I stepped out of "Grandpa Toma's Forge," my heart thrumming with the thrill of victory.
I had `[9,849 gold, 7 silver]` in my `[Inventory]`, a B-Rank magical rapier that was a perfect match for my growing skills, and a cheap, plausible decoy sword wrapped in cloth under my arm. My `[Deceive]` skill was now D-Rank. This was, by all measures, a perfect, flawless run.
I paused, looking at my `[Status]` screen. `[MP: 50/50]`.
My first objective was complete: get a weapon and money. My second objective was to find a way to use this mana bar. Miki had always said magic was the true source of power in `Radiant Crown`. I needed a spellbook.
I was about to head to the Oakhaven book market when a roar went up from the town square.
"It's them!"
"They're back!"
"It's the 'Aegis of the Sun'!"
A massive crowd was parting, people cheering and throwing flowers. Through the sea of commoners, a party of four adventurers walked with the easy, confident stride of the powerful.
My System instantly began to tag them.
First was a dwarf built like a stone wall, his beard braided with steel rings, a massive tower shield on his back.
`[TARGET: Garrus "Ironwall" (The Indomitable) - Lv. 45]`
Next was a lithe, sharp-eyed woman in dark leather, her face half-hidden by a high collar, two daggers at her hips.
`[TARGET: Ellen"Shadowfoot" (The Silent) - Lv. 43]`
Beside her was a woman in flowing white robes, a glowing staff in her hand, who was smiling and waving at the crowd.
`[TARGET: Seraphine (The Radiant) - Lv. 42]`
And leading them all was the hero. He was tall, with a wild mane of bronze-colored hair. and bright, clear blue eyes that crinkled at the corners as he smiled. He wore enchanted blue robes over his armor, and a staff crackled with latent magical energy on his back.
`[TARGET: Jean Alef (The Sun-Blessed) - Lv. 50]`
I knew him.
My blood ran cold, but this time, it was with pure, calculating opportunity. Miki's voice echoed in my head, a rant from a long-dead past:
"Jean Alef! The dumbest, most naive 'prodigy' in the entire game! He's the S-Rank guild leader of 'Aegis of the Sun,' and his party is his whole life. They're 'family'. But guess what? In the 'Dragon's Grave' main quest, they all betray him! They steal the 'Eye of the Void Dragon'—this super rare C-Rank artifact—and leave him for dead. He survives, but the artifact's curse shatters his mana core. He goes from `[Lv. 50]` to... well, nothing. He's a magic-less, broken man. That's when he becomes a tutor at the Elusian Royal Academy, just to make a living. And that's where the heroine, Felicity, finds him. She 'heals his broken heart' and 'believes in him,' and he becomes her personal magic instructor. It's so cliche!"
My eyes locked onto Jean.
He will be my magic teacher.
Not some dusty, F-Rank `[Fireball]` spellbook from a market stall. Him. The heroine's future mentor. A Level 50 Archmage who was, at this very moment, at the absolute peak of his fame and power... and about three months away from the biggest, most predictable betrayal of his life.
Why wait for the heroine to pick up the pieces?
I couldn't recruit him now. I was a seven-year-old, and he was a celebrated hero. But I could set a flag. I could plant a seed.
He was a classic "hero" archetype, which meant he had a crippling weakness for "the weak."
He and his party were walking right past me. Jean, ever the people's champion, paused to pat a small, star-struck child on the head.
This was my chance.
As he turned from the child and took a step, I activated `[Deceive (D-Rank)]` and threw myself forward, aiming for his legs. It was a perfect, pathetic, seven-year-old "trip," my arms flailing.
I tumbled right into his path.
"Whoa there, little one!"
His reflexes were lightning-fast. He didn't even look surprised, just amused, catching me in a strong, steady grip before I could hit the cobblestones. He lifted me up, and I was suddenly face-to-face with him.
His blue eyes were kind, confident, and completely naive.
"Are you alright?" he asked with a warm, heroic chuckle.
