'So soon? Buuuut… Let's try first…'

'No', I interrupted. 'We should move now before we don't have time to try the other places and miss important customers'.

The rest of the afternoon showed us less mercy than the central place, but after a few changes we managed to sell a big part of our goods. However, a very important product had had almost no success yet: the wool.

'Do you know why no one picks these up?' I asked Naria, with a bitter thought of ending the day without making Mom proud.

She shrugged before guessing:

'Maybe they prefer that coming from the strange rabbits in those Dalmascan deserts? I once heard women saying they only buy that imported type.'

Was that so? Well. I realized I did not only want to make my mother proud. I wanted to make her impressed.

'Vegetables! Fruits! Meat! Buy everything you like here, it's coming directly from our farms! Fresh dairy! Fresh meat!'

'Naria', I said. 'We don't sell meat'.

'Oh, right.'

She pulled her sleeves up and screamed:

'We sell everything except meat! So if you'd like meat, don't come to us!'

I rushed to make her keep quiet, but as my hand was about to slap her mouth, a customer appeared just in front of the wool boxes.

'How much is that?' she said.

'Err… Just five hundred gil the kilogram.'

I finished to cover her lips and added:

'Not exactly. You can have this ball here for fifty.'

The woman frowned and left the stall without a word. Out of surprise, I loosened my grasp and Naria could remove my fingers with an angry mutter:

'This is your fault, Noah! You should always say the highest price to the customer!'

'No, Naria. It's the contrary. We have to make them feel comfortable and act as if they were going to spend the littlest amount of money possible. Our stall is not the only place they're going to shop, you know.'

'I don't agree!' she shouted. But, as soon as she said these words, she stepped back to sit on an empty box and added in a sigh: 'But I will let you keep your method. Father said you're a little brat but I should trust you.'

I blinked and went back to Sydor's notice.

'I will also trust you for price calculation. You know I never made it as far as sorting out a simple operation, by the short time I was going to school.'

I put a hand on her shoulder and answered:

'Don't worry. We will sort this out together. We will not go home until we've sold a lot more of what we have left.'

I added in the form of a thought, for my mother: until we've sold all we have left.

While I was calculating the earnings we've made so far, Naria regained her innate joy and was cheerfully serving a couple, who went away with the last food remaining in the boxes. Immediately after waving them goodbye, she ran back to hug me and granted me with her seller's smile:

'Great! Fantastic! Now it's only the wool left!'

I pushed her forward and finished calculating. If we could earn some more thousand gil, it would be perfect, but to do so, we had to make each fifty gil wool ball go away. And the fact that customers were less and less frequent, and systematically not willing to buy the wool for fifty gil, was not helpful at all to achieve it. Every time they approached the goods, they were pulling faces, exchanging severe words with each other and turning back. What was the problem? Was it the quality? Was it the price?

'It seems that all the people here find the price too high', Naria settled.

'So we've got to find out a way to make these sell. Let me try something.'

'What will you try? What will you try?' she asked, hopping all around the place.

'Shht. Let me concentrate.'

She made her teasing grin and obeyed. If we succeeded to bring some more gil, even if it wasn't the expected amount – ten thousand –, it would be better than coming back with nothing. How could we manage to do this? A desirable amount would be six to seven thousand – then today's turnover would be fifty thousand, which was fairly enough to make Mom happy. If the other team managed to bring back another fifty thousand, then, as Naria gladly said previously: we'd be rich.

'That's too expensive.'

'That's not exactly what I expected.'

'I can't buy this for this amount.'

Calculating thousands is the hardest thing I learnt at elementary school, but I felt like succeeding in this task would be the key to our day's hassle. Ten thousand. Four boxes. Fifty balls. So… If we wanted the current price of a box… Twenty-five… Two hundred and fifty… Two… Yes. Two thousand and five hundreds.

'What did you find, Noah?'

This price was, by all views, too much. What if we lowered it? But even if we did so, how were the customers going to know it's lower? Should I have to bring back the new price to a single ball's scale?

'Noah', Naria warned. 'We have to go. Look: it's the time Sydor asked us to stop selling. The other stalls have all closed. Too bad for the wool, but…'

'Do we have something to write on?'

Not paying attention to her words, I found a small wooden sign in an empty box. I quickly bent over to grab it and wrote:

1 500 G

As I was coming back to my place, and about to utter some understandable explanation for Naria, a tall man with a red woolen cap stopped to our goods.

'That's a fair price.'

He picked a white wool ball and sensed its texture between two fingers.

'That's some high-quality one. The other guys down there were selling some for a thousand but it certainly wasn't as refined as what I see here. What's the name of the farm you're working for, kids?'

'The Olszewski farm!' Naria exclaimed, with even more joy than what I was beginning to feel.

