Mark And His Maps!

"Don't worry. Next time I come in here, I'll spend more money on your services."

The older woman with short, floppy ears nodded her head to my words. It had taken longer than I anticipated to find a cartographer's shop that was willing to work with me given my circumstances. All of the shops within the so-called "Silver" district of Astana had their prices locked in with no room to bargain. Many of them were offended that I had arrived there without any money to begin with considering that I was a foxkin in their eyes. There was a time when I considered abandoning my search for a map, but when things were seemingly lost, a way was found.

A fellow demi-human had noticed my struggle and pointed me in the direction of the shop that I had just left. He even offered to lead me there personally if not for the fact that he had his children there with him. After I explained to him my circumstances, he gave me detailed directions to this place deep within the bronze district.

To be honest, I didn't expect much from the place. Much like the other establishments within the bronze districts, this shop was in dire need of repairs. I had expected to be met with a greedy bastard who would try to upsell the price of their maps, but that was not what I got. Instead, I was met by an older demi-human woman with a cheerful disposition. She was more than willing to work with me, and as such I managed to negotiate a deal.

In return for the map, I'll essentially guard her grandson's delivery to and from a nearby town. I had expected it to be Ava, but it appears that it would be in the opposite direction. The town of Oa located to the southeast of Astana is where I'll be taking her grandson. While it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, I realized right away that the older woman wasn't doing all too well financially. Although I don't exactly know how things work within this world, I am confident enough to speculate about certain things. I would assume that since there is an adventurer's guild located within Astana most businesses would surely obtain the services of the guild for a task such as this. Considering that I am not a member of the guild, I didn't mention that during the negotiation. Instead, I relied on my current story of being a former member of the Conscripted Forces. 

Once stated, I was able to notice an expression of relief wash onto her face. It was then that she decided to offer me a deal. Undertake her job, and she'll give me the maps that I desire.

"Oa is merely a few hours' walk away, and Lannister only needs to make this delivery to a customer there. It is good that you've come here. The roads in and out of Astana seem to be getting more and more dangerous these days. Normally, I would send in a request with the guild, but… I am no longer able to pay the expensive fees.", the older woman says.

"You must be in dire need of some assistance if that is the case. Well, I can spare a few hours out of my day to ensure that your grandson returns to you safely. I suppose it is the least I could do for your generosity."

While it is true that the only plan that I had for the day was linking my current known information with the one that I'll acquire, I believe that this presents an opportunity. This older woman was kind to me. In layman's terms, she was one of the good citizens of this world/ That tells me that I could use her as an ally, and network with her. She is bound to know someone that I could work with in the future. 

The woman shifted her hands behind her desk before pulling another roll of parchment onto the top. Much like the others that I received from her, they were in mismanaged shape. 

"These are the maps of the region alongside Theoscyran and Struburg, as you requested.", She says gently.

As my eyes overlooked the item, the woman would undo the binding on the paper and slowly roll it open for my eyes to view. I hunched over and out of instinct, slid my glasses back up my snout.

"So…this is the Angea domain. It appears that there are more players at play than I initially imagined. Do you have a map of the entirety of Tenumi?", I asked her.

The woman shook her head in response. I found it strange that she would have just this portion of Tenumi's map in her possession. While I don't completely recognize the shape of this border, I know for a fact that this isn't all of Tenumi.

"Unfortunately I don't. I only carry maps of our nation and our bordering neighbors. A map that you're looking for might be found in the Gold district. Typically nobles are higher ranking adventuerurs's carry those types of maps since they are the only ones permitted to leave the nation. They are expensive to make, so only those with enough coin can purchase them.", she explains.

"Permitted to leave? Is there a reason that only certain people can leave the nation?"

The woman seemed baffled by my question, but she seemed to accept my ignorance. In reality, if my story was true, then I would have already been privy to such information. She likely knew then of my falsehood, but she seemed to not mind. Her hand moved towards another roll on the stack and then unbound it similarly to the previous one. Her eyes narrowed when she looked at me, and I attempted to look as normal as I possibly could.

The map that I was currency looking at had a far greater scale on it than before. While the prior map had the names of the domain lords and certain key cities and towns, this one was different. In various shades of color, this map contained six nations of various sizes. The older woman seemed to be watching my expression carefully as her finger traveled across the nations. Hidden Grotto, Hidden Grotto Plains, Castover Mountains, and Forest of Misgivings were only a few ecological points that I seemed to recognize from the carry-over.

