Kael and Finn approached the sturdy wooden gate of Mira's home, the warm sunlight casting dappled patterns across the cobblestone path. The gentle creak of the gate echoed as Kael knocked twice, followed by the muffled sound of quick, light footsteps approaching from within.
"Coming!" called a familiar voice, slightly muffled by the thick oak door. A moment later, the door groaned open, revealing Mira standing in the doorway.
Her long, golden-blonde hair, loosely braided and tied with a delicate ribbon at the end, glimmered in the sunlight. She wore a pale green tunic, simple yet elegantly accented with subtle floral embroidery around the neckline and cuffs. A leather belt cinched her waist, and her sturdy yet stylish boots peeked out beneath the tunic's hem. Her sea-green eyes sparkled with curiosity, her head tilted slightly as she glanced at Kael and Finn with a mix of urgency and playfulness.
A soft breeze stirred the flowerpot by the door, filling the air with the faint scent of violets and freshly baked bread. Mira leaned on the door, her posture both casual and confident.
"What now, Kael?" Mira said, her voice tinged with mock exasperation. "Another 'world-changing' idea, or did you drag Finn into another one of your experiments?"
Kael grinned, his hands tucked casually behind his head. "Depends. Do you count last week's mango-catapult as world-changing?"
Finn groaned, rolling his eyes. "Don't remind me. We're still finding bits of fruit behind the smithy."
Mira raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching as though she were suppressing a laugh. "I'm guessing you're here to rope me into another one of your 'brilliant plans'? Spill it, Kael."
Kael chuckled, leaning against the gate. "Remember when I tried convincing you both that we could build a shortcut bridge over the creek? You said it was a waste of time."
Mira crossed her arms, smirking. "That's because your 'bridge' was three planks tied together with shoelaces."
Finn laughed, clapping Kael on the shoulder. "And it collapsed the moment you stepped on it. You didn't even make it halfway before you were soaked."
Kael shrugged, unfazed. "Hey, trial and error. At least we learned that Mira has zero faith in my carpentry skills."
Mira jabbed a finger at him. "No, we learned that planning isn't optional, genius. Even for kids."
Mira tilted her head, her expression softening. "But I'll admit, your candy trade idea wasn't half bad. That was…fun."
Kael's eyes lit up. "You mean genius. Who knew you could trade simple sweets for fresh fruit and even a chicken?"
Finn chimed in, grinning. "Yeah, but you nearly got us into trouble when Old Man Veran caught you sneaking into his orchard for 'supplies.'"
Mira laughed, her voice bright and melodic. "You should've seen his face when Kael tried to convince him it was 'for the greater good.'"
Kael's grin widened. "He still gave us the apples, didn't he?"
Mira sighed, rubbing her temple. "Alright, alright. Let's hear it, Kael. What's today's grand adventure?"
Kael stepped forward, his playful demeanor replaced by a spark of determination. "This one's different, Mira. I'm not just making stuff for fun anymore. I've got a real plan—one that could change everything for us and the village."
Mira's smile faltered as she caught the sincerity in his eyes. "You're serious this time, huh?"
Finn nodded. "He's been talking about this for days. Said we're starting something big, but he won't spill the details yet."
Kael smirked, glancing between them. "I'll explain everything, but first, we're going to need a place to sit and plan. You in?"
Mira sighed, though a small, intrigued smile tugged at her lips. "You're lucky I'm curious, Kael. Fine, lead the way."
The three of them sat around a small wooden table in Mira's family's storage shed, surrounded by crates of dried herbs, jars of honey, and bolts of fabric. Kael reached into his satchel and pulled out a small leather pouch, placing it on the table with a soft clink. He untied the string, revealing a neat stack of golden coins—twenty, to be exact.
"This," Kael began, his voice steady, "is what my father gave me to get started. Twenty gold pieces. It's everything we have to kickstart our plan. We need to grow it as quickly as possible, but we can't just spend it blindly."
Mira leaned forward, her sharp amber eyes already scanning the coins. "Twenty gold, huh? Not bad. But if we're going to double—or even triple—that, we'll need to be smart. No risky gambles, just solid investments."
Finn, his arms resting on the table, smirked. "Alright, genius. What's the plan, then? You've been holding out on us long enough."
Kael grinned, leaning back. "That's the thing—I don't have a plan. Not yet, anyway. That's why we're here. I want to hear your ideas first."
Mira crossed her arms, her mind already racing. "Okay, here's what I'm thinking. My family does well because we focus on what the village needs most—staples like grain, fabrics, and tools. But what if we took that a step further? Instead of just importing in the village, we could export to nearby towns."
Kael tilted his head, intrigued. "Go on."
She tapped the table with her finger. "Think about it. There are always seasonal goods in demand—like fruits in the summer or firewood in the winter. We could buy those things in bulk when they're cheap here, then sell them at a higher price in towns where they're harder to get."
Finn frowned. "But won't the travel costs eat into our profit?"
Mira shook her head. "Not if we're smart. We could negotiate with merchants who are already traveling to those towns and hitch a ride for our goods. It's low-risk, high-reward."
Kael rubbed his chin. "Interesting. It's like playing the gaps in the market. But we'd need to figure out what's in demand and where."
Mira smiled. "Exactly. I can talk to my father and gather some info. He's always keeping tabs on market trends."
Finn leaned forward, his green eyes sparkling with excitement. "That's a good start, but I've got another idea. What if we focused on improving the tools themselves? My father's forge is running hot with orders, but most of the tools we make haven't changed in years. People just buy what's available."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "What kind of improvements are we talking about?"
Finn grabbed a stick and started sketching in the dirt floor. "Take the plow, for example. It's heavy, clunky, and breaks down too often. But what if we reinforced the blade with a harder alloy and added a counterweight to make it easier to pull? Farmers would jump at the chance to get something more durable and efficient."
Mira glanced at the sketch, nodding slowly. "And you think they'd pay extra for that?"
Finn grinned. "If it saves them time and effort? Absolutely. Plus, we could offer a deal—trade in their old tools for a discount on the new ones. That way, we'll have a steady supply of scrap metal for the forge."
Kael's eyes lit up. "That's clever. We'd be solving a problem while creating a new market for ourselves. But how much would it cost to produce these upgraded tools?"
Finn shrugged. "Not much more than the regular ones, especially if we're just tweaking the design. The key is advertising their benefits—making people want them."
Kael leaned forward, his fingers drumming on the table. "Alright, let's combine these ideas. Mira, you start gathering info on the market trends in nearby towns. Finn, start working on a prototype for the improved plow. We'll need to test it and see how much better it really is."
Finn nodded. "Got it. I'll get started tonight."
Mira tapped her chin thoughtfully. "What about the advertising part? We need a way to show people why they should buy from us."