Chapter 40 Just Coincidence Of course

On the second day of the Merchant Summit, made an important decision: he was not sitting through another morning trade conference. Absolutely not. Yesterday had nearly done him in—eight whole hours of merchants bickering over grain. He’d survived monster attacks that were less painful. So, naturally, he ditched his responsibilities and went sightseeing again. Karos couldn’t really complain; his invitation covered the entire summit, and no one had said he had to attend every meeting—or any meeting, for that matter. Besides, the Broken Crown wasn’t going to reveal itself just because he endured another shipping dispute. The summit streets were already alive with activity when he arrived.

Today felt busier than ever—more visitors, more merchants, more races, and even more absurd opportunities, like someone a chicken worth more than a house. Amos still couldn’t get over that. Wandering through the crowd, his gaze swept the bustling scene until it stopped on a familiar figure by a fountain. Faint pink hair, a small notebook, a white dress—the girl. She stood quietly, scanning her surroundings as if waiting for something… or someone. Amos grinned. Interesting. He made his way toward her, and halfway there, she spotted him. She froze, eyes widening, then widening even more as he came to a stop in front of her.

"Morning."

The girl blinked, then slowly lifted her notebook. "Morning." Amos glanced around with exaggerated shock before turning his gaze back to her.

"Huh."

The girl tilted her head.

"Were you expecting to meet me?"

The question landed squarely, and the girl froze in place. Amos knew the answer instantly, and the notebook almost slipped from her grasp.

"No?"

The girl looked away.

Amos nodded solemnly.

"I see."

The girl relaxed slightly.

"Meaning yes."

Her face immediately turned red.

Amos chuckled as the girl puffed out her cheeks. He was starting to think she did that whenever she felt embarrassed, and it was undeniably cute. She quickly bent over her notebook, scribbling furiously.

Coincidence.

Amos glanced at the fountain, then the plaza, then the notebook, before finally turning his eyes back to her.

"Uh huh."

The girl refused to meet his eyes.

"Sure."

The notebook immediately reappeared.

Coincidence.

"I am convinced."

The girl glared. Amos nodded.

"Excellent."

The girl looked confused.

"Now that we've established you absolutely weren't waiting for me—" She looked offended. "—want to spend the day exploring with me again?"

Her reaction was instant. The notebook was gone in a flash as she nodded, then she caught herself, realizing how quickly she’d answered—and froze. Amos, kind as ever, acted as if he hadn’t seen a thing. One could compare his kindness to the saints themselves.

"Great."

The girl looked relieved.

"Today's goal."

Amos pointed toward the summit.

"We find the weirdest thing here."

The girl blinked.

Then wrote:

Yesterday wasn't enough?

Amos stared at her. "That sentence implies you lacked imaginations."

The girl paused to, then slowly crossed out the sentence—wise choice indeed. They began walking together, the atmosphere far more relaxed than the day before. Most of the awkwardness had faded, and they no longer felt like strangers. At one point, Amos bought skewered grilled meat, but the girl pointed toward a dessert stall. Amos countered with the meat; she pointed at the dessert again. After three minutes of playful negotiation, the dessert emerged victorious—as to be expected.

***

The hours flew by as they wandered through unfamiliar sections—a sprawling international marketplace, an exhibition of rare magical beasts, and a display of ancient inventions salvaged from ruins. One inventor beamed as he demonstrated a machine that folded clothes on its own, earning enthusiastic applause from the crowd. Amos and the girl stared in silent awe, both thinking it was more impressive than many of the magical weapons showcased nearby.

By midday, they arrived at one of the summit’s bustling entertainment districts. Music drifted through the streets, performers dazz the crowds, acrobats soared overhead, and illusionists conjured tiny, vivid worlds. The girl took it all in with wide-eyed wonder. Amos noticed and smiled—surprisingly, for someone from such a ridiculously wealthy family, she was easy to impress. Then the girl suddenly tugged lightly on his sleeve.

Amos blinked, surprising them both. The girl looked as startled as he was. Slowly, very slowly, she pointed toward a small performance stage where a traveling storyteller was just beginning a tale. Amos smiled. "Want to watch?"

The girl nodded, this time without a hint of hesitation. As the two slipped away into the bustling crowd, neither noticed the old merchant watching from a balcony. He stroked his beard in thought, eyes following the silver-haired adventurer laughing at something the storyteller said, then shifting to his youngest granddaughter’s quiet smile. A low chuckle escaped him.

"Oh dear."

A nearby attendant looked confused.

"My lord?"

The old merchant smiled.

"Nothing."

His eyes remained on the pair below.

"Just observing an interesting investment."

***

Amos suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. "..."

The girl tilted her head, and Amos frowned. For some reason, a wave of discomfort washed over him, only to disappear as quickly as it came.

"Strange."

The girl wrote on her notebook.

What is it?

Amos rubbed the back of his neck. "Nothing." Then he grinned.

"Probably just someone being creepy again."

Somewhere on a rooftop.

Karos sneezed.

***

On second evening of the Merchant Summit, Amos came to a simple realization. He hated merchant conferences. Not just disliked. Not mildly bored but despised it. There’s only so much talk about tariffs, grain transport, insurance contracts, and maritime regulations a person can take before wondering if going full-time as an adventurer had been the right call. More and more, the answer was looking like yes. So, while the most evening event drew hundreds of influential merchants into one of the city’s grandest halls, Amos was fast asleep—peaceful, comfortable, and utterly without shame.

Karos stood outside the conference hall wearing Eoghan's familiar armor.

She adjusted the cloak slightly.

Then entered.

Immediately several merchants noticed.

"Eoghan Rise."

"He's here again tonight."

"The fastest promotion to B-rank adventurer ever."

"Wasn't there a rumor on him getting another promotion to A-rank soon?"

Karos offered polite nods to everyone, all the while questioning why anyone in their right mind would willingly attend these gatherings. Then it came to her—money. People seemed to have obsessed for it. Not enough to justify this level of misery, but it was something.