To Trevor’s surprise, the climb was actually really easy. His Strength carried him all the way to the top, and he threw himself onto the roof with only lightly harder breathing from the exertion. The young man had looked around, noting the gardens that were planted on every rooftop, before paying attention to the PathGuider’s line.

While it felt a little rude to invade people’s roofs like this, he was feeling an adrenaline high from his crowd dancing and climbing. This was the most physically fit and capable he had ever been in his life and, while he was sure he’d get used to it eventually, it made him giddy.

So, he followed the line as it showed him the way. Trevor pulled the Horn of Swift Heroics from his inventory, but didn’t blow on it yet. It was kept close because of what the Quest Master had said.

As he stepped from building to building, only having to jump a few feet between alleyways, Trevor started becoming more confident. In Tosa he had stuck to jogging or running through the streets, the lack of obstacles had meant it was a relatively easy experience, but Eskretet was proving to be completely different in a most delightful way.

Running along the edge of the roof, he saw the people going about their business. Some wore fancy clothes and walked with purpose, while others sported looks of awe and could easily have been tourists stopping to see every little thing. Some spotted him, pointing up, and that’s when he returned to the center of the buildings so he wouldn’t have so much attention on him. He wasn’t sure if this was considered trespassing or not, but he hoped that he wasn’t breaking any laws.

Eventually, the PathGuider wanted him to cross the wide streets, and showed this with a tall arc between the buildings. Trevor slowed to a stop, looking at the wooden beam it wanted him to jump from. It was being used to hold up a potted plant outside somebody’s window.

“Are you being serious with me right now?” he asked, flicking the Trinket’s frame with his finger.

It didn’t change, and despite knowing it was a terrible idea he began gauging the distance with a critical eye.

“This has got to be one of the stupidest things I have ever done,” Trevor grumbled to himself as he backed up. The young man raised the horn to his mouth and blew it before he could dwell on his actions too much. His Speed increased, and he began running.

He only took one step on the wooden beam, and Trevor was glad that it barely shifted due to his weight. The young man jumped with all of his might, getting more height than he thought he was capable of, and sailed through the air.

Not gracefully, of course. He flailed both his arms and his legs, and may have even screamed.

But his arms caught the roof on the other side and, in an adrenaline-filled frenzy, he pulled himself up. Trevor laid on his back, staring up at the sky, and threw his arms in the air. An exhilarated scream passed through his lips as he cheered for himself. Unable to keep still, he got up and started running again.

That was the first road that he had jumped over, but it wasn’t his last. With each leap he became more confident. The second jump he stumbled at the end, but landed on his feet, and the third jump he nailed. He continued running through the rooftops of Eskretet, sailing over the sea of citizens, until he reached the end of the line.

Panting, Trevor grinned as he looked down at Klarkartar’s Magical Emporium. It was a large shop that took up several blocks, though it was only two stories tall unlike most of the buildings in this district.

The whole setup was loud, too, fully reminding him of something like a fireworks tent. Words printed in big letters all around the building let people know that they could shop here for “Magic” and “Big Sales” on all manner of things.

Following the PathGuider 5000 one more time, Trevor found another drainpipe and carefully climbed down it. Once he was back on the ground again, he took a few moments to catch his breath and push the Trinket up onto his forehead before walking across the busy street to his destination.

On ground level, he noticed horns painted on the buildings pointing towards the entrance. At first he thought this was just for decoration, but he remembered what Klar’s business card said: just follow the horns! Trevor understood it now as he entered the building.

If he had thought the outside was loud, then he was not prepared for the inside. A cacophony of colors disoriented him for a few seconds. Every sign, tablecloth, and employee wore vibrant colors in what Trevor recognized as minotaur fashion. Not everyone was a minotaur, as there were humans and orcs working registers that were liberally spread out throughout the building. It fully reminded him of a big box mall store.

