"We're finally back."

Alec said as he opened the door to their room, his voice carrying both relief and satisfaction.

The sound wasn't loud, but it echoed like a small announcement that their day had finally come to an end.

"Yay!"

Poof!

Blake immediately jumped on his bed with zero hesitation, the mattress bouncing slightly under his weight before he laid flat like a starfish.

His arms spread out, his legs dangling lazily off the side, as if he wanted to merge with the softness of the sheets and never get up again.

"Lying down after walking around the marketplace for hours is relaxing."

He mumbled, his eyes closing halfway while a calm smile tugged at his lips.

"True, I can't argue with that."

Alec replied with the same relaxed tone as he sat down on his own bed. He leaned back on his palms, letting out a slow exhale that seemed to carry away the weight of the entire day. A smile crept onto his face too, reflecting that he completely agreed.

"..."

"..."

Tap- Tap- Tap-

Tap- Tap- Tap-

Raven and Curtis didn't say anything. They moved without a word, each heading straight for their beds.

Neither bothered commenting, their silence saying more than words could. Both of them simply wanted to rest.

The quietness they carried with them was heavy but also comforting, like a familiar habit after a long day.

Then at that moment—

"Anyway, I'll be checking all the items I bought, you guys probably will do the same— so let's all talk later after that."

Blake suggested, sitting up slightly and glancing at the others. His tone carried a bit of excitement, like a kid wanting to unwrap gifts after a long trip, already itching to go through the things he had collected.

"Oh, you said something smart, that's new."

Curtis responded flatly, his tone sharp as a blade. He didn't even look at Blake, his eyes focused instead on taking out the things he had purchased from his spatial storage. The sarcasm was obvious, almost biting, but his expression didn't change in the slightest.

"Hmm, did you happen to buy something that increases your intelligence and perception?"

Raven added without missing a beat, his voice calm but carrying genuine curiosity. He too pulled out his own items from his spatial storage, laying them neatly on the bed with methodical movements.

"Haha..."

Alec just laughed lightly, shaking his head at the exchange. He didn't bother interfering, enjoying the usual banter among his friends. It was normal by now, and he found a bit of comfort in that.

"You guys are harsh, you know that?"

Blake mumbled with an exaggerated frown and smile. But Raven and Curtis just shrugged their shoulders at the same time, acting completely unbothered by his complaint.

They didn't say anything else after that.

Though Blake wasn't really expecting a reply from them anymore anyway. He already had his eyes on the items on top of his bed.

So, with a small smile, he sat up straighter on his bed—

Swoosh~

Then he also began looking through all the items he had bought earlier in the marketplace, piling them one by one in front of him with care.

And with that, the four of them became completely absorbed in their things. Each of them leaned forward, brows furrowed in concentration, eyes shining with curiosity as they browsed through their new items.

The atmosphere of the room shifted— from the heavy silence of exhaustion to the kind of excitement seen in children who had just been given brand-new toys to play with.

(Aoi, Eve, and Adelle are also doing this in their room. Jeanna is just watching them curiously from her side of the room. She doesn't really want to approach them because of their fame and status, but at the same time, she isn't afraid either— only distant. The only reason she feels at ease at all is because they're Raven's friends.)

*****

(Raven's POV)

I bought a few items back at the marketplace. Nothing too extravagant, just some things that caught my interest while we were walking around.

Like a pair of black gloves that never get dirty, no matter how much filth you expose them to. And if you pour mana into them, their weight changes, increasing little by little. They're called [Obsidian Hands]. Apparently, they can weigh up to 50 kilos at maximum.

I thought about using them for training, but when I compared them to my [Training Bracelets], the gloves didn't really stand a chance. Those bracelets can grow far heavier than just 50 kilograms. Still, they're decent.

Especially their function to always stay clean.

Anyway—

I also got an interesting broom. Not just any broom, but one that cleans by itself if you infuse mana into it. It'll keep sweeping and dusting until the mana completely runs out. A lazy person's dream tool, honestly.

