Free Web NovelChapter 17: Leaving Kovliar
Alartun did not stay much longer after the deal was finalized. The total payment came out to seventy-two crystals, which Alartun paid in two parts as it had been agreed. Thirty-six red crystals, and the remainder in gold. For that remaining balance, Alartun handed over three gold beads, each weighing around ten grams.
Ronan had no idea what the conversion rate was between gold beads and crystals, but since Elicia approved the exchange rate, he accepted it without any haggling. These gold beads were more than enough to improve his life in the other world by miles. Alartun completed the transaction and left immediately carrying the bag of the bread and water bottles with him. But not before he reminded Elicia at least half a dozen times to contact him when the next batch of product arrived.
"What do you think?" Elicia asked once Alartun was gone. "About the deal? Are you happy? Satisfied?"
"I think I will reflect on it in my spare time," Ronan replied with a smile.
"This is an absurd answer," she said in a low tone. "What did you learn about the market condition of Kovliar?"
"Haha!" He chuckled. "I will tell you later."
He handed over eight crystals to her as her commission.
"You are giving me a bit extra," she remarked, looking down at her divided share on the table. "Technically I deserve seven red and two blue crystals. What you are giving me is 8 blue crystals extra."
"It’s fine," he shrugged. "You deserve it."
"Eight extra blue crystals," she said, raising an eyebrow, though she did not hesitate to pocket them. "But thanks, I guess."
"You will need to drop me off where you picked me up," Ronan remarked.
"No problem," Elicia replied with a nod. "I was expecting this.:
"Can you do me a favor?" He asked, distributing the crystals among his various pockets.
"What is that?" She questioned.
"Can I borrow a few of your books?" he requested. "I will return them on my next visit. I still need to know more about Kovliar city."
"You can," she replied unhesitatingly. "But when exactly will your next visit be?" frёewebηovel.cѳm
"Umm..." Ronan contemplated the timeline for a few moments before answering. "Let us schedule our next meeting for the third day from now. Same time, same place."
"Great!" Elicia said, her face beaming. "And what will you bring this time? Something different?"
"You will see," Ronan replied mysteriously. "Maybe you will get a pleasant surprise."
Elicia looked at him with narrowed eyes.
"Now I am really interested," she said.
Ronan smiled and walked back into the room where the books were stored. He browsed the shelves and picked out three volumes. The first was the book he had already been reading, and he chose the other two completely at random based on their titles.
"Should we depart?" He asked, stepping back into the hall.
"Yes," she said. "But do you not want to explore the town first? Should I take you somewhere? Do you want to see the sights?"
"Not today," he said, shaking his head. "Maybe on my next visit."
"Fine!" she said.
Elicia slung her rifle over her shoulder, and they left the apartment. She locked the door behind her, and they descended the concrete staircase.
"How much does a bike like this cost in Kovliar?" Ronan asked as Elicia claimed the rider’s seat on her motorbike.
"Five hundred red crystals," she said.
"And your mobile device?" he asked.
"What I have cost around fifty to sixty red crystals," she replied. "The high end ones go for as much as a hundred or even a hundred and fifty red crystals."
"And the rifle?" He pressed.
"This one cost eighty red crystals," she said. "Why are you asking the price of everything all of a sudden?"
"Just getting a feel for the local market," he responded smoothly. "Maybe I will ask the price of many more things the next time I visit the city." freewёbnoνel.com
"This is why I suggested you explore the city first," she remarked.
"Next time," he responded.
Elicia tilted her head, signaling for him to take his seat. Ronan mounted the bike behind her. The machine lurked forward and shot out toward the building located outside the city walls.
Evening had arrived, and the city of Kovliar was bathed in the pale glow of the fading sunlight. As before, the atmosphere felt deeply melancholic and oppressive. The sunrays were hazy. The apocalypse, the abominations. Ronan’s mind shuddered as he recalled the grim snippets of information he had managed to glean from the book back in Elicia’s apartment.
"What kind of man is Alartun?" Ronan asked out of nowhere as they approached the main street of the city.
"Did I not already tell you?" She asked back over her shoulder. "He is a broker who dabbles in a bit of everything. He is your man if you need rare commodities or want to find contract work. He knows a lot of people. He has a massive network. A man of many expertise."
"I get that," Ronan responded. "But I am asking what kind of person he is fundamentally."
"Oh," Elicia responded. "My relationship with him is strictly professional."
"I have never known him very well on a personal level, but I have known him for a long time. He is an easygoing man. And though I would not call him nice or kind, since those kinds of people do not really survive out here, he is a good man. He keeps his word, and he is someone you can actually trust. He is not someone you expect to stab in your back."
"Is he a dangerous man?" Ronan asked.
"Dangerous?" Elicia mumbled, falling into her own line of thought.
"I would not say he is not dangerous," she replied after a couple of moments of silence. "He would not go out of his way to harm you, threaten you, or pressure you."
"But," she added. "He is definitely not someone you can just walk over. He is a big name in the black market, and you do not survive at that level unless you have significant backing. He might not take the initiative to hurt you, but I am certain that if someone crosses him, he has his own methods of dealing with them."
"Hmm," Ronan processed this. "And what about you? Are you a dangerous person?"
Elicia fell completely silent at the question. Sitting behind her on the speeding motorbike, Ronan was not able to see her facial expression.
"I am dangerous," she said quietly after a long pause. "I am dangerous."
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