A Casual Pick Up

The man at the front of the group had an air of superiority that lingered around him as he turned his nose up and looked down on Linkin.

One of the first things that stood out about the man was his noble-like attire which was embroidered with an exquisite level of detail.

He appeared to be in his mid-thirties with a sturdy body and slightly above-average looks. He possessed wavy crimson hair that stopped just before the nape of his neck and his eyes resembled that of a blazing sun.

Embroidered onto the left chest area of his clothing was the symbol of a circular coiling red serpent spewing flames from its mouth.

There was a clear look of arrogance on the man's face as he did not even take a moment to bother sizing up Linkin. It was obvious that, with a single glance, he instantly concluded that Linkin was not someone worthy of entering his sights.

'Hey, you bastard—these clothes were left behind by one of my greatest benefactors. How dare you insult their taste in fashion. Also, you should at least pretend to be friendly if you want to get someone to let their guard down. Well, not that it would've worked on me anyways.'

Needless to say, Linkin had no idea who the original owner of his clothes was. After all, he simply found them inside the inn room he was currently staying at. That being said, Linkin was still grateful to that unknown and unintentional benefactor.

The clothing itself was rather plain and straightforward; however, it was still a lot better than the rags he wore when he first set foot into the Drifting Clouds Inn. If he approached the Merchant's Guild with those rags, the guards would have mistaken him for a beggar and shooed him away.

As for the man's haughty demeanor, Linkin was not intimidated in the slightest and maintained a neutral expression.

When faced with this kind of person, Linkin understood that the moment he showed any signs of fear, they would not hesitate to step all over him.

"Sir Richard, as you can see, this room is currently in use. There will be a vacant room available shortly. Please wait until-" The Merchant's Guild employee tried to explain; however, she was swiftly cut off by the man at the front of the group.

"Preposterous! Why should I wait when there's a free room right in front of me?! Since he opened the door of his own free will, there should be no problems, right, Miss Kaela?" Richard said with a smirk as his gaze locked onto Linkin.

"This... While it is not against the rules of the Merchant's Guild, common courtesy dictates that first come, first serve. Please keep in mind the place that you are standing in." The Merchant's Guild employee, Kaela, responded.

Kaela was a pretty young woman who looked to be in her early to mid-twenties. She had neatly kept short black hair and a pair of emerald eyes. She wore the standard uniform of an employee that was contracted to the Merchant's Guild.

'Judging from their behavior, I'm guessing she's the one who knocked the first time and this guy is the one who banged on the door like I owe him money. Since he's here to use the private rooms, it must mean that he's at least a Class 3 Merchant. I already took a decent risk back at the Den of Everdreams; however, it was a necessary gamble that ended up paying off. I really can't afford to make any more potential enemies. Or else I may end up living on borrowed time.'

"There's no need for concern, Miss Kaela. I am a merchant so, naturally, I will handle things as a merchant should." Richard stated as he reached into a pouch at his side.

The next moment, Richard removed his hand from the pouch in a closed fist before he opened his palm and directly dropped something onto the floor at his feet.

Clank!

"I don't know who you are and, quite frankly, I can't say that I really care all that much. Take this money and get lost." Richard said in a cold and distant tone.

Linkin looked down at the floor and saw a single reisai lying there. The following moment, he reached down and casually picked up the reisai that Richard dropped.

When Richard witnessed Linkin's actions, it caused him to turn his nose up even further at Linkin as he said, "You see, Miss Kaela? This is why it's important to-"

Click!

Without warning, the door to the room was shut close as the sound of the automatic lock seemed to linger.

"..." Richard stared blankly at the door that he was now abruptly face to face with and found himself left speechless.

However, Richard's befuddled state was fleeting. Immediately after processing what had just happened to him, Richard's face turned red as his blank gaze quickly became replaced by one filled with fury.