Graver the Scammer

While Kalsen readied himself to cook, Yetri checked his holowatch for the list of transaction details.

Scanning the slightly choppy screen he saw the account details.

History:

-==== 80 Bronze====-

To Merchant Graver: "Hey old man! Try not to get so greedy next time, and I might think of giving you more~"

....

.....

'Hmm, a perfect run once more again huh?' Yetri mused with slight amusement. Judging by Kalsen's mood and the message in his history, Yetri confirmed that it was another successful heist from Graver the Scammer. That's what he was known as in the city of Banster. Everyone knew of his infamous misdeeds and how he was practically untouchable.

Many people had tried to catch him through various means. Reporting him to the police droid hadn't done jack sh**. The police droid had always come up empty so many times that now Graver was marked as unreportable to the police droid.

Was this a flaw in the code of the police droid? No one in Banster really knew. People could get away with petty crimes without consequence in the city and the police droid wouldn't care. It would spectate with its soulless black lens and roll on its patrol route.

The only time it was ever seen in action was when a baker was beating the living daylights out of a thief in the middle of the bustling street. In the end, both of them were arrested and for what reason, only the Spirits know. Now, whenever a police droid approaches a crime scene, oddly, it usually finds it empty, with no perpetrator nor any victim to be found.

But it was, all the same for the police droid. It physically couldn't care less, so it continued on to do what it was programmed to do. Roll around a set path in the city.

If the people tried to use force, Graver could and would always run to the police droid with his tail tucked in between his legs just like the rat he was.

Because of all this, people steered clear of his vegetable shop and opted to go buy them from vegetable cars where they couldn't be scammed from. At least on the surface that is. Local government prices never matched the actual prices set by the central ruling authority, but only a few people in Banster knew that fact.

Kalsen had initially gone to the shop, lured in by the prospect of haggling for prices and getting a bargain from Graver. No one had warned the poor child, letting him go through what was considered a trial of life in Banster.

After the trial, Kalsen wore such a crushed look that made even Yetri feel a twinge of pity. That was over a year ago, now, Kalsen was humming merrily, cutting vegetables and preparing a broth for the soup.

Over that past year, Kalsen had repeatedly gone to Graver's shop over and over again until he reached the stage where Graver couldn't trick him anymore.

For the past month or so, he had always paid Graver an amount that was close to the actual cost of the vegetables which were in the bag. An achievement that no one in Banster had accomplished no matter how hard they had tried.

How did Kalsen figure out Graver's tricks? And why didn't he report the method to the police droid?

Yetri never asked all these questions. One - because he was too lazy to do so. And two - because if Kalsen didn't want to say how then it was none of Yetri's business.

"Ready~," Kalsen popped back inside the room and handed Yetri a bowl again. This time filled with steaming vegetable soup and a spoon.

"Mmm," Yetri murmured still lost in thought.

"What's up Yetri?" Kalsen asked Yetri after noticing his lost look.

Yetri stopped and turned to Kalsen and looked him dead in the eyes.

"So have you decided to participate in the race?"

-----------------------

*Smash*

Throwing a half-filled bottle of alcohol at the wall, a slew of curse words reverberated in a messed up hotel room. The origin of these curse words was none other than the pig of a man Ginsberg, who had fattened up considerably these past two years. Days of continuous drinking and eating with no exercise had left him in this sorry state. But few would feel sorry for Ginsberg after witnessing his attitude.

"FU*****, SH***! CAN'T EVEN MAKE ALCOHOL PROPERLY! I SHOULD GO DOWN AND [Redacted]" Ginsberg cursed out.

Things were not going in his way. He had finally found a way out of this mud-hole of a planet, yet he was denied. He had to wait. And the wait was excruciating for him. Every day, every hour, every minute, was a second too long.

Ginsberg truly hated this planet and wanted to leave as soon as possible. Not a second would pass where his mind wouldn't wander to the thought of the date of the audience. To distract himself, Ginsberg would continuously drink and eat the low-quality sh** that he was served at the hotel. Well, only to him that is.

In all of Terra - 013, the Spotless hotel was the greatest and most expensive hotel in the land. Everything served here, were things that people could only dream about, making it very prestigious in Terra - 013.

*Ring* *Ring* *Ring*

A loud ringing sound broke Ginsberg out of his stupor of vomiting curse words every two seconds. Scrambling to his feet, Ginsberg hastily answered the call on his holowatch.

The same indifferent figure was formed on the screen in front of him

"...Your appointment is in a month's time. A space shuttle will be coming to pick you up in three days." The voice stated coldly. A jolt of happiness coursed through Ginsberg. He was finally going to leave this mud hole.

"And clean yourself up," the same voice resounded in the room dripping with disgust. Then the figure cut the call off, unable to stare at Ginsberg's oily face any longer.

But Ginsberg couldn't care less. A slimy smile crept up on his face as he rejoiced. His eyes landed on the black stone placed next to his bed stand. For two years, Ginsberg had bided his time. Now it was his time to return, and his ticket was the black stone whose owner he had long forgotten.