Magnus made his way down the street and reached the entrance to Hisel's shop. As he stepped inside, the bell above the door rang, drawing the attention of a few customers browsing the shelves. Their gazes lingered just a moment longer than usual, curiosity sparking in their eyes.
He quickly spotted Celia and Tola standing in front of a mannequin displaying a dress. As soon as they saw him approaching, both looked up, and Celia gave him a slight smile.
"What took you so long? Did that idea I gave you actually work?" She asked.
Magnus paused for a moment, pretending to think it over, before nodding with a small, smug grin.
"Believe it or not... it did. I can now send things to the void beyond the fabric of space. Teleportation, basically." His tone was casual, almost indifferent, and it didn't take long for Celia and Tola to exchange glances, narrowing their eyes at him as though trying to figure out if he was serious.
"You know..." Tola started, "We can't tell if you're joking or not. And considering you've known Celia for so long now, and I've only talked to you like... what, four times? That's a little worrying."
Celia tilted her head, agreeing.
"Yeah, you're definitely a bit off on this one... Are you serious?"
Magnus gave her a look that clearly communicated his confusion at her doubt, then nodded.
"Of course I am. When have I ever lied about my abilities- Okay, fine, forget I said that. Anyway, I'll explain it to you later. So, what are you two doing with this dress?" He pointed to the mannequin.
The dress was simple, a long-sleeve, off-white blouse with puffed sleeves and a matching laced bodice. Three belts cinched the satchel around the hip, and the skirt, a muted grey, reached the ankles with subtle embroidery along the hem. It wasn't fancy, nor would it be suitable for a special event, but it was a practical piece—something that could be worn both indoors and out, sturdy yet stylish. Plus, it seemed versatile enough to be paired with different footwear.
"Yeah, Tola and I were thinking about getting it, but..." Celia's voice trailed off as she glanced at a folded paper at the base of the mannequin, showing the price. Fifteen silver crowns. It wasn't as much as Magnus's custom clothes, but still, it was a significant amount—more than she was used to or willing to spend.
"Aren't you making a lot of money off me, though?" Magnus asked, referring to the fact that Celia was getting paid extra for being his maid. Celia let out a half-serious sigh.
"Yeah, but not enough for something like that," she said, almost as if asking herself.
"Back when I worked at the Major General's Villa, the other maids and I made about thirty silver crowns a week."
She glanced over at Tola, who responded with a casual shrug.
"Thirty, thirty-five, these days."
"Yeah, well, most of that goes to things like rent, food, and practical clothes for the season. You can only save a few silver crowns a month. It's decent pay for the job, but most of the maids are just saving up enough to switch careers before they get too old to keep working. Honestly, it's only after my pay went up that I've been able to think about retiring young. And I don't plan on spending that savings on a dress I don't need. Tola and I can just find something else," Celia explained. Listening to her, Magnus realized he'd almost forgotten that Celia didn't live in his dorms, despite how often she was there.
I guess I've been living pretty privileged since I got here. Always having food and a place to sleep. There's no fridge in this world, so you have to buy fresh food all the time. Clothes wear out fast, and I can't even imagine what the rent's like.
In the end, Celia and Tola had completely different lives, he knew nothing about. A lot of people around him did, even the guards at the gate of Takerth Academy. So, after a moment, Magnus decided to put a bit of that privilege to good use.
"Alright, how about I buy the dress for you two?" He offered.
Celia and Tola stopped, staring at him with wide eyes.
"Huh?" Celia asked, while Tola mirrored her surprise.
"What? I'm the one who said you could come along, and I've handled most of what I needed to do today, so why not?" Magnus shrugged.
Celia raised her hands, waving them in the air.
"No, Magnus, it's fine. You don't have to do that."
"Yeah, we're tagging along, it's not like you invited us. I'd feel bad if you spent money on us," Tola added, looking uncomfortable. Not to mention, Magnus was younger than both of them.
