Chapter 44: The Mirror Is Worth Millions

The first Awakener pushed his way back to the front. "Is it true?"

Reinhard raised an eyebrow. "You already asked me that. I remember, because it was about four minutes ago, and you had the same face."

The man laughed awkwardly. "I mean... can you actually show me a possible future?"

Reinhard lifted the Mirror. "There’s only one way to find out."

The man’s expression turned serious. "I have an expedition coming up. There are two possible routes. One is safer but much longer, and the other is faster but much more dangerous." He hesitated. "I want to know what might happen on either one."

"Tell me about both," Reinhard said, leaning back. "Leave out the boring parts." He paused. "Actually, leave in the boring parts. That’s usually where people die."

The Awakener blinked, then started explaining. Reinhard listened carefully, interrupting several times to ask about the routes, the team, and the surrounding terrain, and once he had enough, he raised the Mirror. "Let’s see where they lead."

The dark surface rippled, and two possible futures appeared as the Awakener watched in complete silence. When the visions faded, he stayed frozen for several seconds, and then he swallowed. "How much?"

Reinhard named his price, and the man paid without arguing.

[$6,675,000 → $7,475,000.]

Eight hundred thousand credits. One consultation had earned more than several rounds of trading with the Merchant King’s Lens, and Reinhard hadn’t even needed to leave his chair.

The Awakener stood. "Thank you."

Reinhard smiled warmly. "Try not to die."

The man’s expression stiffened. "That wasn’t very reassuring."

Reinhard thought about it. "You’re right." The man’s shoulders relaxed. "You’ll probably be fine."

His shoulders went straight back up.

Reinhard waved him off. "And if you survive, tell your friends. Word of mouth is very important for a small business."

The Awakener walked away looking considerably more nervous than when he had arrived, and Reinhard watched him disappear into the crowd. I should probably work on my customer service.

...

A man sat down and immediately held up his phone, an expensive-looking relic displayed on the screen. "I want to buy this."

Reinhard glanced at it. "Then why are you here? The store is that way."

"I want to know if I’m making a mistake."

"That’s what I’m here for."

The man looked relieved. "Really?"

"No." The relief vanished, and Reinhard smiled. "I’m here to charge you for finding out. The helping part is a side effect."

The man stared at him, then burst out laughing. "Fair enough."

Reinhard raised the Mirror, and the vision showed the man buying the relic, and then everything that followed. By the time the Mirror went dark, all the color had drained from his face. "I’m not buying it."

"Good choice," Reinhard said, setting the Mirror down. "That relic looked like it hated you personally."

"How much?"

Reinhard told him, and the man’s face tightened. "That’s expensive."

"You were about to spend several million on a cursed paperweight," Reinhard said, leaning back. "I just saved you from owning something that wanted you dead. My fee is a bargain."

The man sighed. "You’re annoyingly persuasive."

"Thank you."

"That wasn’t a compliment."

"I’ll take it anyway."

The man laughed and paid.

[$7,475,000 → $8,575,000.]

Reinhard looked at the balance. The Mirror wasn’t only useful when someone’s life was on the line. It could stop people from making terrible decisions, and judging by the population of Marvello, that was a very large market. "Next."

A businessman in an expensive suit sat down across from him and immediately began explaining the two potential partners he was considering for a major investment. He talked for a long time, and he used the word synergy three times. Reinhard listened patiently, and then he asked one question. "How much money?"

The businessman told him, and Reinhard raised an eyebrow. "That’s a lot." He leaned forward. "And you’re trusting one of these people with it?"

"Yes."

"Then you definitely need me."

The businessman blinked. "You sound very confident."

"I’ve made almost seven million standing on this street corner."

"That isn’t exactly proof."

Reinhard smiled. "It’s proof that I’m expensive." He paused. "And in this city, that’s basically the same thing."

The businessman laughed. "Fair enough."

The Mirror showed both possible futures, and when the visions ended, the man’s expression had changed. "The second one." He shook his head. "The one I was sure about. That’s my brother-in-law."

"Ah." Reinhard nodded sympathetically. "Family is complicated." He thought of Lily throwing slippers at him. "Mine throws footwear."

The businessman stared at him. "Is that a metaphor?"

"No."

The man laughed despite himself, then changed his decision and paid.

[$8,575,000 → $9,775,000.]

The next customer was much younger, extremely well dressed, and sweating through his expensive shirt. "My family owns three medical companies." Reinhard waited. "I’ve never been nervous in my life." The young man swallowed. "I’m going to propose tonight."

