William stated in astonishment at the half spheres in his hand. He is quite high on his merchant skills for him to receive a VIP customer. When the glow on his half spheres went from white to blue, he was surprised pleasantly. When the glow went on to become green, orange, gold, then red, his jaw hung open.
He did not expect he would receive a royal customer.
There is a hierarchy in Eastern Company. He is only a measly peripheral merchant, that is he possessed no talent as a merchant. Having no talent, he stuck to basic rules set by the company. Never sell at loss. Surprisingly, it has served him well. When he received his blessing broker, he became a powerful man. However, where there is honey, there will be bees.
His landlord wanted to take in his sister as a mistress. He rejected, and let his sister run away with her paramour. In retaliation, the noble schemed with his rivals to send him on a far off expedition, where he accidentally offended the monarch. Then, he ended up here. He did not expect he would be able to use his power here, nor did he expect he would meet a royal customer.
Even as he is surprised, something even more surprising occurred. A holographic image rose out of both spheres, soon, two clay half spheres formed on top of each. With a clang, the clay spheres settled on top of the golden spheres.
"Little girl, let me revise our deal. Your wish is my command. As long as it is within my ability, I will procure anything you want." William told her.
Then he gave her the two clay half spheres.
"These are trade spheres. They are a specialty of our trading company. These are special artifacts made with a specific set of blessings by priests. You can use them once to create a shop. You see the sphere with one circle in the center? It is where you place the item you want to trade. The other with a star pattern on it, the items they are willing to trade with you will appear there. If you see an item you like, you drag it to the center, then tap the drum. Then, the swap will go to the approval of a trader like me. Trader takes a little amount from both sides, and makes the swap. Longer the distance, greater the trader's benefit." He explained.
"The items are transported immediately?" Jiushu asked in surprise.
"How the swap happens depends on the innate abilities of the trader. My swap is the fastest in the world." William told her with confidence.
Jiushu cracked a smile unknowingly. Even in the ancient world, commercial advertisement is the same. However, this thing is far too useful for who is stuck in a cave.
"You set down the spheres where you want to open a branch, and say 'Let trade commence.'" William told her.
Jiushu nodded.
"Then I will leave you to rest." William said, bowed to her elegantly then ran from there in a flash.
Jiushu turned and entered space.
She chose the western side of her hut, set down both half spheres.
"Let Trade commence." she said.
Both half spheres grew in size, coming up to half her waist.
In the spirit realm, an Angel suddenly woke from the nap as ground trembled underneath her.
Cree…
Bluuuoooup..
Cluck ..
Ching..
The sounds varied as the little floating Island she was on turned round and round, then with a series of screeching sounds, a long iron bridge started extending from her island. At the end of the iron bride, there is a Taoist half circle. The island started spinning slowly, with the bridge still attached to it. The angel turned around and hugged the tree she was sleeping under with both hands and legs, her face full of fright at falling off.
Bang…
A very strong tremor runs through the island. The tall tree shook, like someone pulled on it's top branch, only to cut off the force at once. The Angel felt the force all the way down to her spine… Just as she is wondering if she should give up her divinity and start cursing the beings above like a sailor, there is a 'click' sound.
The trembling stopped.
She looked around her garden. Some of the stones used for border decoration fell off, but over all, her little island is alright. She looked towards the bridge, started walking on the bridge. Sunlight lit up her path inch by inch, till she came to a pavilion which shew a taoist circle, in black and white, hers being black, the other side's white, she knew.
She looked out into the darkness, only to see the last bits of it melt away, revealing a man there.
"Vega..? " the man asked in shock..
"Altair..!" She gasped in surprise.
Then they both were running towards each other and started kissing passionately.
Golden light filled all through the bridge, filling all basic iron structures with marble and granite, changing both their crumbling floating islands to sturdy upside down pyramids, with waterfalls, tree growth, and perfectly sized parapets. The sky above them turned blue, white clouds started floating above lazily.
At this point, Altair looked at the clouds and opened his mouth to say some thing…
Vega looked at him in adoration, then her face morphed into horror. Without further ado, she kicked him in the nuts.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh….." Altair curled down in pain.
She kneeled besides him in a flash and covered his mouth.
"You were going to curse again, weren't you? In the first place it is your potty mouth that landed us in this trouble.. If you did not curse at the elders, they would never have thrown us here.. " she grumbled, as the man struggled to say something under her monstrous strength.
"Hmm… mmmm… mmm…" the man struggled under her hand.
"I am going to release you now. There better not be a single swear word in what comes out of your mouth, or I will personally cut that bit between your legs." she threatened.
The man nodded eagerly, like a chicken pecking at rice.
She removed her hand..
He glared at her and opened his mouth.
She glared at him even more fiercely. ..
The man shut his mouth, and thought for a moment..
