“Certainly,” he stopped counting the notes in his hands and glanced up. The thick mustache on his face hadn’t caught up with his age and still appeared pitch black. “The bastards gave out your name. Told me that I was easy money or so a portly man had said.”

Garlan took a seat opposite the man and gestured for me to sit on his right. That was unwarranted since I already had helped myself, but I suppose it made him look better in front of our target. The receptionist stared in our direction before disappearing from the counter. Was she about to call guards on us?

“You can’t blame me, Maluich,” Garlan laughed noisily, attracting the stare of the visitor who had dropped my the guild.

“Ah!” I stared at the bald man at the entrance. “That jewelry store owner had tried to loot a few thousand shins from us.”

“That man?” Maluich hissed between his astoundingly intact teeth. “He’s not even fit to touch my soles, little Garlan.”

“It’s Rudolf,” I politely corrected him, and the bald head walked to the second first floor without sparing a glance in our direction.

“Little Garlan sounds better,” he waved his hand and placed his money within the dingy black tunic that covered his vest underneath. “What brings you here, Garlan? Don’t tell me you want to earn some more money off arresting me. I haven’t done any bad shit for the past few months, so the clients who placed a bounty on my head must be looking for vengeance. The ignorant bastards don’t even know that I am responsible for a quarter of the Kingdom’s income. My followers–“

“Maluich,” Garlan sighed as he deftly avoided the saliva spewed on the table before us. “Your glib tongue hasn’t changed much even after a few months in prison. I got work for you.”

“Work? You? I don’t trust you one bit, fucker! The next time I turn my head, you will stab me with a knife and throw me back to the gallows. I don’t even want to live to see that day again. The only thing stopping me from running out of here is my arthritis. Otherwise–“

“A fair,” Garlan interrupted him again. “We are holding a fair in the Academy.”

“Little Garlan,” Maluich turned to me and cast an evaluating gaze over my face. “Is Garlan speaking the truth?”

That change in demeanor baffled me, but I guess both the men looked at money differently from me.

“It’s Rudolf, Maluich,” I sighed. “But yes, my bread lad is looking for some merchants to sell their wholesale goods in the fair.”

He nodded, placing his hands over the table, separating us. “How much is the payout?”

“Nine percent of your profits,” I said, trying to sound confident.

He laughed, leaning on the high-backed chair. “I’d be surprised if you can convince the Ulley. What about the stalls? Are we getting help?”

“You will, Maluich,” Garlan chimed in. “It’s a quest worth six thousand shins in the mercenary guild, so we will have abundant helpers. But the fair will be an illegal one without the consent of the Mage Congregation. Or maybe, illegal permission. Wait, does that mean we are holding a legal fair with a proscribed permit? ”

“That’s not a problem,” he said, twisting the ends of his mustache. “My legends span wide beyond the city for my illicit trade, so I am the best person at hand for such tasks. I have influence over merchants from many cities, so the good can be sold for a low price that no shop owners in the city can dream of. Cost alone will attract thousands of visitors, even if your fair doesn’t. Peddlar merchants are exempted from taxes, but the Kingdom lets us sell our wholesale goods only to the ignorant noble shop owners. So this is a good opportunity that no peddler will ever pass. I can always get–“

“I’ve heard enough,” Garlan sighed. “How the hell did you run your tongue in prison?”

“You always have company in prison,” Maluich smiled. “And I have been there more than once, so the guards in the gallows have become my good acquaintances. I even sold them counterfeit goods as bribes. I doubt they have realized it, though, since they always wait for some mercenaries to lead me back into prison. And the bastard mercenaries never leave me alone. They take me to gallows every damn day, and guards dismiss them by saying that I have been behaving well. That’s the truth, at least for the last few months. I…”

“He talks a lot, Rudolf,” Garlan turned to me, placing his palms over his ears. “Poor lonely old man. He has no one, so whoever becomes his target is bound to lose a few shins and gain some worthless long monologues. But he is a damn great merchant. That much, I can attest with bread.”

“Let’s get this done,” I said in exasperation. Maluich had closed his bleary eyes and started rambling many of his know-how. “I’m not sure if the noble ladies would appreciate his loose tongue.”

“Yes,” Garlan said and got up. “Hey, Maluich.”

“…and that’s how I succeeded in overthrowing the–“

“Stop yapping, old man!” Garlan shouted, and a  guard entered my plain view close to the counter. His eyes were glued on us, but Garlan and his merchant mate didn’t seem to mind the stare.

“Are we done already?” he opened his eyes in surprise and bobbed his head in confusion.

“We are!” Garlan rolled his eyes. “We’ll help you out with setting up the fair, so you better get best of your bunch discreetly tomorrow night.”

