It seemed that the vast majority of Emillion was currently in a frenzy, preparing for the upcoming festival. Nowhere was this more evident than in the Bazaar district, where merchants and tradespeople arrived daily from out of town, setting up new stalls in anticipation of the celebration.
Altair, whose own preparations for the festival were minimal, was taking this opportunity to conduct some business of his own. For a few months now, he'd intended to go into business for himself. Many noble families were content to rest on their laurels and, as such, struggled financially to keep up appearances. The Laurents came from a long line of shrewd businessmen, which allowed them to increase their wealth in the good years, and maintain it in the bad ones.
As the third son, Altair was unlikely to inherit anything, which was why he'd decided to strike out on his own. So far, his search had proven fruitless. The festival allowed him to seek out opportunities that would have been unavailable to him during most of the year, and he had a few meetings lined up. So far, the out of town merchants failed to strike his fancy any more than the ones in Emillion had, but Altair was sure the opportunity would come upon him eventually.
He was just returning from one such meeting in the Bazaar district. The bustle of the markets always entertained him, and the markets were more bustling than usual. He strolled, taking in the sights, not intending to buy anything, but enjoying himself nonetheless.
One shop looked interesting, so he stepped inside. He was wandering aimlessly, studying the people as much as the goods for sale, when he was approached by a young woman he didn't know. Curious, he said, "Certainly. What can I do for you?"