"Show me what is so special that it warrants such a bold claim."
Leon said nothing. He simply reached forward and slid one of the small, plain wooden boxes across the stall's surface.
Gary, the monster claw vendor, roared with laughter. "Hah! A wooden box! That's his great treasure? I've got splinters in my fingers more valuable than that!"
The merchant's attendant sneered in disgust. "Master, this is an insult. The boy is the family's mad son, a known fool. Let us not waste another moment on this farce."
But the merchant's eyes never left Leon. He saw no fear, no desperation, only an unnerving, profound calm. It was the confidence of someone who knew, without a shadow of a doubt, the value of what he held.
"Let him proceed," the merchant said, his voice quiet but firm. "Open the box."
With all eyes in the market now glued to him, Leon placed his fingers on the lid of the small box. He paused for a dramatic beat, then slowly, deliberately, lifted it.
The morning sun streamed down, catching the single Stardew Bead nestled in the black velvet.
The effect was instantaneous and mesmerizing.
The bead didn't just sparkle; it ignited. A swirling, miniature galaxy seemed to awaken within its core, pulsing with a soft, internal light that threw dazzling patterns onto the merchant's stunned face.
The entire market square, which had been buzzing with mockery, fell into a sudden, complete silence. Gary's jaw hung open, his face frozen in an expression of such shock it looked as if he'd swallowed a fly. The tapestry seller stared, her eyes wide with disbelief.
The merchant, Master Mordor, was a man who had handled priceless gems from across the continent. He had seen dwarven hearthstones and elven moon-crystals. But this… this was something new. He reached out a hand, his professional composure completely gone.
"May I?" he asked, his voice a reverent whisper.
Leon nodded, carefully placing the box in the merchant's hand. The man lifted the bead, holding it up to the light. He turned it over and over, his expert eyes scrutinizing every angle.
"He's hooked," Leon thought, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Leon, it's so pretty when the sun hits it!" Kira chimed in his mind, her voice full of excitement. "Is he going to buy it?"
"He's going to buy all of them," Leon replied mentally.
Finally, the merchant placed the bead back in the box, his eyes alight with a fiery passion. "Incredible," he breathed. "Truly magnificent." He looked up at Leon, his voice booming with excitement. "Boy! I'll buy your entire stock! One gold coin for each bead! No limits to the quantity!"
A collective gasp swept through the crowd. Thirty gold coins! It was an unimaginable fortune, enough to buy a small mansion. Gary;s face looked like he had shallowed a bunch of flies.
Gerold, on the other hand, burst into tears of pure joy, his frail body trembling. They were selling for gold coins! Each gold coin was 1,000 silver coins!! He could live such a nice life with even a fraction of this money.
But Leon simply shook his head. "No."
The single word cut through the elation like a knife. Gerold's crying stopped abruptly. The crowd stared.
"I cannot sell you all of them," Leon stated calmly. "These beads are exceedingly difficult to produce, and my stock is limited. I can spare no more than three pieces for you today."
"And the price," he added, his voice firm, "is not one gold coin. It is five."
"Five gold coins… each?" Gary sputtered, his face turning purple.
"The boy is insane! He's greedy!" Gary shouted.
The crowd began to murmur in agreement, telling Leon to apologize and accept the noble merchant's generous offer.
Gerold, seeing a fortune slip through their fingers, started to say, "Young master, please, reconsider—" but a sharp pressure on his foot from Leon's boot silenced him immediately.
Leon ignored the crowd's jeers. He reached forward, gently took the box back from the stunned merchant, and closed the lid. "Thank you for your interest, sir," he said politely, as if concluding the matter.
The merchant stared, dumbfounded, as Leon began to place the box back on the stall. Then, suddenly, Master Mordor let out a great, hearty laugh that echoed through the silent square.
"Hah! You've got the heart of a lion, boy! Good, good." He clapped his hands together.
"I like it! Very well! Five gold coins each it is! I will take the three you are willing to part with." He paused, his eyes gleaming. "On one condition. When you produce more, I get the first offer. You will sell to no one else before me."
Leon considered this for a moment, then gave a slight nod. "You have a deal."
The attendant, looking completely shell-shocked, counted out fifteen shining gold coins into Leon's hand. As the merchant carefully packed away his new treasure, a notification chimed in Leon's mind.
Mission Complete!
Mission: The Unfair Burden
Rewards:
Minion Strengthening Scroll (x1)
100 Necromancy Points (NP)
Leon ignored the gobsmacked stares of the other vendors. He handed Gerold a full gold coin from his earnings. "For your troubles, and your discretion," he said.
The old man and his wife could only nod, tears of a different kind—of awe and gratitude—streaming down his face.
With a final, parting glance at the stunned market square, Leon turned and walked away, Kira floating happily beside him. In a single morning, he had solved a crisis that had brought his parents to their knees, and he had done it without lifting a finger in violence.
However, he was getting tired of the constant favouritism and family politics.
If this family of mine keeps on harassing my parents, I would not mind giving them a small flick. Leon mused.
Wait, Leon suddenly realized a new problem.
If they stop troubling me, will I stop getting general missions? System, can you tell me the criteria for getting a new mission.
Ding!
[Mission's are generated based on events around the host.]
[For example, If the host goes and lives on top of a mountain, then there would be missions to save wildlife, chase away intruders, and other similar missions.]
[They will generate randomly, so the host need not worry about meeting specific criteria]
Whew, that is a relief.