Supply and Demand

A wide, joyful smile spread across my face after successfully selling the stegosaurus parts we hunted. I shook the bag of coins in my hand, the jingling sound sparking a ripple of happiness in my chest. 

"Wherever you are, the sound of money is always the best." 

My feet carried me toward two girls waiting for me on a park bench, their eyes observing the passersby. Fenrir's wolf ears twitched at the sound of my footsteps. She turned and waved at me, beckoning me to come closer. 

"So... how much did we get, Yata?" 

Grinning broadly, I held up the pouch brimming with gold and silver coins. "Seven gold coins and forty-five silver coins, Fenrys." 

Fenrir turned to Linnie, who was seated beside her. "Is that a lot, Linnie?" 

Linnie pursed her lips, pausing for a moment. "Honestly, that's not much, in my opinion." 

"Why do you think that?" I asked, curious about her reasoning. 

Linnie let out a small sigh. "I don't really understand why, but monster prices seem to fluctuate. Stegosaurus is a mid-tier monster, pretty strong—maybe two or three times stronger than an alpha-smilodon—so why is it cheaper?" 

"Maybe because it's not rare?" I ventured a guess. 

"True, stegosauruses aren't particularly difficult to find, and they reproduce quickly," Linnie said, looking at me inquisitively. "But does that really matter? Isn't a monster's price based on how dangerous it is to hunt?" 

"Not entirely, Linnie," I chuckled softly, realizing how little people in this era knew about basic economic principles. 

"Let me explain." I took a deep breath before starting. "While risk in hunting does play a role in determining a monster's price, there are many other factors that come into play." 

"Other factors?" Fenrir raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by my explanation. 

"Of course, especially in an auction-based market like this one," I said, glancing toward the monster marketplace, where the bidding system still dictated the value of goods. "There are plenty of elements that can influence pricing." 

Fenrir adjusted her posture, her curiosity piqued. Linnie mirrored her, leaning forward slightly. 

"Explain it to us, Yata," Linnie urged. 

"Alright, I'll break it down for you," I agreed. "The most significant factors are demand, supply, and availability." 

"Demand, supply, and availability?" They repeated the terms, their faces filled with confusion. 

"Imagine a monster that was once considered useless suddenly becomes highly sought after because people discover its immense benefits. Like, say, it can regrow severed limbs within a day. Its price would skyrocket, wouldn't it?" 

"That makes sense," Linnie nodded, stroking her chin as if deep in thought, showing she understood my explanation. 

Fenrir, on the other hand, just gawked. Well, let her be. She wasn't as sharp as Linnie, and as long as she didn't ask questions, I didn't need to explain further. 

"And now, what if that monster becomes scarce in the region?" I posed another scenario, letting them imagine and draw their conclusions. 

"Ah, I think I get it now," Linnie's eyes lit up. "That would mean the monster is harder to find, and when one does show up, people would be willing to pay a high price because they might not get another chance later." 

"Exactly," I said, giving her a thumbs-up and a playful wink. 

"But does that mean no matter how risky it is to hunt a monster, the price will always depend solely on supply and demand?" 

"Not exactly," I countered. "As I mentioned earlier, besides demand and availability, there's also the influence of price offers." 

"If buyers only offer low prices for high-risk monsters, no one would be willing to hunt them. As a result, the monster parts would become even rarer on the market. And from there, you can figure out what happens next." 

"Would the price increase as it becomes harder to find the monster parts?" Linnie asked, confirming her hypothesis. 

"Precisely," I replied confidently. 

"Ah, thanks for the explanation, Yata. I understand now." 

"You're welcome." 

We exchanged smiles and shared a small laugh, enjoying the moment of mutual understanding and shared knowledge. But when I glanced at Fenrir, who had been quiet all this time, I was taken aback. 

"Fenrys, what's wrong?" 

"I don't understand a single thing you two just talked about." 

Her eyes looked dazed, her head spinning as though she were about to faint from the sheer overload of information. I could almost see smoke rising from the top of her head. 

Linnie shook Fenrir's shoulders, desperately trying to rouse her. "Fenrys, stay with us!" 

