Chapter 58
The female staff didn't waste time.
The moment the system flagged the two high-tier cores, she immediately stepped away from the glass counter.
"Please excuse me," she said quickly, maintaining composure but clearly prioritizing urgency.
She moved through the circular corridor of the merchant facility at a brisk pace, her footsteps echoing softly against the stone-metal hybrid flooring. The ambient lighting shifted as she passed, merchant wards recognizing staff clearance and opening pathways without delay.
Ahead, just beyond a short connecting hall, she could already see the consultation area.
Luckily, it was close.
Head Merchant Rume Ironbark was still there.
He stood in conversation with Professor Caelum Verdanis near one of the side review stations, both of them positioned beside a floating data panel displaying transaction flow summaries and academy merchant reports.
Rume's thick arms were crossed as he spoke, his deep voice steady as usual, while Verdanis listened with calm focus, occasionally adjusting the data display with small, precise gestures.
Their discussion paused the moment they noticed the staff approaching quickly.
Rume raised an eyebrow.
"That's not your usual pace," he said.
The staff stopped a few steps away and bowed slightly.
"Head Merchant Rume, Professor Verdanis," she said, slightly out of breath but composed. "We have an urgent matter in the transaction chamber."
Rume frowned slightly.
"Define urgent."
The staff straightened and activated her handheld interface, projecting the detection data into the air between them.
Two large energy signatures appeared instantly.
Chimera-class core.Basilisk-class core.
Both stabilized but extremely dense, still carrying residual pressure signatures that caused the display to distort slightly at the edges.
Professor Verdanis' expression changed subtly.
Rume's did not, at least not outwardly, but his eyes narrowed just a fraction.
"…Level three hundred range cores," Rume muttered.
The staff nodded.
"Yes. Presented by Client 72119770."
That made both of them pause.
Professor Verdanis turned slightly.
"Nille," he said quietly, as if confirming the name internally.
Rume let out a short exhale through his beard.
"Well," he said, folding his arms tighter. "That's not something a first-day student casually walks in with."
The staff hesitated only briefly before continuing.
"The smaller cores are already under standard valuation processing," she explained. "But these two require direct head merchant authorization due to classification and containment risk."
Rume glanced toward Verdanis.
The professor didn't speak immediately.
Instead, he looked toward the direction of the transaction room, the same direction Nille was waiting.
After a moment, he spoke calmly.
"Bring me to him."
Rume grunted once.
"No objections there."
The staff nodded immediately.
"Yes, Head Merchant."
She turned and led them back toward the transaction chamber.
As they walked, the corridor felt slightly heavier than before, not from physical change, but from awareness. Wordless understanding that what waited inside was not ordinary student activity.
And just ahead, in the circular room filled with sealed counters, monitored systems, and glowing core displays.
The moment the door to the transaction chamber slid open, the atmosphere inside shifted.
The female staff entered first, followed closely by Head Merchant Rume Ironbark and Professor Caelum Verdanis.
The room's sealed quiet felt heavier now, as if the walls themselves recognized authority entering.
Nille had just begun to turn toward them, prepared to offer a polite greeting,
when Rume stepped forward.
Short in stature but overwhelming in presence, the dwarf moved directly in front of Nille without hesitation. His boots struck the floor once, firmly.
A faint pressure of spiritual energy leaked outward from him, not an attack, but an instinctive probing force, like a craftsman testing the integrity of raw metal.
His sharp eyes locked onto Nille.
No delay.
No softness.
Just blunt suspicion.
"Did yer steal those core lads?" Rume asked.
The question landed heavily in the room.
The staff tensed slightly.
Even the monitoring interface seemed to pause for half a beat, as if waiting for the answer.
Nille understood immediately.
Not anger.
Not accusation based on proof.
But assumption based on scale.
To them, someone like him, new, unregistered, late entry, should not logically possess something of that value.
So suspicion was the default.
Nille exhaled quietly.
He didn't argue.
He didn't defend with words.
Instead, he chose clarity.
His spiritual energy began to move.
At first, it was subtle, like pressure shifting in still water.
