Chapter 160: Purchase
Raven returned to the mansion and quietly sat on the sofa in the main hall.
[What now?] Zera's voice echoed lazily in his mind.
'I don't know.' Raven leaned back, fingers brushing the silver chain of his stopwatch. 'I'm not worried about my sister joining the army. She won't die easily if she trains in the techniques I gave her. Still… I should buy something for her.'
He straightened, his voice cutting through the silence.
"Harold."
Footsteps echoed from the upper corridor. Soon, the butler appeared, descending the split staircase with his usual grace.
"You called me, my Lord?"
"Prepare a carriage."
Without a single question, Harold gave a sharp bow and vanished outside. Within minutes, the sound of hooves clattered on the stone drive.
"The carriage is ready, my Lord," Harold reported upon return. "Where do you want to go?"
Raven rose from the sofa, coat settling across his shoulders.
"The Mystic Cauldron. Baker Street, West Borough."
He paused, glancing at Harold.
"You should come along too."
"Yes, my Lord."
Together, they stepped outside. A sleek Brougham carriage awaited, its lanterns glowing faintly in the dusk. Raven entered first, Harold following, and with a flick of the reins, the coachman set the horses moving.
The carriage rumbled through the Capital's bustling night streets, weaving past lantern-lit alleys and hawkers selling roasted chestnuts, past the flicker of tavern signs and the ringing laughter spilling from brothels. Soon, they reached the quieter lanes of West Borough.
Baker Street was alive despite the hour—shops stayed open late here, their windows glowing with arcane rune symbols and enchanted trinkets. The carriage finally stopped before a three-storied house. A large iron cauldron crest hung above the entrance, etched with glowing runes.
Raven stepped down, showed his black ring to the guards at the door, and entered without hindrance.
Inside, the air carried the rich mix of aromatic perfumes and faint alchemical fumes.
A woman with blonde hair in a crimson dress hurried forward, bowing gracefully.
"Welcome back, Mr. Thomas."
Raven's eyes lingered on her for a moment. Recognition struck.
She was the same one Anastasia had chosen to test the strength and agility potions—the girl who had endured without complaint.
"Lily, is it?" he asked as he strode past, heading deeper into the building. "Did Lady Anastasia send any message?"
"Yes, my Lord," Lily replied, following quickly at his side. "She sends letters once a week. She said… they are almost close to the target."
Raven's steps slowed. 'It's only been a few weeks since they went after that Mysterious Kidnapper… they're already this far?'
"I see." His gaze sharpened. "I came here to purchase a few items. Who is in charge now?"
"Devon Ravenshield, Lady Anastasia's cousin." Lily hesitated, lowering her voice. "Unlike our manager, he has… a quick temper—"
She swallowed the rest of her words, but Raven didn't need her to finish.
'An arrogant young master with a bad temper. Wonderful.'
Lily led him and Harold past a guarded door. After whispering a few words, the knights stepped aside. They walked down a narrow corridor until they reached a wooden door with a brass knob. Lily knocked twice, and a muffled voice permitted them entry.
The room beyond was large, filled with shelves of jars containing exotic herbs, bones sealed in glass, glowing stones, and alchemical utensils arranged in neat rows. The pungent smell of bitter roots and sulfur lingered thick in the air.
Behind a wide wooden desk sat a young man with slicked blond hair and a thin mustache. Around twenty-five, he leaned lazily in his chair, flipping through a book.
"Who is this?" Devon Ravenshield asked, closing the tome with a snap. His brows furrowed, irritation already in his tone.
"He is a regular customer, my Lord," Lily explained quickly. "He came to purchase artifacts and materials."
Devon's interest sharpened slightly. He picked up a silver quill, opened the ledger, and asked,
"Your name?"
"Thomas Holmes."
"Where are you from?"
"Giaris City."
Devon's expression cooled. "Giaris? Isn't that under the Spade family's control? Are you one of the nobles of the Spade Council?"
