Chapter 300 (Patreon)

Kana stepped into the basement and immediately felt like she’d wandered into the mind of someone who refused to accept the world as it was. Shelves lined the narrow space, cluttered with stones that hummed faintly with power, each tagged with careful local descriptions. Some promised sparks, others fire, and a few seemed to do little more than glow with stubborn enthusiasm. Weapons and armor leaned against the walls in various stages of completion. One particular set of armor caught her eye. It shimmered faintly, as though the air around it bent away in quiet respect.

She slowed, drawn in.

Patricia noticed, of course. She always seemed to notice. “That one?” she said, folding her arms. “It reflects [Mage] type attacks. Impressive, right?” She tilted her head, then added with a sigh, “Too bad it breaks the moment someone hits it with anything physical. We’re working on that. The king wants it perfected.”

Kana nodded, though her gaze lingered a moment longer. Good items always seemed to come with a catch. 

They moved deeper inside until Loyd opened another door, revealing a room that felt almost surprisingly normal. A couch. A table. Lamps that glowed a little too brightly, likely enchanted to prove a point. It was a strange contrast to the chaos outside, like finding a calm eye in the middle of a storm made of ideas.

“Welcome to our guest area,” Patricia said, suddenly polite in a way that felt almost rehearsed. “Sit.”

Kana did, though she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being studied more than hosted.

Patricia wasted no time. “Let’s get this straight,” she said, holding up the ring Kana had brought. “Replicating a dungeon item exactly? Impossible.” She paused, then smiled, the kind of smile that suggested she enjoyed saying impossible a little too much. “But copying part of it? That’s where things get interesting. The best we’ve ever done is about half.”

Half was enough. More than enough, if it worked the way Kana hoped.

She nodded.

Patricia leaned closer, examining the ring like it had personally offended her. “Where did you get this?”

Kana answered carefully, keeping her tone casual. “It was a prize from last year’s tournament. I bought it.”

Recognition flickered in Patricia’s eyes. “Yes. That ring.” Her fingers tightened slightly around it. “I tried to buy this before, you know. From Suri. She refused.” She glanced up, studying Kana now instead of the ring. “Didn’t expect it to end up with you.”

Kana said nothing. Silence felt safer for some reason.

Patricia exhaled, slumping back. “You don’t have any [Appraisal] like skill, do you?”

Kana shook her head.

“That’s quite a surprise,” Patricia muttered, though there was a spark of excitement behind it. “Because this ring is rare. Not flashy. Not powerful in the obvious way. But rare.” She tapped it lightly. “It's so rare that people like me lose sleep.”

At that moment, Loyd returned, carrying tea that smelled faintly sweet and unfamiliar. He served it with surprising care for someone who looked like he could accidentally crush the table.

Kana accepted the cup, still trying to process the situation. A noble serving her tea in a basement filled with experimental magic felt… backwards.

Patricia continued, as if the conversation had never paused. “Most members here have appraisal skills. That’s the bare requirement to be part of us. I have [Item Rating]. I can tell how rare something is.” She smirked slightly. “Learned it by accident from my father’s skill book. My father was furious. Apparently, this skill was worth a fortune.”

Kana almost winced. That sounded like the kind of mistake you only made once. If she didn’t consume the skillbook Kana might have a chance to learn it today, it would probably fetch a high price at the auction house.

Patricia leaned forward again, eyes sharp now. “So here’s the problem. You don’t have the [Appraisal] type skill. But you chose this ring anyway.” She tapped her temple. “Which means either you’re incredibly lucky… or there’s something about you we don’t understand yet.”

Kana forced a small smile. “Maybe just lucky. Just me and my gut.”

Patricia didn’t look convinced.

In fact, she looked more interested. And that, Kana realized as she sipped the unfamiliar tea, was probably worse.

…

Leo stumbled into Rin’s father’s shop like a man chased by something he couldn’t quite outrun. His breath came in uneven pulls, sharp and loud enough to draw glances from nearby tables. The place had grown busier since the last time they’d gathered there. More people, more noise, more options on the menu. The sweet scent of fruit drinks hung thick in the air, almost mocking the urgency clinging to him.

He barely noticed any of it.

“Finally found you,” Leo said, his voice strained as his eyes scanned the group. “Where’s Kana? And Boris?”

Yuri was already moving before anyone else could answer. She gestured to a chair with quiet authority. “Sit first,” she said, sliding a glass of water toward him. “You look like you ran halfway across the city. Breathe. Then talk.”

Leo didn’t argue. He dropped into the seat, grabbed the glass, and drained it in one go as if the answer might be waiting at the bottom. Only after a long inhale did he speak again.

