Chapter 80 ❆ You Want Gold?

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Sorry my updates are erratic. I've been having troubles with my website lately and it's ended me looking like a headless chicken.

Over the next few days, I moved with my usual chores and agenda. Elion had yet to inform me about Viron's whereabouts. I wasn't sure whether our arrangement were still on, but he did reassure me he was working on it.

Elion, so far, had been very reliable, and I trusted him. His work was solid, and even if I or the mistresses did random checks throughout the months in order to ensure quality of the production, the work done was always solid.

Of course, in order to ensure worker happiness and welfare, they were given ample bonuses and days off. Although I was deploying capitalist practices in order to make my business successful, I didn't want to neglect my moral obligations. The only way to make River End truly successful was to make the people who help keep it running very happy. And satisfied.

"I seemed to have found him," Elion said.

"Well, it was some challenge, huh?" I asked as I put down the bottles of the luxury line perfumes in the back for storage. Elion helped carry them with me. I, for the most part, pushed the trolley forward—not that heavy-lifting was a particular challenge to me. I just came from training muscles that I'd never used before, so my body was a little sore in some places. "Sorry for not helping out more."

"No worries. It's my job. I'm happy to do it," he told me.

"So, what about Viron?" I asked, reluctantly coming forward to help out a little more—mostly out of guilt. I was a little slower than Elion. In fact, I hadn't even shed a drop of sweat while he was already glistening.

"Some saw him hanging out around the bazaar."

"You mean the pier-side," I said.

"That's right. He hasn't been back the couple of days. I have to look for him. I'm a little worried something weird is going on. Neither brother nor sister had gone back to the camp in the last few days. None of their neighbors had seen them recently either."

"That sounds suspicious..." After putting down the last of the boxes, I heaved out a weary sigh. "Alright, how about I go with you?"

"You really don't need to. I know you're very busy running around."

"I'm the one who needs something from Viron. I have some responsibility in looking for him. Besides, I'm very curious about what's going on as well. It might be something I can help with just in case."

"Yes. You speak better Lovardi than I do. Some neutral accent helps, I guess. And lighter skin. I get turned away as a beggar wherever I go, no matter how well I dress. It's a little frustrating. It's part of the reason why I've been so slow."

"Sorry you have to go through that. All the more reason I should've stepped forward earlier."

"It's not your fault."

We left the shop after entrusting the counter to the shopkeeper. Before that, Elion had changed into fresh clothes that covered his appearance for the most part. I'd also taken the account book with me, along with the earnings for the week with me. I planned to stop by the mistresses' house to drop off everything before proceeding with the last of our agenda for the day.

"By the way, Evy, you turned fourteen recently. I didn't get you a gift," he said.

"You didn't need to. You showed up and ate with us. There's really no need for a gift," I replied. To be honest, birthday or no birthday really made no difference for me. This body was fourteen, but I have to add seventeen for mental age on top of that and I felt like an old woman.

"I still can't believe you're so young," he told me. "I'm sorry it's late, but I'll definitely give you something."

"Then I'll look forward to eat. If I can fill my stomach with it, all the better."

He laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

We quietly boarded a carriage headed down to the bazaar.

"By the way, Evyionne, when's your Veunald?"

"What's that?"

"It's different from your birthday," he said. "I guess you never had one, have you? It's when you're welcomed into the community—like when the whole village or clan of yours conduct and thanking ceremony for the gods that let you come into the world. It's a way to appreciate you coming into existence."

"Wow, that's cool. I've never heard of that before."

"Then, that's it!" he exclaimed excitedly. "I'll quickly tell the elders and we can hold one for you in the coming week or so. Will you be available sometime soon?"

"You guys are literally just down a flight of stairs. There's no reason I can't spare some time."

"Alright, then it's settled! You must come. I'll make the arrangements and then I'll tell you when."

We arrived at the bazaar very shortly. Considering my discomfort of large crowds, I prepared to face my fears once more. This wasn't fun for me, and I sort of regretted having told Elion I would come here at all.

Over time, I'd improved in dealing with my trauma, but it was not in the level where I could comfortably stroll down a busy street by myself. If there was even a small sign of panic, I would no doubt spur into a breakdown of sorts as well.

I decided to expose myself forcefully by placing the shop in a relatively crowded place. And through my self-therapy in the last few months, with the short walking distance between the shop and the Temple, I was slowly overcoming it. There was still quite a long way to go, though.

"Elion, please keep close to me. I don't like getting lost in big crowds," I said.

"Okay. Would you like to hold my hand? I can offer you my shirt if you're not comfortable, too."

