Despite her initial excitement about her newfound "gift," reality hit Yvanna like a cold gust of wind. Managing a stronghold's affairs was no leisurely task like fishing; she couldn't recline and surrender to the flow of time. Instead, the relentless river of responsibility threatened to sweep her into the abyss of bankruptcy.

'Wow, that came out rather poetic.'

*Sigh*

She rubbed her temples, contemplating the sticky situation she had gotten herself into. The cost of maintaining the stronghold, paying the salaries of her entourage, and ensuring the keep's functionality— the list went on and on forever. The bills were piling high, and there seemed to be no way to free herself from the impending financial doom.

'Wait, what if?'

She pondered the source of all her problems, the salaries of her entourage.

What if she takes none with her? Or at least cut the list down to a third, maybe a fourth of the numbers. Then the financial burden would considerably lighten.

But what if her father didn't agree with her?

She could always dismiss them on the way.

Then what if the soldiers refused to follow her command after seeing their companions being dismissed? They would fear that she wouldn't pay them their deserved due.

*Sigh*

Another problem with no solution in sight.

In the midst of her sighing and complaining about her situation, the Market interface kept hovering before her face.

'Well, let's think about that later."

For now, she just wanted to keep exploring this interesting interface.

{ Search: ________________ }

Yvanna stared at the empty search bar, her mind racing with possibilities. What could she search for that would help her manage the stronghold efficiently? Labor? Resources? Knowledge?

'Aha!'

{ Search: Luxurious goods }

'And press enter.'

The holographic interface flickered before a list of items categorized under 'Luxurious Goods' appeared. The options ranged from extravagant clothing and jewelry to rare and exotic items from different kingdoms. But there was something strange about it,

'Why are all these items from my world?'

The list contained items from all races, such as the dwarven kingdom's jewel works and the elven forests' enchanted items. The holy symbol of the Church of Light was also made from solid gold encrusted with a ruby and a strange assortment of bottles containing perfume from the succubus clans.

Although the variety was quite diverse, selling these to a merchant at high prices would raise some pretty suspicious eyes at her. Especially the items from the human and demon kingdoms.

'Guess that's not an option then.'

She didn't bother with the open market or the random match; they were of little to no use to her, especially after realizing the scale of purchase that takes place on these two platforms.

*Sigh*

Having explored the options in the Market, Yvanna sighed in frustration. The offerings seemed more tailored towards trading between different races and species, rather than addressing the specific needs of the merchants.

'What a letdown.'

She twisted and turned in the bed, her armor clanking with each turn, the weight of responsibility starting to dawn on her, and she was NOT taking it like a champ. The initial excitement at discovering the true extent of her 'gift' was now replaced with a sense of annoyance.

But there was still plenty to look forward to!

Yvanna sat cross-legged on her luxurious bed, staring at the holographic interface. She decided to try out something she had been meaning to explore for a while now.

She pointed her hand at the luxurious bed and muttered,

"Product Appraisal"

[Item Name: Luxurious Bed (Used)]

[Material: Blue-Barked Larch Wood]

[Durability: 90%]

[Commodity Tier: Tier 0 Luxurious Item]

[Original Price: 2 Silver Fangs]

{Current Price: 1 Silver and 3 Small Silver Fangs(Used)}

Yvanna raised an eyebrow at the results of the appraisal. The bed, though luxurious, seemed to have depreciated in value. 'Used' items usually fetched a lower price, and apparently, the Multiverse Market wasn't too keen on paying top Silver Fang for a bed someone else had lounged on.

"Hmm, not bad to know,"

she muttered to herself.

Curiosity piqued, she decided to try appraising her armor.