Then it expanded.
Controlled.
Refined.
Not explosive, not chaotic, but structured, layered, and deliberately revealed.
His presence filled the space just enough to be noticed, not enough to threaten.
The air around him felt… measured.
Professor Caelum Verdanis reacted instantly.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
As an elf, his sensitivity to spiritual fluctuation was precise. He could feel the shift in density, the refinement in control.
And what he sensed made his expression change, just barely.
This was not beginner output.
Not even standard awakened-tier stability.
It was something far more unusual.
Rume's gaze sharpened further as he felt it too.
The dwarf didn't move, but his stance subtly adjusted, less accusatory now, more analytical.
Nille spoke calmly.
"I did not steal them."
No emotion. Just fact.
Behind him, the scarf activated silently, processing internal integration status.
CORE ABSORPTION COMPLETE: 559 MINOR CORE BEADS, EXCLUDING CHIMERA CORE + BASILISK CORE, INTEGRATION FINALIZE SPIRITUAL RANK UPDATE: LEVEL 16 → LEVEL 18
The scarf confirmed it internally.
His foundation had changed.
Not dramatically in outward appearance,
but structurally.
Professor Verdanis' expression tightened slightly as he registered the unnatural progression speed.
"…That level of refinement," he murmured, barely audible.
Rume crossed his arms.
"So ye're tellin' me," the dwarf said slowly, still watching Nille carefully, "that a new student just walks in, carries level-three-hundred cores, and doesn't steal 'em."
Nille met his gaze directly.
"I obtained them myself."
No exaggeration.
No justification.
Just statement.
A brief silence followed.
Rume Ironbark exhaled slowly, the pressure in the room easing just slightly as he shifted his stance away from confrontation.
"Lad," he said gruffly, though his tone had softened, "calm down. I'm not here ta harm ye."
His eyes stayed on Nille, but the hostility was gone now, replaced with scrutiny.
"You just showed us ye've got the power to pull somethin' like this off. I only wanted to be sure."
He folded his arms.
"Stealin' cores isn't exactly unheard of on this island. There's still plenty o' scrupulous bastards lurkin' around."
At that, Rume's gaze flicked sideways toward Professor Caelum Verdanis.
"Yer better keep this situation under control," he said bluntly. "He's your student, aye?"
Professor Verdanis gave a calm nod.
"Yes," he replied without hesitation. "He is under my class supervision."
It seemed like he was about to ask something further when the female staff stepped forward slightly, hesitation visible in her posture.
"Professor Verdanis… there is something else," she said carefully.
Rume turned his head slightly.
"What now?"
She glanced at Nille once before continuing, te staff spoke to Professor Verdanis confirming his full lineage background.
"His family name… it registered in the system under restricted lineage flags."
The air in the room tightened again.
Professor Verdanis' expression changed subtly.
He immediately stepped away from the conversation with the female staff, and headed toward Rume and approached him directly.
"Old friend," Verdanis said quietly, his tone more personal now, "let's refrain from escalating this further. For now, we handle the immediate matter first."
Rume studied him for a moment, then gave a short grunt.
"Aye. Fine."
He turned back toward the staff and Nille.
"Process the two high-tier cores," he ordered. "Value 'em properly. And pay the lad."
Then, after a brief pause, he added:
"But keep this off the general staff records. No need for unnecessary noise."
The female staff quickly nodded.
"Yes, Head Merchant."
Rume's gaze shifted back to Nille.
Then, unexpectedly, he asked:
"Do ye trust her ta handle yer merchant transactions properly?"
The implication was clear.
A personal handler assignment.
Nille nodded once.
"Yes."
Rume gave a short approving sound.
"Good."
He turned slightly toward the staff member.
"Then she's promoted."
The woman froze.
"…I'm sorry?"
Rume didn't repeat himself.
"Staff Silver level. Effective immediately. Ye'll be his official merchant handler."
The room went quiet.
The female staff's eyes widened in disbelief.
Copper rank staff promotions were slow, structured, heavily evaluated over long periods,
Silver level was not something casually assigned.
