Isaac frowned slightly.

"The… what exactly is this World Tree?"

Althea looked a little surprised, then smiled faintly, as if realizing humans really were as ignorant about other races as rumors said.

"The World Tree is our Guardian Deity. Through it, we maintain our connection to the Goddess of War, Harvest, and Love.

"All of our blessings, our fertility, and even our battle arts come from that link. It's the reason our people thrive."

"I see." Isaac nodded slowly. "So you all think the World Tree sent you here to tell me congratulations."

"Yes, Congratulations on becoming a Lord, Isaac."

"Thank you."

She tilted her head, then changed the subject. "But why you're here? Have you come here to sell your crops?"

Isaac gave a small nod. "Yes. I'm here to sell wheat and Vitality Grains."

"I see. May I see what you've brought?"

Isaac reached into his storage ring and placed a few samples on the counter.

A golden wheat stalk and a small crate containing Tier 2 Vitality Grains appeared.

Althea gestured to the woman beside her, who was tall and quiet, with emerald patterns faintly glowing on her skin.

The woman took out a thin monocle, placed it over one eye, and examined them carefully.

The monocle flashed with faint light as she murmured something under her breath.

Then she leaned close to Althea and whispered something that Isaac couldn't quite hear.

Althea gave a soft hum. "You've cultivated Vitality Grains to quite a high level in a short time. Impressive."

"Thank you," Isaac said.

Her tone was polite, but he could tell she wasn't particularly impressed.

It made sense.

The Florathi were the ones who had originally created Vitality Grains; their internal markets likely dealt in higher-tier versions they never sold to outsiders.

Althea looked back at him.

"Would you be willing to sell your Wheat Stalks? We can offer one bronze coin per stalk. You might think it's low for the quality, but it's a fair price.

"We aren't a species that lacks food.

"You could sell it elsewhere, but the other races here wouldn't be able to measure the quality of your wheat properly in time."

She smiled slightly.

"And besides, you need to sell them fast, don't you? You need the money. So how about it? Want to make a deal?"

Isaac crossed his arms. "How much do you want?"

"All of it," Althea said without hesitation.

Isaac nodded, then placed two spatial rings on the counter. "That's one hundred thousand wheat stalks."

For a moment, Althea's confident smile stiffened.

Her bodyguard blinked, clearly caught off guard.

One hundred thousand wheat stalks at one bronze coin each was ten gold coins total.

It wasn't a world-changing amount, but it wasn't small either.

For comparison, the entire fortified city 50 had cost them one hundred gold coins.

Ten gold coins from a single harvest was a lot for one Lord to produce alone.

Still, Althea wasn't someone who would flinch at that number.

It just surprised her that Isaac had managed such a large stockpile.

With the quality she'd seen, she had assumed he would only have a few thousand at best.

After a brief pause, she extended her hand.

"I'll buy them."

Isaac shook her hand firmly. The system notification appeared in the corner of his vision.

10 Gold Coins gained.

Althea's bodyguard collected the two rings.

"Then we're settled," Althea said, dusting off her hands. "You should take care of your other business now. While you're doing that, I'll head outside the city to clear my head. When you're ready to return to your city, we'll accompany you."

Isaac raised an eyebrow. "Does that mean you're coming with me?"

"Yes." Her smile returned, softer this time. "We will help you during your Quest. This is a personal order from the Seventh Queen though, not from the Florathi Kingdom."

Isaac caught the slight emphasis.

An order from the Queen herself, not the kingdom.

That was a strange sentence.

He wanted to ask why she said that, but he held his tongue.

Questions like that could stir unwanted attention in a place filled with listening ears.

Althea must have noticed his hesitation because she smiled wryly. "Don't worry too much. We're here to help, though with your strength, I doubt we'll be much use."

Isaac gave a small chuckle. "It's the thought that counts."

She nodded and left with her companion, their faint floral scent lingering in the air after they were gone.

Once the Florathi left, Isaac turned his focus back to the trade counter.

He opened his spatial storage again and took out the rest of his goods: twenty-five thousand Tier 2 Vitality Grains, forty thousand Tier 1, and another forty thousand Tier 0.

Each type glowed faintly, the higher-tier ones radiating a noticeable vitality aura.

Selene spoke, "We'll sell the Tier 0 ones for one bronze coin per hundred grains, five bronze coins per hundred Tier 1s, and ten bronze coins per hundred Tier 2s."

Isaac raised an eyebrow. "That's fair, but aren't all the races here without a Lord? System coins would be pretty expensive for them."

"They'll still buy the Vitality Grains," Selene replied. "These things are extremely useful for Awakeners.

"If they can't bring out System Coins easily, they'll barter. I am introducing an exchange system. I've already prepared the rates for items our city currently needs."

"Alright, let's see it."

A list appeared in front of him, projected faintly through Selene's interface.

…

Barter Exchange Rates:

Storm-Forged Alloy ×1 = Tier 0 Vitality Grain ×10

Condensed Mana Core ×1 = Tier 0 Vitality Grain ×10

Obsidian Brick ×1 = Tier 0 Vitality Grain ×5

Beast Hide Resin (1 liter) = Tier 0 Vitality Grain ×10

Runic Obsidian Slab ×1 = Tier 0 Vitality Grain ×20

Soul-Conductive Alloy ×1 = Tier 0 Vitality Grain ×30

*Conversion Note:

10 × Tier 0 Vitality Grain = 5 × Tier 1 Vitality Grain = 1 × Tier 2 Vitality Grain

…

Isaac raised a brow as the conversion chart.

