At the commercial avenue of Adenberd, the carriage of the white family arrived in which Ethan and Naenna sat. The Avenue was crowded with the upper class who wore coats and boots. The particular area of the city was different from the others, known to be the dwelling of the rich. In this area, you could find the local administrative branches of every big-time famous organization in the entire world.
Mercenaries, branded jewelry shops, branded fabric shops, Mystical Artifact shops, auction houses, potion shops, luxury item shops, and everything that came to mind, you could find there.
If per se, the bazaar was a place for commoners and ordinary people to shop, and the commercial avenue was for the few selected individuals who had made their name in society. Those who could afford the items and services offered in the avenue.
Ethan was familiar with the entire area. He knew every corner of the place like on the back of his hand. As he was stoically observing the tall buildings and the people bustling, Ethan finally noticed a building that stood out from the rest like a sore thumb.
The carriage stopped in front of the building. It was as highly guarded as always and drew a lot of attention but at this point, everyone had become used to it. Only the foreigners were startled silly.
Albert opened the carriage's door and then Ethan stepped down. Looking inwardly at the carriage, Ethan extended his arm, giving a hand to Naenna to get off the carriage as well.
Afterward, everyone headed inside the merchant association while Albert wondered what the young master was up to today.
The large building was an imposing structure that dominated the surrounding area. Its exterior was made of stone, with intricately carved arches and pillars that supported the roof. The walls were adorned with elaborate tapestries and banners, displaying the symbols and crests of the various merchants' guilds that operated within the building.
At the entrance of the building, a large wooden door was carved with ornate patterns and adorned with brass fittings. The door was flanked by two stone statues of mythical beasts, their jaws agape in a fierce snarl.
Above the door, a sign hung, declaring the building to be the city branch of the merchant association. The sign was painted with vibrant colors and gilded with gold, shimmering in the sunlight. It depicted a merchant's scale, a symbol of the trade and commerce that occurred within.
Inside, the building was just as impressive, with a grand hall that stretched from one end to the other. The hall was lined with booths and stalls, each manned by a different guild, selling their wares and conducting business with their fellow merchants.
The merchants themselves were dressed in fine, richly-colored fabrics, with jewels and precious metals adorning their fingers and necks. They moved about the hall, conducting their business with a sharp eye and a shrewd mind, all while maintaining the air of nobility and prestige that came with their status as successful merchants.
Overall, the merchant association building was a sight to behold, a symbol of the power and influence that merchants held in the world of Akarxia.
As the group entered the large hall, Ethan saw how bustling the building was. It was a three-story building filled with rooms and halls on each floor as a beautiful stairway lay in the middle.
On the ground floor, merchants were going about their daily business. When Ethan entered, they stopped whatever they had been doing momentarily but then soon got back to their work.
At the reception, a beautiful young woman was sitting on a chair with a cheerful smile on her face, conversing and guiding the visitors.
Seeing Ethan enter, she immediately shifted her focus to him and called out, "Oh! It's the Young Lord! How may I help you today?"
"Arrange a meeting with the Master of Trades," Ethan said confidently, his demeanor carrying a sense of prestige and authority. He made a 'request' for an appointment with the highest-ranking person of the local branch but it seemed as if he was just summoning a clerk.
The woman of course did not dare to act pompous in any way as she knew that even if the title 'Master of Trades' was a high mountain in the association's hierarchy, it was still lacking a lot in front of the Ducal Son.
Maintaining her same hospitable smile she said, "Master Ledger is currently in a meeting. I will inform him right away."
Ethan's eyes glinted momentarily as he called out seeing the woman leave, "Wait!"
"Hmm? Is there anything more you'd like me to convey?" The woman asked.
"No, I have come without informing him beforehand. I will wait until he's done with the meeting. There is no need to interrupt him." Ethan shrugged nonchalantly.
"Ee?"
The woman flinched and uttered a cry of surprise as she heard him. Realizing her mistake, she quickly covered her mouth and mumbled, "R-right, as you wish. Mmm… Please come with me to the waiting room."
Ethan nodded without saying a word and followed the woman with Naenna and Albert. As the woman led them to a large waiting room at the side, Ethan noticed Naenna curiously looking around the place with big twinkling eyes.
"Is this your first time coming here?" Ethan asked in a low voice.
"Well, yes," Naenna muttered absentmindedly, still entranced by the building's unique and luxurious interior.
As the group consisting of Albert, Naenna, Ethan, and four elite knights reached in front of the meeting room, suddenly a noise sounded from the room next door, startling the group.
"Please! Lend me more! I beg you, I will go bankrupt otherwise! Please!" A voice sounding full of desperation pleaded.
"Tch, how many times do I have to say? You haven't made any profit for the past one year, let alone grow the investment. Sir, I'm afraid we can not help you this time." Another, sophisticated sounding voice said calmly.
"Noo! Please. Please… I will lose everything! It's not my fault, it's because of the bandits, and the competition. Silk and spices aren't selling well either due to the cheap imitations. It's not… My… Fault… Please!" The voice became tearful.
After a pause, the other voice said again, "Forgive us, there's nothing we can do."
"No please… let's discuss this! I can still make it work! Listen to me… Just listen…" The pitiful man begged as a thud noise sounded.
"Hey! Hey! Get up… sir, fine! Let's listen… Fine? Get up!" The other man urged in a hurry.
Then a sound of rustling cloth rang as presumably, the other man stood up from his kneeling position.
pαпdα-ňᴏνêι·сóМ "I- I will… Sell my assets! I will get the money okay? Don't back out! Give me three more months! I can fix this!"
Silence then ensued as Ethan wondered if the drama was over. Then he heard an almost inaudible sigh as the other voice sounded once again, this time in a softer tone and full of pity.
"Sir… three more months. No more and no less. If you still can't fix the mess; then I'm afraid we will have to seize your properties."
A gasp then sounded followed by the sound of muffled sobs and what seemed like the pitiful man's half-relieved, half-depressed, and part-miserable voice. "Thank you! Thank you! I promise I will fix this! I'm very grateful for your understanding."
And then the door suddenly swung open and a man in a luxurious tailcoat left without looking back.
The receptionist woman was startled seeing that Ethan had to witness such a thing. In a panic, she opened the door of the waiting room and said awkwardly, "Please forgive us for this shameful display. Seems they accidentally left the door open."
"Oh… It's fine. What was that about anyway?" Ethan asked.
The woman gestured to go inside the room and the whole group entered. The room was modest, neither too big nor small. It had three large couches, a table, a tea set, some cookies on a plate, some decorations such as a painting and a flower pot, and a mattress.
As Ethan sat leisurely on the soft, bouncy, couch, the woman spoke, "Young Lord, the merchant association provides new emerging merchants with some resources. Unfortunately, many of them can't make it despite their hard work and effort. In such a case, we… Or the other investors have no option but to stop the funding."
"Oh, I see…" Ethan muttered with a thoughtful look on his face.
The receptionist bowed and then said softly, "Young Lord, now allow me to take leave as I have to get back to work. If you need anything, then please ring the bell and someone will attend to you shortly."
"Yes, thank you," Ethan said with a smile.
Once again surprised, the woman was startled. Feeling flattered, she bowed awkwardly once again and left.
At this moment, Albert who had been confused for a while now couldn't help but speak in alarm, "Young Master… Why are we here?"
Hearing this, Ethan and Naenna looked at each other and Naenna giggled.
"You will know soon." Looking at Albert with playful eyes, Ethan said mischievously.
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