Ryu looked at the old map once more, then glanced at the pile of gold coins in his pocket. He had 68 coins, a decent amount.However, the Traveling Merchant Grandfather wanted something else: a story.
"For that map, it's not just gold coins, my boy. It requires... a story. A story of an adventure I've never heard of."
Ryu frowned. This was unusual for a game. Usually, it was all about coins or items. But his cunning nature told him that there might be a loophole.
"How about... 60 gold coins?" Ryu tried, pulling a few coins out of his pocket, letting their gleam catch the old man's attention. "This is more than enough for a simple map, right?"
The Traveling Merchant Grandpa stared at the coins for a moment, then looked back into Ryu's eyes. His faint smile did not change.
"Gold coins are valuable, my boy. But in this world, there are other things that are no less valuable. A new experience, a perspective that I have never encountered. So, I'm sorry, your coins are not enough for you."
Ryu sighed. Rejected outright. However, he did not give up. He looked into the old man's eyes, and found honesty there. This old man was truly not interested in coins. He was interested in the story.
Ryu thought about his adventures in Aethelgard so far: defeating forest rabbits, Aldus's quest, being chased by other players. It was all interesting. But the old man was looking for "an adventure I've never heard of."
Suddenly, an idea crossed Ryu's mind. An idea that might sound ridiculous, but worth a try. What if he told the most uninteresting, most boring story he could think of?
The story of his own life before he entered Aethelgard. Who knows, for a Traveling Merchant who has seen everything in the fantasy world, total boredom might be a new thing.
Ryu took a deep breath. "Okay, Grandpa," he said, his tone turning serious. "I'll tell you a story.It may not be about dragons or magic swords, but it's the most... unique story I can come up with."
The old man crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing slightly in interest. "I'm listening, kid."
Ryu began to tell his story. "Before I came to this place, my life was... boring. Very boring." He told about his morning routine:waking up, bitter coffee, a traffic jam on the way to the office full of gray buildings. "I sit in a small cubicle," he continued, his gestures seeming to describe the narrow box."Looking at numbers. Inputting data. Hours and hours. Then always having the same lunch, a box of rice with the same side dishes."
He talks about endless meetings, small talk with coworkers he doesn't care about, and traffic-clogged commutes under the same sky."Every day feels like yesterday. No surprises. No danger. No dragons. Not even scary forest rabbits." Ryu concluded bitterly, "Just boredom. Boredom so deep I feel like screaming."
There was silence after Ryu finished his story. The Wandering Merchant Grandpa stared at him with an unreadable expression. Ryu started to feel awkward. Maybe his idea was ridiculous.
Then, the old man laughed. Not a sarcastic or mocking laugh, but a deep, rumbling, knowing laugh. It slowly turned into a wide, genuine smile.
"What a story... what a story, my boy!" the old man exclaimed, wiping the corners of his slightly watery eyes. "I've never heard such a story before.The boredom was so intense, so unbearable, that you escaped to a world you thought was just a simulation." The old man shook his head. "Yes, my boy. Your story is... very interesting.I'll take it."
The old man did not hand over the old map that Ryu wanted. Instead, he took out a small scroll of parchment sealed with hemp thread from one of his robe pockets.
The scroll looked simpler than the map that had been displayed earlier, but the ancient aura was still felt.
"The map, my child, is for those who are ready. You are not." The old man smiled mysteriously. "But your story has inspired me. For you, I will give you this. Not a map, but...a clue." He handed the scroll to Ryu. "Perhaps this will lead you to an adventure you never imagined.And perhaps, there, you will find a bigger story to share with me someday."
[Item Obtained: Ancient Instruction Scroll (x1)]