Brody fell silent for a moment upon hearing this, then let out a soft sigh as if no one else were around.
“Nine gold coins...” Brody said softly, his voice trailing off. “When I left home this time, Father... didn't allocate any special funds for this. Most of this is what was left of my personal savings, and some was left to me by my mother.”
His tone was flat, but anyone could hear the underlying bitterness.
Clearly, his situation was not as comfortable as he made it out to be.
Even as a count's child, the resources he could mobilize were indeed limited.
The family wouldn't invest too much in a “dismissive” investigation task, let alone when the one sent was him.
But for him, this mission was a rare opportunity...
It was precisely because of this that Brody had taken out all of his money, even including the inheritance from his deceased mother.
Brody paused and cast his gaze out the window, looking at the crude village. “Still... at least using that bag of gold coins initially managed to temporarily bluff Instructor Calm so he didn't refuse us outright. At least we have a reason to cooperate, and we've entered the village.”
“As for those lowly mercenaries...”
A trace of disdain flashed in Brody's eyes. Beside him, Flynn was long accustomed to this.
The room fell silent for a moment.
A moment later.
Brody looked at Flynn, his eyes filled with inquiry and a trace of uncertainty. “Flynn, do you think... this Calm will really do his best to assist us? He doesn't seem to care much about gold coins.”
Flynn pondered for a moment and replied cautiously, “Young Master, in my opinion, he should assist us to the best of his ability.”
“First, the disturbances in the Shadow Forest directly threaten the safety of Stone Mill Village. He will never sit back and watch the village fall into danger. Our goal of investigating the forest's abnormalities aligns with protecting the village, which in itself is his primary motivation to assist us.”
“Second, I observed after entering the village that he takes great care of the villagers, especially that youth named Matthew. And to support the villagers, funds are indispensable.”
Brody nodded thoughtfully. Flynn's analysis eased the unease in his heart slightly.
“Let's resolve this as quickly as possible. This place... staying here for even one more day is torture. Tomorrow morning, have Calm take us into the forest to get a clear picture of the situation. Flynn, keep a close eye on things and ensure my safety.”
“Yes, Young Master. I will make the proper arrangements.”
“Mm.” Brody waved his hand, signaling the end of the conversation. He walked to the window, gazing at the darkening sky outside and the distant, gloomy outline of the forest, silently planning tomorrow's actions in his heart.
...
On the other side of the village, Matthew had just finished his brief conversation with Instructor Calm. Carrying the three gold coins close to his chest, he walked toward Old Joel's house.
Soon, Old Joel's yard, which was piled high with various goods, came into view. Matthew took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement. His face returned to its usual calm as he knocked on the courtyard gate.
“Who is it?” Old Joel's familiar voice came from inside.
“Uncle Joel, it's me, Matthew,” Matthew replied.
“Ah, Matthew, push the door open and come in yourself.”
The door creaked open.
What met Matthew's eyes was not Old Joel's familiar, shrewdly smiling face. Instead, the old man was facing away from the door, hurriedly packing a large cloth bundle and several miscellaneous items in the yard, seemingly preparing to head out.
“Uncle Joel, are you going out?”
“Yes, I've collected enough pelts in the village, so I'm going to the town to trade them for money.”
“Uncle Joel, when you go to the town this time, could you help me look for a good bow?” Matthew asked as he stepped into the yard.
Old Joel's movements paused. He turned around, a surprised expression on his face. “Oh? Matthew, my boy, what's the rush? When I asked you last time, you hadn't made up your mind yet.”
He put down a bundle of pelts in his hand and sized Matthew up. Curiosity flickered in his shrewd eyes.
“What, did you strike it rich recently?”
Matthew didn't answer directly, only saying calmly, “I have a bit of spare cash now, and I feel it's time to switch to a better one. Didn't you say last time that a good treated yew or composite material bow would cost about seventy to eighty silver coins?”
Upon hearing this, Old Joel's eyes lit up slightly, but he quickly shook his head again and resumed tying his cloth bundle.
“Seventy or eighty silver coins... that's just the basic stuff. Real quality goods, especially the hidden treasures I know of, won't go for less than one or two gold coins. The money you had last time was far from enough.”
Matthew said no more. He directly pulled a heavy gold coin from his chest and handed it over. Its glittering golden luster shone exceptionally bright in the courtyard's sunlight.
“Uncle, here is one gold coin as a deposit.”
“I want a truly good bow, a high-quality one made of yew or composite material. Please look carefully for me when you go to the town this time. If you find a suitable one, keep this deposit first. If it's not enough, we can make up the difference when you return.”
“A... a gold coin? A real gold coin!”
The shock on Old Joel's face was quickly replaced by wild joy. However, in his shrewd eyes, besides eagerness, a fleeting trace of imperceptible greed also flashed by.
Matthew keenly caught the flash of greed in Old Joel's eyes. His heart chilled slightly, knowing that in this remote village, a single gold coin was enough to make many people harbor wicked thoughts.
At the same time, he had no desire to test human nature against the bottom line of self-interest, let alone when his relationship with Old Joel was ultimately just a business transaction, far from the point where he could hand over a huge sum of money without any guard up.
Thus, before Old Joel could speak, Matthew added in a calm tone, his voice not loud but carrying an unquestionable certainty:
“I borrowed this from Instructor Calm. Since I have to go deeper into the forest next, I want a better weapon to protect myself.”
Sure enough, upon hearing the words “Instructor Calm,” the trace of greed and hesitation that had just risen in Old Joel's eyes was instantly suppressed, replaced by a deeper sense of awe and caution.
The smile on his face turned somewhat sheepish, and his hand holding the gold coin instinctively relaxed a bit, as if the coin had suddenly become hot to the touch.
“S-so it's from Instructor Calm...”
“Matthew, my boy, don't you worry! Leave this matter to me! I'll definitely bring you back a good bow worthy of this price and worthy of Instructor Calm's taste! I'll get you the best arrows too! I guarantee you'll find it handy to use in the forest!”
He thumped his chest as he promised, no longer daring to show the slightest negligence or harbor any other thoughts. Instructor Calm's name was a golden brand in this village, and an invisible deterrent.
Seeing this, Matthew felt slightly reassured. He knew that by using Instructor Calm's formidable reputation as a shield, he had temporarily suppressed Old Joel and ensured the safety of this transaction.
“Then I'll trouble you, Uncle,” Matthew said with a nod. “I'll wait for your news.”
Rate on N.U.