Selene had compiled a barter system for all the materials they were having a hard time gathering for their city's buildings.

"The crops are…."

"Cheaper through barter," Selene completed his sentence. "It'll motivate others to use trade goods instead of coins. That's what we need right now."

Isaac nodded slightly.

That made sense.

The races here didn't have Lords, which meant they couldn't gather System Coins easily.

But they had strong Awakeners, which meant their cities were functional and their economy was stable.

They didn't lack resources, they lacked currency.

With barter allowed, they could trade what they had in abundance for the things Isaac's city needed.

It was a win for both sides.

"Alright," Isaac said. "Let's use these conversion rates."

Selene nodded.

Workers carried out crates filled with golden and faintly glowing grains.

They arranged them neatly on the counters and shelves.

Each section had a small floating board listing the price in both System Coins, barter rates, and grain effects.

Outside the shop had started to stir already.

A few customers peeked in, drawn by curiosity.

Most had seen Althea enter earlier, and though they didn't know she was a Florathi princess, her identity as a Florathi alone was enough to attract attention.

Within minutes, the first few visitors stepped inside.

They moved around, scanning the products and the glowing boards.

The light shimmered across their faces as they leaned closer to read.

Whispers rippled through the room.

"Vitality Grains?"

"They're selling these here?"

"They are just low-level rations."

"Wait, look at the effects of these grains."

"...this can't be real."

"This has to be a scam."

Selene remained composed as she finished placing the last of the samples.

Then, she stepped behind the counter.

"Welcome," she said evenly. "We are certified traders registered with the Overlord of Fortified City 22. All our goods are verified, and you're welcome to test them before purchasing."

A few heads turned.

One of the customers stepped forward.

He was a tall man with feather-like hair, grey skin, and narrow limbs. His bones looked light, almost hollow. He wore a long coat and round glasses perched on his narrow nose.

Isaac recognized his race immediately.

The Eltari. They were known for their precision and trading instincts.

The Eltari merchant adjusted his glasses.

"Are these descriptions accurate?" he asked. "You're claiming these Vitality Grains restore stamina, hunger, and mana recovery?"

Selene nodded politely. "Yes. They have been verified through test in labs and fields. We do not sell defective products. If you'd like, you can try one."

The merchant hesitated. "You're allowing a free sample?"

"Of course. You may test a single Tier 2 grain to confirm the effect," Selene replied. "We're confident in our products."

The merchant's eyes narrowed slightly, studying her expression for any sign of deceit.

Then he shrugged. "Alright. Let's see."

He reached forward and picked up a small grain from the sample tray.

It glowed faintly in his palm, like a seed of golden light.

He activated a few skills under his breath, draining his mana pool until the air around him turned dry and static.

His breathing grew heavier.

Then, without hesitation, he tossed the grain into his mouth and swallowed.

A soft pulse of light ran through his veins.

He blinked.

"I… I can feel my mana rising." His voice was low, uncertain at first, then louder. "My fatigue's gone. Even my hunger vanished."

The crowd murmured.

Selene smiled faintly.

"That's not all. The effects can be stacked up to three times. Try two more grains."

The merchant looked at her, surprised by her confidence, then took two more Tier 2 grains.

He chewed them carefully this time.

The sweet, earthy flavor spread through his mouth.

His eyes widened.

"My mana recovery increased again!"

He looked at his hands, then back at her.

"This… this is almost equivalent to a low-tier mana recovery potion!"

The crowd's murmurs turned to gasps.

If this was true, then these grains were a lot cheaper than the mana recovery potions.

Selene nodded. "And the best part is this recovery effect lasts up to seventy-two hours. You can still use mana recovery potions during that time. The two effects will stack."

The merchant stared at her in disbelief.

"You are serious?"

"Yes," Selene said smoothly. "Would you like to make a purchase?"

His eyes gleamed. "Yes, of course. I'll take twenty Tier 2 Vitality Grains and a hundred Tier 1s. I'll trade in Storm-Forged Alloy and Soul-Conductive Alloy."

Selene smiled, and guided him to counter for the purchase.

As the deal completed, others in the shop began talking at once.

"I want ten Tier 2s!" shouted a beastfolk with glowing tusks. "I'll pay with Condensed Mana Cores!"

"Give me fifty Tier 1s! I have Obsidian Bricks to trade!" another yelled.

"Wait! I want some too!"

In moments, the quiet store turned into a lively crowd.

Merchants pushed closer to the counter, waving trade slips and materials. The soft chime of machine transactions filled the air.

Isaac watched from behind, arms crossed. He couldn't help smiling.

The barter system worked.

In less than half an hour, Selene had processed over thirty trades.

The shelves were already half-empty, and several crates of Storm-Forged Alloy and Obsidian Bricks sat behind the counter.

The crowd only grew thicker as more people peeked in from outside.

He turned toward the window and glanced across the street.

The Calloway shop, which had barely seen a single customer few hours ago, was now buzzing.

Its doors were wide open, and a line had formed outside.

Some customers likely came out of curiosity, hoping to see where the sudden rush was coming from.

Isaac smirked faintly. "Seems like business is finally alive around here."

"We've already gathered all eight hundred Storm-Forged alloy for the city's Sky Dome. And with this pace, we'll have enough materials for the other buildings too," Selene answered, pleased.

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