NPCs: The Merchant's Journey

Fifty stories. Fifty deals. One merchant's rise to power.Kanatherine Trakkoni started as just another merchant on the roadbartering, haggling, and surviving. But trade isn't just about profitit's about power. Now, she's no longer just moving goodsshe's moving empires.In this anthology of 50 flash fiction stories, each exactly 500 words, experience the world of commerce, conflict, and cunning through the eyes of a merchant who refuses to be just another background character in a cozy fantasy RPG.Inside these pages, you'll find:Building a Base - Kanatherine works with a local innkeeper to build a hub for her operations.The Dungeon Delver's Strategy Guide - Kanatherine devises a clever new way to bring in coin: by selling adventurers maps to the most lucrative dungeons in the land. The only question now iswho will map the dungeons?Otto the Protector - When the innkeeper's hulking, simple-minded son takes an interest in all the exciting events, who is Kanatherine to refuse his services?The Lord Inquisitor - An Imperial Inquisitor leads the Crown's newest effort to crack down on the sale of unsolicited magic items. But Kanatherine finds him to be more than she expected.The Miller's Widow - An old soldier finds new love in the arms of a beautiful widow.50 stories in total!In trade, every deal has a cost.And as Kanatherine's influence grows, so do the enemies who would see her empire fall. For fans of cozy fantasy adventure, RPG-inspired worlds, and stories where the NPCs take center stage.

Not all journeys begin with a sword in hand. Some begin with a ledger and a wagon full of goods.In a world of adventurers, Kanatherine Trakkoni is something different-a merchant. She doesn't slay monsters or chase glory. She builds trade routes, makes deals, and carves out her own place in a world that barely notices the people who keep it running.In The Merchant's Rise, the second book in NPCs: The Merchant's Journey, Kanatherine's growing trade network faces new opportunities-and new challenges. Expanding her routes, hiring her first real crew, and navigating the shifting tides of power, she quickly learns that trade is as much about strategy as it is about survival.Told through ten flash fiction stories, each exactly 500 words, this book offers small but vivid glimpses into Kanatherine's world-where a single trade can change everything, and where the road ahead is never as simple as it seems.For readers who love cozy fantasy, slice-of-life adventure, and the unsung stories behind every great RPG world, The Merchant's Rise is a tale of ambition, trade, and the quiet power of those who keep the world turning.