The Flare Cycle in Astoria seemed brighter than usual, but for those standing before "The Cinders' Den," the black building looked as if it were swallowing the light. The rumors that began as whispers in the markets had transformed into a torrent of questions within the corridors of power.
Inside the shop, the atmosphere was different. There was a silence broken only by the low hum of the capsules—until the door opened to admit the girl who had been seen on the rooftops the previous night.
She wore garments of pale gray silk, and her white hair cascaded like a silver waterfall. She carried no sword or spellbook; instead, she cradled a musical instrument resembling an ancient "Lyre." Her eyes were pale, as if she saw specters invisible to others.
"The place lacks a melody," she said, her voice like the vibration of strings. "The souls inhabiting those machines cry out in silence, and I have come to play their requiem."
Leon lifted his eyes from the System statistics.
[Unique Customer Detected: Lyra, Singer of Souls. Status: Outcast from the Musicians' Guild.]
"We don't play tunes here, Lyra," Leon said coldly. "Here, we play the symphony of survival. 15 Magic Stones if you wish to hear the sound of your own death."
Lyra placed a small pouch of rare Magic Stones on the counter. "Death is the only note that does not lie." She headed toward the fourth capsule, which was vacant, leaving behind a scent reminiscent of dried roses.
While Lyra was beginning her first journey in Lordran, the outside world was far from quiet. Suddenly, the ground beneath the shop shook, and a massive aura of golden Mana completely enveloped the alley.
The door burst open violently, and three men entered wearing white robes embroidered with threads of pure gold. Leading them was Elder "Arkan," one of the masters of the High Magic Tower. He carried a staff radiating energy capable of melting steel.
"Enough of this folly, merchant!" Arkan's voice thundered, causing the crystal screens to tremble. "This place operates outside Imperial law. Your technologies are tainted with Dark Mana, and we are here to confiscate these machines and arrest you on charges of magical heresy."
Leon did not budge from his place. He was wiping a marble cup with provocative indifference. "Confiscation? The shop is within official business hours, and any attempt to disrupt the customers' experience is considered a violation of the establishment's policy."
Elder Arkan laughed mockingly. "Establishment policy? I will show you what the power of the Tower does to your policy!" He raised his staff, gathering a massive amount of Mana to blast the counter where Leon sat.
At the moment the spell was about to launch, everything froze. Not just the magic, but the air itself became so heavy that the three masters fell to their knees as if mountains had been placed upon their shoulders.
[System Alert: Overt aggression detected within the shop.]
[Activating Defense Protocol: Sovereign Domain (Level 1).]
Leon's eyes changed. They were no longer black, but a pale gray resembling the fog of Lordran. He stood up slowly, holding the small dagger he had used on the spy.
"I warned your companion yesterday," Leon said, walking toward Arkan, who was struggling to breathe. "In this shop, I am the law. Your Tower Mana is nothing but noise here."
With a simple gesture from Leon's hand, threads of black Mana erupted from the shop floor, coiling around the masters' necks. They were not killing them, but slowly absorbing their magical energy, causing their faces to turn pale.
"Leave," Leon said, his voice resonating in their bones. "And tell your lords at the Tower... if you want power, pay the price as customers. But if you want war, you will find nothing here but your graves."
In the blink of an eye, the Sovereign Domain hurled them out the door, leaving them sprawled in the alley amidst the astonishment of passersby and the guards waiting outside. The door slammed shut behind them with force, and tranquility returned to the shop as if nothing had happened.
While this conflict was occurring in reality, Lyra was undergoing a unique experience inside the game. She didn't fight monsters with a sword; instead, she used a "Cleric's Bell" she had found at the start. She cast "Miracles" that relied on Faith.
On the screen above her capsule, everyone watched in awe. Lyra did not attack with violence; she moved with a musical rhythm, dodging the strikes of the Undead as if dancing to an unheard note. When she cast "Lightning Spear," it launched the exact moment the monster opened a gap in its defense.
"She turns combat into a song," Myra whispered, having emerged from her capsule to watch Lyra's screen. "Look at how she breathes... she follows the rhythm of the game itself."
Lyra did not die in her first thirty minutes—an achievement not even Baros had managed. She possessed an innate "Perception" that allowed her to sense ambushes before they occurred.
Leon sat behind the counter once more. He felt a strong pulse in his hand; the Covenant of Stability was glowing quietly. The Sovereign Domain had drained a portion of his energy, but he felt that his physical toughness had risen another degree.
[First Arc Progress: 7%]
[System Note: The Tower's aggression has increased the shop's fame (Infamy). Expect high-ranking customers soon.]
Leon looked at the five occupied capsules: Baros, Rakan, Kayan, Myra, and Lyra. These were the vanguards of his new army.
"The Tower will not remain silent," Leon thought. "But next time, the System won't need to intervene. My customers will be the ones protecting a den that gave them the life the false light stole from them."
At the end of the day, Lyra emerged from the capsule, placed her lyre against her chest, and looked at Leon with a mysterious smile. "I have found the melody, Shopkeeper. It is the tune of 'Cinders that Never Sleep.' I will return tomorrow to complete the composition."