"No rubies at all?"

"Zu Chiru is so sorry!" The Quagoa lowered his head multiple times, "There are none for sale today…"

"Tch."

The Merchant Guild agent turned on his heel, along with a half dozen others. Ilyshn'ish smiled apologetically at their retreating figures.

"Ah, they became angry," Zu Chiru wrung his claws nervously. "Will ruin come for Zu Chiru next?"

"It's all just posturing," Ilyshn'ish said lightly. "If they can convince you that you're obliged to give them what they want, most of their work is already done."

"I feel like an evil Dragon is giving me advice on how to manipulate innocent people."

Ilyshn'ish gave the counter a whack. Zu Chiru's startled squeak sounded from deep inside the tent.

"You haven't made any promises with them," she told him. "Aren't Merchants supposed to be all about getting the most they can out of everything?"

"Um...no? Well, maybe. Zu Chiru is inexperienced, but both Lady Wagner and Lady Gagnier say that the most valuable thing to a merchant is not money, but trust. Something about keeping an agreeable balance between reputation, quality and price. If one becomes too greedy, others will learn to come to you last. In the end, you will have lost countless opportunities and connections."

"I don't know about that," Ilyshn'ish replied. "In fact, I'm fairly certain that they're the ones who are being greedy. Have you been to the Merchant Guild office?"

"Once, when I was new," Zu Chiru said. "To register. It is very far away, and the streets are always very bright. If the Dwarves were smart like Humans and put magical lights everywhere, I don't think my people would have been able to nearly conquer them. We have no magic users, after all."

Why hadn't they thought of that? Not being aware that they could simply blind their mortal enemies was quite the blind spot.

"How does that work now, anyway?"

"Hm?"

"Relations between the Quagoa and the Dwarves," Ilyshn'ish said. "Those fellows love to nurse their grudges. You've been rivals since before the time of the Demon Gods, yet now it seems you're happily working hand in hand."

"There have been many absurd things recently," Zu Chiru shrugged. "All one can do is laugh and give up."

In their weakness, the mortal races probably had an advantage there. It was difficult for a Dragon to swallow their pride and relinquish their position of dominance. Frost Dragons never forget any slight or wrongdoing made against them, so it was impossible to imagine how the Dwarves and Quagoa could just 'give up' on their ancient rivalry.

"That can't be healthy," she said. "Why not just clobber each other periodically? You, mister Dwarf – how do you feel about the Quagoa these days?"

The Dwarf, who was browsing through the metal ores on display, looked up with a confused expression. His gaze shifted from side to side.

"Doesn't affect my business, if that's what you mean. This ore didn't do anything to me and my kin."

"But what about the Quagoa themselves? You've been rivals under the Azerlisia Mountains since time immemorial."

The Dwarf gave her a noncommittal shrug, and Ilyshn'ish resisted the urge to shake her head. As if to make a point over it not mattering anymore, he purchased a hefty volume of Silver-bearing ores before continuing on his way.

"Y-you're going to get us in trouble!" Zu Chiru whined from behind her. "A Death Knight will drag us away for fomenting discord!"

The Quagoa's vocabulary had inexplicably expanded since she first met him. He had become uncanny with numbers, as well.

"Nonsense," Ilyshn'ish replied. "I doubt a Death Knight could drag me anywhere. Besides, the only reason that Dwarf bought so much was that he didn't want to be seen as discriminating against Quagoa."

"Zu Chiru thinks that people would have second thoughts about Zu Chiru's wife if they knew she was so evil…"

"I'm not your wife."

"Then why are you caring for Zu Chiru so much? We have a warm tent now, with blankets. This sweater is nice and cosy. You bought so many things for Zu Chiru that anyone would believe you are building a nest."

Ilyshn'ish frowned at his reply. Like many other mortals, it only took the smallest suggestion to turn their minds to breeding. It seemed that she couldn't make any improvements to her surroundings without everyone around her speculating over whether they had attracted her interest somehow.

"I told you it was about your stand, did I not?" She said after they finished dealing with another customer, "The better things look, the greater the chances you'll attract customers and sell your goods. You're paying me back for all this, by the way."

"I am?"

"Of course you are! It's…what did you call it again? Ah, yes, an investment. I can do better than that 'Postal Bank' too. For every year that I keep my investment with you, you will pay me back triple."

"How is that better?" His voice rose in alarm, "This is not good for Zu Chiru!"

