Izroth entered the shop and was immediately greeted by a peaceful atmosphere.
The interior of the shop was less than half the size of the Mystical Realm Palace’s first floor; however, there was a cozy and warm feeling to it.
Hanging on the walls were pieces of old artwork that looked somewhat weathered—as if they had endured through the ages.
Lined up against the walls were two bookshelves filled with books that had no titles or covers.
Placed with a clear intent of keeping the walking space in the room flowing smoothly were several round wooden tables. And, tucked neatly under each wooden table were a pair of chairs with seat cushions.
Unlike outside of the shop, where the streets were crowded with people rushing to and from places, there were only two individuals present.
“Welcome. Feel free to look around and take a seat wherever you’d like.” A voice sounded from behind a simple wooden table located near the back of the shop.
The voice belonged to a plainly dressed middle-aged man with dirty blonde hair, green eyes, and a full beard.
NPC Name: Cedar’s Nest Shop Owner, Osmond(Elite)
NPC Level: 45
‘I didn’t think there was still a quiet place left in Xanaharpe with how hectic things are outside. It’s certainly a place most players would overlook, but not to this extent. Why is it so empty?’
Izroth could understand if it was empty during normal times; however, people had to practically squeeze by one another walking down the roads of Xanaharpe. This kind of place was perfect for players to schedule a meet-up or to stop and take a break.
‘Well, I suppose it’s not completely empty.’
Izroth’s walked by the bookshelves as his gaze shifted across the room to the only other person in the shop beside the owner.
It was a young woman who appeared to be in her early twenties. She possessed wild curly ginger hair with a pair of soft hazel eyes hidden behind the glasses on her face and freckles on her rosy cheeks.
She wore light amber-colored scholar robes that seemed one step oversized for her petite frame.
On the table in front of the young woman was an opened thick hard-covered book that she was lost in.
From the look of things, she appeared to be near the end of the book with only a few pages left to go.
Izroth walked over to the young woman’s table and quietly sat down at the seat in front of her.
After seeing how absorbed she was in the book and how close she was to completing it, Izroth decided not to disturb her and used to the time go over things in his inventory.
…
A couple of minutes later, the sound of a book closing could be heard as the young woman released a small sigh. There was a look of disappointment in her eye after having finished the book—as if she yearned for more.
“So? How was it?” Izroth asked calmly.
“?!” The young woman’s body jerked slightly as she was clearly startled when Izroth spoke.
“A-Ah… I-I’m very s-sorry…! I-” The young woman quickly reached for the book and embraced it as she used it to hide most of her face.
Her eyes peeked over the book as she continued, “E-Excuse me… I… I… am not currently interested in a relationship..!”
The young woman closed her eyes tightly as it seemed to take all her energy to utter those words.
However, upon hearing her speak, Izroth did not know whether to laugh or cry as a carefree smile found its way onto his face.
‘It seems I’ve been rejected.’
…
It did not take Izroth long to clear up the misunderstanding and properly introduce himself.
Just as he thought, the young woman was from Sleeping Gardenia and was the one Mariposa sent to deliver the materials.
The young woman went by the name Freesia. And based on their brief interaction, Izroth could tell that interacting with others was not her strong point.
That’s why, at first appearance, Izroth was surprised Mariposa entrusted someone like Freesia to deliver such precious ingredients to him.
But, Izroth knew well from experience the mistake of judging one too quickly. If it was Mariposa, Izroth believed that there was definitely a reason she felt confident enough in Freesia to safely deliver the materials.
“M-My utmost a-apologies…! I-I’m so embarrassed…!” Freesia said as her entire face turned red from the embarrassing misunderstanding.
When Izroth was clearing up the misunderstanding, he discovered that Freesia’s words from earlier were Mariposa’s doing.
According to Freesia, Mariposa told her, “If a man approaches you while you’re alone, just say that you’re already in a relationship. If that doesn’t work, then…”
Well, Izroth would rather not remind himself of the second part.
‘That woman sure has quite the twisted sense of humor. Just what is she teaching her guild members?’
“It’s fine. I’m glad we’ve managed to clear things up.” Izroth said as his eyes fell on the book in Freesia’s hands.
Just like the other books on the bookshelves, it had no cover or title.
“So? Did you find anything interesting?” Izroth inquired.
“Yes! It was wonderful!” Freesia said in a slightly higher tone as she could not contain her excitement with a sparkle in her eyes.
It was also the first time she did not stutter to get her words out. But, as if quickly realizing her actions, Freesia sunk into her seat.
“P-pardon my outburst…” Freesia spoke softly.
“I don’t mind. Books are the gateways that lead to many different worlds. Even if one were to spend their entire life exploring those worlds, in the end, they would find that they have only barely managed to scratch the surface. It is something wonderful and yet also intrinsically sad.” Izroth replied unhurriedly.
“Wonderful yet sad… One origin where two truths exist in harmony… The guild leader was right—you have a beautiful mind.” Freesia stated without thought as she looked at Izroth in awe.
In just a few moments, she had gone from being incredibly tense to somewhat relaxed.
The guard she had up in the beginning also began to drop after she listened to Izroth’s words.
To most people, books were just tools for entertainment or knowledge. But, to her, they were so much more.
From a young age, she knew that her relationship with books was not like others. To her, each book was its own world that she had the privilege of exploring. Needless to say, this unique outlook caused her to have a troublesome childhood as her peers often mocked her passion for books.
That’s why despite her shy and reserved nature, even though it was their first time speaking to one another, Freesia did not feel uncomfortable around Izroth.
It was the first time she heard someone weave her thoughts and feelings into words so perfectly. To her, anyone who was able to clearly convey that kind of outlook on books could not be a bad person.
Izroth felt somewhat bad for having Freesia wait around longer than expected. So, after sensing her nervousness, at the very least, he wanted to make things a little easier for her.
After his previous comment, Freesia opened up to Izroth as she spoke about the book she’d just read, as well as some of her favorite novels. And, while she was still soft-spoken, her stuttering had practically ceased altogether.
Then, after a few minutes passed, Freesia was suddenly reminded of her original purpose of coming to Xanaharpe.
“My apologies. When it comes to books, I can get a little sidetracked sometimes. T-Thank you for listening to my rambling…” Freesia said as a light smile appeared on her face.
She then continued, “Let’s see… I was not given any specifics about your request outside of a rarity preference, but… Will these suffice?”
As Freesia spoke, she removed nine items from her inventory and placed them on the wooden table in front of her.
Each item was a type of herb; however, they were not ordinary herbs. They released strong aromas and almost felt as though they were alive.
“The guild leader is aware that you only requested three ingredients, but as long as it does not inconvenience you, she asked that I hand over an additional two sets of ingredients…” Freesia noted.
Izroth briefly examined the herbs as he gave a small nod and responded, “I understand. These will do just fine. For what I have in mind, quality is the only important factor. This won’t take long.” Izroth stated as accepted the ingredients and stood up from his seat.
‘It looks like I underestimated those top guilds. They aren’t lagging behind as much as I thought.’
Izroth thought that Mariposa and Sleeping Gardenia would have some trouble coming up with three ancient-quality materials. After all, even if one had the gold to acquire them, they would not be able to purchase them due to the severe lack of supply and the overwhelming demand.
Yet, they were able to provide not three but nine ancient-quality materials!
