Arc 1 (Conception): (25) Alone
Before leaving the Shop to Ramu to manage, I realized that we did have clothes and a place to live for slaves but has not made any arrangements for their food. So, I give Ramu 5 gold coins for food and another 5 gold coins for other needs. Then I handed over two space ring filled with rabbit and hare meat for selling in the shop. We plan to place the name of the shop tomorrow, which is the Merata Wild Meat Shop.
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In the evening that day, I walked around the sector-34 area to learn more about this place and custom. Up to now, all my knowledge about Gazina city was through Talking to Pata, Tuner, and others, supplemented by what little I have seen so far. But After the Attack, my world view was shaken. Also, unknown to me, I got a new outlook on human interaction through the Chor gang's Attack, which has shown me a new dimension of this city life. Here people have a totally different view from how I have seen and lived in the Merata village. I could not help but also recall the answer Tuner gave me when I asked him after the Chor gang's attackers left, "why did not we attacked them? Instead, even paid them money when we are more than 100 while they are only 10?"
"Do you know the majority of the attackers were level-1 and their leader was is level-3 with experience in a street fight. If you opposed them, then yes, you will win due to the sheer number you have here. But at the cost of many of your low level untrained and hungry, emaciated, and weak slaves. Are you ready for such an outcome?" (Tuner)
I could not help but shut my mouth. We were most ill-suited right now to face any such opponent. I might have laughed after this to show Tuner that I am not affected by this event. And yes, my focus is on the running of the Merata Meat Shop. But I also could not help myself from having evil thoughts of Robbing people like the Chor gang. This has actually put my moral ethics, inherited from my father, mother, and Merata villagers, to Question. But were things so lawless and straightforward in the city that blatant Attack and intimidation to people living here for money are neglected with one eye close?
I realized that this city was not as safe as utopian as it appeared at first sight. Each brightly lit street showing a city full of happiness is hiding a similarly dark road full of dark secrets making the other half face of this city.
So, to survive in this city and make a living, while looking for Zuya here, I need not only to be a better Merchant but a force to reckon with. I need to be a force, so powerful that even my name can give them a chilling cold to shake their bones.
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Then, I spent much of my evening moving in the market, wandering aimlessly. Soon, I reached a blacksmiths shop. There many tools and weapons were on display in the shop, visible from the door. I could not help myself from entering the shop, after being attracted by swords, blade, knife, curved dagger, bow, and so on. I picked up a curved dagger and tried it by swinging. It was a well-made dagger. Seeing this blacksmith-cum-shopkeeper came to me and said, "Nice choice, it is one of the best curved-daggers in the shop. After seeing you swing with it, I know that you are skilled with a dagger. If you are interested, it only costs 7 golds."
It was not a question to know whether I wanted it or not, but what can I get in the budget? After all, Things were much more different now. To become a force, I could no longer be a pushover but be a battle-ready with a proper weapon to face any enemy at any time. After all, I learn in Gazina city that you don't know where and when you will face a situation where this dagger can come handy.
So, this curved-dagger was perfect for me as I will use this to make up for my lack of a weapon and, due to its peculiar shape, I can easily cancel it on my body. Therefore, this will enable me to protect myself and retaliate if a situation like today ever occurred. Further, Thanks to my assassin skill, this curved dagger was a perfect weapon for me than other weapons here. So, I agreed to take it without hesitation, and I canceled it under my clothes and left the shop.
----
Feeling assured of my safety, I continued to explore this market. But, soon I realized that I don't know from when, but someone was following me. To make sure that it is not just a coincidence but actually the case, I even stopped at a barbecue shop and ate some barbecue slowly for some time. This further confirmed that fellow was indeed after me, as that fellow was just waiting by browsing the shops' opposite side of the road and taking glances at me from time to time. If he was a messenger sent by someone, this was enough time to contact me. It looks like troubles for me were yet to stop today. His actions have made me feel more infuriated. Until now, I have been non-stop mistreated. Was someone targeting me?
My anger was fueled by the painful memory of today's humiliation at my newly opened shop in front of friends and workers. Will this city not allow me to have even the slightest dignity as a man or merchant.
