Tap, Tap, Tap, Tap...
I wonder if I will get admitted to Uni... truth be told, I was never the brightest person in class, nor was I ever really diligent with studies. But I love business. My family owns one of the biggest companies in the country, and they are the kind of people you would look up to. Consider them idols. Sadly, I am not like them, not even close. Even if I had to pass the exam to move up the class, the chances were lower than I would have liked them to be. And here I am, walking in the city with my head in the clouds, praying to all the gods that have graced this Earth, to help me at least this one last time.
Bling!
"Hmm?" I reach for my pocket and get my phone out to see a new email. It's my exam results. And of course, I failed. Nothing surprising, I was expecting it, more than I should have, but it is what it is.
Sigh...
"I guess that will be the main reason for my parents' outburst today." I walked into the nearest cafe and got some random berry tea, or whatever it was. Once I left, I was already contemplating what I was going to say to my parents. I guess that's the only good part of arguing with them for a good 19 years.
I was done drinking my super extra delicious tea, and that's when I got a call from my most loving dad.
Bzzzt! Bzzzt! Answer.
"Hey, Dad." Not exactly the happiest, as you can see. "What's up?"
I can't forget that husky voice he always used to talk with me, which I called his "Real Voice"; otherwise, he would always try to have that clear voice for business meetings and calls. Sounds the same to me, to be honest. Though he thought it was making some difference.
"Where are you? Did you see the results?" Straight to the point, as always.
"Yeah. Wanna try to guess?" Thought I should crack it like some joke, but it didn't land well.
"You failed, didn't you, you..." He sighed like an old dog and proceeded to abso-lutely demolish me with whatever he could think of.
After a few minutes of gaslighting and reminding me that they gave me the roof over my receding hairline, and my malnourished body some protein, he finally hung up with a warning, or should I say a threat, that I was gonna get "something" after I was back home.
I was walking home, and I saw this very blatant sign, saying they teach some business BS, and I, who just failed the most important exam of my life, thought it was a brilliant idea to be tutored at someone's 1-bedroom apartment. Couldn't hurt to try, right?
I walked in. The stairway wasn't the most welcoming, but I had hope. Don't ask where it came from, but I had it. It was on the last floor as well. It was a 20-story building...
At last, I got up, practically had to crawl up the last 5 floors, but we got there. I knocked.
Bang Bang!
I don't hear anyone walking towards the door, or any noise coming from the apartment. But I waited for 10 minutes. Now that I am thinking about it, that was fucking insane!
Just when the 10 minutes hit the clock, which I was counting, yes, the door opened. It was scary; you would only see this in a Japanese prank show. The door opened to nothing but pitch darkness! But of course, Mr. Insane waltzed in, and the door shut.
I will happily tell you, I was shitting bricks, but it didn't take long for me to get spaggetified in seconds and be motion sick for a good 5 minutes.
After enjoying the nice chill breeze on my face, I finally sat up and took a good look around. I was in the middle of butt-fuck-nowhere. It was pretty, I will give you that. I was in the middle of the short grass field. I could see mountains, fields of wildflowers, and forests that didn't seem like they had an end.
And that's when my life started to get exciting.
The sound of something rolling and clanking on the ground snaps me out. I look forward, but there's nothing. That's why I look back and see a black and white carriage with two pretty majestic horses, which we on Earth would call a Shire.
The driver had a nice mustache; he looked like a butler, but he also had 4 heavily armed soldiers with purple tabards over their iron chestplates, with a Raven crest. I was next to a dirt road, so I just hopped to the front and started jumping up and down to get attention, which I'd never gotten from my parents...
"Hey! Can you stop? I need help!" I was kind of relieved to see the carriage, since I really am stranded in the middle of nowhere, and I will take any help right now.
The carriage stops, and the butler with a nice mustache nods to the soldiers. I am sure he just reassured them that I was not a threat.
Two armed soldiers get off their horses and walk towards me, both unsheath their swords, and that's when I realize I am not safe at all. I was thinking about running away, but the other two that are still on their horses will probably shove their weapons up my ass if they want to.
"H-hey! I am unarmed, AND ALONE! I just need help!" I close my eyes and stretch my arms up, just praying they are not pointing their cool-looking, but even more dangerous swords in my face.
Aheem!
The cough came from the carriage. The butler didn't move, so I guess it was someone that's sitting comfortably inside. It sounded like a guy, somewhere around my age.
"Stand down, he seems harmless." The carriage door opens. The butler gets off the carriage before the person inside even gets their foot out, and stands there waiting for orders.
The guy who got off does look around my age. He has short, black hair with dark eyes, which seem black. I can't see very good in this sun. He has a sharply tailored, militaristic black suit, fitting for a noble. He has a purple sash with three medals displayed that connects his black cloak with a raven crest on the back.
He walks towards me and stops at handshake distance. He smiles lightly, not that I am gay, but he is very handsome too. Got some nice modelesque features.
"Sorry for my soldiers' alerting reactions; they were just doing their jobs." He slightly tilts his head down to show his sincerity. He looks back up at me with a smile still on his face. "What brings you here? It is quite a random place you chose to "ask" for help."
"This will sound weird, I used teleport magic to get to this continent. I wanted to explore and used all my funds to come here, but I wasn't expecting to be here. Haha." I totally made that up just now. A child won't believe this shit.
"That's quite unfortunate. I have heard people teleporting to places where they originally didn't want." His smile fades a tiny bit; he might be feeling sorry for me. What a nice gentleman. He is handsome, rich, and also has a good heart. Fuck him.
