The Verdant Merchant

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.

A strange silence filled his head. The usual impatience buzzing in his thoughts quieted, like a roaring crowd suddenly silenced. His shoulders eased without him realizing, and his sharp gaze steadied. For a brief moment, his whole body felt lighter, as though the constant tension of vigilance had loosened.

Alric froze, tomato in hand, his eyes flicking from Cedric to Rowen.

Cedric gave him a knowing look, still chewing slowly. "Told you."

Marn's brows rose, impressed, while Talia's arms remained crossed, though a trace of satisfaction touched her expression.

Rowen just stood behind the counter, calm, offering no gloating word, only watching as Alric struggled to swallow both the tomato and his pride.

Alric lowered the half-eaten tomato slowly, his jaw tight. For a moment, no words came. He glanced at Cedric, who was still holding his own fruit, chewing with a reluctant frown that couldn't hide the focus in his eyes.

The two exchanged a look half disbelief, half shame.

They had walked in ready to tear down a boy, only to be silenced by a tomato.

Alric cleared his throat, his voice rough. "...If he's charging only two low-grade mana stones for three of these, then..." He hesitated, swallowing his pride along with the lingering taste of tomato. "...That's cheap. Dirt cheap compared to a potion that can grant this level of focus."

Cedric's face darkened with embarrassment, but he gave a small, curt nod. "A potion with even half this effect costs more than ten times that. And lasts shorter."

Marn exhaled softly, his expression caught somewhere between amusement and respect. Talia, meanwhile, allowed herself the faintest smirk, her eyes sliding toward Rowen like she already knew how this would play out.

Rowen said nothing. He simply wiped the counter with a rag, calm and steady, as though their realization was nothing more than the natural course of events.

The silence that followed wasn't hostile anymore; it was heavy with their embarrassment.

Talia stepped closer to the shelf, her sharp eyes catching on a cluster of tomatoes that looked noticeably different. Their skin was deeper in shade, almost glowing faintly under the lamplight, and the faint pulse of mana in them was stronger than what Cedric had just eaten.

She tilted her head, then glanced at Rowen.

"This one…" she said, pointing lightly toward the darker tomato. "It's new, isn't it?"

Rowen looked up, meeting her gaze. For the first time in the entire exchange, there was a small shift in his expression not pride, not arrogance, but something quieter. "Yes. It's from a newer batch. Stronger than the last one you had purchased."

Talia finally reached out and lifted the rare tomato from the shelf. Its skin was smooth and warm from the mana within, the deeper red color.

Without hesitation, she bit into it.

Moments later, her breathing slowed. Her shoulders relaxed, yet her presence grew sharper, more controlled.

"…Stronger," she finally said, her voice calm but edged with certainty. "Much stronger. Comparable to last time."

Marn, who had been silent until now, stepped forward. He hesitated, his eyes darting to Rowen. "May I?"

Rowen gave a small nod.

Marn picked one of the regular tomatoes, still skeptical despite what he'd just seen. He took a bite.

For a moment, his expression stayed doubtful, but then his eyes widened slightly. His posture straightened, and he gave a low exhale.

"This… this level of clarity of mind…" His voice was quiet, almost reverent. "I've never had my thoughts settle so quickly. Not even with high-grade potions."

Cedric and Alric exchanged glances, both silent, their earlier mockery completely stripped away.