The black-haired boy in a long robe had been standing in front of the magic card counter for a full quarter of an hour.
If not for the Solmar Royal Academy emblem pinned to his chest, the shop owner would have driven him out with a single look.
Judging by his appearance and bearing, he looked like the child of some noble family. Was he here to buy magic cards?
Please don't let him be like that rural lord's son from two days ago, suddenly declaring, "I'm the son of a baron—give them to me for free!"
That would never work. Even if you were a prince, it still wouldn't.
"Blank magic cards," the boy finally said. "How much?"
"Five silver coins each."
"What about ten?"
"Forty-eight silver coins."
"And one hundred?"
The shop owner studied the boy's face for a long moment, as if judging whether he was serious. Only then did he answer slowly:
"Four hundred and fifty silver coins."
"And more than a thousand?"
The owner raised an eyebrow. Such a big appetite—was he here to buy in bulk? The shop didn't even have that many in stock.
"For orders over a thousand, four silver coins per card."
The owner felt this was already the lowest price in town and smiled confidently.
"Boss," the boy said, "I'm a student of Solmar Royal Academy. Let me buy on credit."
"Ah—absolutely not!"
...
After being politely but firmly escorted out, Ethan Wright walked along the road back to the academy.
His mood was complicated.
It wasn't because the shop owner had refused to let him buy on credit.
Rather, this entire month had been filled with a strange mixture of sweetness and bitterness.
On the morning of the first day of the month, he had woken up to discover something new inside his mind—a system.
[Monster Card Creator]
For every monster he killed, he could use its essence to create a monster card.
Even more astonishing was this: collect ten cards of the same tier, and they could be fused into a higher-tier magic card.
At first, he didn't believe it. But the semi-transparent interface kept flashing before his eyes, and in the end, he bought a blank magic card and went into the nearby forest to test it.
It was real.
After killing an unlucky goblin, he successfully created a one-star monster card: [Goblin Attendant].
Just as he was brimming with ambition and ready to begin his grand card-making journey, he discovered that he only had three silver coins left—nowhere near enough to buy even a single blank magic card.
Not long after, he received a letter from his hometown—Charleshire, in the southwestern province of the kingdom.
The letter was long. The beginning was filled with concern for his studies and his well-being.
The middle portion described the many difficulties at home: the kingdom's taxes, the cost of raising children, servant wages, and his expensive tuition and living expenses.
In summary, Ethan had already turned eighteen. His share of the family inheritance had been completely used up on his education and living costs. From now on, the family would not send him even a single copper coin.
The letter was signed: "Your loving sister-in-law."
The handwriting was unmistakably hers.
As for whether it was also his brother's intention—that was far more ambiguous.
The youngest son of a rural knight, orphaned of both parents, stabbed in the back by the brother he trusted most.
Well—life had to move forward.
Ethan comforted himself.
At that moment, on the academy's main training field ahead of him, stood a striking red-haired lady.
Her full figure was faintly outlined beneath a white silk robe, yet her exquisite face showed no expression at all.
"Isn't that Miss Giselle Moore?"
Ethan was about to greet her, but then remembered that they weren't particularly close.
Still, she should remember him. After all, they were from the same hometown.
Charleshire was the fief of the Moore Marquis family.
His father had once been a knight under House Moore.
As the only magic apprentice from Charleshire in the academy, Giselle had even invited him to a meal at the start of term.
"That's Miss Giselle and Sir Finn! It really is the two of them!"
A slightly excited female voice rang out from the nearby crowd. Only then did Ethan notice that a tall blond man was standing in front of her.
Handsome, upright, and elegant.
Almost as impressive as me, Ethan thought approvingly.
"Miss Giselle is so beautiful! Even without any expression, she's still stunning!"
"Sir Finn just looks like a normal guy. He's not that much better than me!"
Another voice, this one male and tinged with disdain, chimed in. The two speakers slowed their steps, stopping to watch.
"Stop flattering yourself. Sir Finn was once the youngest professional in academy history. Have you even advanced to a profession yet?"
"He's just the son of a rural knight. I'm the son of a baron!"
Their unconsciously raised voices attracted more and more strolling students. Some slowed down, others stopped completely, joining the growing crowd.
"Miss Giselle is the second daughter of Marquis Moore, and that still didn't stop their engagement!"
"Hmph. Miss Giselle will see his true colors sooner or later. He's just a sanctimonious country bumpkin!"
The pair continued chatting loudly as the crowd swelled. Soon, nearly half the outer ring of the training field was packed with students of various races.
"You're just jealous, future Baron. Don't conveniently forget that you're still only an apprentice."
"Sir Finn is the youngest holder of the Mithril Medal at the Turing Tournament of the Silver Alliance! At only twenty, he's already a level-five Arcane Knight!"
"Hmph—"
With a heavy snort, the voices abruptly stopped.
Not because they had suddenly learned manners, but because the two people standing at the center of the field had finally begun to speak.
"Sir Finn, I am now formally declaring to you on behalf of my family…"
Giselle's exquisite face remained expressionless. Her voice was ethereal and icy, and the moment she spoke, it felt as though the temperature around them dropped sharply.
As her words slowly fell, the surrounding students held their breath, listening intently.
The blond youth across from her met her gaze calmly, his expression unruffled.
"Our engagement was jointly proposed for annulment by the family elders yesterday, and in the end…"
"The head of the family has approved the proposal."
"Therefore, our engagement has now been officially terminated."
As her words ended, the crowd exploded.
"They really broke off the engagement!"
"That's great! I have a chance to pursue the beautiful Miss Giselle again!!!"
"Hearing it in person is indescribable. Even if I told my roommate now, he'd think I'd gone mad!"
Exclamations, shrieks, and cheers erupted all at once. The Solmar Royal Academy training field was now louder than the Queen's Avenue market on a fair day.
Even the couple who had been gossiping earlier were visibly shocked. No one had expected to hear such earth-shattering news in such a public place.
All eyes converged like a blade, its tip pointed straight at the man in the center of the storm.
Finn's blue eyes were deep and still, like a dark pool that reflected neither sun nor moon.
He looked once more at the woman before him. The beautiful daughter of a marquis stood there, yet between them lay an unbridgeable abyss.
The coldness in her eyes made her stance unmistakably clear.
"Very well. I understand."
Finn paused briefly.
"Then, from this moment on, I will pursue you again."
He lifted his head, a warm smile still on his face.
For the first time, a faint twitch appeared at the corner of Giselle's mouth.
Clearly, words like these were not enough to deter him.
She lifted her slender, fair neck and scanned her surroundings. Her gaze swept across the crowd before finally landing on a black-haired boy.
"I'm sorry, Sir Finn. There's something I forgot to tell you…"
"I already have a boyfriend."
At that moment, Ethan was listening with complete focus, utterly unaware that the beautiful marquis's daughter was walking toward him.
When a pair of fair, slender arms gently wrapped around his left arm—until his shoulder brushed against a soft, elevated fullness—he finally reacted.
"This is my boyfriend," she said.
"A talented young mage from my hometown, Charleshire. A first-year student of the Arcane Division—Ethan Wright."
The moment her words fell—
Ethan raised his left hand and pointed at his own nose. Under the stunned gazes of countless students, his eyes were filled with disbelief.
This explosive relationship was news to him as well.
"Me???"