"If I could inconvenience you just one more time, could you give me directions to the nearest settlement. I would like to rest up and probably get a job to earn money."
The young and handsome man stays silent, probably thinking about something. He looks back at his butler and gestures to him to get closer.
"Yes, Prince." He takes the typical butler stance, one hand behind his back, one in front. And waits for the young Prince to speak. Wait, Prince? Today seems to be my lucky day, after all.
"Can we bring this poor fellow along with us to the city?" He asks for permission, even though he can most likely just order them to bring me along; he really seems like a gentle guy. I even decide to ignore his blatant insult, as I am quite certainly not poor.
"Of course, we ought to help others in need. I am sure the good Lord will be pleased by your deeds." He smiles under his cool, pointy mustache and gestures both of us towards the carriage.
We get in the carriage. I thought it would be smaller and more cramped, but there is enough leg room for four people, and it's super comfy. The road is more relentless than a stormy sea, but I think I will manage.
"I am super grateful for your generosity. I can't repay at this moment, but if you give me enough time-" I get interrupted by the Prince. He holds his hand up, telling me to stop.
"There is no need to repay anyone. I am sure you would have done the same if the roles were reversed." He says, and I don't correct how wrong he is. "With that being said, is there anything you want to ask? I would only imagine how hard it can be to get stranded on a different continent." He crosses his legs and rests his smooth hands on his dainty knees.
"Thank you, I do have some questions I would like to ask." I should ask some good questions here, or else I am cooked. "What kingdom are we in?"
"That is a good question. But I will answer in layers, since it is important to know." He puts his leg down and fixes up his posture. "We are right now in the Vrousal Kingdom. It occupies 50 percent of our continent.
I nod and let him continue speaking.
"Our empire is divided into 22 regions, which are governed by each respective family that has been there for decades and centuries. We also have a small independent City on the East Coast, but I think you can find out enough about that in your free time."
"Okay, that sounds great. How about this region? Where are we?" This is pretty interesting, not going to lie, I was never too into fantasy and medieval stuff, but I did play games that would usually have these elements, and I think I am getting the hang of this.
"We are currently in my family's territory, the Raevonyth Dutchy. The capital is the city of Keim. We are proud fish merchants; we have the best firewood in the empire, and rocks that are native to this region alone are very pretty and durable. We may not be the greatest family, but we don't have to bow down to anyone. Other than the Imperial family, of course." He had a smuggish face on him. He is proud of his family, I can tell. Lucky.
"That's great. Frankly, I am interested in being a uh... Merchant!" It's hard to find appropriate words for this world, but it's fun. For now.
"Oh! That's great to hear, we always look for competent merchants that can bring profit both to the region and also to the business. I would love to introduce you to one of the merchants who's close to my family, he will be willing to help you out and give you good advice." He seemed excited about me being a merchant. I think his family is quite money-oriented. But they seem nice, so at least they one-upped parents.
"Since you are called a prince, I assume you are the heir?" Time to gossip.
"No, I am third in line. I have an older sister and an older brother. My brother is the oldest, so he is the rightful heir."
"Oh, I see. Sorry if that was rude of me to ask."
"Not at all, I am glad we can discuss something while we are on the road. Being in awkward silence is the worst. Not a lot of people tend to speak with nobility. Outside, probably extorting money for their "businesses", or they just want to get their names out. No shame in it, of course. I would do the same."
Wow, this guy isn't ashamed of himself. I am jealous. He is a nice guy, so I think he gets a pass. "Then would it be alright for me to ask your full name? I am Solomon. Solomon... uh, Rein." Yup, totally didn't make that up...
"Oh, apologise, that's quite rude of me. I am Vincent. Vincent Limotré Raevonyth. Second son of Kael Raevonyth, the current lord of the land."
"This might seem very impolite, but your family sounds very cool." It does, I had to be honest. And I think he can appreciate the honesty. Right?
"Hahaha!" He laughs out loud, which catches me off guard, and now I am scared. Maybe he doesn't appreciate it?!
"I'm sorry if I said something offensive!" I bow my head as much as my metaphorical scoliosis allows.
"No, no! It's my first time someone blatantly said such a thing in my face for the first time. I am glad we sound that appealing to you. We try to do the most for our people, so I am glad you have a high opinion of us."
Phew, I dodged a bullet. Or should I say arrow. Hah, got em.
"How long do we have left to reach the city?" I had to ask, I am not particularly a fan of long roads.
"Hmm, 2 hours at most. It's been 3 hours since we left the Xashmi village. So it should take around that much."
"Sounds great!" Nice! 2 hours, I will just plan what I should do once I finally get in the city.
"If you don't mind me asking, if everything goes well for you and you become a merchant, what would be the first items you would sell?" He leans a tiny bit forward, with a curious, handsome smile. This son of a-
"Uhm, that's a difficult question, I would have to learn the market first. What's something the region lacks?" Guess he would be the best person to ask about that. He is the ruler's son after all.
"If I had to say, we always spend a lot on spices, specifically black pepper. They are produced in the east, so the cost of travel increases the price a lot."
BLING!
"Hmm?" What was that sound.
Swoosh
A blue screen appears in front of me. Its edges are curved, and there is text in the middle. What is going on?!
The Merchant System from Earth found its host. Hello Solomon Rein.
You are the chosen one. To use the system, you must meet these requirements:
1. Sell a product, but you must make a profit.
2. You must be alone before signing the contract,
3. You shouldn't tell anyone about the system. (Apart from your soulmate.)
"Sweet!" I shout. Without realising, and now I look like a psycho.
"Sweet? I guess sugar is also popular on the market." He definitely misunderstood that.
Chapter 1, End.