Feeling that familiar sense of rejection he had gotten when talking to Jerel not too long ago, Magnus insisted.
"Oh, come on, I'm offering here. It's not like I'm going to go broke or anything," he said, making the offer clear.
"But didn't you say you were the poorest student at Takerth Academy?" Tola asked, raising an eyebrow.
Magnus glanced at her, then smirked.
"Well, the poorest billionaire is still richer than the richest millionaire." His words didn't seem to have the intended effect, though.
Tola looked at him, confused, then leaned in to whisper to Celia, "What's a billionaire? And a millionaire?"
Celia shrugged, whispering back, "I don't know. He uses weird terms sometimes. I think they're from his homeland or something."
Magnus let out a short groan and rolled his eyes.
"I've come into some money lately, so it's really not a problem. Now, come on, pick out your dresses or whatever."
The realization that Magnus wasn't going to let this go settled in with them.
"I mean... if he's willing-" Tola started, but Celia cut her off.
"Tola! Really?"
"What? He's offering!" Tola shot back, and Magnus agreed.
"That's true, I am," he said with a grin.
Looking between the two of them, Celia seemed caught in the middle, her mouth opening as if to say something, but instead, she just sighed softly.
"Well, you said dresses, plural, so..."
Magnus chuckled when he heard Celia's words. He waved his hand at them.
"Yeah, yeah, go ahead. Get it out of your systems."
"In that case," Tola said, grinning as her eyes lit up, "I did see a hat on one of the mannequins near the window. It would totally go with one of the outfits I have back home."
"Oh, I saw that one too," Celia added, her hesitation shifting.
"But I'm more interested in the ribbon that was next to it." Any signs of false disinterest were slowly vanishing now that she and Tola had basically been given free rein to pick out whatever they wanted.
Within seconds, the two girls were off, moving freely around the shop. Magnus watched them for a moment, a small smile tugging at his lips, then made his way to the front of the store and leaned against the counter, not far from a customer who seemed to be waiting. He ignored the occasional glances the customer shot his way, clearly curious about his appearance, until the sound of footsteps on the wooden stairs caught his attention.
"Sorry about that, had to dig through a few of my drawers to find it, but this here's the color you were lookin' for, right, hon?" Hisel appeared, descending the stairs in her usual working outfit, a spool of bright, strawberry-pink thread in her hand. As soon as the female customer saw it, her face lit up, and she nodded eagerly.
"Yes, that's perfect! Can you use this for the embroidery?" She asked, her eyes bright as Hisel set the spool down and crossed her arms.
"Well, I can't use this exact thread, but I got somethin' real close. It'll be a bit thicker, though, if you don't mind that," Hisel explained, going over the minor adjustments to the order. As she spoke, she glanced over at Magnus, flashing him a quick smile and a gesture to wait for a bit.
Back on the ground floor, the customers who had been waiting began lining up at the counter, while the ones just browsing started to leave. The only ones still actually shopping were Celia and Tola, who seemed to be debating between two nearly identical items.
Hisel worked quickly, getting through her customers in just under twenty minutes, leaving only her and Magnus at the counter.
Leaning forward, she rested her elbows on the counter.
"Hey, Magnus. Sorry about the sudden call, but I needed to talk to ya."
"It's no problem. Hope you don't mind I brought the two of them along. They wanted to go shopping," Magnus said, pointing back at the girls without turning around.
"Hmm, course not. Always good to have new customers—and potential regulars. Plus, it gives us time to talk business," Hisel replied, narrowing her eyes slightly as she shifted from leaning on her elbows to placing both hands firmly on the counter.
"Right, you did call me here for business. So, what's going on?" Magnus asked.
"Well, there's good news and bad news. The Aurivale Galleria, the place I mentioned, the big fashion market where a lot of businesses come together? Well, after I signed up and showed 'em the clothes I made from your designs, they loved 'em. Never seen anything like 'em before. They were so impressed, they wanna give us a prime spot in the buildin', which usually gets a lot of foot traffic—Wait, I'm gettin' ahead of myself. I didn't explain how it works. These fashion markets rotate businesses every year, as long as the new business shows more potential for profit."