“The principal is looking for Kana,” he said, more steadily now. “And… he told me to bring you. And Boris.”

That changed the atmosphere around the table. Suri leaned back slightly, “Kana’s still in the academy,” she said, though there was a faint crease forming between her brows. “At least, she was. The illusion I placed on her… it disappeared.” She clicked her tongue softly. “And Boris? I stopped tracking him. Not worth the effort.”

She didn’t say it outright, but the frustration was there. Thorne again. That little lizard had a habit of undoing her work like it was nothing.

Leo shook his head. “I don’t know what this is about,” he admitted. “The principal just said it’s urgent. That’s all.”

Silence followed.

Suri exhaled slowly, then stood, brushing off her skirt as if the decision had already been made the moment Leo walked in. “If Kana’s not here, then I’ll go,” she said. “No point wasting time guessing.”

She picked up her drink, downed it in a single smooth motion, then set the empty glass down with a soft clink.

“I’ll talk to you guys tomorrow about this super urgent thing,” she added lightly, though her eyes were already elsewhere, focused on something only she could see. And just like that, she turned and left, slipping back into the city’s current as if she’d never been sitting there at all.

…

Urgency turned Suri practical. So she tried something else.

By the time she left Rin’s father’s popular shop, the easygoing girl had vanished beneath a hooded cloak. She drew in a slow breath, feeling the threads of mana around her like invisible currents waiting to be shaped. The past few weeks of studying runes had changed something in her. Not just knowledge, but instinct.

She stepped forward and didn’t quite touch the ground.

Mana gathered beneath her feet, thin and precise, lifting her just enough to glide rather than walk. Then she pushed.

The world blurred.

She shot forward, weaving through the streets in quick, controlled bursts. To anyone watching, she looked like a ghost skimming over stone, her body drifting without the rhythm of footsteps. A few heads turned. A merchant froze mid-call. Someone muttered a prayer under their breath.

Suri didn’t slow.

She zigzagged through tight alleys and crowded paths, adjusting her movement with small, efficient use of mana. It was smoother than she expected. Lighter. The cost barely registered, like she’d found a shortcut hidden inside the rules of the world itself.

Interesting and fun!

By the time the academy gates came into view, she was already thinking of ways to refine it.

She landed softly, boots finally meeting solid ground, then headed straight for the principal’s office without breaking stride. A quick knock echoed against the door.

“Come in,” came the familiar raspy voice.

Suri entered, lowering her hood. “Heard you’re looking for us,” she said. “Kana and Boris aren’t here, can’t find them but I’ll relay whatever this is.”

Principal Light didn’t respond immediately. That alone was enough to set her on edge. His usual composed presence felt… dimmer. Not weaker, but heavier, like a man carrying something he couldn’t set down.

“We have a situation,” he said at last.

Suri crossed her arms, waiting.

“You remember the exchange with the empire’s student last year,” he continued. “That wasn't a coincidence. They timed it with our annual tournament. Just as we have ours… they have theirs.”

His gaze sharpened slightly. “The King of Kings Festival.”

Suri’s expression didn’t change, but her mind was already moving ahead. After all, it was the first time she heard of such an event.

“They’re asking for Kana,” Principal Light said plainly. “Specifically.”

That made her frown.

“They want her to participate.”

Silence stretched between them for a moment.

“This is dangerous,” he went on. “We don’t know their intentions. But refusing…” He shook his head. “Refusing risks the truce. And right now, that matters more than suspicion.”

Suri exhaled slowly. 

“We’ve decided,” the principal added, “to send a group. Kana, Boris… you.” He paused. “And Ryle Greece along with a royal knight and knights.”

Suri’s eyes narrowed slightly at that name, but she didn’t interrupt.

“You are to protect each other,” he said. “At all times.”

Of course, she thought. Because no one trusts the empire. And no one trusts each other completely either.

“There will be one more member,” Principal Light continued. “We want Kana to recommend someone. This is after all for your safety.”

Suri tilted her head slightly. “So we’re going to enter into unknown territory… and hoping we will be able to come out safe.”

The principal didn’t deny it.

“We don’t have a choice,” she said quietly.

He shook his head once. No, they didn’t. The principal didn’t need to say it.

The room felt smaller somehow. After a moment, Suri straightened. “I’ll tell her,” she said. “We’ll be here tomorrow.”

Principal Light gave a single nod.

She turned and left, her mind already racing ahead of her steps.

The empire. A long journey. Not to mention a very dangerous one. And for once, even Suri couldn’t tell if this would end in good…

Or something far worse.

Post note:Suri got another trick…

King of the kings festival incoming!2nd chap of the week!Hope you enjoy the chap! 🙂

Next Chapter