"It's good you're awake," Ephillus looked up as Isaiah emerged from the carriage, "Had we been attacked while you were asleep you wouldn't wake up again,"

"Sorry about that." Isaiah handed over his plate to Quincillus as his father gestured for Isaiah to sit beside him, "That will not happen again,"

"Hopefully... That said, can you read and count?"

"Yes."

The answer surprised Ephillus but he decided to continue, "How much?"

"Well... Good enough I guess."

"Good enough, huh..." Ephillus then picked out a sheet of paper from a bag and gave it to Isaiah "Tell me, if you add the cost of the wheat and of the flour how much do you have to pay?" He then handed him an abacus though Isaiah simply looked at the paper.

It was similar to when he first heard the language native to this planet. The words written on the document were instantly translated the moment they entered his thoughts, he was even surprised that he could read them. Granted they were using the alphabet, the words however were written in the same manner as the Slavic languages were. Yet once more, despite having no prior knowledge of anything Slavic words, he was somehow capable of reading and understanding them.

That said it took some time for his mind to adjust to this as suddenly being able to translate things is going to feel weird. However, to Ephillus it looked like something else entirely,

Ephillus waited as he looked at Isaiah who stared at the scroll, he noticed that he hadn't even touched the abacus yet and sighed in disappointment, "No need to lie, Isaiah, just tell if you-"

"1,430 RM, whatever that means..."

"What?" He tilted his head,

"Fourteen hundred thirty... RM." Isaiah replied as Ephillus took the list back and scanned it. Even Aria who had glued herself to her book looked up with surprise, she could remember that question back when Ephillus was teaching both his sons the trade, it took them quite a while to get the answer and even then they were wrong yet this man somehow got the correct answer in one go, without using the abacus.

"How..."

"My parents taught me how to count in the head," Isaiah replied as Ephillus returned the list to him and took back the abacus, slightly annoyed.

"You can count numbers without the abacus then... If you were to purchase only 10 sacks of flour, how much would each cost?"

Isaiah paused and then replied, "150."

"How did you get that number?"

"Division, multiplication, then subtraction."

"What?" Aria approached them, "Is there magic for counting?"

"Ah, no madam..." Isaiah was about to explain mathematics to them but then remembered that they were both merchants. The simplification of mathematics had rendered the abacus useless over time as it was easier to count the numbers by hand than to use the long and tedious instrument. This also meant that to these merchants, it would make their accounting much easier. And as the old adage goes, 'Time is Gold'.

Isaiah therefore remained quiet about his methods unless they coughed up some cash in exchange, "M-my mother taught me how to count,"

"She must have been a good merchant then," Aria turned to her husband who gave Isaiah another list, though this time the numbers were mixed unlike the whole numbers from the previous chart,

"This one..." He pointed at the line that listed the prices of products "If I were to buy only 4 crates of salt and use the additional money to purchase more crates of saffron, what would I get?"

The chart showed that Ephillus once purchased about 100 crates of salt and 10 crates of saffron, their individual prices had been thoroughly scratched out. The total price for the salt was 74,422 RM while the cost of saffron was listed at 8544 RM. His mind quickly went to work,

"At 744 per salt crate... That would mean you spent, no would spend about 2,976 for the salt crates, which would give you about 74,446 left to buy about, er, 87-or so ish more crates of saffron, with about, hmm, 100, no like, 130, ah 148 RMs left." He replied in one go.

'Back when math still had no letters and only numbers...' For some reason, it was fun answering their questions. 'Thank God Pythagoras wasn't reincarnated, or Newton, or whatever demon added letters to math. Though they might arrive soon hopefully I won't be dealing with that

Aria looked at her husband who was looking at his list which contained the answer. He then turned to Isaiah and nodded, "Forget about being an adventurer, why not be a merchant? I can also arrange for your adoption if that's a problem."

"Aah... What do you mean by that?"

"Sorry, I believe you don't know me that much..." The man then smiled, "I am Ephillus Orkelion of the Orkelion merchants guild. The guild is headed by my grandfather and I have been sent to Koln to deliver and purchase goods. I can arrange for you to be paid at least 1000 RM per week as I teach you the trade as an apprentice then eventually you can be a merchant yourself, with your brain and that skill of yours I am sure you can make it out for yourself someday, you could earn more money as a merchant than being an adventurer, in fact only the highest ranked adventurers could match the income of a middle-class merchant."

Isaiah paused, he wasn't too sure of who the Orkelion guild was but considering that they were a guild and this man was dealing with spices then he could easily tell that huge amounts of money were involved, that would also mean that the guild was rich. Money was a problem he was facing at the moment and being an adventurer might not pay well considering the risk it is associated with. He might have hated math, but just doing simple calculations and getting paid a good amount might be great, plus getting rich was the first and hardest step of getting to Nicole.

He would've accepted their offer right here and then had he not remembered the burn mark on his left chest. If they found out about the branding, questions would be raised and though this man might not ask, he was sure that the other guild members might not be so kind. Thus he decided to reject this fortune,

"I'd rather not, there are things that I have to do."

"How so?" Aria joined, "You are an adult, yet you are not yet an adventurer, based on what you wore as well you are looking for money is that it? Being a merchant would be a better way of earning money than risking your life adventuring. We can even arrange a sum of cash to be sent to your parents if that's troubling you."

"Aah, actually... I want to go to Koln not just to be an adventurer but I was looking for my parents... I heard news that they might be in Koln." Isaiah quickly came up with a story. It was partially correct, though he knew where his parents were, back on Earth, he was looking for them. That said, he would never find them unless he somehow returned back to Earth.

"Is that so?" Ephillus shook his head, "Well, being a merchant also means dealing with information... But I won't force you. I am staying in Koln for a week or two before we will head to the west, if you ever change your mind just tell me."

"I am honored."

"That said, I hope you wouldn't mind if you help me out with the charts. I have plenty of work coming."

"I don't mind, as long as I get paid."

"Tsk..." Ephillus clicked his tongue while Aria chuckled, " 5 bronze per chart, but no abacus, it's mine. And one mistake and the reward is forfeit."

"Sure..."

...