I didn't cry. I didn't act scared. I just looked him dead in the eye, my crimson hair framing my small, serious face. I let him see an intensity that didn't belong in a child's eyes.
"The brightest sun casts the darkest shadows, Mr. Jean," I whispered, my voice just loud enough for him.
His smile faltered. His brow furrowed in confusion. "...What?"
"Be careful," I said, my voice flat. "The 'Eye' isn't worth it."
I saw the jolt go through him. He knew what I was talking about. The "Eye of the Void Dragon" must have been their current quest.
"Jean?" the rogue, Ellen, called, her voice sharp. She had stopped and was looking back, her eyes narrowing suspiciously at me.
Jean, flustered, quickly set me down. "What a... strange little girl." He gave me a quick, pat on the head, his hero-persona back in place. "Stay safe, now."
He turned and rejoined his party, Ellen giving me one last, piercing glare before they were swallowed by the adoring crowd.
I stood there, a small, seven-year-old girl in a cheap cloak, a faint smirk on my face.
The seed was planted. If he is smart enough ...he will prevent being betrayed.
I didn't need to find a spellbook. I just needed to be in Oakhaven in three months, right outside "The Griffin's Hoard," when the news of his betrayal broke.
A broken, magic-less, `[Lv. 50]` Archmage would make the perfect personal instructor for a "talentless" sidekick. Felicity Gracewell could find her own damn tutor.
I watched Jean Alef and his doomed party disappear into the cheering crowd, a cold, satisfied smirk playing on my lips. The seed was planted. Whether he was smart enough to heed the warning or naive enough to ignore it, the outcome would benefit me. Three months. That was the timeline.
Now, for the immediate future: magic. My `[MP: 50/50]` bar felt like a locked treasure chest. I needed the key—spellbooks. The Oakhaven market was famous for its rare book stalls. Time to invest some of my ill-gotten gains.
I turned from the town square, pulling my hood lower, and plunged back into the bustling chaos of the market district. Stalls selling everything from exotic spices to questionable enchanted trinkets lined the cobblestone streets. The noise was overwhelming, a cacophony of shouting merchants, haggling customers, and crying children.
It was perfect cover.
As I navigated through the throng, scanning the stalls for anything resembling a bookstore, a flash of bright color caught my eye. Ahead, near a stall overflowing with vibrant silk ribbons, stood a girl about my age. She was dressed in a ridiculously cheerful, ruffled yellow dress that screamed "money," her rich orange hair—the color of a setting sun—done up in bouncy twin tails.
`[TARGET IDENTIFIED]`
> Name: Rosalie Vanya (Baron's Daughter) - Lv. 2
She was completely engrossed, her attention fixed on the ribbons, oblivious to the small, grimy hand snaking out from the crowd behind her, reaching for the plump coin purse hanging at her waist.
A pickpocket. A classic market hazard.
Normally, I wouldn't have cared. It wasn't my problem. But... an idea sparked. An opportunity.
'An excuse to be here,' I thought. 'A local connection.'
The pickpocket's fingers were just brushing the leather of the purse.
Without a second thought, I acted.
`[Skill: Quickstep]`
To the surrounding crowd, it must have looked like I simply tripped over a loose cobblestone. I "stumbled," my small body lurching forward with a pathetic yelp (`[Deceive (D-Rank)]` activated!), bumping hard into the back of the young pickpocket just as his fingers closed on the purse strings.
"Oof!" he grunted, stumbling forward. The purse slipped from his grasp, falling to the ground with a soft thud.
He spun around, his eyes flashing with anger, ready to curse out the clumsy idiot who'd ruined his score. He saw me—a small, red-haired girl picking herself up off the ground, looking terrified.
He hesitated. Causing a scene over bumping into a child would draw too much attention. With a final, venomous glare, he spat on the ground and melted back into the crowd.
It had taken less than two seconds.
The girl in yellow finally noticed the commotion. She looked down, saw her dropped purse, looked at me as I "dusted myself off," and her eyes went wide.
