Nearly a year had passed since Felix began living with the old woman. Time slipped by quickly, and he was no longer the confused boy unfamiliar with the ways of humankind. Felix had grown into a young man respected in the small town. Not only was he known as a hard worker, but also for his kindness—always willing to lend a hand without expecting anything in return. The merchants liked him; some even sought his advice on how to run their businesses.
The marketplace buzzed with the noise of trade—the clatter of carts, the calls of sellers, the chatter of children running between stalls. Amid the crowd, Felix stood before a group of merchants, all watching him with intent focus.
"First of all," he began, his voice calm but commanding, "we need to understand what the market truly needs. We should sell products that people actually want. If there's no demand, who will buy anything?"
The merchants nodded thoughtfully, paying close attention.
"Second—quality," Felix continued. "We must never sell goods of poor quality. If our products disappoint, the customers won't come back. And trust me, customer trust is worth far more than a quick profit."
A few merchants exchanged glances and whispered among themselves. Felix offered a brief smile, then went on.
"Third is price and service. Fair pricing will attract customers, but more importantly, the way we treat them matters. Be friendly, patient, and respectful—they'll remember how you made them feel."
He paused, making eye contact with each of them. "And lastly, healthy competition. If we're all selling the same thing in the same way, we're only hurting ourselves. Wouldn't it be better if we offered a variety? That way, every seller gets a chance to thrive."
There was a moment of silence—then an older merchant began to clap. "This boy's got a good head on his shoulders. I've been selling here for decades, but I've never thought that far ahead."
Others nodded in agreement, some immediately diving into conversations with their fellow traders, rethinking the way they ran their stalls.
Felix watched, quietly pleased. He never imagined he would become someone like this. Once a lost child, unsure how to live among humans—now, a respected figure in a town he had come to call home.
Back at the house, the old woman greeted him with a bowl of warm wheat porridge.
"You looked confident today, Felix."
He chuckled. "I just shared what I've learned, Grandma."
She nodded with pride. "You've changed so much. You didn't even know what stealing was when we met, and now you're teaching others how to trade with honesty. I'm proud of you."
Felix looked down, trying to hide the blush creeping up his cheeks. "I just want to make sure we eat a little better every day."
She laughed gently. "Don't worry. With hard work and honesty, we'll always find a way."
As the days passed, Felix expanded his efforts. He dug a pond in the yard to raise freshwater fish, which he later sold at the market. Occasionally, he ventured into the woods to cut timber, which he sold for furniture and construction materials.
But peace in their small town was fragile. Over the past five years, the pearl industry—the town's main source of income—had declined rapidly. The pearl trade was monopolized by Pafilia's ruling class, and worse, pirates frequently raided the coastal waters, stealing pearls from the local divers.
One evening, as Felix sat on the porch with the old woman, a neighbor approached with a worried look.
"Felix, have you heard? Pirates hit our coast again. They stole every last pearl from the harvesters on the docks."
Felix clenched his fists. "Who are these people? While I'm here, there should be no criminals. Why do you live in fear like this?"
The old woman looked at him gently. "You haven't felt their cruelty, Felix. But you're smart. I believe you'll find a wise way to face them."
Felix let out a long breath. He knew she was right. He needed to think clearly.
"Alright," he said at last. "I'll help deal with these so-called criminals."
In his heart, he made a vow. No matter what happened, he would not let his town become prey to wickedness. He would find a way to protect them—so no one else would have to live in fear again.
The Pafilia Market was growing at an unprecedented pace. Where once foreign traders came solely in search of pearls, now they were beginning to turn their attention to other treasures of the sea. This shift didn't happen by chance—Felix's presence had ignited a quiet revolution in the way people traded.
For years, pearl cultivators had been suffocated by exorbitant taxes imposed by the ruling elite. But now, they were beginning to realize there were other ways to survive—ways that didn't involve becoming victims of injustice. Quietly, many began shifting to other trades: fish, seaweed, and salt—commodities that were taxed far less and far less attractive to pirates.
But every change comes with its consequences.
Pafilia, once renowned as the pearl capital of the region, was slowly losing its luster. The greedy rulers, unwilling to adapt, continued to demand outrageous taxes from pearl farmers, while failing to offer even the most basic protection from raiders. Worse still, their tax collectors grew ever more corrupt—raising their own wages by extorting traders far beyond what was legally due.
"Sir, pearl tax revenue has fallen again this year," one official reported during a closed-door meeting in the town hall. "Many artisans have switched to other trades. We can no longer tax them like we used to."
The ruler of Pafilia—a rotund man swaddled in golden-trimmed robes—tapped his thick fingers impatiently on the polished wood table before him. His reddened face betrayed his irritation. "They dare defy us? Where have they gone?"
"Most are now dealing in other seafood, my lord. They're still paying taxes, yes, but far less than what we earned from pearls. And..." the official hesitated before continuing, "Many of them have started new businesses under the guidance of a young man named Felix. He's the one showing them how to survive without pearls."
The ruler's eyes narrowed, and his expression shifted from irritation to cold calculation. "Felix, you say?" he murmured. "So he's the one behind all this..."
Meanwhile, life in the market was improving for the common folk—but ironically, that only deepened the divide between rich and poor. Inequality was growing sharper by the day.
A letter began circulating—rumors that the poor were being forced to work for city officials in exchange for wages that barely fed them for a day. Even landowners weren't spared; many lost their farms through cleverly disguised loan schemes, designed from the start to entrap them. Within weeks, the lands were seized—not to be cultivated, but simply to expand the rulers' grip on the city.
In a quiet corner of the market, a small group of citizens huddled together, whispering anxiously.
"I lost my land yesterday," grumbled an elderly man, his wrinkled face filled with grief. "They said I still owed money, even though I'd paid every coin!"
"We can't live like this any longer!" snapped a young woman, her voice trembling with rage. "Felix once told us—we have to find a way to stop depending on them. We have to fight back!"
"Fight? How?" another scoffed. "We have no power. They've got soldiers. They've got gold."
From afar, Felix watched the conversation unfold, his eyes sharp and unreadable. He knew then—these people needed more than just trade advice.
They needed change.
And that change, sooner or later, would have to begin.