Chapter 33: Exchange
“Sorry,” Hestia blurted out as her panicked gaze dropped to the bathroom floor. “The Professor—he sent me to—he wants us all back in the classroom.”
Feeling like an idiot, Mercedes turned away from the younger Initiate. She took a quick breath, focused on the pulse of her magic core, and cast [Refresh] on herself, removing all traces of her messy eating.
“Are you—were you eating in the bathroom?”
The Sparrow laughed cynically as she turned around to face her classmate. “No, I was having a quick drink from the Mystic passed out in the second stall.”
Hestia let out a strange hiccuping sound as she took a half-step back. Her brown eyes narrowed in realization. “You’re joking.”
“Yes.” The albino flashed a forced smile as she walked towards the exit.
“It’s not funny.”
“Neither was your question,” Mercedes retorted with a sigh as she pushed the door open and headed toward Classroom A. The Sparrow could hear Hestia’s footsteps behind her as they passed the garden courtyard. Thankfully, the younger Initiate didn’t say anything further as they entered the Basilisk's Lair, where the Professor, ginger Disciple, and the other two Initiates waited.
“It seems we are all here now,” Nicodemus said as the two female Initiates moved to their seats. “You’ll find your next reading assignment waiting on your desk. Rather than a review in class, there will be a test on the material first thing tomorrow morning, so be sure to read it all and come prepared.”
The Sparrow repressed a groan as she glanced over the title of the new primer that awaited her. [Arcane Realm Compendium: Unveiling the Twelve Disciplines of Magic]. Her pale brows furrowed as the book was immediately added to her [Dreaded Homework Assignment] alongside an additional note to prepare for tomorrow’s exam.
Mercedes closed out the quest screen. Her sensitive hearing picked up faint bits of the conversation between Hestia and Dimitri about the albino’s chances of passing a written exam. She rolled her eyes at the comments, and then a sudden realization sank in.
‘They must have overheard the Librarian yesterday. But how did Taran hear anything about me being illiterate?’
The Sparrow shoved the homework into her magic inventory and folded her arms as she leaned back against her chair. ‘Does it matter? It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been the topic of gossip. And being underestimated has always been an advantage I could exploit.’
“With that out of the way,” Nicodemus said after the brief pause. “Allow me to congratulate everyone on obtaining your first tether. Enjoy your quest rewards. You’re all released for the remainder of the day. The Dining Hall will be opening in the next 10 minutes, so be sure to drop by if you want a free meal.”
“Thank the Titans,” Lorcon said under his breath as the Professor exited the classroom, leaving them in the ginger Disciple’s care. “I don’t think I could have handled another lesson. I’m still shaking from earlier.” He held out his left hand which trembled slightly before he closed it into a fist. The blueish-green Astra tattoo now glowed and seemed to shimmer with ripples of silver light.
“Are you going to tell your dad about your tether?” Hestia asked as she spun around to face him.
“I’ll send him a message, but he won’t be surprised. Titan Ferrumos, the Master of Metals, has always been my goal.”
“True. It’s not like I doubted Titan Pyro would accept me either, given how much favor I’ve saved up training at his Temple every day with my brothers.”
“What about you, Dimitri?” Lorcon asked as the blond boy left his seat. “Did you get the tether you wanted?”
“What? Yeah.”
“Let me guess, Titan Astralindar?” Hestia said with a faint smirk.
“Yeah. How did you know?” Dimitri replied with a frown.
Sensing where the conversation was headed, the Sparrow pushed back her chair and rose to leave.
“Wait, Mercedes!” Lorcon called after her. “Where are you going?”
“The Dining Hall,” she answered honestly as the Basilisk’s door opened with a faint hiss.
‘No point in wasting free food.’
image [https://www.royalroad.com/dist/img/ornaments/16.png]
The albino did her best to ignore the three chattering Initiates beside her in the cafeteria. They were discussing the 5 Common Arcane Crystals reward they had gotten after completing their quest, which led to a conversation on how to earn more crystals.
