes, facial features and smooth skin but when I saw the hair cut and clothes I dismissed that idea"

"Hmmm I see so what made you think he came as a servant from a noble home"

"It's funny you should ask because a servant that's close to the madame or the madame's children usually wears milk colour and brown high quality textiles i know this because we sell them specifically for these selected persons so as soon as I saw him I believe their carriage should be on the other part of the road but now that I think of it I didn't see a crest on the cloth and it wasn't sewn like how I've seen others but the brown was used to cover most of the milk coloured paths so I guessed that was their style but it was indeed a high quality"

"Thank you very much for your time I'll be leaving now"

"You're too kind Young master thank you for you patronage"

The beautiful man walked to his carriage and they moved off

"Let me see the two drawings"

"Yes young master"

The artist brought the two sketches out and showed him but it only brought a frown to his brows

"These two looks nothing alike apart from the same eye colour and skin colour no I take that back even skin colour looks different one looks rich and is obviously fed well while the other looks malnourished"

Though they were just sketches but this artist was really good and added a bit of colour based on the description of both men

"Young master why do you think this boy is associated with the girl we're looking for?"

"I didn't at first, but I've asked around and it's confirmed that there was a girl who always stayed by one of the missing men shops but up till now I've sent men around the town and the child can't be found and then suddenly another child comes and knows nothing about the incident that happened but just looks at the empty shop honestly it drives my curiosity as to why that child could easily walk from the route of the incident and didn't ask a question and then turned back

And when the merchant kept describing and making his thoughts known then I felt like these two has something related, a male servant child with high quality clothes no crest, walked out and walked back to the same route the incident took place this is getting troublesome"

"You're right young master it is but if you ask me I'd say they kinda look alike maybe just a little"

The beautiful man didn't say anything and looked at the drawings again but couldn't find the resemblance his friend spoke about so he looked back at him