The guard raised his eyes in question, and I cast a [Ward] before their casual ignorance could cost us a few bodies. Of course, without tortures.

“Illegal fair, huh,” Maluich stood up and rubbed his hands together, acting I had come to associate with crafty merchants. “You better get those booths up, cuz we’ll come with a bang. But you need to submit an official request to the guild sooner or later. Or else, we’ll have a hard time explaining to all the night patrols in the city.”

“Consider it done,” Garlan said. “We will get one soon.”

The door burst open at the same time, and I saw three men dressed in thick black tunics and baggy pants at the entrance. All appeared sturdy underneath the clothing, and one among them was blatantly showing off his hairy muscled chest by not buttoning the vest. That was a lousy tunic, and I was glad to have stopped my aging when I didn’t have any chest hair. Late bloomers had an advantage too.

“Get your ass here, Maluich! We know you are here!” the hairy man shouted, his face covered with a thick black beard.

That explained the guard. I suppose it was a daily occurrence in the merchant guild. The receptionist smiled at us and pointed to the door, graciously kicking us out.

“Thank you, Garlan,” Maluich rolled his eyes.

“How can you blame me without even verifying the facts, bastard?!” Garlan feigned a pained expression.

“We even paid the portly man for information on you! That bastard asked for ten shins, though the bounty is hardly fifty,” the hairy man continued.

“What?! Am I the only portly man in the capital?” Garlan refused again, but the men’s gaze finally landed on us. Though we were the only people in the room, so it took them long enough. Was this another premeditated scene?

“Ah!” The three men shouted in unison, pointing their fingers at Garlan. “Bastard! You didn’t even show us the portrait of Maluich after taking our money,” the short man on the left shouted.

“Fucker!” Maluich cursed, landing a punch on my bread lad’s face leaning across the table. The latter didn’t even budge, but the meat on his cheeks wiggled, softening the impact.

Garlan shrugged. “I really don’t remember them, Maluich. I have received money from tens of mercenary groups, so you can’t blame me for not remembering one. No hard feelings.”

“Damn it!” Maluich got up, ready to rush out of the store. “I will get back at you one of these days.”

“Wait,” Garlan placed his hand on the man’s shoulder. “I’ll help you get rid of them for today, so you better not disappoint me tomorrow. Or else, I will personally stuff your ass inside the gallows.”

“Fuck! Aren’t you supposed to beg me?!” Maluich slapped his hands away.

“Your call,” Garlan turned around with a crafty smile. “Do you want the man’s portrait?”

“Fine!” Maluich said with a grunt, settling down on the chair, much to the displeasure of the receptionist. “I will get my merchants to the fair.”

I thought we had already convinced him, but I guess I was still a naïve crafty merchant. Not that I wanted to become one, but well, skills were never harmless.

“Your turn, Rudolf,” Garlan sat on the chair and waved at me.

“What?!” I stared at him, stupefied. Was he asking me to clean his mess?

“All you did is follow me around, bread lad,” Garlan offered me his sheepish grin. Though, it didn’t look like one, thanks to the bulging cheeks. “It’s time you get some work done.”

“I never said I would help you, Garlan,” I sighed, but I had already got up. As I said, I was not really good with words, so getting oppressed by my bread lad’s tongue was an obvious outcome. Though, I would get back at him one of these days. Pathetic I was, but one with immortality. Then again, handling three mercenaries on his own might be too harsh for him. Underneath all the pretense, he was probably shivering with fright. The thought pacified much of my unrest.

“Can we please take this outside?” I asked, walking closer to them. “You see, the guard isn’t happy with your presence.”

“And who are you, bastard?” the right crony asked, his forehead almost tocuhed mine. His mouth reeked of rotten fish, so I leaned back considerably just to protect myself from the scent. This was going to be a hard fight.

“I’m­–“

“He’s Maluich,” Garlan waved his hand from the table, leisurely watching the show with interest. Sure, once the rumor spread that Maluich was an overpowered mage, no one would bother to hunt him for the bounty anymore. How the hell was my bread lad so darn clever?

“Let’s take this outside,” I repeated, not denying my bread lad’s words. Well, our stalls were at stake, so I had to do better. I hadn't been this excited in a while. Garlan’s schemes reminded me of the undead.

Naturally, they didn’t acquiesce, and a ball of dirt landed on my face without any warning. I sighed. This was going to cost the merchant guild real bad.

I turned to the receptionist and offered my condolences after wiping the grime off my face with my gloved hands. She shook her head sharply, pointing at the exit for any commotion.

“Catch this bastard,” the hairy man said, already turning around to walk out of the guild.