Surrounded by the shroud of dusk, Ben waited in the van.

  The village folk had finished loading the ore into two of the largest carts, which had been daisy-chained together. Their contents had been covered and secured with large, thick cloths to prevent anything from falling out while traversing the bumpy roads.

  Ben had placed the Mirium ore in a wooden crate and, as instructed, covered it with a cloth to keep it nice and cushioned. He glanced at Har and waited for him to give the thumbs-up before they set off.

  The journey took them past the bridge checkpoint, where they briefly chatted with Knight Elias, whose bad drinking habit had been blue-balled by all the soldiers guarding the village. Har promised the knight he would bring him something from the town before they continued.

  The journey consisted of going down the neat cobbled road along the river. Apart from a few spaced-out villages and hamlets where a few people had gathered to watch the van as it strolled past them, there wasn't much to see. A few times, they were stopped by the local guards, to which Har kindly explained the situation on Ben’s behalf.

  After almost four hours, Ben hit the brakes and stopped at a large gatehouse surrounded by two-story high palisades on both sides. A pair of guards approached Har before a lengthy conversation transpired, and when they were done, Har made his way to the van.

  “They said you can’t take the van beyond that point as it’ll attract too much-unwanted attention from the village folk. They don't want a full-blown riot to break out because people want to take a look at it.” Har explained.

  Ben understood the reasoning. It had been normal for people to gather around the van in densely populated areas, and he figured the same thing would happen when he traveled out of the Hollow City. He gave Har a nod, “Alright, tell them that’s fine as long as no one comes near it and starts messing around with it. Or else I’ll be having words with Le’Vieux about it.”

  Har nodded, “I’ll let them know.” He then went off to speak with the guards.

  Ben parked the van on the grassy clearing near the gate before grabbing the crate of Mirium from the back. He made sure to lock the van before climbing atop Har’s cart. The moment his butt touched the seat, he felt uncomfortable, feeling as if he was sitting on a pile of rough, uneven rocks.

  “What the heck!” He exclaimed. He waited for Har to return when asking, “How do you even sit on this thing for hours at a time? Your ass must be rough as a bear's ass.”

  Har chuckled, “I know it’s not as fancy as your van, but you get used to it after some time.”

  “What? You mean get used to having my ass bruised black and blue?” Ben questioned. The only response he received was a laugh as the gate was raised.

  When they entered, Ben noticed dozens of multistorey buildings made from various wood, stone, brick, and thatch materials. Most buildings were very close together or joined together to conserve space.

  “The town is split into various districts. The commoners live around here, so the buildings are like this.” Har remarked.

  As they approached the center, the buildings became more spaced and larger, some even four or five stories tall. Then, suddenly, everything became flat, and many market stalls appeared. The place looked like a bazaar, as Ben had seen in some eastern countries on Earth.

  “This is the commercial district.” Har started, “The larger buildings are home to the various guilds where you’ll find some of the best vendors. The other buildings contain smaller artisan businesses with traders of general goods taking up marketplace stalls.”

  Ben nodded, “I see. So, where shall we begin?”

  Har motioned towards the marketplace. “I know someone there who might be interested. The artisans and guilds will want to buy in large quantities and at wholesale prices. We can barter with the stall merchants for a better price.”

  Har steered the cart along a track that cut through the cloth canopies that covered the stalls. Many people were walking around browsing wares and had to move out of the way when the clopping of hooves approached.

  Ben noticed a few people giving them strange stares and figured they must have been curious about something. As the cart came to a stop, Ben felt the cart shake and rattle, causing him more discomfort on his ass.

  “You should think about getting this seat padded,” Ben muttered. “Besides, what’s the deal with them staring at us like that?”

  “People around these parts are weary about new faces showing up. They’re probably wondering who you are and where you’re from. Those clothes you’re wearing are out of place here. Then, some would want to steal what we have. A few criminal outfits operate in this city and have watched our every move since we entered. The guards do a great job of keeping the peace around here, and since you’re Hollow Moon, these people wouldn't dare try anything with you lest they lose their heads.” Har explained in a hushed tone. He then motioned at a nearby stall that sold various ores and ingots. “Let me do all the talking. If he hears your voice, he will know you are not from here and will try to rob us blind on the price.”

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  Har hopped off the cart and pranced over to the merchant. They appeared to greet each other before Har pointed at the carts. They started chatting some more before it looked like they were arguing. The conversation started taking a turn for the worse when it looked like they were about to start fighting, which caused one of the nearby guards to walk over and stare. Things eventually calmed down before they shook hands like a deal was made.

  Har walked back to the cart with a wide grin planted on his face, “He can be a stingy git like Arthel sometimes, but he’s agreed to buy half a cart for twenty gold pounds.”

  Ben helped Har to unload one of the carts. Once the merchant had his ore, he counted the coins and passed them to Har, who then put them in Ben’s hand.

  [+20 Gold Pounds.]

  Seeing that, the merchant shook his head with a hiss and gave them the death stare.

