Kaito stood in the center of the small room, taking stock of his situation. The space was barely ten feet across, containing only the bed he'd woken up in, a rickety wooden chair, and a small table with a cracked water basin. His entire worldly possessions, it seemed, consisted of the clothes on his back—a rough linen shirt and worn trousers that had seen better days.
"System, can you show me my full status?" he asked.
The blue screen materialized instantly.
[Host Status]
Name: Kaito Yamada
Age: 19
Level: 1
Merchant Rank: Beggar
Stats:
- Strength: 8
- Agility: 7
- Intelligence: 12
- Charisma: 6
- Luck: 5
Wealth: 0 copper coins
Skills: None
Active Quests: First Transaction (23:47:22 remaining)
Kaito frowned at the charisma stat. Six out of what he assumed was a scale that went much higher wasn't exactly inspiring. But the intelligence score was decent, at least. He'd always been sharp—spending years bedridden with nothing but books and the internet had guaranteed that.
"Alright, let's think this through logically," he muttered, pacing the room. "I need ten copper coins by tomorrow. I have no money, no skills, and no idea what the economy of this world even looks like."
[Would you like to access the Market Insight tutorial?]
"Yes, please."
A new window appeared, filled with information about the world's currency system. One hundred copper coins equaled one silver coin. One hundred silver coins equaled one gold coin. The conversion continued upward through platinum, mithril, and something called "celestial coins" that made Kaito's eyes widen.
The tutorial also explained that Market Insight would allow him to see the true value of items, identify supply and demand trends, and even predict price fluctuations—but only after he unlocked it by completing his first quest.
"So I need that skill to really get started, which means I absolutely have to complete this quest." Kaito rubbed his chin. "What can someone with literally nothing offer?"
He thought back to every isekai story he'd ever read, every business strategy he had studied during those long hospital days when he'd dreamed of a life he could never have.
Labor. Information. Services.
"I need to go outside and see what opportunities exist in this village."
Kaito made his way downstairs, each step still feeling miraculous. The inn's common room was modest, with a handful of wooden tables and a bar where the innkeeper from earlier was wiping down mugs. A few patrons sat scattered about, mostly rough-looking men nursing drinks.
The innkeeper glanced up as Kaito approached. "Thought you'd be out looking for work by now."
"That's exactly what I'm doing," Kaito replied. "What kind of jobs are available in Bronwick?"
The man shrugged. "Depends on what you can do. The logging camp always needs hands. Miller's been complaining about needing help. Or you could try the farms, though harvest season's mostly passed." He gave Kaito an appraising look. "You don't look like you've done a day's hard labor in your life, though."
Kaito couldn't help but smile at the irony. "I'm stronger than I look. But I'm better with my head than my hands."
"Then you're in the wrong village, boy. Bronwick's a working town. We don't have much use for fancy thinking."
"Every town needs someone who can think," Kaito countered. "Tell me, what's the biggest problem Bronwick faces right now?"
The innkeeper's eyebrows rose slightly. "That's a strange question."
"Humor me."
The man considered for a moment, then sighed. "If you must know, it's the same problem every small village has, we're too far from major trade routes. Merchants barely stop here anymore. It used to be twice a month we see caravans. Now we're lucky to get one every season. It makes it hard to sell our goods and harder to buy what we need."
Kaito's mind began working immediately. "What does Bronwick produce?"
"Mostly timber and some grain. Old Hemwick makes decent tools, but nothing fancy. Why?"
"Just trying to understand the situation." Kaito's thoughts raced. This was a logistics problem, a market access issue. In his old world, he'd spent countless hours reading about economics, about how trade routes shaped civilizations and how information asymmetry created opportunities.
"Where's the nearest major town?"
"Millcrest, about three days west by cart. That's where the merchant caravans go."
Three days. That was too far for a quick solution, especially with less than twenty-four hours to earn ten copper coins. Kaito needed something immediate.
"Are there any merchants in town right now?"
"Just old Garvey, and he's not really a merchant anymore. He used to run a general store, but he's half-blind now. Mostly just sits in his shop hoping someone will buy his dusty inventory."
"Where's his shop?"
The innkeeper pointed. "Two streets over, you can't miss it. Only building with a sign that says 'General Goods.' But I'm warning you, he's a cranky old bastard."
"Perfect. Thank you." Kaito turned to leave.
"Hey, you never told me your plan for getting my money!"
"I'll have it by tomorrow," Kaito called back. "I promise."
---
Garvey's General Goods was exactly as advertised—a small, weathered building with a faded sign swinging in the breeze. Kaito pushed open the door, and a bell chimed overhead.
The interior was dim, lit only by sunlight filtering through grimy windows. Shelves lined the walls, stocked with a chaotic assortment of goods: rusty tools, dusty bottles, worn clothing, and various odds and ends that looked like they hadn't been touched in years.