"Congratulations," Reinhard said with a smile. "Or condolences. I’ll know in a minute."

The young man looked miserable. "I can’t decide where to do it. The restaurant where we met, or the park where we had our first walk."

Reinhard stared at him. "You’re paying seven figures to pick a location?"

"Yes."

"You understand you could just ask her which one she likes?"

"Then it wouldn’t be a surprise."

Reinhard sighed. "Fine. Your money."

He raised the Mirror, and three futures appeared.

In the first, the young man proposed at the restaurant, and she turned him down. In the second, he proposed at the park, and she turned him down again, and then he backed away in embarrassment, fell into the lake, and had to be rescued by a duck-boat attendant.

The third future was simpler. She laughed at him.

The Mirror went dark, and neither of them spoke.

"...Refund?"

"No." Reinhard looked almost offended. "Don’t blame my Mirror for your terrible planning."

The young man looked devastated.

Reinhard sighed. "But I’ll give you some free advice."

The young man looked up. "Mark the date. Free advice from me is rare." Reinhard leaned forward. "In every future, she turned you down before you even finished talking." He pointed at him. "The location isn’t the problem." He paused. "The duck boat definitely isn’t helping, but it isn’t the problem either."

The young man listened carefully.

"Go home, and ask her what she actually wants from the next year of her life," Reinhard said, his expression turning more serious. "Then listen to the answer. With your ears. Not while you’re already planning what you’re going to say next."

The young man slowly nodded, and then he paid.

[$9,775,000 → $11,175,000.]

"Good luck," Reinhard called after him. "And stay away from lakes."

The young man raised one hand without turning around. He looked like a soldier marching off to war.

Reinhard checked the time and saw the auction was getting closer.

"Next."

A wealthy Awakener stepped forward, and when Reinhard finished the consultation and named his price, the man’s expression tightened. "That’s expensive."

"Compared to what?"

The man blinked. "The consultation."

"Or the decision you were about to make?" Reinhard said, putting the Mirror away. "One of those costs a lot more than the other."

The man went silent.

Reinhard shrugged. "If you don’t think it’s worth it, that’s fine." He glanced at the line behind him. "They disagree."

The man looked back and saw the people waiting behind him were not particularly sympathetic. "Fine. I’ll pay."

"Good."

"You aren’t even going to negotiate?"

"No."

"Why?"

"You already decided," Reinhard said with a smile. "I’m just waiting for your mouth to catch up."

The man laughed. "Fair enough."

The man paid and walked away looking strangely troubled by his own vocabulary.

[$11,175,000 → $12,775,000.]

Another man walked up and glanced at the Mirror. "I suppose Lucien wasn’t exaggerating about the greatness here."

"Thank you, but no discount."

The man laughed. "I meant the Mirror."

"Oh." Reinhard nodded seriously. "Then yes. The Mirror is excellent." He glanced at it. "It’s also the second-best-looking thing at this table."

The man stared at him. "You really enjoy talking about yourself."

"I’m selling the service," Reinhard said, spreading his hands. "The Mirror doesn’t talk. Someone has to."

The man snorted, and the consultation began. When it ended, he looked at Reinhard differently. "You really can do it."

"I’ve been saying that all day," Reinhard sighed. "Nobody listens to me."

"I thought you were arrogant."

"I am."

The man laughed. "At least you’re honest."

"Honesty is included in the price."

[$12,775,000 → $14,475,000.]

After that, the customers came faster, as word spread through the crowd. That’s the one Lucien paid. The Mirror actually works. The Hartwell heir came out looking like he’d seen a ghost.

One woman wanted to know whether she should accept a promotion in another city.

"Take it," Reinhard said after checking the futures. "Your future apartment has a much better view." He paused. "Also, your current boss is going to cry at your farewell party." A grin appeared. "It’s going to be very funny."

Another man wanted to know whether he should confess to his company leader that he had broken an expensive piece of equipment.

Reinhard lowered the Mirror. "Confess today."

The man’s face fell.

"In two futures, he finds out on his own," Reinhard said with a smile. "And he has a very big sword."

[$14,475,000 → $16,375,000.]

And more customers kept coming.

[$16,375,000 → $18,175,000.]

Reinhard checked the time. Less than ten minutes remained before the auction. One more customer.

