~ “It seems you’re not going to attack me…” “I told you it was a misunderstanding, didn’t I?” Mia and Kalé sat together by the campfire in the Church of Elleh, a picture of harmony.
Before Kalé could flee, they managed to explain why she and Wilden were there, so Kalé didn’t have to run away like the White Mask.
“I don’t know why a Tarnished would be traveling with a Soldier of Godrick, and so harmoniously at that…
but thank goodness, at least you’re people who can coexist peacefully.” He said this, but he still looked a bit uneasy when he glanced at Wilden, who was standing guard nearby.
Wilden wasn’t looking their way, so Kalé swayed back and forth in front of Mia, as if testing whether she could actually see him.
“My name is Kalé.
I’m a merchant of the Nomadic People, traveling and doing business…” Midway through, he cautiously reached out and waved his hand in front of Mia’s eyes.
Slap!
Mia grabbed his hand and smiled politely yet firmly.
“I can see.” Kalé tried to pull his hand back.
It didn’t budge.
He pulled again.
Mia gripped it even tighter.
“I’m sorry!
I definitely wasn’t trying to test you so I could slip away!” “I told you, we’re not bandits!” “Ow, ow, ow, ow—” After the scuffle.
Kalé finally sat down properly.
He had presumably accepted that Mia and Wilden weren’t bandits.
“Ever since the elden ring was shattered, the people of The Lands Between have gone a bit mad…” Stealing a glance at Wilden nearby, Kalé muttered under his breath, “Luckily there are Tarnished like you; it’s the only way my business stays afloat.” Then he leaned closer to Mia.
“Why are you with him?” It was obvious he deeply distrusted the uniformed Wilden.
“I did him a favor, so he agreed to do one for me.
As for the details…” Mia sized up the merchant.
“It’s not convenient to disclose.” “I understand, I understand.” Kalé waved a hand, dropping the subject.
“Do you want to buy anything?
I’ve got tools, equipment, even information.” “I don’t really have anything I want to buy…” But she had plenty of things to sell.
“Wait for me a moment,” Mia said seriously.
Then she stood up and walked behind a crumbling low wall.
When she reappeared under Kalé’s astonished gaze, she was carrying a pile of weapons and equipment taller than half her height.
Clang!
She dumped the whole pile in front of Kalé— “You really are bandits!
I knew it was impossible for a Royal Army soldier to be traveling with a Tarnished!” “Don’t run!” Grab!
— Kalé squinted as he turned over the golden longsword in his hand.
“Three thousand Runes.
I can only take two.” “How can it be only three thousand?” Mia haggled fiercely.
“Look at the engravings, look at the gilding.
These are the sidearms of the capital’s nobility!” “You have no idea how hard it is to find buyers these days.” Kalé shrugged helplessly.
“The ones wandering the wilds have lost their minds, and the Royal Army doesn’t welcome us.
My business only survives on the occasional Tarnished.” True enough…
Mia nodded to herself, but she didn’t want to give an inch in the negotiation.
“How about four thousand?” “I hadn’t had a customer for a long time before you showed up, and now you’re not even buying anything…” “Then three thousand eight hundred?” “Seven thousand for the two.” “Deal.” Mia pushed the second Noble’s Slender Sword toward him.
These were the two items in relatively good condition that Kalé had carefully picked out from her pile of loot after much deliberation.
She picked up the rest of the miscellaneous gear, walked behind the low wall again, and came out with nothing in her hands.
Kalé watched with immense curiosity.
“You are…
ah, never mind.
Trade secrets, I understand.” “I still need to buy a few things.” “What are you buying?” Kalé held his coin purse, waiting for Mia to finish her shopping so they could settle the bill together.
Mia bought some food from Kalé.
Although Mia had some money, Kalé didn’t have much food to sell.
It was only a few pieces of dried meat.
And water.
Along with the water, Mia bought a Cracked Pot.
‘An empty pot that restores itself even if broken; a container required for crafting pot items.’ It couldn’t be more convenient for holding water or other liquids.
From the moment she transmigrated until now, Mia hadn’t eaten anything, nor had a drop of water passed her lips.
Although she could sustain her life by touching grace, it didn’t change the fact that Mia truly hadn’t eaten for a long time.
It wasn’t exactly hunger; it was more like a craving.
“Do you want some?” Mia shared some of the dried meat with Wilden.
Wilden took the dried meat and sat on a fallen stone pillar, quietly gnawing on it.
Mia looked at him and asked curiously, “What did you eat when you were trapped in the cave?” “The food ran out long ago.” Wilden used his teeth to tear strips of fiber from the tough dried meat.
“But even if you don’t eat, you won’t die.
You just stay hungry.” “Just stay hungry?” Mia felt those were very cruel words.
“It seems,” Kalé interjected while warming his hands by the campfire, “that many of those wandering nobles went mad precisely because of hunger.” Because they were so hungry but couldn’t die, and because they couldn’t die, they had to endure the most agonizing starvation forever.
“Why…
don’t they grow crops?” Mia looked down at the vibrant green grass by her feet.
Was this place really that arid?
“Farming?” Kalé gave a light snort.
“Everyone’s gone to war!
Those Shardbearers, in order to become Elden Lord, have thrown everything into the conflict.
There’s not even business to be done anymore.
Farming?
Even if people are hungry, they won’t starve to death, so it’s better to conscript one more Soldier as a soldier.” Mia lowered her head silently and took a bite of the dried meat.
*Gulp…* It tasted awful.
Aside from salt, there were no seasonings at all; the gamey stench of the beast meat rampaged through Mia’s mouth without any cover.
Her small face turned pale before she successfully managed to swallow that bit of meat fiber.
“The rest is for you.” Mia stuffed all the dried meat into Wilden’s hands.
This stuff could only be described as ‘vital sign maintenance material’; Mia’s earlier craving to eat something was instantly suppressed.
Wilden didn’t refuse and pocketed all the dried meat Mia had bought.
Kalé watched the two of them from the side and spoke again, “Speaking of which, you Tarnished who have returned from outside The Lands Between, your goal is to become Elden Lord, right?” Mia nodded.
“If you really become Elden Lord, you…” Kalé said, then suddenly paused.
He shook his head.
“Never mind, that’s not what I wanted to say.” Then he changed the subject.
“It looks like you two are going on a long journey.
I have some tools here that can be used in the wild to aid in survival.” The nomadic merchant pulled a somewhat bulky leather bag from his pack.
“A mortar, a cutting board, a small knife, and other very useful tools.
Of course, there’s more than just these; you’ll definitely need them when camping in the wild.” “Since we’ve hit it off quite well, I’ll give you a discount.
I’ll sell it to you for three hundred Runes, how about it?” “Sure.” Later that evening, Mia used the flint from the tool bag to light another campfire inside the church.
Though the church was dilapidated, it could at least block the wind, providing a place to rely on in the wild.