'Product Appraisal'

[Item Name: Polar Armor Set (Slightly Damaged)]

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

[Item Tier: Tier 2]

[Material: Frostsilver Alloy]

[Perks: {Cold resistance +25%}{Snow Stealth +50%}{Noiseless}{Defence +25%}]

[Durability: 87%]

[Commodity Tier: Tier 1 Armor]

[Original Price: 9 Silver Fangs]

{Current Price: 7 Silver and 8 Small Silver Fangs(Slightly Damaged)}

Yvanna frowned at the results.

'That's preposterous!'

The armor might be a bit old, but she bought it with 2 Large Silver Fangs. But according to the product appraisal skill, it was worth less than half of that. On top of that, it seemed her armor had taken quite a hit in value due to the apparent wear and tear. She grumbled, realizing she might need to invest in a new set soon.

Setting her armor aside, she then thought about her weapon, a two-meter-long, and half-a-meter-wide greatsword that weighed almost fifty kilograms. She had received it as her thirteenth birthday present, and boy did she love it!

'Product Appraisal'

[Item Name: Mastercrafted Greatsword]

[Item Tier: Tier 2]

[Material: Frostbite Steel]

[Perks: {Cold Damage +20%}{Chances of Inflicting frostbite 5%}]

[Durability: 95%]

[Commodity Tier: Tier 1 Weapon]

[Original Price: 25 Silver Fangs]

{Current Price: 24 Silver and 5 Small Silver Fangs}

Yvanna smirked this time. It seemed the quality of her greatsword held its value well. The appraisal confirmed what she already knew — accepting quality weapons from nobles trying to grease up to her was always a wise decision.

Despite the financial crises that were threatening to sweep her away, Yvanna couldn't help but find some amusement in appraising her belongings. Suddenly, her curiosity sparked, and she decided to test the appraisal on something less materialistic and more personal.

'Product Appraisal.'

[Item Name: Yvanna Crelon Rochelot]

[Race: Ice-Horned Bear-kin]

[GIFT: Fortuna's Favourite, Multiverse Market]

[Aptitude

- Aether: Tier 10{Expand}

- Mana: Tier 5{Expand}

- Auxiliary: Tier 3{Expand}]

[Current Level: Tier 2 Tundra Knight Apprentice(10%)]

[Commodity Tier:

- Tier 5 Battle Slave

- Tier 3 Sex Slave

- Tier 1 Craftsman Slave]

{Current Price: 20 Large Gold Fangs}

Yvanna stared at the holographic representation of herself, slightly taken aback by the unexpected appraisal. It seemed her very existence was reduced to a mere commodity in the eyes of the Multiverse Market.

'So the market trades in slaves too huh?'

Slavery was somewhat banished in the beast-kin territories, but it was still prevalent among merchants and high-ranking nobles. Not to

mention that slavery was a major economic pillar for the Humans, Demons, and the Merfolk.

Despite the initial shock, Yvanna couldn't deny the practicality of the skill. The ability to appraise both mundane and personal items could prove invaluably useful, especially in terms of the aptitude tab.

'Great, I'm worth twenty large gold fangs. What a bargain.'

She shook her head, pushing aside the unsettling thoughts, and clicked on the {Expand} option next to the Aether Tab.

[Aptitude in Aether: Tier 10{Expand}

- Frost Fiend(Tier 1-7)

- Frost Fiend Archer(Tier 1-7)

- Frost Fiend Infantry(Tier 1-7)

- Frost Fiend Heavy Infantry(Tier 1-7)

- Frost Fiend Assassin(Tier 1-7)

- ...

- Tundra Rider(Tier 1-10)

- Tundra Knight Archer(Tier 1-10)

- Tundra Knight(Tier 1-10)

- Tundra Heavy Knight(Tier 1-10)

- Tundra Lancer(Tier 1-10)

- ...

'Hmm, it seems that the appraisal only shows the Aether paths that are available to me and the full extent of what I can achieve on said paths.'

Aether path is one of the two paths of gaining strength. It is not just a set of techniques; it's a philosophy that emphasizes the connection between the wielder and the ambient Aether energy.