"Oh my goodness!" she gasped, rushing over and scooping up her purse. She then immediately turned to me, her face a whirlwind of concern and excitement. "Thank you! You saved me! That boy, he was trying to... wow! You just bumped right into him! Was that on purpose? Are you okay? You fell kind of hard!"
Her words came out in a breathless torrent. She grabbed my hands, her own surprisingly warm, and started checking me for scrapes.
"My name is Rosalie Vanya!" she chirped, her warm hazel eyes sparkling with energy. "What's yours? Oh, I love your hair! It's like sunset!"
`[TARGET: Rosalie Vanya - TRUST: 30 (GRATEFUL)]`
`[TARGET: Rosalie Vanya - AFFECTION: 25 (FRIENDLY)]`
Well, that was easy.
"I... I'm Silvie Briar," I mumbled, pulling my hands back and looking down, playing the part of the shy, overwhelmed child. "I just... I tripped. It was an accident."
"An accident that saved my allowance!" she giggled. "You have to let me thank you properly! My family's shop, The Vanya Emporium, is just down the street! Papa always keeps fresh lemon cakes in the back! Come on!"
She grabbed my hand again, her grip surprisingly strong, and started pulling me through the crowd before I could even formulate a polite refusal. Not that I wanted to refuse.
`[NEW QUEST GENERATED: 'The Merchant's Gratitude']`
> Objective: Accept Rosalie Vanya's invitation.
> Reward: Establish a legitimate reason to visit Oakhaven. +50 Social EXP.
> Failure: Lose a valuable potential ally and cover story.
'Accept,' I thought, letting myself be towed along by the orange-haired whirlwind.
The Vanya Emporium was exactly what it sounded like—a large, elegant shop filled with expensive silks, imported jewelry, and rare crafting materials lining tall shelves behind glass. A stern-looking man with Rosalie's orange hair (though his was receding slightly) and sharp hazel eyes—Baron Vanya—was overseeing the clerks.
"Papa!" Rosalie announced, dragging me forward. "This is Silvie Briar! She saved me from a pickpocket! Can we give her cake?"
Baron Vanya looked down at me, his stern expression softening slightly as he took in my plain dress and (fake) shy demeanor. "Briar?" he murmured. "Ah, yes. Baron Theodore's girl. Heard you were visiting the capital." He looked genuinely grateful. "My deepest thanks, Lady Silvie. Rosalie can be... distracted. Please, accept our hospitality."
He ushered us into a comfortable back room filled with plush chairs and the scent of cinnamon. True to Rosalie's word, there were lemon cakes.
As Rosalie chattered non-stop about ribbons, Oakhaven gossip, and how boring it was being stuck in the shop all day, I mostly just nodded (`[Skill: Nod]` finally getting some use) and ate cake.
But my mind was working. This was perfect. Rosalie was lonely, talkative, and completely non-threatening. Her father was influential in the merchant community and saw me as a "polite young lady." This was my alibi. My ticket back to Oakhaven whenever I needed it.
'And the shop itself...', I thought, my eyes flicking towards the doorway that led back to the main floor. 'Rare crafting materials... Could be useful later. Especially if I start learning alchemy from Thomas... or need upgrades for gear.' Miki had mentioned crafting systems in the game, though she usually found them tedious. Having a direct line to a supplier couldn't hurt.
"You have to come visit again, Silvie!" Rosalie declared as I finally managed to make my excuses an hour later. "It's so boring here! We could explore the market together!"
"I... I would like that, Lady Rosalie," I said, giving her my best shy smile.
"Just Rosalie!" she insisted. "We're friends now!"
`[QUEST COMPLETE! 'The Merchant's Gratitude']`
`[REWARDS GRANTED: Legitimate reason to visit Oakhaven established!]`
`[+50 Social EXP!]`
I stepped back out into the bustling street, the wrapped decoy rapier under my arm. I had money, a real weapon hidden away, a future magic teacher lined up, and now, a perfect cover story with potential fringe benefits.
All before lunchtime.
Time to find that book market. And then, back to Hemlock's cart before sundown. My three-month countdown had begun.