Serena and her entourage followed Leon and Dahlia into Linden Pine Valley, their carriage trundling along the narrow path. By the time they reached Moonlight Cottage, Im was waiting outside, flanked by Flower.
"Welcome to Linden Pine Valley," Im said, greeting them with a slight bow. "My students mentioned you're here about a paper?" He'd assumed it was his charcoal filtration research—he'd been waiting for merchants to take notice.
Serena returned the bow, her eyes scanning the cottage and the surrounding herb garden. "Thank you for receiving us, Mage Im. I'm here on behalf of Valoka Merchant Guild's Wickham City branch. We're here to verify information about a invention."
She pulled a small object from her pouch—a fountain pen, its metal nib glinting in the sunlight. "Your teacher, Mage Raphael, recommended this 'fountain pen.' He enchanted it with a fire affinity rune, and it works wonderfully for drawing magic scrolls. We wanted to purchase the technology, only to learn he received it from you. We read the paper co-authored by you and Mage Leon and hoped to contact him—but your address was the only one listed."
Im's shoulders drooped slightly—he'd been looking forward to discussing his own research, not his student's. He hided his disappointment, gesturing to Leon. "This is Mage Leon—the primary author of the fountain pen paper." He emphasized "Mage Leon" with a hint of amusement.
Serena froze, her eyes widening. "Surely you're joking. This child?" She glanced at Leon's plain linen clothes, then back at Im, clearly skeptical.
Dahlia gasped, grabbing Leon's arm. "You're a mage author? Leon, you never told us!"
Im nodded, serious now. "It's true. The journal's feedback confirms it—he's in the process of applying for an academic badge. He's also the second author on my charcoal filtration paper."
Serena stared at Leon, dumbfounded. "I've never met such a prodigy. And you, young man—earlier you said you were delivering winter clothes, not studying magic."
Leon shrugged. "My mother told me not to talk to strangers. Especially ones who joke about selling people."
Im raised an eyebrow, and Serena's cheeks flushed. "That was a joke! Let's get down to business. I'm offering 100 gold coins for the fountain pen patent."
Leon's eyes widened—not at the amount, but at how low it was. "Lady, with all due respect, my tuition alone costs more than that each year. My master is a mage—do you think I'd sell a groundbreaking invention for pocket change?"
He'd expected more—fountain pens were far more durable than quills, especially for mages who wrote scrolls or papers. 100 gold was an insult.
Serena's smile tightened. "300 gold. That's triple. Most commoners never see that much in a lifetime." She still judged Leon by his simple clothes, underestimating his understanding of value.
Leon shook his head. "You're not serious about this. I'll make pork belly soup for dinner—you can stay and eat, then we'll talk when you're ready to offer a fair price." He turned and walked toward the kitchen, leaving Serena staring after him.
Im suppressed a smile—his student had inherited his stubbornness. "Shall we show you to the guest rooms while he cooks?" he asked. "We have spare beds, and the soup will take an hour or two."
Serena nodded, still reeling. A twelve-year-old mage author who dismissed 300 gold as chump change—this valley was full of surprises. As she followed Im inside, she made a mental note to raise her offer significantly. The fountain pen could revolutionize how mages worked—she wasn't leaving without the patent.
Dahlia leaned in to Leon as he chopped pork belly. "You're really a published mage? Why didn't you tell us?"
Leon grinned. "It didn't seem like a big deal. Plus, I wanted to see how long it would take for someone to notice." He glanced at Flower, who was still staring starry-eyed at Serena. "And someone's too busy mooning over guests to care about papers."
Flower sputtered, but Leon just laughed, tossing the pork belly into a pot. The negotiations would be tense, but he wasn't backing down. The fountain pen was his first major invention, and he wanted to honor Eldrin's legacy by getting what it was worth.
As the scent of simmering pork belly filled the cottage, Leon felt a surge of confidence. He was no longer just a baker's son or a mage apprentice—he was an inventor, a scholar, and he wasn't afraid to stand up for his work. Whatever Serena offered next, he'd make sure it was fair.
The sun set over Linden Pine Valley, casting golden light through the cottage windows. Outside, the wind whispered through the pines, and inside, the stage was set for a negotiation that would shape Leon's future as a mage and an inventor.