I'm an Extra, so What?
Chapter 98 - 98: Fruits

Serene's eyes widened in alarm—

"Young… Young Master! You can't say that out loud!"

"Ahaha!" Luka simply laughed, a sound that seemed to cut through the tension like a blade.

"…" Serene couldn't help but smile a little, the tension in her shoulders easing just a fraction.

The line shuffled forward—

Luka rubbed his hands together as they grew closer to the stall.

The fruit gleamed under the sunlight.

His stomach growled again, this time louder, drawing a few snickers from the nearby elves.

"Any idea what you want?" Luka asked as they neared the front of the line.

Serene blinked, glancing over the fruit.

"Oh, um… I'm not sure."

As they reached the front of the line—

Luka was the one who stepped forward.

The elven merchant manning the stall was busy stacking shimmering blue pears when he heard the footsteps approach.

He glanced up with a professional smile—

One that immediately faltered the moment he laid eyes on the human.

The smile evaporated, replaced by a thin-lipped frown, his green eyes narrowing with open distaste.

For a brief, tense moment, neither spoke.

Then Luka lifted a hand in a casual wave.

"Hello," he greeted, his tone light and cheerful.

The elven merchant's fingers drummed against the wooden counter with a heavy thud, the sound sharp and deliberate.

"What do you want?" he snapped, leaning forward.

His posture was rigid, as if prepared for a confrontation.

"Can't you see I'm trying to sell food? Why is a human disrupting my business?" His voice dripped with venom, the words barely restrained.

Luka simply shrugged, pulling out a handful of silver coins from his pocket.

He let them jingle between his fingers.

"Well, we're here to buy some fruit," Luka replied calmly.

He placed the coins on the stall's surface with a metallic clatter.

It was far more than what was needed—

Elven fruit usually cost mere bronze coins.

Luka's gesture wasn't just generosity; it was a statement.

The elven merchant's glare hardened. His jaw clenched so tightly that a vein bulged along his temple.

His eyes flicked down to the coins, then back up to the human's face, as if searching for any trace of mockery.

"I'm not going to accept your dirty coins," he sneered, voice dropping to a low hiss.

"I refuse." His fingers curled around the edge of the stall.

Luka met his glare head-on, his expression unchanging, almost bored.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the counter.

"Come on," he said, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

"I'm paying extra for just a couple of fruits. It's a win-win, yeah? We get food, you get richer."

Luka pushed the silver coins forward, the metal scraping across the wood.

"Just put aside that hatred for a minute and make a deal."

The elven merchant didn't respond right away.

His eyes flickered back and forth between the human's face and the coins.

He seemed to wrestle with himself for a moment, his lips pressed together in a thin line.

Eventually, he released a long, weary sigh, the kind that spoke of grudging resignation.

"If it gets you out of here faster, sure," he muttered, snatching the coins with a speed that suggested he had made up his mind long before he voiced it.

Without another word—

The elven merchant grabbed a few pieces of fruit—

A glowing blue pear, two glassy red apples, and a bundle of shimmering berries.

He placed them in front of him with as little care as possible, their vibrant colors standing out starkly against the dull grain of the wood.

"There," the elven merchant spat.

"Now get out of here."

"…" Luka flashed him a smile, one that barely masked his amusement.

"Yeah, yeah," he replied nonchalantly, scooping up the fruit and handing half of it to his personal.

Serene accepted it, clutching the fruit to her chest as they both turned away from the stall.

They both began walking.

"Surprised that went as well as it did," Luka commented with a smirk.

"I almost thought I'd have to take the fruit by force."

Serene looked horrified at the very notion, her eyes going wide.

"Young Master! That would have caused a riot!" she whispered fiercely.

Luka shrugged, unconcerned.

"Maybe. Maybe not. But look, here we are…fruit in hand, no fight, no riot. Sometimes all you gotta do is give 'em a reason to swallow their pride."

He took a bite of the glowing pear, its juice spilling out, shockingly sweet and crisp.

He raised his eyebrows in appreciation.

"Gotta hand it to them... They know how to grow some damn good fruit."

Serene giggled softly.

"Come on," Luka said, jerking his head forward. "Let's find a spot to sit down and eat."

"As you wish, Young Master," Serene replied.

It didn't take long before they found an empty table, tucked beneath the shade of a tree, its sprawling branches filtering the sunlight.

Luka slid into one of the wooden chairs—

All the while, Serene took the seat opposite him, carefully setting down her share of the fruit.

"…" Luka wasted no time.

He bit into a fruit.

He chewed thoughtfully, swallowing before muttering:

"Damn, I should've gotten drinks…"

Serene perked up.

"Ah, don't worry, Young Master. I brought a water bottle."

She reached down to the side of her maid's dress, where a leather canteen hung neatly, attached with silver clasps.

She unhooked it and extended it across the table.

"Here."

Luka blinked, pleasantly surprised.

"Ah, thank you." He accepted it with a nod of appreciation, twisting off the cap and taking a long, satisfying gulp.

The water was cool and crisp, quenching the dryness that lingered in his throat.

He pulled it away, exhaling with relief.

"You really do think of everything, huh?"

Serene gave a small smile. "I try my best, Young Master."

Luka was about to reply when his ears twitched—

His senses picking up a distinct shift.

Heavy footsteps.

The crunch against the wooden floorboards.

A shadow loomed behind Luka, casting a long stretch across the table.

"Hey, human," a gravelly voice grunted from behind.

"…" Luka raised an eyebrow, turning his head just enough to get a glimpse of the figure towering over him.

The elf was massive—

Easily six and a half feet tall, with biceps that strained against the fabric of his tunic.

His skin was a shade darker than most elves, tanned and scarred.

He had his arms crossed over his chest, thick veins bulging along his forearms.

Not the typical, lithe, graceful elf—

This one was built like a brick wall.

Luka tilted his head. "Hmm?"

The elf uncrossed his arms.

"Beat it. This is my table."

Luka blinked, glancing around at the wide-open seating area.

He lifted an eyebrow.

"Your table?" he repeated.

Luka leaned back in his chair.

"Pretty sure this is public space. I don't see your name written anywhere on it."