The deed was done; a refund was futile. This was Frieren's most extravagant gift, likely ever. Few possessed Ronan's generosity. It wasn't just wealth; it came from a deeper place. She wasn't sure how to feel, but it meant something.
Frieren carefully shrunk the tools and placed them in her bag. Relief mingled with wonder and a weight of indebtedness. Was it guilt? Gratitude? Before she could decide, Ronan's cheerful voice interrupted.
"Let's go. Acquiring those tools took time, but not too long. Let's buy the grain; we shouldn't forget our original purpose."
Ronan considered using the purchase to explain his wealth but decided against it. Frieren was with him, and acting alone in this city was unwise, especially when his wealth could draw unwanted attention. The idea of mystery intrigued him. He vaguely remembered a tactic called "Deification," using silence as a weapon. The more he kept to himself, the more others would wonder, filling in the gaps with their own speculations.
He glanced at Frieren; she was pensive. Perhaps she sensed there was more to him than met the eye. He let her wonder. Let her guess. That was the fun part.
"Mystery is key," he thought. He couldn't announce infinite wealth; that spoiled the allure. He wasn't afraid of people wanting what he had. The challenge was in obtaining what others couldn't. Once obtained, he'd move on. There was always another challenge.
As they reached the grain market, Frieren's thoughts seemed to align with his own. The simple solution to their hunger crisis was before them , ample funds ensuring they could buy all the grain they needed. She stood, looking at the large bags of wheat, eyes wide with realization.
"Incredible," Frieren murmured, awestruck. "I heard grain prices were rising, but not this much. A medimnus costs five hundred copper coins. Five hundred coins barely feeds a family for a month… What is the human emperor doing?"
Her gaze was fixed on the wheat, but her mind struggled to comprehend the disparity between the goods' value and the wealth they commanded. A day's work earned twenty to thirty copper coins, yet this grain fed a family for a month. Was this a common issue? Without plentiful work, there would be widespread starvation.
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