Noggenfogger stared at the successfully activated glasses, his brain feeling like its CPU was about to burn out.
In truth, Wayne had seen the problem earlier. The device had simply been away from the net cafe for too long without recharging—it had run out of power. He had used those psychological tactics and wordplay just now to buy time for the glasses to charge. As long as they had even a sliver of power, they could be turned on.
"You... you people..."
The Goblin pointed at Wayne and Hammond Clay, almost blurting out that they must have colluded to swap the device. However, nearly twenty people had been watching from every angle with zero blind spots; even a master magician couldn't have pulled off such a stunt.
Hammond Clay felt he had run into a string of bad luck today. First, he dealt with this idiot Goblin whose report failed, and then he watched the Goblin dig a hole for himself. Wayne told him to return the glasses to Noggenfogger and asked, "Any more questions? The glasses are on, and the maintenance fee is paid. Can you leave now?"
Noggenfogger fiddled with the device repeatedly—turning it on, off, then on again. These were definitely the same glasses. He had handled them countless times, and even the scent of his own palm sweat on the frames was identical. But how had they suddenly started working? He was utterly baffled.
"Fall out! Fall out!" Hammond Clay rolled his eyes at the stunned Noggenfogger and led his men away, leaving all the awkwardness for the Goblin to deal with.
Wayne was also in a bad mood, knowing the afternoon's trouble was entirely the Goblin's fault. But since he had pocketed another 500 gold, he considered it fair compensation for the minor disturbance.
A thousand questions drifted through Noggenfogger's mind. How had he rushed all the way from Gadgetzan with such fanfare only to be humiliated in public? He hadn't received the 10,000-gold compensation; instead, he had inexplicably paid another 500 gold. The Goblin blood in his veins absolutely forbade him from making a losing deal.
Just as everyone thought the matter was over, Noggenfogger said something that any normal person would find unbelievable: "Can you sell me two more pairs?"
Wayne, who had already turned to head back to his room, stopped and looked back. "What did you say?"
"Sell me two more... that way I can open a small shop when I go back," Noggenfogger replied.
Although the Goblin wasn't particularly likable, Wayne felt he had punished his greed enough and didn't want to keep profiting solely from the information gap. After all, without access to the vending machine, the glasses wouldn't work at all.
Wayne motioned for him to follow him into a booth, while the other Goblins were made to wait outside the cafe. Wayne went down to the basement and brought back two fruit-like objects, placing them before Noggenfogger.
"Try these."
Noggenfogger didn't recognize the fruit at all. He saw a large, white, bulbous root beneath three or four broad green leaves, washed perfectly clean. His nature made him hesitant to put unknown things into his mouth. This was born not only from his innate Goblin cunning but also from the survival rules of traveling merchants. Wild fruits and herbs could end your journey permanently if eaten recklessly.
Predicting this reaction, Wayne picked one up and took a bite. As the skin broke, the flowing juice and exposed flesh immediately filled the air with a sweet, fragrant aroma. This temptation, combined with the fact that Wayne had eaten it himself, removed Noggenfogger's suspicion. He picked up his own and bit down.
!!!
A warm current exploded in his mouth! Juice splashed across his palate, and the sweetness stimulated every taste bud on his tongue. It was like a volcanic eruption, a surge of intense pleasure that hit the top of his skull.
Delicious! It was incredibly tasty! While he couldn't say it was the single best fruit he had ever eaten, it was certainly top-tier.
"What is this called?" Noggenfogger asked, licking the juice from his lips.
"A parsnip," Wayne replied. "Or you can call it whatever you like."
"Where did you get it?"
"Would you tell me where you make your money?" Wayne countered.
"..."
Noggenfogger took another bite. "Fine. Name your price."
"Don't be in a hurry. Try this too," Wayne said. He handed over a small cup containing steaming hot water.
Noggenfogger looked it over. Unlike the pungent sweetness of the parsnip, the aroma rising from this water was light and ethereal. Curiously, if you sniffed hard, you couldn't catch it, but it became apparent with normal breathing.
"Stop staring," Wayne said. "Poisoning you does me no good. Drink."
Noggenfogger's eyebrows twitched. He picked up the cup and drained it in two gulps. If the parsnip had been a volcanic eruption of flavor, this was the calm night after the tide. The elegant fragrance washed away the cloying sweetness, leaving a lingering, subtle aftertaste.
"And what is this?!"
"This is called Worchestershire Green Tea, very British" Wayne explained.
"Green Tea? British?"
"Drinking this is not only good for your health—it lowers lipids and fights diseases—but for a period after drinking it, it slightly increases the rate at which rogues recover their energy."
Noggenfogger had no idea what "lipids" or "diseases" were in this context, but he helped himself to a few more cups. Although he didn't fully enjoy the slight bitterness at first, the sweetness that returned to his mouth and the way the tea became smoother with each refill eventually relaxed him completely.
Wayne thought to himself that this was the stuff his ancestors had used to conquer the world; how could it not work on a little Goblin? Seeing the timing was right, Wayne tapped the table lightly. "The fruits and the seeds are 5 gold each. The fruit stays fresh for half a month at room temperature, and the seeds bear fruit once a month."
To bolster his momentum, Noggenfogger stood up, leaned across the table, and glared at Wayne. "5 gold?! Tell me, where else in this world sells such expensive fruit and seeds besides here?"
Wayne chuckled. "You're right. It's exactly because I am the only one in the world who sells this that it's worth this price."
He pointed toward the orchard outside the window. "I started planting them yesterday. Before long, the entire Eastern Kingdoms will be eating parsnips and green tea supplied by me. If you want to collaborate, make your decision now."
"Stop lying to me," Noggenfogger scoffed. "You point outside and expect me to believe you've planted them?"
Wayne knew this guy wouldn't be that easy to fool. He pointed at the two half-eaten parsnips on the table. "Then you tell me where these came from."
Noggenfogger was momentarily speechless. Even if he wanted to claim Wayne had bought them from someone else, he couldn't name a single place that sold them. He had truly never seen this fruit before.
Wayne watched him, emphasizing, "Tell me. Go ahead, say it."
In his mind, he was thinking: I dare you to say they were unlocked by a vending machine.
This time, it was Wayne's turn to stand up. He leaned over the table, using his height advantage to look down at Noggenfogger. "If you don't buy them, I'll just sell them to Gazlowe instead."