Aleph offered him a nod.

“But there’s one thing I still don’t understand,” Tom mused aloud, his brows furrowed in confusion.

“Go on,” Aleph encouraged, clearly not averse to answering his questions.

“People in Artezia….,” He began, only to catch himself mid-sentence,”I mean, I was born with my Soul Card, right? And I assume that stands true for most, if not all non-nobles.”

“True enough,” She agreed, thinking nothing of the quirky manner in which he had framed his question.

“I thought that our Soul Cards would be more…. inextricably linked with us, you know? It feels wrong to just yank it out of our hearts, almost like a desecration.”

“Exactly like a desecration, yes. Though you’re mistaken about one thing,” Aleph twirled her outstretched arm, to allow her open palm to face skywards. A single, dazzling crystal bloomed in the center, mesmerizingly hovering an inch above her hand. “Though much is unknown about the inner workings of the Divine System, Soul Cards are generally considered to be a gift to even the odds, giving us a chance at beating back the Phantasmal Scourge. Except that gift isn’t just to you.”

“What do you mean?”

“A Soul Card is what you leave behind for the world, a memento of your existence that persists long after you have returned to the dust. Why do you think that the system doesn’t punish those that steal and even kill others for their cards?"

“Because…,” Tom began, but then trailed off. He had plenty of things to say about the system but none of his impassioned opinions seemed wise to give voice. Sure, he wasn’t exactly expecting thunderclouds to gather up above his head and smite him to death, but he’d rather not tempt fate either. “I don’t know,” he finally admitted, not willing to come up with half-baked theories.

“Soul Cards and the Deck Cards on your person are dropped upon death. The message there is clear enough— those who are worthy will find a way to hold on to their cards and those who are not will clear the way for the ones that are. Individual lives matter little to the system when Artezia’s very survival is at stake.”

Tom’s first thought upon hearing Aleph’s explanation was that it sounded like the system he knew. He wasn’t sure if it was the System or [The Fool] that was responsible for throwing him into this world, but Tom had found it to be surprisingly fair and even rewarding; atleast when he was willing to do crazy reckless stuff like challenging a Boss thirteen levels above him and then winning.

To that end, Tom supposed that the System’s overall objectives were rather transparent.

“I understand but… I don’t see the connection.”

“If your Soul Card determined the limit of your growth, you wouldn’t see so many dungeoneers willing to stake their lives for the mere chance at a higher ranked card. The commoners that travel to the Nameless District from all parts of the Syrelore Kingdom aren’t naive— once they get a powerful card, they will either offer it to the Royal Guard in exchange for a position in the Noble District or find someone willing to transplant it.”

“I thought you said that only Nobles knew how to do the procedure.”

“The Severance Glyph is the safest method of doing it and as far as I am aware, the only one,” Aleph revealed the true secret with surprisingly nonchalance, though merely knowing about it would do little without the Glyph’s schematic.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“But then again, the knowledge I have received from my noble heritage is both incomplete and outdated,” Her expression seemed a little distant, her eyes carrying a whisper of melancholy as she admitted her own inadequacy. “If I knew what I was supposed to, I wouldn’t need your help in unlocking the inheritance.”

Tom understood what Aleph was getting at— she was implying that other methods could exist, methods likely found in the underbelly of the city—if they existed in the first place.

“I understand,” Tom nodded, though his thoughts immediately flashed in a dangerous direction.

If he could learn the severance glyph, could he switch out his Ephemeral Card for the Uncommon one?

The splitting headache that tore through his headspace caused him to audibly wince, as a tear streaked down his cheek.

He immediately grabbed at his head, as if that would do anything.

‘Okay, okay, I’m sorry,’ he mentally pleaded and much to his relief, the warning ceased.

“Are you okay?” Aleph’s voice echoed with concern, though she chose to maintain her distance out of caution.

“Yeah,” Tom wheezed for breath, forcing himself to take deep, long ones. “Yeah, I was just playing around with my new card.”

Aleph gave him a relieved nod.

An awkward silence fell between them as both digested the bombshell revelations that had been exchanged.

“So,” Aleph began, her tone pointed. “My inheritance.”

Having gotten enough time to recover, Tom looked her in the eyes.

“I’m sure you already suspect it, but my Soul Card’s abilities are centered around spycraft,” Tom’s voice was strained, as he was inwardly wary of [The Fool’s] retaliation. To Aleph, it sounded like hesitation and wariness.

Thankfully, [The Fool] did not object.

Tom had spoken the truth— his card’s abilities were centered around spycraft— but that was only one obscure corner of the whole picture. He had only unlocked two skills and even then, barely touched at their true potential.

Aleph’s eyes narrowed as she replied,”If you’re telling me that, you don’t make for a very good spy.”

Tom shrugged before answering, “You don’t strike me as a jeweler either.”

“Touché,” Aleph couldn’t help but let a chuckle escape at that retort. “Fine, so tell me then. How?”

“I would need a way into the Noble District. You told me before that you need the Greater Control Glyph to unlock the inheritance— I’d need information on the Academy Students that have it memorized. And if things go south, I’d prefer to have some reagents or the like to help me escape. Oh yeah and an escape plan,” Tom recited one after the other, already having envisioned the heist while they were talking.

“You asked me this before,” Aleph’s tone wasn’t exactly accusatory, but it was close.The first time I showed you the inheritance chest, you asked me how to unlock it.”

Tom felt guilty inside, but he didn’t show it.

“And I did nothing with that information,” he added.

“I suppose so,” Aleph let her expression relax, though Tom could tell that she was conflicted. “And I also suppose that you can’t tell me how you will do it?”

Tom hesitated and then shook his head.

“I’m sorry, Aleph, I don’t want to expose you to that kind of risk. But… I can prove that I’m capable of pulling it off.”

Aleph raised an eyebrow at his boisterous claim.

Slowly, he raised his hand and then reached for the void that was his inventory.

In but a few moments, he pulled out the opulently packaged [Elixir of Soul Restoration] and simply held it aloft in the air.

Aleph sucked in a cold breath of air.

“I had heard whispers about a heist in the Noble District but… I can’t believe that it was actually you.”

And then she began to laugh in jubilance.