Port Rucefina

It's been three days since the carriage left the Hannes State. 

Out of several carriages present on Port Rucefina's entrance, it seems that ours is the only one that's not from the merchant guilds. Well, it makes sense considering there've been many discoveries of new dungeons in certain places—Rucefina is one of them. There's been some sort of gold rush for relics making the port more bustling than ever.

From what I'm seeing outside my window, it's very busy as I expected. I could even hear people haggling, complaining, and asking for a refund. It's not even the heart of the marketplace but you could already feel the bustling Rucefina as you enter.

Independent adventurers, guilds, merchants, and so on are rushing to get as many relics as they could grab, may it be for profit or personal gains, it's probably why Elvrett is here.

"Speaking of Elvrett, there he is..."

Elvrett Vitalis, a cousin of Simon—with vibrant brown hair and friendly eyes behind his funny-looking glasses. I wouldn't think this guy has a noble lineage if he didn't visit Simon two days after my transmigration.

Appearance aside, this guy is as talented as his generation like my older brother and Dominic. He deals with...

"HEY!" 

The man interrupted my thoughts shouting and waving at the carriage like a child. He acts like we're the only ones on this busy road. How is this guy a noble!? Though, I commend the confidence. I would never!

"LITTLE SIMON, OVER HERE" 

'Geez, how are you in your twenties dude?'

I immediately got out of the carriage to approach him.

Smack!

"Oh god, can you shut your mouth? Yes, we can see you already!" 

"Oww... Okay, sorry." Elvrett muttered 

Gladly, the people minded their business ignoring our interactions. 

"Anyways, I told you to pay me a visit. But I didn't expect it to be this early. Is there something I could do for you, Little Simon?" He acted as though I didn't hit him.

"First of all, stop calling me little. Second, I decided to visit Rucefina since I'm going to the capital anyway."

"Ohh... So Little Simon's the one coming to the bouquet? Makes sense. Your brother has been busy lately, very busy."

"Stop calling me little!"

"But that's what Silvan calls you!" He rebutted

'The hell? Is my older brother that unserious? You're the empire's hero!'

"Anyways, you should take a rest first. I know a place to relax." 

We walked through the busy market together. At one point, I gave up trying to change how he calls me. 

...

After some walking, we reached an inn. It seems to be one for rich folks seeing its simple but exquisite design. Surprisingly, the interior looks like a normal inn you would find anywhere, but there was something that made the place feel more... comfortable.

"Welcome back, Sir Elvrett." A young woman greeted us. From the looks of it, Elvrett seems to be a regular here.

"This is a great inn, Little Simon. Let's get some tea while we talk." Elvrett smiled at me while gesturing at the counter.

"Okay-" I didn't finish my response as a hooded figure bumped into me.

"Sorry." He walked away as soon as he apologized.

I bumped into a tall, slim man who seemed to be in a hurry. I noticed a symbol in his robe, it looks like he belongs to some local organization. I brushed it off but the man gave me an unsettling feeling... Don't overthink it, man!

We walked and headed to the room where he's staying. Honestly, it was a very nice room—with the things you'll usually find in an average inn but the furniture's quality is great just by looking at it. Though, I'd assume that this room is worth a week's salary of an average worker per night. It is also pretty quiet in this room when outside is full of people visiting and doing business with each other.

"Here, take a seat. You should rest too brother- er, Dominic." He offered me and my butler a seat near a table made of some kind of rare wood.

"Thanks." I happily took a seat. I'm just glad I'm not sitting in a carriage anymore.

"So, what could I do for you? I'm happy to help, I'm sure Silvan would too if he was me!" He happily exclaimed.

'Really?'

Silvan being helpful to his brother? I wonder what happened to them before book one. Why would Simon be hateful to a brother like that? 

"Alright, so I would like to search for useful relics and you'll help me with that."

"Okay, and..." He suddenly grew interested. I imagined him as a dog wagging his tail.

"I would need you to find that would suit me the most-"

"OF COURSE! There's no one better for the job but me!" He said with a smug 

It's true. The man I'm talking to is the Relic Genius of Vitalis. Unlike most of his generation, the Golden Generation who are mostly known for their excellence in the battlefield. Elvrett is one of the few that found their speciality in craftsmanship and appraisal. I'd argue that he was the most prominent in his generation when it comes to this aspect.

"Dominic, give him all the gold I have." I calmly ordered my butler, who was enjoying his tea beside me.

"As you wish, young master." He responded as soon as he stopped sipping his tea.

Dominic instantly acted and handed the 180 gold that father gave me. After that, he got back sipping his tea with a half-smile on his face. This guy likes tea, a simple but nice trait.

"Tell me, how many relics could I get with this amount?"

"Considering how good the port's economy is today. Two or three... Is there any more you want?" Elvrett smiled. He's probably already thinking what to get.

The economy... There was a huge number of people visiting the port because of the recent dungeon discovery. Of course the prices would increase.

"I'd also like to have a weapon I could wield."

"Okay! A good weapon and some relics. I also make weapons, you know! I'm not as good as your brother or Cillian but I have a good eye for them!" He proudly responded.

Dominic finished his tea and joined in the conversation.

"Young master and Sir Elvrett, if you don't mind, I could also help searching for a weapon fit for the young master." He offered.

"You'll be a great help bro-, er, Mister Dominic!" Elvrett seems happy that Dominic would be joining us.

Here and there, Elvrett and Dominic shared little banters while we're planning for tomorrow. The two seem to be good friends of some sort, I wonder if they're just forcing this demeanor because of me. I observed their camaraderie, am I the odd one out here?

"Oh man, tomorrow will be awesome. We should also get some food, do you know that Rucefina's cuisine is…" he continued talking about Port Rucefina's market and places like its massive relic shops and restaurants.

"Young master, you should rest. We have three to four days in Rucefina until we depart to the capital and I have informed your mother you're with Elvrett hence you should just enjoy your time here." 

I'm glad we're having a nice and comfortable time in the port. Just as right cause it will be crazy once I attend the capital banquet... Argh, just thinking about it tightens my chest! It gives me chills and I don't wanna think about it now.

...

It's not even the start of the story but I'm here swamped with impending problems. The protagonist is probably just farming right now and I'm here braving huge crowds, I hate crowds! Please be a casual day, please be a casual day-!