For this part of the quest, Trevor had wanted to find Klar naturally by looking around, but now that he was inside he didn’t feel that was feasible. Everything was designed to distract, causing him to pause to look at combs that were advertised to take care of your hair while you were sleeping, or sandals with no straps that were guaranteed to never fall off until you wanted them to.

The young man purchased both of these, thinking that they were well worth the price.

[[New Trinkets! The Morning After Comb and Stubborn Sandals.You already know what these do because the sign told you, but have fun with your new Trinkets.]]

Trevor stopped in front of a massive display of Horn Wax, which was advertised to both minotaurs and demons alike, and he wondered if Adabelle used or needed this. Certainly it wasn’t something that was needed, and after a few moments of staring he decided that she didn’t use it nor need it. She was fine just the way she was.

Giving up and deciding to follow the PathGuider’s green arrow, Trevor made his way all the way to the back of the store. He found Klar sitting in an area set into the floor with a few other minotaurs. Their eyes locked immediately, and he saw the large bull-man’s face twist into a grin.

“Trevor Anderson!” he greeted loudly, causing the other minotaurs to look at him.

“Klar, it’s good to see you,” Trevor said with a smile as he moved to stand on the edge of the pit.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“And you, old friend!” Klar replied, not modulating his voice in the slightest. He stood up, the coins hanging from his horns clinking together. The largest minotaur in the group did the same, though he was quickly told to sit with a gesture. “This is Trevor Anderson, Farquar, he is not a threat. Unlike some Earth Summoned, he has manners.”

“Hello, everyone,” Trevor said with a polite bow, and he was met with a smattering of greetings. He couldn’t help but notice Farquar’s large hammer on the seat next to him, and imagined he was some sort of bodyguard. “As much as I’d like to say that this is a social drop-in, I’m actually here on business.”

“Business is what I do, so there is no trouble in that.” If he was offended, it didn’t show at all. Leaving the pit, he stood next to Trevor. For some reason, the young man had it in his head that Klar was bigger and taller than he actually had been. He was both of those things, but the minotaur wasn’t the towering goliath that remained in his memory.

“I’ve brought goods from Thimbleden and Dory from back in Tosa,” Trevor continued. “I can set them out wherever you like, though it’s a lot so maybe in a stock room or something?”

“You managed to get a wagon through the streets this early in the day during festival?” Klar asked. “That’s amazing! It would take me and my people hours to do the same even if we started tossing people out of the way!”

“For the record, we wouldn’t do that,” one of the minotaurs still sitting said quickly.

“No, of course not, we would be patient. Anything else would not only be rude, but harmful to our home,” Klar confirmed before clapping his hands. “Well, let’s go get those goods!”

“Oh, there’s no wagon,” Trevor said with a smile.

“No wagon? Then perhaps a dimensional bag?” Klar said, eying Trevor’s backpack. “I tried to get in contact with Melvirn the wizard while I was in town, but I was unlucky.”

“He gets really engrossed in his experiments, yes. And the bag has been tampered with, dimensionally speaking, but they’re not in there, either. Unless I want them to be, but that’s… not really pertinent.” When the minotaur gave him a confused look, Trevor lifted his arms and summoned a box full of Heating Stones. “My Power is Inventory.”

Klar’s eyes went wide, and he grinned again. “That is an excellent Power!” the minotaur exclaimed, drawing attention from all over. Trevor smiled nervously as he noticed the attention, but a large, furry arm was put around his shoulders and he was suddenly being pushed towards the back. “Come, this way, I will show you where to put things down.”

Trevor was led through a large pair of swinging double doors that closed behind them and into a room full of goods on shelves. If he hadn’t known any better, this would have reminded him completely of his old job back on Earth. The vibe was completely different, however, and he could tell the employees here didn’t have that customer service mask he knew all too well.

He was glad that he was being ushered forward, because the thought of his job back on Earth as his “old job” gave him pause. That was something he would have to unpack later, because Klar stopped him in front of a few empty bays.