'And the Ronsenburg farm! We also have flocks!' I added, not to forget my dear mother's work.

The man, looking at us both, seemed confused, but kept smiling anyway.

'I never heard about these ones. This is a long-experience top-skilled job. You can be proud of the persons who worked on this. A thousand and half is definitely a price I'm going for. Can I take all of them?'

Naria and I exchanged amazed looks. He? Take them all?

'I'm a whole seller. I need much wool to be able to sell it, in my turn, to other shops.'

'Huh… Then you can certainly take all of them, sir!' guessed the playful little girl.

'How much is it in total?' the customer asked.

'Six thousand gil, sir!' I answered, as I was gladly handing over the bags I just filled.

After he went away, the clock rang the end of our sales day, and we joined hands, jumping and screaming together.

'We did it! We did it!'

'I told you we were going to win!'

'Don't take the glory all for yourself! I was the one who insisted!'

'Yeah, but I told you we would be rich!'

Our eyes stopped at the wooden box where we stored our income. All that much gil… Just for us… For our families and the farms…

'I'm so happy', I conclude. 'Let's arrange these empty boxes before the driver comes back. He'll be right here in a few minutes.'

'Sure!' she jumped out.

After a quarter of tidying up, we sat above the material – our light weights would do no damage to it – and raised our eyes to the fading sky, with a cautious look at the money every now and then.

'So we'll go back home…' Naria murmured.

'Not exactly', I remembered. 'Well…'

I lowered my head, looking for the right words.

'What's wrong? You seem worried, Noah. Don't ever feel like that in front of me – I already told you. Are you keeping a secret?'

'Not really', I decided. 'I just wish to go to the Drimer house, now that the sale is over.'

'To the Drimers?' she exclaimed, in a shock. 'To the rich guys?'

'They…' I sighed. 'My friends there are going to a special law class in Archades and they promised to share their knowledge with me every time I have the opportunity to drop in briefly on them.'

Naria's eyes became big shiny plates.

'Wh… What?' she said. 'Is that a bad joke?'

'No', I said. 'I am actually studying with them. I often read law books at home, since a few weeks.'

'But… But…'

Naria was my new friend, and we get along pretty well, but I still had no idea about her temper fluctuations, for instance jealousy. I prepared myself to put my hands over my ears.

'But that's wonderful! That's the best news I've heard in ages!'

'I thought the best news was the fifty thousand gil we earned today.'

'But you will… What? Did we actually earn fifty thousand gil today?'

'Yes.'

Then she began to dance in front of everyone, just like she did during the feast.

'I'm… I think I'm more happy than you, Noah!'

I smiled.

'So I must leave now. Cirla and Margit may not be allowed to welcome friends after nightfall.'

'We… Wait! You're not going anywhere!' she said, suddenly stopping her happiness dance. 'How did you convince them to share their studies?'

'I did not convince anyone. They are actually the ones who insisted to invite me to join them. I tried a first session with them, and I enjoyed it; so I think I'll go as often as possible, to learn more.'

'So… So you're a law student now, aren't you?'

'Err… I wouldn't call myself so.'

'But you are! You're going to be someone so important in the future! I'm so glad you accepted, Noah – you would have had my slap on the cheek if you didn't. Go, my dear, and take as much knowledge as you can. Don't ever be shy. Steal their papers! Maybe they contain secrets about Landis, or even Archadia. Maybe you can sell them for millions!'

'That's not it', I stopped her rambling. 'They're just children like you and me.'

'Oh…' she realized, sitting again.

From behind, I recognized the driver's silhouette. I jumped aside:

'You can go with him, Naria. Please keep a very close eye on the money! Never lose sight of it!'

'You can count on me! But… Where is Book?'

'I tried as hard as I could to make the chocobo join the cart again, but the wicked beast refused to move. However, it seems the things to carry are far less heavy now.'

I let them load the cart and waved goodbye. Cirla's house had to be just a few streets away…

'Hey! What are you doing here?'

I stumbled upon a tall body that did not match the very familiar voice I just recognized.

'If it isn't Little Ronsenburg! I thought you and your brother would never set foot to the city again!'

I raised my look and saw an egg-shaped face surrounded by straight dark-brown hair. The chin also had a few pieces of hair and the eyes were blinking at me.

'Hello Cirla. I was coming to visit.'

'To visit? Are you serious? Ever since we heard your brother came to train with the army, we thought you'd never come back here at all.'

'Why? Are you against the army?'

'No no no no no!' Cirla waved his arms while shaking his head. 'You're far away from the truth. Let's not stay here in the street: the garden is just behind us.'

We sat on some decorating rocks in the little garden his parents had arranged, to add a cultural dimension to the friendly family house entrance.

'MARGIIIT!' he shouted, then turned to me. 'She'll come down in a few minutes. But tell me: what happened in the head of Basch? Did he lose his mind?'

