35. The Grand Opening [Part 4]: Expanding Horizons
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[Late Into The Evening, Platinum Helm Guild: Mio 8, 3728]

As I dropped the backpack full of Slime Jelly on Detia's desk, she gave me an affirmative nod.

She opened the backpack and counted the vials as she placed it inside a medium chest. Lia was resting on my right shoulder, as she took the form of a small pink slime. Lia described herself as an 'Mimicry Expert'.

"As far as I can tell, it seems like you guys did well. Did everything go smoothly?" Detia asked.

"For the most part, yes. However, we encountered a group of Giant slimes as we were finishing up," I said.

"Did you manage to kill them?" Detia asked.

"You know it!" Justine said proudly.

"Impressive! I'm sure Guildmaster Jasmine would love to hear that!" Detia said smiling.

As Detia noticed the pink slime on my shoulder, she began to get nervous.

"Is that...what I think it is?" Detia said nervously.

"Don't be mean to me! I'm not a bad slime! Slurp!" Lia said.

"By the Gods! You tamed an Ecchi slime?! That can talk??! How is this possible?!" Detia said.

"It's a long story, but I think it's my luck stat," I said.

"Really? Can you remind me what your luck stat was?" Detia said.

"His luck stat is 4.5 stars," Justine said.

"By the Gods! What are you?" Detia said confused.

"So, how much money did we make on these quests? As requested, all of the Slime Jelly came from C+ slimes," I said.

"If everything looks good, we'll pay you 30 plat for completing these quests. We'll also give an extra 5 plat for completing your first quest," Detia said.

"That's not bad considering we earned 25 plat and 50 gold for turning in Fred's bounty last week," Justine said.

"Hmm. If I'm understanding this correctly, 1 Gold Coin is the same as 1 Euro, right?" I said.

"If you were to convert the currency, I guess that would be the closest match," Justine said.

"If that's the case, then I should have an easier time pricing my items correctly...," I said thoughtfully.

"Anyway..., congratulations on competing these two quests! The guild is happy to serve any anomalies in our ranks!" Detia said happily.

As Detia placed the small pouch of Plat Coins on the table, I grabbed the pouch and threw it into my Void Storage.

"One more thing, Owen," Detia said.

"Yeah. What's up?" I said.

As Detia looked around, she began whispering to us.

"Guildmaster Jasmine told me to remind you about your assignment with the FSF. To freshen your memory, in exchange for your participation in FSF operations, Mayor Ross handed you the keys to his old store. Your continued ownership of the store is dependent upon the completion of the assignment. While Mayor Ross is more laid back, Guildmaster Jasmine has begun to grow...impatient," Detia whispered.

"What do you mean?" Justine whispered.

"Unlike Mayor Ross, Guildmaster Jasmine is a bit more...strict when it comes to her heroes. As a reminder, Alter Q reported some strange activity in Crimson Helm and Ironwill. The findings were rather...unpleasant. But they believe it's the Children Of Ogis. This information is still on a need-to-know basis, so only the FSF and a few other heroes know about it. Your orders remain unchanged: find the COO's hideout, notify the FSF, and wipe them out. She also told me to give you a lead that might help you on your mission," Detia whispered.

As Detia reached into her pockets, she took out a folded piece of paper and slid it towards me.

"Unlike the other heroes who are investigating this matter, you are in a unique position to solve this issue. As I'm sure you've heard, there's a rumor that Merchant Kirnon is actively engaging in COO's Black Market. It's a multi-city operation that funds the Cult's illicit activities. They're all over the continent, but Fayhelm is one of the bigger ones. If we find the Black Market, we find the COO," Detia whispered.

"Why are you telling me this now?" I said.

"Isn't it obvious? We need you to infiltrate the Quatinum Four under the guise of a Merchant. As far as most people know, you're just a person with a Merchant obsession. You'll need to build up a name for yourself as a Merchant if you're going to get the attention of the Quatinum Four. Once you do that, that should help you get behind closed doors," Detia whispered.

"Where am I supposed to find them?" I said.

"Detia! You have heroes waiting in line! Are you flirting or something? Hurry up!" the elf receptionist said.

"Sorry! We'll have to cut this short. Your first lead is in that paper. It's from the FSF!" Detia said.

As we waved Detia goodbye, we walked out of the guild and headed towards the shop. It was late into the evening as we casually walked across the bridge. We could hear the mana-rich fish jumping in the water.

"The Quatinum Four, huh? You're really going to have to make a name for yourself if you're going to get their attention. Correct me if I'm wrong, but they're the most powerful traders in this city, right?" Lia said.

"Indeed. We have a long road in front of us. If we're going to get their attention, we'll need to visit the other cities and set up trade routes. We'll also need to increase our public perception by completing quests or helping people. And of course, we'll need to not only source inventory, but make it ourselves," Sophia said.

"What? You mean like a Traveling Merchant?" Justine said.

"Sounds good to me," I said.

"I agree with Owen," Lia said.

"If It means adventure and treasure, I'm in!" Sophia said.

As Justine let out an enormous sigh, she commented on the situation.

"Congratulations, Owen. Your luck stat is truly undefeated," Justine joked.

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