Chapter 892: Alternate Timeline: Sun and Moon Brooch

A couple of hours later, as the light of the afternoon slowly softened into a quieter shade, Kiara arrived at a private residence located within the Business district of the Imperial City, where agreements were often worth more than official contracts, and there, inside a spacious yet modest hall filled with the faint scent of dried herbs and stored spices, she sat across from Malric.

The merchant held a long list in his hand, the parchment slightly crinkling under his fingers as he leaned forward, his brows drawn together in concentration while his eyes moved from one line to another with careful attention.

He was measuring not just the items written but the scale of the request behind them, while Zion sat beside Kiara without moving at all, his posture straight and silent like a statue placed for decoration rather than participation.

Normally, Noah would have accompanied Kiara for security, his presence both practical and reassuring, but today the roles had shifted because Zion had taken responsibility as the coachman for the journey, and so he remained with Kiara while the others had already been sent back, leaving the room with a quieter and more focused atmosphere.

After going through the list several times, Malric finally raised his head, his expression thoughtful yet slightly cautious, as if he was trying to confirm that what he had just read was not a misunderstanding.

"So, let me go through everything once more to be certain," he said slowly, his voice steady but carrying a trace of disbelief that he did not bother to hide.

"Along with three hundred barrels of oil every week, there is also a one-time purchase of one hundred kilograms of brimstone in powdered form, one hundred and fifty kilograms of charcoal powder, one ton of saltpeter, one hundred kilograms of plumbum, one hundred kilograms of stannum, one hundred kilograms of brass, one hundred kilograms of Herculean steel, one hundred kilograms of Daxus Tungsten, one ton of copper, and one hundred high ether crystals of ten-carat size each."

He lifted his gaze again, watching Kiara carefully.

"That is correct?"

Kiara nodded with a small and calm smile, her expression composed as if this was nothing more than a routine transaction rather than something that would make even an experienced merchant hesitate.

"Yes," she replied simply. "That is all."

Malric looked back down at the list again.

For a few moments, silence settled between them, the kind of silence that carried calculation and quiet concern, as his fingers tapped lightly against the parchment while he considered the difficulty of fulfilling such an order.

After a short pause, he spoke again, his tone turning more serious as he chose to be honest rather than agreeable.

"Miss Kiara, I may not specialize in metals or weapon materials, but even I understand that items like Daxus Tungsten and Herculean steel are extremely rare, and procuring them in such quantities is not only difficult but also very expensive, especially when the merchants who deal in such materials are already bound by agreements with either the dwarven traders or the major weapon stores that dominate the market."

He leaned back slightly, folding the list carefully.

"You may have better luck obtaining them from the Beast Empire, where prices are lower, or by attending auctions where rare materials are occasionally sold, and as a matter of fact, there is one such auction scheduled in three months, where you might be able to secure what you need if you are willing to wait."

His eyes flickered with a hint of curiosity.

"If you possess something unique, like your flying puppet, you may even attract attention and negotiate better deals."

Kiara listened without interrupting, her mind briefly considering the suggestion before she gave a small nod, because although she had no immediate urgency to construct a physical factory, she understood the value of securing resources early, especially when her internal system already allowed her to bypass many traditional limitations.

"So the rest can be arranged without much trouble?" she asked, her tone casual but direct.

Malric nodded, though his expression remained thoughtful.

"Yes, most of the other items are easier to procure, but there is one more thing I would like to suggest," he added, raising a finger slightly as if to emphasize the point.

"It concerns the ether crystals you requested, because I would recommend that you acquire raw ether ores instead of polished crystals."

Kiara's brows furrowed slightly at that suggestion, her gaze sharpening as she leaned forward just a little.

"Why?" she asked plainly. "Explain clearly."

Malric did not hesitate, as he had already expected that question.

"It is because raw ether ores can be obtained at nearly half the price of polished crystals, and for someone at your level, there is no real need to rely on refined pieces, since you can directly absorb energy from the ore itself without significant loss," he explained, his voice steady and practical.

He tapped lightly on the table.

"High-quality polished ether crystals are especially expensive, and unlike low and mid-grade ones, their price fluctuates depending on availability, which means you may end up paying far more than the base value if demand rises."

He paused briefly, then added,

"Of course, this is only a suggestion, and if you still prefer polished crystals, I can arrange them, though it will take more time to gather a hundred of them."

Kiara fell silent for a moment, her mind calculating the benefits and limitations of his proposal, because while the system allowed her to extract ether energy efficiently regardless of form, she was aware that raw ore contained impurities and mixed materials, meaning that the energy content would not match that of refined crystals of equal weight.

Still, the cost advantage was undeniable.

After weighing the options, she gave a slight nod.

"In that case, procure raw ether ore instead," she said calmly, then adjusted the requirement without hesitation. "Make it around fifteen hundred carats in total, and the sizes can vary, it does not matter."

Malric's expression relaxed slightly as he nodded in agreement.

"That can be arranged," he replied. "Give me three to seven days to contact the necessary merchants, and after that, I will provide you with the total cost and the expected delivery schedule."

Kiara rose from her seat, signaling the end of the discussion.

"Alright, I will wait for your message," she said, her tone neutral yet firm. "You will receive your three percent brokerage fee once everything is completed."

Malric's smile widened slightly at that, because even a small percentage of such a large deal would bring him considerable profit.

Kiara and Zion then left the residence and returned to the store, where Noah remained upstairs, keeping watch over the two beasts, while the atmosphere inside the store felt calm and undisturbed compared to the political tension of the palace.

After dropping Kiara off, Zion immediately took the carriage back to the rental station to return it and collect the deposit, leaving Kiara alone inside the store for a brief moment.

Without wasting time, Kiara called Noah downstairs.

Noah responded instantly, appearing beside her almost as if he had teleported, his movements quick and precise, though beneath that speed, there was a subtle tension that she could not entirely hide, because since his creation, he had always accompanied Kiara closely, following her everywhere without exception.

The only time he had been separated before was when he carried out the mission involving Kristof Drake, but even that had been purposeful, unlike now, where he had simply been left behind while Zion took his place.

Even during the visit to the Imperial Palace, he had remained in the background, silent and observant, and though he understood the reasoning behind it, the feeling of being unnecessary had quietly settled within him.

So when Kiara called him, he appeared immediately, standing close, as if trying to close the distance that had formed.

Kiara was briefly surprised by how quickly he appeared, but she did not comment on it, instead reaching into her inventory and taking out a brooch, its surface gleaming faintly with a refined elegance that marked it as something valuable.

She held it out toward Noah.

"Take this," she said simply. "From now on, it is yours."

Noah accepted the brooch without hesitation, his fingers brushing lightly against it as he examined its design for a brief moment before fixing it into his chest pocket.

The moment the brooch settled into place, a faint shift in the air could be felt, subtle but present, as if something had quietly connected.

At that exact moment, a notification appeared before Kiara.

[Ding! Do you wish to bind Sun & Moon Brooch to Noah? Warning: You cannot unbind it later.]