'I don't know. But I don't think he's mad. He was just curious about how our father fights alongside the officers and the comrades, just like I am curious about how we judge people and we determine their rights.'

'Oh, is that so? I'm reassured', Cirla sighed. 'I really thought he was going far away from the region and was joining some serious battlefield where he could lose his life.'

'Don't worry', I told him. 'It's just a training. He'll come back to us as soon as Father's troop leaves the Uwielbinie zone.'

He smiled and held a candy bag out to me.

'Thank you.'

'Margit always hides food in the garden. The day I discovered it, I said I wouldn't tell the parents only if she agreed to share with me.'

He seemed so proud of his cruelness. I could never act the same with Basch, even though life with him often turned into nightmares!

'Hello! What are you saying about me?'

Little Margit sat down on the grass in front of us, as we just had put the candy into mouth.

'Nuffin', her brother said.

'Is that so?' she cursed. 'Then you certainly wouldn't mind if we talked about you instead.'

'Wha me?'

'Dear Noah, you certainly must be aware of the big news?'

'Uh… No, I am afraid. As you may guess, I hadn't been around since a whole month.'

'Then let me tell you – even if that's so important people in Uwiel must be already aware – this little lad you see is in love.'

'In love?' I repeated.

As soon as his sister had made her little revenge, he lowered his head and put it on his palms, with a miserable look. As far as I remembered, the Cirla I knew would have laughed, answered Margit and had some teasing attitude. This was totally unexpected.

'What's wrong, Cirla?'

'What's wrong?' Margit answered in his place. 'Normally, his feelings would be totally okay. But just as his ill luck would have it, the girl we're talking about – who's in the law class – is an Archadian.'

I kept silent as I still did not understand what was wrong.

'You know I don't choose, sister', Cirla sternly said.

'Yeah, but you put us in a very messy situation.'

'Why?' I intervened. 'If he loves an Archadian girl, or a Rozarrian one, or whatever she may be, it's a human feeling. It shouldn't cause any problem. You know my mother is an Archadian.'

'No, that will cause problems!' both said at the same time.

'Well…' Cirla added. 'I have been pretty much jealous of how your parents got to be together. I think you're aware that's not a normal situation.'

'I am jealous too!' Margit exclaimed. 'Your family is so cute!'

'But that's totally normal', I insisted. 'They loved each other so… err… they decided to spend the rest of their lives together.'

'But at what price?' Cirla asked with a sudden vigor. 'Did you ever hear Auntie Linda met her Archadian family, or received a letter from them?'

Once again, it took me several seconds to understand what they were talking about. I thought… I had begun to understand – but did not want to.

'No, she never did', I admitted.

'That's the problem', Cirla continued. 'There has always been some tension between Landis and the Empire – at least since I was born. Some even say they are planning to declare war against us.'

'That's ridiculous!' I shouted. 'That will never happen!'

'To be honest, I neither think so', he said. 'But the rumors still persist. And they so perfectly coincide with the moment my heart…'

And he let out a man-in-love's sigh.

'That's strange', I said. 'I always thought Mom's family cut contact with her because they didn't appreciate Father on a personal point of view.'

'Uh…' Margit ventured. 'There must be some truth in this as well – your father is a man who doesn't think of visiting you while he's just some paces away, after all. But there is certainly some story about his nationality: a Landisite. That's certainly the real reason they considered Auntie unworthy of their noble status and denied her existence.'

I did not expect such trouble to invade my heart and instill doubt in my convictions.

'I'm sorry if you didn't know – but everyone who knows Archadia a little bit could have guessed. And if you'd allow me: it's not a big loss', Margit concluded. 'Of course Cirla, I won't tell Father or Mother about Doll, they would worry too much. But that's if you show me what you have in your mouth.'

'Me…! I don't have anything!'

'I know you too well. You must have hid it below your tongue… Don't try to escape, you rascal! Well, I allow you to share my candies with Noah. But he'll be the only exception, you hear!'

And then, she turned towards me with a face half-harsh, half-funny.

'Thank you, Margit', I said. And at this precise moment, we could hear a big hullabaloo coming from outside. The three of us rushed to the main door, and we found ourselves nose-to-nose with…

'Hello guys! I didn't mean to disturb you! I just need a hand over something…'

'What is it, Naria?' I said in an angry tone that surprised me.

'Hey! I recognize you! Now you found your friend, you little minx! Give me my money!'

Followed by the two chocobos pulling the cart, the cart driver's face was redder than ever as he looked at me with incontrollable impatience.

'You know I've never been good at counting anything, Noah… So as he insisted, I refused to give him a single gil until I have your approval!'

I slapped myself as my two friends from Waldgott began dancing around us, singing:

'Pay the man! Pay the man!'