Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Chapter 32

After the memory, Ingrid stumbled, tears gathering at the corner of her eyes. ’So, it was because of these two bastards that she gave up on herself,’ Ingrid realized, her chest tight. ’They were the ones who bullied her into becoming how she is now.’ Ingrid looked up at them, her eyes flashing. ’Don’t worry Original, everything these people did to you, I’ll return it back sevenfold.’

Ingrid looked up, a cold, vicious smirk spreading across her face. "Trinkets? Oh, no, no, no, hawk-face. I’m not selling trinkets today. What I have in this cart is a hundred times more awesome than anything your miserable eyes have ever seen." She paused, then raised her voice so everyone around her vicinity would hear what she was about to say. "Today, I’m not here to sell any kind of trinkets or normal goods that you see everyday. Rather, what I have here is a rare herb that millions have been looking for for a very long time. The Star Glow Herb!"

Silence fell over the square again which Ingrid knew would happen. It was unbelievable and she understood. After all, who would just come up to them and say they have something like this, so she wasn’t angry at all. Convincing them wouldn’t be easy, but it would be worth it.

Then, Falcon and Hawk burst into hysterical, booming laughter. "Star Glow?!" Falcon wheezed, clutching his stomach. "The legendary tier-five sacred herb?! The flower that hasn’t been seen in the empire for over fifty years?! Even before the Zombie Wave hit, this plant has been lost for centuries and you’re here saying you have it? Trash like you?!"

"Are you insane, girl?!" Hawk laughed until his eyes watered. "Top-tier S-rank adventurers die trying to find a single leaf of that flower in the deep abyss! How could a cursed cripple and a fat nobody like you get your hands on a sacred herb like that?! Stop making a fool of yourself! If you really have a herb like that, I’m going to crawl in my own shit!"

"Really? You’re really going to do that if I really have the herb?" Ingrid’s eyes shone. What a good bet! Seeing the both of them crawl in shit would be the best thing she’s seen since she got here! Well, apart from the two dicks.

"Of course. But you’re just trying to stall for time, aren’t you? There’s no way you’ll have something like that."

"Well, you were the one that said that, not me. I’ll be glad to see you crawl in your shit." Slowly, she reached into the cloth bag sitting on top of the cart. She wrapped her fingers around a stalk, pulled it out, and held it high above her head into the bright afternoon sunlight.

The moment the stalk hit the open air, a brilliant, breathtaking burst of azure blue light erupted from its petals! A soothing, intoxicatingly sweet floral fragrance instantly exploded across the entire market square, washing over the crowd. The energy in the air surged, making everyone’s skin tingle.

The laughter died instantly. Falcon’s jaw dropped so low it nearly hit his chest. Hawk froze mid-chuckle, his eyes bulging as if they were about to pop straight out of his skull.

"W... What..." Falcon stuttered, taking a step back, horrified. "What is that light?!"

"That... That’s the Star Glow Herb?" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"I’ve only seen it in books before. Is this really what it looks like?"

Ingrid glanced at each and every one of them, seeing the awe in their eyes, she smiled. This was the first thing, awe and shock.

"It’s fake!" Hawk suddenly shouted, his voice cracking with desperation as he pointed a shaking finger at the glowing blue stalk. "It’s a fake! It’s a cheap light trick! She’s using some trick to trick us!"

Ingrid rolled her eyes hard enough to see her own brain. "Are you actually stupid, or do you just practice being this dumb in the mirror every morning?"

"Do you really think we’re that stupid?" Hawk said, his voice calmer than before, "Real Star Glow hasn’t been found in centuries. At this point, it’s nothing but a myth. You’re just using fake props to deceive us. Who knows, what you’re holding might even be poison. You’ve always had a villainous heart and have been looking for ways to get back at us, you think you’ve found your chance, haven’t you?" Hawk said, his voice getting colder and colder.

As if the more he spoke, the braver he got. He had completely believed his own words.

"Fake? Poison? Hawk, I don’t blame you for failing to recognise greatness but don’t try to force your stupidity on me. Fine, if you say it’s fake, why don’t you prove it?"

"What?"

"Prove to everyone here that my herb is fake, Hawk. Once you’re able to prove it, then you can do whatever you want with me. I won’t argue with you." Ingrid pressed on, stepping even closer to him.

"Why should I be the one to prove it? You’re supposed to prove to us that’s it’s real."

"I picked this herb myself, Hawk. Of course I know it’s real. You’re the one that’s trying to slander me, so of course you should also be the one to prove your words. Or is it that you don’t have anything to say?"

"You...!"

"Everyone!" Ingrid turned to the crowd, "I’m a truthful and honest person. I’m always looking for a chance to make money so I’ll never do anything that’ll put me at a loss. If I really brought poison here to harm you all, wouldn’t that be stupid of me? At the end, the one who will be arrested is me, the one who might be killed will also be me. So why should I put myself in harm just for little money."

Murmurs started to ring out the entire place.

"That’s right. Bringing poison here would inevitably bring harm to her."

"Hawk is trying to spoil her business isn’t he?"

"I think he doesn’t like her and that’s why he’s doing this. He’s been targeting her from the moment she came in."

"N... No. You all don’t know this woman! She’s a liar! She can do anything for the sake of money. I’m only trying to look out for you all and yet, she’s only turning you against me with a few words and you all believe her?!" Hawk said, his tone growing colder, "Fine. Since you don’t know what’s good for you, I don’t care. But I won’t let my reputation as a guard here because spoilt by some brat! Someone! Come and take this woman away and burn those herbs! I won’t let you harm anyone here under my watch!"