Master Bargainer

The day dawned bright and clear.

Jake woke up early, dressed up quickly, and headed toward Ludron's market for ingredients. Kraken wasn't the only component that he had planned to use; there were many different fish that lived near the ice. And a little diversity never hurts, after all.

Carrying the enormous Kraken on his back certainly caught the attention of many people in town. Most of them simply stared in awe and shock, but some began pointing in curiosity. It even garnered the attention of a few girls, who were impressed at his strength.

"Maaan, this is heavy," he mumbled to himself while tugging the Kraken to his other shoulder. "How the hell am I supposed to sell this anyway?"

As if reading his thoughts, a boy clad in a dark cloak came walking by. The hood covered most of his face except for a small section above his mouth which was clearly smiling underneath it. He stopped right beside Jake, leaning over to look him dead in the eye. "How much for it?"

"The Kraken? Hmm... How about five gold?" He had to get rid of it anyway, so a low price didn't bother him.

"Wha!? 500 gold?! No way, no way. I'm offering 350, max."

"Three hundred! Ahem, actually, how about 375? It's freshly caught too." He immediately changed his mind upon hearing the offer; might as well get the most out of it. "It's a good deal, isn't it?"

"Damn it, 355 gold. You're killing me here!"

"Three sixty. That should do it. So you'll take it or what?"

The boy thought for a second, scratching at his chin with one hand, then finally agreed to buy the kraken for 360 gold pieces.

He pulled out a large sack from his cloak and put it in Jake's hand. "There are excatly 350 in there."

Then, from his pocket, he took out another smaller sack and began counting the coins until there were ten left. "There. It's yours."

Jake just nodded and placed the bag on top of his head, hiding the remaining money away safely under his cap.

"Thank you," Jake said, handing the giant fish over. "How are you gonna carry that anyway?"

"Ermm. I can't," he admitted. "Won't you help me? Please?"

He facepalmed. "Listen, you... Fine, I'll help you out."

Together two carried the massive creature between them through town. Holding on to two sacks of gold and dragging a Kraken at the same time wasn't easy. It made him look ridiculous in the way he walked, converting the girl's flattering gossiping to weirded-out expressions.

"Damn, you really had to ruin my moment like that... It's not everyday ladies gather around to see you in the spotlight."

"You said something?"

"...No, nevermind," he said, looking the other way. "Anyway, what are you gonna do with a Kraken like this anyway? I'm just curious."

The boy tugged on his cloak. "Sorry, I don't want to say. It's a secret. You'd probably laugh if I told you or think I was weird."

Jake chuckled. "Yeah, sure. Just wanted to ask, is all."

After a short while, they reached an ominous-looking house that resembled the abode of mad, deranged scientists. In front of the structure, there were several sizable barrels containing liquids, and on the balcony, numerous bookshelves holding crates filled with various components. The young boy fidgeted with his keys and opened the door.

"Thank you so much!" he expressed. "I can manage on my own from here."

"It was my pleasure; glad to be of assistance," replied Jake, waving goodbye.

Was it even worth it now to join the contest? He had just received 360 gold, enough to last him for years, probably. Well, this little gold certainly couldn't buy the princess, so he might as well give it a try.

A lustful little grin left his mouth. "Hehehe, I'm gonna win and bring her home."

***

The next few days were spent gathering ingredients and practicing swordplay until, finally, it came time for the big day. Preparing the ingredients themselves were a nightmare. There were no freezers to kill the salmon parasites, nor were there ways to pasteurize eggs for sushi mayo. He had to sell another portion of his "magical liquid"—collected from the usual nights with Alea—to Eiltris in exchange for her freezing service.

"She probably drank that stuff again," he sighed, cuddling Alea closer to himself. "Didn't know elves were so dirty."

"Heeeh, so you gave it to her?" she smirked. Her erect nipples gently pressed against his. "With me you can always produce more, you know?"

"I don't understand how you can look so innocent yet erotic at the same time. What has this world come to, really..."

She giggled softly. "Haha, you can't be serious. It's human nature. Huuuuman nature, something as primal as that, and nothing else. It's not excatly a sin, you know?"

"Whatever," he sighed, getting out of bed to put his clothes on.

"You keep saying we're lustful, but you're the one who doesn't want to sleep alone. You should've seen the look on your face when I spread my legs yesterday. Words couldn't describe your excitement."

"Ahh just shut it. Yesterday's me is not today's me."

"Now, really?" she got up as well, standing buck naked in the sunlight. She leaned her chest up against his back, peeking her head past to glance at his dick. "Yesterday's me is not today's me? But it looks like you're rock-hard to me. That reminds me: I still haven't shown you my expertise to pleasure you with my feet, have it?"

His face flustered slightly, looking up at the ceiling to avoid eye contact. "Maybe later, not now. I have a contest to win."

"Ah, right... Your competition."

"Yeah." He dressed quickly in order to get away from her tickling toes before she decided to rub them all over him. "Wanna watch me? It's free to spectate."

"Only if you win."

"Ha, naturally." he picked up an enormous bag, one that he had just recently bought for carrying the ingredients. It was meant for adventures, being able to carry weapons, food, and other items without struggle. Of course, knives and other kitchen utensils were allowed inside, which made the choice of his bag obvious.

"Well then, good luck," Alea said, leaning in to kiss him. "Don't let me down, Jake!"