Micro led his party through the woods, temporarily abandoning their quickly growing road, in the direction of his alleged acquaintance. He counted a total of six people in the group, and was confused when four of the group suddenly dispersed. As he approached, two hid in bushes nearby, and two quickly climbed up tall trees, while the remaining two stood cautiously, apparently aware of Micro’s approach.

  “Thieves, beware!” one of them shouted, his voice echoing his anxiety. “Our treasures are many, but they are appropriately guarded!”

  “We are defended by twenty members of the strongest sect in these lands!” the other, a young woman, shouted as Micro came into sight.

  “What are you talking about, Tohan?” Micro asked the surprised old merchant. Tohan was adorned as before in orange and gold robes, and beside him stood a young woman in similar attire. “There are only four cultivators hiding, and they all have jade cores.”

  Micro smiled at Tohan, the generous merchant from whom he’d received so many gold coins at the tournament in the Imperial City not long ago. Tohan blinked in confusion as Micro’s friends appeared behind him, but his face soon brightened.

  “My boy of good fortune!” Tohan shouted, his glistening jewelry jingling as he clapped his hands excitedly. “It’s alright, everyone! Be at ease, for they are the finest of friends!”

  “I’m glad to see you looking well, after all that happened,” Micro said to the man.

  “Oh, it was nothing compared to the riches I attained on that fateful evening!” Tohan raced forward to greet Micro, though he stopped to bow to Lena with a graceful gesture on his way. “I am honoured once again to greet the Imperial Guard on behalf of—”

  “Ignore me,” Lena said flatly. “I am presently far removed from my duties to the empire. Consider me a guest of our mutual friend.”

  “A guest—” Tohan’s face froze as he looked up at Lena, unsure whether he should ask for clarification. However, Micro patted the large man’s back reassuringly.

  “So, how have you been?” Micro asked, his casual tone cutting through the tense air. “Busy, no doubt?”

  “I…” Tohan stuttered, but he cleared his throat and continued, reviving his boisterous tone. “Excuse me! I am simply overjoyed to see you in good health and good spirits. There was talk of you being hunted and destroyed by the Imperial Guard shortly after the tournament. There was even mention of a cerulean level Imperial Envoy, would you believe it? But business has never been better!”

  “That’s good to hear,” Micro replied. “We had some errands to run, but now we’re taking some time to clear a way back to town.”

  “I see, I see,” Tohan mumbled while scratching his thick beard. “I hope you have not been bothered by the bandits. They have been growing in number recently.”

  “Aren’t bandits much weaker than cultivators?” Micro tilted his head in confusion, recalling his unpleasant experience. “You have an amber core, so I doubt they’d be a problem for you or your friend.”

  “I am guarded by members of the Jade Dark Cat Sect, all of whom you skilfully uncovered,” Tohan replied. “They are famed for their information gathering abilities, but not even they know what is happening in the world of bandits. Many cultivators and mundane merchants alike have reported large groups of bandits travelling with cultivators recently. Can you imagine something as vulgar as a cultivator associating with such vile beings? And with magicians rampant throughout the kingdom, it is a volatile time in our kingdom’s history!”

  “You seem awfully excited about that,” Micro remarked.

  “It is an exciting time to be a treasure hunter!” Tohan shouted, waving his hands around excitedly. “A great upheaval would unearth all manner of curiosities, wouldn’t you agree?”

  “I have heard of farmers finding interesting things in their fields before,” Micro nodded. “Swords from old empires and the like…”

  “Just the thought of it makes it hard for me to sleep at night,” Tohan replied with wide grin. “If only it were some force other than bandits… Such despicable things do ruin the mood…”

  “So bandits are cultivating, and magicians are everywhere…” Micro said. “Well, I’m glad business is going well for you.”

  “Indeed! That disaster of a tournament was almost the end of my sect, but a marvellous opportunity arose!” Tohan announced happily. “Just when so many of our trade partners abandoned the area, would you believe that six new towns suddenly appeared north of the Imperial City?! And they are all connected by a single, luxurious road! It’s a spectacle to behold!”

  “Oh, did they already finish it?” Micro asked.

  “You know of the road?” Tohan asked in surprise.

  “Of course I do,” Micro “I paid Margo to have it built not long ago.”

  “The road is yours?!” Tohan screamed.

  “I paid for it with the coins you gave me, actually,” Micro explained.

  “That road alone has made me richer than I thought possible, and in such a short time…” Tohan replied, his face turning pale. He then reached into his storage and pulled out several small pouches.

