Chapter 78: Private Commission

Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Private Commission

Hesia remembered the manager of Four Seas Currency from their brief meeting at the town’s east gate.

He had jogged all the way down from upstairs and was now leaning on the banister, panting for breath.

"Thank goodness," he said, clutching his chest. "I was afraid you had already left."

’Looking for me?’ A sliver of doubt sparked in Hesia’s mind.

"Good day, Mr. Ford," he said with a polite nod. "May I ask what this is about?"

Ford gestured invitingly. "Is Mage Galen free at the moment? Please, follow me to the parlor to discuss this further."

Though he was unsure of the reason, Hesia nodded in agreement.

’It’s never a bad thing to be on good terms with the manager of a major establishment.’

"Please."

Ford immediately began to lead the way. He turned to the shop assistant, Mandy, who had returned to her post at the entrance, and instructed, "Prepare our finest tea and snacks."

The shop assistant was stunned. She hadn’t expected this ordinary-looking young Mage to actually know Steward Ford.

For a moment, she felt a pang of regret. ’I should have dressed up more today.’

With that thought, she gathered her skirt and trotted up to the second floor.

Soon enough, Hesia followed Ford into a parlor.

The parlor was not large, but it held a charm all its own.

The moment he stepped inside, his feet met a rug woven from thick nautical rope.

In the center of the room sat a heavy, solid wood table and a few exceptionally comfortable-looking armchairs.

The most eye-catching thing was a detailed, hand-drawn nautical chart hanging on the wall, covered with a dense network of shipping routes.

All of this proclaimed the remarkable history of the Tide Merchants Association, which had built its fortune on maritime trade.

At Ford’s gesture, Hesia sat down in one of the armchairs.

Bruce settled down quietly by his feet, curiously surveying the new environment.

Soon, the shop assistant, Mandy, brought in freshly brewed hot tea and a platter of exquisite pastries.

She didn’t dare to keep looking at the Mage, who now seemed utterly unapproachable to her. Instead, she offered the extraordinary "Magic Pet" by his feet the kindest smile she could muster, then gently placed another small plate of pastries in front of Bruce.

However, Bruce didn’t seem to notice her friendly gesture at all. It just raised its head and stared eagerly at its master, waiting for permission to eat.

Once Hesia gave a nod of approval, it immediately began to wolf down the treats.

Watching the scene unfold, Mandy couldn’t help but sigh to herself, ’A Magic Pet is a Magic Pet, after all.’

Ford personally poured him some tea and said, "This is Pearl Rock Tea and Salt-Frost Crisps, specialties from the Southern Continent. Please, try some."

"You can just call me Galen," Hesia said, getting straight to the point. "Mr. Ford, please tell me what this is about."

Hearing this, the smile on Ford’s face faded, replaced by a soft sigh. "To be honest, Mr. Gailen, I was hoping to ask you about Miss Annis’s whereabouts."

He studied Hesia’s expression, then shook his head in resignation.

"From the looks of it, you don’t know anything."

"Annis?" Hesia’s eyebrow shot up. "What happened to her?"

"She disappeared the day after arriving in Rose Town." A grave expression appeared on Ford’s face. "I’ve had people quietly asking around town these past few days, but there’s been no news. And this isn’t the sort of thing I can openly entrust to the Adventurer Guild..."

Hesia understood.

Indeed. Though he didn’t know the young lady’s exact status in the Tide Merchants Association, it was obviously significant.

’Posting a missing person notice in the motley Adventurer Guild would be a bad idea. Setting aside whether it would even help find her, it would definitely attract a pack of hyenas.’

"Mr. Ford, your guess is correct," Hesia said, confirming the man’s suspicion. "I haven’t seen her since we parted ways at the town gate. We only met by chance on the road; she hired me to escort her to Rose Town, and that’s all."

Ford nodded. "I’ve already confirmed the details with the coachman, Fred. On behalf of the Tide Merchants Association, thank you again for your escort."