Her voice came out slightly unsteady.
"H-Head Merchant… I, I don't understand. This is too sudden."
Rume crossed his arms again.
"Ye handled a level-three-hundred core report without panic," he said simply. "And ye didn't ask stupid questions. That's enough for me."
" and from the looks of this, this lad will be selling more amazing stuff now , after this event, that type of a person that doesn't backdown will bring more trouble and wealth to my business.
He grunted once.
"Take it or don't. I don't care."
She stood there for a moment longer,
then bowed deeply.
"…I will accept the responsibility."
Professor Verdanis watched quietly, then shifted his attention back to Nille.
The system was no longer just processing a transaction.
It was adjusting roles.
Adjusting access.
Adjusting hierarchy.
And somewhere in the background, the academy's structured order had just moved, slightly, but unmistakably, because of a single student standing in a sealed merchant room.
The newly promoted staff member moved with sharper focus now.
She stepped behind the glass counter and placed her gloved palm flat against its surface. At her touch, the runic interface beneath the glass lit up in layered patterns, recognizing her updated clearance.
A section of the curved wall behind her shifted.
Stone and metal parted seamlessly, revealing a concealed compartment, an automated carrier container built directly into the inner structure of the Rune Forge Merchant system. It extended outward with a low mechanical hum, guided by internal rails and rune-assisted motion.
"This container is now registered under your account, Client 72119770," she said, her voice steady again despite what had just happened.
Nille watched quietly.
The system here didn't just store items.
It transported them.
Secured them.
Tracked them.
The staff carefully lifted the two large cores, Chimera and Basilisk, handling them with both precision and caution. Even without direct contact, the residual energy around them distorted the air slightly.
She placed them inside the container.
The moment they settled in place, the compartment sealed automatically.
A series of internal locks engaged with a firm sequence of clicks.
Then,
the mechanism activated.
Deep within the walls, mechanical gears began to move. Not loud, but unmistakable—an intricate system working behind the visible structure. The container retracted and traveled inward through the hidden channels of the merchant facility, guided toward secured processing sectors within the Rune Forge network.
The sound faded gradually as it moved deeper into the system.
Rume Ironbark said nothing during the entire process.
He simply stood there, arms crossed, eyes steady, waiting.
Watching.
Measuring.
Only when the system confirmed containment did he speak again.
"Finish the fund transfer," he said.
The staff nodded immediately and returned to the console. The interface shifted into financial processing mode, rapidly calculating total value, standard cores, high-tier cores, and regulated conversion rates.
Numbers climbed.
Adjusted.
Finalized.
Then,
TRANSACTION COMPLETEFUNDS TRANSFERRED TO CLIENT: 72119770DEBT REDUCTION PROTOCOL: ACTIVE
The staff turned back to Nille.
"Your transaction has been completed," she said. "Funds have been deposited and partially allocated to your debt as requested."
Rume gave a short nod.
"Good."
Then he looked at her again.
"Accompany the lad to my office."
His tone left no room for delay.
"We'll wait there."
He glanced toward Professor Caelum Verdanis.
The elf gave a calm nod in agreement.
Without another word, Rume turned and began walking toward the exit, Verdanis following beside him.
The door opened.
Then closed behind them.
The room felt quieter now.
More controlled.
The staff turned to Nille, her posture more formal than before.
"Please follow me, Client 72119770," she said.
Nille gave a small nod.
"…Understood."
And with that, the two of them stepped out of the transaction chamber,
heading toward the Head Merchant's office, where the conversation ahead would no longer be about simple trade… but about something far more significant.
As the sealed door opened, the pressure of the transaction chamber faded into the quieter, structured halls of the merchant facility.
The female staff walked beside Nille, her pace steady, but her expression carried a trace of lingering tension.
After a few steps, she stopped briefly and turned to him, bowing her head slightly.
"Client 72119770… please forgive my earlier actions," she said. "I was only following Rune Forge protocols."
Nille shook his head lightly.
"It's fine."
She straightened, then spoke more formally.
