Deep within the market, inside a small shop.

The man, wearing a formal suit long out of size, his belly pushing against the buttons, silently staring at the sallow-faced man before him.

He pretended to examine the long piece of wood carefully wrapped in floral cloth, paused, then waved his hand dismissively.

“Are you here to mock me?”

His voice was slow, yet authority, through every word, instantly making the man lower his head in fear.

“Ho, how could that be? Mr. Cassie, this wood, it's top-grade Sea Coral Wood! My younger brother's been working as a carpenter for the Michael family recently. He secretly took it out, this is definitely the real thing!”

Cassie's eyes are narrowed. Realizing his usual trick of lowballing wouldn't work here, he quickly changed his tone and let out a cold snort.

“Then you've got quite the nerve, stealing from the Michael family... and daring to sell it to me? If I accept it, won't I be offending the Michael family? They're one of the three great noble houses of the kingdom now!”

“Ye, yes, yes, I didn't think it through. I'll—I'll take it away right now.”

The man was clearly an ordinary person. Facing Cassie, whose wealth amounted to tens of thousands of gold coins, a few words had already turned his face pale. Instinctively sensing danger, he wanted to take the wood and flee.

But Cassie spoke up again.

“What good does taking it away do? When the Michael family investigates, what will you do then?”

“This, this...”

“Return it? Or burn it? Do you think that'll help? The Michael family doesn't care about a bit of wood like this... Once they come after you, you won't have anywhere to run.”

“Ah?”

The man clearly didn't understand the situation. Hearing Cassie's words, his face turned even paler.

“This... this... this...”

“Your best option now is to pack up and leave the capital as soon as possible. Then the Michael family won't bother chasing you far, and they'll drop the matter.” Cassie continued, calmly sipping a milk tea that looked like muddy water.

The two flavors didn't blend, making it unpleasant to drink, but considering it was a recent trend among nobles, he had to accept it even if he disliked it.

Seeing the man still hadn't left, Cassie, already prepared, calmly spoke again.

“Anything else?”

“This...”

The man's face looked extremely panicked. After his not-so-bright mind struggled to work, he immediately dropped to his knees.

“Mr. Cassie... no, Master Cassie, you must help me!” The man immediately began sobbing.

He and his brother had come to the capital to earn money. His brother had finally gotten the chance to help with repairs at the Michael family estate. They just wanted to earn a bit extra, so they took a small detour, seeing that the Michael family's unused wood was still in good condition, they thought to sell it for some profit.

They never imagined it would be such a serious matter.

At this moment, he could only beg the man before him to save him.

Cassie fell silent for a few moments, then let out a sigh.

“...Tch, fine. After all, when I first entered the city, you once helped fix my carriage. Consider this me repaying that favor. I'll take this... At market price, a piece this big could sell for quite a bit, but I can't resell it knowing it bears the Michael family's insignia. It'll just rot in my hands. I'll take it for one gold coin.”

Reluctantly, Cassie pulled out a shiny gold coin from his pocket and tossed it onto the ground. The man's hand trembled, failed to catch it, and scrambled on all fours to pick it up. He then kowtowed repeatedly to Cassie in gratitude before hastily fleeing the shop.

He needed to rush back and find his brother. They couldn't stay in the capital any longer.

After the man left, Cassie slowly rose to his feet, deliberately closing the door as if nothing had happened.

After waiting a while to confirm no abnormalities, he finally turned around with delight, excitedly throwing himself onto the wood and carefully caressing it.

“Sea Coral Wood... top quality, at least a hundred years old... and such a large piece. Tsk tsk, country bumpkin with no taste. Do you really think the Michael family would miss a little wood like this?”

Sneering at the man, Cassie lovingly traced the wood's intricate grain, as if admiring a lover.

Even intact, this piece could easily sell for five or six gold coins. If he paired it with a fine accessory and carved it properly, the price could double!

After spending a little more time appreciating the excellent material, he carefully discarded the floral cloth and instead wrapped the wood in a piece of fine silk.

After hiding it in a secret compartment within the shop, he slowly turned around, once again putting on his usual expressionless face, and calmly opened the shop door.

Before him stood a woman, half her face covered by a white cloth.

She looked petite, yet her alluring eyes exuded a watery charm.

Her dignified posture clearly marks her as someone extraordinary.

Cassie was momentarily stunned, but said nothing, simply nodding and leading Kaelis into the room before quietly closing the door.