A practitioner of this path can tap into the abundant Aether present in the environment to strengthen their body and store this energy. By using the stored Aether, one can perform supernatural and even godly tasks such as smashing a boulder, bisecting a mountain, or even severing the ocean!

Her father, Eustace Aubert Rochelot, is a Tier 6 Tundra Heavy Knight Commander. A monstrous being powerful enough to raze whole mountains if he exerts his full power. As for Elara Rochelot, she was a Tier 6 Tundra Raider, another crazy powerful Tier 6 Aether practitioner whose specialty was to hunt down or assassinate targets.

As for how exactly the whole Aether system worked?

'Hmm, that's an interesting question. But I only know what's common knowledge, nothing too deep.'

Children of all species are born with both Aether and Mana veins, each connected to their hearts. As they begin to grow up, all those who possess even a semblance of aptitude for combat begin sensing the energy all around them at the age of around 8 years. From there, it's a smooth path to choosing which path is better suited for them.

Then they practice till the age of 10, learning all the basics or getting familiar with fighting while using different weapons. The hard part comes after that when a child reaches the Mana or Aether saturation and needs to choose a path. The paths are like skill trees. The higher the tier, the more advanced techniques and abilities become available.

For example, Tier 1 Frost Fiend Infantry, which was also called Frost Fiend Militia, might only be able to sense the presence of Aether in the environment and use it to enhance their physical abilities slightly.

As they progress to higher tiers, such as Tier 2 Frost Fiend Soldier, Tier 3 Frost Fiend Light Infantry, and Tier 4 Frost Fiend Infantry, they gain access to more complex techniques.

However, Tier 4 was the limit of the Frost Fiend Infantry route. After which, the practitioner would advance to the Tundra Riders.

Those who chose Light Infantry would advance to knights while those who chose Heavy Infantry would advance to Heavy Knight

Yvanna, being at Tier 2 as a Tundra Knight Apprentice, had come a long way. She could easily manipulate the Aether in her veins, and execute several skills but the stat screen doesn't seem to have mentioned them.

To choose a path, one needs a Holy Stone or a Marker Stone as the beast-kin calls it, and who possesses a Marker Stone? Why, of course, the nobles, Academies, and the Armies. So, the power is saturated at the top of the hierarchy.

Once a commoner swears allegiance and uses the Marker Stone, they are free to choose the path they want to follow. Each path has multiple diverse routes under them, such as the Frost Fiend path which is based on foot soldiers and once someone reaches the pinnacle of it, they transfer shift to the Tundra Rider path, which is based on cavalry.

Yvanna, being a Polar Bear-kin, had a strong aptitude for any Aether path; all the bear folks did. The two Aether paths listed in the {Expand} option represented the number of Marker Stones that the Rochelot Barony had in its possession. Quite unusual since even a Count's household usually only has one or two Marker Stones in total.

Yvanna thought of her mother, Elara was a Tier 6 Tundra Raider, an upgrade from a Frost Fiend assassin, and thought,

'Maybe I should just go for the snow assassin path; I mean I should be able to change jobs around Tier 3 right.'

At that moment, Elara's face appeared in front of Yvanna.

"Hello, my Little Yvanna~"

*THUMP*

"GAH! How did you get here?"

Yvanna asked, after stumbling off of her bed in astonishment.

"Hmm, I guess I don't need to worry too much if you can spare time to daydream after getting banished."

As Elara walked out of the room, Yvanna suddenly jumped at her and grabbed her leg, causing Elara to laugh.

"Save me, Mommy!"

Yvanna began to fake crying while making her eyes gloss over a bit, trying her best to get that bear cub eyes that used to help her get away with being a slob.

Elara chuckled at Yvanna's antics and patted her head.

"Oh, my Little Yvanna, you'll always be my mischievous cub. Now, let go, or I might have to carry you around like this all day."

Yvanna released her mother's leg and stood up, crossing her arms.

"Meanie!"