Someone's Knocking At The Door

"Class 3 or higher? You're truly going all out for me, Miss Sini. Even if I had to wait the entire day, I wouldn't mind at all." Linkin said with a warm smile.

'One may accidentally mistake you for a merchant if you keep acting this way, Miss Sini. It makes me curious. Are all the members of the Assistant Association like this?'

Linkin was smiling cheerfully on the outside; however, he could see right through Sini's intentions.

Linkin did not believe that Sini was lying about the private room being reserved for Class 3 or higher merchants. However, the reason Sini brought him to this place was not solely out of the kindness of her heart.

Linkin was all too familiar with this kind of "high-end" treatment.

It was no different from those car salesmen back on earth who would suddenly drop the price of a car and tell the customer, "I usually don't do this for others." to make them feel special.

Provide someone with a VIP-like experience and make them feel appreciated and special—these tactics were commonly used to close deals.

When convincing anyone to spend their money to purchase anything, be it a product, service, or even an idea, the most difficult part was the closing.

In the end, no matter how much knowledge you displayed or how many pleasantries you poured out, it was all useless if you could not convince anyone to buy anything and secure a profit.

'You don't have to worry so much, Miss Sini. I have no plans of running away, you know?'

"Your words are too kind. If there is anything you require, just knock on the table three times, and I will be here to assist you as quickly as possible. Once I leave, the doors to the private room will be automatically locked. Unless it is an absolute emergency, even the workers of the Merchant's Guild will be unable to intrude. Of course, you are always free to leave the room at any time you desire. Also, if you wish to grant entry to someone, you simply have to give audible permission for them to enter." Sini stated.

She then gave a respectful bow and said, "I will send the assistant that you have requested to this room upon their arrival. In the meantime, I shall excuse myself to tend to my duties."

"Then, I'll be patiently waiting here," Linkin responded.

After Sini bid farewell, she walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Click!

The moment Sini left, Linkin released a long sigh as he sprawled out on the built-in seating and stared up at the ceiling.

'As I thought, I can't relax at all. Some say ignorance is bliss. But those who say that have no idea how truly terrifying ignorance can be. In a world that I know so little about, my blissful ignorance may end up getting me killed sooner rather than later. That's a steep price I'm unwilling to pay. I'm also severely lacking in connections. Though, I have to admit... what truly alarms me the most is that I have absolutely zero knowledge and protection against the magic of this world.'

Even if he did not know about the laws of this new world or the exact way that things worked, Linkin was still confident in his people skills and ability to adapt. However, magic was a completely foreign concept to Linkin.

'I have a lot of work waiting for me after I leave the Merchant's Guild. I'm not looking forward to it at all.'

Linkin let out another long sigh as he placed his hands behind his head.

"I'd like to at least die of old age the second time around..." Linkin muttered to himself as he closed his eyes.

And, as Linkin did so, a smile unlike those before had unknowingly found its way onto his face.

...

...

...

Approximately half an hour passed by as Linkin remained in the private room at the Merchant's Guild.

Linkin used the quiet time he had to himself to organize his thoughts and mentally go over the first business venture he planned to undertake. After all, it would be the debut of the Cheshire Cat Company and there was nothing more important than first impressions. This applied even more so in the world of business.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

All of a sudden, the silence within the private room was broken by the sound of knocking at the door.

'Oh? It looks like I don't have to wait the entire hour after a-'

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Linkin frowned as the orderly knocking abruptly turned into a series of loud bangs. Not even two seconds had passed since the first knock and yet they were already banging on the door without reserve.

'This assistant must be rather impatient.'

"You may enter," Linkin said aloud.

Click!

Immediately after Linkin gave permission to enter, the door opened. However, the sight he witnessed caused Linkin to inwardly frown.

In front of his door was not the assistant he had been waiting for. Instead, there stood a group of seven individuals—one of which was clearly an employee of the Merchant's Guild.

But, at the moment, that employee had a troubled look on her face.

"Huh? What the- It's just one guy in here. Those shabby clothes—is he a street vendor? What kind of joke is this?" A male voice filled with annoyance and a tinge of anger sounded from the forefront of the group.