Chapter 1: Nanmen Village
"I will get you, stupid brat!"
A boy was running away from a furious middle-aged man, chasing him with a broomstick.
The chase came to an end in a blind alley
"Dead end. Just where did he go?"
The man looked around for a bit, a confused complexion on his face. A few breaths of time later, he left.
On top of one of the houses, the boy was lying on his stomach, watching down on the alley. He was taking huge bites from an oval purple fruit.
"What a gall these merchants have! Asking 2 coins for a single Gorind fruit. And they call me a thief!"
He tried to keep up an angry expression, but the fruit was just so tasty that he couldn't stop his eyes from shining brightly as he bit down on it. The way his stomach growled, it was obvious that he hadn't eaten in quite some time.
Next to him, the windows of the house opened. An elderly lady stuck out her head to check what the noise was about when she noticed a boy lying on her rooftop.
"Oh heavens", she yelled out. This was too much of a surprise for her old heart. A look of disbelief covered her face. She fainted.
"Welp, time to bail. If grandfather hears out about this, I will be screwed."
A moment later, he was nowhere to be seen.
The village of Nanmen wasn't very large, but its people were very proud. They were known for their herbalist arts of healing. Huge gardens, fields, and farms covered the surroundings of the village, with all kinds of herbs and plants.
The people would be incredibly rich if not for the ridiculously high taxes imposed upon them by the Imperial Family of the 29th Domain. Merchants from all the 68 Domains visited the town to buy medicine and herbs. This drove up the prices of even the simplest goods. As a result, the villagers themselves lived in poverty.
Outside the village was the market district. It looked kind of odd as it was at least 8 times the size of the village itself. Dozens of booths and pavilions were to be seen, all of them different from the other. Some were beautifully decorated and displayed all kinds of high-quality medicine and goods, while others were small, rather dirty, offering only one kind of plant. The latter ones usually belonged to the poor villagers of the town, trying to make a living. The district was very busy, hundreds of people around doing trades, laughing and chatting.
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At one of the more luxurious pavilions, a fat merchant wearing a long luxurious robe was currently discussing a trade with a noble.
"My good sir, these Gajio Leafs are the best you can find in all of the 68 Domains. One leaf can cure a thousand poisons!"
"Hm, how can I trust you? The last merchant sold me a venom blossom for a ridiculous price, only to find out that it didn't even cure the specific poison I asked for!
My son was bitten by a Seven-Sufferings Serpent while out hunting.."
Hearing this, the merchant gasped.
Seven-Sufferings-Serpents are rare snakes that look ordinary but have poison that is incredibly gruesome and deadly. Once infected, the victim has seven weeks left to live. Pain starts filling every last cell of the body and worsens every day. On week six the organs begin the fail and the pain gets so unbearable, that death is but a relief.
"My good sir, I, Geoff, am the best medicine trader around! These leaves will cure even the most difficult poison... I-If you apply it correctly that is! I do not offer refunds for any mistakes!" beads of sweat appeared on his chubby forehead.
The young boy that was being chased earlier was currently passing by hearing their conversation. A frown appeared on his face.
"Very well, you do seem to know your trade, I shall take as many as it will require. I expect a detailed description of how to apply the cure." the noble said.
"Yes, Yes, of course, of course! What is the price of a hundred Gold to cure a loved one! You won't find a cheaper offer!" the merchant exclaimed proudly, a hint of nervousness in his voice.
The young boy couldn't take any more of this. He sneaked inside and went up to the noble and pulled his sleeve.
"Not now kid, I don't have anything for you, get lost!", he pushed the boy away.
"Senior, forgive me but I overheard your conversation", the boy spoke quietly only for the noble to hear, "Geoff is a scammer, Gajio Leaves will never cure the poison of a Seven-Sufferings-Serpent. They might reduce the pain up to the third week, creating the illusion of curing it, but beyond that it's useless."
The noble stared emptily off into the distance. He traveled a long distance with his son to this village desperate to find a cure, just to get scammed by a merchant. Not giving up he kept looking and found another. He was desperate and didn't have much choice so he wanted to believe this merchant. Just to be told that this won't work either.
The noble didn't know why but he believed the boy. Not only because he seemed very knowledgeable for his age, but because there was sincerity to his words.
The merchant seeing the boy whisper to the noble grew nervous.
"Screw off kid, adults are doing business here right now! Servants, see this brat out, NOW!" he commanded. Two burly men appeared from the back of the pavilion, closing in on the boy.
The noble raised his hand, suggesting the servants to wait.
"How can you tell?" the noble asked softly.
"Senior, my grandfather is an expert in medicine, especially poisons. He's the best in all of the 68 Domains! Let me take you to him. He will know how to cure your son." the boy said.
The noble decided to take him up on the offer. He glared at the merchant. "The deal is off. Good Day."
He would deal with him later.