Matsu's eyes sparkled when he spotted the wooden stall labeled in messy, painted letters:
"PUMPING WHEAT – GROW STRONG, FEEL STRONG, BE STRONG!"
A single golden stalk lay behind a glass case, dramatically lit by a dangling lantern. The vendor stood tall behind it, a wiry man in patchy robes who smiled far too widely for someone selling grain.
Matsu stepped closer, nearly tripping on a loose cobblestone in his eagerness. He squinted at the small, scratched sign beneath the display.
100 gold.
His shoulders slumped. He dug into his pouch and counted the last few coins in his hand — barely enough. Maybe he spent too much on food…
"Aw man…" he sighed.
"Good choice," came a soft voice beside him.
Matsu flinched, turning quickly.
A man in a beige cloak and wide-brimmed matching hat stood beside him, almost blending into the dusty crowd. The cloak hid most of his figure, and the hat cast a shadow over his face — but not his smile. His smile was bright, toothy, and warm.
"Huh?" Matsu mumbled, blinking.
The man crouched next to him, inspecting the wheat through the glass with a hum of appreciation.
"The Pumping Wheat's a fine thing," he said, tapping the display. "Most folks don't know it's used to make Pumping Bread — real premium stuff in the upper levels."
Matsu's eyes widened. "Wait, really? My Grandpa used to talk about that! I thought it was just one of his weird fake stories."
The man chuckled. "Then your Grandpa's smarter than most. Hard to find someone who knows a good grain when they see it."
"You sure know a lot about wheat, mister," Matsu said, his face brightening.
The man laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess you could say I love bread."
Behind the counter, the vendor's eyes widened in panic. "Wait, wait, what did you say? People in the upper levels want this?" His fingers twitched. "Then I'm raising the price! 500 gold!"
"Wait, what!?" Matsu shouted. "It literally said 100 just now!"
"Well, now it doesn't!" the clerk barked, already flipping the sign around to scribble a new price. "Inflation!"
"You snake!" Matsu cried.
The man in the beige cloak gave a dramatic sigh, then leaned down and placed his hand gently on top of Matsu's head.
"Oh dear," he said softly. "How terribly unlucky for you…"
Then he stood straight, pointed past the clerk, and shouted, "OH WOW! WHAT IS THAT?!"
The clerk blinked. "Huh?"
In one smooth motion, the man snatched the wheat off the counter with his free hand and yanked Matsu up by his hair.
"YEEEOOOOWWW!!" Matsu screamed as he was getting dragged into the crowd.
"COME BACK HERE!!" the vendor roared, lunging too late as the two vanished between stalls.
They ducked behind a squat brick house, breathless. The man finally released Matsu's head.
"Here," he said casually, handing the stolen stalk to the boy.
Matsu blinked, stunned, then took it in both hands like it was sacred treasure. His eyes sparkled.
"…Thank you, sir."
The man smiled again, leaning against the wall.
Matsu looked at him, head tilted. "Why'd you help me? I'm just a farmer."
"Mmmmh…" The man looked off to the side, thoughtful. "I guess I just wanted to."
Matsu squinted. "Yeah, but why?"
The man paused, scratching his chin.
"I dunno. It just felt right," he said, a bit surprised at himself.
Matsu stared at him for a second longer. Then:
"Well, whatever the reason… thanks again for the wheat."
The man crouched, resting his chin on one hand.
"What do you mean? I'm selling it to you. That'll be 200 gold."
"HUH!? YOU'RE JUST AS GREEDY AS THE OTHER GUY!" Matsu exploded.
The man burst into laughter.