  “Oh?” Micro said as Tohan pushed the pouches into his hands. He recognized the sound of metal objects jingling inside and smiled. “Isn’t this a lot of gold?”

  “It is a fraction of what you are owed!” Tohan declared reverently, bowing so deeply that Micro could see the back of his head. “Are you the Immortal Merchant King spoken of in legends?”

  “No, like I said…” Micro replied, shaking his head. “I’m just Micro.”

  “With just the spare change I gave you, you multiplied my own wealth ten times… My sect has never seen so much business,” Tohan continued with a hoarse voice. “What heavenly spirit possessed an amber stage cultivator to spend what little coinage he possessed on the construction of a road?”

  “You’re saying this individual commissioned the new road?” The young woman beside Tohan approached Micro with her hands raised in front of her, wrapping her right hand around her left fist. With a graceful bow, she continued. “It is disturbing to learn that our fate was steered by the interference of a cultivator in the mundane economy. Is shame the new currency of this land?”

  Micro could only smile awkwardly as he tried to interpret the scathing tone of the woman, but Tohan’s joyful aura instantly transformed into one filled with anger.

  “Silence, daughter!” Tohan shouted, turning to rebuke her. “The traditions of this master’s sect are not to be judged by fools like us! In the time since I last met him, he has ascended from jade to amber stage, and his strange actions have given us opportunities unknown!”

  “But profit with no honour is—” She argued, but she was surprised by her father’s fierce expression.

  “Foolish daughter!” Tohan growled.

  “Apologies, father, young master…” the woman bowed in panic, though by her eyes it was clear that she was not convinced.

  “Beautiful…” Kolt blurted out as the woman’s hair swayed, the ornaments decorating it shining brightly as the sun caught them.

  “Shut up,” Kira quietly snapped, elbowing him in the side so hard that he buckled over with a grunt. “So embarrassing…”

  “Anyways…” Micro continued awkwardly. “Don’t worry about, well… whatever it is you were talking about.”

  “You are gracious and wise, young master!” Tohan replied in relief. “In our culture, direct interference in mundane affairs is frowned upon, but I see no reason to question the intentions of such a monument of good fortune as yourself.”

  “I thought it was a good idea,” Micro answered with a shrug as four cultivators appeared near him. They were dressed in black robes which covered even their faces, except for their glowing yellow eyes.

  “Our destination is not far from here,” a cultivator in black whispered as he appeared behind Tohan and his daughter. “Have our plans changed?”

  “Ah, of course,” Tohan replied, then turned back to Micro. “My apologies, young master. We have behaved rather shamefully. You see, as a result of the events which transpired at that fateful tournament, many sects have been seeking higher stages of cultivation. Well, those that haven’t gone into hiding, at least…”

  “That’s fair.” Micro nodded. “A holiday can do a world of good.”

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  “The catastrophe left nearly every sect in the region feeling vulnerable and ashamed,” Tohan continued.

  “Not yours though?” Micro asked.

  “Especially ours!” Tohan lamented, though his daughter rolled her eyes at his elaborate gestures. “Our sect is founded on the paradoxical relationship between the material and the immaterial! Our greed for luxury is what drives us. Be it currency, information, or ancient treasures, there is nothing we forsake. For our sect to be so utterly blindsided by the conniving of the mundane was eye opening.”

  “The old man would call that the cost of doing business,” Micro said with a nostalgic laugh. “Something always pops up, whatever you are prepared for…”

  “Please elaborate,” Tohan abruptly paused his story and leaned in to hear Micro’s explanation. “I sense a great merchant’s wisdom hidden in your words.”

  “The old man wasn’t rich, but he made it through some hard times,” Micro nodded, his face brightening as he spoke. “He never brought a truckload of produce into town expecting to sell every single thing at full price. Some he gave away, some were damaged, others he gave away.”

  “That is the cost of doing business, you say?” Tohan whispered. “It is a simple sentiment, but it is profound…”

  “There was one time he worked really hard with the neighbour’s son to divert a local stream so he wouldn’t have to count on the rain every year,” Micro continued, happily relating the memory. “Sometimes it rains too much, and other years it barely rains at all. There were all sorts of problems, and it took a while for it to pay off. That’s the sort of thing he called the cost of doing business.”

  “This master you speak of was able to profit by accounting for the forces of nature itself…” Tohan replied in awe. “This is not the mindset of a simple merchant!”

  “He used to joke about it, but the weather can seem really mean sometimes,” Micro added. “It’s no use shouting at clouds, but it’s safe to assume they can hear you.”