“Right here, if you please,” he requested.

“You got it, Klar,” Trevor said as he started removing the boxes he had in his inventory. Just like taking them in, taking them out was a quick process. He was able to stack them with expert precision, and soon everything from Thimbleden was out in the open.

[[Eh, you’ve got two quests here. I’ll wait until you’re done so we can get straight to the level up.]]

Trevor chuckled. “That’s everything from Thimbleden, and now it’s everything from Dory,” he said as he moved to the next bay. “My dimensional pocket’s about as big as a wagon, but I can store some things in a time stop… thing. Temporal storage, or something.”

“You are amazing, Trevor!” Klar exclaimed. “I’ve seen a lot of Summoned in my time, and I have to say, I think I like this Power the most of all.”

“Oh, yeah?” Trevor wasn’t sure about that, but he’d let the minotaur explain.

“Yes, it’s just so handy,” Klar continued. “Imagine all the good you can do with this, all the work you could get done that would normally take so many people to do. Taking food and supplies to remote locations that wagons can’t feasibly reach, or delivering time-sensitive medicine out to those who can’t make trips to the towns and cities. I know that adventurer powers are great, but this is the kind of thing that I like.”

“Well, thanks, Klar,” Trevor said with a smile. “I’m very happy with it, too. I don’t think I could stomach adventuring.”

“I’ll let you in on a little secret,” Klar said. “Despite being as big and scary as I know I am, I don’t think I could, either. I would much rather help people by providing them goods and services. Like Dory’s venom, it will prevent a lot of people from dying, right? And the Heating Stones, the Isle of Horns is far, far north and heat is very precious, especially with the ocean winds. These are expensive everywhere except Tosa, because they have the most Firesap Trees, right?”

Trevor didn’t know that, but he nodded anyway. “Right.”

“So I travel to places with resources like that and barter, buying in bulk to not only get the most discounts, but so that it’s easier to send things where they need to go,” Klar continued. “These magic stones, for example. I’m only going to make around five coppers per, and I’m planning on selling the venom at cost to alchemists around town to help protect those who need it. I could sell for exorbitant amounts, but that is not what a merchant prince should do.”

“You’re a man of the people?”

“Exactly!” he roared, causing Trevor to flinch. “So many merchants from my homeland think that I am the least of them because the only profits I need are enough to make a modest living, but I say they are fools. We are only alive for a short time, and there are ways to make money that don’t require the… What is the Earth term? Nickel and diming the common folk?”

“Yeah, you’ve got it.”

“I make more than enough from adventurers because they can afford it. The common folk who just need minor magical items can afford them, and the prestige I enjoy in the community is enough for me. I am a content man, so long as I can help people as I had been helped before.”

“Somebody helped you that much, huh?” Trevor asked. He realized that he had stopped pulling boxes out of his inventory, but Klar didn’t mind.

“Many, many times before,” the minotaur said, nodding. “Summoned adventurers helped me when I was first striving to become a merchant prince in order to change the misconceptions of my homeland. They did so for cheap, because I could not afford to give them more, and because of them I was able to thrive. That is why I am always so happy to meet new visitors to our world, and why our meeting had to be an act of providence. Especially with a Power like this!”

“Well, if you have any work for me, I’m always happy to accept a quest,” Trevor said as he finally finished putting the last box down.

[[Quest cluster complete! And you have finished three of them!

Not only was the king pleased with the painting, but Klar is over the moon that you came to visit! You have dropped off the goods for both Thimbleden and Dory, and without even a single broken item. Well done!

Rewards! Two platinum pieces have been added to your inventory, you have gained the equivalent of one extra quest added to your level up tally! Speaking of…

Level up! You have gained one (1) stat point. It has been added to your bank like the others. You have one (1) stat points banked.]]

“I believe I do,” Klar said, stroking his chin. “I think I have a quest that’s just perfect for you, Trevor Anderson.”