"Stand behind me, Master," Elara commanded, her voice dropping to a low, dangerous octave.
They stood at the entrance of the estate. The heavy iron gates, still rusted and screeching on their hinges, were the only thing separating them from the intruder.
Through the bars, a young girl was jumping up and down, waving a white handkerchief frantically.
"Hello? Is anyone alive in there? Please don't be a ghost! I have holy water!"
Lux raised an eyebrow. "She doesn't sound like an assassin, Elara."
"Deception is the first tool of a killer," Elara muttered, though she dissipated the black ice dagger in her hand, replacing it with a skeptical scowl.
Lux stepped forward, the Ward Stone's barrier humming softly as he approached the gate.
[System Analysis]
[Target: Nina Pockets]
[Age: 19]
[Rank: F (Civilian)]
[Class: Merchant (Novice)]
[Talent: [Appraisal Eye] (Grade C) - Can instantly value items and detect lies in commerce.]
[Current State: Desperate / Overencumbered.]
"I'm Lux von Greylock," he announced, projecting his voice. "Lord of this estate. State your business."
The girl stopped jumping. She adjusted her massive backpack, which looked twice her size. She had messy blonde hair tucked under a travel cap, round goggles around her neck, and a face smudged with road dust.
"Oh! A living person!" She beamed, revealing a dimpled smile. "I'm Nina! Of 'Nina's Necessities and Knick-Knacks'! I got turned around near the weeping willow and... well, I saw the magical barrier and thought, 'Wow, a rich wizard lives here!' so I came to say hi! And maybe sell you some jerky?"
Elara scoffed. "A peddler. Send her away, Master. She is annoying."
"Wait," Lux grinned. "Open the gate, Elara."
"Master?"
"We have three dead wolves in the foyer, Elara. And I don't feel like skinning them myself. Plus..." Lux rubbed his chin. "I have zero gold coins to my name."
Elara hesitated, then sighed. She waved her hand, and the heavy gates groaned open.
The Art of the Deal
As Nina walked up the driveway, her jaw dropped.
From the outside, the Blackwood Estate looked like a haunted ruin. But as she stepped through the invisible barrier of the Ward Stone, the air cleared. The moss on the path vanished. The air smelled fresh.
And standing on the porch was a man who looked like a fallen angel—handsome, dark-haired, wearing a silk robe that cost more than her entire life savings. Next to him was a woman who looked like she wanted to stab Nina in the throat.
"W-Wow," Nina stammered, clutching the straps of her bag. "You really are a noble. I heard the Greylock family exiled a son, but I thought you'd be... um..."
"Dead?" Lux supplied helpfully.
"I was going to say 'less handsome'," Nina blurted out, then slapped her hands over her mouth. Her face turned bright red.
[System Alert]
[Target 'Nina' is flustered.]
[Charisma Check: Passed.]
[Merchant Discount: Unlocked.]
Lux chuckled. "Come inside, Nina. I have something to show you."
He led her into the foyer.
Nina walked in, expecting tea. Instead, she tripped over her own boots and screamed.
"Eeeek! Monsters!"
She scrambled backward, pointing a shaking finger at the three massive Dread-Fang Wolves piled in the corner.
"Dead monsters," Lux corrected. "My maid handled them this morning."
Nina blinked. She looked at the dead wolves, then at Elara, who was currently inspecting her fingernails with an air of boredom.
"S-She killed three Dread-Fangs? By herself?" Nina's eyes widened behind her goggles. "Do you have any idea how much these are worth?"
Lux leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "You tell me. You're the merchant."
Nina's demeanor shifted instantly. The clumsy girl vanished. She pulled her goggles over her eyes and knelt beside the Alpha wolf.
"Fur is damaged on this one... puncture wounds," she muttered, poking the carcass. "But the teeth are intact. Claws are high quality. Meat is... tainted, but usable for alchemy."
She stood up, pulling a notebook from her pocket.
"Okay, My Lord! For the lot, the Guild would pay 30 Gold Coins. But since I have to haul them, preserve them, and transport them... I can offer you 15 Gold Coins. And I'll throw in a bag of salt."
Elara stepped forward, her aura flaring. "You try to cheat my Master?"
The temperature in the room dropped. Nina squeaked, hiding behind her backpack.
"15 is fair!" she wailed. "I have overhead costs!"
Lux raised a hand to stop Elara.
"20 Gold," Lux said calmly. "And you tell me everything you know about the local area. Rumors, politics, nearby dungeons."
Nina peeked out. "20? That's my entire profit margin!"
"Take it or leave it. Or Elara can escort you out."
Elara cracked her knuckles.
"Deal! 20 Gold!" Nina dug into her bag and produced a heavy pouch of coins. She tossed it to Lux.
[Item Acquired: 20 Gold Coins]
[Current Wealth: 20 G]
Lux weighed the pouch. It wasn't a fortune, but it was enough to buy real food, clothes, and tools that he didn't want to waste EP on.
"Pleasure doing business," Lux smiled.
Nina began to expertly skin the wolves with a small, enchanted knife. As she worked, she chattered.
"So, rumors... well, the town of Oakhaven is about ten miles south. It's buzzing because the Baron raised taxes again. People are angry. Oh, and adventurers are avoiding this forest because they say a 'Demon Beast' woke up recently."
She paused, looking at Elara.
"I guess they meant you, Miss Maid?"
Elara glared. "I am not a beast. I am the cleanup crew."
"Right, right," Nina laughed nervously. She finished packing the pelts and teeth into her bag, which magically expanded to hold them. "Anyway! I come by this route once a week. If you have more loot, I'll be your exclusive buyer! I can bring you anything—potions, clothes, books..."
She looked at Lux, biting her lip.
"Actually... do you have any... needs? You know. Romance novels? exotic perfumes?"
Lux stepped closer, invading her personal space just a fraction.
"I need magical cores, Nina. And skill books. Can you get those?"
Nina looked up at him, blushing again.
"F-For you? I can try. But those are expensive."
"I'll have the stock," Lux promised. "Just make sure you come back."
Nina adjusted her cap, grinning. "You bet! You're my best customer yet, Lord Lux!"
She hurried out the door, pausing at the gate to wave. "Bye! Don't get eaten!"
Aftermath
Lux closed the door.
"She's useful," he decided.
"She is loud," Elara countered. "And she smells like cheap copper."
"She's our link to the world, Elara. We can't eat system points." Lux tossed the gold pouch to Elara. "Keep this. It's the household budget."
Elara caught the pouch. She looked at it, stunned.
"Master... you trust me with the treasury?"
"I trust you with my life. Why not a few coins?"
Elara clutched the pouch to her chest, her cheeks flushing.
[Loyalty Check: Still Maxed (Devotion Deepening)]
"Now," Lux stretched his arms. "We have money. We have a secure base. And I have a Level 5 body that is itching to test out these new skills."
He walked toward the back door, leading to the overgrown garden.
"Elara. Training time. I want to see what this 'Obsidian Ice' can really do."
Elara's eyes lit up. She dropped the "maid" persona entirely, summoning two jagged swords of black ice.
"As you wish, Master. But I warn you... I don't know how to hold back anymore."
Lux smirked, activating [Aphrodisiac Hands]—which he realized could also work as a combat buff to heat up his own blood for speed.
"Good. Don't."