The elven woman woke up slowly, her silver eyes scanning the unfamiliar wooden ceiling above her. Her muscles tensed instinctively—ready to strike.
But all she saw was a plain inn room, a half-eaten bread roll on the table, and a man in a coat leaning on the window, flipping through a glowing rectangular device.
Kaito noticed her stir without looking away. "Good morning. You're in one piece. Mostly."
She sat up fast. "Who are you?"
"Merchant. Field medic. Mildly sarcastic. Depends on the day."
She narrowed her eyes. "You pulled me from a battlefield. Why?"
"You paid me." He held up his phone. "Well… someone using your name did. That part's still a mystery."
She tried to stand but staggered. Kaito casually tossed a healing capsule toward her. "Catch."
She grabbed it mid-air, sniffed it, and drank without hesitation. "This isn't alchemy."
"Nope," Kaito said. "Welcome to tech."
Mina leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "She's dangerous."
"I'm aware," Kaito replied.
The elf rubbed her temples. "Name's Sylia. Enforcer-grade mage scout from the Eastern Wastes. I was tracking a contraband arms ring."
"Golems with guns?" Kaito asked.
Sylia blinked. "You know about that?"
"I don't just know," Kaito said, tapping his phone. "I sell better."
She stared at him. "You're the one they warned us about. The anomaly. The 'merchant of forbidden goods.'"
Kaito gave her a little two-finger salute. "Nice to be recognized."
As the morning sun rose, Sylia sat with them at the inn's tiny table, slowly nibbling on bread and soup. Mina watched her like a hawk.
Sylia finally asked, "So, what's your angle? You building a black market?"
"No," Kaito said simply. "I'm building a convenience store. The market just happens to be black sometimes."
"And the tech? Where's it from?"
He gave her a long, unreadable look. "Farther than you can imagine."
Sylia hesitated, then asked quietly, "Do you sell… weapons?"
Kaito didn't answer immediately.
"I sell protection," he finally said. "And sometimes, protection looks like a weapon."
Later that day, Kaito and Mina sat on a bench overlooking the Draymoor market. Stalls were bustling, but more and more vendors were mimicking Kaito's packaging, terminology, even discounts.
"Copycats," Mina muttered. "They're watering down your brand."
Kaito didn't seem bothered. "Let them. It just means I'm setting the standard."
A soft ping came from his phone.
New Order Received – Priority Alert
Buyer: Mage Council (Encrypted Node)
Request: 1x Surveillance Jammer, 1x Tracking Compass, 1x Truth Serum
Message: "We will pay double for discretion. Do not ask why."
Kaito stared at the screen.
"Someone from the Mage Council is using a hidden account to buy spy gear," he murmured.
Mina leaned in. "So they're spying on their own."
Kaito smirked. "Bureaucracies always eat themselves eventually."
That night, Sylia returned to his room, more composed.
"I spoke with my contacts. Word of you is spreading fast. Some call you a miracle merchant. Others say you're destabilizing the continent."
"Both sound profitable," Kaito said.
She stepped closer. "They'll come for you soon, Kaito. You've drawn attention from powers who don't like change."
"I'm counting on it," he said calmly. "That's when people pay the most."
She stared at him. "You don't just want to survive in this world… You want to reshape it."
Kaito's smile was quiet, but sharp. "Why else would I have been sent here?"
To be continued…