Magnus nodded, following along.
"That all sounds good, so what's the problem?"
Hisel paused for a moment, uncrossing her arms and rubbing the back of her head as she let out a sigh.
"Well, the issue is that there are limited spaces for businesses in Aurivale Galleria. It's a big building, but still. So when a business gets in, they have to put a lot of money into making their spot stand out—renovations, decorations, that sort of thing. Being part of Aurivale Galleria makes that a lot cheaper, since they've got the right connections and offer benefits to all the stores participating—whether it's raw materials or extra hands. But they also ask for a down payment, just in case things don't work out. The problem is, I wasn't expecting us to get a prime spot. I've got the money for the down payments and the materials to get started, but the amount I'll need to renovate and change up the design..."
To put it simply, it was a lot. More than Hisel had available. She went on to explain that normally, this wouldn't be an issue—if they couldn't afford a prime spot, they'd just take a regular one. But in this case, that wasn't an option. As unique as Magnus's designs were, there was no precedent for them. So, the people at Aurivale Galleria decided the only way to succeed was to put the clothes front and center—one of the first things people saw when they walked in, not tucked in the back or on some higher level of the building. They were taking a risk, so of course, they wanted to maximize their chances of success.
If Hisel couldn't afford that, they'd have to keep things as they were. Not that many new clothing businesses were popping up with the state of the kingdom as it was.
"Alright, so basically... the whole business plan you had to make us money is turning out to need more than you expected to get off the ground?" Magnus summed up, raising an eyebrow. Hisel's face reddened slightly, and she let out a sharp breath, clearly embarrassed.
"Yeah... I know, it's not the ideal news I was hoping to bring you. I'm still trying to see if I can come up with the money somehow before Aurivale Galleria takes back their offer. Even though it's their fault things are messed up, I'm still stuck. But even cutting into my savings and shifting money around from the initial quota of materials I planned to open with, I'm nowhere close. That's why I was wondering if you'd mind if we delayed the whole thing if I don't manage it this year? I can promise I'll be able to pull it off next time if we miss our window now. But I get it if you don't feel comfortable extending the contract that much," Hisel said, her voice carrying less hope than usual, her usual excitement faded.
At that moment, Magnus heard footsteps from behind him. He glanced over to see Celia and Tola heading toward him, both carrying a bunch of items in their arms.
"Jeez, you two did not hold back at all, did you?" Magnus commented, causing them to stop.
"Oh, is this too much?" Tola asked, looking down at the fabrics draped over her arms, and the hat perched on her head.
"I told you it was too much; we should've stuck to those first three," Celia chided her, shaking her head.
"Relax, it was just an observation. You can get them, I don't care." Magnus waved them off, then turned to Hisel.
"As for the money, how about I just give you what you need?" He tapped a finger on the counter, and with a flash of light, something massive materialized out of thin air on top of it. The object solidified, revealing itself to be a wooden chest, about the same width and length as Magnus's torso, maybe a little smaller.
Reaching out to flick open the latch, which was already unlocked, Magnus said, "This has around fifty thousand silver crowns and fifty golden marks. That should cover everything you need to get started, and whatever those two are trying to buy."
The chest was open now, shimmering with an amount of wealth that none of them could truly comprehend. Hisel's eyes went wide as she stared at the chest, her gaze flicking between it and Magnus as she tried to find the right words.
"Ma- Magnus, I can't accept this... It's too much. Way, too much. I wouldn't even be able to pay you back all of... this..."
"Hmm, oh, yeah, no need for that," Magnus replied casually, causing looks of disbelief to swarm him from all sides—from Hisel, as well as Tola and Celia.
Looking at Celia, Magnus raised an eyebrow.
