Run: 2026-02-22-01KJ365HH2FCE5A2JT7XJ19BC3

The market square hummed with the clamour of a hundred voices. Mirabel forced her way through the masses, gripping her satchel protectively. She was keenly aware that the merchant would not wait — he had never waited for anyone, especially not a girl from the outer ring. "You're late," Aldric remarked without lifting his head from his ledger. He moved a hefty finger down a column of figures and furrowed his brow. Mirabel placed the parcel on the counter. "The bridge was out. I had to take the long route." "Not my issue." He carefully removed the cloth and inspected the crystal in the sunlight. It refracted the light, casting tiny rainbows across the stall's canvas cover. Aldric's frown intensified. "This isn't what I requested." She had anticipated this. The elderly man always found something to criticize, regardless of the quality of the items. Mirabel folded her arms and stood her ground. "It's precisely what you asked for," she asserted. "Blue quartz, uncut, from the northern mines. I saw it extracted from the rock myself." Aldric turned the crystal delicately, examining each angle. He held it close to his eye, then extended his arm to view it from a distance. Mirabel thought he resembled a jeweller evaluating a diamond, although Aldric dealt in far stranger items than jewellery. He placed the crystal down and sighed. "Alright. But next time, wrap it securely. The edges are unprotected." He reached below the counter and retrieved a small leather pouch. The coins within clinked as he slid it in her direction. Mirabel picked up the pouch and assessed its weight in her hand. It felt rather light. She loosened the drawstring and counted: eight silver crowns. They had negotiated ten. "We agreed on ten," she replied bluntly. "That was before the bridge fee increased." Aldric smiled—a slender, insincere smile that never reached his eyes. "Take it or leave it." She accepted it. She always did. The outer ring didn't provide many alternatives, and Aldric was as well-acquainted with this fact as she was. Mirabel wandered out of the market and ventured into the narrow lanes beyond. The sun hung low over the rooftops, casting elongated shadows across the cobblestones. She tucked the pouch into her satchel and increased her speed. If she hurried, she would arrive at the bridge before nightfall.