The Immaculate Collection [Merchant Progression]

The Immaculate Collection is a story about a young hopeful merchant and a chaotic retired adventurer doing their best to keep their magic item shop in business and themselves out of trouble. (Full blurb below) What to expect:      Chapter lengths vary, with an average length of ~3300 words      Slice of Life elements: sometimes we're just managing the day to day running of a shop      LitRPG elements: There are item and spell descriptions, but only one or two numbers to worry about (money management aside)       Progression elements: Our MC will get stronger and get more powers and abilities. His friends will too!      Many magic items      Friendship and community      A single 3rd person limited POV following our MC, Reid-(With one exception below)       Action scenes with occasionally graphic descriptions      Three Main Chapter Types:           The Immaculate Collection:  Most of the story is based around the city and the trials and tribulations that come with life running a magic item shop           Travel Arcs: Arcs currently planned outside the main city. Occasionally, Reid will leave the main city to travel somewhere to accomplish some goal. These chapters will contain a more focused narrative with fewer slice of life chapters and potentially more direct conflict and danger.           Basen's Ramblings: There are chapters where Basen tells someone a story. These are told in first person from Basen's point of view. The Full Blurb: While the other boys of his village dream of becoming mighty warriors and mages, Reid Aveno dreams of becoming a merchant. He dreams of brokering deals, traveling the world, forging trade between nations, and being the kind of person people look up to.  But most of all, Reid dreams of magic. In an age of lost old magics, the only path of growth for the people of the Kingdom of Avennia is by connecting with items imbued with magical powers and abilities. These sources of magic are handed down through families, bought and sold by merchants, and for those who live near the ancient places of the world, sometimes found by those who search for them. When Reid comes upon power of his own, he leaves his small town behind. He is bound for the capital city of New Avennia, where he hopes to fulfill his dreams and become a merchant without equal. Basen Koh is a retired adventurer and renowned mage. He has spent his life searching for power, protecting his home, and exploring the world. When it was all said and done, he found his collection dusty and disused. He'd spent years building it up, only for it to lay forgotten and unseen. With an eye toward spending time among the people, he took his collection and opened a shop in the heart of the kingdom. Now Basen finds himself in an odd and unfamiliar place. Failure isn't an easy thing to accept for someone who has the kind of power he does, yet deep down, he cannot deny that his business is teetering on the edge of a cliff. If something does not change, he might lose his collection forever. When these two men meet, they find out that not only do they need what each other have to offer, but they actually make a great team. When debt collectors, thieves, foreign powers, and competing merchants try to crush their budding business, Basen and Reid need to work together to save the Immaculate Collection.  Summary last updated 7/8/24. Cover art by the author, Havlo.