"But it is good for me."

A clamour rose from inside the tent. One minute later, a small sack of coins landed on the table.

"That was quick," Ilyshn'ish sifted through the payment. "I thought investments were supposed to last tens of thousands of years."

"Zu Chiru was wrong to compare you to a Dragon."

"But I am a Dragon?"

"No, this is much worse," Zu Chiru told her. "A Dragon will only eat Zu Chiru. This…this is something only Humans could do."

Ilyshn'ish looked over her shoulder to eye the Quagoa.

"Humans?"

"Yes," he nodded, "I have heard the tales. Generations enslaved by debts so great that those under them can only languish in despair as they helplessly sink lower. Families must sell off their children just to make payments!"

Ilyshn'ish was shocked and greatly unsettled over the travesty. She would see what she could do to right such wrongs. It wasn't proper that Humans could do better than Dragons at collecting treasure. She was certain she could do better.

"Oh, it's nice and bright here now," a middle-aged man with a strange sort of monocle came up to the stand. "I guess this is your doing, miss?"

"That's right, dear customer," she smiled in welcome. "The previous stand did our wares little justice. Please feel free to take a look."

The man – some sort of jeweller, if the instrument over his eye was any indication – grunted in response and stepped to the side. He started sifting through a box of emeralds, carefully appraising each under one of the lights set up along the stand. Two of the four magic lights were placed over the stall, while the other two were placed in makeshift booths where shoppers could take a closer look at pieces of interest.

The worn and splintered table was covered over with layers of cloth, and the tent that half hung over the stand gave it the appearance of a small storefront. Their disadvantageous position had been turned in their favour, as the lights made them a bright spot along the otherwise shadowed aisle. Several other stands moved closer to take advantage of the light, bringing even more people their way.

Zu Chiru sat in the shadows of the tent at his new desk, wrapped up in his new blanket. His appearance was serviceable for the time being, but Ilyshn'ish resolved to improve that at some point as well. With the modifications to the stand, their inventories were looking sparse far earlier than the previous evening.

"We should close up the stand early," Ilyshn'ish told Zu Chiru.

"We should?"

"It looks like the others do the same when their inventories dwindle as ours have," Ilyshn'ish said. "They don't appear to try and sell every last thing."

"Ah, hm…this is probably because it is no longer worth the time after a certain point? But things in the Demihuman Quarter shouldn't change much even if we are there…"

"Let's go."

They packed away the tent and stand. Zu Chiru's employees expressed their surprise over his early return.

"Master, did something happen?" One of them asked.

"Er, yes," Zu Chiru nodded. "With the changes to the stand, we were able to sell our goods much faster."

Murmurs of awe rose from the assembled apprentices.

"As expected of Zu Chiru's wife!"

"With you by the master's side, our company will rule the world!"

"Ah, I wish for a wife like Zu Chiru's wife."

Ilyshn'ish wasn't sure how she felt about ruling the world at the side of a Quagoa. Not that she thought Zu Chiru would come anywhere remotely close to ruling the world. She cleared her throat.

"Zu Chiru. There's something I want to do with you."

The Quagoa froze.

"D-do…do…do me?"

"I've no idea what that's supposed to mean," Ilyshn'ish took his paw in hers. "Come, let's go somewhere where we can be alone."

The apprentices whistled and stamped their feet.

"Go, Master!"

"I told you she was interested!"

"Make our ancestors proud!"

Ilyshn'ish dragged him off, and Zu Chiru squeezed his eyes shut as she led him out through the northern gate of the city. He opened them again when they walked out into the field northwest of the wall.

"This is very sudden," the Quagoa's fur stood on end. "Zu Chiru's heart needs time to prepare."

"Nonsense," Ilyshn'ish fished out a tarp from her Infinite Haversack. "You can last twenty minutes, can't you?"

"T-twenty minutes?"

She laid the tarp out on the grass.

"Lie down," Ilyshn'ish told him. "The experience won't kill you. Probably."

"Ah, mother, father," Zu Chiru sighed as he lay flat on his back, "Zu Chiru never expected it to happen like this…w-wait, what are you doi–"

His voice grew muffled as Ilyshn'ish rolled him up in the tarp. After a moment, his head popped out of one end.

"This…this kind of thing is too advanced for Zu Chiru! Why can't we-aiiiiiieeeee!"