Maybe Zuya's family was telling the truth. These things were done to harm my Zuya, further fueling my anger. It looks like I might end up using my assassin skill, even if I had. But I never wanted to use it. This was the reason I wanted to hide my assassin skill and chose to show the merchant skill. But it looks like if I stay here maybe soon, I will feel human blood on my hands.
But perhaps not today. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself, and thought, what am I doing? How can I be so foolish to be provoked by some unknown small-time thief? I first controlled my thoughtless impulse to kill, I will kill all the people who try to harm me, but that decision will be mine and not induced by some mindless thief. Also, the place and time of my actions will be decided by me, not others. After I calmed my mind, it did not take me long to get rid of the thief following me, and I returned to the inn.
While I enjoyed my sweet dreams in bed, the thief following me was still searching for me with a blank expression on his face in the market and alleys. He never expected that a naive merchant will stay levelheaded even after he showed himself and make the right decision to even escape his pursuit. Finally, he went to the inn to confirm that the merchant has managed to reach the inn after fooling him in the market.
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As soon as I reached the inn, Tuner was waiting for me. He has been collecting information on the Attack on my shop today. It turned out that the gang's name was the Chor gang and has ties with the former ruler of sector-34. This gang has been much more active since the change is the management's leadership in the area. They have forced many of the merchants and people to leave sector-34. Since the advent of the Chor gang's high activity, many small gangs and new criminals are popping in this area and leading to the lowering of law and order in the region, making it one of the lawless sectors out of 50 areas in Gazina city.
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Next day at the Merata Wild Meat Shop,
Ramu and others have successfully opened the shop. We offered to sell rabbits and hare meat at a low price affordable for ordinary people in the city. But even after waiting all day, the reception of our product and shop was not better, and we could not sell anything. It turns out that the beauty and taste of wild meat were not known to this whole city, and rarely anyone eat or try it. So, anyone who heard about our shop or product sold made them skeptical about it and given the fact that no advertisement was done by our shop or me. So, no one wants to be the first guy to try our shop. And even the false rumors also started to be spread about the meat's quality and like poisonous food.
While I was still contemplating how to resolve this new problem at my shop in the evening. This problem was affecting the very root of my establishment in Gazina city. Ramu and other slaves did not take the initiative to talk, but I could feel that they have some idea to share about my current predicament by looking at their faces. I know given their status as slaves, they would not say anything unless I ask for it. So, I said, "What do you guys have to say? I do not care much that you are slaves. If you think that you have something, which can help me, then say, or else do your work?"
"Master Kola, I think people here do not understand that how can such a high-quality product, eaten by rich and nobles is being sold so cheap. This has given them the illusion that there might be something wrong with this meat. Therefore, I propose that we make a few meat dishes for two days and give small meat pieces as free samples advertisement to people passing by our shop to try. This way, these people, not only will act as our free advertisers. But try the meat food of our shop and homemade dish and can act as a guaranty to the other people that there is nothing wrong with the meat itself." (Ramu)
I also realized that no matter how good things I offer, unless people want, I can not imagine that people will pay and eat anything because we say it is good. I listen to the idea proposed by Ramu, and the more I contemplated it, and more I found it working. We need to give them reasons to try and help them realize the new taste we offer them.
"Ramu, since you posed the idea, I assume you can manage this, so you will be in charge of this advertisement campaign from tomorrow."
After giving instructions, I left the shop. Even today, I could see a few people following me. But I know that there was no need to dirty my hands until I found it useful. So, moving swiftly, I avoided any confrontation and reached the inn. I know that this can not go on for long, But for the time being, this was also giving an image to them that I am scared of them and everything is in their control. I have to wait for my time.
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Today, while taking breakfast, Tuner told me that he has to go to Merata village. After all, as adventure staff, he has to take care of regular duties in the village. But before leaving, he said, "I have arranged for a gift for you. Please enjoy it well."
First, I was thinking for long, which could be this gift, but sitting here for all-day thinking would not help me. But also realized that I was the only one left in the inn. Therefore, I left the inn and moved to the shop.
While moving to the shop, I know that I would go bankrupt if things did not work out with Ramu's campaign. Just a few unexpected events have pushed me close to bankruptcy. This is the very reason most of my slaves are a slave and making someone a debt slave was easy by controlling a few factors for anyone with power in the city. This might be the reason that there is never a lack of slaves in the market.
