FRIH: Chapter 19

As Ronan had said, the deed was done. The vendor was long gone; any attempt at a refund would be futile. This was the most extravagant gift Frieren had ever received, and likely ever would. Few possessed Ronan's generosity.

She stood there for a moment, looking at the place where the vendor had once been, the magical tools she had just received now safely tucked away in her bag. Despite her mixed feelings, there was a part of her that couldn't help but marvel at Ronan's gesture. How many people would spend so much on something that wasn't even for themselves? His generosity wasn't the kind that came from wealth alone, but from a deeper place. It was strange. She was still not entirely sure how to feel about it, but she couldn't deny that it meant something. It wasn't every day someone went to such lengths for another.

With small, deliberate steps, Frieren approached the stall and, using magic, shrunk the items and placed them in her bag. As they vanished, she felt a complex mix of relief and something else. There was a sense of wonder in being gifted such rare items, but there was also a weight—a feeling of indebtedness she wasn't sure how to carry. Was it guilt? Or perhaps gratitude? She wasn't certain. But before she could identify the feeling, Ronan's cheerful voice interrupted.

"Let's go. Acquiring those tools took some time, but not too long. Let's buy the grain; we shouldn't forget our original purpose."

Ronan had considered using the antique purchase as a way to explain his wealth, but decided against it. There was no need to draw attention to what had just occurred. Frieren was with him, and in this city, it was unwise to act alone—especially when the truth of his wealth could draw unwanted interest. The city might not even have genuine antiques. If it was all magical tools… well, in that case, he might as well openly display his wealth and let Frieren guess the source. The idea of mystery intrigued him. He vaguely remembered this tactic from somewhere in the back of his mind; it was called "Deification," a concept started by some demon long ago. The key was to act mysterious; silence was the best weapon. The more he kept to himself, the more others would wonder, filling in the gaps with their own speculations.

If their guesses were wrong, well, that was their problem.

He glanced at Frieren as they walked. She was pensive, her brow furrowed as if deep in thought. She was always calculating, analyzing. Perhaps she was caught up in the same thought process—the one that lingered just behind every grand gesture he made. Ronan wondered if she could sense that there was more to him than met the eye. That maybe he wasn't just a simple traveler, or a lucky hero, or even a mere mortal. But he kept those thoughts to himself. Let her wonder. Let her guess. That was the fun part, wasn't it?

"Mystery is key," he thought to himself. He couldn't just announce that he had infinite wealth; that would spoil the allure. Frieren might keep a secret, but others might not. There was something to be said about the human tendency to covet what others had. But Ronan wasn't afraid of that. He wasn't concerned about people wanting what he had. What intrigued him was how much more he could get by playing the game of mystery and scarcity. If everything was laid bare, where was the challenge? The appeal of a cheat code, after all, was in effortlessly obtaining what others couldn't.

Once obtained, and the novelty wore off, he would likely quit the game. The numbers lost their meaning. It was like eating the same dish over and over until it lost all flavor. Once he'd conquered the game, he would move on to the next one. There was always another challenge. Always another puzzle to solve. Strategic purchases, competition, and using superior resources to overwhelm opponents—that was the best approach. It was like a game: a whale spends thousands, while a free-to-play player effortlessly surpasses them, leaving the whale feeling defeated. It was a strange, exhilarating sensation.

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 without hesitation. Frieren stood for a moment, looking at the large bags of wheat, her eyes wide with realization. Solving the food crisis was so simple—so incredibly easy—with unlimited money. The weight of this realization hit her harder than the purchase of the magical tools had. It was easy to take it all for granted when you had access to endless resources.

"Incredible," Frieren murmured, looking at the wheat. Her voice held a quiet awe. "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 bags of wheat, but her mind was elsewhere, struggling to comprehend the disparity between the value of the goods in front of them and the wealth they commanded. A day's work earned twenty to thirty copper coins at best, and yet the price of this grain was enough to feed a family for a month. Was this a common issue? The economics of it made little sense to her. Fortunately, work was plentiful—at least in this city. Without it, there would be widespread starvation.

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