Chapter 21 - 20: First day trade
Kael struck the match, and the tiny flame flared to life between them.
The dwarf’s bushy eyebrows shot up, his thick fingers twitching as if to snatch the fire from the air. Around them, the murmur of the marketplace dipped—heads turned, curious eyes drawn to the flickering light.
Good. Attention means sales.
The dwarf recovered quickly, leaning in with a skeptical squint. "No flint? No sparkstone? Just... this little stick?"
"Just this little stick," Kael confirmed. He blew out the flame before it could singe his fingers and held up the matchbox. "One strike, one fire. No magic, no waiting. And cheap enough that even a rookie adventurer won’t go broke buying them."
The dwarf snatched the box from his hand, turning it over with thick, calloused fingers. His nose wrinkled at the faint sulfur smell, but his eyes gleamed with interest. "How many fires per box?"
"Fifty."
A grunt. "And the price?"
"One bronze a box."
The dwarf’s eyes narrowed. "That’s robbery."
Kael shrugged. "Compare it to what you’d spend on flint and tinder over a month. Or a fire-starting charm from a mage—how much does that cost?"