The next morning, Kaito stood once again before the reception desk at the Adventurer's Guild.
The elf receptionist glanced up from her paperwork. "Back already?"
Kaito dropped a leather pouch onto the counter. The soft jingle of coins caught nearby ears. "I'd like to register for official merchant status. And have my skill evaluated."
Her eyes flicked to the pouch, then back to him. "And the Guild permit I gave you yesterday?"
He pulled it from his coat pocket, neatly folded, not a wrinkle on it. "Still intact."
She took it, nodded, and rang a small bell behind the desk. Moments later, a tall man in a gray cloak emerged from the back room. Bald, scar over one eye, clipboard in hand. He looked like the kind of guy who could write your name down and make you disappear in the same breath.
"This is Evaluator Rhun," the receptionist said, tone even. "He'll oversee your skill assessment."
"Follow me," Rhun grunted, turning on his heel.
Kaito followed him through a corridor lit by magical sconces, down to a lower chamber with reinforced walls and a thick iron door. Inside was a clean stone room with two things: a table and a set of training dummies along one wall.
"Demonstrate your skill. Show how it functions, how you summon, and what its limits are."
Kaito nodded and opened the Modern Mart app. He scrolled through a few categories before selecting "Basic Tools." With a quiet hum, a crowbar and a multi-tool landed on the table.
Evaluator Rhun raised an eyebrow. "No chant?"
"None."
"Mana?"
"Don't think so."
"Try something offensive."
Kaito pulled up "Self-Defense" and summoned a stun gun. He flipped the switch, and blue sparks crackled at the tips.
"Test it on the dummy."
Kaito walked over and jabbed the training dummy's chest.
ZAP!
The stun gun let out a sharp crack, and the dummy visibly shook, smoke curling from the impact point.
Rhun scribbled something on his clipboard. "Summon time?"
"Instant."
"Range?"
"Directly into my hand or bag."
Rhun's eyes narrowed. "What's your inventory limit?"
"I don't know yet. Haven't hit it."
That actually made the man pause.
"You're telling me you can summon an endless supply of these… devices?"
Kaito shrugged. "Possibly. But I still need money to buy them. The skill doesn't generate currency."
"And where do the items come from?"
Kaito considered that. "Somewhere else. Another world. My world."
Evaluator Rhun stared at him for a long moment. Then he wrote three more lines and finally nodded.
"Your skill qualifies for independent class status under the designation World-Sourced Merchant. Provisional approval. We'll be watching."
He handed over a fresh permit with a glowing crest.
"You're authorized to sell. But if your items start causing harm—or stir magical corruption—you'll be summoned for interrogation."
"Fair enough," Kaito said.
As they exited, Garon waited outside the room, leaning against the wall with a half-eaten apple.
"Well?" the big man asked.
Kaito held up the new badge. "We're official."
Garon grinned. "Guess that means we're in business."
Back in the lounge, Kaito checked the request board for commissions that suited his talents. Most were standard: monster subjugations, herb gathering, escort work.
Then one stood out:
Urgent Request – Inventor Seeks Trade Assistance
Location: East Draymoor – Hillside Workshop
Description: Seeking a merchant with access to rare tools and unique devices. Must be discreet and open to strange tasks.
Reward: 8 silver + bonus upon successful delivery.
"That sounds like our kind of job," Kaito said.
Garon nodded. "Bonus for strange tasks? Yeah, that's us."
The workshop on Draymoor's eastern edge looked more like a madman's shed. Smoke puffed from half a dozen chimneys. Gears turned on exposed pipes. A scarecrow in armor stood beside a mailbox labeled "Professor Tannel."
Kaito knocked once, then stepped back as the door burst open.
A gnome no taller than Kaito's waist greeted them, goggles on his forehead, grease on his face, and wild white hair sticking out in every direction.
"You're the merchant?" he asked, squinting.
"Yep. Name's Kaito. This is Garon. You posted the trade request?"
"I did, I did. Come in, come in!"
Inside, the workshop was chaos. Clockwork parts covered every surface. A birdcage with a spinning gear instead of a bird hung near the window. Something was bubbling on a burner, and it didn't smell like stew.
"I need something you might be able to get me," the gnome said. "I saw your demonstration in the square—your dummy exploded with such force! It was beautiful!"
Kaito grinned. "Glad someone appreciated it."
Professor Tannel clapped his hands. "I need more of those. Dummy traps. Flashbangs. Noise-makers! I've got prototypes, but yours work without fail."
"I can deliver," Kaito said. "But I'll need silver up front to purchase materials."
The gnome tossed him a pouch without hesitation. "Take it. I'll pay more if you bring me a full crate."
Kaito opened the Modern Mart app.
Selected: Flashbang x5
Selected: Dummy Target (Pop-Up) x3
Selected: Tactical Horn x2
One by one, items materialized in bursts of light. Professor Tannel squealed with glee.
"This is going to revolutionize my security system!"
Garon muttered, "Or blow the whole hill up."
Either way, Kaito thought, the future was arriving faster than anyone expected.
Want more? Add to Library and follow Kaito as he builds a business empire one gadget at a time!