He intentionally made some noise.

This act, if Kaelis were just an ordinary girl, would have caused her to overthink and possibly expose a flaw.

But Kaelis did nothing. She silently carried her item and habitually moved behind the chair.

But she quickly snapped back to awareness, standing to the side.

“As expected...”

Although Kaelis wore only simple coarse clothes, her delicate skin and features made it clear to Cassie that she was no ordinary person.

This behavior further confirms it, Kaelis must be a maid from some noble household!

In the past decade since the kingdom's victory over the Dias Empire, the domestic landscape had changed.

New nobles rose, while smaller old noble families were hit hardest.

Yet, unable to maintain their wealth and too proud to learn from the new nobles, they were forced to sell off assets to preserve appearances.

This situation had worsened recently with the advent of the steam engine. Some families had even started selling truly valuable items.

This explained why Kaelis covered her face, most likely out of shame.

And dealing with such people, Cassie wouldn't keep up pretenses, but he certainly wouldn't lose the upper hand.

After a neutral nod, he prepared a cup of milk tea for Kaelis, then sat down.

“Madam, what can I do for you?”

“...?”

Following the veteran's advice, Kaelis recalled the demeanor of maids she'd observed on her way. After a moment, she silently placed the longsword on the table, slightly lifting her chin.

This arrogant display made the man's face stiff. Internally cursing a few words about down-and-out nobles still being so bold, he obediently stepped forward and unwrapped the cloth from the sword.

However, lacking the veteran's sharp eyes, he was momentarily confused upon seeing the unique patterns. Only after fully uncovering it did his expression slightly change, then quickly composed itself.

“This... is a fine sword.”

As he spoke, he kept observing Kaelis's expression.

Seeing that Kaelis remained unmoved, he realized his attempt to downplay the sword's value was useless. So, he dropped the pretense.

“It looks like it's forged from black steel, and the craftsmanship... it's from the old empire's artisans, isn't it?”

“...?”

Kaelis still didn't respond, silently staring at Cassie.

This left Cassie conflicted.

Because he suddenly realized, the Sea Coral Wood he'd just acquired would be perfect for crafting a scabbard for this very sword!

The size and dimensions matched perfectly. With a skilled craftsman, they could hollow out the wood, using the inner portion for the scabbard and the outer portion for an ornate case.

Wouldn't the price skyrocket?

Of course, that was for later. Right now, he needed to figure out how to get this item from Kaelis.

So, after a brief show of admiration, he quietly placed the sword back on the table, coughed twice, and began formulating his approach in his mind.

“But... items like this are hard to sell.”

“...?”

Kaelis didn't waste a single word. In one motion, she began rewrapping the sword in the cloth, picking it up as if to leave.

Her decisive attitude immediately changed Cassie's expression.

‘Filthy arrogance bred in the gutter... Let's see if you still have that pride in a few years.’

Seeing Kaelis so determined to leave, Cassie couldn't help but curse inwardly. But he couldn't let go of such a lucrative deal. He quickly forced a smile, stepping forward to block Kaelis's path.

“But it's not impossible.”

“...?”

Kaelis still didn't speak, her calm and composed demo leaving Cassie sweating bullets.

Yet, he forced a greasy smile onto his fat face, inviting Kaelis back to her seat before slowly speaking.

“It's just that, after deducting handling fees and such, the price might be a bit lower than market value...”

This was, in fact, within Kaelis's expectations.

She had listened to the veteran's advice. Besides, Kaelis wasn't greedy. This item was nothing but a hot potato in her hands. Selling it quickly was better.

Her only condition...

“Cash. One-time settlement.”

Kaelis didn't want complications, too unsafe, too uncertain afterward.

“Of course... Our family runs a chain. We definitely have the funds.”

Hearing Kaelis finally spoke, Cassie's tense heart relaxed slightly.

He reached out, carefully feeling the intricate patterns, sensing the cold, sharp aura emanating from the blade. The more he looked, the more he liked it.

After hesitating a moment, he carefully placed a single gold coin on the table.

But Kaelis, without a word, immediately moved to pick up the sword and leave.

This time, however, the man was prepared. He quickly grabbed the sword's hilt. Kaelis, caught off guard, nearly sliced her palm.

Kaelis frowned, lifting her head, only to find the man seemed indifferent.

Seeing him tightly gripping the hilt, desperate to let go, Kaelis suppressed her irritation and spoke again.

