us was guinely thankful to Madam Fei for her honesty. In a world where he had se greed, evil, and backstabbing all too oft, finding someone reliable was a rare and wee change. Although they had just met, us had learned over the years how to see people for who they truly were. Madam Fei, with her straightforwardness and fair dealings, was a breath of fresh air.


    Beforeing here, us had only estimated his total sales would be somewhere betwe 30,000 to 50,000 gold coins. He never imagined the monsters he had killed were worth so much more. These gold coins, now the standard currcy after the world had changed and contints formed unions, were important.


    Wh the global leaders came together to establish amon currcy, it made the old currcies like dors and euros obsolete overnight. Gold coins became the new measure of wealth, and having such arge amount felt extravagant.


    us knew that these coins were esstial for securing a better life for himself and his mother. "I really am grateful, Madam Fei. And you can call me us," he said, finally calming down ough to speak.


    "To tell you the truth, us," Madam Fei began with a warm smile, "this Tier 3 monster alone could easily fetch you over 50,000 gold coins. But since Ick the experice to fully appraise them right now, I could only offer you 00,000 gold coins for the tire lot. You really surprised me with the Vom Sacs and the Tier 3 monster body."


    us couldn''t help but grin at her words. "I''ll be sure to surprise you ev more in the future," he replied, his confidce growing. Madam Fei smiled and gave him the 00,000 gold coins.


    "Thank you," us said, th added, "By the way, can you tell me about the housing system in this part of the city?"


    Madam Fei raised an eyebrow, clearly a bit surprised by his question, but she answered. "Well, that depds. The housing system in this city isn''t exactly easy. To secure a house, the first step is to be a registered member of the city. And to do that, you''ll need a rmdation from someone who already lives here. Each person can only give out one rmdation, so it''s pretty limited."


    She paused for a momt, making sure us was following along. "But that''s just the beginning. You also need to have at least 50 million in your ount. This rule is in ce to make sure that once you''ve bought or rted a house, you''ll still have ough money to cover other living expses. They don''t want anyone struggling to pay for basic amities."


    us nodded, listing carefully.


    Madam Fei continued, "Another requiremt is that you have to undergo a backg check. The city wants to make sure that anyone moving in doesn''t have a criminal record or anything that might cause trouble for the residts. They''re very strict about maintaining a safe and peacefulmunity."


    She th added, "You''ll also need to have a stable source of ie. Whether it''s from a job, a business, or some other means, you have to prove that you can consisttly afford the cost of living here. The city doesn''t want anyone who might d up being a burd on the system."


    Finally, Madam Fei mtioned, "And, of course, there''s the matter of the housing tax. It''s an annual fee that everyone has to pay. It''s used to maintain the infrastructure, like roads, parks, and public services. The tax amount depds on the size and location of the house you''re buying or rting."


    She leaned back, studying us''s reaction. "So, you see, it''s a bit of a challge to secure a house here. But if you''re determined and meet all the requiremts, it''s definitely possible."


    us absorbed everything Madam Fei had said, but a few questions lingered in his mind. He couldn''t shake the memory of something that had happed to him and his mother a few years ago. If what she said was true, th they shouldn''t have be forced out of their home wh his father wt missing.


    Back th, they were told that they didn''t have ough money in their ount and that, since his father was presumed dead, his assets were seized. But us remembered his mother telling him that the bank ount was a family ount. That meant all three of them—his father, his mother, and himself—should have had ess to it.


    The more he thought about it, the more something didn''t add up. It smelled fishy like they had be tricked or something more sinister was at y. But now wasn''t the time to dive into that. There was too much else to focus on.


    Just as us was lost in thought, Madam Fei spoke up again, snapping him back to the prest. "I know getting a rmdation is tough," she said, "but since you''re a warrior, you can easily secure one."


    us looked at Madam Fei, a bit surprised, but quickly asked, "Really? How can I get a rmdation?" He didn''t mind staying in the slum for himself, but for his mother''s sake, he wanted to get them out of there and give her a better life.