Ilyshn'ish returned to her Dragon self, snatched the rolled-up Quagoa in one of her claws and took wing. Zu Chiru's terrified squeals trailed in their wake as they skimmed a scarce dozen metres over the land. Her claws twitched as the tarp wriggled around.

"Stop squirming or I might reflexively squish you!"

Zu Chiru stopped. Ilyshn'ish descended along the valley to the river, banking to follow its course.

"Are you feeling cold?" She asked.

"Zu Chiru is feeling sick."

"Sick? Ew! Ewewewewew! Stop that! You're going to get it under my scales!"

She tossed the tarp from claw to claw, trying to shake away the disgusting feeling without much success. In the end, she lowered herself to skim the river's surface, dipping her claws in to wash the putrid substance away. Was that what half-digested ore and meat smelled like?

"Really," she said, "that wasn't nice at all. If you plan on succeeding as a merchant, vomiting on people is something you'll need to avoid. Do you hear me, Zu Chiru? Zu Chiru!"

Ilyshn'ish looked down at her foreclaws. The Quagoa's head lolled limply out of the tarp, froth lining his mouth. At least he wasn't throwing up anymore. Or screaming. She wasn't confident that she could keep him alive if he drew the attention of nearby sheep.

When they arrived in Warden's Vale, Ilyshn'ish dunked Zu Chiru in the river several times.

"Eh? What?"

"We're here," Ilyshn'ish told him. "You still have the rubies you withheld today, yes?"

Zu Chiru shook out his fur before digging around in his satchel. He produced a small bag.

"Where is Zu Chiru?" He asked.

"Warden's Vale," Ilyshn'ish replied. "I'm pretty sure this is where your rubies have been going."

She led them to an awaiting wagon on the harbour, and the Soul Eater took them to the village plaza. Zu Chiru's nose constantly worked as he looked around them.

"This smell is unsettling," he frowned.

"Shouldn't you be used to the surface by now?"

"The odours in the city are less green," Zu Chiru replied. "Here, I feel that a tree might jump out and attack me at any time."

"…a tree?" Ilyshn'ish furrowed her brow at the mental image, "You mean something like a Treant or a Dryad?"

"Zu Chiru does not know what those are."

Ilyshn'ish provided an explanation, and his mouth fell open in horror.

"How can such terrifying creatures exist?" His voice was fearful, "Are there any here?"

"This island is rocky and barren," Ilyshn'ish replied, "I doubt anything like that could pop up here."

The plaza was too bright for Zu Chiru, so Ilyshn'ish led him to the back door of the magic item shop. It took her several sets of knocks to get the clerk to answer.

"Dame Verilyn?" He peeked out at her, "The store is still open – was the door accidentally locked?"

"No, nothing like that," she replied. "I chose this side on purpose. There's someone I'd like for you to meet."

The clerk's brows knit together in confusion. He drew a sharp breath after stepping out.

"By The Six! W-what is that? A Beastman? Are we being raided?"

"Hmm…you're technically not wrong. Zu Chiru is a member of the Quagoa: a race of Mole Beastmen."

Zu Chiru bobbed his head in greeting, offering a smile that sent the clerk back into the doorframe.

"More importantly to you," Ilyshn'ish continued, "Zu Chiru is here to sell you some rubies."

"…rubies you say?"

Zu Chiru held out his bag of gems. After a brief examination and a minute or two of haggling, he came away with a Merchant Guild invoice.

"Those agents," he grumbled, "they were making four times what they paid Zu Chiru! Lady Wagner was right when she spoke of trust – now, I do not wish to ever deal with them again…"

"Until they have something that you need."

"Zu Chiru will work to expand his network of contacts! This ignorance is truly terrifying…"

"Why don't you hire someone that can do things around the city for you? Unless you plan on trying to process that at the Merchant Guild yourself."

Zu Chiru frowned down at his receipt of sale. He looked up at her hopefully.

"I'm not your minion," Ilyshn'ish told him.

"But you have already done so many things for Zu Chiru."

"Because I felt like it. You need a more permanent solution."

"Then I will have to find someone in the city," Zu Chiru put away the receipt. "How far are we? Since we are no longer in a hurry, we can walk, yes?"

Ilyshn'ish pulled the tarp out of her Infinite Haversack, spreading it out over the ground.

"At the rate that you waddle, it would take us over a week. Lie down, Zu Chiru."

Zu Chiru sighed.