"You Female canine… " he said half in triumph, half in anger..
Vega gasped, holding a hand to her chest.. A moment later, she broke down into giggles.
The man looked up at the sky, then shouted with all the anger and glee in his heart..
"Take that you sons and daughters of female canines.." his voice reverberated through the cosmos..
Then he sat down besides her and looked at her with eyes glimmering in happiness.
Vega looked at him with equally sparkling eyes.
"Forgive me. I couldn't take the chance they will break the bridge again.." Vega pleaded, making cutesy eyes at him.
"No honey.. As painful as it has been, it was the right decision." Altair answered back.
Angels are bound to a strange set of rules, each, unique. However, whenever they break even the most ridiculous and simplest of those rules, they open themselves up for a judgement. The punishment could be as simple as making you eat a dish you hate to as strong as banishing you to two different corners of the world. They married without permission from elders, which, while explosively scandalous, did not violate any rules.
However, Altair had to use a swear word just at that moment, which gave the elders a chance to act, and they were banished to different corners of the world before they so much as drank congratulatory wine. They spent a thousand years separated like that before the bridge between them is built by the rarest of coincidences.
For the condition to be met, a permanent space alteration should be made between two space users, both of whom are allies of teleportation users. This obviously is not an easy to fulfill request, given space users are usually of royal blood. It's not that angels are blessing the royal line with space ability, more like those with space ability will become royal family sooner or later. It's only a matter of course for an OP power.
Now, these royal people cross the territory into other land, keeping their abilities hidden, while also not becoming demons… the chances are the same as finding a needle in a haystack. Thus, both Vega and Altair have given up this method very early on. However, it is this rare method that actually worked out.
They looked at their followers who brought about such a miracle to both of them. They need to give a sufficient reward. However, that can wait. Vega can't wait to spend time with her husband after ten years.
Jiushu, who is totally unaware of the great task she has accomplished, just started playing with the shop in front of her. Even if she is not a shopaholic, she did not hate shopping for essential things.
While Jiushu is calmly playing with the shop, William, who ran away from her in great hurry, stopped in an empty cavern. He looked all around to make sure there was no one watching him.
Then he broke down into a crazy laughter.
HAHAAHH…. HAHA.. HAHA..
….
….
….
Haah… Haa…
He laughed like a mad man for twenty minutes.. Once he was done with laughter, he started dancing around like a monkey, pumping his fist into the air. Once he is done with all that.. He started cursing.
F*** you Brosnan… You thought you were the most gifted merchant.. Never again..
F*** you Fred.. your cucumbers stink.. Everyone knows your suit is second hand..
Up yours Charles.. You uppity little snob.. … blah.. Blahh.. Blah..
F*** you son of a b**** Lord Mayhaven. Look at me.. I am a third level merchant and fifth level broker.. What are you.. What are you .. a wee little fat pig..
No one could imagine Handsome, elegant and very polite William is this petty in his own space.
After all, without a backstory, it's hard to understand. His mother is a servant in the palace, where she is fired from at the age of twenty, after having two children.. Their mother was a sturdy woman who believed there was no point remaining in the palace if it did not pay better than her hometown, and returned to her hometown. Upon her return, the lord there wanted her to be his mistress, William's mother agreed.
William never had any great ambitions, but he was given a divine blessing, as was his sister. Upon their mothers urging, they have kept the knowledge of these powers under wraps very well. He only ever told the world he has the most basic skill in his country, that of merchant. Everyone looked down on merchants. He joined eastern trading company, started opening branches in remote locations. His power enabled him to do instant delivery between shops.
However, a particular amount of the sales commission has to go to the company, and this created a small disturbance within the company. When he crossed over into this land, his colleagues had to take care of all his shops, in conjunction with him, and they have rejected all his approved transactions. Thus, leaving almost all of his established branches dysfunctional.
The only one that is still working is the one he established by his sister's house in remote highlands. She placed a flower wreath in summer, ice flower in winter. He rejected this one for he is sure if it goes to his colleagues, they will find her location. However, now, after adding Jiushu, he directly leveled up to third level merchant, which frees him from having to take his colleagues' help for approving transactions. Now, he can operate all those branches remotely. All the information about his branches will be deleted from company records, he will be truly a free merchant.
He can even establish a shop here, and send the ore from this mine directly to his intended destination as long as someone buys it. He will never be able to escape from this place, for that is the curse the Taoist who built this place imprinted on him, but he can live quite well in this hell as long as he wishes for it… William is happy. After he celebrated his happiness with insane laughter, dancing and cursing, William finally calmed down and went to meet his second VIP customer.
After all, this is a super secret political prison, there must be at least one super secret political prisoner in here. Thus, he went to meet the only person who could make or break his trade.
Bian He of Chu.
The most powerful miner in this country, who is the reason this hellhole existed in the first place.