Thank You for the Compliment!

'Death Valley, huh...'

Izhak had just finished discussing a business contract with Cien and watched the merchant leave. He immediately relaxed his body in the embrace of his office chair.

Cien, the merchant, was the most eccentric and mysterious trader Izhak had ever encountered.

It wasn't just because of the goods he sold, but also because of his origins.

Without any signs of deception in his body language, tone, or facial expression, Cien confidently declared that he was a merchant from Death Valley.

In that dreadful place, he mentioned that his store, called Kirana Shop, had been established.

Cien even hoped that Izhak could spare some time to visit his shop, in case he ever traveled to Death Valley.

Izhak truly had no reason to go to such a terrifying place. If anything, his reason for going there would likely be to court death, not to go shopping.

Izhak pinched the bridge of his nose. His logic regarded Cien's words as mere jokes.

However, for some reason, his heart insisted that everything Cien said was true. Not to mention the most tangible evidence is the valuable items carried by the man.

Cien claimed that he obtained all these materials in Death Valley.

On this matter, Izhak truly didn't know, but both his logic and his heart inclined towards believing Cien's words.

The Mana Core is something monopolized by the nobles. If the Mana Core indeed comes from the Death Valley, a place untouched by the filthy fingers of the nobles, it could explain how Cien possessed such a valuable item.

Apart from the Mana Core, there are Monster Cores from the Blackwood Stag and the blood of the Lesser Earth Dragon. These are monsters whose existence has remained unknown until now.

Izhak even asked Cien where he learned the names of these monsters. The man simply said he found out about them in an ancient book he discovered in the Death Valley.

That reason seemed suspicious. However, whether it was true or not, no one knows except for Cien himself.

Therefore, for now, Izhak could only trust Cien's words and assume that the names of the monsters were indeed Blackwood Stag and Lesser Earth Dragon.

"Sigh... dragon's blood... this will cause quite a stir..."

Thinking about dragon's blood, Izhak could only imagine the commotion it would create.

Although Cien explained that the blood came from a Lesser Dragon, making its purity level relatively low.

But a dragon was still a dragon. Even though it was of a lower rank, the benefits for those who possessed it were immeasurable.

"A mad peddler carrying insane goods... perhaps I should start thinking about making a plan to that cursed place."

Muttered Izhak as he stared at the tube containing the slightly shimmering red blood in his hand.

He then called his subordinate and instructed him to bring an alchemy expert to verify Cien's belongings.

Whether he liked it or not, he still had to test the authenticity of those items.

Usually, this would be done before signing a business contract. But because of the uniqueness of Cien's goods, he had to do it the other way around.

Even right now, Izhak is still reluctant to undergo the verification process. Because this process will make the alchemist's side aware of the item that will be auctioned.

Usually, this process goes smoothly without any problems. Even with rare materials, the alchemists wouldn't cause a fuss. But now, there is dragon blood and Mana Core.

Izhak is convinced that the verification process won't go peacefully.

Luckily, he has already signed a contract with Cien. If not, there is a tendency for the alchemists to seize or directly purchase Cien's item without going through the auction.

"Ahhhh... it seems like I won't find peace for the next three days."

***

"Sigh... what a shame..."

Cien sighed as he just left the auction building. He regretted not getting the chance to take a picture of Izhak with his phone.

If only he succeeded, then he could add the auction manager to his friend list. Then, he would be able to stalk—intercept information from that man.

Being the biggest auction manager in Mandora, the amount of important information obtained by Izhak must be significant and important.

Cien was truly disappointed.

Now, after entrusting his item to the auction, Cien only had to wait for the results.

Cien then remembered the wooden plate given by Izhak. As one of the suppliers of valuable goods, he was given a VIP ticket for the upcoming auction.

Initially, Cien wasn't particularly interested in the auction. He only entrusted his items because of a mission that needed to be completed.

The rest, Cien plans to spend the day trading on the street and looking for his old acquaintances in Ashur.

But with this ticket, Cien felt there was no harm in attending the auction later, even though he had no intention of buying anything.

Observing the auctioned items might give him ideas for his next creation.

Now the night sky grew darker, but the flickering lights of Ashur made the city still resemble daytime.

Along the streets, Cien could still hear the laughter of local residents and tourists from all corners of the city.

Upscale restaurants and small eateries remained open, serving customers.

The gambling houses became livelier as the night progressed.

The commotion in bars and the haunting moans of women in the red-light district could still be heard, creating a lively atmosphere.

Ashur, the city that never sleeps.

Ten years ago, the city was not as bustling as it is now.

Although the nickname "the city that never sleeps" had emerged, it hadn't truly come to pass. As far as Cien remembered, around eleven o'clock at night, Ashur would surely be quiet.

But now, perhaps the nickname "the city that never sleeps" would resonate more than the oasis of the land of sands.

Cien smiled faintly at the changes happening around him. Initially, he wanted to return to his inn right away and bid farewell to the day.