“Why don’t we check out the Academy Alchemy Department’s quest board after lunch,” Lorcon suggested as he slid his tray down the line behind the Sparrow. “Plenty of Disciples that come from big houses post easy quests for supply runs.”
“You know we can’t accept any quests that take us outside the city,” Hestia reminded him.
“I know. But you’d be surprised how much of what they’re looking for we can purchase from the marketplace. They’re that lazy.”
“They’re not lazy, just busy with research,” Dimitri protested as he grabbed his tray. “Besides, why complain when you intend to profit off the system.”
“Spoken like a true Arcane Mystic,” Hestia said dryly. “Your kind is always obsessed with knowledge and uncovering the unknown rather than leaving the safety of your barriers to explore what the realms have to offer.”
“At least we make meaningful contributions to the realms rather than burning entire ecosystems to the ground!”
“Are there other quest boards?” Mercedes interjected as she flashed the startled brunette Mystic a smile, hoping to move the conversation toward less volatile topics. “Besides the Alchemy Department, I mean.”
“Sure,” Lorcon said as Hestia and Dimitri moved further apart. “If you want to develop some crafting skills, there are the usual apprentice positions. Restocking, bartering, and even pest control are other common quests in the Central Marketplace, but they offer significantly less than the Alchemy Department.
“There are also the hunting, herb gathering, and material harvesting quests for the Enchanted Bazaar. Decent pay and bonuses for rare items, but they require you to go outside the city, which the Academy won’t allow us to do until we’re Novices, and even then, you have to go in a group of at least three. Then there’s the bounty quests, monster hunting, and dungeon clearing quests available at the Sentinel Corps Station, but you must be a Disciple at minimum to accept those.”
“Noted,” the Sparrow said thoughtfully.
“Don’t forget the territorial dispute missions,” Hestia chimed in.
“You can only attend those as a Disciple if you have a Master,” Lorcon reminded her. "Not everyone has access to the Academy, so there are generally plenty of repeatable quests for lower Initiates to take on. We should be able to knock out one or two in the afternoon after class. Which is why I suggest we take advantage of today's early dismissal to earn a few extra crystals for upgrades.”
“I’m in!”
Dimitri glanced between the two elemental Initiates before adding softly. “I suppose I’ll join you.”
“What about you, Mercedes?” Lorcon asked with an encouraging nudge to the albino’s elbow.
“I have to drop by the Mystic Bank,” Mercedes reminded him, shaking her head as Chef Hiasa appeared through the wall of steam. The Gorgon deposited another two jars of blood-eel eggs on the Sparrow’s tray, which the albino promptly dropped into her inventory before exiting the line. “Maybe next time.”
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.
“Wait, you’re leaving?”
“Let her,” Hestia muttered, adding in a softer voice she probably thought the Sparrow couldn’t hear. “We really shouldn’t get too close to a Mystic tethered to the Blood Realms.”
“That’s bullshit, Hestia, and you know it!”
Mercedes tuned out the rest of their conversation as she exited the Dining Hall and headed to the Nexus portal courtyard.
‘It’s just as well they make that choice since I have no intentions of being friends with people I might end up killing in the future.’
Her footsteps faltered as she reached the open archways of the central courtyard, now vacant and serenaded by a songbird’s light and airy tune as the garden glowed beneath the midday sun.
‘Although, given my deal with Titan Astralindar, I suppose the chances of that are pretty low.’
The Sparrow scoffed, shook her head, and lengthened her stride. ‘Just because I made an oath to a Supreme Being, and she accepted it, doesn’t mean the Titan will suffer any repercussions if her Primordial forces her to break that oath and betray Nyxus once again.’
One of the rules of the Primordials, which Vortexus had warned her about, was the loophole that allowed the Titans and their Masters to break an oath with a Disciple when and if it suited them to do so.
Only mortals suffered the consequences of deceit and betrayal.
