THE DIMENSIONAL MERCHANT-Chapter 77 - 76: The Guild Problem

The carriage came to a smooth halt just outside Kael’s shop.

Kael stepped out first, stretching his legs after the long ride from Dustrim.

Marrek gave him a firm nod.

"Take care, Kael. Let me know if anything comes up."

"Will do. Thanks for today."

With that, the carriage turned and left, leaving Kael alone in front of his shop.

Kael pushed open the door of Kaelmart.

The familiar bell above jingled softly as he stepped in.

"Ah, Lord Kael!"

He paused.

He saw four familiar faces—Darien, Garrick, Mira, and Liora.

All four turned toward him, casual smiles on their faces.

Mira waved with both hands. "Nyaa~ Look who finally decided to show up!"

Kael blinked, then chuckled. "Well, this is a surprise."

"We stopped by your old stall," Darien said with a calm nod. "A peddler there said you’d opened a ’grand shop.’ So, naturally, we came to see it for ourselves."

Garrick gave a brief glance around the interior, his eyes keen despite his relaxed posture. "You’ve climbed far in just a few short weeks. Impressive."

Kael gave a modest shrug. "It’s still a work in progress, but I’m glad you think so. Also... where’ve you all been? Haven’t seen you since that day."

"That’s because we’ve been out of town," Darien said. "We went to Morjal City. Took the Wraith parts we got—with your help—and sold them at the Adventurer’s Guild there."

"Oh?" Kael raised an eyebrow. "You went all the way there just to sell it? Why not just go to Ginip’s guild?"

Garrick’s expression darkened slightly, his voice low. "You may not know... but the guildmaster here is not someone to be trusted."

Kael’s smile faded. "I’ve met him once. He didn’t leave a good impression."

Garrick gave a small shake of his head. "It’s more than that. The man’s corrupt. Doesn’t spend coin to properly verify quests. Sends adventurers into danger with the wrong mission grades. We’ve seen cases where a supposed B-rank turned out to be A-rank. There have even been deaths."

Darien added, "And if you survive, he delays your payment. He’s also infamous for that. When he does pay, it’s often less than what was promised. It’s one of the reasons many adventurers left Ginip."

Kael frowned.

Now that they mentioned it...

Something similar had happened during his first mission with Seris. They’d accepted a D-rank job, but it turned out to be closer to a B- or even A-rank nest. They barely made it out alive—and the Guild barely paid them.

Back then, he’d chalked it up to inexperience.

Now, realization hit. So it wasn’t a mistake. It was the system—corrupt from the top.

"Tch," Kael muttered under his breath. "That bastard."

A sharp glint flickered in his eyes, the kind that promised payback—someday.

Mira leaned her elbows on the counter, tail swishing. "Lots of adventurers avoid this guildmaster now, nya. They hunt around here but go to other cities to sell. Like us."

Seris, quiet until now, tilted her head slightly. "Then why hasn’t anyone reported him to the Townhall?"

"We tried," Darien said flatly. "Multiple times."

Garrick added, "But nothing changed."

Mira gave a suspicious look toward the ceiling. "Maybe the mayor’s protecting him. Who knows~?"

Kael crossed his arms, thinking.

Mayor Lysandra... didn’t seem like that kind of person. From what he’d seen, she was smart—and serious about rebuilding Ginip. She had given Kael this shop, after all—what used to be the old merchant guild hall, abandoned for years.

But this wasn’t a case to blow up recklessly.

It was a serious problem—and if it wasn’t dealt with soon, there might not be any adventurers left in Ginip.

Still, Kael didn’t say anything aloud. He just filed it away for later.

"Anyway," Darien said, pulling out a small pouch. "We came for more than just gossip."

He held it out.

Kael blinked. "...What’s this?"

"Your share," Darien said simply. "We sold the Wraith for twenty-five gold. Five of that’s yours."

Kael hesitated—but only for a moment.

Then he took it and slid the pouch into his pocket. "Thanks."

Seris gave him a look.

He shrugged. "What? I like money."

Garrick chuckled. "You earned it. We couldn’t have finished that fight without you."

Mira grinned. "Plus, you gave me sweets~ nya! I’d say you earned it."

Darien looked around. "By the way... this place is incredible. Shelves, lights, signs—I’ve never seen a shop like this."

Kael smirked faintly. "Had a local dwarf craftsman build most of it. I gave him a few designs."

At that moment, Liora’s voice—soft and ethereal—rose behind them.

"...Designs?" she murmured.

She stood before one of the lower shelves, holding a small paper box delicately, as if it were a relic from a sacred temple. Her gaze, usually distant, was locked on the picture of cookies adorning the surface.

"...Is this chocolate?" she asked, deadpan.

Kael tilted his head. "Technically, chocolate chip. Not pure bars, but close enough."

Liora opened the box without ceremony, plucked a cookie, and bit into it.

Her eyes widened—just barely.

"...I will buy this box," she declared.

Kael smiled. "Sure. Two silver for the box."

Without hesitation, she pulled a small pouch from her robes and slid the coins onto the counter. Then she went back to eating—slowly, like she was rationing bliss.

Mira leaned in with a wide grin. "Nyahaha~ Liora has a weakness for sugar. She’ll burn through her savings at this rate."

Liora didn’t reply. She was too focused chewing, her eyes glassy with quiet reverence.

Kael turned toward the others and clapped his hands. "Right. Since you’re here, I’ve got a few things you might be interested in. Stuff I didn’t have last time."

"Like what?"

Kael walked over to the nearest shelf and took a small black canister. "This," he said, holding it up, "is pepper spray."

Garrick blinked. "Looks... harmless?"

Kael smirked. "Oh, it’s not. One spray to the eyes and even the most aggressive beast will be crying in seconds. It’s not magic—just chemistry. You won’t kill your enemy, but they’ll wish they were dead."

Darien leaned forward, intrigued. "So it’s... what, a non-lethal deterrent?"

"Exactly. Perfect for when you want to beat your opponents without drawing blood."

This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