given that you said its a fantasy what type of fantasy it is can you tell me if it is western you can always be an adventurer if it is eastern then you can make mc shameless and steal some money from young masters from the sects.
or you can make him a pill master or near to pill master providing herbs thus that you can also make money there are many ways like that.
Siterus
If I was writing a fantasy novel with an orphan in need of money then I'd set out to have him do it himself in a cool way. (NO LUCKY COINCIDENCES! THAT'S BAD WRITING!)
1. Pickpocket. A staple of orphans and fun to read.
2. Thieves guild. Perhaps he's not a member. But he knows a guy that offloads some of the easier work to him or a specific task for a job he's pulling to him.
3. Scamming.
Now the above assume your MC is either a bad guy or in the morally gray area. If your character is Lord of the innocents then it becomes a bit more difficult. Especially since we know nothing about your MC. Still, here's a few ideas.
1. A skill. Perhaps he has some oddly specific niche he uses to ilk out a small living. Hunt rabbits and skins them? Or knows how to perform minor repairs for weapons and armor.
2. A job. It's normal for orphans to have jobs in a fantasy novel. He could work in a kitchen as the help. Do odd jobs around town.
3. He can switch his car insurance to GEICO. With his 15% savings, he'll have tons of money to spend on whatever he needs!
Ponzi Scheme
how much money? Simple - artisans apprentice.
Although he would prefer jobs that aren't bad, he'd still do that for the money.
His cheat is something that makes him able to learn things very quickly, maybe something related to that?
not much of an education nor skills since the character is actually pretty young 10-13~
Needs enough money to buy books mostly
Maybe i should just make him steal? hmmm
Again, I'm sorry for not giving much details
again cheats... God, nooooooooo! Boring.
Politics, laws, economy, society. What can do a 10-13 years old character? Who does he know? Have a connection?
If need books - the road to the bookstore and work there. If books are rare - temples, monasteries. It is difficult to advise something when known nothing about the world.
1.Kills a bandit with a high bounty then claim the reward at adventurer's guild.
2. Save a beauty who is "accidentally" a noble then reward him with money.
3. Collecting herbs and learn alchemy and make/sell potion at auction.
Siterus since it's a fantasy theme, he could either hunt, gather resources or the third oldest job in the world, became a gigolo. Fantasy genre is into pre pubescent teens as I noticed.
Siterus if he can learn things very quickly how about letting him steal a letter, which actually contains a private information of a merchant. he saved the merchant by finding that letter and in return the merchant teaches him counting/ accounting and he shows his talent and in a short time finding profit for him and the merchant. maybe you can make him fall out with the merchant later on
haha lol... i wrote things usually used by reincarnated mcs, thinking that your story is also a reincarnation type....
well for stories with a fantasy setting, making money will usually involve something the mc is good at, perhaps have him meet some type of hard to persuade person whilst looking for a job, bet everything he has on his ability in your case learning ability, and use that to change that persons mind.... i.e, stubborn blacksmith thinking your a joke claiming that you can learn blacksmithing in only a few sessions etc...doesnt have to be a blacksmith can be anything like a librarian to a simple store clerk and such, just highlight his ability.... usually that is what authors do.
Siterus make a guild, have him join, take quests. Done
