The man was there with his daughter, who wasn't involved in his business at the administrative building. She was in the city to begin her first year as a magic student at one of the most prestigious academies in the region.
As for her father, he wanted to remain close to her after his wife's passing, so he planned to open a shop in the city. This way, he could always be near his daughter if she needed him, while also continuing his own life.
The man approached Silas and extended his hand. "Titus. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Titus's perception of Silas had completely shifted. Silas was young yet possessed the wealth to purchase such expensive clothing, indicating he was no ordinary person.
"Silas. I apologize for earlier; my clothes weren't…appropriate."
Hearing this, Titus felt a pang of shame. "Your clothes were fine. I was simply being overprotective of my daughter, that's all."
Silas chuckled and nudged the man's arm. "I know it was because of the clothes." He then leaned closer and whispered, "It's a good trick. I always travel with these kinds of clothes to deter bandits."
This was complete nonsense, but when Titus heard it, it was as if a whole new world of possibilities opened up to him. He had never considered such a tactic!
"That's actually quite clever," Titus said. "I'll keep that in mind for my future travels."
Titus's daughter, Lucy, as Silas now knew her name, didn't linger. She had to return to the academy to prepare for her upcoming classes. Ironically, it was the same magic academy where Silas's friend Vince was studying.
"Take care, darling," Titus said, watching his daughter depart.
"Is it safe for her to go alone?" Silas asked the man.
"Yes. The security is quite high, and the magic academy is located in one of the wealthiest districts, so the risk of encountering thugs is practically nonexistent. Now, tell me, young man, what brings you here?"
They both settled at one of the many tables inside the administrative building. Titus was eager to learn more about Silas; the young man intrigued him.
"I want to open a shop here," Silas stated. "I've had enough of countryside living."
This greatly surprised Titus. He hadn't expected a young man like Silas to be opening a shop! He had assumed Silas was representing someone else, perhaps obtaining the permit for his father or another relative.
But a young man like Silas opening his own business? That had never crossed his mind.
"And what type of shop are you planning to open?" Titus inquired.
That was a question Silas himself hadn't fully answered yet. He knew only one thing: his shop would sell items, not services, at least initially. And the items wouldn't be food-related.
"Sell items, I suppose," Silas replied. "I understand the permission is generally the same for various types of shops, with the main distinction being if one offers services or opens a restaurant, which requires a different permit. What about you? Honestly, I'm still studying the area to determine what would be profitable to sell here."
Titus found Silas's words peculiar. Typically, someone opened a shop to sell goods they already had access to. Perhaps their family produced something, or they had connections to buy and transport items from another town for resale.
But Silas spoke oddly, as if he could sell anything he desired and was merely contemplating what that might be.
That was partly accurate. Silas had browsed his shopping app and found a vast array of items he could sell. At that moment, he was leaning towards magical items, as that seemed to be where the significant profits lay. Titus's comment only reinforced this idea.
"Magical things are always in high demand, but focus on items if you can. This town has numerous magic academies, so everyone has access to magical books within the schools. For a shop selling magical tomes to survive, it would need truly unique and exotic books," Titus cautioned him.
The city was a central location for students, and they didn't need to purchase their textbooks; the academies provided them for free during their studies. Therefore, a bookshop wasn't a promising venture.
Silas believed he had the potential to make a bookshop successful—he had access to a wide variety of books to buy—but perhaps starting with selling other items was a wiser choice.
"Thanks for the advice. But what about you, Titus?" Silas asked.
"My family deals in various goods, and considering the upcoming war and the dimensional portals, I believe selling potions will be the next big thing. That's what I plan to open in this city: a potion shop."
Titus was remarkably well-informed about current events, so much so that Silas was surprised by what he said.
"What do you mean, war and dimensional gates? I haven't heard about this," Silas admitted.
Titus leaned in to whisper, "I have some contacts in the far north, in the snowy mountains, you know. The neighboring kingdom is acting strangely, sending spies and troops. Some say war is on the horizon."
"What about the dimensional gates?"
"Well, that's a mystery to everyone, isn't it? They appeared in kingdoms everywhere some time ago, bringing monsters, and nobody truly knows what they are. Mages often get hurt or die fighting them, which is why a potion shop always has customers."
Silas grew worried. He wasn't strong, not yet anyway. If a war erupted or monsters poured through dimensional gates to attack, he wouldn't be able to protect himself. The price for his cure still seemed a long way off.
"Maybe we can collaborate and help each other?" Silas suggested. "I plan on selling magical items, and you potions. What do you think about us working together? Perhaps sending clients to each other's shops?"
Despite his system and money, Silas recognized that Titus possessed far more knowledge about this world and running a business than he did. If he could somehow enlist the man's help, his journey would undoubtedly be much smoother.
"That sounds excellent, though it will take some time for my stock of potions to arrive in the city, so you'll be on your own for a while."
Silas smiled. "No problem. But perhaps you could help me choose a location for my shop? What do you say?"
Titus nodded. "I need to stay with my daughter today, but we can search for a place tomorrow. It's not like I have anything else pressing in the city until my potions arrive. Where are you staying?"
He wanted to know where Silas was lodging in case they needed to communicate. The city was vast, making it difficult to find someone within it.
Naturally, Silas didn't want to reveal that he was staying in a cheap tavern frequented by the less fortunate.
"For now, nowhere. Why?"
Titus pulled something from his pocket. "This is a VIP card for a hotel chain I co-own. You can use it to stay for free. That's where I'm staying right now."
Silas took the VIP card, a feeling of deep gratitude towards his newfound friendship with Titus welling up inside him.
"Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go get my permission."
"No problem, young man, and good luck. If you mention my name, they'll speed up the process for you."
Titus then left the building, leaving Silas to handle his own affairs.