The Frugal Mage

While Rayven was making a rough blueprint about the mixer he wanted to build to create mayonnaise faster, the quills-and-ink district had grown quieter than usual.

For decades, scribes, students, and merchants alike had flocked to the same rows of shops.

They were buying goose quills, silver-tipped styluses, and jars of thick ink.

It was steady, reliable trade, the sort of business that passed from father to son without much change.

But now, those same shops stood with their shutters half-closed, and the owners leaned behind counters with frowns written into their faces.

Their customers had dwindled, lured away by the popular new store with its bold name painted in gold: Eterna Script.

Inside that new shop, the atmosphere was the opposite of the old quill and ink shops.

The sound of coins could be heard together with the laughter of satisfied customers… Then, the lively voice of Hannah greeting yet another student followed.

Their business was doing great.

Gene was also working hard, and even if he got tired, he didn't mind it at all since they were earning about 8 to 10 gold per day!

That was already a modest calculation since personalized Fountain Pens for nobles could be a lot more expensive.

In any case, Gene was happily counting silver and copper as he wrote them down into the ledger.

"We're rich… Maybe we should consider increasing the production already and consider opening another shop." Gene mused.

Fountain pens were smooth, elegant, and endlessly refillable. It was no wonder that they were selling faster than they could be stocked.

"Or maybe, we can consider what Rayven suggested and that distributor thing…" Gene mused as he had already heard about the official distributor concept that Rayven introduced.

It was quite new, but it was indeed possible to do, and most importantly, the price wouldn't change that much, unlike those who were trying to buy a lot and resell them for an excessive price.

Thankfully, those greedy resellers weren't earning that much since they had already advertised its true price, so no one would buy their overpriced product.

In any case, Gene just continued on his work for now since Rayven was also observing their progress and didn't mention their expansion just yet.

Still, for just one month, their invention had carved its mark into the city.

It was such an incredible achievement.

Nobles ordered custom designs. Students pooled coins together just to own one. Merchants with connections with the Golden Coast also bought some… However, they knew that they couldn't resell it in the farther region since the ink that the Fountain Pen uses was very different from the current ink they have.

"Business is thriving…" Gene said as he closed the ledger. It was already late at night and the store had already closed.

"Yes… Too thriving. We're starting to get attention." Hannah added.

Rayven, who had just arrived to help with the closing, only smirked. "Good. Attention means we're doing it right. If they want to cause trouble. I'm sure we can take care of it."

***

That very night, in the backroom of a wine tavern across the city, a group of old merchants gathered.

Jugs of ale sat untouched on the table...

At this time, their faces were red and it was not from drink, but from rage.

"This can't go on…" Master Colben angrily said as he slammed his hand on the table.

He was a stout man whose family had sold quills for three generations. "Every week, more of my regulars vanish. Students, scribes, even clerks from the court… They're all carrying those cursed pens now!"

"They don't even come for ink jars anymore…" added another merchant. His voice was bitter as he had also been enduring for days.

"I used to sell five crates a month. Now? One. Who'll pay for ink when one little vial refills their fancy pen a dozen times?"

Around the table, curses and mutters filled the air.

"It's the boy…" Colben growled.

"That whelp, Rayven from Golden Coast Trading, is causing trouble. Barely fifteen and already thinks himself a merchant prince. He and that shop of his are ruining us."

"He's clever…" one of the quieter merchants muttered.

"Too clever. People trust his product. Even nobles are bragging about them. We can't fight him in the open. We'll lose."

Silence fell as the words hung in the smoky air.

Then, slowly, Colben leaned forward and spoke with a softer voice.

"Then we don't fight fair. We spread rumors."

He paused for a moment to see their reaction.

Seeing that none of them reacted, he continued.

"We poison their reputation. If the customers lose trust, their business will crumble no matter how fine the pen is."

A few heads finally nodded as desperation appeared on their faces.

"And if rumors aren't enough?" asked another.

Colben's eyes glinted. Someone had actually already advised him of what to do to bring the business down.

"Then we make it look like their pens are faulty. Hire students to claim they leaked. Pay a clerk to shout that a pen ruined an important document. Once doubt spreads, it will stain them deeper than any ink."

The merchants exchanged looks. For men who had always played by tradition, this was a step into darker waters. But desperation pressed harder than pride.

***

The next few days, Rayven noticed nothing amiss. The shop bustled as usual. Hannah's charm never failed to turn passersby into buyers, and Gene kept their finances tight.

Even Albert, who had initially scoffed at the idea of "fancy pens," was now boasting of his nephew's business to colleagues.

But in the streets, rumors started to spread.

"They say the pens leak after a week."

"Someone's contract was ruined, blotched with ink stains."

"I heard a student's whole sleeve was ruined the night before his exam…"

The rumors grew, feeding on themselves like wildfire.

Just like that, customers came with sharper questions, inspecting pens longer before buying. A few had even walked out empty-handed.

It was not something that Hannah's charm, professionalism, or even salesmanship could resolve easily.

And one afternoon, the usual calm of the business was suddenly broken…