But upon further thought, Cien felt it would be a shame not to experience the nighttime ambiance of Ashur. With that in mind, his steps shifted towards a bar located in the city center.

Cien was familiar with this bar. He had visited it a few times with his uncle, who would later, ironically, plan to kill him.

"Yeah, so ironic…"

Muttered Cien as he opened the bar door. The first place he visited in Ashur was not a place of good memories with someone he cherished, but a place he visited with a traitor.

Clack!

The sound of the door opening.

Cien, with his large coffin, covered the entire face of the door, drawing everyone's attention towards him.

Cien's attire made him even more suspicious in the eyes of the bar patrons.

He wore a cloak with a hood that covered his entire body. Since only the light illuminated him, the shadow of the hood concealed the upper part of Cien's face.

Meanwhile, the lower part of his face or his mouth was covered by a scarf. This made Cien's face completely invisible.

Silence…

Everyone just stared at Cien without making a sound.

Some adventurers had even prepared themselves by gripping their weapons. They were ready to attack Cien if they witnessed any suspicious actions.

But far from their thoughts, the cloaked figure did nothing. He simply walked to the counter, placed his coffin down, and sat on one of the counter chairs.

The voice of an adult man was heard from the cloaked figure.

"Master, one Burning Ale!"

The man said, while placing Tia's coin on the table.

Seeing that the figure didn't engage in any strange behavior and just wanted a drink, the tension in the bar subsided. Although still somewhat wary, everyone returned to their own busyness.

The bustling noise of the bar resounded once again.

Cien breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

'Sigh... damn, this wooden box is really conspicuous! My heart almost stopped!'

Carrying this big wooden box wasn't Cien's desire. He simply didn't have any other choice. Bringing a cart was not possible because it wouldn't teleport with him.

Without bringing the box, he couldn't sell his wares. Cien could only reluctantly swallow his current situation.

Clank!

A glass filled with Burning Ale arrived in front of Cien.

"Your Burning Ale, please enjoy."

"Thank you."

"Ummm..."

"What is it?"

Cien asked the bartender, who looked at him with hesitation. He took a sip of his drink, feeling the warmth of the alcohol spreading through his throat and chest.

"Esteemed customer, what is that?" the bartender asked, somewhat uncertain. He didn't know what to call the large wooden box.

"A bag."

"...what?"

"A bag. I'm a traveling merchant, and this bag is where I store my goods."

The bartender was at a loss for words. Not only him, but the people nearby also stared in disbelief at what their ears had just heard.

"Umm... a merchant... you're quite, umm—unique?"

"Oh, yes. Someone said the same thing earlier. Thank you for the compliment."

'I'm not complimenting you!' 'He's not complimenting you!'

The bartender and the people nearby immediately retort in their own minds.

"Well then... enjoy, esteemed customer."

The bartender intended to leave to serve other customers. However, Cien stopped him.

"Oh, one portion of chicken curry."

"Understood. Your order will come shortly, please wait."

After that, the night passed as it should in the city of Ashur. Bustling with endless laughs.

Cien enjoyed his dinner amidst the festivities.

Occasionally, there were a few people who were curious about him. Cien answered their questions, and eventually they started to become acquainted and chat.

During the conversation, Cien gradually asked for information about Kastia. Specifically, he wanted to know what was happening in Westya.

But unfortunately, the majority of those who chatted with him were Mandora residents. So the information was not satisfying.

He only obtained information about the current situation in the Mandora Kingdom.

Not much had changed from what he remembered ten years ago. The King of the kingdom was still the same person. The development of each city was progressing rapidly.

Currently, it was said that not only Ashur was growing. Some cities in Mandora had started to become tourist destinations too.

Although, the water source for Mandora was still mostly supplied by the Ashur City.

The rest of the information didn't surprise Cien.

Hmm, perhaps the Crown Prince, who now became a Champion of Mandora, slightly surprised him. But then again, Cien didn't know the Crown Prince personally. So he didn't care too much.

Besides that, the interesting thing Cien heard was the recent rumor circulating in Mandora.

The rumor stated that several villages located on the border of Mandora and Westya had been completely destroyed.

So far, no one knew whether the rumor was true or not.

The kingdom was still conducting an investigation. The royal officials and the military denied the rumor.

However, adventurers and merchants from outside the kingdom claimed that the destruction of those villages was real.

The people of Mandora didn't know what to believe. They only knew that something was amiss at the border.

When Cien heard about this, he immediately remembered the conflict in the north. Where the Abyss nation attacked the border city of Huntara.

'Don't tell me it's happening here too…'

Cien thought, who was suddenly shocked when he heard a commotion coming from the corner of the bar.

Not only Cien, but everyone there turned to see the source of the disturbance.

As Cien looked back, at the furthest corner table, he saw two young men sitting with wet heads.

Wet that seemed to be splashed by someone who was laughing while holding an empty glass.

Cien looked at the person laughing and felt a slight sense of familiarity. Then, when his eyes met the old man behind the laughing youth, a fleeting cold glint appeared in his eyes.

'Uncle…'