“I need a fair transaction.”

The current exchange rate was one gold coin equal to ten silver coins, or one thousand copper coins.

Although the old man had said Kaelis's sword wouldn't be worth less than three silver coins, that was merely based on its material value.

A famous painting throughout history, after all, is just cloth and pigment.

The sword's craftsmanship and current ratio meant its market value was over two gold coins.

And the man was offering only one gold coin, clearly showing no sincerity at all.

Combined with his earlier provocations, Kaelis had had enough.

“But I'm being quite fair, madam... This is already a high price.”

As Cassie spoke, he tried to take the sword, clearly intending to force the sale.

His fat face feigned.

He was certain Kaelis wouldn't escalate this, after all, she looked like just a young girl. What could she possibly do?

Call the patrol? Then her family will be disgraced. If she went to get help, by the time she returned, he'd already be long gone with the goods.

For people in his line of work, the shop was merely a fixed location, nothing valuable.

Just as Cassie felt inwardly triumphant, believing he had Kaelis cornered, a warm sensation suddenly washed over him.

Cassie's face froze.

Kaelis didn't speak, simply standing there.

Yet, right before her, two black-and-white wolves slowly emerged from the void!

They crouched low, but their eyes were locked on him, glowing green under the light, radiating pure menace.

And that heat he'd just felt, came from two more wolves!

They had silently surrounded him without his notice.

“Woof... woof...”

Their growls rumbled like thunder...

“Ka-ka, ”

The hawk perched on the rafters, its blood-red eyes calmly and arrogantly watching the man, as if already locking onto its target.

At this moment, Cassie finally noticed, white mist was rising from Kaelis's body!

She was a second-stage Ascender! Already possessing supernatural abilities!

Cassie's scalp tingled.

Staring into Kaelis's cold eyes, those eyes that had seemed as gentle as ripples on water, now frozen like ice.

This meant Kaelis was truly angry.

Her education taught her violence wasn't the optimal solution... but reality told her violence might not be optimal, but it was certainly the fastest!

Almost the moment Kaelis summoned them, Cassie's expression twisted repeatedly, but he remained silent.

Not because he had courage, but because the wolf beside him had already opened its jaws, revealing fangs like black gold, chilling to the bone.

He couldn't utter a single word!

Only after Kaelis waved her hand, commanding them to step back, did the man finally lift his head with a bitter laugh.

“That... that was indeed my oversight. This sword isn't just about craftsmanship... it has significant historical value... it's worth at least... at least two... no, no, three? Three gold coins plus five silver coins!”

The man kept raising the price, only stopping when Kaelis's expression softened slightly. Drenched in sweat, he tremblingly pulled out two gold coins, a full roll of silver coins, and a thin rectangular silver coin engraved with a strange character, likely the number five.

After Kaelis briefly inspected it, the surrounding beasts disappeared.

Cassie, unaware of the time limit, thought Kaelis was satisfied. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, stood up, and respectfully escorted Kaelis out.

Only after Kaelis left did he hastily close the door and collapse onto the floor.

His once-proper suit was already soaked with sweat.

Even so, he spat angrily.

“Damn it, who do they think they are? Let's see if you'll still be so arrogant in a few years!”

Having just escaped death's door, Cassie's emotions were out of control. He scrambled to drink the milk tea in one gulp, then exhaled deeply.

After panic came joy.

Wild, ecstatic joy!

“Ignorant fool... This is a genuine ceremonial sword from the Dias Empire! With proper maintenance, packaged in Sea Coral Wood, it could sell for fifty or sixty gold coins... Today, I've truly struck gold!”

Cassie, eyes dazed, gazed at the longsword in his hands, liking it more and more. Not even Kaelis could have imagined that someone, at such a moment, would still be thinking about profit.

He was utterly mad.

But Cassie didn't care.

He had risen from an ordinary man to a fortune of over ten thousand gold coins precisely by being greedy when others were afraid.

The greedier a person, the more likely they succeed, this had always been his creed.

But...

He hadn't had time to admire the sword for long when a woman's voice came from the door again.

“Captain, according to the resonance of the designated object... the item should be here..."

“Huh?” Cassie's smile froze instantly.

But quickly, accompanied by a violent door smash, several patrol members in light armor rushed in with grim expressions.

They swept the room with their eyes, then collectively fixed their gaze on the man.

In an instant, the man was drenched in cold sweat.

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