A soft laugh escaped Nyssa, brief and musical. Her eyes lingered on him longer than before, as if searching for something beyond the surface. Then, her tone shifted.. gentle but sure. "Come with me," she said. "You'll need proper healing before those wounds start scarring. My chambers are close by."

Eran nodded once, quietly with a smirk. The air between them seemed to hum as they began walking side by side through the inner hall. The corridor was dim, lit only by the blue-white glow of mana torches that cast long shadows across the walls. Their footsteps echoed in rhythm—hers light and graceful, his heavier, slowed by exhaustion.

The corridor's faint hum faded as they stopped before a narrow door. Nyssa placed her palm over the rune-plate and whispered a short incantation. The seal dissolved with a soft glow, and the door opened into a quiet, candle-lit chamber.

It wasn't grand.. no marble columns or velvet curtains, only simple shelves, a single crystal lamp, and a faint trace of incense clinging to the air.

Nyssa stepped in first, glancing over her shoulder. "This isn't my real chamber," she said, her tone almost apologetic.

"You know I'm from Grade C. My quarters are far above the east wing. I only stayed here for the duel.. assigned as part of the judging panel. So…" she smiled quietly, "…no mana pulse circle here. But I can still treat you. My own mana will do."

Eran's gaze drifted toward her, eyes sharp even through fatigue. "I didn't think you were chosen among the jurisdiction members for our duel."

Nyssa turned halfway, the soft light catching the edges of her silver hair. "It always happens," she replied simply. "When a final duel is arranged, higher-grade nobles are selected as temporary jurisdiction members to record and evaluate the results. It keeps the outcome fair."

"I see," Eran murmured, brushing his chin with his fingers as her words settled. So that's how the hierarchy balances itself, it must be exactly how she said it. But on the other hand, Selene hadn't been bothered because it was quite normal. Perhaps if he had only known sooner, he would have asked Selene about it earlier. Either way, there's nothing wrong, though.

He exhaled quietly, shifting his weight as his eyes returned to Nyssa. For all her composed grace, there was something warm about her presence.. kind, deliberate, and easy to flow with, despite her veil of discipline. Her stare was cold, calm, and unreadable.

A low smirk tugged at his lips. If I'm right… his thoughts whispered. She'll be the first I test this new skill on.

Nyssa's eyes lingered on Eran for a heartbeat. With a graceful motion, she slid her glasses down by the tip of her fingers and set them aside. Her gaze, now unshielded, was softer but searching.

"Hm," she murmured, "you always smile… I'm curious.. why do you always?" Her voice lowered, almost teasing. "You don't seem hurt, despite those wounds."

Without words, Eran immediately knew he had the chance he needed. As if summoned by his thoughts, his system flared to his vision.

DING!

SYSTEM NOTIFICATION!.

[VEIL OF MURMUR ACTIVATED]

[Effect: Your words carry hidden persuasion. Targets are more likely to reconsider their thoughts, even when they wish to ignore them.

Bonus: Emotional reaction chance increased.

Conquest Reward: On first encounter, success grants an instant Rank Up and additional +250,000 EXP, aside any other rewards.]

The numbers burned faintly across his vision, like a divine promise waiting to be surged. That alone was enough to push him beyond his current limit.. close to Rank V. He thought.

Then, without wasting a moment further, Eran knew this was the perfect chance.. a test for his new rank-up and the 'Veil of Murmur's effect'.

With that teasing calm in his voice, he looked up at Nyssa, who stood a few steps away from him.

"I guess," he began lightly, "I don't have to feel hurt when I'm with you."

Her expression shifted.. just slightly, but enough to catch. Her lips parted as if to protest or correct him. Before she could, Eran's tone softened, almost reverent.

"I mean… having a great and elegant noble so close to me, especially one with promised healing abilities… how could I not be stunned? It's excitement, I suppose... that's why I smile, even when it hurts."

For a moment, silence filled the chamber. Nyssa's eyes locked on him, her lips still parted. She felt it.. a warmth crawling beneath her skin, an unfamiliar shiver that made her chest tighten. It wasn't from his words alone, but something in the way he said them. Something that reached beneath her calm surface and unsettled the still water there.

For the first time, she felt that strange flutter rush through her—not for a peer, not for a fellow noble, but for a commoner. The thought alone left her stunned.

Her cheeks flushed faintly red, the air between them thickening with something neither could quite name. Below, Eran brushed a hand through his hair, with a calm smirk ghosting across his lips as the system pulsed faintly in his vision.

His vision flickered faintly, with the soft buzz of his system pulsing at the corner of his sight.

Ding!

SYSTEM NOTIFICATION!

[VEIL OF MURMUR: effect initiated.

Countdown activated: {... (04:59)}

Target Name: Nyssa Halewind

Emotional reaction heightened: 40% / 100%

Pride state: Flustered.

Desire Level: increasing...]

Eran's gaze deepened, a quiet smirk tugging at the edge of his lips.

Of course, he thought. So it worked.

He was genuinely surprised by how quickly the effect had taken hold, far more efficient than Whisper of Suggestion. While the former played upon reason and persuasion, Veil of Murmur was entirely different. This one reached into the emotional current of its target, amplifying subtle reactions, feeding on unspoken tension. It didn't just twist thoughts... it awakened them.

As the seconds ticked down in faint, glowing digits before his eyes, Eran could already feel the shift in Nyssa's composure, the slight tremor in her breath, the warmth rising through her cheeks.

Countdown remaining: {...(04:26)}

His smirk widened calmly.

If this was how it started, then perhaps this new skill was more than a simple test. It was the key to unlocking everything he intended from this encounter.

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