Chapter 38 - Old swindler

Yuna's quick thinking had saved them for the moment. With their hair colors altered, Spark and Yuna had managed to avoid the old elf. They breathed a collective sigh of relief as they moved quickly away from the encounter.

"I didn't expect us to bump into him so soon," Spark muttered, glancing nervously over his shoulder. "It's good he didn't realize who we were."

Yuna, equally relieved, nodded. "He almost got us. That was too close."

Princess Ling, seeing the two avoiding the old elf, became curious. "Who is that old elf? Is he one of Lord Spark's acquaintances?"

Spark scoffed, looking around to ensure the elf wasn't following them.

"Acquaintance? No, he's more like an old swindler." Spark motioned for them to keep moving. "Let's get back to the inn. I'll explain everything there."

The group quickly made their way back to the safety of the inn. Once inside, they settled at a table and ordered a round of drinks and some light snacks. The warm, welcoming atmosphere of the inn provided a stark contrast to the tension they had felt moments earlier.

"Alright, Lord Spark," Princess Ling prompted, leaning forward with interest. "Tell us about this old elf."

Spark leaned back in his chair, exhaling deeply as if gathering his thoughts.

"That old thing is a stain among the otherwise intelligent elves," Spark began, his tone carrying a mix of frustration and incredulity.

Princess Ling's curiosity was piqued. "What did he do to earn such a harsh description from you?"

Spark's eyes narrowed as he recounted his tale. A few months ago, When Yuna and Spark were traveling through this forest. They decided to camp for the night, and that's when they met him – the old hunchback elf.

It was late, and they were setting up their camp. Suddenly, this old elf appeared, carrying a massive bundle of wood on his back. He approached them, insisting on selling them the wood. But there was a catch – each piece of wood he was selling cost a million gold.

Princess Ling's eyes widened in disbelief. "A million gold for a piece of wood? That's outrageous! Did you buy it?"

Spark laughed bitterly. "Who would be crazy enough to pay that? Not me. I told him to take his overpriced wood and leave."

"So, why was he looking for you?" Princess Ling asked, getting to the heart of the matter.

"Well," Spark hesitated, then continued with a slight grimace, "I might have…burned some of his wood that night."

After spark told him off, he thought that would be the end of it. But the old elf didn't leave. He just stayed. Set up his own little spot near their camp and kept insisting they buy his wood.

Yuna, sitting beside Spark, nodded in agreement. "It was as if he had decided he wouldn't leave until he made a sale. No matter what we said, he was determined."

Princess Ling listened intently, fascinated by the tale. "So, what did you do? How did you get rid of him?"

Spark chuckled, shaking his head. "That's the funny part. Seeing that he wasn't going to give up, I decided to at least try to make peace. I offered him some wine, thinking maybe we could just drink and he'd leave us alone afterward."

Spark's eyes grew distant as he recalled the night. "We shared the wine, and... well, I don't remember much after that. The next thing I know, it's morning, and the entire bundle of his precious wood was burned to ashes."

Princess Ling couldn't suppress her laughter. "You burned his million-gold wood? No wonder he's after you!"

Spark grumbled, "He wouldn't stop pestering us to buy it. We were also drunk."

"He was quite unhappy about it," Yuna added, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "But honestly, who carries around wood that expensive in a forest?"

"That's why I'm saying he is a swindler," added spark.

Princess Ling giggled, picturing the scene. "I can see why he's upset. But it's still ridiculous."

Yuna nodded. "He's been trying to track us down ever since, probably to get compensation for the burnt wood. He claims it's rare and has magical properties, but honestly, he's just trying to swindle us."

Princess Ling chuckled, though she sensed the underlying tension. "So that's why you're avoiding him. A million gold per log is quite the price tag."

As they continued their meal, the comfortable atmosphere of the inn was suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice.

"It's you two," the voice said, filled with a mix of recognition and surprise.

Turning to the source, they saw the old hunchbacked elf from earlier, now without his burdensome bundle of wood. He stood at the entrance of the inn, his eyes narrowing as he focused on Spark and Yuna.

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