Chapter 23 So Good

"You don't have one? Where do all these people get licenses to sell stuff here? Who regulates prices? Who makes sure that people are ripping others off?" I asked, and Eliza clung to my side, pushing her face into my chest.

"I don't know," Eliza said in a muffled voice, and I sighed.

"Ma'am, I will let you off with a warning, but if you are caught trying to overcharge for goods or use trickery like this again, I will have all your goods confiscated, and you will be fined. Do you understand?" I asked, and the woman stepped back in shock.

"You will take all my goods and find me?! How will I ever survive?!" The woman explained but then took another step back when I narrowed my eyes.

"Don't sell fakes as real things, and we won't have this problem. I don't see a problem with the gold-leafed jewelry, but you can't sell it as real gold. Pretty simple, but there has to be some kind of punishment for those that don't listen. With rules like this in place, all sellers are equal, and all buyers can make purchases that they won't need to return," I explained.

"Wow, I had no idea. I just thought that anyone could sell things if they wanted, and it would be good for everyone," Eliza said thoughtfully, and I nodded.

"In a perfect world where everyone always told the truth, and we always sang and danced, then maybe. Unfortunately, the world is filled with liars and people willing to sell their own families just to get ahead," I explained as we kept walking.

"I guess that something around here needs to change, but won't that make the people angry?" Eliza asked, and I nodded.

"You bet, but only the ones that it is affecting. That means all the ones that are trying to cheat the system. Once a Merchant's Guild is established, people will have to sell things properly, or they will get reported and fined," I explained, and Eliza rested her head on my arm.

"Looks like it's a good thing that I met you. I had no idea about anything like this before, but neither did my mother. I can see why we should have something like this, and I will ask Lady Katarina to help set it up!" Eliza said with excitement and then started to pull me over to the food stand.

The Lady at the stand had a round metal cooking disc with no edges that were being heated with coals, and she poured some type of batter. I felt like I recognized it, but there were no memories to draw on to make the relationship, just a feeling of knowing something good was coming.

"Eliza! Good to see you again! And with a tall, strong woman, I might add! Is this the new Partner?" The Lady asked, and Eliza nodded with a smile.

"Yes, this is Galio. Can we get two Flat Cake Fruit rolls?" Eliza asked, and the woman nodded.

"Of course! That smile of yours is so pretty! I am glad that this one is making you show it off!" the woman said as she started to pour a thin layer of batter on the round disc.

I watched as they used what looked like a stick to smooth it out to cover the entire disc. The Lady used a handle to turn the cake and then slid the stick under to flip it onto her countertop, repeating the process once more.

"Just wait! These things are the best! I don't come out here to eat often, but this place is one of my favorite stalls!" Eliza said with excitement, and the sweet smells were making me agree and almost drooling in anticipation.

The Lady then spread a dark brown thick creamy sweet-smelling mix down the middle of each round flat cake. Then she grabbed a mix of fruits and berries, spreading them over the brown, then rolling each up into a cone.

"Here you go! These are on the house! Just make sure to keep that smile on her face!" The woman said after putting a napkin around each cone, looking at me.

"I will do my best! Thank you very much for this food; it smells amazing!" I said and then took a bite at the same time as Eliza.

"So good!" Both me and Eliza moaned at the same time.

*Poof!*

"Can I try a bite?" Xieus asked, appearing beside me, staring intently at my food.

Many of the women around us jumped back, and a few screamed, but they calmed down really fast. I thought that was impressive, considering a blue Demon had just appeared out of thin air.

"Yes, it is really good, and I don't mind sharing. How are you feeling?" I asked, but Xieus disappeared right after having a bite.

[So good! I am still really tired, but I could feel how much you like it, so I pushed myself, so I could try it two!]

"Xieus will be weak for quite a while if you don't give her any of your Life Force," Eliza told me, and I looked down at her.

"Don't I need that stuff? Not that I won't share with her, but I was curious how that worked," I asked, and Eliza pointed over to a bench.

I nodded, and the two of us went to sit down.

"You will regain your Life Force over time, so it is fine to give her some of it. You can give it with a kiss on her lips, but that is a slow trickle," Eliza explained, and I nodded.

"Is there a way to give her faster?" I asked, and Eliza blushed.

"Umm, if you kiss her lips between her legs, that will give her much more. Since you are her Master, you can control how much she gets and can stop the flow," Eliza explained with a red face and then went back to eating in full force.