"But now, I have a favor to ask."

"To find Annis?"

"Yes." Ford leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice. "I hope you can help. The reward... 30 Golden Shields. What do you think?"

’Thirty Golden Shields?’

’It wasn’t a small amount of money.’

’But frankly, he had no desire to get entangled in that young lady’s problems.’

’He had his own pile of problems to deal with. If he couldn’t find her, who knew if he’d end up taking the blame.’

Seeing Hesia remain silent, Ford gritted his teeth and raised the stakes. "Mr. Gailen, I know this is a difficult request. But rest assured, the reward will be very generous! 50 Golden Shields! How about it?"

Hesia, who had just been weighing the pros and cons, froze. His tapping fingers stilled at the mention of that number.

"Alright."

Ford was speechless.

"I will keep an eye out for news of Miss Annis, but I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to find her."

"Of course, of course," Ford said, nodding eagerly as if he’d just been granted a pardon. "The reward will be paid in full once Miss Annis is brought back."

Hesia nodded, stood up, and took his leave.

Watching Hesia leave, Ford let out a long sigh of relief inside the room. He immediately took out a quill, wrote a letter, and summoned an Attendant.

"Send this letter to Chairman Raymond as quickly as possible."

"Yes, Steward."

Watching the Attendant’s retreating back, Ford fell into deep thought.

’He had been completely blindsided by this young lady’s sudden appearance.’

’What’s worse, this little princess had to go and pull a disappearing act!’

’He was so afraid of being reprimanded that he’d hesitated to report it.’

’Now that he’d finally found a temporary hand who seemed both reliable and capable, he dared to inform Chairman Raymond that he was actively handling the situation.’

’As for whether she’d actually be found...’

Ford walked to the window and watched the retreating figures of Hesia and his dog disappear into the distance below.

’Finding her would be for the best, of course.’

’And if not... well, he considered himself to have done his due diligence. At the very least, his process was flawless.’

’That promised fifty Golden Shields couldn’t be paid out in advance from the Association’s accounts, of course.’

’But Ford had it all figured out: if the young Mage actually brought her back, the money would become a perfectly reasonable "necessary expense." And if he didn’t... well, then the expense would simply cease to exist.’

’Besides, with that young lady’s willful and reckless personality, even if she were found, whether she’d agree to come back quietly was another question entirely.’

He gently rubbed his temples, feeling the heavy pressure that came with his position.

’This steward position was no easy job.’

...

The reason Hesia had accepted the commission so readily wasn’t just because of the high reward of 50 Golden Shields.

He sensed that Steward Ford intended to pay for this commission "out of his own pocket."

Annis’s status in the Tide Merchants Association was clearly prestigious, yet Ford had initially offered a reward of only 30 Golden Shields. For the Tide Merchants Association, that amount of money was nothing.

Furthermore, when he hesitated, the man had voluntarily raised the price to 50 Golden Shields.

All signs indicated that Ford likely intended to pay the sum himself.

It seemed he hadn’t reported Annis’s disappearance immediately, but wanted to resolve it privately first.

’In that case, this was just a verbal agreement, not a binding contract.’

’He’d accepted it, but he could just as easily act as if it never happened. If he happened to run into Annis in town, great. If not, it wouldn’t matter in the slightest. There was no loss for him either way.’

With these thoughts, he walked into the Tree Heart Inn.

"Morning Dew Leaf."

"Silver Birch Branch."

"Light of the Firefly."

"Ah, found it. Starlight Sleep!"

Hesia looked up at the ornate, Elven-style script carved on the door lintel and softly read its meaning in the Common Language.

This was the address Zoya had given him earlier. The room’s name was "Starlight Sleep."

’The innkeeper sure knows his marketing,’ he grumbled to himself. ’Giving every room such a flowery name, just to fleece Adventurers who have romantic fantasies about Elven culture.’