*Crackle~!*

Verna’s blue eyes were bloodshot from crying. She just felt… Numb. She watched the big pyre burning with a gas-mask protecting her eyes and face. Wearing a fancy black dress, she was attending a simple ‘funeral’.

Oliver and Peridot were next to her, both wearing the same full-face covering gas masks. Aside from goggles, these masks had a thick plastic covering the entire face and were sealed on the sides of the head. Whether they could protect against the ‘plague’ is a mystery, but at least they were very useful when mining.

Jade didn’t wear any protection at all. Just a simple black dress. Peridot was wearing the same mining overalls as Oliver. The four of them stood there in Verna’s back yard, quietly watching the flames burn away all the potentially infected clothes, food and of course… Verda’s remains. There would still be something left in the end. But they already dug a grave on a big hill in the backyard. A nice plot right next to Oscar. 

They weren’t actually from Verde Village, so the rest of their family was buried somewhere else, far away. They moved out to Greenstone Mountain to avoid the crime and plague of the big cities…

“I don’t understand.” Verna looked over at Oliver and asked, “Mom and Dad… They worked their whole lives as merchants and traders. Why couldn’t they become ‘Merchants’? What did they do wrong?”

“I have no idea.” He shrugged and sighed, “I just inherited my Word. I didn’t earn it the hard way.”

“No.” Jade shook her head, “You earned it. You can’t get Cursed just because someone Curses you. No matter how angry or desperate they are… You have to ‘earn’ it. You always have to earn it.”

“Yeah, Ollie, you were a freakin miner way before you became a real ‘Miner’.” Peridot patted his shoulder with her bare hand. The gloves they wore earlier were already torched along with the conjured clothes. The ones they wore now were new and as ‘clean’ as possible. 

“Then… What did I do to earn this?” Verna moved her long and curly red hair over to the side, showing the three of them the back of her neck. ‘Merchant I’ appeared like a pitch-black birthmark against her brown skin, “What did I do that my parents never did?”

“What the hell?!” Peridot complained, “Damn it! Aren’t Cursed Words supposed to be one in a thousand?! Why does our tiny village have so many?!”

“Maybe… It’s about age?” Jade shivered as she looked at the raging flames, “I… Became a Stone Sculptor at ten years old. Papa was… Disappointed. He thought my talent was mediocre.”

“Dreams.” Oliver reached out and rubbed his right thumb from left to right, “She hears us. When we pursue our hopes and dreams. The world listens and responds… Verna. What are you gonna do now?”

“I’m…” She turned around and looked into those beautiful green eyes behind the slightly reflective plastic cover, “I don’t have time to wait around anymore! I’m a Merchant now, but I’m not satisfied! I’m gonna start my own company! Verna-something! I don’t know the name yet, but-but, that doesn’t matter! First I’ll push down Greenstone! Then I’ll go on and conquer all of Kresvallia!”

“Conquer?” Jade looked over at the excited little girl, “Aren’t you a Merchant? What does that have to do with conquest?”

“It has everything to do with conquest! Hyaaaahahahaha~!” Verna took off her protective gas mask in order to wipe her eyes with a clean cloth that Oliver casually conjured. Then she looked over at the sun that was setting beyond the distant mountains and shouted, “Money! It’s all about money! Did you know? In the big cities, those rich Nobles and Aristocrats never have to worry about being Wordless! For enough money, how hard is it to buy a Cursed Word for your kids?! How many Doctors and specialists do they have?! How could they ever have to rely on a single Plague Doctor?! All those licenses and stupid laws! That’s just what poor people have to deal with!”

“I’m pretty sure rich people still have to deal with laws…” Oliver shook his head, “And it’s not about money. It’s about-”

“Power.” Jade shivered, “If you’re strong enough, maybe… Stronger than my Papa, you won’t get sick. No one can bully you. You could do whatever you want and be happy… I think.”

“Your father was a Legendary Sculptor!” Verna retorted, “I’m a Merchant! For me, money ‘is’ power!”

“You bastards are so lucky…” Peridot grumbled on the side, “One day I’ll be the greatest… Uh, something!”

Oliver looked at her with an eyebrow raised, then snickered and patted her on the head, “Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll find your calling sooner or later. Right?”

“Yeah! Peri, you’re really good at dancing! Maybe you could be a Dancer!” Verna cackled and then started coughing from the smoke, so she put her mask back on.

“Yeah! You could be the best Dancer!” Jade smiled and cheered her friend on…

“Screw you bitches! I’m not gonna be a stripper!”

“What’s a stripper?” The stone girl asked, looking over at Oliver who was laughing on the side.

“What does it sound like?” Verna rolled her bloodshot blue eyes and then hugged Oliver’s arm against her chest, “Ollie~! You’ll support me in pursuing my dreams, right?!”

“Of course!”

“It’s a trap!” Peridot shouted.

“Yay~! Then Ollie, how about a small loan of a million gold~?”

“I’m sorry, what?” Jade widened her faintly glowing green eyes in shock, “Verna, why are you giving us a million gold?”

“She’s not giving it to us, Dumbass!” Peridot growled, “She’s trying to scam Ollie! Like always!”

“Where the hell would I get a million gold?” Oliver complained, “My whole house ain’t even worth ten-k. Especially not now. Probably less than that…”

“Oh Ollie~!” Verna smacked her face mask into the side of his head while trying to ‘whisper’ in his ear, “You have a literal gold-mine in your backyard… And don’t forget who’s been helping you sell your shit all these years? I wonder where all that money went?”

“Yeah and you also know I don’t have anywhere near a million gold. Or you wouldn’t need a damn loan, ‘cause you’d have a hundred million!”

“Fine~! Not a million, then a hundred-uh, how about ten thousand?”

“Oliver, no!” Peridot grabbed his other arm and shook it, “Damn it, Ollie! We still need to spend a fortune to fix up the house!”

“What are you going to do with ten thousand gold?” Jade asked while looking back and forth between their three faces covered by masks, “Did the police destroy your house too?”

“Not the cops. Don’t you remember how we had to throw away so much stuff in my house?” Verna groaned, “I’m gonna have to pay a huge inheritance tax to take over some properties in Kale Town. There’s a small farm in the countryside… My parents also had dozens of employees that have to be paid! I’m afraid if I wait too long, my greedy relatives might try to come steal shit!”

“Okay.” Oliver sighed, “Verna… I love you. I just want you to be happy, healthy and safe. You don’t have to pay me back, just… Don’t give up on yourself or your dreams just to make a little more money.”

“Damn it, Ollie!” Peridot cursed, “At least make it a loan!”

“Yes~! I love you so much~! Muah~!” Well, she couldn’t kiss him through the gas mask, but it’s the thought that counts.

“By the way… The gold is actual gold. Mostly nuggets, placers and fines… How much money you actually make off it will be a little test of your own skills, hahaha~!”