Walker in Modern World

"Sir, I have a message from the mayor," the man said as he stood before Sanjay.

"Oh? What message?" Sanjay asked.

The man handed him a parcel made of animal skin, rolled tightly.

Sanjay unfolded it to reveal an invitation to the mayor's daughter's birthday celebration, set to take place today at sundown.

He frowned. He had no idea why the mayor was inviting him to such an occasion.

Still, he nodded at the messenger. "Tell the mayor I'll be there."

The messenger bowed and left.

Sanjay turned to one of his guards. "Call Nirav here."

The guard nodded and quickly departed. Nirav was one of the men Sanjay had hired recently. Formerly a commander in the city guard, he was a towering figure, standing at an imposing 7 feet tall. The sword Sanjay had gifted him the previous day hung at his side, gleaming with pride.

Sanjay was paying Nirav 50 gold coins a month—ten times what he earned as a commander years ago.

Nirav soon arrived, his heavy footsteps echoing in the room. "You called for me, sir?"

"Nirav," Sanjay began, "what do you know about the mayor?"

"Sir, the mayor is not as honest as he appears to be," Nirav replied bluntly.

"Oh?" Sanjay raised an eyebrow. "I was invited to his daughter's birthday. Why do you think that is?"

Nirav thought for a moment before answering. "Sir, most likely, you were invited because of your connection with the heir of the Kalyan family. Moreover, the mayor's daughter's birthday was supposed to be next month. It's likely this is a special party organized in honor of the Kalyan family heir."

Sanjay's mind immediately went to Rajiv.

'So, the heir of the Kalyan family...'

He had suspected Rajiv was from a noble lineage, but he hadn't realized just how significant that lineage was.

"What can you tell me about the Kalyan family?" Sanjay asked. He realized it was important to understand who he was dealing with.

Nirav nodded. "Sir, the patriarch of the Kalyan family is one of the Dukes of our kingdom. He oversees multiple territories, and Rajiv is his eldest son, groomed to inherit his title. As a Duke, their family holds significant power, second only to the king. This town falls under their jurisdiction, but due to its distance, the mayor's family was entrusted with its administration."

Sanjay's eyes widened in shock.

'A Duke's family?'

He had been casually negotiating with the heir of such a powerful figure. The realization left him momentarily speechless.

Thinking back, Sanjay felt a chill.

'If Rajiv had taken offense to my behavior, I might not have survived to see another day.'

"Thank you, Nirav. You may go now," Sanjay said after regaining his composure.

Nirav nodded and exited the room.

As the door closed, Sanjay leaned back in his chair, lost in thought.

'So this party is actually for Rajiv, and as his acquaintance, I've been invited as well.'

He sighed. If he was attending, it would be rude to show up empty-handed. He needed a gift.

'What would be appropriate? he wondered. A dress, perhaps? Those have become quite popular among noblewomen lately.'

Sanjay remembered he had a small stock of luxurious dresses he had set aside to sell at higher prices in the future. One of those should suffice.

After ensuring everything was in order, Sanjay dressed himself in a neatly pressed shirt and pants. With the gift in hand, he climbed into his carriage, ready to head to the mayor's mansion.

A few minutes later, Sanjay arrived at the party. It was a grand event filled with nobles, their fine clothes and poised demeanor making it clear this was an exclusive gathering.

As he entered, all eyes turned toward him, their gazes lingering on his attire. Sanjay could tell they were judging his clothes, but no one approached him.

He walked over to a tray of drinks, picked up a cup of wine, and took a sip. The taste was horrendous. He grimaced and put the cup down, deciding he couldn't drink another drop.

'Maybe I should bring some alcoholic drinks from the modern world, he thought. They'd probably be a hit here.'

But then he remembered—he wasn't of legal age to buy alcohol yet.

Pulling out a small notebook, he jotted down the idea. Better write it down now before I forget.

A commotion broke out a few minutes later as someone important entered the room. The nobles immediately rushed to greet the new arrival, leaving Sanjay to himself.

Sanjay, uninterested in the fuss, continued tasting the food on the table. Most of it was bland—different types of bread and some kind of animal soup.

As he sampled the dishes, a familiar voice called out from behind him. "Hello, Sanjay."

He turned to see Rajiv standing there, a warm smile on his face.

"Hello, Rajiv," Sanjay replied, extending his hand.

Rajiv shook it firmly.

"It's good to see you here," Rajiv said. "This will help you make connections with the nobles."

"I'll do my best," Sanjay replied with a polite smile.

Unbeknownst to Sanjay, every noble in the room was now watching the interaction between the two of them, their faces filled with awe.

Earlier, when Sanjay had arrived, they had dismissed him as just another young merchant. But when Rajiv—heir to the powerful Kalyan family—walked in and immediately greeted Sanjay, their perceptions shifted.

Rajiv hadn't even acknowledged the mayor, who had been waiting at the door to receive him. Instead, he had gone straight to Sanjay. This alone was enough to signal how much importance Rajiv placed on the young man.

