VRMMO: World's First Glyphborne-Chapter 87: What’re Ya Buyin’?

The market district of Gracia, which was the name of the city she had arrived in, was much larger than she had been expecting. Although considering that she had only learned of the cities name from her brothers message, and hadn’t even memorised it, was speaking to how little Belladonna actually knew about it.

In her defence though, she was busy with other things. It definitely was not an indication of her attention issues nor her proclivity to wander off onto strange tangents of thoughts when important information was being told to her.

She had definitely never done such a thing before. That would be entirely irresponsible of her.

Because Gracia was actually one of the main hubs of the country of Lucetania, a fact she had definitely known the entire time and hadn’t just learned from asking people, it was filled with bustling commerce. The merchant district took up a large chunk of the cities real estate, filled with a variety of merchants.

From large and fanciful store fronts run by reputable businesses, to small stalls run by younger children. They sold nearly everything one could hope to find. Potions, Armour, Weapons, Fashion, Food and much more. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Carts filled with goods and carriages carrying nobility and other self-important people were constantly trailing past them on the cobbled streets, with the latter showing very little regard for pedestrians forcing people to rush out of their way lest they be crushed by the various creatures that dragged these carriages.

But because it was so popular, it also meant that the prices of these things were truly expensive. From the bigger stores, that Belladonna could only inspect through the windows as she wasn’t even allowed inside, some of the most basic items cost 5 Regil.

It was a massive culture shock from her time in the tiny starter village and suddenly made her massive hoard of wealth feel not so massive. There were also some truly expensive items, magic items, being sold for a price she couldn’t even imagine. Not because the number was too big, but because it was labelled with a symbol that she didn’t recognise, as it was neither Regil, Solis or Brut.

She couldn’t even ask the store owners, as their massive bouncers glowered at her whenever she approached the doors, as if they could smell the poverty on her. Or perhaps it was because she was dressed like some kind of bouncer and was constantly leering in the windows. Who’s to say.

Thankfully, this was mainly limited to bigger stores. There were smaller ones that were more affordable, and even smaller than that there were stalls lining the streets. Finding someone to sell to was actually becoming a slight issue.

The cheaper stalls only wanted to sell, and not waste their time buying random things from strange Graceless, and the more expensive shops that could afford the items didn’t bother letting her in.

It was in her search for some kind of adventurers guild type building, that Belladonna finally found something that caught her attention. Or more accurately, it found her.

"Hey you! Yeah you in the armour! Any need for new gear to go with those fancy threads. I got a few pairs of boots that would really suit you! Or maybe you’ve got some good loot you want to offload?"

An excited, if slightly desperate, voice called out to her as she was wandering the streets. The voice in question belonged to a short and scrawny boy with scruffy brown hair. The boy in question was wearing rags, making him look like some kind of beggar, but they were not just any rags. He was wearing the starting gear. That alone peaked her interest.

This strange mouse-like boy was sitting behind a blanket that was laid across the ground and which was displaying a variety of different items. There were boots, like he said, as well as a few daggers, random pieces of mismatch armour and a few potions plucked straight from the shops of the starter village.

"Uh Hi..." Belladonna muttered with a confused, but curious, frown on her face as she approached the boy. She glanced around, making sure it wasn’t a trap, before looking over him again.

"You’re a player, right? So what are you doing? I mean no offense but it doesn’t look like you need to be wearing the noob rags, plus I doubt you got robbed. So what’s with... all of this."

"Ah, Well. I got someone to carry me through the starting village. Fighting isn’t really for me. I came into this game because I wanted to finally live out my dream of being a travelling merchant. And you, madam, have the joy of being my first customer!"

"Oh... Well, no offense but you’re gear isn’t exactly the best around. Even if you sell it all, it won’t be very much."

"Pfft, that’s just seed money. To get me started, you know? A merchant isn’t just about money, it’s about connections. While all of you have been out fighting and killing things, I’ve been talking with the locals and building connections.

Connections that mean that I know how and where to sell your loot and can get a better price for it too. Of course part of that increased price goes to me, as the middle man, but you’ll still get a good amount in your pocket, don’t you worry."

The boy flashed her a wide, charming smile that she couldn’t help but laugh at. She glanced back the way she came, considering the other stores that she had passed by and that had rejected her. Normally what he said would sound like a scam, but this game was definitely different.

Her own experience with the Butcher in the starting town was proof of that. Relationships could be built naturally and it opened doors. Plus, as someone who had spent so long in a chair, she had a soft spot for dreamers and underdogs. In fact, that mindset was probably what his ’connections’ had also had, but it was still yet to be seen if it could actually produce results.

Looking over the beggar looking boy, Belladonna pulled out one of the Silver Antler’s from the corrupted deer and showed it to him.

"So, How much do you think you would be able to get for one of these?"