  “The weather was… mean?” Tohan gasped. “What a terrifying place to call home…”

  “He was certain that a rain cloud heard him say he’d fix the roof later,” Micro went on, unable to keep himself from laughing as he told the story. “His son said he was being silly, but it started raining in the middle of a drought that same day.”

  “Master Micro comes from a world where even nature is one’s enemy…” Arbur whispered. “No wonder he makes light of our peril.”

  “Intriguing,” Lena remarked.

  “I thank you for sharing such personal stories,” Tohan said, still contemplating Micro’s words deeply. “Indeed, we must all take the precautions we can afford to take. It is in the name of caution that we have commissioned the Dark Cat Sect to guide us to the Amber Dragon Dungeon.”

  “But you already had an amber core, didn’t you?”

  “There are several among us with amber cores, yes,” Tohan explained. “But none among us have surpassed the jade level Dragon Art. That is why we invested much of our recent windfall into locating the Amber Water Dragon Art Dungeon’s entrance. It is time for us to ascend.”

  “Do you mind if I join you?” Micro asked happily. “We won’t get in your way!”

  “You are more than welcome!” Tohan shouted happily. “There is so much more I would love to know about your experiences!”

  “I wonder if Kel’s sect will aim for amber cores soon,” Micro wondered aloud. “He did seem interested—”

  “Oh? You haven’t heard?” Tohan asked, then shook his head. “No, of course not. You’ve been very busy. The Fire Mountain Turtle Sect ascended to the amber level not long ago. I hear the new sect leader is your friend, Kel. It caused quite the stir in the region.”

  “Wow, that’s great!” Micro said. “What about his grandfather?”

  “Apparently Kel and the sect leader were cultivating together, but the elder did not survive the endeavour,” Tohan replied solemnly. “Nobody expected him to be able to ascend at that age, and yet he never thought to give up, in solidarity with the younger generation’s goals, a truly admirable man…!”

  “Oh—” Micro frowned. “I see…”

  “Micro,” Lena quietly called out with a sharp tone. “Mind your manners.”

  “What do you mean?” Micro asked, his sadness only growing.

  “His death was neither meaningless nor shameful,” Lena said. “Shed no tears. Be honoured to have known him, and honour his memory.”

  “Indeed!” Tohan reassured Micro. “In any case, we must move. Even with a sapphire level ally, attracting bandits by remaining still in this place is a risk not worth taking.”

  “Okay…” Micro said slowly, but he was struggling not to let his sadness show on his face. “Let’s go.”

  ~

  Micro introduced Arbur, Kira, and Kolt to Tohan as they continued to the location of the dungeon. The hired members of the Dark Cat Sect continued to patrol the area around the party diligently, as they had been hired to do. Tohan and his daughter had many questions for Micro about his experiences after the tournament, but Micro’s mood was taking some time to recover, so Kira enthusiastically recalled their adventures. Kolt attempted to brag about his own contributions to their quest, though he was ultimately too shy to raise his voice in front of Tohan’s daughter for long.

  After Micro’s mood had finally started to lift, thanks in large part to Kira’s excited storytelling, he asked Tohan about his business as a merchant. Tohan didn’t hesitate to explain the dealings he had done with the many people who had relocated to the newly emerging towns to the north of the Imperial City.

  “With so many people coming and going along that road, my sect barely had to do any legwork at all in search of new opportunities for trade. Bones of mythical creatures, golden relics of long-lost civilizations, thousand year old roots…!” Tohan explained with a wide smile, revealing several gold teeth Micro hadn’t previously noticed. “My sect’s business is treasure, you see? There is no treasure in this world we can not transform into a profit, and there is no client we have ever disappointed.”

  “So you buy and sell treasure?” Micro asked.

  “We also spare no expense in hunting it down!” Tohan added. “The material reward for a successful adventure is an honour among honours!”

  “That’s interesting,” Micro replied. “I’ve also started to enjoy finding new Core Cards. I wonder where all those new people in the towns came from though.”

  “It was quite miraculous,” Tohan replied. “I had the Dark Cat Sect investigate that exact issue. Apparently the population boomed with the influx of mundane tradesmen, joined by their families. The communities which sprung out of the ground near the new road invited countless other trades, and the speed at which imperial forces can now come and go has made the region safer than any other for the mundane.”

  “That is excellent news!” Micro said loudly. “The world has always been more than dangerous enough.”

  “Indeed, they have fully benefitted from your road,” Tohan continued. “And the farmers have expanded their own ventures, but imports currently account for a vast majority of what is consumed. The Imperial City almost feels like a ghost town in comparison.”