I looked at his outstretched hand, but then felt a little embarrassed. I settled for grabbing the end of his shirt instead. Elion was such a gentle big brother material. He was fortunately such a very polite person. If Maun were here, I'd have comfortably latched on to his arm.

"The guards are policing the pier and asking for passes by the pier," he said. "Do you have them?"

"No worries. I'm prepared."

The bazaar was crowded, as usual. This was the place that had no rest. It ran twenty-four-seven, even in the dead of night. It was no surprise to see the place still so lively when most establishments would have short breaks at this time of day. Lovarda's capital tended to have a sultry weather being a seaside city, especially during sun hours, which meant the people were prone to indolence.

"Halt," a guard stepped up declaring. "Your business?"

As was mandatory, I had to apply for the related licenses in order to handle transactions. Although I did not join the Merchant's Union like my mistresses, I had relevant passes that would allow me to go around the boats to certify my business. I had a feeling they did this crowd-control thing much of the time in order to lessen the people gathering, after all there were really a bit too many.

"I come to scout some supplies," I said, showing a pass.

"You may go." He filled out a ticket for me. "Please be back in an hour to renew your pass if you must. If you exceed the time, you may be fined."

Mistress Veronika was not ticketed, from what I remember. Must be a Union benefit.

After receiving the ticket from the guard, I turned to Elion. "So where is he?" I asked, fanning myself a little.

"He should be by the pier carrying crates down a boat. Not sure exactly where, but they said Elephant Trades," Elion said. "I had a hard time tracking him down since he hadn't shown himself around the Temple, and I also could not go past those guards. I suspect he hadn't gotten much rest in the past few days."

"If that's really so, then the conditions of his workplace is too inhumane," I replied.

"It should be around here," he said.

Although it took some effort finding our way around, Elion eventually pointed to a young man a little older than himself dozing off while slumped among scattered crates and boxes on the ground. His face didn't look right, and his shirt was soaked through. If I didn't have a rather keen eye, it would be easy to overlook him since he managed to keep himself fairly out of sight.

We were going to come over and talk to him when a thin but tall man came over and kicked over the boxes harshly, yelling at the top of his voice, "Little bastard. You were around here?! I've been looking all over. Do you intend to make me hurt my throat?"

Viron was awoken with a fright. He clambered to get on his feet while shielding himself.

"Hey, wait!" I yelled instinctively.

Of course, in such a crowded and noisy place, my voice was easily drowned out. By the time we had ran over, a punch and a kick had already landed on the poor guy.

"Sir! You cannot do that!" I said.

The man pulled Viron by the shirt, turned to us with a face, and spat. Who are you? What do you want?"

"We have some business with him," I said. "Please let him go."

"Are you wasting my time? His work's not going to do itself!"

"How much are you even paying him?"

"How's that your business?"

"He's not working here anymore. He'll be working for us," I decisively said.

"His contract's with me had been signed for fifty years! This guy has taken my money and I'm not letting him go!"

"I'll buy his contract then. Show it to me," I told him.

"Tch. You think you have that much money?"

"Just show it to me. I'll even add five percent."

He sneered before taking out a crumpled pile of documents from his pocket. He leafed through them for a while before slapping one on my palm.

"Five thousand gold?" I read aloud, suppressing the sharp intake of breath.

Elion was just as surprised as I was.

"And five percent. How about it? Eh? I thought—"

I took out a whole bag of coins from my pocket and started filling out this world's version of a check. "This is two thousand gold. I'll send you the rest of the payment later. Just send me a bill through the bank with this payment code and signature. They'll cash it out to you." I passed everything to him.

He took the money as well as the check, gazing at it doubtfully while rummaging through the coins. "What if this bounces?"

"Have you seen the seal? Does it look fake to you?"

He tossed Viron over. "Fine. Here's your lad then."

Elion caught him.

"Five thousand gold. Fifty years. Boy, are you mad?!" Elion shook Viron madly. "Such an unfair thing. Why would you sign something like that? Do you plan to die here like that?!"

I could understand Elion's sentiments. Even I was tempted to shake the life out of him after seeing the contract, but this was only a small part of the story. I pulled Elion back and reminded him that we ought to give some medical attention to Viron. After he agreed, I stuffed the contract into my pocket for now and led everyone away from the pier. Elion supported Viron with his shoulder as we walked. The boy couldn't even wobble on his feet steadily while we made our way back.

We all had many questions, but we bit down our tongues and saved them for later.

I thought about going to the hospital, but then reassessed myself. Mistress Kora's medical skills could be said to be among the best. He could even bring Maun back from death's door.

With this in mind, I guided Elion to our house and had Mistress Kora take over for treatment.


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