"I am speculating here but do you plan to have those people help with the coming giant horde?"

Bryan Berry, the leader of The Cheetahs, regarded as the top-ranking mage adventurers group of Greston Village, conveyed his bafflement after having dined at the new shop in Sampa Road, near the South Gate.

He left his colleagues at the Adventurer's Guild while he proceeded to his older brother's office at the Merchant's Guild.

After exchanging pleasantries, he immediately asked his brother, Langford Berry, about his thoughts after experiencing the new shops.

"What do you think of them? Have you met the owner?" The older Berry answered with questions instead.

Bryan gazed at his brother, who wore a slightly excited expression after opening a discussion about the new shops in their village.

"After overhearing those fucking lame knight mages, I learned about the owner, who was chilling at the outdoor area of the teashop. He looks young to be a father of two grown-ups but that is to be expected for higher-ranked mages who manage to defy their appearances even when they get older." Bryan replied based on what he thought of the owner. "We didn't really talk much but I left a promise to be their new loyal patron. They offer better deals after selling our gains to their shop. And they also serve delicious pastries, the first varieties I have seen anywhere in this village."

"I brought a whole cake for you. They call this blueberry cheesecake." The adventurer took a transparent box of cake out from his storage ring.

"They also have this transparent box for packaging. It even has a preservation effect. Those shops seem…" Bryan paused while he was thinking of the right modifier to describe the new shops.

"Otherworldly?" The older Berry answered for him.

"That and I can't really think of another proper description. But the teashop seems magical. It seems to be surrounded by mana that entices you to stay there and order the things they offer. If not for my sense of time, my team would have just stayed there until nighttime." Bryan leaned on the backrest of the couch while he was remembering his experience at the new teashop.

"After we went out from the teashop, many adventurers saw us out and they began flocking inside the teashop." The mage adventurer smirked after thinking of the benefits the shops received after their visit.

"Honestly, the cake was a gift from Sig. He's grateful to us for being their first group of customers." Bryan bitterly smiled while he recalled his girls whom other adventurers referred to as "his concubines" were gushing over the owner's looks.

"So you're on a first-name basis?" Langford chuckled after hearing his brother.

"Well, it's good to have him as a friend." The other Berry smiled. "Though I need to put the leash on the girls. They seem to have found a more handsome daddy."

By this time, Langford let out a more hearty laughter.

"He sure is handsome and so are his sons. My Roxie seemed to have been enchanted by his son named Harry." Despite the annoyance he felt, Langford smiled after thinking of that day.

Blond-haired Langford Berry whose appearance was ripe for a middle-aged man was reminiscing the day when Sigmund Chua and his son first arrived at the guild.

His well-built stature seemed imposing to other merchants but it didn't even take the desired effect when he was facing the youthful-looking man. His eyes almost bugged out when he checked the crystal tablet with the registration form along with the result of the scanning that should have detailed mana information about the new merchant signing up for a permit and license in Greston.

Name: Sigmund Chua

Bone age: Unknown

Origin: Unknown

Race: Human mage

Mana value: ???

Level: ???

Address: Chua's Manor, 2nd Street, Libera Residences District, Greston Village

Cole's Note: Extremely Powerful. No mana detected.

When Langford read the details on the tablet, he tried to make his expression neutral. While he was checking each line of information, he kept on glancing at the newly-registered merchant.

The location of the Chua's residence indicated that the man before him was extremely wealthy. The houses on the first to fifth streets of that district in the village were owned by wealthy people of the village. The Berrys had their manors located on the second street of that district.

Langford formed a favorable impression of the new merchant; more so when he churned the details from Cole's note. Hence, he decided to have the Chuas acquire a parcel of land near the South Gate despite the availability of four different properties in other areas of the commercial center of the village. But these properties, if offered to the Chuas, might not be enough despite their favorable locations within the merchant center of the village.

His assumption, however, was justified when Sigmund Chua began to ask about the South Gate area near the commercial center. But it was a simple question, which he deduced might lead to further inquiries, and hopefully, a done deal.

The commercial center of Greston Village covered the northern, central, and southern parts. Near the East Gate, a small commercial area was adjacent to it. The Eastern part included the Libera Residences District, the upscale residential area of the village, which separated the east commercial area from the central commercial center.

Many of the new trade arrivals from the East Gate were sold in the markets within that area. Meanwhile, the closest village and cities in the West Gate brought their trades to the central commercial center of the village where the merchandisers with their stalls, shops, and goods were concentrated.

Most of the land area of the village was situated near the West Gate where small farms and residences of low to middle-class families were placed. Most of the mortal population settled in that section of the village.

Some elites had their buildings near the north and central areas while in the southern part up to the South Gate, mixed neighborhoods were spotted. These areas were mostly occupied by beings with mana including elves and dwarves.

The dwarves were notable for their proficiency in creating tools and weapons while most of the elves were alchemists. Other adult elves assimilated with the human adventurers.

The ruins near the South Gate made that section of the village the least favored location with high-risk potential. But the blocks near the ruins closer to the central part of the commercial center were populated by the elves and dwarves with their respective shops.

That factor drove Bryan Berry to wonder about his brother's decision to grant the Chuas that property.