At the entrance, the old man stood dumbfounded as he gazed at the interior of the room.

The entire floor was covered with a luxurious red carpet made from the fur of a Ninth-Grade magical beast, the Blazing Flame Tiger.

Not far away, a coffee table stood, crafted from the incredibly rare Green Spirit Stone.

The chairs scattered around the room were made from millennia-old spirit wood.

Even the most ordinary-looking water cups were made from thousand-year-old white jade.

But the most eye-catching feature was the chandelier hanging above.

It was strung together using fifteen unicorn horns from the Ninth-Grade magical beast, the Light Spirit Rhino.

The Light Spirit Rhino had gone extinct over a thousand years ago.

A century ago, a single horn from an Eighth-Grade Light Spirit Rhino had appeared and sold for 30 billion magic crystals.

Now, in front of him were fifteen Ninth-Grade horns—its value was immeasurable.

Aside from that, every item in the room was made from top-tier magical materials.

The lowest grade was Eighth-Grade, and half of them reached Ninth-Grade.

"Gulp... Who exactly is this boss? Just the items in this room alone are worth no less than tens of trillions of magic crystals."

The old man swallowed, thinking to himself in awe.

Sylvus, of course, was aware of the value of the items in the room, but since they were all system-generated, he could only look at them. They couldn't be used to pay off any debts.

"Come in. You've got the guts to owe a debt, so what else are you afraid of?" Sylvus said nonchalantly from his seat on the couch, noticing the old man hesitating at the doorway.

"Ah? Oh, oh..." The already nervous old man became even more so after Sylvus' remark.

In a hurry, he cast a Cleanse spell on himself to ensure he was spotless.

He then carefully placed his right foot onto the Blazing Flame Tiger's fur.

Seeing that Sylvus didn't seem to mind, the old man finally sighed in relief and stepped fully into the room.

"Ed-Meylan, is that your name?"

As the old man approached, Sylvus glanced at him and asked flatly.

"Uh... I didn't expect the boss to know the name of an old man like me. It's truly an honor."

Meylan responded quickly.

Sylvus didn't bother replying. He hadn't known the old man's name before, but once Meylan became part of his shop's staff, the system provided his information.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

*Name:* Ed-Meylan

*Rank:* Nine-Star Saint Archmage

*Description:* Owes 1 million magic crystals, currently repaying debt.

"No need for flattery. From now on, you'll be working in the shop. The store is open for three hours each day, mainly selling elixirs. Prices are already labeled on the shelves, and you'll also be responsible for keeping the place clean."

Sylvus said in a detached tone.

"Don't worry, boss. I won't let you down. But, uh... how long will I need to work?" Meylan asked cautiously.

Sylvus paused. That's right, he hadn't yet figured out how long the old man would need to work to pay off his debt.

"System, how long will this guy need to work?"

Sylvus asked mentally.

*[System]: Based on his strength, he's a Nine-Star Saint Archmage. His monthly wage is 8,000 magic crystals. He will need to work for 10.5 years to fully repay the debt.*

Ten years?

Sylvus' mouth twitched. The old man seemed sturdy enough, so he should be able to last that long.

"System, what if he tries to run away in the middle of it?"

Sylvus continued asking.

While the old man was within the shop's 200-meter range, Sylvus had control, but Meylan was a Saint Archmage. It wouldn't be possible to keep constant watch on him, and if he decided to flee, there wasn't much Sylvus could do.

*[System]: Don't worry, host. The system has already placed a mark on him. Even if he flees to the ends of the earth, you'll be able to retrieve him with a single thought.*

Sylvus nodded, reassured. With that, there was no need to worry anymore.

Having a powerful Saint Archmage working for him could also provide some protection whenever Sylvus ventured out.

"You'll need to work for eleven years to fully repay the debt. Is that a problem?" Sylvus asked, looking at Meylan.

Eleven years?

Meylan furrowed his brows. That was quite a long time.

But it didn't matter. If he ever wanted to leave, he could always go and fetch some money.

He was also curious why such a powerful Mage Emperor would remain hidden in the sacred city.

"No problem, boss," Meylan replied.

Sylvus nodded. No problem? Great. Even if there were a problem, too bad for him!

"Go pick a room for yourself. The shop opens tomorrow morning."

Without saying much more, Meylan cautiously left the living room to select a room.

Glancing at the rooms around him, Meylan randomly chose one to check out.

But when he opened the door, he was stunned again.

"This... this room also has so many high-grade magical materials?"

Although this room wasn't as extravagant as the living room, it was still decorated with rare and precious magical materials.

The lowest grade was Seventh-Grade, while the highest reached Ninth-Grade.

"Could the other rooms be the same?"

Curious, Meylan checked the remaining three rooms.

As he suspected, each room was filled with valuable magical materials.

"Each room's materials must be worth around 10 million magic crystals. Adding in what I saw in the living room, and factoring in the boss's own room…"

Meylan almost fainted from the calculation.

Just the items in these rooms, if sold, would be worth tens of trillions of magic crystals.

"This must be the most luxurious place on the entire continent. And the boss is bold, not even afraid of me stealing any of these treasures."

Meylan thought to himself.

For a brief moment, he actually considered taking the items and fleeing. But he quickly squashed the thought.

If Sylvus was willing to let him know about these things, he surely had a way to keep him in check.

If he were caught, the only outcome would be death.

Meylan's confusion deepened. Even if Sylvus were a Mage Emperor, how could he possibly have so many valuable treasures?

Not even the Magic Guild's vault would hold such a vast collection of rare items.

"Never mind. I'll stay here for now. Who would've thought I'd one day sleep on the fur of a Ninth-Grade Nine-Tailed Fox?"

Meylan lay down on the bed, a look of contentment spreading across his face.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, with nothing significant happening.

The next morning, Sylvus woke up, freshened up, and instructed Meylan to open the shop.

After yesterday's drama, Sylvus hoped today would be a quieter day.

He just wanted to open his shop and complete the system's beginner task.

He was still eagerly awaiting the newbie gift package.

"You greedy shopkeeper, I'm back!"

About half an hour later, as Sylvus reclined on his chair, a familiar voice rang out from outside the shop.

.