CHAPTER 52: CHAPTER 51: A NEW KIND OF SHOP

Kael packed the last of his supplies into his satchel and slung it over his shoulder. He turned to Seris, who was adjusting the strap on her scabbard.

"Ready?" he asked.

She nodded once. "Let’s go. You said today’s the big day."

Kael smiled, fatigue tucked behind it. "Yeah. Shop’s supposed to be finished. Let’s hope the dwarves didn’t blow anything up."

By mid-morning, they reached the southern end of the city, where the main street sloped gently downward toward the outer gate.

The building stood on a prominent corner, its wide storefront angled perfectly to face the steady stream of townsfolk and travelers trickling in through the southern gate.

Kael stopped at the edge of the stone walkway, staring at the shop for a long moment.

"Wow," he said quietly.

The transformation was subtle but unmistakable.

Gone were the weather-stained wooden boards and broken windows. The two-story stone building had been replastered with clean mortar, its window frames replaced with finely carved darkwood. The old hanging sign had been removed—and in its place, a group of dwarves was fastening a new sign above the main door.

Kaelmart

Kael smirked. "They actually put the name up."

Seris let out a soft whistle. "So... this is your idea of a shop?"

"Not exactly. But it’s close."

At that moment, a familiar voice spoke from beside the door.

"You’re here early."

Kael turned to see Officer Marrek.

"Officer Marrek," Kael said with a nod. "Everything done?"

Marrek jerked a thumb behind him. "Grondel and his boys finished last night. The mayor said I should oversee final inspection, but honestly... I’m just curious."

Kael’s lips quirked upward. "Curious about the mad foreigner’s shop?"

The officer didn’t deny it. "You’re the first outsider to be given property in Ginip since the border wars. The mayor vouched for you personally. You’ve got people wondering."

From behind Marrek, a squat dwarf with a smudged apron stepped forward. He wiped his hands on a rag and gave Kael a satisfied nod.

"You’re Kael, aye? I’m Grondel Hammerbarrel, foreman of this crew. And I’ll say this once—ya had some strange requests. But we followed them all, just like you asked, lad."

Kael extended a hand, which Grondel clasped in a brief, solid grip.

"You’ve got yourself a shop built like nothing else in Ginip. Tile floors—clean-cut shelving of hardened oak. Lighting enchanted with steady-glow crystals. Cold storage chambers. Aisle markers. Signs in multiple languages. You even got your little... what did you call it?"

"Checkout counter."

"Aye, those." Grondel scratched his beard. "Didn’t know what half this stuff was supposed to be. But it works. Just don’t ask me to build another one of these anytime soon."

Kael nodded. "Then let’s see if it all turned out the way I hoped."

The large wooden doors creaked softly as Kael pushed them open.

Inside, a soft, even light filled the space—no smoky torches or flickering sconces. Instead, steady-glow crystals embedded in the beams lit the room in warm, ambient tones.

Kael stepped through and stood still for a moment, taking it in.

The interior was spacious—about 3,000 square feet on the ground floor—with clean-cut stone tiles and broad wooden beams overhead. Unlike the usual cluttered stalls of the city’s markets, this place was open, organized. Everything had a place.

Five long wooden aisles divided the space, with hand-painted signs marking each section.

The left side of the shop featured open shelving units, all custom-built by the dwarves to Kael’s specifications. The shelves were spaced evenly, deep enough to hold inventory, but short enough to let customers see across the store.

Near the entrance stood the checkout counter, a wide U-shaped wooden desk with space behind it for multiple clerks. To the right was a small section for storage and back-office tasks, partitioned by a half-wall Kael had added for visual openness.

Kael walked the aisles, checking spacing and height. He measured the angle of the lantern crystals and tested the reachability of the upper shelves.

Everything was exactly as he specified.

"Even the signage is perfect," Kael noted. "That one’s got the common symbol for ’food’ and the dwarvish rune for ’preserved goods.’"

Grondel grunted. "I had to hire a calligrapher for that. Bloody picky job."

Seris followed quietly behind him, eyes scanning every surface.

"You did all this for trading?" she asked.

"That’s the goal," Kael said. "A place that feels open. Safe. Like anyone—noble or commoner—can walk in, find what they need, and walk out satisfied."

"You really want to sell everything?" Marrek asked. "Potions, weapons, scrolls, food?"

"This place won’t just sell swords or potions. It’ll sell ideas. Knowledge. Tools people don’t even know they need yet."

Seris tilted her head toward the staircase. "What’s upstairs?"

"Storage and offices," Grondel said, already moving toward the steps. "Staff rooms too. Oh—and the vault."

They followed him up the wide stone staircase. The second floor was still unfurnished, but it was clearly built with growth in mind. A hallway ran down the middle, with three rooms branching off and a reinforced door at the far end.

Grondel knocked on the vault door with a knuckle.

"Steel core, outer shell laced with Aetherium dust, rune-inscribed locking system. Five-lock security—keyed and coded. You wanted it secure. It’s secure."

Kael traced a hand along the reinforced edge. It was cold, solid, perfect.

"This’ll hold the high-value inventory," he said quietly. "Relics, rare spell components, maybe even magical artifacts. Eventually."

Marrek raised an eyebrow. "You planning to sell relics?"

"Eventually," Kael said simply. "If the permits allow."

They descended back to the main floor. The dwarves were finishing their cleanup, gathering tools and packing carts.

Grondel approached one last time and gave Kael a firm nod. "It’s done. Strange shop, sure, but it’s yours. Just remember who built it when you start raking in coin."

Kael grinned. "I won’t. You’ll be getting plenty of follow-up orders once we expand."

Marrek clasped his hands behind his back. "I’ll send the Townhall’s final approval tomorrow. But as far as I’m concerned, this place passes inspection."

Kael nodded. "Thank you, Officer."

Marrek hesitated. Then, with a small nod:

"You’ve done something new here, Kael... Let’s hope it brings us luck."