The next morning, soft morning sunlight slipped gently through the gaps in the thin silk curtains of the Silver Eagle Inn suite window, illuminating the room with pleasant golden warmth. Small dust particles danced in the light beams, creating a calm and hopeful atmosphere. Sylvia had woken up since dawn, a long-ingrained habit. Her trained body didn’t need long to recover from fatigue.

She stood in front of the wide oak wooden table in the center of the room, carefully and attentively arranging various spice pouches. From her system storage, she took out high-quality stock: pungent black pepper, pure white pepper, slender cinnamon sticks, rare golden-red saffron, dried cloves, sliced dried ginger, and various other exotic spices from the eastern continent. The rich and complex aroma immediately filled the entire suite, blending into a single appetizing and slightly mystical unity.

The Golden Dragon in its small golden kitten form sat elegantly on the edge of the table, its small nose twitching actively as it sniffed the strong aroma. Its long, smooth tail swayed slowly like a metronome, its golden eyes full of curiosity and slight pleasure. Occasionally it stuck out its small tongue, as if tasting the aroma in the air.

On the large bed to the left, Stacia was still curled comfortably under the thick furry blanket, only her messy ash-gray hair visible dangling outside. From the window side, Alicia had woken up earlier. She sat gracefully in a comfortable chair near the window, legs crossed elegantly while reading a small notebook she had written the night before. Morning light touched her beautiful, pale face, giving her a calm and intellectual aura.

"Morning," Sylvia greeted softly without looking away from her work. "We’re opening the stall today. I’ve prepared the main stock. Are you two coming?"

Stacia groaned long from under the blanket, her voice still hoarse from sleep. "Five more minutes... or ten... the world is still too cold..."

Alicia closed her notebook gently, a soft smile adorning her lips. "I’ll come. Stacia, wake up. This is a great opportunity to gather information directly from the market. People talk more when trading."

After a light but nutritious breakfast of warm whole wheat bread spread with butter, scrambled eggs sprinkled with fresh spices, slices of sweet apple, and fragrant calming herbal tea the three of them went down to the inn’s back stable. Their zombie horse carriage was ready, the pitch-black horses standing silently without breathing sounds. Sylvia moved most of the spices and fabric goods physically into the carriage to look natural to outsiders. Valuable items and reserve stock remained neatly stored in her system storage. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

The journey to the northern market wasn’t too far, only about twenty minutes. The stone streets were already busy since early morning. Small merchants pushed their wooden carts, adventurers walked while chatting cheerfully with their teammates, and the aroma of street food began to waft grilled monster meat skewers, cheese-filled bread, and warm peanut soup. The morning air was still cool, but the sun was rising and warming this magnificent city.

The northern market turned out to be much larger and livelier than they had imagined. Hundreds of stalls were neatly lined up under brightly colored cloth tents fluttering in the wind. Intense bargaining sounds, competing vendor shouts, the clink of silver and gold coins, and the laughter of small children running around filled the air. The smells of spices, animal hides, forged iron, and fresh food mixed into the market’s distinctive aroma.

The location given by Guild Master Harlan Voss was indeed very strategic at the end of the main corridor, near the adventurer and upper-middle merchant area. Foot traffic was very high.

The three of them worked together quickly and efficiently to set up the stall. Stacia used her small wind magic to clear dust and dry leaves from the area, then set up a simple yet elegant tent with a mysterious black-and-white motif. Alicia neatly arranged imported silk fabrics and high-quality brocade on the front racks, while Sylvia organized the spice pouches on the main table. Each pouch was given a clear, competitive price label while maintaining a premium impression.

Not long after the stall was ready, the first customers began to arrive. The strong and rare spice aroma immediately attracted many passersby.

"Wow, the aroma is extraordinary!" exclaimed a middle-aged housewife while sniffing a white pepper pouch with her eyes closed. "What quality is this, Miss? The scent is different from what I usually buy."

Sylvia answered calmly and kindly, her voice soft but confident. "One small pouch is 8 silver coins, Ma’am. Pure quality, directly from remote eastern plantations. No mixtures."

