"I am a merchant of the human race. My reason for being here is to conduct trade. I am also an envoy representing the Ashburn Kingdom. I bring greetings from my kind."
The words were simply true. The moment they left his lips, the fictional kingdom solidified in his mind—its borders drawn, its history implied. It was now a fact of this meeting, as concrete as the marble beneath his feet.
Vulnerability was a risk he couldn't afford. As much as he knew, Gentlets were human-like creatures that behaved like humans. With no backing, a Gentish scientist—if they had one—could simply decide to capture him and experiment on an "ancestor."
"The Council gladly receives your greetings. We are pleased and eager to trade with your kind." A pause, deliberate and measuring. "With that, we are inclined to ask some questions. First, as we do not see anything with you, what sort of thing do you intend to trade with our kind? Also, based on information we have, ancestors—or the human race, as per your claim—are forever trapped in dream bubbles. How did you manage to escape a dream?"
So dream bubbles had something to do with dreams, and ancestors were forever trapped in them. Did it have something to do with human dreams? Or was it just a weird phenomenon that occurred in this realm? That could wait. Now, he had business at hand.
The Bazaar had limits. He didn't yet know what he could trade with it. As for how he left a "dream," they didn't know either—so he could fabricate something.
His items of trade... he had some. He just didn't know what yet. He should have asked. Factoring the worst-case scenario, he could trade Nyx. No. He wouldn't trade Nyx. Not his lifelong companion. He would just trade information. But then, he would have to gauge what sort of information he could offer.
"Humankind are curious creatures, quite interested in information. For centuries, we have collected vast stores of knowledge as we wander between realms, trading and learning more about our world and beyond. For this reason, the first item of trade is information."
He willed his posture to remain relaxed, his expression one of polite, confident expectation.
"The human race has never encountered Gentlets anywhere in our various travels. Thus, we would be glad to learn more about your kind. In exchange, we would give you an equal amount of information about ours. If not interested, we would gladly pay your kind for said information. In addition, we have more knowledge acquired through years of exploration we would be glad to exchange."
If what Zane suspected was correct, the Gentlets would very much like to know about humans. With all the reverence given by the hunters, they would fall into his trap. He was also almost certain they had never left this realm. If true, then they didn't have information about his universe. With that information, he could earn currency—or more knowledge. He definitely wanted to know more about this realm. The Council hadn't replied, waiting for him to finish. Or had they seen through his lies? Definitely not. Not unless they knew more than they portrayed.
"The Kingdom of Ashburn is a highly respectable trading hub, known widely for its reach. We offer a variety of goods and services to our partners. We offer the city of Eryndor friendship and partnership."
Inhalation. A mouthful of air before the cherry on top.
"As for how I escaped a dream—I do not come from a dream bubble. I am but a visitor from the Ashburn Kingdom. Still, I would happily exchange information about dreams with your kind. Humans have quite an experience with these fleeting events."
A profound silence hung in the chamber after his declaration, thick and heavy as velvet. The hooded figures remained motionless, but he could feel the weight of their collective gaze—a pressure that was both physical and psychic. The shifting light from the dome seemed to slow, the colors deepening to something more ominous.
Finally, the voice boomed again, its resonance now laced with a new, sharp intensity.
"The City of Eryndor is happy to partner with your Kingdom of Ashburn. We accept your friendship. We anticipate exchanging information with your kind. Gentlets, very much like humans, are also curious creatures. Still, once again the Council is inclined to ask: where are the goods you plan to exchange with us? As we do not see them with you, our curiosity reaches its peak, and we must hold your claims with suspicion. For all we know, you might just be an impostor posing as an ancestor, going so far as to fabricate a human race entirely."
This Council could not be underestimated. They weren't as simple as he'd expected. What was he even thinking? Had they seen through all his lies? Where had he fumbled? *Calm down.* They had not yet seen through his fabricated kingdom. They just needed proof. As they thought he'd created a fake race, that meant they didn't know of humans. They just needed to confirm his legitimacy. Calmness returned, a bright spark igniting in his eyes. He still had control.
"Forgive my lack of clarity. It seems I was not precise enough. The Ashburn Kingdom uses portals to transfer merchandise once an order is made. Thus, it isn't required for me to carry all items of trade. I also do not know what sort of items your city needs. For that reason, I cannot place an order yet until I determine your requirements. Hence why I didn't bring anything with me. I clearly understand why you would doubt me, but rest assured—Ashburn is a very respectable trading hub with high integrity. Once Eryndor City identifies its needs, and if Ashburn has them, you exchange with items of equal value, and the deal is done."
He smiled, having delivered his pitch. *Just believe it.*
«Nyx.»
He mentally called for his solitary aide. Right now, he urgently needed to identify what sort of thing he could exchange with the Bazaar. His reservations about mind reading be damned. He no longer cared if Nyx read his mind. He just wanted answers.
And Nyx responded.
«Wise patron, your servant heeds your call.»
Didn't Nyx say he couldn't read his mind? No, that could wait. Urgent matters first.
«What sort of things can I exchange with the Bazaar?»
He projected his voice in his mind, hoping Nyx could hear him.
«You can currently only exchange physical items, provided that you have information of said item.»
A wave of relief washed over him. Nyx could hear him. Still, he would have to ask how, if Nyx didn't read his brain. Physical items? With information?
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