The Verdant Merchant-Chapter 116: i will update

Rowen only recognized Marn and Talia among the group. The other two—a sharp-eyed mage with a trimmed beard and a broad-shouldered man in a knight's uniform—were strangers to him. Their presence caught him off guard. For a moment he thought about stepping forward to introduce himself, but Marn's startled expression stopped him.

"Rowen? You… What are you doing here?" Marn blurted out, clearly not expecting to find the boy inside this shabby little shop.

Marn froze as soon as his eyes landed on the boy behind the counter. Rowen.

He remembered him well, one of his sharper students, back before the boy suddenly left school. Marn had urged him then to pursue the scholar's path, to use his mind in service of humanity's survival, perhaps even to help advance the technology that kept the fragile world moving. But Rowen had refused, walking away from the classroom without looking back.

Now, to see him here of all places, inside this shabby, nameless shop where people came and went as if buying treasures, left Marn speechless.

Alric leaned closer to Cedric, his eyes drifting over the stacked crates of tomatoes and potatoes. "This is it? This is what had the students worked up?" His tone carried open disbelief.

Cedric's frown deepened. He watched a pair of townsfolk leave with bulging sacks and faces lit as if they'd won a prize. "Doesn't make sense," he muttered. "Vegetables shouldn't draw that kind of reaction."

Talia said nothing. Her gaze lingered on Rowen, calm but thoughtful. She already knew what they would soon discover: that the goods here weren't ordinary crops. But she kept that to herself for now, letting the others wrestle with their confusion.

Marn finally broke the silence. "That boy," he said quietly, "he was one of my students. A sharp mind, wasted when he left. And now… he's here, of all places."

Alric's brows lifted, his interest caught. "Your student?"

Cedric crossed his arms, still studying Rowen as though trying to read something beyond the boy's plain expression.

The small shop suddenly felt heavier, as if all eyes were measuring Rowen for answers.

Alric's lips curled in a half-smirk as he leaned toward Cedric. "So this is it? A former student of yours selling common vegetables at ridiculous prices?" His voice carried enough for Rowen to hear. "Looks more like a scam than anything else."

Cedric gave a short grunt of agreement. "Exactly. Look at those signs: tomatoes for focus, potatoes for energy recovery. Tricks to squeeze coins from gullible townsfolk." His gaze settled on Rowen, sharp and accusing.

Rowen didn't flinch. His expression stayed calm, his thoughts steady. If they don't want to buy, they don't have to. I'm not forcing anyone.

Instead of rising to their provocation, Rowen stepped forward and gave a respectful bow. "Teacher Marn," he greeted evenly, then turned toward Talia, "Teacher Talia. It's been some time."

Marn blinked, taken aback by the boy's composure. Talia inclined her head in return, her face unreadable.

Alric's brow furrowed. He and Cedric exchanged a look, irritation flickering between them. To be ignored so casually by a mere shop boy, especially one they suspected of deception, was a slight they weren't used to.

"This boy," Alric muttered, his tone tightening, "doesn't even have the manners to acknowledge us."

Cedric's jaw set as he took a step closer to the counter. "And he dares call himself honest while peddling lies. Someone should put him in his place before he tricks more people."

The tension in the air sharpened, though Rowen remained still, his eyes level, waiting. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Marn raised a hand, cutting off Cedric before he could speak further. "Enough. This isn't the place for accusations." His tone was calm but carried the weight of a man used to having his words obeyed.

He turned his gaze back to Rowen, studying him. The boy hadn't changed much in appearance, but there was a steadiness in his eyes now, a quiet strength Marn didn't remember from the classroom.

"So," Marn said at last, "this is what you've been doing since you left school. A shop." His words weren't scornful, more curious than anything. "When you refused my guidance, I thought you'd disappear into obscurity. Yet here you are, running a business that has the whole town talking."

Rowen met his former teacher's eyes and nodded once, not defensively, simply affirming.

Alric scoffed quietly, but Marn didn't let him interrupt again. "Alric, Cedric," he said firmly, "don't be so quick to dismiss what you don't understand. If people are willingly paying, perhaps there's more to these vegetables than meets the eye."

Talia, who had been silent until now, gave the faintest smile. She had already confirmed the truth for herself, though she said nothing; her silence only deepened the mystery for the two doubtful teachers.

