The deeper he stepped into Nasha Town, the more the atmosphere wrapped around him.
The air grew warmer, thicker with the scent of grilled fish, spiced meat, and freshly baked bread.
Voices overlapped in chaotic harmony: haggling, laughter, arguments, deals made and broken in seconds.
Jake's eyes moved constantly.
Everything felt... alive.
Not like the suffocating tension aboard the ship.
Not like the quiet, dangerous unknown he had faced before.
This was different.
"…So this is what a real town feels like."
He exhaled softly, almost unconsciously relaxing his shoulders.
For the first time in a while, he didn't feel like he needed to watch every step.
"Fresh catch! Just pulled from the sea!"
"Best price in the west district!"
"Oi, kid! You look new, want a map?"
Jake ignored most of it, weaving through the crowd with a calm but curious gaze.
He wasn't in a rush, but his destination was clear.
The Merchant Guild.
His fingers brushed lightly against the pouch Henry had given him.
With his ship-cleaning salary added, he now had a total of one gold, ten silver, and seven copper coins.
"...Guess I should use it wisely."
Just as he was lost in thought while walking—
Thud.
He accidentally bumped into someone.
"Ah, sorry about that. Are you okay?"
Jake hurriedly apologized as he looked down at the short, cloaked figure whose head barely reached his chest.
He could tell the person was a woman.
Why?
...Because despite her petite frame, she had an impressively large chest.
But he couldn't see her face as her hood kept it completely hidden.
"I'm alright."
A soft, beautiful voice drifted out from beneath the hood. She quickly stepped around him and hurried away.
Jake blinked, about to ask her name, but she had already vanished into the crowd in the blink of an eye.
He let out a small sigh and smiled faintly to himself.
"Her voice sounded really beautiful..."
Then his hand drifted to his abdomen where they had collided.
"…and soft too." he murmured.
_
_
_
Soon, without any trouble, he finally reached the Merchant Guild.
Surprisingly, the order in the town was quite good as he hadn't seen any crime on the streets.
"It seems like I need to learn about how things work here," Jake murmured before looking up at the Merchant Guild in front of him.
The building was completely different from the others around it.
Up close, it felt even more imposing.
It was crafted from smooth gray stone, each block fitted so precisely that the walls almost looked seamless.
Compared to the rough wood and uneven structures of the lower town, this place carried a quiet sense of authority… as if it had stood here long before everything else.... and would remain long after they were gone.
Tall pillars lined the entrance, carved with intricate patterns that appeared to be scales, coins and symbols Jake didn't quite recognize.
They weren't just decorations; they seemed to represent
Trade, Balance and order.
Jake's gaze drifted upward.
Above the massive double doors hung a large metal emblem of two perfectly balanced scales.
Even from below, he could see how polished it was, gleaming faintly under the sunlight as though it were constantly maintained.
Looking around, he saw people moving in and out without pause..
Some wore fine robes, their expressions calm and confident.
Others were armored, weapons sheathed at their sides.
A few looked like ordinary merchants, but what struck Jake most was the absence of chaos.
There was no shouting, no frantic haggling and no raised voices.
Even the guards stationed near the entrance carried themselves differently.
They weren't like the loud, rough men on the docks.
These ones were quiet and observant.
Each wore dark uniforms with the same scale emblem stitched over the chest.
Their eyes swept over every person entering...not aggressively but thoroughly.
Jake felt it immediately.
"It seems the Merchant Guild isn't quite so simple…" he murmured.
Then, with a resolute look, he took a step forward and crossed the entrance.
The moment he passed through the doors, the atmosphere shifted again.
Cool air brushed against his skin, carrying the faint scent of parchment, ink, and something metallic... coins, most likely.
The clamor from the street dulled instantly, replaced by a controlled, low hum of activity.
Inside, the space opened into a vast hall.
Jake's eyes widened slightly..
The ceiling soared high, far higher than it had appeared from outside.
Sunlight poured through tall, narrow windows, casting long, clean lines of gold across the polished stone floor.
Rows of counters stretched across the vast hall, each one separated neatly by low wooden dividers.
Above them hung simple, clearly a signs:
Information
Item Appraisal
Commissions
Currency Exchange
Each section had its own line, its own staff, its own quiet rhythm.
People spoke but never loudly.
Deals were struck but never chaotically.
Even arguments, when they flared, were swiftly hushed into tense whispers beneath the steady gaze of nearby guards.
At the very center of the hall stood a circular desk, larger and more imposing than the others.
Behind it, several well-dressed staff members moved with practiced efficiency, sorting documents, exchanging coins, recording entries in thick ledgers.
Everything felt... control and organize.
Jake took a slow step forward.
His boots made only the softest tap against the gleaming floor.
"...So this is the Merchant Guild."
His voice came out quieter than he'd intended but because it simply felt natural here.
His gaze drifted across the sections again, pausing for a moment on Information... then lingering on Item Appraisal.
"....Where should I start?"
For a brief moment, he just stood there, taking it all in.
Jake didn't rush.
His eyes swept the hall again, slower this time.
The Information counter had a steady line: adventurers, travelers, even a few cloaked figures who clearly preferred not to be noticed.
The staff behind the counter spoke in calm, measured tones, sliding small slips of paper back and forth and occasionally exchanging coins.
The Item Appraisal section was quieter, but more... intense.
People brought out strange objects like glowing stones, monster parts, weapons wrapped in cloth.
Every item was examined with care by elderly men and women wearing thin spectacles, their expressions sharp and unreadable.
Then there was Commissions.
A large wooden board stood behind the counter, covered in neatly pinned requests.
Those seem to be escort missions,.resource gathering, monster subjugation and delivery tasks.
Jake paused in front of it for a moment.
"....Why does this feel more like an adventure guild from the books I read?"
Even the system almost felt the same... except everything here was far more orderly.
With a small sigh, he finally decided to head to the Information counter first.
After all, his most urgent question was how to awaken a class.
Soon Jake stepped into the line and waited patiently for his turn.
Surprisingly, it moved faster than he expected as it seem the staff were clearly efficient.
Before long,
It was his turn.
Jake stepped up to the counter.
The woman behind it looked to be in her mid-twenties, dressed neatly in a dark uniform with the guild emblem pinned near her collar.
Her hair was tied back in a tidy bun, her expression calm but not unfriendly as she offered him a small, professional smile.
Her eyes met his.
"Welcome to the Golden Scale Merchant Guild. Is there any information you wish to purchase?"