Vivian didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she looked at Barbara.
"Barbara."
The old woman straightened slightly.
"The reward for capturing the Black Tide Pirate's vice captain... how much was it again?"
At the sudden question, Barbara thought for a moment.
"If I remember correctly... it was a thousand gold coins."
Vivian nodded before turning back toward Jake.
"I'll offer you... one thousand gold coins."
At the sudden huge offer, Jake's eyes widened.
His first reaction wasn't excitement, but it was disbelief.
He had expected perhaps a hundred or two hundred...
...Maybe five hundred if he was lucky, considering he knew he had very little leverage in this negotiation.
He had no influence, no workshop, no craftsmen, and no ability to mass-produce the toy himself.
And yet... One thousand?
That was far beyond his expectations.
For a brief moment, Jake almost agreed on the spot as he opened his mouth.
"I—"
But before he could finish, he felt a gentle squeeze on his hand.
