Miranda straightened.
Then she spoke, her voice suddenly elegant and dramatic, like a noblewoman reciting poetry.
"Flame and passion, sealed into crystal," she murmured. "Two equally perfect gems."
Violet didn't respond to the praise.
Inside, she was already warning herself.
Don't talk too much.
Don't get excited.
Don't act suspicious.
She leaned back slightly, making her voice casual, as if those rubies meant nothing.
"I need something else."
Miranda's gaze sharpened. "Please tell me."
Violet folded her hands. "I want medicine for knight training. The kind my sister uses."
Miranda nodded immediately.
"You mean Mana Condensate?"
Violet gave a small nod. "Yes."
Miranda smiled, professional again.
"Our auction house can provide primary Mana Condensate Potion at ten gold coins per bottle."
She paused, then lifted her coffee cup and took a sip, as if they were discussing the weather.
"However, I should warn you. Primary grade has heavy residue. Many people feel discomfort after taking it. Some injure their bodies."
Violet's brows furrowed. "Then what do they do?"
"Most trainee knights use it for one month," Miranda replied, "then stop for one month. They let their bodies recover."
Violet asked again, direct and sharp.
"And the effect?"
Miranda didn't hesitate.
"The best method is five bottles in one month. If used properly… that month of training becomes equal to two months."
Violet's eyes narrowed.
Useful.
But not unbelievable.
"Is there a better one?" she asked.
Miranda's lips curled into a faint smile.
"Of course."
She lifted one finger.
"Intermediate Mana Condensate Potion. Five bottles per month, with a rest period of half a month. Five bottles equals roughly four months of training."
Then she lifted a second finger.
"And high-grade Mana Condensate. Only three bottles per month. That month of training becomes equal to five months."
Violet's breathing paused.
Even she couldn't stop her eyes from widening slightly.
That wasn't speeding up training.
That was rewriting someone's fate.
Miranda noticed her reaction and laughed softly.
"Don't look at me like that. Our Fort Brightforge branch only has intermediate right now, fifty gold coins per bottle. High-grade is usually only sold at the headquarters."
Violet didn't ask the headquarters price.
She didn't need to.
If intermediate was fifty, high-grade would be something only nobles could swallow without choking.
Fort Brightforge didn't have many people who could afford it.
Even Rowena, heir of Raven Castle, used the cheap primary version.
Miranda hesitated, fingers tapping lightly against her cup.
Then she leaned forward, lowering her voice.
"Lady Violet… there's something else you should know."
Violet's expression grew serious. "I'm listening."
Miranda looked at her carefully.
Then spoke gently.
"The alchemists at headquarters say long-term use of Mana Condensate makes it harder to become a formal knight."
Violet froze.
"…Harder?"
Miranda nodded.
"Yes. Primary, intermediate, high-grade, it doesn't matter. They all leave residue inside the body. The more you take, the more residue builds up. When you attempt to break through to formal knighthood… that residue becomes an obstacle."
Violet's eyes turned cold.
Not toward Miranda.
Toward the entire system.
So that was the price.
Speed now.
Trouble later.
Like steroids back on Earth. Faster gains, hidden damage. And when it mattered most, the body betrayed you.
Violet looked at Miranda, and for the first time her voice carried sincerity.
"Ms. Miranda… thank you. That information matters."
Miranda's expression softened slightly, as if relieved that this young girl understood.
But Violet didn't stop.
"Is there any medicine without that harm?"
Miranda smiled faintly, but envy flashed through her eyes.
"There is."
She leaned back, her tone quieter now, like she was speaking of something almost mythical.
"Master-grade Mana Condensate."
Violet's heart jumped.
Miranda continued, voice half-admiring, half-frustrated.
"It's produced only by Master Alchemists. Yield is extremely low. Even a master can only make around ten bottles per year."
Violet felt her scalp tingle.
Ten bottles per year?
That wasn't medicine.
That was treasure.
Miranda went on.
"Those bottles don't truly enter the market. They are gifted to relatives, friends, or purchased directly by nobles and royal families. Masters already know who will pay."
Then she smiled with pride.
"However, Blue Moon Auction House has its own Master Alchemist. Every year, our headquarters auctions five bottles publicly."