‘That’s just how it is. Right now, I’m little more than a termite gnawing away at a corner of a giant pyramid these Primordials, Titans, and realm alliances have built. I can be ignored or snuffed out at any moment—my oath to Astralindar be damned.’
She ignored the curious stares that turned her way as she entered the busy portal courtyard and activated her Nexus bracelet, selecting the Mystic Bank as her target destination before her vision blurred beneath the arcane glow of teleportation magic.
image [https://www.royalroad.com/dist/img/ornaments/16.png]
A familiar scaly face greeted the Sparrow as she circled the golden rope lines towards the clerk on duty at the bank booth.
“Hello again,” Mercedes said, offering her best attempt at a friendly smile.
“Ahh, greetings, Initiate,” Braxus responded with just the faintest glimmer of a scowl between his yellow eyes. “May the radiant glow of the crystals illuminate your path to boundless wealth and—"
“I was wondering who I needed to speak with regarding currency exchange?”
“That depends,” he said with a notable hiss. “What currency are you looking to exchange?”
“Oh, well—” she turned to open her magic inventory. The familiar but uncomfortable sensation of being examined sent a prickle of goosebumps down her arms.
[Astra System Update! Arcanist Braxus is using [Mystic Insight] to evaluate your stats and other profile details.]
‘There’s that skill again.’
“Do you mind?” Mercedes asked, allowing a faint growl to accentuate her words. “I believe this is the only thing you need to examine.” She held up her emerald account ring.
[Notice! An unknown entity has blocked Arcanist Braxus from accessing your Astra Profile.]
The Dragonite blinked with apparent confusion before his yellow eyes fixated on the bank account ring she presented. His green scales shifted to an almost murky orange as he hastily bowed his head. “Forgive me, valued customer. Could you show me the currency you wish to exchange?”
“I was planning on it,” the Sparrow muttered as she set one shadowy and one inky black crystal on the counter before him.
The clerk’s scales went from orange to dark blue as he snatched the clipboard off his desk and used it to cover the void crystal. “Put that away, Initiate!”
Mercedes blinked at his panicked tone but complied, noting the clerk’s faint sigh of relief as she did so. ‘Either he’s not used to seeing void crystals, or there’s a problem with showing them off in public.’
“You will need to speak to one of our Currency Exchange Specialists,” Braxus said, his usual snarky tone completely mollified as he reached for the desk telephone. “I’ll see who’s available.”
“Thank you.” The albino stepped back and browsed the brochures displayed on the booth's side counters, which she hadn’t been able to read previously. She spotted one with a map of Arcanum City on the cover and opened it to find several detailed maps of each part of the city, minus the floating Citadel.
‘This should be useful.’
“Manager Caitlin will be out to assist you in a moment, Initiate,” Braxus said as he returned the handset to its cradle.
She nodded as she deposited the map brochure in her inventory and examined a few more of the offered pamphlets, finding two that appeared to be recruiting Mystics ranked Disciples and higher to form conquest teams on behalf of the Abyssal Dominion and the Celestial Covenant.
‘That’s an interesting approach for a neutral Primordial to take,’ Mercedes mused as she took one of each, browsing over the offered benefits, which included promises of Favor, Crystals, and even a potential tether to one of each Faction’s Titans. Instead of a name or contact number, the pamphlets listed a communication channel name with a set time and day for prospective recruits to contact an officer of either faction. ‘This might be worth looking into.’
A faint cough pulled the Sparrow’s attention back to the bank booth, where a short mouse with glossy cream-white hair, two dark eyes, a violet-blue nose, and butterfly ears greeted her in a sky-blue secretary-like dress.
“Initiate Mercedes?” the mouse questioned as her gaze drifted to the recruitment flyers the albino was examining.
“Ah—yes!” Mercedes quickly dropped the brochures into the magic inventory she had left open. “That’s me.”
“I am Manager Caitlin, a Currency Exchange Specialist. Would you follow me, please? We have a private room in the back for me to examine your crystals and determine their authenticity.”
