Chapter 9: Trading Company.

After what felt like a minute of intense concentration, his efforts were rewarded as he stumbled upon the spell he had been seeking.

"Ah, it's here!" Arlo exclaimed, his voice filled with excitement. "Let's see... visualize the words of the language you would like to translate. The better the visualization, the better the translation..." 

He read the instructions carefully, his eyes widening as he reached the end.

"The effects from the spell are permanent I only need to cast it once! The chant goes…"

Without wasting any time, Arlo began to chant the spell, his eyes fixed on the glowing words that seemed to glow on the pages of the grimoire.

"Intermediate Translation Magic: Language Decryption!" he declared.

[MP: 60% -> 59%]

As he finished the chant, a blinding light flashed from the book, engulfing the surroundings. However, much to Arlo's surprise, nothing seemed to change, and he didn't feel any different.

[Translation Magic Unlocked.]

Just as he began to doubt the effectiveness of the spell, Arlo overheard a few whispers from the people around him.

"That boy's clothes are strange. I wonder where he got them from..." one voice mused.

"He's probably another traveling magician. Just ignore him," another dismissed.

"Why is he unleashing magic out of nowhere like that? He almost gave me a heart attack," a third complained.

Normally, the attention might have been too much for Arlo to handle, but the joy he felt from being able to understand their words overshadowed any discomfort.

'I can understand them!' he thought, a grin spreading across his face. 'But does it work both ways? Can they understand me?'

Ignoring the whispers, Arlo spotted a food vendor nearby and decided to test his newfound ability. "Um, excuse me," he called out as he approached the stall.

The vendor was a short, muscular man with a long brown beard and gray hair, resembling a dwarf from a fantasy setting. Arlo found it a bit surprising to see a dwarf working as a food vendor, as he had always associated them with blacksmithing.

"Do you know where's a good place to get information here?" Arlo asked.

Now that he found himself in an unfamiliar environment, the smartest course of action was to gather information. Of course, he wasn't sure where to start.

In most fantasy stories, the go-to place would be an adventurer's guild, but he had no idea if such a thing existed in this world in the first place.

"Information, eh? Those are some unusual clothes. You must be a traveler..." the dwarf remarked, eyeing Arlo with curiosity.

Arlo's eyes lit up as he nodded excitedly, thrilled that the spell had worked and the vendor had understood him clearly.

The dwarf stroked his beard thoughtfully for a few seconds before pointing down the road. "Just head down this road, turn right, and keep going towards the town center."

"It's a bit of a long walk, but you'll find the Myrium Trading Company there. Don't worry, it's one of the biggest trading companies in the area, so it's hard to miss."

"Myrium Trading Company?" Arlo repeated.

"Yeah, since you're a traveler, I'm sure they can provide you with any information you might need," the dwarf explained. "You could also go to the Adventurer's Guild, but that's further away on the other side of the capital city."

Grateful for the clear instructions, Arlo bowed and thanked the vendor before setting off down the road as directed.

'Myrium Trading Company, huh? Not only will I be able to gather information there, but I might also be able to exchange some goods,' Arlo mused. 'Although, I didn't really bring anything with me to trade...'

Letting out a sigh, Arlo continued walking, only to have his attention captured by a beautiful river running beside one of the buildings.

The river seemed to wind its way through the city, adding to its already picturesque charm. He had always read about scenes like this in stories and seen them in anime, but nothing could compare to witnessing it in person.

"This capital city is gorgeous..." Arlo muttered to himself, tightening his grasp on the grimoire.

'It would be amazing if I could bring Serena and Sylvia here one day,' he thought, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

With that thought spurring him on, Arlo hurried towards his destination, eager to gather the information he needed and start earning money as soon as possible.

Shortly after, he reached the building the vendor had described. True to the dwarf's words, it was the largest building in the area, with many carriages parked in front and a large sign at the entrance that read "Myrium Trading Company."

"Looks like the spell is able to translate text too. That's perfect!" Arlo exclaimed, his voice filled with relief and excitement as he paused by the entrance. "Well then, let's see what's inside..."

As he pushed the door open and stepped into the building, Arlo was greeted by a warm breeze that stood in stark contrast to the cold outside. The interior of the Myrium Trading Company was impressive, with a spacious room featuring waiting tables and several receptionist desks at the far end.

A staircase behind the desks led up to the second floor, hinting at even more activity beyond the main area.

The trading company seemed to be quite busy, with a few lines forming in front of the desks. Despite the wait, no one appeared to be complaining, leading Arlo to believe that this was a common occurrence.

Outside, he had noticed numerous carriages parked, with workers carrying goods in and out of the storage areas.

'No wonder it's considered one of the biggest trading companies,' Arlo thought to himself as he joined the shortest line.

The wait lasted around fifteen minutes, but finally, it was Arlo's turn to be attended. The receptionist, a young man with short brown hair and black eyes, greeted him with a kind smile.

He was tall and dressed in an elegant period attire that suited the professional atmosphere of the trading company.

"Good evening, how may I help you?" the receptionist asked, his tone polite and welcoming.