He turned back toward Aiden, looking as though he'd just made a monumental decision. "I've made up my mind," he announced, lifting his hand dramatically. "If you want this artifact appraised, you'll pay this much!" He held up five fingers. Aiden narrowed his eyes, his mind racing. Five hundred thousand? Five million? Either way, it didn't matter. It was an artifact. The only people capable of identifying it were standing right in front of him. Whatever it cost, he'd pay. Then Thor threw his head back and bellowed, "Five hundred marks!" Aiden froze. "What did you just say?" For a second, he honestly thought he'd misheard. Five hundred marks? That price was downright absurd. Absurdly low. "Five hundred marks!"Thor's voice rang out like a hammer on steel. "I told you already, appraising an artifact isn't cheap. The process is special. You humans wouldn't understand. My price is fair." Aiden just stared at him, stunned into silence. That number was absurdly low. He couldn't believe his ears. You had to pay 200 alone just to get a ticket to a banquet. When Thor didn't hear an answer, his confidence started to crack. He leaned toward Thurinn and muttered under his breath, "You think that might be a little high?" Thurinn gave a quick nod. "Probably. That's worth fifty bags of rice! I've never seen that much food in one place." "Then maybe we lower it?" Thor frowned, stroking his beard as if weighing the fate of nations. Then he turned back to Aiden and said in a heavy tone, "Three hundred marks. That's my bottom line. Any less, and you can find someone else." Aiden looked at the dwarf standing there like a self-proclaimed king and almost burst out laughing. The guy could make artifacts, and he was only asking for 300 marks. So that's what centuries of isolation did to a race. The Dwarves had been tucked away for so long, they probably thought rice was treasure and gold was garnish. It was a miracle they managed to survive for so long. But I can use this opening. Still, something clicked in his mind. If he could earn their loyalty, if he could make these smiths work for him, the payoff would be beyond imagination. He decided to hit them with a shock they'd never forget. "One million marks," Aiden said quietly. Thor froze in place. "What?" Aiden's tone didn't waver. "If you manage to appraise the artifact successfully, I'll pay you one million marks." "One million?" Thurinn's eyes went wide. "You're serious?" Thor's mouth fell open. "You're not lying? One million marks? That's… that's enough rice to feed us for life!" His heart pounded so hard it felt like it would burst through his chest. If this was real, they'd never have to gnaw on roots again. They could feast like kings. That was heaven! "I can pay part of it up front," Aiden said smoothly. Without hesitation, he reached into his inventory and pulled out a cloth pouch. He tossed it at Thor's feet. The Dwarves had no current account, after all. "This is one thousand marks. Even if I were lying, that's still twice what you asked for. Count it yourself." "I'll have to see for myself." Thor's hands trembled as he picked up the bag. He opened it slowly, and the gold shimmered under the light. He took one coin, weighed it carefully in his hand, then hefted the whole pouch. A master smith could feel precision in his bones. With just a few motions, he knew exactly what was inside. One thousand marks. Perfectly counted. "You're… actually giving this to us?" Thor and Thurinn both stood frozen, their eyes wide. That was a hundred bags of rice sitting right there. But then, doubt crept in. If something was too good to be true, it probably was. Thor's eyes narrowed. "Wait. You said ten marks can buy one bag of rice, right? Prove it! "What if this money isn't even worth a single grain? What if you're tricking us?" Thurinn stomped in agreement. "Yeah! Show us proof!" Aiden stared at them, completely deadpan. So now they were skeptical geniuses, all because of rice. "Fine," he said flatly. "I'll give you the rice myself."He opened his comms and started setting up a trade channel, his expression unreadable. "Nighthale, what's going on?" Sienna's voice came through the comm, smooth and steady, but sharp enough to cut through the static. "Here's the situation." Aiden kept it short, running through the problem in a few clipped sentences. "I understand." Her tone turned brisk. "I'll have my team deliver plenty of food immediately." "Thank you," he said before ending the call. He turned to Thor and Thurinn. "Gentlemen, give it a minute." "Hold up," Thor said, craning his neck. "You're saying you actually have rice?"