Talia finally stepped forward, her expression steady. "I've already bought from this place," she said, her tone leaving no room for doubt. "And I can confirm the effects are real. Those tomatoes sharpen focus, and the potatoes restore energy faster than anything I've seen sold in town."

Alric and Cedric exchanged a look, their frowns deepening.

"You're saying a boy with no known talent, no awakened path, somehow stumbled onto something even trained alchemists struggle to produce?" Cedric asked sharply.

Talia shrugged. "Believe what you want. But I tested them myself before coming here again. The results speak for themselves."

Marn gave a small nod, as if her confirmation was the final piece he needed. He folded his arms and looked back at Rowen. "Then it seems you've chosen your path after all, boy. Not the one I wanted for you, but perhaps one just as important."

Alric's brows drew together as he glanced at Cedric. "Talia, are you seriously saying a dropout boy is achieving what licensed alchemists can't? Selling vegetables with enchantments?"

Cedric gave a short laugh, though there was no humor in it. "No wonder people are lining up. Scam the desperate with tall claims and a smile classic trick."

Rowen didn't flinch. He only inclined his head politely toward Marn and then Talia. "Teachers."

His calm dismissal of the two men, without even offering them a greeting, made their expressions harden.

Marn raised a hand before Alric or Cedric could retort further. "Enough. I taught this boy once, and I know his mind. If Talia confirms the good work, then perhaps we should be less hasty in calling him a liar."

Talia stepped in firmly, her voice cool but cutting. "Not 'perhaps.' I've used them myself. His goods are genuine, and if you doubt me, test them. Right here."

That challenge hung in the air, making Alric and Cedric pause.

Cedric pulled a low-grade mana stone from his pocket, the faint blue light humming in his palm. He dropped it onto the counter with a dull clink, then reached over and plucked one of the tomatoes from the wooden shelf.

"Alright then," Cedric said, his voice edged with scorn. "If your claims aren't lies, let's see it. Show me how this tomato is worth more than a mana stone."

Rowen's eyes flicked to the stone, then back to Cedric. He didn't flinch. Instead, he slowly nodded, as if he had expected something like this all along.

Marn frowned but didn't interrupt. Talia crossed her arms, watching closely, her expression unreadable.

The shop grew quieter as Cedric held the tomato in his hand. Even Alric, who had been sneering moments before, leaned in slightly, curious despite himself.

Cedric sank his teeth into the tomato with a sharp crunch. Juice burst out, running down his throat in a messy streak.

"Well?" Alric muttered beside him, arms crossed. "It is a normal tomato, right, Cedric?"

Cedric smirked, about to agree, but then his words stalled. His brow furrowed. He blinked once. Twice.

The chatter of the shop seemed to quiet in his ears. His breathing evened. The faint restlessness he hadn't noticed before and the scattered thoughts that always tugged at the edge of his mind were suddenly gone. In their place was a sharp clarity, like someone had wiped clean a fogged glass pane.

He exhaled slowly, realizing the change, though his pride resisted admitting it.

Alric leaned closer. "Cedric?"

Cedric's grip tightened on the half-eaten tomato. His voice came out lower and steadier. "...It's real."

Marn's eyes widened slightly, while Talia gave the barest of knowing smiles. Rowen, meanwhile, said nothing. He only stood there behind the counter, calm as ever, as if the result had never been in doubt.

Cedric's jaw tightened as he swallowed the last bite, his pride warring with the undeniable calm flooding through him. He wanted to scoff, to call it coincidence, but the steadiness in his thoughts betrayed him.

Alric's eyes narrowed. "You can't be serious."

Cedric wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, avoiding his colleague's stare. "…I am."

Rowen only inclined his head politely, as though this outcome had been inevitable.

Alric clicked his tongue, glaring at Cedric. "You must be imagining things. A tomato isn't supposed to do that."

He reached forward and snatched another one off the shelf before Cedric could protest.

Rowen's gaze flicked to him briefly, but he said nothing.

Alric turned the tomato over in his hand as if inspecting it for hidden tricks. Then, without warning, he bit down hard.

Crunch.

Juice spilled over his lips and slid down his throat. He grimaced at the sourness, ready to scoff

but his words caught in his mouth.