CHAPTER 15: SELLING TOMATOES

Rowen woke up early the next morning.

He ate a quick breakfast, cleaned up, and got himself ready for the day. After that, he walked over to Fern’s spot near the corner.

"Time to get up," he said, giving the spirit a light tap.

Fern stretched mid-air with a quiet yawn, blinking slowly as he woke.

Once Fern was up, Rowen went to the corner of his room and picked up the two baskets—one full of potatoes, the other full of tomatoes.

He carried them carefully downstairs, one in each hand.

Today, he was going to sell them.

He brought the baskets to the front of the shop and placed them neatly on the wooden shelf by the window—just like last time, where passersby could see them clearly.

The tomatoes had a rich, healthy color, and the potatoes gave off a faint, natural mana glow. Both looked fresh, clean, and ready to be sold.

Rowen stepped over to the front door.

He flipped the sign to open.

The morning light filtered in.

The shop was officially open for the day.

Now, all he had to do was wait.

The morning light filtered in.

The shop was officially open for the day.

Now, all he had to do was wait.

It didn’t take long before the first customer walked in.

A thin man, probably in his late thirties, wearing worn clothes and a tired expression. He stepped inside, glanced around, then walked straight over to the tomato basket.

He squinted at the small price tag Rowen had placed just under the basket: 3 tomatoes = 1 low-grade mana stone.

Full batch (30) = 10 low-grade mana stone

Special Effect: Mana Restoration + Focus Boost (10–15 min)

The man’s face twisted.

"Are you serious?" he said, looking straight at Rowen. "Three tomatoes for one mana stone? You think you’re selling potions?"

Rowen didn’t answer right away.

The man scoffed and pointed at the tag again. "Normal tomatoes are twenty for one stone. Twenty. That lasts a family two weeks. And you’re charging ten stones for thirty?"

He let out a bitter laugh. "This is why people don’t trust street shops. Scam pricing with made-up effects."

Rowen stayed quiet, watching him. He didn’t argue. Didn’t bother to explain.

After a few seconds, the man shook his head and left the shop, muttering something under his breath as the door closed behind him.

Not long after, more people started passing by. A few looked in through the window. Some stepped inside. One woman walked over to the shelf and raised an eyebrow at the glow coming off the potatoes.

Another customer whispered to their companion, pointing out the "focus boost" listed under the tomatoes.

Rowen stood calmly behind the counter, waiting.

Not everyone would understand what he was selling.

But some would.

And those were the ones he was waiting for.

Not long after the man left, another customer stepped inside.

A woman, probably in her mid-twenties. She looked more put together—clean travel boots, a light cloak, and a shoulder bag with an academy patch stitched into the corner. Not flashy, but practical.

She walked over to the shelf without a word, eyes scanning the display.

First, the potatoes.

Then the tomatoes.

She leaned in slightly to read the small effect tags Rowen had written and placed next to each basket.

"Focus Boost...?" she murmured, barely loud enough to hear.

She reached out and picked up one of the tomatoes gently, turning it in her hand.

"These aren’t normal," she said, glancing toward Rowen now. "They’re actually pulsing with mana."

Rowen gave a short nod. "They were harvested last night."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "And these effects? Real?"

"Yes," Rowen said simply.

She didn’t say anything right away. Just kept turning the tomato in her hand, considering if she should buy it or not.

Then she stepped back, clearly still thinking.

She didn’t buy anything yet—but she hadn’t walked out, either.

The woman was still standing by the shelf, arms lightly crossed, when the front door opened again.

This time, it was hard to miss the shift in the room.

Darian Velastra stepped through the door, followed by his group—the two knights and the mage from before. They weren’t in a rush. Just walking in like they belonged there.

Their clothes looked cleaner this time, though still travel-worn. But what stood out most was how casually Darian looked around the shop, like it was familiar now.

"Morning," he said with a nod toward Rowen.

Rowen nodded back. "Didn’t expect you again so soon."

Darian gave a small shrug. "Just passing through. Figured we’d check in—see if you had more of those potatoes."

One of the knights walked straight to the shelf and picked up a few, inspecting them without hesitation.

The woman, still nearby, turned slightly—eyes widening just a bit when she saw who had just walked in. She recognized the crest on Darian’s shoulder. Most people would.

"You know these guys?" she asked, glancing back at Rowen.

"They were here yesterday," he replied calmly. "Bought out the last batch."

Darian gave a short chuckle. "And they saved our lives, too."

The mage behind him gave a quiet "mm-hm" of agreement as he picked up a tomato and read the effects tag.

"These are new," the mage noted, glancing at Rowen. "Focus boost, huh?"

Rowen nodded. "First batch with that effect."

The woman looked between them again—then back at the tomatoes.

Something had changed in her expression.

She was taking it more seriously now.

Darian stepped forward, picking up one of the tomatoes himself.

He turned it in his hand, reading the tag again more carefully now.

Focus: Slightly Improved (10–15 min) Mana Restoration: Passive, Minor

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Focus boost..." he muttered.

That got his attention.

As a mage, he knew how important it was to stay focused.

Spellcasting wasn’t just waving your hands and saying the right words. Learning new spells took time—real concentration, steady mana control, and a clear head. Even small mistakes could mess up a casting or slow down his progress with new techniques.

He’d already awakened with a master-tier potential, but that only meant his ceiling was high. Progress still depended on the effort he put in—every technique learned.

Mana breathing techniques, in particular, required long periods of focus. Distraction could easily disrupt the process.

And a food that could increase focus? That wasn’t something he came across often.

Darian looked back at Rowen. "How many of these do you have?"

"About thirty in stock," Rowen said.

The woman nearby turned slightly, still watching the exchange. She could tell Darian wasn’t just being polite—he was actually interested.

After a moment of quiet, Darian looked up from the basket.

"I’ll take them all," he said.

He didn’t bother asking for a discount. Just pulled out a pouch and started counting out mana stones.

Rowen nodded, stepping forward to help package the tomatoes.

Darian didn’t even glance at the potatoes—he already had plenty from yesterday’s batch.

The woman nearby shifted slightly, as if she wanted to say something. Her eyes flicked between Rowen, the tomatoes, and the pouch in Darian’s hand.

She opened her mouth, hesitated, then closed it again.

Rowen noticed.

He looked at her and said, calmly, "First come, first served. Sorry."

She blinked, caught off guard by how direct—but polite—he was.

"You can come back after noon," Rowen added. "There might be more by then. Or... you could try the potatoes in the meantime."

The woman gave a slow nod, not quite satisfied, but not upset either.

She stepped back as Darian and his group finished the transaction.

After Rowen handed over the packed basket, Darian gave a short nod of thanks. "We’ll be back if more like this shows up."

Then, without lingering, he and his group turned and left the shop.

The woman stood there for a few more seconds, then quietly followed them out.

The door swung shut behind them, and the shop fell into silence again.

Rowen looked at the now-empty basket and the remaining potatoes still on the shelf.

It was still early in the day.

And things were just getting started.