"My name is Nhulla Loresong. I am a half-elf, assigned as your merchant handler moving forward."
Nille blinked once.
"…Ah," he said, almost casually. "A Tamalanhig."
Nhulla paused.
"…I'm sorry?"
There was a brief silence as she tried to process the unfamiliar term.
Nille tilted his head slightly.
"…You don't use that word?"
She shook her head.
"That dialect is unfamiliar to me."
Nille glanced at her more carefully.
"If you didn't say you were half-elven, I wouldn't have known," he added. "Your ears… they're not visibly pointy ."
Nhulla gave a small, understanding nod.
"That's normal here," she explained. "The island is under a communication and integration spell."
They continued walking as she spoke.
"It allows different races, humans, Encantos, and other beings, to communicate more naturally. Language barriers are adjusted automatically, and certain physical traits are softened or concealed unless intentionally revealed."
Nille's scarf activated quietly.
"Confirmation," it said. "Ambient enchantment detected. Linguistic and perceptual harmonization field active across the island."
Nille smiled faintly.
"…That's actually amazing."
He looked ahead as they walked.
"Coming here was worth it."
Nhulla glanced at him briefly, then continued leading the way.
As they moved through the corridor, she handed his phone back to him.
"Your transaction has been finalized," she said.
Nille took it and checked the balance.
The number had changed, but not in the way most would celebrate.
A large portion had already been redirected.
"…Fifty thousand," he murmured.
Debt payment.
What remained was small.
Barely enough for basic needs.
"…About a hundred left," he added quietly. "Two meals, maybe."
He didn't complain.
He simply accepted it.
Internally, he spoke to the scarf.
"After class," he said, "plot another hunt. Three in the afternoon… until eleven."
"Schedule updated," the scarf replied. "Efficiency optimization in progress."
Beside him, Nhulla remained silent, but her thoughts were far from calm.
She kept her composure perfectly.
But internally, she was still trying to process what had just happened.
A new student.
Level 300 cores.
Immediate promotion.
Restricted transaction.
None of it aligned with normal patterns.
Still, she said nothing.
Professionalism held.
They turned another corner, nearing the Head Merchant's main office.
That was when,
Nille's stomach growled.
Loud enough to echo slightly in the quiet hallway.
He paused for half a second.
Nhulla heard it.
She looked at him, then spoke without hesitation.
"I will arrange food for you," she said calmly. "Please don't worry about that."
Nille blinked.
"…You don't have to."
"It is part of my responsibility now," she replied. "Especially while Head Merchant Rume Ironbark and Professor Caelum Verdanis discuss your situation."
She gestured forward.
"Please continue. I will have something prepared immediately."
Nille gave a small nod.
"…Thank you."
And as they reached the office doors,
one preparing for a conversation that could change his standing in the academy,
and the other already moving to fulfill her new role,
the path ahead for Nille was quietly becoming more structured, more demanding…
and far more serious than before.
Nhulla slowed her steps as they reached the Head Merchant's office.
She stopped just before the door and gestured respectfully.
"Please proceed, Client 72119770."
Then she lowered her head once more, this time deeper, more formal, acknowledging both his position as her assigned client and the authority waiting inside.
Nille gave a small nod and stepped forward.
The door slid open.
Inside, the office carried a different atmosphere from the rest of the merchant facility.
Less commercial.
More authoritative.
The space was built in the same fusion style, arched stone walls reinforced with metal frameworks, but here, everything felt heavier. Behind the central desk were mounted relic tools, old forging hammers, and sealed containers that radiated faint, contained energy. A large rune-inscribed table sat at the center, used more for discussion than trade.
Head Merchant Rume Ironbark was already seated.
Despite his size, his presence filled the room.
Professor Caelum Verdanis sat beside him, posture composed, hands resting lightly over a closed tablet.
Both of them were waiting.
Rume looked up first.
"Lad," he said, voice steady now, no longer probing, just direct. "Come in."
Nille stepped forward fully.
The door closed behind him with a soft seal.
Rume gestured toward the chair across from them.
"Take a seat."