"Why are you so surprised? You of all people should've figured it out by now." He held out his hand over the open chest, glittering with coins, and formed a small cup shape with his fingers.
"Money, really, doesn't have any value to me anymore." As Magnus spoke, everyone watched in awe as, seemingly out of nowhere, golden marks began to materialize in his hand one by one, as if bubbling up from some unseen gap in space. They spilled out of his palm into the chest, continuing until he turned his hand to the side, letting the remaining coins fall inside with a soft clink.
"See? I can create as much money as I want, so it doesn't really matter what I give away. The only real issue is I don't know if this is illegal or not. So, instead of our original deal, how about you just keep all the money, and I use your business as a cover? A convenient excuse for why I have so much in the first place, if anyone asks."
The thought hit Magnus the moment he gained the ability [Restoration].
The difference between someone who couldn't create things from nothing and someone who could was massive. For him, there was no such thing as limited resources; whether something was finite or infinite, it was all up to him. Whether it was the currency of nations, weapons, tools, or even a meal or snack he particularly enjoyed, it was all just a mental wish away. With that in mind, how could Hisel's business offer have the same value to him as it once did? Now, the only real use he could see for it, was for it to act as a cover to avoid drawing attention with an ability that could shatter economies.
Standing there, still holding the items she'd picked out, Celia's realization hit her, and she said quietly, "Oh... right."
•
"What did you just say?" The words that escaped from Austra's lips were as cold as the body she seemed to inhabit.
In the faint candlelight casting long shadows and barely illuminating the dark room, the vampire near the door kept his head lowered. He refused to meet Austra's piercing gaze, which seemed to cut through even the blackness surrounding them. The bed she was on was grand, with canopy curtains draped on either side, their shadows flickering like a play in the dim light.
Austra was holding a woman, though not in the way one would hold a lover. The woman's mind was clouded, nothing but the slow, labored breaths and subtle shifts of her body against the sheets showing that the blood slowly staining the pillow beneath her was giving her nothing but pleasure. But the feasting had stopped now. Austra licked her lips as the vampire who had spoken to her repeated himself.
"The two scouts we had stationed on one of the northeastern paths leading back to Arlcliff City have gone missing. We've tried communicating with them, recalling them, but all attempts have failed. According to the Ravens' reports, the time of their disappearance lines up with the sudden reappearance of our target, my lady. He was described as having two orbs, each containing something, by his side when he returned. We're not sure if they're dead, or merely sealed, but either way, they've most likely been compromised, and by extension, our plans..." The vampire spoke slowly, as if every word were a spark that could ignite something beyond his control.
There was a long silence as Austra's fingers dug deeper into the soft flesh of the woman beneath her, both their clothes draping over their forms instead of being worn properly.
Based on what I saw of that human, Magnus, it shouldn't have been possible for him to defeat one of my scouts, let alone two. Even if they weren't born naturally, they were fully realized Nightborns. Did he get help from the Archmage who interfered last time? It's possible, though the reason I targeted beyond the city was to avoid drawing the academy's attention in the first place.
Narrowing her eyes, Austra's grip tightened on the woman in her arms.
No, that's irrelevant right now. If my Lord finds out I've not only failed but lost two Nightborns I'll be punished again, and probably worse. The boy needs to be dealt with immediately, even if it stirs trouble within the city.
With that in mind, she spoke firmly, "Call back all the Nightborn scouts we have stationed in the Verdant Woods. There's no point in them staying there when our prey is within the city walls. They are to follow a new order. Remain at their posts, continue their duties as usual, but be ready to mobilize at a moment's notice. Alert the Ravens to contact us the moment the boy is alone and there are few witnesses. They are to kill him swiftly and silently, no matter how many they need to send."
The vampire stood silent, absorbing her words, the weight of her command settling in.
For a Hierarch to mobilize every Nightborn under her command... just what kind of human are we dealing with here? This is unheard of.
He questioned nothing, simply responding, "It will be done, Lady Austra."