The attendant's hands trembled as he inspected the object, his face a mixture of awe and disbelief. "C-Could this be…" he stammered. "Please excuse me—I must inform the manager."
Moments later, Ark was ushered into a private chamber. The manager of the Divine Trade Pavilion's second floor, a composed but inquisitive middle-aged man, awaited him. With careful precision, the manager examined the slab, his eyes gleaming with recognition.
"A piece of Arcanium metal." He murmured, his voice tinged with respect. Known for its unique properties, Arcanium metal was very rare and precious akin to a treasure. It amplified magical power and adapted seamlessly to its wielder's elemental affinity. Both reactive and potent, it was the material of choice for crafting elite staves, elemental swords, and multi-purpose artifacts. It requires immense skill to forge due to its volatile nature, making it incredibly expensive.
After consulting an appraisal expert, the manager confirmed that the little slab is worth approximately ten thousand gold coins. Turning to Ark, he stated, "We currently have seven vials of fourth-order Snow Wolf blood essence and one vial of sixth-order Giant Sea Snake blood essence. Together, they total six thousand seven hundred gold coins."
Ark's expression remained impassive as he replied, "Use the remaining value to provide as many third-order blood essence and high-grade nourishment elixirs and herbs as possible."
The manager nodded quickly, impressed by his decisiveness. The attendants worked swiftly, carefully packaging the blood essence, elixirs, and herbs. One of them stepped forward and said, "Sir, we can arrange for these items to be delivered to any location in the city for your convenience."
Ark shook his head. Instead, he extended his left hand over the boxes of goods. In an instant, they vanished into thin air.
The manager's eyes widened in shock, and the room fell silent. Then, as realization dawned, his thoughts raced. 'A storage artifact?' Such items were unimaginably rare. Even among the wealthiest merchants, he has only heard about them but never seen one.
The manager composed himself, masking his astonishment with a polite bow. "Thank you for your patronage," he said smoothly, though his thoughts lingered on Ark's left hand. His curiosity burned as he noted the two rings adorning it: a purple one on his thumb and a black one of similar design on his little finger. Both appeared unremarkable at first glance, but now they shimmered with an air of mystery.
Without a word, Ark turned and left the pavilion, his cloak billowing faintly behind him. As he disappeared into the crowd, the manager and attendants exchanged uneasy glances. They all shared the same thought: this enigmatic figure was no ordinary man.
A detailed report quickly made its way to Miora, the manager of the eastern branch of the Golden Divine Merchants Group. The report stated that the mysterious man who had left behind the enigmatic Nox-engraved coins at the Divine Fragrance Palace had also visited the Divine Trade Pavilion and purchased goods worth a staggering ten thousands gold coins. He paid with a single piece of Arcanium metal and finally he used what appeared to be a storage artifact to collect the goods.
Upon reading the report, Miora's expression grew serious. Storage artifacts were exceedingly rare treasures, typically taking the form of pouches or bags unearthed from the ruins of ancient civilizations. Countless forgers and researchers throughout history had attempted to replicate these artifacts, but the intricate knowledge and mastery of the elusive space element rendered such endeavors futile. No artificer or craftsman had ever succeeded. Yet, according to the attendant's account, the man had not relied on a bag. Instead, he had simply hovered his left hand over the goods, causing them to vanish into thin air.
The details about the rings on his hand were intriguing. Miora mumbled to herself, "Could it be… a ring-shaped storage artifact?" Miora murmured.
Another report was placed on the desk, this time identifying the boy who had accompanied the man at the Divine Fragrance Palace. Miora skimmed the first few lines before speaking aloud.
"Mizan Librium," she said, testing the name on her tongue. "What do we know about him?"
One of her aides, a bespectacled young man named Oran, stepped forward, holding another set of papers. "The boy's background is… unconventional, my lady. Shall I summarize?"
"Do," Miora said, leaning back in her chair and gesturing for him to continue.
Oran adjusted his glasses. "Mizan comes from humble origins. His mother passed away five years ago due to illness. His father, a soldier, died years earlier on the western region border. Since then, he's been living with Isaac Madden."
"Isaac Madden?" Miora arched an eyebrow. "I don't recognize the name."
"He's not particularly notable," Oran said, his tone even. "Mizan's mother was adopted as a newborn by Madden's parents. Technically, they were raised as siblings, but there's no blood relation. From what I gather, Madden took the boy in—either out of obligation or sentiment." He paused briefly, then added, "Isaac Madden, by the way, is the son-in-law of Desmond Lightward, the head of the Lightward Merchants group."
"Lightward?" Miora asked.
"Just a third-rate merchant group that operates locally," Oran replied with a dismissive shrug.
Miora tapped her fingers on the armrest. "Go on."
"Mizan was accepted into Luna Ray Academy as a child," Oran continued. "He showed signs of an awakened ability—making objects lighter or entirely weightless. It caught the attention of the academy's professors at first. But… his progress has stagnated."
"How badly?" Miora's voice was sharp, her eyes narrowing.
"Badly enough that he's on the verge of expulsion," Oran replied. "The academy considers him untalented and not worth further investment."
Miora's gaze shifted to the report, her fingers still drumming rhythmically. "An ability to make objects weightless… Intriguing indeed. What of the man in the black leather coat? Any ties to Luna Ray Academy? Maybe he's a hidden old monster of theirs?"
A young woman stepped forward, her long brunette hair cascading over her shoulders, her green eyes steady and focused. Dressed in the uniform of Luna Ray Academy, Leia inclined her head. "We've found no evidence of any connection, Lady Miora. There's nothing in the academy's registries, nor any mention of an affiliation."
"No connections at all?" Miora's voice dropped, carrying a note of suspicion. "Not even through the merchants or nobles who sponsor the academy?"
Leia shook her head. "None. He's a complete enigma."
"An enigma," Miora repeated, her tone thoughtful. She turned her gaze to Oran. "What do you make of this?"
Oran paused, carefully choosing his words. "If I'm being honest, even with our connections and intelligence network, uncovering something the academy is determined to keep hidden will be a challenge. Whether that man is truly tied to the academy or not remains uncertain."
Miora leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table as she steepled her fingers beneath her chin. Her expression was thoughtful, but her tone carried an edge of caution. "I agree. If he truly is a hidden master of the academy, then everything aligns. Perhaps it's best we don't pry any further. Withdraw the people monitoring him. Offending someone like that would only invite unnecessary trouble."
Oran's brow furrowed. "And Mizan?"
Miora's gaze shifted to Leia, her voice steady with authority. "Leia, you'll keep an eye on him when the new semester begins. There's something about that boy... He might be more significant than we realize."
Leia gave a curt nod. "Understood. I'll make sure to keep you updated on anything noteworthy."
Miora rose gracefully, smoothing the folds of her gown as her gaze drifted toward the window. "Prepare the carriage," she instructed her assistant. "I need to continue my inspection tour of the Golden Divine Merchants' properties. Our next stop is Silverglade City."
"As you command, Lady Miora." Oran bowed slightly before turning to relay her orders to the staff.
Just as she reached the door, Miora paused and glanced back over her shoulder. "One more thing."
The aides halted, their attention snapping to her.
"Make sure to continue the Investigation on the origins of the Nox-engraved gold coins," she said, her voice calm but firm. "As one of the top merchant groups, uncovering their source should be well within our capability, don't you think?"
"Understood, my lady," Oran replied without hesitation.
With a final nod, Miora swept out of the room, her thoughts already racing ahead to Silverglade City.