'My dorm back at the academy is always clean because it cleans itself using magic... but maybe I can give this broom to my parents.'

I thought to myself.

Then I also got a pendant that prevents stains, grime, and even curses from clinging to the wearer.

And finally, a bracelet that channels cleansing mana into the body of whoever wears it, constantly purifying small impurities.

'I'm planning to give the pendant to Keara and the bracelet to Ruby. I couldn't find anything for Levina... so I guess I'll just cook more for her.'

I muttered in my head as I was organizing the items on my bed.

"Hmm, on second thought, I think I'll buy her something... It doesn't even need to be an artifact. A blue ribbon hair tie that matches her hair color might be a good idea."

I mumbled, realizing it would feel unfair if Levina received nothing at all.

"Her hair is always messy whenever she's in her human form. Keara always fixes it for her."

I added softly, smiling faintly as memories of the three of them surfaced in my head.

Moving on, I also got this—

=====

[Aetherveil Earring]

-Enhances mana control and focus of the wearer.

=====

Its appearance is elegant, shaped like a teardrop being pulled downward. The tear itself is made of obsidian-black metal that gleamed faintly under the light. It looked refined, almost mysterious.

I admired it quietly in my hand. Then, without further ado—

'Having only one earring, the [Cat's Earring], looks a bit weird.'

Psh-

I went ahead and wore it on my left earlobe!

I didn't have a piercing there, so just like when I got the [Cat's Earring], I made one myself. This time, I channeled mana into the hook part of the [Aetherveil Earring], letting it slide in easily.

No blood spilled this time either.

SWOOSH~

To test it out, I immediately formed a ball of mana in my right palm.

"Ohh..."

It was noticeably easier. My mana flowed cleaner, smoother, and faster. The control was sharper, and I could sense every little movement of it within me.

It was amazing.

"Haha, I really got a lot of good items."

I whispered, the corner of my lips rising slowly as satisfaction welled up in me.

Then—

"..."

My eyes wandered toward the last two items I hadn't touched yet.

I saved them for last, after all.

One was the book containing the [Dominating Darkness Sword Technique]. The other was the brooch with a massive black gem at its center, the one that had strangely drawn my attention earlier.

Curiosity filled me as I looked at them.

'But I already know what the book is about. There's no need to check it now.'

So instead—

Fwip-

I reached for the brooch, feeling its cold weight against my palm.

"I can't feel anything from it."

I muttered after a moment of silence.

[Same here.]

Sariel appeared and said that.

"Appraise it."

I ordered him calmly.

And just a second later— a system window appeared in front of my eyes.

Swish~

=====

[Crest of the Hidden Monarch]

-While worn and unactivated, the brooch completely erases the wearer's aura.

-When the wearer chooses to release their aura, the brooch amplifies it, doubling its intensity and turning it into a fearsome display.

=====

"..."

I was silent as I read the description.

My eyes widened a little, and my body stiffened.

The description... I liked it a lot.

"Haha..."

A weak laugh slipped from me, almost uncontrollably. And without wasting another second—

Fwip-

I pinned the brooch on my shirt! I wanted to try it right away!

But as soon as I wore it—

Fwoosh~!

=====

[Emperor's Aura] is reacting to the artifact. The skill is using it as an instrument to evolve!

=====

A new system window appeared in front of me and told me that!

"Huh?"

I blinked in surprise. Then—

SWOOSH~

=====

[Emperor's Aura] leveled up!

This skill will double its effects when you're wearing [Crest of the Hidden Monarch]!

=====

The message followed immediately before I could even process the first one.

And right after that—

FWIP-

I felt my aura vanish!

It was completely gone, as if erased from existence. No trace remained to be felt.

And in that exact moment—

"Huh?!"

"Wha-?!"

"...?!"

Alec, Blake, and Curtis all turned sharply toward me.

Their eyes widened, confusion and shock painted across their faces.

I could tell they wanted to bombard me with questions. Honestly, I wanted answers myself.

So in my head—

'Sariel... What the hell is going on?'

I asked that with a serious tone.

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