Nille complied without hesitation, sitting upright but relaxed.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Rume leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on the table.
"We've got a few questions," he said. "And a few suggestions, dependin' on how this goes."
Professor Verdanis added calmly,
"This is not an interrogation, Nille. Think of it as a clarification, and guidance."
Rume gave a short nod.
"Aye. Ye walked into our system with somethin' most don't see in years."
His eyes locked onto Nille again.
"Level three hundred cores… and the strength to back it."
A pause.
Then,
Rume leaned back slightly after his initial question, then exhaled through his beard as if reconsidering his approach.
"Start from the simple part," he said,
but before Nille could answer, the dwarf raised a hand.
"Actually… hold that."
His tone shifted.
Less probing.
More practical.
"Lad," Rume continued, eyes narrowing just a little, "ye've got to hide the fact that ye got those cores."
The words were blunt.
Direct.
"People around here don't take kindly to younglings runnin' around with that much power under their belt."
The room grew quiet again, but this time it wasn't about suspicion.
It was about reality.
Professor Caelum Verdanis nodded slightly, reinforcing the point.
"He is correct," he said calmly. "The academy maintains order, but not all individuals within it operate without bias or ambition."
Rume crossed his arms.
"Jealousy. Greed. Opportunists," he added. "Doesn't matter if it's a student, a hunter, or someone higher up."
He leaned forward again, voice lower now.
"Ye've already drawn attention just by selling' those cores. If word spreads, ye won't just be seen as talented."
A pause.
"Ye'll be seen as a target."
Nille listened without interruption.
Processing.
Understanding.
Professor Verdanis continued.
"This is why we restricted the transaction data," he explained. "Only a handful of authorized personnel are aware of what you brought in today. just me Nhulla and yer Professor here "
Rume gave a short nod.
"And we're keepin' it that way."
He looked directly at Nille.
"So here's the suggestion," he said. "From now on, ye don't move like someone who's already strong."
"Ye move like everyone else."
"Train. Study. Hunt, but keep it controlled. No showin' off. No unnecessary risks."
Another pause.
Then, more firmly:
"Power like yours?"
"Ye reveal it only when it matters."
Professor Verdanis added, his tone steady but thoughtful:
"And when you do… make sure it is for a reason you can stand by."
Silence settled between them again.
Not heavy.
But grounded.
They weren't questioning him anymore.
They were advising him.
Because whether he realized it fully or not,
Nille had already stepped into a level where mistakes wouldn't just affect him…
they would attract others.
Professor Caelum Verdanis folded his hands lightly over the table, his gaze steady on Nille.
"There are many students," he said calmly, "who will see you as a threat."
He let that settle before continuing.
"You are seventeen. Newly registered. And yet, based on what I have observed, no student across all four sections of your batch could realistically challenge you in direct combat."
Rume Ironbark, who had been quietly packing his pipe, paused mid-motion.
His eyes shifted toward Verdanis.
"…That so?" he muttered.
There was a hint of curiosity now, no longer just suspicion.
"Then tell me this," Rume added, lighting his pipe and taking a slow breath, "what level is the lad at?"
Professor Verdanis didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he studied Nille again, this time more precisely, focusing not on presence, but on structure.
Energy flow.
Density.
Core stability.
Then he spoke.
"…His spiritual level has already reached double digits."
Rume inhaled,
Then immediately choked.
"kgh!"
Smoke caught in his throat as he coughed hard, turning slightly to the side and thumping his chest once.
"Double digits?!" he rasped between coughs.
He glared at Verdanis.
"Ye sayin' that like it's normal!"
Verdanis remained completely calm.
"It is not," he replied, and the fact he can hid it, is already amazing ,"
Rume exhaled sharply, recovering, then stared at Nille again, this time with a completely different kind of attention.
"…At seventeen," he muttered. "Already past ten…"
He shook his head slowly.
"That's not just talent. That's… somethin' else."
Professor Verdanis added quietly:
"And his control is what concerns me more than the level itself."
That made Rume pause.
"Control?"
Verdanis nodded.
"Yes. His energy does not behave like that of a newly awakened shaman. It is refined… structured."