The woman immediately bought three pouches. News about the fragrant spices at the new stall spread quickly like wildfire. Within just one hour, their stall was already crowded. Some big merchants came to check wholesale stock, while adventurers bought spices for their dungeon supplies.

Stacia, who was usually the laziest, was surprisingly enthusiastic about serving customers this time. "This is real saffron, Ma’am! Perfect for luxurious cooking or wound-healing concoctions. The price is reasonable!"

Alicia focused more on observing and listening. Through light telepathy, she shared important information with Sylvia. Many customers talked about a new dimensional rift that appeared in the north of the capital two weeks ago. It was said the dungeon appeared suddenly and was full of strong monsters, but also held rare treasures.

Amid the busyness, a simply dressed man with a strong aura approached. Alicia immediately assessed him as a Rank B hunter. His body was sturdy, with old scars on his left arm.

"The spices are really good," he said while examining several pouches. "You guys are new in the capital, right? Be careful. Baron Veldor has quite a big influence among spice merchants. Yesterday there was a rumor he had a big fight with a mage at the guild. They say two of his guards were burned to ash. Did you hear anything?"

Sylvia smiled faintly, her expression remaining calm. "Thank you for the information, Sir. We’ll be careful."

Afternoon quickly turned to evening. Their first day’s sales were quite satisfying. Spice stock was reduced by almost half, and the profit collected already exceeded the target. More importantly, they managed to gather a lot of valuable information: the exact location of the northern dimensional rift, the strength of several major hunter guilds, rumors about the Emperor’s tournament to be held in three months, and subtle whispers about political tensions between the Earth Human factions and the native inhabitants of the fused world.

As the sun began to tilt westward and painted the sky with golden orange, they packed up the stall. Sylvia secured the tent with a simple safety spell from Stacia, then the three of them returned to the inn with a much lighter carriage.

In the comfortable suite room, they sat around the table while calculating the first day’s sales. Stacia lounged on the long sofa with a satisfied face, her legs propped up.

"The profit is pretty good! And the food in this capital is delicious. Earlier I saw a fancy restaurant selling Rank 4 monster steak with special spice sauce. Shall we try it tomorrow?"

Alicia poured warm herbal tea for the three of them. "The information is also very useful. The dimensional rift in the north is said to be dangerous but full of treasures. Many big guilds have already sent exploration teams. There are also rumors about ancient artifacts appearing there."

Sylvia nodded while stroking the Golden Dragon, which was sleeping soundly on her lap. "Tomorrow we’ll open again as usual. In the meantime, we’ll start planning a visit to that rift. But keep a low profile. We’re not here to stand out too quickly."

That night, after a delicious dinner at the inn, the three of them sat relaxed on the spacious suite terrace. The terrace faced directly toward the city center, offering a stunning view. Mana crystal lamps shone brightly across the entire capital, creating a sea of twinkling golden lights. Faint sounds of bustle could be heard from below laughter, street music from taverns, and the rumble of night carriages.

Stacia leaned against the stone terrace railing, the night wind brushing her ash-gray hair. "This city is so big and lively. But for some reason, I feel Nocture is more... alive. Maybe because we built it from scratch with our own hands."

Alicia smiled gently while sipping her tea. "Every place has its own story and soul. We’re here to strengthen ourselves and gather resources, not to compare."

Sylvia gazed at the starry night sky, the cool wind sweeping across her face. "True. This stall is just a tool. The most important thing is information, connections, and opportunities to evolve further. This empire has many secrets we can utilize."

The golden kitten Naga Emas looked up from Sylvia’s lap, its golden eyes reflecting the mana lamp light. Through their strong telepathic bond, it sent warm and loyal feelings to Sylvia’s heart: Wherever Master goes, I will always follow. Even to hell itself.

Sylvia smiled slightly and gently stroked its head. The night grew deeper, but for the three of them, this was only the beginning of a greater plan in the intrigue-filled imperial capital.