The air inside the jewelry store turned cold—not literally, but with that charged tension that came before a storm.
The shopkeeper's face twisted into fury as Ryan finished speaking, his words slicing through the refined calm of the store like a blade.
"How dare you?" the shopkeeper roared, his voice booming across the chamber. "Insulting my merchandise? You little rat!"
The women nearby flinched, startled.
Ryan didn't flinch. He adjusted his posture, voice smooth and unbothered.
"I'm not insulting it. I'm describing it." He gestured toward the necklace in the regal woman's hand. "It's not fake gold. But it's heavily mixed. Too much copper or tin. Sure, it shines, but it doesn't behave like pure gold. You'd know that if you looked closer."
The shopkeeper's jaw clenched. He pointed toward the entrance, where two guards stationed outside the shop had begun stepping in, alerted by the commotion. Their bronze-plated sandals clicked against the stone floor.
"You!" the shopkeeper barked. "Guards—seize this troublemaker! Arrest him for defamation and disturbing a state-licensed business. Probably hasn't seen real gold in his entire life. Toss him outside and report him to the city guardhouse!"
The guards stepped forward.
Ryan raised both hands casually but not in surrender. His expression didn't waver. Instead, a smirk tugged at his lips.
"I'm not some street fool, old man. I'm an appraiser. Trained under the finest craftsmen in the empire," he said, voice cool but carrying just enough bite. "If I'm wrong, if that necklace is truly pure gold, you can cut my head off right here."
A ding echoed softly in his ears.
[Familiarity with Shopkeeper reduced by 30. Current status: Hostile]
The man's face paled. "Nonsense! Guards—arrest him already!"
The guards reached out.
But before they could touch Ryan, a firm voice cut through the tension.
"Stop."
The words weren't shouted, but they snapped through the air like a whip.
All heads turned.
The noblewoman—tall, graceful, and calm as ever—lowered the necklace and looked directly at Ryan, her sharp eyes gleaming with interest.
"Prove that you are capable," she said simply.
The guards hesitated, unsure of whom to obey. The shopkeeper looked visibly shaken now, torn between pride and panic. But the woman's authority in that room was undeniable.
Ryan stepped forward slowly and faced the woman.
"This necklace," he began, tone steady, "is made of about sixty percent gold. The rest? Brass and tin. Its color has been polished to mimic a purer shine, but the weight distribution, the luster under natural light, and even the heat resistance would reveal the difference if you knew what to look for."
He took a gentle breath and nodded toward her. "May I?"
The woman gave the faintest nod of approval.
With delicate care, Ryan held the necklace by its edge, letting it sway slightly. The overhead lights flickered off the metal. "See that shimmer? It's uneven. The hues shift in the wrong way, too much orange in the undertone. That's the brass talking."
He gently placed it back in her hand. "Also, real gold wouldn't hold that heat so quickly in your palm. This one's already warming. The impurities give it away."
The noblewoman said nothing for a moment, but her fingers curled thoughtfully around the piece.
"Is that so?" she murmured.
Ryan, however, hasn't ended.
He gave a small, confident shrug. "And if you're ever unsure, there's a simple way to test it."
He leaned in slightly, tone dropping to a murmur, just for effect.
"Bite it. Even if you bite gently, real gold leaves a faint mark. It's soft and Malleable. This?" He shook his head. "Looks tough."
Her expression didn't change, but her eyes slid sideways to the shopkeeper, whose face had gone whiter than parchment.
"Hand it to the maid," she ordered coldly.
The shopkeeper stammered. "My lady, surely you don't mean to…"
Her glare shut him up faster than a thunderclap.
The necklace was passed. The maid looked hesitant but obeyed. She bit lightly down on the edge of the ornament.
Her expression was the answer.
"Too hard, my lady," she said meekly, spitting lightly into a cloth. "It didn't even dent."
Ryan folded his arms. "At best, it's twenty-five percent gold. The rest? Lies and rust."
The silence in the shop was instant and absolute. Even the humming insects outside seemed to vanish.
Then the noblewoman turned, slowly, to the shopkeeper.
"This gold," she said, holding the necklace between two fingers like it was filth, "isn't even close to pure."
Her voice dropped into a whisper lined with poison.
"And yet you expect me to pay twenty minas for it?"
"No—no, it's not… this is a misunderstanding!" the shopkeeper stammered, hands raised, eyes wide. "Don't believe this devil's lies! He's trying to discredit me! A trickster!"
She didn't even look at him.
"Guards," she said calmly. "Arrest the merchant for fraudulent trade and attempt to extort a noble."
The shopkeeper screamed.
Two guards seized him by the arms, ignoring his flailing as he shouted curses and wild denials. Ryan watched with a straight face. He didn't smile, but the glint in his eyes said enough.
[Familiarity with Noblewoman increased by 20. Status: Trusting]
The noblewoman turned her gaze back to Ryan, assessing him as if he were a sword being weighed for balance.
"Follow me," she said. It wasn't a request.
Ryan didn't hesitate. He fell in step beside her as the small procession exited the shop.
They walked in silence at first, the early afternoon sun painting gold over Babylon's clay walls and open streets. Vendors parted like waves at her approach, murmuring, bowing.
Before she could speak, Ryan broke the silence.
"I know what Milady wishes to ask. So let me save you the breath."
She arched an eyebrow, curious.
Ryan kept walking, hands behind his head. "I'm from an unnamed village, Milady. I was the sole merchant of my village. However, on the way here, I was ambushed. Bandits. Took my pack, my gear, everything. When I got to the city gates, I didn't have anything to offer for entry."
She said nothing.
"So," Ryan went on, "I made a deal. The guard at the east gate refused me entry unless I paid something. Didn't have money then. But I promised him I'd return by sunset and hand over three shekels. That's the price he set."
He glanced at her, unreadable. "I'm not saying I want that as a reward. I'm not even saying I can pay it by then. Just figured I would let you know. What you think of that… is up to you."
He gave a small smile and looked away.
A faint ding echoed in his ears.
[Charm Check – Success (Base: 7.6 + Circumstance Bonus)]
[Familiarity with Noblewoman increased by 10. Status: Favorable]
She walked in silence a few more paces. Then:
"Your entrance fee will be paid," she said simply.
Ryan blinked once.
"But that damn guard," she went on, tone colder than before, "who took a bribe and failed to fulfill his duties…"
She turned to the soldier walking beside her. "Track down the gate guard stationed at the east post this morning. Bring him to the eastern barracks. I'll handle the rest personally."
Ryan's face shifted.
"Wait…" he started.
But the command had already been given.
As the guards hurried off with orders in hand, Ryan sighed, running a hand through his hair.