A brief silence followed.
Rume leaned back in his chair, pipe still in hand, eyes narrowed in thought.
"…So we've got a quiet lad," he said slowly, "walkin' around with power most adults struggle to reach… and the sense not to show it."
He looked at Nille directly.
"Ye understand why we're takin' this seriously now?"
The room settled again.
Not tense.
Not hostile.
But fully aware.
Because what sat in front of them wasn't just a promising student anymore,
It was someone who had already stepped ahead of his own generation.
Rume Ironbark leaned back in his chair, pipe still in hand, but his expression had turned serious again.
"If this gets out in public," he said bluntly, "and the Twelve Elders catch wind of it… our heads will be on the chopping block."
The room fell into a heavier silence.
Professor Caelum Verdanis, however, did not share the same concern.
"The Twelve Elders will not be the issue," he replied calmly.
Rume frowned slightly. "Not the issue?"
Verdanis continued, his tone steady.
"If they discover him, they will not punish us."
A pause.
"They will try to claim him."
That made Rume's brows knit together.
"…Explain."
Professor Verdanis folded his hands again.
"The documented students currently under half of the Elders range only between levels eleven to twelve. The remaining six… are actively seeking apprentices."
His gaze shifted briefly toward Nille.
"And Nille would be the most valuable candidate among them."
Rume let out a low whistle.
"A trophy," he muttered.
"Exactly," Verdanis said.
Then, after a brief pause, he added:
"But his lineage will complicate matters."
That caught Rume's attention immediately.
"Why's that?"
Verdanis didn't answer out loud.
Instead, he leaned slightly forward, and shifted into telepathic communication.
The air didn't change visibly, but something passed between them.
A moment later,
Rume's eyes widened.
"WHAT?!"
The outburst echoed through the room before he caught himself, lowering his voice immediately.
"…Yer serious?"
Professor Verdanis gave a slow, heavy nod.
"Yes."
Rume leaned back again, staring at Nille now with an entirely different level of awareness.
"…That explains it," he muttered.
Meanwhile, Nille sat quietly.
Listening.
Not reacting.
Acting as if he hadn't heard a thing.
But internally,
the scarf was already active.
"Environmental data collection ongoing," it reported silently. "Merchant office archives, restricted logs, and behavioral patterns are being analyzed."
At that moment, the door slid open again.
Nhulla entered, carrying a tray with simple food and drinks, warm, freshly prepared, and neatly arranged.
She moved quietly, placing the tray on the table beside Nille.
"Please eat," she said softly.
Nille nodded.
"…Thank you."
As Nille reached for the food, he spoke internally.
"If I didn't reveal anything earlier… could Professor Verdanis have assessed my power?"
The scarf responded immediately.
"No"
A brief pause.
"But not completely."
Nille continued eating slowly, listening.
"I possess the ability to fully suppress and conceal your energy signature," the scarf explained. "Up to one hundred percent."
"Only a select few individuals may perceive fragments, but even then, I can limit what they detect."
" but when you openly used it , you gave the Professor aithority to scan the level of you power, but that were is end, he cant see beyond that, you skill , you ability and spells are safe, "
"its my job to keep it hidden,"
Nille's eyes lowered slightly in thought.
"…That's good."
He took another bite, calm as ever.
"Then we continue the plan."
The scarf responded:
"Confirmed."
"Concealment of hunting activity will remain active. Optimization strategies will be adjusted."
Nille added quietly:
"…We need control. Perfect control."
The scarf paused briefly, then added something more.
"Suggestion: forming a cooperative relationship with the Head Merchant and Professor Verdanis may be actually beneficial."
Nille didn't respond immediately.
So the scarf continued:
"You currently lack leverage."
"Trust within this kind environment is limited."
A brief pause.
Then,
"It is either used… or one is used."
Nille's gaze lifted slightly.
Across from him, Rume and Verdanis were still watching.
Measuring.
Thinking.
And now,
the situation had shifted again.
Because this was no longer just about hiding power.
It was about deciding,
who to trust with it.