Jax had barely stepped outside Grathok’s repository when another notification appeared.
SKILL UPGRADE ACQUIRED MERCHANT – NEGOTIATION LEVEL 1 → LEVEL 3 Effect: Increased likelihood of favorable bargaining outcomes.
Jax blinked at the screen.
“…That feels mildly overpowered.” Nyxian glanced sideways at him.
“What now?” “Apparently I got better at negotiating.” Nyxian laughed softly.
“That’s concerning.” “I thought I was pretty reasonable.” “You convinced Grathok to hand you enough money to destabilize a small nation.” “…That sounds exaggerated.” Nyxian stared at him.
“You are carrying more gold than most nobles in Solmere have seen in their entire lives.” Jax paused.
“…Oh.” That actually explained a lot about everyone’s reactions earlier.
Interesting.
The streets of Solmere had changed while they were inside.
Lanterns now glowed warmly along the roads while shopkeepers prepared for evening crowds.
The town still looked worn and exhausted, but at night the lights softened some of the scars.
Children darted between buildings laughing.
Food stalls released the smell of roasted meat and sweet bread into the air.
People talked quietly in the streets despite the visible poverty surrounding them.
Not broken.
Just struggling.
Jax kept noticing things.
Collapsed roofs waiting for repairs.
Damaged roads.
Poor drainage.
Limited security.
His brain kept cataloging problems automatically.
Nyxian noticed him staring around again.
“You’re planning things.” “I’m observing.” “Dangerous first step.” “Fair.” They eventually arrived at the town’s inn.
Three stories tall.
Old but sturdy.
Lantern light spilled warmly from the windows while voices and laughter echoed from inside.
“This is the best inn in town,” Nyxian explained.
Jax looked at the building.
Then at the nearby ones.
“…That sentence worries me.” Nyxian snorted.
Inside, the inn buzzed with activity.
Travelers laughed over drinks while servers moved between crowded tables carrying trays piled high with food and ale.
An older cat-folk woman stood behind the counter sorting keys.
Her ears flicked slightly as they approached.
Jax stepped forward politely.
“I’d like your best room, please.” The innkeeper looked up.
Then paused slightly after seeing him.
Human.
Suit.
Clearly not local.
She checked the ledger.
“Well,” she said, “you’re lucky.
Last one available.” “How much?” “One gold for the night.” Jax opened his system inventory.
A gold coin materialized into his palm.
He still wasn’t fully used to that.
Honestly, he wasn’t sure he ever would be.
The innkeeper accepted the coin without reacting much.
Interesting.
Magic systems really normalized weird things fast.
As she handed him the key, Jax casually asked about local currency.
The explanation came quickly: 100 copper = 1 bronze 100 bronze = 1 silver 100 silver = 1 gold Useful.
Very useful.
“That room better be incredible,” Jax muttered.
The innkeeper smirked.
“It has a private bath.” “…Sold.” As he turned away from the counter, the others finally came downstairs from their own room.
Bunny spotted him first.
“There you are!” Jax smiled slightly.
“Perfect timing.” He opened his inventory again.
A heavy sack appeared in his hand.
Then he handed it directly to Llandra.
“Your cut.” Llandra caught it automatically.
Then nearly dropped it from the weight.
“…What?” “Twenty percent,” Jax said simply.
“Four hundred thousand gold.” The entire inn suddenly felt quieter.
Bunny’s ears shot straight upward.
Zee froze completely.
Nyxian’s smile vanished.
Even the innkeeper behind the counter looked alarmed.
Llandra stared at the sack like it might explode.
“…You’re serious.” “I said twenty percent.” “But…” Llandra looked genuinely thrown off balance for the first time since meeting him.
“That’s an absurd amount of money.” Jax shrugged lightly.
“I made a deal.” No hesitation.
No bargaining.
No attempt to reduce it afterward.
Just straightforward honesty.
The girls stared at him differently after that.
Especially Bunny.
Nyxian slowly looked toward the others.
“…Please tell me our room has at least two beds.” Zee looked apologetic.
“…One.” Nyxian closed her eyes briefly.
“Of course it does.” Then she immediately turned toward the innkeeper.
“You don’t happen to have another room available now?” The innkeeper shook her head.
“Afraid not.” Then she pointed toward Jax.
“Your human rented the last room.” Nyxian narrowed her eyes.
“…What kind of room?” “The suite.” A pause.
“The entire top floor.” Nyxian stared at Jax.
Jax stared back.
“…I didn’t know that was unusual.” Bunny burst out laughing.
Llandra looked like she was developing a headache.
Zee looked impressed despite herself.
Nyxian sighed dramatically.
“Wonderful.
The mysterious dragon-slaying human is accidentally rich.” “Accidentally?” “You punched a dragon to death.” “Fair.” Jax glanced back toward the door.
“I was actually hoping to look around town a little.” “Shopping?” Bunny asked immediately.
“Clothes mostly,” Jax admitted.
“I’m starting to realize I may stand out.” Nyxian looked at his suit.
“You think?” Bunny immediately raised her hand.
“I’ll help!” Then she paused.
Looked at the others.
And grinned wider.
“Actually… we should all go.” “I want to witness this disaster personally,” Nyxian agreed.
“It would probably be wise,” Llandra admitted.
Zee smiled softly.
“I’d like to come too.” Jax looked at the four of them for a moment.
And realized something strange.
He had arrived in this world completely alone.
Now people were voluntarily following him around town.
That felt… Nice.
Dangerously nice.
A small smile crossed his face.
“Alright,” he said.
“Lead the way.” Together they stepped back outside into the lantern-lit streets of Solmere.
The town still looked poor.
Still damaged.
Still forgotten.
But somehow— it no longer felt empty.
And for the first time since arriving in this world, Jax felt something settle quietly inside him.
Possibility.