Little Merchants and Million-Won Mushrooms
I didn't sink into despair just because something bad had happened. After all, I had a mission to look after the people I lived with.
I headed to the guild's exchange with the goblin magic stones and the Damp Mushrooms Levi Nas had gathered. Sure enough, Levi Nas came trotting along behind me.
"U-um, excuse me..."
Tap tap. I knocked on the desk to get Yu Sang-ah's attention. She looked up from her paperwork, head bowed over it.
"Oh, Gyeowol? What brings you here?"
"Yes, I wanted to sell these."
I showed her the magic stones and Damp Mushrooms I'd gathered. They were all high-quality items, but for some reason, Yu Sang-ah looked troubled.
"What should we do? We don't buy mushrooms here at the guild."
"R-really...?"
"Yeah, our guild's minimum transaction is ten thousand won."
Damp Mushrooms went for a thousand won each. There was no reason for the guild to buy them under their policy.
"Wang-ah! We're in big trouble!"
"Y-yeah... You're right..."
Levi Nas had worked so hard to pick those mushrooms, and now they couldn't be sold. It was sadder that her efforts had gone to waste than not making any money.
Yu Sang-ah must have felt bad for Levi Nas too, because she tapped the desk thoughtfully and suggested a solution.
"There's probably a vendor near the dungeon. Didn't you see it?"
"No, I thought byproducts went to the guild, so I didn't look."
"Ah... Well, it might be a hassle, but if you go back to the dungeon area, you should be able to sell the mushrooms there."
"Got it. Thank you."
I bowed to her gratefully and left the guild building. At the same time, Levi Nas tugged at my left arm.
"Wang-ah! Wang-ah!"
"Yeah?"
"Levi Nas went to a place called the market once! There was a grandma selling greens and sweet potatoes!"
She meant street vendors at the market. I could guess why Levi Nas was bringing it up now.
She wanted to sell the mushrooms like the market merchants. It would be more hassle than going to the dungeon vendor, but I couldn't just say no.
I knew how valuable the experience of selling something yourself could be for a kid.
"You want to sell them yourself, Levi Nas?"
"Yeah!"
"Hmm..."
I worried a bit about illegal street vending, but it was just a kid trying to earn pocket money. No one would hassle us over something like this.
Sophia had checked them too—no poison mushrooms, all good Damp Mushrooms.
After a moment's thought, I nodded to Levi Nas. For her education, we'd give street vending a shot.
"Okay. Let's try it."
"Yay! Levi Nas is a merchant now!"
Levi Nas jumped up and down, then let out a weird "uhahaha" laugh—like a villain plotting something shady.
"Why the sudden laugh?"
"Merchants get to set their own prices! Levi Nas is gonna sell Damp Mushrooms for a million won each!"
"A-a million won...?"
At that price, not a single one would sell. Did she think they'd all fly off the shelf no matter how high the price?
I wanted to teach her about supply and demand, but I decided to stay quiet for now. Hands-on experience would be the best lesson.
"Amazing! I thought a million won was only for the richest people in the world! Levi Nas is rich now too?!"
"Y-yeah. Pretty amazing."
"Right?! Levi Nas is gonna make tons of money and give some to Wang!"
"Okay. Thanks."
If they all sell, yeah, she'd be rich. I was just grateful for her kind heart.
We set up our stall near the pond where lots of people gathered. I spread out an old mat we'd found somewhere and put the mushrooms in a dented pot.
-Damp Mushroom one for 1 million won.
Levi Nas scrawled it on a big box in her crooked handwriting. Spelling was off, but I let her do everything herself.
"I'll watch from the side. Wanna give selling a try?"
"Yeah! Levi Nas will sell!"
Levi Nas plopped down comfortably on the mat, swinging her outstretched legs side to side. I sat next to her.
"Buy mushrooms! Buy Levi Nas's mushrooms!"
Levi Nas, who usually spoke casually, was using polite speech for customers. I felt relieved she knew the basics.
"Buy these tasty Damp Mushrooms picked by Levi Nas!"
Her confident shout turned heads in the park. A few even walked over, interested.
"Hey kids, selling mushrooms?"
"Yeah! One million won each!"
"Whoa... That's too expensive."
Yeah, it was. No one, rich or not, would pay a million for a mushroom.