"I'm from the Knight Household, Sir Devon."
The words made Devon sneer.
"A mere Knight Household member dares step foot into the Mystic Cauldron?"
His gaze shifted sharply to Lily. "You cannot bring anyone into restricted areas just because you wish to show off. I'm nothing like Anastasia. If you make the same mistake again, I'll throw you out."
"My Lord, he is an exclusive customer, and a friend of Lady Anesta—"
"ENOUGH!" Devon slammed the desk, his voice echoing through the chamber. "Guards!"
Heavy footsteps thundered outside.
Before they could enter, Raven pulled a black badge from his coat—a crow engraved in the center. The aura of authority it carried silenced the room.
Devon froze. His eyes widened, but his pride quickly masked the shock. He gave a disdainful humph.
"A Black Badge, huh? So that's how you barged your way in. If you had a Guild badge, you should've shown it sooner."
He waved his hand at the guards, dismissing them.
"What do you want to buy?"
"Armor. Weapon. Ring. Helm. Boots. And an Amulet."
Devon's lips curled. "How much is your budget? If you're thinking of Common artifacts, you'll need at least ten thousand gold coins."
He rose from his chair lazily and led them into the vault.
Inside, the chamber glittered with steel and crystal. Weapons, armor, and trinkets filled rows of shelves—each carefully arranged. Common items lay stacked in bulk, Uncommon pieces were neatly separated, while the Rare artifacts were displayed individually behind glass cases.
As soon as Raven entered, he ignored the lower tiers and strode straight toward the Rare section.
"You can't go there!" Devon snapped, fury rising in his tone. "That area is for Rare and Epic artifacts only—"
Before he could finish, Raven pulled a heavy pouch from his spatial ring and dropped it onto the nearest table. The metallic clink echoed through the vault.
Lily hurried forward and opened it. Her eyes widened. Devon leaned over—and froze.
There were hundreds of Platinum coins.
Each one was worth a hundred gold.
His arrogance faltered for a heartbeat.
Raven's voice cut through the silence, sharp and calm.
"I don't have time to argue. Just wait there."
He turned his back on Devon and began examining the artifacts, one by one.
Meanwhile, anger flared in Devon's eyes.
Though he admitted that the young man before him was a rich person, he didn't like the attitude of a mere Knight from a rural area.
But he also knew that if he continued to pick fights with him, it would worsen his relationship with his cousin Anastasia.
'Humph, even if he has some money, he shouldn't act bossy before me.'
Unaware of Devon's thoughts, Raven first walked into the weapons section. The shelves here gleamed with polish, each blade sealed within transparent crystal cases, untouched by dust or time. Only twenty rare swords were displayed, their edges shimmering faintly with mana, alongside three Epic swords.
They were all from the Aether Set, weapons forged by famous blacksmiths and enchanted by Rune Wizards.
Raven adjusted the monocle over his right eye. A faint blue glow lit up his vision as lines of text scrolled before him.
…
[Inspecting…]
[Item Name: Fiery Blade]
[Type: Mithril Longsword]
[Rank: Epic Rank]
[Material: Pure Mithril, reinforced with Aether Coating.]
[Spell Slots: 4 Active.]
[Engravings:
Rank-1 [Bleed] – Inflicts continuous bleeding on the target. (Passive)Rank-2 [Lightning Shock] – Strikes the target with electric current. (Cooldown: 1 hour)Rank-3 [Fierce Slash] – Unleashes a destructive sword arc. (Cooldown: 1 day)Rank-4 [Dragon's Breath] – Emits a stream of dragonfire. (Cooldown: 1 month)]
…
A faint smile tugged at his lips. 'Powerful and worth the cost.'
He shifted the monocle again and checked other weapons, but nothing came close. Raven took the mithril longsword without hesitation.
Next, he moved to the rings section. Dozens of enchanted bands glimmered under the crystal lamps. He stopped at one etched with faint golden runes.
