The Seventh

Twenty-Second of the Sixth 

87 FA

An hour before the sunrise, within the city of Al-Intys, a certain slave with pale skin and deep crimson eyes awakened with a heart full of trepidation. Regardless of his hesitation though, he steeled himself for what the day had prepared for him. Such was the weight of his desire for survival. 

Meanwhile, upon the vast desert expanse of The Sounra Kingdom, the sun slowly rose. Its embrace quickly engulfed the land of sand, causing each of the kingdom’s many cities to quickly become a beacon of vibrant activity. 

Amongst the kingdom’s seven vast cities, two were crucially located upon its easternmost end. Those being its two famous market cities; 

Rellunh, The North Eastern Market City and Gurenh, The South Eastern Market City.

They were situated just a few kilometers from the kingdom’s vast borders with their eastern neighbors, those being The Land of Labyrinths, Home of Hell; The Laywin Kingdom, and The Desert Oasis, Land of the Eternal River; The Nation of Pladus. 

Naturally with how popular The Sounra Kingdom’s slave industry was, many different customers, adventurers, noblemen, and wealthy merchants would travel the arduous borders for the chance of acquiring their desired products. 

For that reason, the two market cities were the most bustling cities within the entirety of The Sounra Kingdom. They were also the cities which at any given time had more foreigners within their walls than actual born Sounrans. 

Today was no exception from that norm. The moment the sun fully rose, within the City of Rellunh, the markets came to life. Countless foreigners exited their stables and alongside them were the city residents as they began their busy day. 

While the city residents had their work to focus on, the numerous foreigners had already begun storming into the city’s many markets which peppered its grand expanse. Naturally, they were all covered by robes which helped them combat against the searing heat. They were all also of different backgrounds which made for stand out contrasts when one compared different groups. 

The most obvious of these differences was that of the humans and those of the beast-race. While most chose to hide their animal features, if one looked hard enough, they could quickly discover them among the large crowds. That was especially true to those of the beast-race which possessed eye-catching horns or antlers which stuck out from their heads.  

However, even when amongst such distinguishing crowds, three figures cladded in the standard gray robes walked about leisurely. The three figures consisted of two men and a sole woman. They walked in a somewhat sloppy triangle formation whereas the youngest of the three walked ahead with great leisure while the two tailed his back. 

To the right back side, the second male figure walked with a heavy load of supplies strapped to the leather bag on his back. Although his face was covered by the hood of his gray robe, that could not hide his older features such as his white beard and wrinkled cheeks.

To his left, the sole woman walked as she glanced at each of the passing stalls. Her perfect curves were unable to be hidden by her robes while her temperament was that of utter elegance, even as the sun battered down at her. Underneath the shadow of her raised hood was a perfectly proportioned face with smooth jade-like skin which made her appear like a beautifully sculptured porcelain doll. 

As they continued to pass by stall after stall, the young man leading the trio suddenly halted before one which had a plethora of jewelry laid bare for all to be tempted by. 

The two behind him naturally halted their walk as well. Meanwhile, the young man’s focus was upon the elderly lady overseeing the stall. With a gentle voice he asked. 

“Madam, might you tell me about these jewelries? They appear beautifully crafted, it is truly a crime to find such treasures hidden upon this small market.” 

The young man's entire temperament overflowed with both confidence and charm as he spoke. The elderly lady meanwhile gave a toothy smile. 

“How kind young sir, I thank you for your words. My jewelry is bought from merchants of The Laywin Kingdom, however, that is merely the raw materials…” 

The elderly lady stood from her seat and pulled back the curtain situated behind her. The moment she did, an entirely unseen part of her small business was revealed. Behind the curtain was a wide room filled with numerous working tables, shelves, raw materials, and tools. Walking about rapidly with practiced synergy were a group of young girls cladded in white dresses, each responsible with managing a section of the production process. 

“These are my slaves, they work with great skill each day to ensure my business’s prosperity. I have them to thank for the quality of my products.” 

Turning her head back to the young man, the elderly lady’s smile grew even wider, this time however, there was a clear hint of greed shimmering beneath her brown eyes. 

“Naturally, this being Sounra, I also have these slaves for sale. Should you be interested then I can assure you a reasonable price… Hmm how about 20 Silver Pens?” 

