Several hours earlier.
“Prey...? What kind of prey would we find on a road people regularly travel on?”
Berg looked confused.
As far as he knew, if you wanted to hunt something, you had to go deep into the forest.
The fewer people there were, the more likely you were to find rare prey.
“Have you forgotten about that Klay traveling merchant who cheated your village?”
However, Xia Mingyu’s casual words instantly ignited Berg’s anger.
“Of course I remember! That damned Klay bastard! To deceive everyone, he even dared to swear a false oath before the gods! He insulted the gods, and he insulted us too! Because of him, all the red fruits everyone spent an entire year carefully growing went to waste!”
Berg gritted his teeth as he spoke, his eyes seeming to burn with flames.
“If I hadn’t been hunting in the forest at the time, I would’ve shot him dead with an arrow...”
Suddenly, Berg froze.
“Wait, Your Highness... Could the prey you’re talking about be him?”
Xia Mingyu gave a slight nod.
“Have you ever killed a person?”
“No.”
Berg shook his head.
Although he often hunted wild beasts, and the animals he had killed could probably be piled into a small hill, he had indeed never killed a human before.
Neither have I...
Xia Mingyu muttered silently in his heart.
But that didn’t stop him from acting like someone who was already used to seeing death.
“Are you willing to kill someone?” Xia Mingyu asked calmly.
Berg ran a finger along his bowstring.
A trace of killing intent flashed through his brown eyes.
“If they’re heartless Klay merchants who don’t care whether other people live or die, then no matter how many come, I’ll kill every last one of them!”
...
“Who?! Who fired that arrow?!”
Mills, who had fallen to the ground, shouted in shock and fury.
Following the direction the arrow had come from, he quickly spotted two figures hiding in some nearby bushes.
But before he could question them, another arrow came whistling through the air at terrifying speed.
It flew straight toward his right eye.
Mills’ hair stood on end.
He wanted to dodge, but he no longer had enough time to react.
“Got him!”
Seeing this, Berg excitedly stepped out from behind the bushes.
He was already preparing to check just how much dirty money this black-hearted merchant had in his purse.
But something completely unexpected happened.
The arrow Berg had fired with all his strength was only an instant away from piercing Mills’ eye when—
Bang!
It was as though the arrow had struck an invisible shield.
The shaft bent from the impact and dropped to the ground.
“What kind of magic is that?!”
Berg’s eyes widened in shock.
The archery he was so proud of had actually been blocked so easily!
Xia Mingyu, who remained hidden inside the bushes to conceal his identity, was equally surprised.
After all, this was the first time he had personally witnessed the supernatural powers of this world.
However, he quickly calmed himself.
They had already attacked.
From this moment on, the two sides were mortal enemies.
There was no possibility of stopping halfway.
“Berg, keep shooting!” Xia Mingyu shouted.
He refused to believe Mills could keep using such an ability forever.
On the other side, after blocking the arrow, Mills immediately grabbed a small hand crossbow from the luggage hanging on his dead horse.
It was an expensive weapon he had specifically purchased to protect himself.
Seeing the hunter who had just attacked him recover from his surprise and draw his bow once again, Mills clenched his teeth and quickly aimed the crossbow at Berg.
This was his final chance!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Two sharp arrows crossed each other in midair.
One flew accurately toward Mills’ head.
The other traveled crookedly and merely grazed Berg’s shoulder.
After all, Mills was only a merchant.
He had never properly learned archery.
Bang!
Just before Berg’s arrow could strike Mills’ head, the same invisible shield appeared again.
With another heavy impact, the shaft bent and fell to the ground.
But this time, panic appeared on Mills’ face.
“Damn it!”
Mills cursed.
Then, without hesitation, he untied the bulging money pouch at his waist and threw it toward the hunter who was preparing to fire yet another arrow.
Immediately afterward, he turned around and ran.
His speed was like that of a frightened rabbit.
He moved nimbly between the trees and vanished into the dense forest in the blink of an eye.
The Liar Merchant profession granted Mills two abilities.
The first was Unlawful Protection, which allowed him to block two unjust attacks.
The second increased his running speed.
However, it could only be activated when he was fleeing.
Both uses of his protection had already been consumed.
If he continued fighting, his life would be in danger.
Although Mills loved money more than almost anything, money was still less important than his own life.
Besides, most of his wealth had already been exchanged for Gold Sols and hidden inside the soles of his shoes.
The coins inside the pouch were only a portion of his fortune.
...
More than a hundred coins spilled out of the pouch with a loud clattering sound, temporarily blocking Berg’s vision.
For someone who had never seen so much money before, the sight also caused him to hesitate for just a moment.
By the time he recovered and aimed his bow again, Mills had already disappeared deep inside the forest.
Berg held his head in frustration.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I failed to kill him.”
He felt incredibly foolish.
He had actually performed so badly in front of the person he hoped would become his future lord.
No...
After this, Xia Mingyu probably wouldn’t even want to become his lord anymore.
I’m so stupid. I’m so stupid. I’m so stupid...
“It’s fine. Count how much money there is.”
Xia Mingyu looked toward the quiet, densely wooded forest ahead.
Although he felt somewhat uneasy inside, he still comforted Berg.
He certainly didn’t want one of the village’s main fighters—and practically its greatest weapon—to lose his confidence.
“Your Highness! There are sixteen Silver Sols and eighty-three Copper Sols in total!”
Berg held a large handful of shining coins in both hands, his face filled with excitement.
“This guy really was a crooked merchant. He was surprisingly rich.”
Xia Mingyu sighed in admiration.
According to what he had learned, the currency issued by the Kingdom of Sossia was called the Sol.
There were Copper Sols, Silver Sols, and Gold Sols.
Eighty Copper Sols could be exchanged for one Silver Sol.
Forty Silver Sols could then be exchanged for one Gold Sol.
As for the actual purchasing power of the currency...
To put it simply, a basket completely filled with fresh red fruits could normally only be sold for ten Copper Sols.
Meanwhile, the entire Fruit Basket Village only needed to pay twenty-one Silver Sols in agricultural tax to its lord every year.
“Berg, if you take this money back to the village, will it be enough to pay the agricultural tax?” Xia Mingyu asked.
“It's enough, Your Highness! The village doesn’t have much money right now, but everyone should still be able to gather another four Silver Sols together.”
Berg nodded repeatedly, his eyes filled with shock.
He had originally assumed this noble prince would take all the money for himself.
He never imagined Xia Mingyu would refuse to take even a single coin and instead leave all of it to the village so they could pay their taxes.
This was...
This was completely unlike a noble!
However, it also caused a trace of genuine respect to rise in Berg’s heart.
Berg suddenly dropped to one knee and looked at Xia Mingyu seriously.
“Your Highness, thank you for your generosity and wisdom. Even if you are unwilling to accept me as your attendant, I am willing to serve you for the rest of my life.”
Xia Mingyu smiled but did not answer.
“Burn the carriage.”
...
“By the way, Your Highness... how did you know that Klay traveling merchant would definitely come back?”
On their way back, the two carried the money pouch along with several useful goods they had found inside the carriage.
Unable to suppress his curiosity any longer, Berg finally asked the question.
“Because he paid a deposit,” Xia Mingyu replied calmly.
Then he continued,
“Merchants are creatures who, for the sake of money, would even sell the rope that would eventually hang them.”
“How could someone like that tolerate watching his own money go to waste?”
“That’s why he was certain to come back—even if he knew there was a chance the angry villagers would kill him.”
Xia Mingyu’s expression remained calm.
“Because capital never stops moving forward.”
