The Verdant Merchant-Chapter 111: i will update

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.

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.

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.

The moment the first customers stepped inside, Rowen's clear voice cut through the buzz.

"Same rule as yesterday—one batch per person. No exceptions."

Some groaned in disappointment, others nodded in understanding, but no one dared to argue. The crowd had grown too large, and everyone feared losing their chance if they caused trouble.

When their eyes fell on the neatly written signs, murmurs spread like wildfire.

"Two low-grade stones for three pieces?" a boy whispered, staring at the rare tomatoes as if they were treasure.

"That's… that's too much for me," an older woman sighed, shifting her coin pouch before glancing at the baskets of common+ vegetables. "These will do."

Rowen saw the same pattern again and again—those who came curious about the rare stock quickly backed away after hearing the price, settling for the common+ baskets. The glow was weaker but still far more potent.

Even so, the rare baskets weren't ignored. A few wealthier students, those whose parents had some savings or side businesses, clenched their teeth and handed over the stones. Their eyes lit up with pride as they walked away, clutching their rare vegetables as if they were priceless jewels.

Outside, the line kept moving. Shade, Rowen's sleek black cat, perched lazily on top of the wooden shelf near the entrance. Her tail flicked back and forth, golden eyes half-lidded but sharp. Anyone who got too close to the baskets without paying felt his stare boring into them. A few of the townsfolk had already learned from yesterday—this cat wasn't just for show. Shade had claws and a temper, and somehow she always appeared right where trouble was about to start. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Rowen almost chuckled. Shade looked relaxed, but the truth was, he was guarding the shop in his own way.

Rowen felt a wave of relief. The people here weren't nobles or powerful merchants—they were townsfolk, students, and elderly villagers. Poor, with little strength or influence. But desperation made them unpredictable. If they discovered someone was selling mana-rich food at a fraction of the price of energy potions in the expensive stores, they would never give up trying their luck.

Among the crowd were a few faces Rowen recognized—people who had loudly called his shop a scam just a few days ago. Now they stood in line, shifting on their feet, eyes darting nervously toward him. A couple whispered to each other, clearly worried that he might refuse to sell to them if he remembered their words.

Rowen caught their anxious looks and simply smiled. He had no interest in holding grudges over petty things. As long as they paid, it didn't matter what they said yesterday. Business was business.

Time passed quickly, and before long there was nothing left to sell. The shelves stood empty, and only a few disappointed customers remained.

"Is there… hidden stock or something?" one asked in a worried tone, almost pleading.

Rowen gave a small, apologetic smile and shook his head. "That's all I had this time. You can try again in the afternoon if you want."

They left with heavy steps, faces showing clear disappointment. Rowen waited until the last one had gone before exhaling in relief. Then, he pulled the day's earnings onto the counter and began counting.

From the common+ baskets, he had earned around thirty low-grade mana stones. The rare ones, though fewer, still brought in another twenty. A decent haul considering the small supply of rare ones.

Counting them together, Rowen realized he now had a total of fifty low-grade mana stones. Adding the three stones he had left from before, his pouch held fifty-three in total.

Rowen turned and noticed Fern sprawled out lazily, not a care in the world. He frowned and nudged him with his foot.

"You should learn from Shade," Rowen muttered. "That cat works harder than you. At least she guards the shop instead of lying around."

Fern only flicked his ears, clearly not bothered.

Shaking his head, Rowen pulled out a twelve of mana stones. He counted twelve, then tossed them toward Fern. "Use these to recharge the land when needed. Don't waste them."

He had no intention of rushing the next upgrade for the space, so he didn't hand over a single stone beyond that.

After tidying things up, Rowen glanced at the clock. It was already around eleven in the morning.

"Still some time before noon," he murmured.

"Guess it's a good time to check the market for fruit seeds," he decided.

With that, Rowen locked up the shop and prepared to head out.

After leaving the shop, Rowen adjusted the strap of his pouch and walked down the street. He remembered something on the way—when he had bought the previous batch of tomato seeds at Wood's Farm Goods and Seeds, he had seen fruit seeds stacked on one of the shelves.