章 113: Chapter 113: Wilhelm's Magic Beans and a New Story
In the dimly lit tavern, Wilhelm's words blew past Ino's ears like a breeze, leaving him somewhat unprepared.
"So, is there a difference?" Ino's voice carried a hint of curiosity as he tried to digest this sudden piece of information.
"There's a huge difference!" Jacob, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, chimed in confidently: "Wizards are honored guests in courts, wise men invited by kings. Those who dabble in dark arts, like witches and demons, lurk in shadows like filthy creatures, shunned by society."
"However," he continued, "real wizards are indeed rare. I've only seen one once. They are highly knowledgeable and often reclusive, silently studying in libraries. Many people even think wizards are just mythical beings."
Listening to Jacob, Ino subconsciously touched the wand hidden in his sleeve.
To be honest, this week living in a medieval town had been quite an ordeal for him. The inability to bathe and walking through streets filled with manure every day was exhausting.
Especially in Merchant Town, where horse and mule droppings were everywhere—fresh and dry, mixed together—making it unbearable.
"Since you believe in magic, that's good." Wilhelm sighed in relief and continued, "I can pay for your stories in another way by giving you some magic beans…"
However, before he could finish, Jacob interrupted, "Come on! My dear brother, that's not right. Someone tricked you, and now you want to trick Ino? That's not fair."
Wilhelm felt a bit embarrassed by Jacob's words and tried to defend himself, "That... that can't be called a trick…"
But his voice grew softer and softer until it was barely audible.
"Alright, Jacob. Maybe you're right." Wilhelm sighed helplessly and then turned to Ino, "We'll put the payment for the stories on account. I'll pay you when I have money."
Although William didn't mention the magic beans again, Ino's curiosity had been piqued.
Having read many stories about magic beans, he was very curious about what kind Wilhelm had.
"Wilhelm, money isn't an issue. I'm more interested in those magic beans. What exactly are they?"
Wilhelm sighed slightly, revealing a kind of Ukrainian melancholy on his face.
"The person who gave me the beans was a forest elf I met during an adventure. She told me these were magic beans blessed by the goddess of harvest. If you let the seeds sprout, they would grow into a three-foot-tall oak tree."
As he spoke, William took out a small wooden box from his pocket and placed it on the table. Opening the lid, inside were some slightly yellow seeds that looked like peas.
"Look, these are the ones! Once planted, after the oak tree grows, its branches will bear countless gold coins every harvest festival, letting people feel the joy of harvest."
"But they have never sprouted!" Jacob mercilessly debunked his brother's lie, "And... are you sure you haven't eaten them as snacks? There were half a bag left last time, and now there's only this much."
Seeing the interaction between the two brothers, Ino smiled silently. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Wilhelm, I'm interested in these beans, but I need to be upfront."
Upon seeing the magic beans, Ino wanted to try a different path than his teacher Hans—a path of equivalent exchange, a unique path of his own.
After all, following someone else's path limits how far you can go, just like the four founders of Hogwarts.
"Wilhelm! Jacob!" Ino looked seriously at the brothers.
"Actually, I am an apprentice wizard. And what I need to say is, these magic beans might be real, but I need to take them to my teacher for verification. So, would you still want to use them to pay for the stories?"
Fair trade isn't about using the information gap to deceive but a transparent transaction with known information.
As Ino finished speaking, the Grimm brothers raised their heads suddenly. Unlike Wilhelm's contemplation, Jacob's eyes shone brightly like the morning glow piercing through thin fog.
Despite this, Jacob didn't speak out as usual but turned to look at Wilhelm, as if waiting for his brother's decision.
The well-informed Wilhelm, after a brief silence, smiled and said, "It's really unexpected! Although I had initially suspected you might have a noble background, I never guessed you were a wizard apprentice."
As he spoke, Wilhelm pushed the wooden box forward: "I agree to the trade. Even if it can yield gold coins, in my hands, it's just a snack."
Ino didn't take the box but carefully picked out three beans from it.
"A fair trade. Although you agreed, I'll only take three! For 'Narnia,' 'Pirates of the Caribbean,' and 'The Lord of the Rings,' three stories in total. The other short stories are free."
Seeing the deal concluded, Jacob impatiently said, "Ino, tell me about wizards. I'm really curious."
He had mentioned seeing one once, but that was at a king's coronation in another country, and he and his brother were hundreds of meters away in the square, not even knowing which one was the wizard.
Just as Ino was about to speak, there was a loud bang.
The tavern door was violently pushed open.
"What a strange sight! Do you know what we saw today?"
Entering the tavern was a burly man with nostrils the size of walnuts, followed by five oddly looking men, some with arms as thick as legs, others wearing fur hats in the summer, looking very peculiar.
While Ino was observing the newcomers, he heard Jacob's voice in his ear:
"That's Crew's caravan. They're well-known here. My brother even wrote a story about them called 'Six Men Wander the World.'"
"Six Men Wander the World"! Ino's mind instantly conjured the corresponding story, so familiar.
It was the first story he read as a child, holding a cartoon illustrated fairy tale book with phonetic annotations.
Before he could think more, Crew, seeing everyone's attention in the tavern, loudly said:
"Strange things are happening in Klin Town. In broad daylight, a horse swallowed a little girl whole. By the time people noticed, the horse's belly was as big as a water tank. Counting this girl, many strange things have been happening there…"
Crew had a naturally loud voice, and as he spoke, Ino noticed the Grimm brothers' growing interest.
Clearly, the Grimm brothers were about to start a new adventure. Such eerie events not only provided interesting stories for them to record but also often brought lucrative exorcism fees.
...
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