Surprised by the "too expensive," Levi Nas picked one up and showed the customer.
"E-eating this makes you grow tall fast!"
"Really?"
"Yeah! Levi Nas and Wang next to me ate mushrooms and grew super tall!"
The customers' eyes scanned Levi Nas and me. Contrary to her claim, I wasn't that tall. My legs suddenly felt kinda stubby.
Plus, I'd never eaten a Damp Mushroom in my life. I blinked in shock at her sales pitch, which was basically a scam.
She didn't know supply and demand, but she had some merchant talent.
"Hmm... Still, a million's too much. How about a thousand won each?"
"Sure! A thousand's fine too!"
Levi Nas grinned and held out a mushroom. I was surprised at how readily she agreed.
"Weren't you gonna sell for a million?"
"But a thousand is still a ton of money!"
"True enough."
Bargaining from a million down to a thousand? At this rate, Levi Nas might actually have a knack for business.
As I watched her in surprise, a college-aged woman approached and crouched down beside us.
"Kids, wanna sell some to your big sis too?"
"Yeah! Big sis gets mushrooms too!"
Levi Nas offered her one. The woman giggled and pulled a bill from her wallet.
It was play money, obviously fake. No one but a fool would fall for it, but Levi Nas was still naive about the world. She took the bill without a hint of suspicion.
"This is a hundred million. Super big money."
"A hundred million?"
"Yeah. A hundred times more than a million!"
"A-a hundred times...?!"
Levi Nas folded and unfolded her fingers, mouth agape. She seemed to grasp just how huge that was.
"Here, take this and give me a mushroom."
"O-of course! Take all Levi Nas's mushrooms!"
"Nah, just one."
The woman snickered and picked up a single mushroom. She was a mean one, scamming a kid.
I wondered if I should stop her, but decided to let it go. Even getting scammed would be a good lesson for Levi Nas.
"Wang-ah, it's a hundred million! We're rich now!"
"Y-yeah."
Clap clap. I clapped awkwardly in fake excitement, and the girl pulled another bill from her wallet—this time real ten-thousand-won note.
"Here, this is a tip."
"A t-tip too?!"
"Yeah. Buy yourselves something yummy."
Pat pat. She ruffled Levi Nas's hair and walked off with the mushroom.
I watched her go and let out a relieved sigh. Good thing she wasn't a real scammer.
Levi Nas would be disappointed when she learned the truth, but it was just harmless fun.
'Selling mushrooms themselves?'
Han Yeoreum saw the post online and headed to the park to check on Gyeowol. She'd been worried, but Gyeowol was living her life strong as ever.
"Gyeowol, vending?"
"Ah."
Gyeowol looked up from the mat. Their eyes met, and her tail swished happily.
To like people so much after such a deep hurt from one. Yeoreum had thought it would take forever to heal the kid's heart.
Just meeting those pure childlike eyes made her chest ache with guilt.
"You came."
"Yeah. Sold a lot?"
Levi Nas answered instead of Gyeowol.
"Yeah! Levi Nas sold Damp Mushrooms and made a hundred million?!"
"A-a hundred million...?"
"Yeah! We're rich now!"
Levi Nas proudly showed Yeoreum the hundred-million-won bill. Frog Bank play money.
"Aigoo."
It was fake, but the kids were too innocent to know. Yeoreum pondered how to explain.
Still, seeing her like this... Gyeowol really is just a kid.
Her maturity sometimes worried Yeoreum, but moments like this were a relief.
"Um... That's not real money..."
"Huh? Why not real?"
"It's play money, for games."
Play money. Levi Nas tilted her head.
"Then it is real money, right? For playing?"
"Uh, well..."
How to explain? Yeoreum crouched beside the two kids. Park-goers watched with fond smiles.
"You two don't know much about money yet, huh?"
"Eh...?"
Levi Nas maybe, but why me? Gyeowol gaped, flustered. Maybe because she'd stayed quiet when Levi Nas took the hundred million.
She'd just been letting Levi Nas learn, but now she was lumped in. Unfair, but who could she complain to?
She hadn't stopped Levi Nas from taking fake money. Claiming she knew now would just get laughs.
In despair, Gyeowol's tail drooped. Yeoreum and the park people all thought the same: the kid was bummed about the fake bill.