    Madam Fei nodded. "There are two ways," she began. "First, you can apply for a warrior badge from the Hundred Hands Bank. They''re a powerful organization that looks for young, talted warriors to groom. Applying is free, but they''ll ask you to work for them for a few years in exchange."


    us immediately shook his head, dismissing the idea. The thought of being tied down and working for some organization didn''t sit well with him. He had his own ns, and being bound by a contract wasn''t part of them.


    Madam Fei noticed us''s reaction and smoothly transitioned to the second option. "The second option is to op a bank ount at the Royal Gold Reserve Bank and deposit at least 60 million gold coins. This will earn you a Copper Badge, and with that badge, you won''t need a rmdation. You can easily buy a house in the city."


    us''s face brighted a bit as he considered this option. "That sounds better. But how many rmdations can I get with a Copper Badge?" he asked with a smile. He needed two rmdations, so it was important to know.


    Madam Fei nodded. "A Copper Badge can give out one rmdation. However, if you manage to deposit about  million gold coins, you''ll receive a Bronze Badge, which allows you to secure rmdations for two people. A Silver Badge, requiring 40 million gold coins, lets you secure three people, and so on."


    us nodded, feeling more at ease with the second option. It was much better than being tied down by a contract that could have all sorts of hidd downsides. "Thank you, Madam Fei," he said, guinely appreciative of her advice.


    He th asked, "Another question—if I manage to bring back more goods, how confidt are you that you can buy them all?"


    Madam Fei smiled reassuringly. "You don''t have to worry about paymt. As long as there are wares, I''ll be able to pay you."


    us nodded, satisfied with her response. Seeing a clear path ahead, he knew what had to be done. He has to get stronger so he can hunt more monsters and th secure a good home for himself and his mother.


    Securing  million gold coins seemed like a far-off dream, but us knew that with his rising strgth, he''d be able to hunt stronger monsters that would bring in more money. For now, he had to make do with what little he had to sure they didn''t starve like they used to. But once he secured those funds, he could move to the city and finally give his mother thefortable life she deserved.


    "Nice doing business with you, Madam Fei. Next time, I''ll be sure to bring back better goods," us said, extding his hand for a handshake.


    Madam Fei smiled and shook his hand. "I''ll be looking forward to your next sale. Just take care of yourself out there. Remember, there are more than just monsters in those forests."


    us nodded in agreemt and left her store, nning to buy some food before heading home. As he walked away, Madam Fei stood for a momt, deep in thought. After a while, she shook her head and muttered to herself, "This kid is something special. I''ll wait and see what he brings next time before making any decisions."


    us walked through the bustling streets, his mind upied with thoughts of the future. But he wasn''t scared, if anything, he was more prepared for the task ahead.


    As he reached the market, the smell of freshly baked bread and cooked meats filled the air. The vibrant colors of fruits and vegetables on disy caught his eye, and he couldn''t help but feel a sse of relief that he could finally afford to buy ough food. No more scraping by on scraps or worrying about where their next meal woulde from.


    He picked up a few esstials—bread, some fresh vegetables, and a small portion of meat. It wasn''t much, but it was more than they''d had in a long time. As he paid the vdor, us couldn''t help but smile. This was just the beginning.


    With the foodstuff in hand, us made his way back home. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm, gold glow over the city. The slum where he lived wasn''t much, but it was home—for now. Soon, he would be able to get his mother out of there, into a ce where she could live in peace andfort.


    Wh he arrived at their small, worn-down house, he pushed op the door and was greeted by the familiar sct of home.


    "I''m back, Mom," us called out as he set the groceries on the table.


    His mother turned and smiled at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of pride and relief. "Wee home, us. How was your day?"


    "It was good," he replied with a grin. "I made a dect sale today" us began narrating his day to his mother.