THE DIMENSIONAL MERCHANT-Chapter 91 - 90: An Unexpected Deal

Kael stepped through the front doors of the inn. Chairs were still upturned on tables from the cleaning, and only a few sleepy travelers sat nursing mugs in the corners.

Alenia glanced up from the bar, where she was drying a pewter cup.

"Ah, Kael," she called with a faint smile. "Here for breakfast?"

"No," Kael replied simply, not slowing his pace.

He walked straight to the counter and stopped in front of the innkeeper, who was scribbling notes in a worn ledger.

"There’s an adventurer party called the Red Band staying here, right?" Kael asked.

The innkeeper looked up, squinting over his spectacles. "Yeah. Third floor. They’re leaving before noon, from what they said."

"Good." Kael nodded. "I want to meet them now. It’s something very important."

Alenia came a little closer, her expression suspicious. "Are you thinking up something strange again?"

Kael gave her a sidelong glance. "Depends on your definition of strange."

She raised an eyebrow. "Considering what you call normal, I’m worried."

He ignored the jab and continued, "During our conversation last night, you said I couldn’t buy the Adventurer’s Guild."

"Yes, because you can’t," Alenia said, folding her arms.

"Well, that got me thinking," Kael said calmly. "If I can’t buy the Guild, then I’ll make my own. Hire adventurers directly. Form a private group."

He glanced at Alenia. "My business is expanding faster than I expected. And this city—Ginip—it’s practically on the edge of nowhere. Forests on one side, wasteland on the other. Bandits, monsters, desperate nobles... there’s no shortage of threats. So, I’ll need more than just steel locks to keep things safe. I need reliable people to protect it."

The innkeeper raised a brow. "So you’re talking about forming a mercenary team?"

Kael nodded. "Something like that. A security company. But more professional. Organized. Disciplined. Not drunk fools swinging swords for coins."

The innkeeper chuckled low in his throat. "Well, it sounds like you’ve got a lot of coin to throw around."

Kael turned slightly toward him. "I do. Enough that I could probably buy this whole place right now. If you’re selling."

He meant it as a joke—half a smirk tugged at his lips. But to his surprise, the innkeeper didn’t laugh.

Instead, the old man leaned forward slightly, resting both hands on the counter.

"Alright," he said. "You can take it. But I won’t accept a coin less than four hundred and fifty gold."

Kael blinked. For a moment, silence hung in the air.

Wait... he’s serious?

He glanced at Alenia, whose mouth had fallen open.

"Four hundred and fifty gold?" she gasped. "Are you serious?!"

"I was just joking."

The innkeeper wasn’t. He met Kael’s gaze steadily. "I’m not."

Alenia frowned and turned toward him. "But... what will happen to me if you sell the shop?"

"You’ll still be working here," the innkeeper replied without hesitation. "Just under Kael instead of me."

Kael raised an eyebrow. "You’re seriously willing to sell it? Just like that?"

The innkeeper let out a tired sigh and leaned on the counter.

"Yes... of course," he said quietly. "I’ve got more debt than I care to admit, and I’m too old to keep running this place like I used to. I just want to retire now, live out the rest of my years in peace."

He paused, glancing around the quiet inn.

"When I first opened this place, business was booming. Ginip was livelier then—travelers, merchants, adventurers... The rooms were always full, the tables always loud. But as the years went by, the city started to shrink. Less trade, fewer people coming and going."

He shook his head. "I tried to hold on, but keeping this place running bled me dry. Took out loans I couldn’t repay. These days, it feels like I’m just waiting for it all to collapse."

Then he looked at Kael, his voice firm but sincere. "If you’re serious, I’ll sell it to you. Four hundred and fifty gold coins—no less. That’s all I ask. Enough to clear my debts so I can spend the rest of my life without any worries."

Kael said nothing for a moment, his expression unreadable.

Four hundred and fifty gold coins.

He did the math instinctively.

That’s... four hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

A price worthy of a manor, not a worn-down inn in a border city.

The problem was... he didn’t actually have four hundred and fifty gold.

He guessed his current assets—between the shop, the factory lockbox, and whatever emergency stash he had in dimensional storage—might amount to two hundred, maybe two-fifty gold coins. At best.

Still, he wasn’t about to walk away from this.

The inn had three floors, and it was the largest in the city. There was a stable, a shed, and even a warehouse out back. The structure alone was worth a fortune in this economy.

I need a lot of money to get it.

Maybe I could push the mayor for a reward.

After all, I cured an entire village of malaria with my modern medicine. If that didn’t deserve compensation, nothing did. She owed me something.

But that wouldn’t cover the full amount.

Hmm... I need to go back to Earth and sell some of my stuff to make money. Maybe I’ll gather up the rest in a day or two.

"Alright," he said finally. "No problem."

Alenia blinked. "Wait—what?"

Kael reached into his coat and pulled out a small leather pouch. He untied the cord and tilted it, letting coins spill into his palm.

"Ten gold coins," he murmured, counting them out. "Seventy silver. That’s all I have on me right now."

He slid the stack across the counter.

"A small advance," Kael continued. "The rest—I’ll deliver in full within two days. Bring the deed, all relevant papers, and I’ll pay the full 450 gold."

The innkeeper didn’t move. He stared at the coins, then at Kael.

"Two days?" he asked.

"Yes. Two days. Four hundred and fifty gold coins is not a small number. It will take me at least that long to gather the full amount."

The innkeeper exhaled slowly. His fingers trembled slightly as he reached out and pulled the coins toward him.

"Alright," he said at last. "Two days. But until then, I’m still the owner."

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