As if the thought had summoned him, a heavy-set man dropped into the chair across from him, and Reinhard recognized him immediately. It was the weapons dealer from that morning, the man who had tried to buy a grieving Awakener’s sword for two hundred thousand credits.

The dealer didn’t recognize Reinhard.

Yet.

"I don’t have time for games," the man said. "I’m about to close the biggest contract I’ve ever signed." He leaned forward. "Rift-grade weapons. Private buyer. Cash on delivery." His hands landed on the table. "I want to know if it’s clean."

Reinhard smiled pleasantly. "Of course."

He raised the Mirror, and three futures unfolded.

In the first, the buyer paid and disappeared, and a week later, Aurileus Security surrounded the dealer’s shop because the weapons had been used in something extremely illegal.

In the second, the buyer never paid, leaving the dealer with stolen weapons he couldn’t sell, until his business collapsed and he lost everything.

The third future was quiet. He turned the deal down and went home, and nothing happened.

The Mirror went dark, and the dealer had gone pale.

"Well," Reinhard said cheerfully, "I’d recommend the third one."

The dealer swallowed. "How much?"

Reinhard leaned back. "Six million."

The man’s face turned purple. "Six million?! The others paid a fraction of that!"

"The others weren’t about to lose their entire business and their freedom," Reinhard said with a smile. "That’s the premium package."

"That’s robbery!"

Reinhard’s smile disappeared. "No." His voice stayed calm. "Robbery is offering a grieving man two hundred thousand for a sword worth five hundred and fifty because you know he needs the money for his dead teammates’ families."

The dealer froze, and recognition slowly surfaced in his eyes. "You..."

"Me." Reinhard set the Mirror down between them. "Consider it the price of every sword you ever bought for two hundred."

The dealer stared at him, then looked down at the Mirror, and whatever he had seen in those futures made the decision for him. He pulled out his phone.

[$18,175,000 → $24,175,000.]

The dealer walked away, and a blue window appeared.

[Investment Objective Completed.]

[B-Grade Investment Successful.]

[Calculating Returns...]

His eyes lit up. "Here we go."

[Legendary Reward Granted: $8,000,000 Credits.]

[$24,175,000 → $32,175,000.]

"That’s more like it."

He always knew why he liked this thing.

[Additional Reward Granted: Fooling Enhanced.]

[Effect: Fooling can now cast a single illusion across a group of up to six people.]

[Additional Effect: The illusion holds until the illusion or one of its targets is harmed.]

"Six people." Reinhard immediately thought of several applications, and most of them involved Lily.

[Additional Reward Granted: Enhanced Mirror of Possibilities.]

[Effect: The Mirror can now display up to five possible futures from a single decision.]

[Additional Effect: The Mirror can now display outcomes up to six months into the future.]

Five futures, six months ahead. That was a significant upgrade.

[Additional Reward Granted: Future Clarity.]

[Effect: Improves the clarity and stability of displayed possibilities.]

[Additional Effect: Reduces distortion in distant or highly uncertain possibilities.]

"Useful."

[Additional Reward Granted: Decision Analysis.]

[Effect: Allows the user to better understand the key variables influencing a decision shown through the Mirror.]

Reinhard’s eyebrows rose. "So I get explanations now?" Not exactly, but close enough. Understanding why a future change could make the Mirror even more valuable, and if the service became more valuable, he could charge more.

[Additional Reward Granted: Insightful Appraisal.]

[Effect: Improves the user’s ability to identify valuable information, hidden risks, and important details within a situation.]

"That’ll save me a few questions."

[Additional Reward Granted: Negotiation Mastery.]

[Effect: Greatly improves the user’s ability to negotiate purchases, sales, contracts, and agreements.]

[Additional Effect: Improves the user’s ability to identify favorable terms and recognize when the opposing party is willing to compromise.]

Reinhard stared at the notification, then laughed. "Now you’re just making me dangerous." He had already been winning negotiations with confidence and his looks.

Now the System has made it official. Somewhere in Marvello, every merchant had just felt a chill.

[Additional Reward Granted: Merchant’s Fortune.]

[Effect: Slightly increases the probability of encountering valuable opportunities, rare materials, profitable transactions, and individuals seeking high-value services.]

And the last notification came.

[Additional Reward Granted.]

[9 Months Mana Infusion.]

Warmth flowed into his Gnosis and he felt himself growing even stronger.

"Ahh perfect, just what I wanted before the auction." Reinhard smirked as he continued walking.