‘You can forge crystals?’ the Sparrow wondered, baffled by the statement as she followed the manager through the same black door, which surprisingly opened to an entirely new floor than the one she had visited previously. ‘Well, that’s concerning, though probably good for security.’
The private room turned out to be a simple space with lavender-blue striped walls, a table, and two chairs, both of which Caitlin ignored as she tapped a pink claw on the simple silver tray between them.
“If you could show me the same crystals you showed Clerk Braxus.”
“Certainly,” Mercedes replied, placing one Superior Death Crystal and one Rare Void Crystal on the tray.
The mouse’s violet butterfly ears trembled as her dark eyes fixated on the void crystal. Then she blinked and began speaking rapidly as she picked up the Superior Death Crystal.
“You understand that the Arcane Realm holds a neutral position with the Death Realm, which means we can only offer an exchange rate of 85% for this Superior Crystal.”
“Ah, yes.” The Sparrow remembered discussing something similar during her last visit with Fitzroy, the mouse banker.
“The Bank will also take a 10% fee on any crystal exchange above the value of rare crystals.”
‘Of course you do.’
“So, how many Common Arcane Crystals could I get for each of these?” Mercedes asked.
“For the Superior Death Crystal, that would be 170 Common Arcane Crystals, minus the Bank’s 10% service fee. Your total amount will come out to 153 Common Arcane Crystals.”
The albino’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘That’s triple the amount of the initial loan the bank gave me.’
“Then, what about these?” Mercedes asked, gesturing to the void crystal.
“Unfortunately,” Caitlin explained as her gaze returned to the malevolent inky black crystal. “Due to the Arcane Accord Agreement, there is a ban on the exchange of any currency from the Void Realm.”
“You’re kidding.”
“I apologize for disappointing you, valued customer. Might I—make a suggestion?”
The Sparrow raised a brow and nodded.
“Because of the extreme rarity of this particular realm’s currency, the item is worth considerably more than any exchange could offer if you were to put it up for auction at the Shadow Syndicate Underground Market. Many obsolete, coveted blueprints, recipes, and rituals require the unique primal essence contained in these crystals. For those with plenty of currency to spend who do not wish to risk their lives entering the Void Realm, this item would be worth at least ten times its original value—if not more.” Caitlin hesitated for a moment before adding, “How—did you come by them?”
The albino’s shocked expression shifted to one of wary caution, to which the manager hastily bowed in response.
“Forgive me, valued customer. I should not have asked.”
“That’s alright,” Mercedes replied, picking up the void crystal. “How does one go about putting an item up for auction with this Underground Market?”
“A visit to the Mystic Bank in the Shadow Realm is required. They have several vetted curators who deal with this sort of acquisition. They take charge of any valuable items, hold them in the bank, and privately contact any clients who might be interested before setting a date to auction them off. Naturally, they protect the identities of both the buyers and sellers they work with. With certain items that are in constant high demand, it is possible to receive a generous offer without entering a public bidding war.”
‘A visit to the Shadow Realm is looking more and more intriguing by the day. But I wouldn’t want to draw the attention of a certain treacherous Titan too soon.’
“Thank you. For now, I think I’ll settle for exchanging three of the Superior Death Crystals.”
By the time Mercedes returned to the Bank’s Nexus portal room, she had paid off the Tailor’s Payment Settlement Notice of 14 Common Crystals and the Bank’s initial loan of 50 Common Crystals, leaving her with 295 Common Arcane Crystals in her bank account. The remaining 100 Common Arcane Crystals were deposited into her inventory for future use.
‘I have a feeling I’ll need every bit of it, given the way things have been going. I still can’t believe that Tailor conned me for nearly double what I had when I entered that store.’
The Sparrow took one last look at her inventory currency total as she waited for her turn to exit the portal.
Currency: 7 Superior Death Crystals. 10 Rare Void Crystals. 100 Common Arcane Crystals. 0 Inferior Crystals. 2 Superior Grade Death Tokens.
‘Okay. Now that that’s resolved, I’d better head back to the Inn and see if I can open a communication channel with Vortexus.’