Dreamweaver.

May 24, 1100 — Saturday, 11:30 AM — West Borough

Seyla got off the carriage and was immediately greeted with the cacophony of people, the vendors' din, and the multicolored stands of goods being sold at each one. The place pulsed with movement and sound, from fresh fruits to baubles and apparel.

The West Borough had four principal sections: The first dealt in a variety of meats and fish.

The second specialized in fruits and vegetables.The third had high-end products such as clothing, watches, and foreign goods. And the last , the first one Seyla had noticed, was a place fliief of open-air small stalls.

Seyla walked towards the third, where he could purchase what he needed.

He entered a clothing store called "UJ's Clothing." Inside, he was greeted by a wide selection of garments. A woman stood behind the counter while another walked around, assisting customers.

Seyla moved toward the men's section and quietly browsed the racks.

"I already have two sets of clothes from Maerin," he murmured. "I guess I'll buy two more."

After some searching, he picked out three outfits:

One formal group of outfits and missions that could necessitate him going incognito at official functions.

One tidy, semi-formal group for everyday wear.

And one additional casual outfit to supplement his everyday live.

"Okay," he whispered to himself. "That leaves me with four everyday sets and one formal. That should suffice for the time being."

He approached the counter and grinned at the saleswoman.

"Just these."

The saleswoman smiled back at him.

"The formal wear is 15 silver marks. Each set for the day costs 10 silver, so your total is 35 silver marks or 2 crown notes and 15 silver."

Seyla agreed and took out 3 crown notes from his coat and handed them over.

She took the notes and wrapped the clothes in brown paper, and she gave the package to him. She opened the money box and gave 5 silver marks in change.

Seyla nodded politely and left the store.

"Next, I will need a wallet… I have 9 crown bills and 10 silver remaining. I will just use the silver on carriage rides."

He kept walking among the crowd until he saw a store that had wallets for sale.

Seyla went inside. The only one there was the saleslady, who instantly frowned at seeing him come in. Her look was less than friendly.

I know that face, Seyla thought. She probably believes I don't have money to spend.

He did not say a word and quietly walked around the tables stacked with wallets.

Still scowling, the saleslady's demeanor turned the instant she saw the crown bills sticking out from Seyla's jacket. Her eyes widened, and she hurried over with a strained smile, now anxious to help him.

She started suggesting all kinds of pricey wallets, but Seyla dismissed her, his eyes fixed on one specific one a folded leather wallet, brown, with a symbol of two moons touching.

He extended his hand for it.

The saleslady, though regaining her composure from the sudden change in demeanor, hesitated to take the wallet from him and grumbled,

"5 silver marks."

Seyla silently handed her the coins, snatched the wallet, and exited the store without saying another word.

What else do I need…? I already possess a pocket watch. I don't need anything else as an accessory. Time to visit the meat section, he thought as he blended back into the crowd.

He finally reached the meat section. Compared to the other areas, it was far less crowded. In this world, meat was considered a luxury, fish being the only affordable exception.

He passed stalls selling chicken, pork, beef, mutton, and several kinds of fish. His eyes landed on the chicken.

I'm craving chicken right now. I'll just cook at home.

"How much is the chicken meat?" Seyla asked.

The seller smiled.

"1 silver mark per kilo."

One silver mark? That's equal to twenty loaves of bread… yeah, meat is a luxury here.

He pulled out 1 silver mark, gave it to the dealer, and waited as the vendor weighed and wrapped the chicken in fabric and returned it.

After collecting some more small items from other sections, Seyla headed to the section with scattered small shops.

He went to a bread stall and purchased 10 pieces.

No rice. sigh, he said with discontent. And then he started making his way towards the carriages.

But just as he was about to reach them, something distracted him.

A peculiar individual was standing in a nearby black alley.

And suddenly, something stirred inside him. A gentle throb enveloped his body, and a soft, haunting hymn rang inside his head.

Dream Sense…! he exclaimed, eyes widening. The rune's reacting… something's here — coming from that alley!

His heart was racing as he crept toward the shadows.

He sprinted into the alley, but there was nothing. Merely a dead end.

It doesn't even have a—. wait. A door. There's a door here… hidden.

Seyla moved forward slowly, the air in the alley abnormally calm. His footsteps rang on the stone walls.

Then—

a dark figure stepped up behind him.

A low, raspy voice whispered,

"Why is a young man in a place like this… so dark… so still?"