Chapter 31 - Trade To Do

Knock. Knock.

A soft knock at the door stirred Ren from his sleep.

"Mister," came the innkeeper's voice from the hall. "It's time for breakfast."

Ren groaned, half-conscious. "Ah... yeah. I'll be right there."

He got up, took a quick wash, straightened his clothes. Within minutes, he was downstairs, seated at a wooden table in the corner of the dining room.

The food was simple: stew, bread, and spiced tea. Enough to fill him without slowing him down.

As he ate, low voices from a nearby table caught his attention.

"I'm telling you, she could've taken the whole enemy on her own."

"They say she's S-Rank adventurer."

Ren glanced over. A group of locals sat around the hearth, hunched close, whispering with half-awe.

He wiped his hands and leaned slightly toward them. "Sorry to interrupt. That woman you mentioned, can I ask about her?"

One of them, a blacksmith by the look of his hands, nodded. "Sure, lad. Everyone knows her."

"She's the only S-Rank around here," another chimed in. "Used to get offers from royal cities, guild branches begging her to move. She reject."

Ren raised a brow. "Why stay in a small city like this?"

"That's the thing," said the blacksmith. "Wasn't for coin. She's obsessed with magic and relics. That's what people around here say."

"Quiet type," someone added. "Doesn't talk much. But when she moves, even the drunks shut up."

Ren didn't press further.

He nodded, thanked them, and returned to his meal, though his mind had clearly wandered elsewhere.

***

Later that morning...

Ren barely made it halfway to the Ashborn Guild before someone intercepted him.

"Excuse me. Ren, correct?"

He turned. A neatly dressed young man stood before him, wearing the bronze crest of the Trade Union. "The Union Leader would like a word. It's regarding the item you left with Guildmaster Thorne."

Ren blinked, then gave a quiet nod. "Lead the way."

They crossed the square to a stately slate-colored building marked with brass filigree and smooth stone pillars.

Inside, business hummed quietly. Messengers, clerks, and suits moved with the focused calm of people who dealt in real power.

Ren was led into a private chamber where a man in a black-and-silver coat sat behind a heavy desk. Mid-forties, sharp beard, sharper eyes.

He didn't introduce himself, he was too busy studying the carved diamond.

"You found this here?" the Union Leader asked, eyes never leaving the stone.

Ren nodded. "In the Mountain."

"This cut isn't random," the man murmured. "Not natural. Ancient. Deliberate. I've seen work like this in relics from before the Kingdom."

"Hmm. I see."

At last, he set the stone down and met Ren's gaze. "You have more?"

"Not yet. But I know where to look. Maybe not exactly like that, but valuable all the same."

"And what makes you so sure?"

Ren reached into his coat and pulled out a small, leather-wrapped device. It looked plain, almost crude. But he held it like it was priceless.

"I have this. Let's call it a detector. It reacts to certain material signatures."

The Union Leader gave him a flat look. "Anyone can claim they have a toy that hums when you poke it. You want to work with the Trade Union? Prove it."

He snapped his fingers.

A moment later, an assistant entered the room, holding a tray covered with cloth.

"Two stones," the Union Leader said. "One genuine sapphire-grade shard from our vault. The other, a refined fake. Even our merchants need a second look."

The assistant placed the stones on the table, side by side. Identical to an untrained eye.

Ren stepped forward without hesitation. He hovered the detector over the stones.

At first, nothing.

Then, as he moved closer to the one on the left, the device gave a faint pulse, an irregular flicker of light along a ring of etched lines.

He glanced at the leader. "See the flicker?"

He shifted the detector over the right stone, no response.

"No reaction here," Ren said, tapping the left stone. "This one's real."

The Union Leader raised a brow, then nodded to the assistant. The man checked beneath the tray.

"Confirmed."

He leaned back slowly, a new weight in his gaze. "So. You weren't bluffing."

"I don't have time to bluff," Ren said. "I'm not selling this tool. But I am offering a site. Access, if you back the operation."

"And you want...?"

"A clean partnership. I need support to build my village. You can take first pick of any of the stones and sell them as you like. But if it's not a stone, if it's something you don't recognize. You bring it to me first."

"And if we say no?"

"Then someone else gets it."

The Trade Leader gave a quiet laugh, low and short. "You're confident."

"I'm efficient."

He considered for a long moment.

Then finally: "We'll draft an initial agreement. Limited access for now, support, survey clearance, and basic funding. If your site proves real, we expand."

Ren extended his hand. "Deal."

They shook, firm and brief.

As Ren turned to leave, the man added, "If that device ever goes up for sale..."

Ren glanced back. "You'll be the second to know."

After leaving the Trade Union...

Ren stepped back out into the morning sun, the papers still fresh in his coat pocket.

 The deal wasn't everything he wanted, but it was a start.

More than that, it was leverage.

He made his way back toward the Ashborn Guild. A few adventurers were already gathered outside, swapping missions, sharpening blades, chatting over bread and drinks.

Inside, Annie was still at her post.

"You're back," she said without lifting her eyes. "Guildmaster's busy. He has an appointment. You'll want to wait in the main hall."

"No problem," Ren replied, adjusting his bag.

He moved to the corner, near the mission board, just as the door to the upper floor opened.

Boots echoed down the stairs. Slow. Heavy.

Ren turned and paused.

She wasn't dressed like most adventurers. No flashy armor, no polished emblems.

Just a long dark coat, a deep blue scarf wrapped loose around her neck, and a staff slung over her back like an afterthought.

Her presence filled the room long before she reached the floor.

Hair black as ink. Eyes sharp, assessing. Calm.

She glanced once at Ren, then continued past without a word.

Whispers followed her in her wake.

"That's her…"

"The S-Rank."

"Don't stare."

Ren watched quietly. The same woman from the inn talk.

The one people swore could take on a battlefield alone.

He stepped forward slightly. "Excuse me," he said.

She stopped mid-step, looked over her shoulder.

"I heard you're a S-Rank mage," Ren said, calm but direct. "I've been looking for someone like that."

She turned fully now. "What do you want form me?"

"To learn," he said simply. "About magic. Structure. Limits. How it really works."

She tilted her head. "Most people ask me for protection. Or favors. Or a duel."

"I'm just have a question that I can't find the answer anywhere."

A brief silence passed between them.

Finally, she gave the faintest nod. "Good. Come find me tomorrow. If you're still interested."

And with that, she turned and walked away. Straight into the Guild Master's office.

Ren stood there for a moment, watching the door ease shut behind her.

So that's the one.

He exhaled slowly, the weight of the morning settling into his shoulders.

Two meetings. Two deals. And more doors opening than he'd expected.