Merchant's Guild

After taking in the view of the Merchant's Guild exterior, Linkin approached the entrance of the establishment.

Shing!

Linkin was forced to halt his steps as the two guards crossed the spears in their hands and blocked the entrance.

"State your order of business." The guard on the right asked sternly.

Linkin put on a charming smile and replied, "This gentleman—I've come to apply for a trader's license."

"The time period to apply for a basic vendor trader's license has expired. Return tomorrow when the sun first breaks if you wish to apply." The guard on the right stated.

The guard had already sized up Linkin the moment he stopped in front of the Merchant's Guild.

Based on Linkin's attire, the guard believed that he came to get a basic vendor's license to run a street stall or sell a specialized good or service.

Linkin could feel the judgmental gaze of the guard and hear the annoyance in his voice as if he had encountered similar situations numerous times.

'Even in this world, it seems that when it comes to business, clothes make the man. Looks like I'll have to correct this soon if I don't want to be looked down on.'

Linkin was still wearing the clothes he found left lying around back in his room at the inn.

While they functioned perfectly fine as casual clothes, they were far from ideal when it came to being looked at in a professional manner.

"I'm afraid this gentleman is mistaken. I've come to apply for an official merchant trader license." Linkin stated.

"A merchant trader license?" The guard frowned with a doubtful look in his eyes.

'This guy—does he have to look at me like I'm someone untrustworthy? I'm an honest person to my core, you know? If you ignore the first three letters, (Dis)honest Linkin is what people used to call me.'

The two guards exchanged glances. The following moment, they moved their spears and cleared the path to the entrance.

"If you are truly here to apply for a merchant trader license, then there is no issue. However, if you've come here just to cause trouble by spewing pointless lies, you will soon come to regret it. The Merchant's Guild is not a place you can do whatever you please without consequence." The guard warned.

"I will be sure to keep your great wisdom centered in my mind and close to my heart," Linkin said respectfully as he walked forward and took his first step through the doors of the Merchant's Guild.

When Linkin opened the doors to the Merchant's Guild, the first thing that hit him was the intense smell of spices mixed with a flowery fragrance.

'I gotta say, this place almost makes the Den of Everdreams look like a run-down hole-in-the-wall spot.'

The inside of the building was bustling with activity and there was no shortage of people going to and fro different areas within the Merchant's Guild building.

The walls were covered in expensive artwork that ranged from tapestries to colorful paintings.

At a glance, the floor appeared to be made of some type of hardwood; however, the feel it gave Linkin as he walked on it and its near reflective-like surface reminded him more of marble flooring.

Needless to say, the interior itself was huge and spacious, which provided a certain level of comfort for the many merchants or potential clients who visited the Merchant's Guild.

Linkin walked up to the receptionist desk where a sign hung overhead that read, "License Registration".

'I must have come at a good time.'

Despite the bustling activity taking place and most other lines being relatively long, the license registration line had no one in it. But Linkin was not too surprised by this situation.

Since you could only apply for a basic vendor's license during early morning hours, it was probably the busiest at that time of day.

Furthermore, the 5 reisai fee that had to be paid just to obtain a merchant trader license was not something most people could afford to casually take out.

"Hello, welcome to the Merchant's Guild headquarters of Bellhaven. My name is Sini. How may I be of assistance to you, dear customer?" The young woman behind the receptionist's desk asked politely after she greeted Linkin properly.

Sini looked to be in her late teens to early twenties and wore a modest receptionist uniform. She had a cute and bubbly appearance that made her easy to engage in a conversation with.

Sini's wavy sapphire hair was neatly maintained and complimented the pair of clear blue eyes she possessed.

"I want to register for my merchant trader license. I wonder if this kind miss can be of some assistance regarding this matter?" Linkin replied with a large smile on his face.