  “I hope Spark and her family are doing well,” Micro said as he recalled their humble home near the city. “Kern and his wife always looked so worried…”

  “Is that a friend of yours?” Tohan asked. “Spark is not a cultivator’s name, unless I am mistaken…”

  “Her father, Kern, works with metal. He has a very nice hammer,” Micro replied. “And they’re very good people.”

  “A mundane blacksmith worthy of your praise…?” Tohan remarked with a curious light in his eye. “For me to have overlooked them, I still must have a long way to go as a merchant. Thank you for the recommendation.”

  “Does a merchant of a Dragon Sect delight in the services of a mundane blacksmith now?” Tohan’s daughter interjected. “You must forgive my confusion, master of the…”

  “Truck Sect!” Blue chimed in, popping out of Micro’s pocket with a smirk. “Haven’t you heard of it?!”

  Tohan’s daughter flinched when the pixie appeared near Micro’s shoulder, but she held back further questions after seeing her father bow politely to the glowing blue creature.

  “I also beg your forgiveness, regarding my daughter’s lack of courtesy,” Tohan said boisterously. He looked at his daughter with a frustrated expression. “She is a highly motivated girl, but young Tring is clearly inexperienced in ascertaining the bigger picture.”

  “But I do believe it is in the interest of our own sect’s honour to be clear on the matter of station. Does our tireless cultivation not separate us from the realm of those who crawl on the ground so far beneath us, living by the whims of nature like little animals?” Tring’s tone gradually became more assertive as her gaze wandered across Micro’s party. “Do cultivators have any business playing in the dirt with lesser beings while walking the path to immortality? It’s bad business, is it not? Do we not distinguish ourselves honourably?”

  “You all look the same to me.” Micro shrugged. He was going to leave it there, but he noticed Kolt’s expression darkening as it had before, though Kira showed no signs of being shaken by Tring’s remarks.

  “What—” Tring began, but Micro’s expression sharpened as their eyes met again. “What do you—”

  “The strongest folks you’ll meet in this life are the ones who lift up the people around them,” Micro said with a harsh tone. “The weakest are the type who’d rather put others down.”

  “Truck Sect wisdom?” Blue asked sarcastically.

  “Something the old man said to his son after school once,” Micro replied with a warm smile. “It’s a lesson for children, but it’s not uncommon to meet people who are selfish their whole lives…”

  Tohan’s face turned white as he processed Micro’s words, and he nearly jumped in fear as Tring replied almost immediately. He tried to cover her mouth, but she slipped away and continued.

  “You dare equate me to some beast of labour?” Tring spat. “You speak down to me as if from the heights of the immortal realm, yet you lack the honour of the weakest cultivator I have met!”

  “Just to be clear…” Lena interjected, having been unable to stifle her laughter at the argument. “Those wretched magicians summoned a being of unimaginable power recently.”

  “I thank you for your warning, but…” Tring stumbled awkwardly as Lena’s calm voice interrupted her inquisition. “Might I ask why you have chosen to recall such an event at this time—”

  “I was rendered completely immobile,” Lena added with a sharp grin. “I was like a blade of grass before that fearsome creature of the unknown.”

  “I am aware of the hero summoning which my father witnessed at the tournament recently,” Tring said quietly, shaken by Lena’s cool tone. “But a cerulean stage Imperial Envoy was present, and little came of it.”

  “It was our mutual friend here who prevented the tournament summoning from succeeding, but that is not the summoning of which I now speak,” Lena said softly, and Tring looked up with wide eyes. “Hadn’t you heard, young one?”

  “There was another?!” Tohan gasped. “When? Where—”

  “I was powerless before the being we encountered,” Lena continued with a heavy tone. “I could barely stay conscious in its presence.”

  “Have the magicians found a way to create an emerald core?!” Tohan looked down at the ground as cold sweat formed on his face.

  “It possessed a silver core, as a matter of fact,” Lena replied, then pointed at the blue pixie hovering above Micro. “And I witnessed Micro drive the being away to protect his little blue friend.”

  “A silver—” Tring stuttered. “He did what?”

  “You may speak as you wish of whomever you wish. The ramblings of the weak are not dissimilar to the frogs croaking in these woods to my ears,” Lena said, turning away from the baffled daughter of Tohan with a look of disinterest. “But you should quickly learn that things like power and honour are not so easily defined on the path you now walk.”

  “The path we now walk?” Tring repeated, then looked around in surprise, noticing that they were no longer walking beneath the trees of the untamed forest, but on a wide trail lined with tree stumps and boulders. “What path is this…?”

  “You don’t even know a road when you see it…” Micro sighed, and returned his own attention to the way ahead before replying with a cold tone. “It’s mine.”