  “Don't pay him any attention. He always does that and buys more the next time you see him.” Har muttered. He twisted his neck and started looking around the stalls, “If my memory serves me well, there’s another merchant around here with a similar stall. Ah, I remember now.”

  Har steered the cart across to the other side of the market, where another similar stall appeared. The merchant at that one appeared to be more well-mannered and didn't try to fight with Har. When the price was agreed, he bought half a cart’s worth and even helped unload it.

  [+20 Gold Pounds.]

  With that done, Har jumped back on the cart. “From the looks of things, I don't think any more merchants around here are looking to buy ore. There’s a smithy nearby where we can try, but I’m not sure if they’ll want to buy from us.”

  Ben raised his eyebrow and asked, “And why’s that?”

  “Well, you see, they used to buy from Lord Blackrock a long time ago, but there was some disagreement over the ore quality, and the contract was canceled. With you being the new owner, I'm hoping they might want to try it again,” Har explained before setting off.

  After weaving out of the market stalls, they traveled to a place that looked like a central square. The buildings were constructed of stone and appeared to have facades that looked much better than those in the commoner's quarter. Their roofs were tiled like those in Hollow City.

  Har stopped the cart beside a shop where a wall surrounded the front garden. The place smelled smokey and acrid like a lot of coal was being burned with hints of earth and metal. The rhythmic clangs of metal rung from within, and when Har moved through a small gap in the wall, a dozen people could be seen working hard.

  At the back were two large round forges, where blacksmiths pounded red-hot metal on an anvil. A few workers carried various things, such as coal and crafted items, back and forth. Ben thought the operation was decent, but it was pale compared to what he had seen at the Hollow Keep.

  A man walked out of the building and rushed to the cart. “If I’ll be damned, is that you, Har?” He asked.

  “Aye, it’s me, the one and only. I’ve come to see if you’re interested in buying some iron.” Har replied.

  Ben observed the man as he glanced at the carts keenly. He appeared to be older than the other workers, and Ben estimated him to be just a few years yonder than Har. His clothes were of fine quality, and he had a fairly large pouch around his belt that looked filled with coins.

  The man crossed his arms and raised his brow. “I’m assuming this is from the Blackrock Mine. I’m certain you know well what happened to our contract with them. And from the rumors, didn't the mine collapse, trapping the miners along with Lord Blackrock?”

  “Aye, it’s true that. But this man here,” Har pointed at Ben before continuing, “cleared the mine entrance and is trying to reopen the mine under his new management. Unlike Lord Blackrock, he’ll provide you with good-quality ore if you are interested in some regular deliveries. I will personally ensure the ore is of high quality.”

  The man sighed before thinking things through. He then nodded and asked, “I’ll start with two carts full every week. Is that something you’re able to do?”

  “Well, it all depends on how much you want to pay. Give me a figure so we have something to work with.” Har replied.

  “Alright,” the man nodded. “The going rate is thirty gold per full cart. I can double it if the ore has been smelted into ingots.”

  “Thirty!” Har exclaimed. “We sold a carts worth for forty in the marketplace. Come on, I’m certain you can do better than thirty.”

  The man sighed, “The best I can offer you is thirty-five for a cart full and double if it’s smelted. If you want more, then you should do business somewhere else.”

  Har turned to Ben and said, “It’s not as good as what you’ll get in the markets, but it’s regular money coming in every week. This forge works closely with the guilds and might be your way if things go well. That’s where the real money is. What do you say?”

  “Well, if you’re more than happy to handle the deliveries, tell him we have a deal,” Ben said.

  “We might need to hire a couple more couriers, but that can be done once I’ve spoken to a few people.” Har nodded before turning to the man, “We have a deal. As you can see, we’ve only got one cart full left, so you’ll have to wait till next week for the agreed-upon two.”

  The man counted thirty-five coins and passed them over before turning to some of the workers. “Get here and unload the ore from this cart.” He then faced Har and said, “That won't be an issue. Ensure you don't miss the delivery next week; otherwise, the deal will be off.” He passed the coins to Har and said, “You’ll be paid upon delivery every time, and from next week, you’ll receive a banker's check as payment.”

  [+35 Gold Pounds.]

  The man looked about to walk off when Har stopped him. “I don't suppose you know anyone looking to buy Mirium ore?” Har asked, removing the cloth covering the crate to reveal the enchanting glow of its contents. “As you can see, we have a full crate.”

  The man stepped back before his mouth nearly dropped to the ground as if in shock. It took him a moment to get composed when he finally asked, “Where in the holy hell did you get that much from?”

  Har gave the man an awkward stare, “It was mined.”

  The man nodded. “I didn't think that mine had any left there. We don’t exactly have a use for it here, but you might be able to try one of the guilds that specialize in magical items. With that much in tow, you won't need special privileges. They’ll practically throw the money at you.” Shaking his head, “You’re full of surprises, Har. I never thought I’d see that much Mirium in my entire lifetime. Anyway, I have to get back to my work. I’ll await my delivery next week, so don't be late.”

  Ben turned to Har. “So, what now?”

  “Let’s get to one of those guilds and see what they say.” Har finished before they set off.