The nobles exchanged glances, trying to understand Sanjay's connection to Rajiv. On top of that, they noticed Rajiv wearing clothes similar to Sanjay's. Now, they were eager to forge a connection with the merchant who seemed to hold Rajiv's favor.

After exchanging a few more words, Rajiv excused himself and went to meet the mayor, who was still standing by the door with a stunned expression. The mayor clearly wasn't pleased with Sanjay, but he knew better than to show it. If Rajiv—the heir of the Kalyan family—valued this young merchant, the mayor had no choice but to tolerate him.

As soon as Rajiv left, a few nobles approached Sanjay, introducing themselves one by one. They asked polite questions, and during the conversation, they realized Sanjay was the merchant supplying the now-famous salt, sugar, and soap.

These items had skyrocketed in price recently, becoming luxury goods that even some lower-ranking nobles couldn't afford. Despite their status, many nobles were also involved in businesses within their territories, and they saw potential in collaborating with Sanjay.

They eagerly handed him their addresses, urging him to contact them if he ever wanted to do business.

Sanjay nodded, smiling warmly.

'Business thrives on connections. The more connections I have, the more successful I'll be in the future.'

From a distance, Rajiv watched the scene unfold and nodded in satisfaction. Helping Sanjay make these connections would strengthen their business partnership and ensure mutual benefits.

Just then, live music began playing, drawing everyone's attention.

The crowd turned toward the grand staircase, where the birthday girl made her entrance. Dressed in an elegant white gown, she descended gracefully, capturing everyone's admiration. She appeared to be around eighteen, slightly older than Sanjay.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs, the guests flocked to her, offering their congratulations and presenting their gifts. Some brought vases, others flowers or jewelry.

Sanjay watched as Rajiv stepped forward and handed her a few makeup items. The girl's face lit up with delight as she examined the gift. When Rajiv explained what the items were and how to use them, the other women at the party were left in awe.

It was finally Sanjay's turn to present his gift. All eyes were on him, curious to see what this merchant—who seemed so close to the heir of the Kalyan family—would offer.

Sanjay approached the birthday girl, holding a carefully folded red dress in a plastic bag he had brought with him.

"Forgive me, my lady," he said with a polite smile. "I wasn't sure what you might like, so I brought this for you." He extended the dress to her.

The birthday girl nodded graciously and unfolded the dress. It was a stunning long red dress with intricate floral embroidery.

Gasps echoed through the room as everyone stared at the dress in disbelief. Even Rajiv and the mayor were left speechless. No one had ever seen such a beautifully crafted dress before.

The birthday girl's eyes sparkled with delight. She was utterly captivated by the gift. Without hesitation, she clutched the dress and hurried up the stairs to her room, eager to try it on.

Her enthusiasm drew laughter from the crowd, and a warm, lighthearted atmosphere spread through the party. Everyone understood—no woman could resist trying on such a magnificent dress.

As the party continued, Sanjay mingled with several nobles. Many of them were curious and asked him where he had acquired the dress. Sanjay proudly explained that he was the merchant dealing with such dresses and revealed that the red dress was one of a kind—no replicas were available.

The nobles initially frowned at the exclusivity, but when Sanjay mentioned that similar designs were available, their excitement returned. They eagerly promised to buy from him in the future.

Rajiv also approached him and said, "I'll introduce you to a few contacts in the clothing business. It'll help you scale up."

Sanjay nodded, grateful for Rajiv's support. He recalled that Rajiv's family wasn't directly involved in the clothing trade, so there was no conflict of interest. Rajiv had made that clear during a previous conversation.

A few minutes later, the birthday girl descended the stairs wearing the red dress, her beauty enhanced by a touch of makeup. Her appearance left everyone in awe, including Rajiv, who couldn't help but admire her.

The mayor, noticing the positive interaction between Rajiv and his daughter, beamed with satisfaction.

The party continued for a few more hours, and when it was time to leave, Sanjay bid farewell to everyone. Rajiv, too, mentioned that he would be leaving for the capital later that night.

Sanjay reflected on the success of the evening. He had secured a substantial amount of gold coins from his business dealings and now needed to find a way to convert them into cash for reinvestment.

A few days after the party, another noble arrived in town to meet Sanjay. This noble, hailing from the capital, owned multiple clothing businesses across several kingdoms and was known to have close ties to the Kalyan family.

After detailed discussions, they established pricing tiers for various types of dresses. Unique, one-of-a-kind pieces would sell for thousands of gold coins, while more common designs would be priced accordingly.

They formalized the deal with a contract, and the noble decided to settle in the town, opening a clothing store to streamline coordination with the Kalyan family's main operations.

Though this noble wasn't an heir of his family, he recognized the enormous potential of the clothing business and committed to the venture wholeheartedly.

Time passed swiftly. One week in the modern world translated to more than a month in the medieval world, and Sanjay was already planning his next moves in both timelines.

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