…
[Inspecting…]
[Item: Spatial Ring]
[Rank– Rare Rank]
[Spell Slots: 3 Active.]
[Engravings:
Rank-1 [Blink] – Teleports the user 5 meters instantly. (Cooldown: 10 minutes)Rank-2 [Teleport] – Moves the user up to 500 meters. (Cooldown: 2 hours)Rank-3 [Storage] – Pocket dimension of 180 cubic meters. (Passive)]
…
"Useful," Raven muttered inwardly.
'Mobility, storage, and survival in one item. A must-have.'
He placed it with the sword.
The armor racks came next. Most were ceremonial pieces with weak enchantments. Only one stood out—a smooth, silver-grey chestplate lined with rune engravings all over.
…
[Inspecting…]
[Item Name: Guardian's Armor]
[Rank– Rare Rank]
[Spell Slots: 3 Active.]
[Engravings:
Rank-1 [Stone Skin] – Temporarily hardens skin. (Cooldown: 10 minutes)Rank-2 [Camouflage] – Blends into surroundings. (Cooldown: 2 hours)Rank-3 [Barrier Ward] – Generates a protective ward. (Cooldown: 1 day)]
…
"Defense and stealth, huh?" Raven nodded, selecting it.
From there, he examined the helmets. A dark steel helm engraved with faint golden eyes caught his attention.
"Enhanced vision, illusion resistance, and fear warding. Not bad.' He added it to the pile.
Lastly, the boots. Raven's monocle scanned a jet-black pair.
'Rare boot, huh… Rank-1 [Wind Walk] – Increases movement speed. Rank-2 [Shadow Stealth] – Cloaks the user in shadow. Rank-3 [Shadow Booster] – Doubles agility for 10 minutes.'
"These five are enough." Raven finally said, placing all chosen artifacts neatly on the long table.
Devon, who had been silently watching, blinked rapidly. His lips parted.
"Mr. Holmes… You picked 'Fiery Blade', an Epic weapon?"
'Damn it, how much gold coin does he have?'
He rushed to calculate the total cost, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"Fiery Blade alone costs 1.23 million gold coins! The Rare Ring is 130,000 gold coins. Armor costs 150,000 gold coins, Helm 112,000 gold coins, and Boots 133,000 gold coins."
Raven calmly calculated in his head.
'Total: 1,755,000 gold coins.'
"Good." Raven nodded. "Prepare potion ingredients worth another 1 million gold coins." Saying so, he gave him a list of potion ingredient names.
Devon nearly stumbled. "Y-Yes, Mr. Holmes!"
A receipt had already been prepared when they returned to the manager's room. Raven scanned the figures.
'Artifacts: 1,755,000 gold coins. Potion Ingredients: 1,000,000 gold coins.
Grand Total: 2,755,000 gold coins.'
Raven silently took out a bunch of pouches filled with platinum coins and transferred them without the faintest change in expression.
On the other hand, Devon stared at the pouches in shock and soon started checking.
To Raven, nothing was more important than the safety of his sister.
'I could've brought her the full Epic Set, but that will only attract unnecessary attention. Anyway, if a mountain of gold bought her one more heartbeat of survival, it was worth every coin.'
After carefully storing everything inside his new storage ring, he adjusted his hat and left the Mystic Cauldron.
"Lily… Tell me more about this guy." Devon asked, his eyes were sharp and cold.
"Mr. Holmes is a Spade Council member. He also recently formed his own knight squad and managed to reclaim the lost territory, My Lord. He is the rising star of Spade County and has a special connection with Lady Anastasia and Daley Findlay."
"Oh? Special connection, huh?" Devon felt something was off about this guy and soon spoke.
"So, he's not just some country knight after all… Hmph. Rising star or not, he'll learn the Capital isn't kind to upstarts. So, what's his relationship with Anastasia?"
Lily showed a forced smile and started talking.