The Frugal Mage

That night, Colben and his group met in the tavern.

They had expected that a little sabotage would be enough.

However, for some reason, the people they paid to mess with the supply chains had failed.

The people trusted the Eterna Script Trading. The various public tests they implemented had worked in Rayven's favor. Their countermeasures were practical and visible after all.

"They're aware of what we're trying to do. If we can't destroy their reputation and can't choke their suppliers, we make the city itself turn on them."

"How?" an older merchant asked.

Although their friend was already going too far, they had already started and couldn't just stop now.

"Let's find legal trouble, or scare their customers home with violence. If people are afraid to carry a pen outside, they won't buy it, even if the pen's good." Colben was already deperat after seeing their sales yesterday…

They didn't even earn five silver coins.

If not for the previous bulk orders, they wouldn't be earning anything at all.

"Arson is too risky… Too many witnesses. But small fires, just the right ones might be possible. Uninsurable losses. Fear… With that, people will shop somewhere else."

The plan changed.

They would take the slow, ugly route… They wanted persistent pressure, hidden threats, and carefully timed mishaps.

They hoped Rayven would fold under stress.

***

In the meantime, Rayven had decided to work with the Golden Coast Trading guards to ensure that the shop wouldn't be burned during the night. They needed some people to watch it, even Miki and Nara were not present.

They also hired builders so that the shop's doors, windows, and even roofs were reinforced and protected from any infiltration who wanted to mess with their supplies.

As expected, late one night, something happened at the shop.

The enemies, whoever they were, sent three 'drunk' men to smash the lock and attempted to enter from the back door.

However, the men were easily arrested after they were caught in the act by the hidden guards…

More of these similar incidents happened, but they were all nothing serious.

***

Three days passed quickly, and the shop's shutters had been reinforced, the doors barred with steel fittings, and Albert's men rotated in shifts…

Customers still came in, and everything seemed to be normal right now.

However, it was only on the surface.

But in truth, Rayven and his companions were bracing for the storm.

Late that afternoon, Albert himself warned them.

"My boy… We already have confirmation about the six merchants working together. They are growing desperate. I've just received word from one of my men. They've hired three Arcanists or Tier 3 Mages. They've been paid heavily."

Gene paled. "Mages? And Arcanists at that? Are they planning to attack openly?"

Albert shook his head. "Probably not in the open. But they'll strike soon…"

The room fell into heavy silence.

Hannah bit her lip, while Nara rested her hand on the hilt of her sword as if she really wanted a fight.

But Rayven only smirked faintly.

"We'll be ready once they arrive. Don't worry." Rayven said. After all, he wasn't just idling around.

***

For the next few days, they had waited for the mages to come at them, but there weren't any attacks at all. However, on the fourth day, just as the moon slipped behind clouds, it happened.

A scream split the air, then a streak of fire passed through the sky.

Another followed, then another. Ten fireballs in all, gushing down like a rain of meteors.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ground shook.

The Eterna Script Trading shop didn't last that long!

Glass shattered. Flames leapt into the night as the building was engulfed in fire.

The city guards blew horns, but the mages worked fast.

From alleys, they moved unseen, as they hurled spell after spell.

Passersby fled, as they were all shouting in terror as the once-proud shop was reduced to ash and smoke.

Within minutes, only blackened ruins remained. Even the nearby shops were affected because of the attack!

At this time, the rival merchants who were watching from their tavern hideout laughed with satisfaction.

They couldn't see the shop itself, but they saw the balls of flame raining down.

They knew that Rayven was only a Tier 1 Mage, so even if he was nearby, there was no way for him to protect the place.

Furthermore, they heard about the Spells that Rayven had, and they were sure that he didn't have any defensive spells like Mana Shield or something similar.

"It's done…" Colben was satisfied with this result.

"No one can survive that. Now, they'll find only cinders. The Fountain Pen dies tonight!"

***

But elsewhere, while the merchants were celebrating, Rayven stood silently beside two officials.

They were in a private chamber overlooking the chaos…

One wore the blue-and-gold mantle of the Mage Association. The other bore the emblem of the Royal Trade Bureau.

Albert leaned on his cane nearby while watching everything happen.

From their vantage point, they had seen everything. The spells were documented, the spellcasters identified by the Association's scryers and the witnesses were plenty.

"It's more than enough," said the Bureau official coldly. "These merchants have gone beyond rivalry. This is sabotage with unlawful magic, endangering public safety. Charges will be filed."

"And the casters…" the Mage Association elder added grimly, "will lose their licenses, perhaps their freedom. Casting ten fireballs in the city? Madness. Even with coin to bribe them, they've sealed their fate."

Rayven exhaled slowly, watching the flames consume the empty shell of his shop. He felt no despair…

After all, they had already evacuated, and only a few empty displays at the window were left. It was to ensure that the shop would still look like it had plenty of supplies inside.

Indeed, not one true pen or vial of ink had been lost.

The rival merchants had only destroyed an empty store, a stage prepared to expose them.

***

By dawn, the fire had already been quelled, leaving only some smoking ruins.

Of course, a crowd had already gathered, talking about the tragedy that the shop had met.

"Are they punished by the gods?"

"The boy's business is over."

"No way… That's not an act of god. Some mages had definitely sabotaged them."

"True… We're no longer buying quills and inks from others. It must be their retaliation."

Everyone knew about this as they couldn't help but feel pity about Rayven's situation. They believed that no merchant deserved such cruelty.