"We are here in the Nation of Biikar…", the woman says, but my face warped in confusion.

I don't know what she was pulling, but I know how to read and understand a map. Her finger was at least two nations north of the Hidden Grotto. I know for a fact that isn't the case since we strictly went west when exiting the Hidden Grotto. There is no way in hell that three of us walked through two different nations in one day without realizing it. In fact, Astana was the first major city that we encountered in this earlier journey.

"Is that so?", I respond in a sarcastic tone, playing right into her act. "Biikar doesn't seem too large compared to the others. What's this one?"

My finger traveled the largest collection of land currently on this map. Clearly, I could read the "Great Tenumi Empire" penned in black letters, but I had a sneaking suspicion that this woman had begun testing me for some reason. I assumed that like the others before her, she likely didn't believe that I was capable of reading.

Her expression seemed to have shifted to one of more caution. Honestly, I believe that my cover story of being a member of the Conscripted Forces should be buried. If this old woman can see through it, then it should be put out to pasture. After all, a person who belongs to a military branch should have general information about the nations around them. I possessed none so that already is a red flag. I know that, but I believe that I am more than capable with my skills of persuasion.

"The Great Tenumi Empire.", the woman says briefly. "The Empire has been throwing around its influence long before I was a little girl."

'So there is an Empire that exists on this continent?'

It is common for various nations to vie for power and position as time progresses. That knowledge is the reason why I am not surprised that a new and powerful nation has risen following the events of Infinity Unleash. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that this new Great Tenumi Empire is built on the foundations of something that the players within Infinity Unleashed had accomplished.

While I am unsure whether or not the Cyto Religion is widespread, I will be working under the expression that these two might have some connection. The books that Horace retrieved for me briefly mentioned the existence of the Great Tenumi Empire as well as the Nation of Biikar that the woman mentioned earlier. My desire for knowledge of these nations' position from one another is the reason that I found myself in this cartographer shop in the first place.

There is so much new information in this world that I must learn, and I think looking at it from a piece of parchment just isn't enough for me. My eyes shifted to the older woman as she began rolling the unrolled parchment up, and bound them with a thin cloth. She moved with great efficiency before sliding the stack in my direction.

"To be dominant for decades requires incredible strength from a nation. To be called an Empire is proof enough of that. Anyway- " I took the rolls of parchment in my hand and began counting them. After nodding my approval, I placed the rolls back on the countertop, "I will ensure that your youngin' makes it to Oa safely." 

"I have high hopes for your success then. I would ask that you wait for ten minutes in order for us to get prepared on our side.", she responds.

"Ten minutes it is then. I will be standing outside, so once you get everything handled, then you can meet with me there."

Since we are in agreement, I figured that it would serve no greater function standing around the innard of the shop. As suddenly as she arrived behind the desk, the older woman disappeared to the back. That left me with the opportunity to reflect on my situation.

Sticking true to my words as soon as the woman exited, I made my exit as well. Standing next to the doorway of the establishment reminded me of the poor condition of this district. Everywhere I looked disheveled beastmen carried on with their lives. Compared to the more lively elves of the Silver District, there was a distinctive lack of color on these people's faces. The stench of despair flowed heavily through the air masking even the horrible scents of poverty. 

Although I had just entered this world, it was clear to me that I was in a different league compared to them. While I'm not inherently better than them if you were to take a look at our clothing it would be obvious for someone to see that we existed in different worlds. My clothes were a bright beacon of status. Well-trimmed facial hair, and well-tailored clothing, compared to these downtrodden, dirty-eared commoners, I stood out.

I suspect that is the reason why the shopkeeper decided to take me in on my deal. If I were a commoner it would not be too much of a stretch to believe that I was an adventurer of some sort. Whenever we were briefly exploring the city alongside Claire, I managed to land some eyes on some of this world's adventurers.

While I am not as excited as the next guy, I do find some coolness when it comes to the profession. However, if I were to keep things honest, then I would not say that I strive to be an adventurer. If you compare an Adventurer and your common soldier, you'll find them strikingly similar. At the end of the day, both are just peasants fighting at the behest of the more wealthy. They are inherently mediocre, no matter how powerful they are.

'Look at the state of this place. This place may be their home, but it is garbage. I assume that they aren't strong or desperate enough to force a change. They don't look content, but they'll take it on the chin. I'ma fish out of the water, so it's only a matter of time that someone tries to reel me in...'