This girl… she's a little amusing. I simply pursed my lips, wearing a faint smile as I watched her antics. 

Taking a seat beside Fenrir, I patted her shoulder gently. "You shouldn't push yourself to process that much information if you're struggling, Fenrys." 

"It's okay," Fenrir brushed my hand aside lightly. "I just wanted to keep up with your conversation even though I know I'm not the smartest. But I guess it's impossible for me," she admitted with a forced smile. 

Hearing her reason, I smiled faintly. I understood her intentions—she just wanted to connect with us, her current companions. She likely wished for more friends and feared losing us because she couldn't follow our discussions. That's why she tried so hard earlier. 

"It's fine, Fenrys," I said, trying to reassure her. "Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses." 

Her wolf ears twitched slightly, a sign that my words had touched her heart. 

"Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. Take you, for example—you're strong in muscle but severely lacking in brains," I teased with a playful tone. 

"Hey, watch your mouth, you ugly bird!" A vein seemed to pop on Fenrir's forehead. "At least don't say it so bluntly to my face. Say it one more time, and I'll throw you into the sky!" 

I couldn't help but smile at her threat. The girl was clearly angry at my joke. Yet, something else stirred within me a sudden urge to place my hand on her head and gently pat it. 

Her ears and tail perked up abruptly before moving softly. Her cheeks flushed as she turned her face toward me. "W-What—why are you suddenly—" 

She stammered, completely caught off guard by my unexpected action. I merely smiled at her. 

"What I mean is… we're friends. You don't need to worry; we won't abandon you just because you're not the sharpest." 

Her shoulders relaxed, the tension in her expression melting away. She now appeared much calmer than before. 

"Thank you, Yata. You're my pet—" Fenrir coughed awkwardly, correcting herself mid-sentence. "I mean, my best friend." 

Our eyes locked for a moment. The bustling crowd around us seemed to fade away, as if the world had paused, leaving just the two of us in this quiet moment. 

"Umm… I'm still here, you know." 

Linnie's nervous voice shattered our little bubble, pulling us back to reality and reminding us that we were still in public—right in front of her, no less. 

Startled, we quickly reverted to our earlier positions. Bowing my head, I felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me. My face grew so hot it felt like steam could burst out any second. 

When I glanced at Fenrir, her face was just as red as mine. She gripped the hem of her shirt tightly, biting her lower lip. 

Damn it, we got carried away. 

Suddenly, I felt several pairs of sharp eyes on us—not judgmental stares, but the focused gaze of predators locking onto their prey. My head shot up, and I scanned the area, taking in every detail around us. 

"Do you feel it too, Yata?" Fenrir's voice was low and full of suspicion. 

"Of course," I replied in a hushed tone. 

Fenrir's ears stood tall as she sharpened her hearing, likely picking up sounds beyond what my human ears could detect. 

"They're targeting Linnie," she whispered in my ear. 

The revelation surprised me, but I quickly regained my composure and whispered back, "Take her and get out of here. I'll deal with them." 

"Are you sure you can handle it alone?" Fenrir raised an eyebrow. 

"Leave it to me," I said firmly. 

Fenrir sighed, then smiled proudly at me. "You've gotten overly confident in your limited abilities, but fine, I'll trust you this time." 

Without another word, she scooped Linnie into her arms. "Hold on tight, Linnie. We need to get out of here." 

"Fenrys, what are you—" Linnie tried to protest, but Fenrir ignored her. She leapt onto a nearby building and began sprinting across rooftops without hesitation. 

"Woaaah!" 

I couldn't help but grin as the sound of Linnie's surprised shrieks reached my ears, echoing as Fenrir bounded between the houses. 

"Honestly, such a troublesome girl," I muttered, turning my attention to a few figures stepping out of the city's shadows. They glanced around nervously, their faces a mix of panic and shock. "Now, what should I do with them, Muramasa?" 

I twirled the small dagger in my hand—a gift from Loki that I had named Muramasa. Though it had lost most of its power after severing Gleipnir, it remained sharp enough to earn my trust as a companion. 

Exhaling slowly, I fixed my gaze on them, a stiff smile spreading across my face. 

Alright. I think I know exactly what to do with them.