Behind a counter sat an elderly man with wild white hair and thick spectacles that magnified his eyes to an almost comical degree. He squinted at Kaito as the door closed.
"We're closed," he rasped.
"The sign says you're open."
"The sign's been saying that for forty years. Doesn't mean anything anymore."
Kaito approached the counter, studying the old man carefully. Garvey's hands trembled slightly, and he held a ledger close to his face, clearly struggling to read it.
"I heard you used to be a successful merchant," Kaito said.
"I used to be lots of things. Now I'm old. What do you want, boy?"
"I want to help you, and I want you to help me."
Garvey barked out a laugh. "Help me? Unless you can give me new eyes, there's nothing you can do."
"I can read. I can organize. I can count inventory." Kaito gestured at the chaotic shop. "And unless I'm mistaken, you've been struggling to keep track of what you actually have in stock."
The old man's expression shifted slightly. "Been managing fine for years."
"Have you?" Kaito picked up a jar from a nearby shelf. "This is labeled as honey, but it feels too light and I think it's empty."
Garvey squinted at the jar, then sighed. "It might be, it's hard to tell anymore."
"Let me make you an offer," Kaito said, his heart beating faster. This was it—his first real negotiation. "Give me one day. I'll inventory your entire shop, organize everything, and create a proper ledger you can actually read. In exchange, you pay me ten copper coins."
"Ten coppers for one day's work? That's robbery!"
"Is it? How much product have you lost track of? How many customers have left because you couldn't find what they needed? How much time do you waste searching through this mess?" Kaito leaned forward. "I'm offering you clarity. Organization. A system that will let you actually run this store properly again. Ten coppers is a bargain."
Garvey was silent for a long moment, his magnified eyes studying Kaito intently.
"You're awful confident for someone who looks half-starved."
"I'm confident because I'm good at this. Give me a chance to prove it."
Another pause. Then Garvey reached under the counter and pulled out a small pouch. He counted out ten copper coins, placing them on the counter with deliberate care.
"Fine. But you finish by sunset tomorrow, and if you do a sloppy job, I'm taking these coins back and throwing you out. Understood?"
Kaito's hand trembled slightly as he reached for the coins. The moment his fingers touched them, a notification appeared.
[Quest Complete: First Transaction]
[Reward: +2 to all stats, Basic Appraisal skill unlocked]
A warm sensation flooded through Kaito's body. It wasn't painful, but it was intense—like every muscle, every nerve, was being gently strengthened. When it faded, he felt noticeably different.
A little bit sharper and stronger than before.
He blinked, and suddenly he could see faint text hovering over various items in the shop.
[Rusty Iron Sword - Poor Quality - Value: 2 copper coins]
[Oak Walking Staff - Common Quality - Value: 5 copper coins]
[Empty Honey Jar - No Value]
This was the Basic Appraisal skill. It was really working!
"Well?" Garvey demanded. "You going to stand there gawking or get to work?"
Kaito grinned. "I'll start right now. But first, I need to pay my inn bill. I'll be back within the hour."
"You better be. And bring something to write with. My spare ledger is around here somewhere, but damned if I can find it."
Kaito practically ran back to the inn, the ten copper coins clutched in his hand. The innkeeper looked surprised when he slapped them on the counter.
"Told you I'd have it," Kaito said breathlessly.
The man counted the coins, then nodded grudgingly. "Fair enough. Room's yours for another three days, then."
As Kaito climbed the stairs back to his room, another notification appeared.
[New Quest Available: The Organized Merchant]
Objective: Complete a full inventory of Garvey's General Goods and create a functional organizational system
Reward: 50 copper coins, +5 Charisma, Unlock Merchant Shop Feature (Basic Tier)
Time Limit: 36 hours
Kaito sat on his bed, staring at the quest notification with growing excitement. Fifty copper coins. A charisma boost that would help with future negotiations. And a merchant shop feature—he could only imagine what that meant.
But more than any of that, he felt something he'd never experienced in his previous life.
Purpose.
In his old world, he had been a burden. Someone to be pitied and cared for. Here, he was someone who could create value, solve problems, build something from nothing.
"This is just the beginning," he whispered to himself. "First a shop. Then a business. Then..."
He thought about the innkeeper's words. Bronwick was isolated, cut off from major trade routes. The village was struggling because it lacked market access. That was a problem—and problems were opportunities.
"Then an empire," Kaito finished, his smile widening.
He stood up, rolling his shoulders, marveling again at his body's responsiveness. Tomorrow he'd inventory Garvey's shop. After that, he'd start thinking bigger. Trade routes. Supply chains. Market expansion.
Kingdom building didn't start with armies and castles. It started with coins and connections. And Kaito intended to accumulate both.
The path to power truly did begin with getting rich.
And he was just getting started.