We all have cons about ourselves some more than others. This tale is of a strapping young man on the search for a fabled lost treasure. He heard about it from an old widow on one of his quests. After a quick stop at a near by kingdom he would set off for his quest.
He arrived in a part of town that had a feeling of melancholy to it. The young adventurer brushed the feeling off. He spotted a shop from afar and decided to stock up on supplies there. Entering the merchants shop he was surprised to see the extent of luxury in the shop compared to how the rest of the kingdom looked. Before he had enough time to question however, the owner of the shop asked, "What do you need. If you need it I got it and if I got it you need it." The adventurer did not reply, however started looking. He remembered he needed a new saddle for his horse and noticed that the merchant did not have one. "Might you have any new saddles for my horse?" asked the adventurer. "No! but if you may need anything else I should surely have it." said the merchant. "Do you know of a merchant near by that may have one for sale?" asked the adventurer. "No!" exclaimed the merchant. "I have the best shop in these parts. Now if you need anything else I should surely be able to provide it." shouted the merchant. "Surely some other merchant must have something you do not." inquired the adventurer. The merchant was intrigued by the young adventurers bold claim gave him a challenge. He told the adventurer that if he were to find a merchant that sold saddles for his horse in his kingdom that he would award that merchant and the adventure with a piece of his great wealth. Determined to prove him wrong the adventurer set out to find a merchant who sells horse saddles in the kingdom.
The second merchant he came across sold many things but none that the first did not sell, let alone saddles for his horse. He asked the man did he know of any merchant that sold saddles and the old merchant told him that there was a merchant on the far side of the kingdom that opened up not to long ago and might sell what other merchants may not. With that information the adventure rushed off with excitement. When he got there he saw that this merchant's shop looked sub par and lost hope, however when he entered he was overjoyed to see that this sold many things that the first merchant did not and low and behold there he saw saddles for horses. If looked for the merchant who owned the shop and noticed that the owner closely resembled the first merchant. "Oh happy day young merchant. You don't know what fortune you have brought to the both of us. There is a merchant on the far side of this kingdom who will award both me and the merchant who I find who sells horse saddles!" the adventurer excitedly belted. "I know exactly who you are talking about. I will sell you the saddle, but I will not except any prize from that disgrace of a man." the merchant said with a mad look on his face. When the adventurer asked why he learned that this merchant was the first merchants son and was abandoned along with his mother and two sisters. The young merchant said the reason was because they were to expensive and the first merchant did not want to lose his wealth raising them. The young merchant also told the adventurer that his father is a selfish merchant who steals other merchants business and slanders any up and coming merchant so he can be the richest man in the kingdom. This enraged the adventurer, being raised with a strong sense of justice, payed for the new saddle and forgetting all about the prize he rushed back to confront the first merchant for his shameful actions.
When he arrived he tied op the merchant and restrained him to a post outside. He proceeded to loot the whole shop and began to spread his wealth all over the kingdom. Keeping his fill for supplies, he set out to find the fabled treasure. On his way back from his failed quest, he was curious to what happened after he purged the selfish merchant. To his surprise the kingdom looked brand new and was filled with thriving businesses all around. The people of the kingdom were so grateful to the adventurer that they gave him wealth unimaginable. Is this the fabled the old lady foretold? Mo ,atter on to my next quest!
