The market hummed with life, filled with chatter and movement as people traded and negotiated under the warm sunlight. Stalls packed tightly together spilled their goods onto cobbled streets—ripe fruit, glistening trinkets, sturdy tools, and rare fabrics caught the eye of shoppers navigating the chaos.
Daiko, a young merchant, stood behind his modest stall, arranging jars of brightly colored powders that glimmered faintly in the sunlight. His pouch jingled softly at his side, the sound a reminder of the importance of the trade here. It wasn't just about goods—it was about **coins**.
The currency used in the market was simple yet refined: **Sunmarks**, **Starmarks**, and **Unimarks**. Each coin came with its own distinct color and value, but their sizes barely differed, making them compact and easy to carry.
---
An older woman approached Daiko's stall, her wrinkled face lined with curiosity as she pointed to a jar filled with powder that glowed in soft shades of blue.
"How much for this one?" she asked, her voice steady but firm.
"Ten Sunmarks," Daiko replied easily, pulling out one of the small, round coins to show her. The Sunmark gleamed faintly with a greenish tint, its surface etched with a rising sun design. Though small in size, the coin carried significance—it was the foundation of their trading system, used for everyday purchases that made the market thrive.
The woman frowned slightly and dug into her pouch, pulling out a coin that shimmered yellow under the sunlight.
"A Starmark," Daiko said, nodding in recognition. "One Starmark equals ten Sunmarks. That'll do."
She handed over the golden coin, and Daiko quickly counted out nine green Sunmarks as her change. With a satisfied nod, she tucked the jar under her arm and disappeared into the crowd.
---
Nearby, two merchants worked on organizing their wares.
"You know what I love about these coins?" the first said, stacking crates of fruit. "They're so simple. Green for Sunmarks, yellow for Starmarks, and red for Unimarks. Easy to recognize and use."
"Not to mention how they fit in your pouch without taking up half your space," the second replied, arranging clay pots on his table. "The sizes barely increase, but the value shoots up. Ten Sunmarks for one Starmark, and a hundred Starmarks for one Unimark. No confusion, no fuss."
The first merchant chuckled. "Ever seen a Unimark before? I've only heard about them—bright red and almost glowing, like they've got fire in their veins."
The second shook his head. "Never seen one myself. They're rare. You only use a Unimark for the biggest trades—land, beasts, or things so valuable they're practically legendary."
---
At the far end of the market, a group of children played with Sunmarks, tossing the small green coins high into the air and giggling as they tried to catch them.
Kai, a skinny boy with a mischievous grin, held up his coin proudly. "Mine's the brightest!" he declared.
His friend Daisuke scoffed, showing off his own Sunmark. "So what? Mine's newer, straight from the mint!"
Their friendly banter faded into laughter as they chased after a coin that had rolled away across the cobblestones.
An older man watched them from a nearby stall, his lips curling into a small smile. "Kids and their games," he muttered, jingling the coins in his pouch as he turned back to his own business.
---
In a quieter corner of the market, a scholar named Sora carefully selected parchment and ink from a vendor's stall. She pulled ten green Sunmarks from her pouch and handed them over.
The merchant accepted them with a nod and gave her a single Starmark in return—a slightly larger coin with a rich yellow hue and an intricate starburst design etched onto its surface.
As Sora slipped the golden coin into her bag, she thought about the simplicity of the system.
Sunmarks were the backbone of trade, used for everyday purchases like food, clothes, and tools. Their green tint made them recognizable and easy to identify.
Starmarks, on the other hand, were for bigger transactions—quality goods, equipment, and larger trades. They gleamed brightly in yellow, their subtle increase in size making them distinct but still easy to handle.
And then there were the Unimarks, the rare and powerful red coins reserved for the most valuable exchanges. One hundred Starmarks—or a thousand Sunmarks—equaled a single Unimark. But these fiery coins were so rare that they were spoken about more often than seen.
The coins reflected the flow of life in the market—their colors a reminder of value and purpose.
---
As the sun dipped lower and cast long shadows over the bustling streets, the market began to quiet. Merchants packed away their goods, buyers carried their treasures home, and the coins were counted and stashed until the next day of trade.