Initiative

Get a free ride is very good too because I spent my journey on foot. I need to save my energy for my safety. But the wagon shakes very much because the wheels are made by wood not a rubber like Earth. Luckily I don't affected and puke though.

This wagon looks like a common wagon, but the passenger is "VIP". Maybe they go undercover and use this normal wagon as camouflage. Inside the wagon, I can see several wooden boxes, some pile of silk cloth, and some basket of apples and orange and one treasure-like chest.

"Thank you for giving me a free ride."

"What are you talking about? You're our savior, so helping you is normal."

"I just take my money and not directly help you though."

"But that not change the fact, you save us."

"But don't you feel suspicious to me?

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think a child like me capable to kill adult easily?"

"That's because you're very strong."

"What I mean was my mental state. A child like me will tremble if they kill someone even accidentally isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"What if I was a member of that bandit group?"

"No, you kill them before, that proves you don't have that kind relation with them."

"What if I was an assassin? You already know my skill and I think I can defeat you all alone."

When I said that, their expression changed and look at me suspiciously.

I know I'm so cocky but first I need to gain their trust. He easily accepts me and I can't understand that.

"Indeed there is a possibility that you're an assassin. But I trust you."

"Why?"

"Your katana. It's a symbol of our army and you can't get that easily unless you're high rank noble or an active knight."

"But what if I stole it from someone?"

"But from what I see, you already used to hold the katana. Your movement and technique are very smooth like you already mastered it."

He sees it when I fight with the bandit huh.

Back on Earth, I practice with almost all weapon so I knew how to use it.

"I see."

Thanks, Olivia, your gift is very useful.

"Ah, I forget to ask your name?"

"My name is Vin."

"My name is Samuel, you can call me Sam.

"I got it."

"So why you go to Andalas?"

"Just to find some clues about my parents."

"How long have been you in journey Vin?"

"Around one month."

"I see, I hope you find them as soon as possible."

"Thanks. May I ask you something?"

"Go on."

"Why you bring a child if you just want to resupply your branch store?"

"My Lady just wants to see the branch store."

"From your relationship, maybe you're noble/wealthy merchant isn't? Why you use a normal wagon like this?

"We go undercover and don't want to get too much attention."

"But the bandit already knew your identity though."

"I think they were our rival business dirty scheme. They don't want us to reach Andalas and decided to hired bandits to stop us."

"Rival?"

"We recently open a new store on Andalas, but the store couldn't make a decent profit."

"Why?"

"Because there's a local noble open their store, and put a lot of pressure on our store."

"I see, why you told me easily?"

"Because I want your trust."

"Huh?"

Why he has the same objective as me?

"Honestly I don't know what will they do when we arrived at the city. They hired bandit before to stop us, but you beat them easily."

"So?"

"I want you to become our guard."

"Is that possible?"

"Yeah, I just want you to protect my lady. Luckily you and my lady are around the same age. They won't use too many people to attack child isn't it?"

"Hmm..."

"Of course you will get money, 20 silver per day. How about it?"

"I see, but are you already have permission from your master?"

"I don't want her to have too much burden. Honestly, she comes to Andalas as a trial from her parents. So she needs to fix the problem on the branch store and you just need to protect her."

"Okay."

"Thank you, Vin."

"By the way Sam, what kind of goods does your store sell?"

"Various things like food, potion, fruits, seeds, magic tools, weapon, silk cloth, fancy clothes, and many things."

"You don't sell magic stone?"

"We sell it, but usually the Adventurer Guild will buy it directly from adventurer and sell it."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, do you have magic stone to sell for us?"

"I have some magic stones and the monster corpses."

"I see, but unfortunately we can't afford to buy anything because we come there to fix the troubles."

"Don't worry, I understand."

"So how will you deal with the local noble?"

"We will talk to them."

"Directly to your enemy huh."

"Noble is very complicated Vin, you should stay away from them if you can."

"Thanks."

"We will convince the local noble to let us open the store in their region and don't make trouble for us."

"When you open a new store, don't you have permission from Lord of the City?

"We already have the permission, but the local noble also has permission and open their store and do some dirty works."

"Like hiring bandit?"

"No, they spread a bad rumor about our store from the fake magic sword, the potion is very bad and many things like that."

"Isn't your Merchant Union is well-known in the Capital, so why they would believe that rumor?"

"We just recently to open a store in Andalas, so not many people know about our store. Plus the local noble can put their people under pressure and make them don't come to our store."

"I see, so all you need is to talk with your rival and marketing plan."

"What do you mean?"