Violet's voice came out low. "And the price?"
Miranda's lips curved.
"Over one thousand gold coins per bottle."
Violet didn't blink.
One thousand gold coins.
The number didn't feel real.
It felt like a fairy tale.
Miranda delivered the final blow, her voice almost reverent.
"One bottle can save a trainee knight nearly one full year of training."
Violet's fingers slowly clenched.
If she didn't have the cube, she would've laughed.
She would've trained slowly. Safely. Patiently.
Her talent wasn't bad. She had reached first-level trainee in two months with almost no resources.
At twelve years old, she had time.
She could afford patience.
But now…
Now she had a way to make money.
A way that felt almost unfair.
And suddenly, one thousand gold didn't feel impossible.
It felt like a target.
A goal.
A shortcut worth chasing.
Violet's gaze sharpened.
Then she spoke calmly, like she was ordering bread.
"Give me fifty-four bottles of primary Mana Condensate."
Miranda blinked. "Fifty-four?"
Violet nodded. "Yes."
She paused, then added.
"And with the remaining money… can I buy a hand crossbow?"
After the Shadow Leopard attack, Violet no longer believed in safe roads.
This world didn't care if you were a noble's daughter.
She had survived because she stayed calm.
And because she got lucky.
Luck wasn't something you relied on.
Equipment mattered.
She couldn't buy armor. Not yet.
She couldn't buy a flashy sword either. That would attract eyes she didn't want.
But a hand crossbow…
That could be hidden.
That could kill.
That was perfect.
Miranda studied her for a moment, then stood.
"Wait here."
She left the room.
Violet sat quietly, sipping the last of her coffee.
Her mind stayed calm, but inside she was calculating again and again.
If six gold coins could become six hundred…
Then this wasn't just about training anymore.
This was about rewriting her fate.
A few minutes later, Miranda returned with a large wooden box and a weapon wrapped in cloth.
She set both on the table.
"Here."
She opened the box first.
Inside were dozens of potion bottles arranged neatly, pale liquid shimmering faintly in each one.
Then she unwrapped the weapon.
A hand crossbow.
Gray limbs. Gray handle. Even the string looked gray, dull and lifeless. The grip had ugly pits, as if gemstones had been ripped out.
Violet picked it up.
Light.
Balanced.
Comfortable.
Even through the dull color, the craftsmanship was obvious. It felt solid, sharp, like a predator disguised as a rock.
Violet looked up, suspicious.
Miranda pouted slightly, amused.
"It's second-hand," she admitted. "The gemstones were removed. Only the crossbow remained."
Violet glanced at the pits again.
So that was why.
Miranda continued, smiling.
"A dwarf-made hand crossbow costs at least five hundred gold coins when brand new. This one is boutique quality, but the owner stripped it, and the color isn't popular. That's why it stayed here so long."
Violet didn't hesitate.
"I'll take it."
Miranda looked pleased and pushed the potion box toward her.
Then she placed a small bundle of bolts beside the crossbow.
"Five bolts," Miranda said. "Consider it a small gift."
Violet paused.
Then nodded. "Thank you."
Miranda's voice softened.
"You're still young. Be careful with those potions. Don't overuse them."
Violet's tone was serious. "I won't."
That calm answer made Miranda believe her. This girl didn't have the reckless arrogance most young nobles carried. She listened. She thought.
That was rare.
Violet stood, taking the box and crossbow.
"Thank you again, Ms. Miranda."
Miranda smiled warmly. "You're welcome, Lady Violet."
*
Violet left the auction house with fifty-four bottles of Mana Condensate hidden in her pouch, a dwarf-made hand crossbow under her cloak, and five bolts secured beside it.
The sun outside was bright.
The streets were noisy.
But Violet's heartbeat was steady.
She had entered Fort Brightforge as a trainee knight.
She was leaving as someone carrying a secret capable of shaking the world.
*
On the second floor of the auction house, behind a tall window, Miranda stood quietly and watched Violet disappear into the crowd.
Her smile faded into something softer.
Something lonely.
She hugged her arms lightly and whispered to herself.
"She's about the same age as my sister…"
Her eyes stayed fixed on the street for a long time.
Two years.
Her younger sister had been gone for two years.
And Miranda still hadn't received a single letter.