The morning sun bathed the village in a golden glow, the air thick with the scent of freshly baked bread and damp earth. Lyrasia stretched lazily, her mind already buzzing with new ways to exploit—ahem, efficiently manage—her ever-growing workforce of ex-bandits. But her plans came to an abrupt halt when a grand carriage, far too lavish for their humble village, rolled into the square.
A small, well-dressed man with sharp eyes and a curled mustache stepped out, scanning the surroundings like a hawk searching for prey. The villagers murmured among themselves, eyeing the visitor warily.
"Greetings, citizens!" the man declared, spreading his arms theatrically. "I am Lucius Morvant, a traveling examiner from the Grand Merchant Guild! I am here to conduct a special test in search of promising young talents!"
Lyrasia tilted her head. A merchant exam? Here?
"The winner," Lucius continued, "will earn the chance to become a registered merchant under the guild’s banner! This includes exclusive trading rights, magical resources, and the opportunity to rise in the ranks of commerce!"
Now that caught her interest.
Ding!
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[THIRTEENTH MISSION: The Merchant’s Gamble!]
[Objective: Impress the Merchant Guild Examiner and prove your worth.]
[Reward: Unlock Merchant’s Insight (Hidden Perk)]
[Time Limit: Until the exam ends]
________________
Lyrasia smirked. Well, well. Let’s see what this is about.
Dozens of villagers gathered as the test was set up in the village square. Tables were arranged, parchments and magical contracts were laid out, and Lucius stood atop a crate to announce the rules.
"The Merchant Guild assesses not just skill, but instinct!" he declared. "There will be three parts: Negotiation, Evaluation, and Contract Handling. You must prove yourself in each."
Lyrasia casually strolled forward, pretending she wasn’t interested. "So, anyone can join?"
Lucius frowned at her worn-out tunic and dirt-smudged face. "If you wish to humiliate yourself, by all means."
Lyrasia’s smile twitched. Oh, it’s personal now.
The first test involved haggling over a fixed price. The examiners played as buyers while participants attempted to drive up the value of their goods. The villagers fumbled, some overpricing, others underselling.
Lyrasia, however, sat across from her assigned examiner, an older merchant with shrewd eyes. She placed a single apple on the table and rested her chin on her hand. "Fifty silver."
The merchant snorted. "Ridiculous. Ten silver."
Lyrasia yawned. "Ah, but this isn’t just an apple. This, sir, is the last apple harvested before the village’s legendary festival. The final taste of a tradition. An artifact of history."
The merchant faltered.
"And," she continued, eyes gleaming, "it might just be enchanted."
"Enchanted?!"
"Maybe. Maybe not. But do you really want to miss out?"
She leaned back, smug as the merchant forked over seventy silver.
Lucius watched, lips twitching in amusement.
Participants were given random items and asked to determine their worth. Most struggled with common trinkets and enchanted stones.
Lyrasia? She picked up a cracked, rusty coin and announced, "This is a rare collector’s piece from the Old Empire. It’s corroded, but its historical value is priceless."
Lucius narrowed his eyes. "Is it?"
"No idea. But someone will believe it is. And that’s what matters."
Silence.
Then, slow claps from Lucius.
The final test involved signing a magical contract without falling into hidden traps. These contracts, enchanted with legal-binding spells, could be fatal to those who failed to read between the lines.
Lyrasia skimmed the scroll handed to her. If signed, the participant agrees to serve the guild for life.
She grinned.
Instead of signing outright, she took out a quill, adjusted a single punctuation mark, and signed.
The contract glowed... and then shattered.
Gasps echoed as Lucius jolted upright. "Impossible! You triggered a loophole!"
Lyrasia blinked. "I did?"
Lucius grabbed the parchment, scanning it with wide eyes. By tweaking a comma placement, she had inadvertently negated the servitude clause, leaving only the benefits.
"That," he whispered, "is genius."
Lyrasia beamed. "Oh, so I win?"
Lucius shook his head. "No. You technically failed. You lack formal training."
Her smile dropped. "Excuse me? I just outsmarted a magic contract and you’re telling me I failed?"
"Rules are rules. However—"
Lucius leaned in, voice low. "I’ve never seen anyone do what you just did. If you’re willing, I could... personally oversee your development."
Lyrasia’s eyes gleamed. "What’s the catch?"
"No catch. You have potential, but raw talent alone won’t get you far. Training, resources, connections—that’s what I can offer."
She folded her arms, pretending to think. "Hmm... fine. But I want double the benefits."
Lucius grinned. "I knew you were a merchant at heart."
Lyrasia strutted into her home with the air of an innocent child returning from a perfectly normal day. Of course, nothing was normal about extorting bandits into labor, enforcing an early taxation system, and possibly triggering a cursed event. But that was tomorrow’s problem. Right now, she had one goal—slink into bed before anyone questioned her.
Unfortunately, fate (and family) had other plans.
"Where have you been?"
Lyrasia froze mid-step.
Sitting at the dining table, sipping tea like an executioner awaiting the condemned, was none other than Ruan. Her elder sister. Her keeper. The one person she absolutely could not fool.
Lyrasia swallowed, then forced a bright smile. "Oh, you know! Just... community service!"
Ruan set her cup down with a quiet clink. "Community service," she repeated, unimpressed.
"Y-Yeah! Helping the villagers, being an upstanding citizen—"
"You smell like dirt, sweat, and crime."
Lyrasia wiped her forehead, realizing only now that she was still covered in dust and dried bandit humiliation.
Ruan leaned back, arms crossed. "You were out scheming again, weren’t you?"
Lyrasia hesitated. Then, wisely, decided to faint on the spot.
"Nice try," Ruan sighed. "We’re talking about this after you eat."
Lyrasia peeked one eye open from her dramatic collapse, only to see Ruan still staring, unimpressed.
"Can I at least shower first?" she tried weakly.
"No."
Lyrasia groaned, dragging herself to the table like a prisoner to execution. As she picked up a spoon, Ruan added casually, "Also, Father wants to see you."
Lyrasia nearly choked. "What?"