There it is, truly without fail huh…

Thinking inwardly while smiling beneath his hood, the young man shook his head. 

“Ah, my apologies madam, however circumstances prevent my purchasing of slaves at the moment. For now just the jewelry alone shall be enough.” 

“Hmm, are you certain young sir? I can assure you that you shall regret nothing, I am even willing to lower it to 15 Silver Pens.” 

The young man shook his head once again. Understanding that she had no means for a greater transaction, the elderly lady gave up and returned to her seat. As she did, she eagerly began explaining some notable information of the products before her. 

“Quite detailed indeed. I must say, the people of Sounra have mastered the art of business.” 

The elderly lady chuckled. 

“Heh-heh, I must say that your tongue is of the finest silver. So which shall it be?” 

The young man pointed at a red necklace with intricate patterns etched onto its rubies. 

“This one.” 

The elderly lady’s eyes shone with excitement.

“Excellent choice young sir! It shall be 10 Copper Pens or 1 Silver Pen.” 

The young man nodded, however pausing slightly, he curiously asked. 

“I do apologize, I should have asked sooner, however do you perhaps accept Vanastrean currency? It is all which I currently possess.”  

The elderly woman’s expression froze, before her eyes shimmered with delight. Then with a realization she asked. 

“Young sir, are you a Vanastrean? Heh-heh, no wonder your accent sounded somewhat off, it all accounts now.” 

The young man smiled, then said in a self-deprecating tone. 

“Ah, yes, you see I have studied Southern Gianese to its mastery, however I neglected the much more difficult Dornish Dialect. As a result I can only speak it crudely. I do apologize if it has offended you.”

The elderly woman shook her head, her elation untarnished.

“Nonsense! You speak it well enough young sir, I merely asked to satisfy my own curiosity. And as for your earlier inquiry, yes, Vanastrean currency is more than acceptable. In fact, I welcome it.”

Hearing such, the young man gestured for the figure not far from him. 

“Vince, add it with the rest.” 

The elderly figure cladded in gray robes, Vince Marcel, nodded and proceeded to purchase the desired item. As he did, the beautiful woman approached the young man’s side. Upon seeing her do so, the young man donned a smile as he asked.   

“These are some fine jewelry, what do you think Rosena? Shall it prove as a perfect gift for my dear sister?” 

The figure which he addressed, Rosena Hayward, could not help but openly sigh as she whispered. 

“Your royal highness, we have already bought a mountain’s worth of treasures for the crown princess. If we continue to loiter about for yet another day, then not only shall our finances continue to dwindle, but I’m afraid that the king shall think you perished under my watch.”  

Hearing Rosena’s sweet voice host such an exasperated tone brought some amusement to the young man. He chuckled. 

“Perish under your watch? Surely you jest, is such a thing even possible?” 

Rosena held back another sigh and then spoke helplessly. 

“Your royal highness, I was merely exaggerating my point a bit. Please do not act as if you misunderstood. If we do not hurry and deal with the task placed by your father, then he might grow impatient.” 

Hearing her concern, the young man cladded in gray robes chuckled once more. 

“Heh-Heh, I have been procrastinating on my assignment most certainly, however, before anything else I prefer to become acquainted with the many sides of such a close allied kingdom. Do not worry though, my royal father shall never grow impatient I’m afraid. He is simply too stagnant of a person for such things.” 

Seeing that Vince, his retainer, was done purchasing the necklace, the young man bid his farewell then began walking upon the bustling streets of the small market which they found themselves in. Not forgetting his conversation however, the young man soon turned to address the beautiful Rosena which had silenced her concerns and began following him. 

“Worry not Rosena, I have loitered long enough. I already planned to take action today and begin our travel towards the capital.” 

Hearing such a conformation, Rosena let out a sigh of relief before nodding. The young man meanwhile, returned his focus to the market before him. As he did, his gentle smile soon faded and his ocean blue eyes turned cold. 

Today, William Emestra, first son of King Andor Emestra The Second, royal prince of The Vanastrea Kingdom, and its current ambassador, readied himself to at last take action upon the task ordered of him after two long days of leisure sightseeing.