Lys sat down on the wooden chair opposite Madam Vesper. The room was warm from the fireplace, and the light from the oil lamps made everything look golden. Sara stayed standing for a moment, then gave a small nod.

  “I’ll leave you two to talk,” Sara said softly. “Call me if you need anything.”

  Lys looked at her and smiled. “Thank you, Sara. We’ll be fine.”

  Sara closed the door gently behind her. The room became quieter. Only the soft crackle of the fire remained.

  Madam Vesper leaned forward a little, her sharp eyes studying Lys with interest. She was a woman in her forties, with neat dark hair pinned up and expensive traveling clothes that looked well-made.

  “Let me introduce myself properly,” she said with a polite smile. “I am Madam Vesper. I mainly trade in corn, wheat, and grains between villages and the capital. But when Sara sent word about these unusual wolf pelts, I became curious. Rare items sell very well in the capital right now. People there love anything special, you see.”

  Lys nodded politely. “Yeah, Nice to meet you too, Madam Vesper. I’m Lys. The pelts are from the wolves I fought last night.”

  Madam Vesper raised an eyebrow. “You fought them yourself? A young man like you? Impressive. May I see one of the pelts?”

  Lys stood up and walked to the corner where he had placed the pelt he had brought before coming here. One of the better pelts was folded. He brought it back and placed it on the table between them. The thick gray fur still had a slight shine even after cleaning.

  Madam Vesper touched it carefully. “Hmm… the fur is thicker than that of normal wolves. And this color… unusual.” She looked up at Lys. “Sara said they are special. How special are we talking?”

  Lys sat down again and gave her a calm smile. “These aren’t ordinary wolves. They were bigger, stronger, and their fur was different. I think they were ‘Freki wolves’.”

  Madam Vesper didn’t look fully convinced. She ran her fingers through the fur again. “Freki wolf, you say? Huh, now That sounds like a story. Boy, I deal with real goods every day. I need proof if I’m going to pay good money.”

  Lys reached into his pocket and pulled out a small cut piece he had kept as a sample. He placed it on the table. “Here. Look at this closely. Feel how thick and soft it is. Normal wolf fur isn’t like this.”

  Madam Vesper picked up the sample. She rubbed it between her fingers, then held it closer to the lamp. Her eyes widened slightly, but she quickly hid her surprise.

  “It’s… certainly different,” she admitted. “But still, how much do you want for all four pelts? How about 4 gold for all the pelts? What do you say, it's not bad, right?”

  It was very low, given how rare these pelts are. Anyone could tell right away this is high-quality pelts, worn only by high-nobles. Lys could tell right away she was trying to get them cheaply. She might have thought he was just a normal village, ignorant of the real world and how valuable it was, so she tried this cheap move.

  But he kept his face calm. He knew he couldn’t be rude; Sara had brought this merchant here. But he also wasn’t going to let her scam him.

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  “That’s very low, madam,” he said politely. “I can wait one or two weeks, you know. The next merchant who comes to the village will pay me twice that amount. I’m sure of it.”

  Madam Vesper straightened up in her chair. Her smile became a little tighter. She raised her offer by a small amount. “How about 6 gold, then? Surely this pelt is not that great, right?”

  Lys shook his head. “Still too low, madam. I think you didn’t understand the value of this pelt. These pelts are rare. I fought four wolves for them. I almost died. I think they’re worth much more than mere 6 gold, don’t you think?”

  Madam Vesper looked at the sample again. She picked up the full pelt and examined it carefully. Then she reached into her bag and pulled out a strange-looking wand made of silver and crystal. She hovered it over the pelt.

  A soft blue light appeared above the fur. A glowing screen floated in the air, showing words and numbers that Lys couldn’t fully read, but he could see Madam Vesper’s face change.

  She gasped quietly. “This…yes, you are right, this is rarer than I thought. The quality is exceptional. The fur has natural cold resistance. In the capital, collectors will pay a fortune for something like this.”

  “You might have forgotten the fire resistance, madam. Unlike normal pelts, this pelt has special magical enhancements attached to it. It is partially immune to fire and cold. And they are also in good condition.”

  Madam Vesper’s smile vanished from her lips. She stared at Lys with wide eyes. Maybe thinking about how a mere boy like him knows about a rare item like this.

  Lys smiled inside but kept his face calm. “So… how much is it really worth?”

  Madam Vesper named a new price, “How about 30 gold then. I can’t go beyond that point. Otherwise i might risk not profiting from anything. What do you say? I’m sure you understand that only in the capital will you get prices like this. And as far as I'm reading you, you don’t actually want to leave this village for the time being, am I right?”

  Lys’s facial expression didn’t change. Afterall, it was better than before, but still a little lower than what he had in mind.

  He thought for a second, then spoke clearly. “Okay, I’ll accept that price… but only if you agree to two conditions.”

  Madam Vesper raised an eyebrow. “Conditions?”

  “First,” Lys said, “when you sell these pelts in the capital, you never tell anyone exactly where they came from. Say they’re from a far forest if anyone asks. I don’t want trouble following me.”

  She nodded slowly. “That’s reasonable. I’m sure finding these rare grade items back in this village might attract attention.”

  “Yes, and second,” Lys continued, “you make a contract with me. From now on, whenever I buy anything from you, grain, tools, cloth, whatever, you give me a 10% discount. Always.”

  Madam Vesper’s eyes widened. She opened her mouth, then closed it. “Ten percent… that’s quite a lot for a young man from a small village.”

  Lys leaned back in his chair. “These pelts are very rare. I’, sure you know how valuable they are, you saw the screen yourself. If you don’t want them, I can wait for the next merchant.”

  -------

  The room was quiet for a moment. Madam Vesper stared at the glowing screen again. Her fingers tapped the table lightly.

  Finally, her face changed. A small, excited smile appeared.

  “You drive a hard bargain,” she said. “But I like clever young men. Very well. I agree to both of your conditions. Ten percent discount on all future purchases, and I will keep the origin secret, too.”

  Lys smiled and extended his hand. “Then we have a deal.”

  Madam Vesper shook his hand firmly. “Yeah, we have a deal.”

  She stood up. “I will send my men to collect the pelts in the morning. The money will be paid in full before I leave at dawn. Sara can witness the contract.”

  Lys stood up too. “Thank you, Madam Vesper.”

  She gave him one last look, her eyes sparkling with interest. “You are full of surprises, young Lys. I look forward to doing more business with you in the future.”

  Lys walked her to the door. As Madam Vesper left, Sara stepped back into the room.

  “How did it go?” Sara asked, closing the door.

  Lys turned to her with a big smile. “Better than I expected. We have a deal.”

  Sara’s eyes lit up. She stepped closer. “Tell me everything.”

  Author note: I thought RoyalRoad readers are more active and thoughtful towards authors than elsewhere. But even after 21 chapters, I don't ratings more than other platforms. Please consider leaving behind a rating after reading this chapter. It helps the story reach other readers. If you really like this story, then it is time to show your love to it. Or, I might reconsider posting daily chapters here.

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