THE MERCHANT'S SECRET: My Unexpted Isekai Life

Chapter 8

One morning, while we were setting up, Ella grinned at me.

"Dirk, I never thought I'd say this, but this job is way better than hunting scorpions."

Elvie, tying her long silver hair into a loose ponytail, nodded in agreement. "And way safer too. I used to think fighting monsters was exciting, but now? Making money without risking my life? I like this much better."

I chuckled. "So, does that mean you two are working full-time for me now?"

Ella smirked. "Depends. What's the pay?"

I pretended to think. "How about free coffee every morning?"

Elvie rolled her eyes. "We already get that. Try again."

Laughing, I nodded. "Fine, fine. How about fifteen gold coins a week?"

Both their eyes widened.

"FIFTEEN?!" Ella nearly choked on her words as she fixed her elven blouse adorned with delicate flower embroidery. "Are you serious?! We barely made that much in two months as hunters!"

Elvie elbowed her. "Shh! Take the deal before he changes his mind!"

I grinned. "It's settled then."

Another Ding.

Not bad. I smirked to myself and tapped the side of the Guardian screen like some kind of smug sci-fi protagonist. "Let's see what we've got here..."

I focused the glowing panel on Elvie and Ella, who were sitting near the fire, casually sorting a small bundle of herbs and monster drops from those adventurers who bartered their goods.

The screen shimmered before adjusting its display.

[COMPANION SCAN: ACTIVE]

Name: Elvie Elvania

Race: Elf

Level: +1

Power: +1 and Magic: +7

Name: Ella Elvania

Race: Elf

Level: +1

Power: +1 and Magic: +5

"Whoa," I muttered. "It really worked."

The Guardian system wasn't just rewarding me—it was rewarding them too. Which meant... the more I worked alongside them, the stronger we all became.

Elvie must've noticed me staring because she looked up and narrowed her eyes. "What are you grinning at?"

"Nothing", I said, quickly hiding the screen. "Just... proud of my friends."

Ella beamed. "Aw, that's sweet!"

Elvie rolled her eyes but didn't argue. I swear I caught the faintest twitch of a smile on her face.

I leaned back and crossed my arms as I watched them. However, as the business grew, I started to notice Igor watching me more closely. Not in a bad way, but with an intense curiosity—especially whenever I reached into my backpack.

One afternoon, after a long line of customers had finally cleared, I noticed Igor stealing a glance at my bag once again.

I sighed and turned to him. "Go ahead and ask, Igor. I can see it's been bothering you."

The old elf crossed his arms and chuckled. "Alright, I'll bite. Just how much do you have in that bag of yours? I swear, lad, I've seen you pull out more bottles and mamon than should even fit in there."

Elvie, who was wiping down the counter, smirked. "I was wondering when you'd finally ask, Uncle."

I scratched my head. "Well... funny thing about this bag. I think it's... special."

Ella leaned in, intrigued. "Special how?"

I held the backpack open and turned it toward them. "Go on, take something out."

Ella, excited, eagerly reached in—then froze.

"...It's empty?" She frowned and peeked inside. "That's weird. Dirk, where do you keep all the goods?"

I smirked and, without even looking, casually reached inside. From seemingly out of nowhere, I pulled out a fresh bottle of water and a pack of mamon.

Igor's jaw nearly dropped. "By the Goddess... that's impossible!"

Elvie let out a low whistle. "So that's why you never run out... only you can access it?"

I nodded. "Looks like it."

Ella waved a hand in front of my bag as if testing for illusions. "That's crazy! It's like a personal storage dimension!"

Igor narrowed his eyes, stroking his beard. "Something like this... I've only ever heard of ancient magic. Even among nobles, spatial magic like this is rare. And yet, here you are, a merchant, pulling goods out of thin air!"

"Am I not only handsome but also cool?" I smirked with confidence.

Igor looked at me straight-faced. "My mother always used to say, 'The older you get, the better you get, unless you're a banana."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I raised my brow; I thought he was just being sarcastic.

Elvie giggled, "Don't mind him, Dirk; everyone knows you're cool; he is just bad with jokes."

I chuckled nervously. "Well, as long as you think I'm cool, I'm not complaining."

Elvie smirked. "I bet the nobles would pay a fortune just to get their hands on it."

That sent a shiver down my spine. The last thing I needed was some high-ranking noble trying to take my bag—or worse, demand I reveal how it worked.

"Yeah... let's keep this between us, alright?" I said, lowering my voice. "I really don't want to attract the wrong kind of attention."

Igor gave me a firm nod. "Aye. Smart move, lad. This is the kind of thing that could make you rich... or make you a target."

By the end of the first official week of my stall, I was floored.

I counted two hundred small gold coins and ten large gold coins in one day.

Back on Earth, I could've worked months in a part-time job and never made that much. The sheer weight of the coins in my hands felt surreal.

As I sat behind the counter, staring at my earnings, Elvie noticed my expression and nudged me.

"Still can't believe it, huh?" she teased.

I exhaled, shaking my head. "It's insane. I never thought I'd earn this much."

Ella flopped onto a chair beside me. "At this rate, you'll be richer than half the merchants in town."

Igor, who had been leaning against the wall, let out a hearty laugh. "No kidding. With the kind of money you're making, you should start thinking about expanding – maybe even buying property."

I blinked. "Property?"

He nodded. "You can't just run a business like this from a stall forever. The demand is only going to grow. A proper shop will give you security—and legitimacy."

I rubbed my chin, considering it. A real shop, huh?

I'd already bought new clothes and shoes, along with other necessities, but investing in a permanent store? That was a big step.

Still, as I looked at the hundred coins stacked before me, I realised... Elvie was amazing. Just yesterday, I strongly disagreed with Elvie's pricing advice—one small gold coin for a bottle of water and two small gold coins for a piece of mamon seemed outrageously expensive to me. Back in my world, these were cheap, everyday items! But Elvie had been firm.

"Dirk, you don't understand," she had said, tapping the wooden counter of my stall. "Your products aren't just food. They restore mana. That alone makes them priceless."

Ella had chimed in as well. "Exactly! Do you know how much mana potions cost? A low-grade mana potion can go for ten gold coins, and it tastes disgusting!" She wrinkled her nose at the thought. "Your water is not only cheaper, but it's also tastier and more effective."

I sighed, still hesitant. "But I don't want to price-gouge people. It just doesn't feel right."

Elvie only smirked. "Trust me. Set the price high first. If the demand keeps rising, we'll see if we need to adjust it."

And she was right.

Day after day, the demand only grew stronger. People were raving about my water and mamon, and I had barely even introduced corned beef and hotdogs yet.

One morning, as I was preparing my stall, a nobleman in embroidered robes stepped forward, flanked by two heavily armoured guards. He held up a bottle of my water, inspecting it as a rare artefact.

"Is it true?" he asked, his sharp eyes locking onto mine. "That this drink replenishes mana better than a potion?"

Before I could answer, another customer in line—a young adventurer—spoke up. "Oh, it's true, all right! After drinking just one bottle, I was able to cast twice as many spells during a dungeon raid!"

The noble's eyes gleamed. "Then I'll take ten."

With the profits rolling in, Igor helped me find a proper shop to rent with an extra bedroom for me to sleep in. It was located just a few doors down from his weapon shop, a prime location where both adventurers and merchants frequently passed by.

Igor, Elvie and Ella quickly became essential to my business. Not only did they help manage the stall and deal with the ever-growing crowd, but they also started giving me practical advice on handling my finances. Thinking about how much money I have earned, I'll be rich in no time; however, they say it's better to be poor and happy than rich and miserable, but how about a compromise like moderately rich and just moody?