The War Of Gemstone: Owl & Flower
Punishment and Prizes

The next day, he went back to the merchant and exchanged the fruit he had picked with a Pengrium bag that had the same amount as before. Darin still couldn't believe it, he earned so much money so easily.

On the street, Darin saw new clothes and he immediately spent them. As he was about to spend his last money, Darin recalled the debt he had to pay off. With a little money left he paid his debt even though still not enough to cover the entire debt. The incident continued to repeat for a week, he always bought goods only to be replaced with better and new goods, the rest to pay debts that are still far from paid off.

After the 8th day, Darin returned to bring his merchandise but he did not find the merchant in his stall. Darin finds a letter in a basket containing the address for Darin to deliver his goods. Not in the market or around the village. Initially Darin was confused, the address he was referring to was located near a forest far enough away, not in a forest that had always been a village land need. Darin thought that maybe the merchant was a person who did not like crowded places, so he chose a distant place.

When Darin reached his intended location, he found no one there. Suddenly a long and hard wood hit Darin's back head violently, causing him to fall and instantly pass out on the spot. Darin had seen the silhouette of the person who made him like this, and was none other than the curved mustache merchant Darin had met. And the one who holds the wood that turns out to be the debt collector. The merchant seized Darin's merchandise and left Darin unconscious.

The merchant grinned. His fingers twirled the ends of his whiskers. “Hehe, this is easy. Well, although a little loss because this guy always spends his money, instead of paying off his debt.” The man then gave a bag of Pengrium to the debt collector. “As per promise, here's your reward.”

Darin had been unaware that the merchant and debt collector had conspired to deceive him. Since Darin had no trading experience, the trader used it to give him a 2-fold increase in the amount of Pengrium. Even the money Darin gave the debt collector was returned to the merchant. And finally Darin was caught in the trap of the merchant, his goods were seized, the fruits of the forest were dredged up by Darin and no matter where the merchant and the debt collector went.

Darin finally woke up at night. While holding his head that was still painful, Darin was surprised when next to him there were 3 large sacks. Though he still remembered the previous incident, his merchandise had already been taken by the merchant. Darin who was confused and curious tried to see the contents of the sack. The first sack contained a lot of fresh fruits, the second sack contained clothes with soft, smooth cloth, and the last sack contained a lot of gold. In the depths of his heart, he as an ordinary human, wanted to take it.

As Darin looked around, he saw the figure of a black-robed girl with blue eyes shining in the darkness appear among the shadows of the trees. Darin swallowed his saliva, then said, “Excuse me, is this yours?”

The black-robed girl who had the name Faye looked at Darin, then said, “If you want, you can take it.”

Darin was happy after hearing it, but there was a thought that bothered him, “What have I done?” Darin realized his selfishness, ignored his younger siblings and believed in the foreign merchants that left him lying on the ground. Even so, Darin is a figure who loves his younger siblings very much. His parents died when Darin was a child and he had to take care of his sister in his place. However, due to his greed he became ashamed of himself. Darin hugs his knees while lowering his head to touch his knees, “No need. I have done the wrong thing.” Now all Darin felt was the feeling of regret that filled him.

Faye turned around and walked into the forest.

“Wait. Do you live in this forest alone? Are you with your parents, or your brother or sister?”

Darin raised his head. “It must be hard to live alone without people who love you. Starving. Coldness. There are no parents. No brothers helping each other.” The man thought back to his younger siblings whom he had left at home. Darin could not imagine his younger siblings living a single day without him. Darin decides to return home and tries to apologize to his younger siblings. Although he did not dare to show his face to his younger siblings, he tried to keep looking tough. He wants to see his sisters soon. “My sisters need me.”

Before leaving, Faye made an offer to Darin, “I can also give you splendor, abundant treasures and plenty of food, as everyone dreams. If you want, you can take my hand,” said the figure as he extended his hand forward.

“Sorry, I don't want any more. All I want right now is to go back home and meet my sisters. Maybe I will constantly be scolded by my sisters. I'll try again starting from here.”

“Good. The sack next to you, just take it, it's a gift for you. I don't need it.”

“Really? Thank you very much,” Darin said with a sincere smile.

A feather of a white bird fell when Darin went to carry the sack, the girl took the white feather and walked into the forest. In front of Faye, another girl figure in village clothes appeared from behind a tree. “Rynn?”

“Is he not interested in going into the forest?” Rynn's gaze turned toward the tree ceiling, his hands rubbing the rough bark of the tree.

Faye passed Rynn. “She already has a place to go home.”

Rynn followed behind him. “Padahan I want to have a new friend.” His head hung with a sour face. The girl then sped up her steps to match Faye's steps. “By the way, your remarks about treasure and splendor, can you really do it?”

“You eavesdropped?” Faye glanced sharply at Rynn. “Of course not, I just tested it. Humans basically have greedy nature. A greedy person will always want more and more. To get it, people tend to do anything, including killing,” explained the girl.

“Kukira really can.”