CLA.S.S NEUTRAL: Stranger Is Coming

Second face of Kavarnak. Merchant Guild. Nargon Karnad.

The city looked completely different to how it had appeared at night, as if they were two different places. The blue and scarlet crystals, crowning the towers, sparkled in the sun. The houses, made of white stone, appeared in their full splendor, boasting to each other with their frescoes, patterned shutters, and facades. Small clouds in the sky slowly sailed over Kavarnak, enjoying such a beautiful view. I also noticed something that hadn't seen at night—a lot of players. They shouted, traded, walked, and looked at the sights. They were everywhere. The chat window, hitherto empty, was now jammed with messages:

"Good quality jewelry for fifty + levels at reasonable prices."

"Need healing potions? A bottle for two silver coins!"

"Need three fire mages! I won't tell what for. I'm sick and tired of questioning. Payment is high. Warranty of the 'Technocrat' clan."

"Stop flooding, bitch! Do you want to get it in the neck from the tops? They wouldn't have called someone. They have enough mages. I hate such freaks!"

"I ask people not to respond to me. Save your nerves and mine the time."

'I'm looking for a girl for walks in the city."

"Guys, how do you complete the quest 'The main thief's name'?"

"Nobody tells you! Ah-ha-ha. There are no fools here. You must do it yourself. The reward is good, but you're taking too long."

"Please, tell me! I don't want to run through all these points."

"Run! It's good for your health. Maybe you'll get rid of the 'Marathoner'. I had to run a thousand kilometers to get rid of the stupid removal of my HP. You must run too."

"Moderator, f ***ing b**ch, ban them."

"Done! Does anyone else want to be silent? Nobody? I'm always ready to help."

"So furious!"

"I hear everything."

"Okay, okay."

Well, they'd flooded it a lot, although there was still interesting information to be found. I needed to find out about this 'Technocrat' clan and about clans in general. Of course, I wouldn't join any, but it was useful to know who were top here and whom I didn't have to quarrel with.

The players flickered before my eyes, like bees in a hive. Noise, din, and complete confusion filled the street. I really disliked such busy places, and my head started aching. Hmm… It was likely my mind, not my brain, as I'd left my brain with the rest of my body in another world.

Many players had returned from their previous locations to sell unnecessary trophies to merchants. Some of them made armor and weapons, and some mixed ingredients to create potions. The offers of enchanting weapons and jewelry, sharpening swords, polishing armor, and making a patch on a cloak or mantle sounded everywhere.

They even offered hauler services. Haulers were people who pumped up a character so he could transfer a huge number of different things.

Portalers stood here too, but there were not many, so the prices for their services were extremely high. However, it was still cheaper than the city portals for long transitions.

Life was in full swing, so I didn't even notice how I got to the Merchants Guild. On a rather presentable building there was a signboard depicting a weighty bag with three coins: gold, silver, and copper—all of different sizes.

I went inside and a merchant met me. He was a small man, dressed in colorful clothes, resembling aristocrats' outfits. He had a burgundy beret, which emphasized his style, on his head and boots with bent toes on his feet.

"What do you want?" he asked me. "Would you like to buy something or find out prices for various goods? Or maybe you need market analysis?"

"I need a doctor."

"Who?"

"A psychiatrist," I answered his question and saw such surprise on the player's face that I immediately added his screenshot to my collection. Well, I had decided to collect faces expressing extreme surprise from now on. "Where can I find Nargon? I've come on behalf of the royal gatekeeper."

"R-r-royal gatekeeper," the merchant mumbled. "Go up to the second floor. When you leave the stairs, turn right and go straight ahead. At the end of the corridor, there is an ajar mahogany door. You are expected there."

Indeed, Nargon was waiting for me. He was walking from side to side, unable to sit in his pretty good armchair. I thought such an armchair would be comparable in cost to a car back in our world.

His cabinet was as luxurious as the presidential one. There was a massive mahogany table, with the floor and walls in the same style. The statuette of a girl with a crystal, like Kurbakht's, stood on the table and looked at large bundles of doc.u.ments.

His hairstyle was inconspicuous, and his mustache smoothly passed into a short beard that completely covered his jaw and chin. His aristocratic facial features gave the impression of an imperious and tough person.

He was wearing a beige shirt and an emerald-colored vest, strewn with fancy monograms and patterns. Gray pants, most likely of some very rare material, and belted with a black belt, created a very interesting style. He had a gold watch on his wrist.

What the hell! An NPC has a watch in this world! The watch was a true masterpiece. The dark golden color of the metal shone pleasantly against the muffled darkness of the cabinet, and on the dial gems, light and dark colors sparkled. The master's idea was very creative: light-colored stones symbolized daytime hours, and then, gradually darkening, they became a symbol of night. The hands were ruby. It was very curious indeed.

"How do you do!" Nargon exclaimed when he saw me. "Kurbakht described you very accurately, so don't be surprised that I've recognized you."

The man changed very quickly, which surprised me. At first, he had been a very strict and powerful man, but now he was just an ordinary, kind guy.

"Thank you." He shook my hand and changed again: I saw genuine sorrow in his eyes. But I didn't expect Nargon's next action: he squeezed me like a bear.

"Oh… my… God," I croaked.

"I'll never forget that you helped my father," Nars' son turned toward the window. "My father suffered greatly after my mother's death. Even his work, which was his main passion, ceased to mean anything to him. But Kurbakht said that father smiled before death, is that true?"

"Yes."

Reputation with Nargon increases by 300 points!

"Thank you for bringing him back. I'll bury him next to my mother, and he'll be able to find peace," Nargon took a deep breath. "I don't care about the killer's fate, but tell me, did he at least repent of his deeds? Did he regret them?"

"I think it's useless in his current environment." Kurbakht hadn't told him about the Gardens of Death, so I had better do it myself. I thought this man deserved to know a little more. At the same time, I'd tell him about the king's quest. "He went alive to the Gardens of Death. I hope it's the most suitable place for him. There he will be punished for all his atrocities."

"But how? It's impossible to get there alive…"

"Kurbakht said the same, but I didn't know it when I sent the killer there." I grinned. "There is something else you should know." My phrase surprised the merchant. "I was at the king's reception, and he offered me a quest. Your elimination was the part of this quest. Ragan wants to kill you, as well as some other people." I noticed the merchant tense, apparently fearing that I would attack him. I didn't want him to misunderstand me and so I explained, "I refused him in rather rude manner."

"Damn! Don't scare me again. So what about this quest?"

I told Nargon about everything that had happened in the palace in detail. Such a king must be overthrown. Although I'm a Neutral and probably should be neutral, I can't leave such a monster here. I've never liked palace intrigues, but now, it seems, I'll have to take part in them.

"Well, well," the merchant scratched his head. "How could Ragan identify us? I can't imagine. There must be a traitor."

"Maybe."

"So… you've told me information so important that it has no value, as well as the lives of those whom you've saved. I trust you, as you trust me, because that list contains my friends and those who are fighting against the usurper."

Reputation with Nargon increases by 700 points!

Status: Friendship

Reputation with the Merchant Guild increases by 500 points!

Reputation with Minkar Followers increases by 500 points!