The morning mist still clung to the cobblestones of Ginip's southern quarter when the first whispers began. Word had already started to spread the previous day—through posters placed in crowded areas of the city, and via messenger pigeons that fluttered across districts with neatly rolled flyers tied to their legs. The bright, crisp parchment announced a new kind of store opening at the southern gate.
KAELMART
Now Open!
Food – Tools – Items – Curiosities
20% Grand Opening Discount
Prices Fair. Selection Rare.
By midmorning, a crowd had formed.
Old women with cane-bound baskets stood beside grizzled hunters, and children tugged at their mothers' sleeves, eager to peek inside. Even a few merchants from the inner market had come down to investigate, lured by the rumors of a foreigner selling "miracle goods" in a building that looked far too pristine for its neighborhood.
Kael stood behind the glass-paneled door, staring at the crowd.
He swallowed hard.
