Returning

As the elderly woman listed the costs and explained the payment process, she delivered an unforeseen piece of news. "That will be two platinum coins each," she stated, nonchalantly shrugging, as if it were an everyday matter.

The corners of my eyes twitched as I struggled to maintain a composed face. The sum was colossal. I felt an imaginary pain in my pocket as if I had just suffered a physical blow. Sera, on the other hand, appeared ready to faint.

I forced a chuckle, "Well, that's certainly something, isn't it?" Clearing my throat, I reached into my pocket, pulling out four platinum coins. I placed them on the counter with a strained smile, "Two for me and two for Sera."

The elderly woman's eyebrows lifted, a hint of surprise flickering in her eyes. "Very well, then," she responded, gathering the coins and scribbling a receipt. Damn, what an expensive school. Thankfully, this should cover two of the four years we'll be staying here.

Sera remained in stunned silence, her mouth opening and closing soundlessly. I gently patted her shoulder, offering a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Sera. You owe me one, remember?"

Her wide eyes turned towards me, a mix of disbelief and gratitude flashing within them. She nodded, still unable to articulate coherent words. I knew it would take some time for her to digest what had just happened.

Bidding goodbye to Elara, we decided to head back to my shop. "We've got two weeks before classes start, so I should let Ash, Eira, Des, and Zeke know about the arrangements," I said, already making mental notes of my to-do list.

"S-Sure," Sera stammered, still dumbfounded by the recent events. "You're... you're truly a lifesaver, V."

I shrugged off her words with a small laugh, "It's not that big of a deal, I'll just earn the money back."

Unlocking the door and stepping inside the shop, Sera followed closely behind. The scent of lavender candles enveloped us, a familiar and comforting aroma. My eyes roamed over the neatly arranged items. Des truly is more efficient than Ash.

Reaching the back of the shop, I found Ash, Eira, Des, and Zeke lounging around a table littered with stacks of papers, money, and coffee cups. They looked up as we entered, their expressions brightening in unison.

"Yo, Kael! Did you guys get into the academy?" Ash, the joker among us, greeted me with a mischievous grin.

"It did go better than I expected," I replied, dropping into a chair, "but damn, how do normal people attend the academy without going bankrupt?"

Eira's eyebrow arched at my remark. "Oh? How much did it cost you?"

"Two platinum coins," I stated flatly, watching their expressions shift from surprise to outright shock.

"Holy...!" Des started but trailed off, shaking her head in disbelief. I could faintly hear her mumble, "How did he get so much money?"

Zeke merely laughed as usual, "Hahaha, what did you expect? The academy is huge, and most commoners that attend the academy look for a noble to sponsor them, offering their services once they graduate. There's also the tournament they hold for newcomers every year; if you get within the top 5, you receive five platinum coins."

Sera's eyes widened, "Wait, you said 5 p-platinum coins?"

The room fell silent, each lost in thoughts about the absurd amount. After a moment, I cleared my throat, breaking the awkward silence. "Well, I don't plan to join that tournament, I don't need the attention. I have other means of getting money. Eira, Zeke, I'm assuming you have something to tell me? Let's head to Eira's workspace."

The prospect of the tournament is indeed tempting, but I doubt I'll ever make it into the top ten. In my novel, Isadora emerged as the victor of the tournament; however, Sera, who previously hadn't attended the academy, is certainly going to participate. I'm interested to see how she'll do against Isadora. Sera has always devoted herself to her training. While her swordsmanship might seem crude compared to Isadora's, her talent should be akin to Ash's, and hence, she will develop. In terms of stats, Sera's are probably slightly below Isadora's. But life is unpredictable, so I'll go watch her duel. Now, it's time to address the current problem at hand

Walking towards Eira's workspace, I could sense the tension hanging in the air. It felt like stepping into a brewing storm - you could sense the charged particles, but the thunder hadn't struck yet.

Once we reached Eira's workspace, she dramatically pointed towards her desk, her voice shaky. "I don't... We're not... The TSI's, Kael," she stuttered. "We're not making enough money! We're making less, the price has significantly dropped!"

Zeke simply leaned back in his chair, an amused smile gracing his face as he watched Eira's breakdown. I could tell he wasn't particularly disturbed by the news; he was just enjoying the spectacle.

Sighing, I leaned against a nearby table, turning to face Eira. "It was expected, Eira. The nobles wouldn't let us monopolize the market for too long," I calmly explained. "They saw us as a threat, and now they're trying to compete with us. Their pride probably wouldn't allow them to let the situation slide. I'm sure Zeke was already aware of this."

Eira appeared like she wanted to argue, but held her tongue. She knew as well as I did that our venture into the TSI market had always been a gamble.

Shifting the topic, I looked at Eira, my curiosity piqued. "What about the weapon project, Eira? Any progress on that?"

The question seemed to lift Eira's spirits. Her eyes lit up, and she rushed over to a large chest. "Yes, I haven't finished yet, but I've got a prototype!"

As she drew the object from the chest, the room fell silent. It was a beautifully crafted weapon, larger than a regular handgun, with a sleek barrel that was almost artistic. The handle was etched with intricate runes, and it had a small slot for a magic stone. The polished metal gleamed under the workshop's lights, promising power.

Even though I had asked her to create it, seeing it in person sent chills down my spine. This was a gun, a device that had wreaked havoc in my old world, recreated in this new world using magic.

I took the gun from Eira, carefully examining it. The cool metal was comforting against my skin, and the weight was comfortable in my hand. I could sense the dormant power within the weapon, the magic humming softly like a contented cat.

Zeke and Eira watched as I evaluated the weapon, a hushed silence enveloping the room. They were intrigued by the sight of a magical gun, something entirely new to this world, a creation that could potentially revolutionize warfare and magic alike.

"Hmm," I murmured, drawing out the silence. I carefully returned the gun to Eira, maintaining steady eye contact. "You're a goddamn genius, Eira. We're going to make a fortune."

Her face split into a broad grin, her earlier troubles forgotten in the face of praise. I shouldn't compliment too much or it'll get to her head.

"Where are the bullets, Eira?" I asked, still captivated by the sleek design of the gun.

Eira delved back into the chest and pulled out a box filled with bullet-shaped crystals. Each was etched with runes similar to the ones on the gun, their facets shimmering with trapped mana.

I picked up one of the bullets, inspecting it closely. "What's the firepower like on these?"

Eira shrugged nonchalantly. "I think they'll pack quite a punch. I've linked the runes on the bullets to the ones on the gun. They should enhance each other when fired."

Nodding, I took the box of bullets from her and began to load the gun. The bullets slid into the chamber effortlessly, a testament to Eira's meticulous craftsmanship.

Without warning, I turned around and aimed the gun at Zeke. Before he could react, I fired off a round. Zeke's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly conjured a barrier to deflect the bullet.

The crystal bullet struck the barrier and shattered, releasing a burst of magic energy that left a visible mark on Zeke's barrier. After a moment of stunned silence, Zeke's laughter echoed in the room.

"Kael, you absolute maniac!" he exclaimed, still laughing. "What was that for?"

I returned the gun to its holster and smirked at him. "Just testing the firepower. And you were the best target."

Eira's laughter joined Zeke's, her previous tension long forgotten. "That's what you get, Zeke!" She managed to say between fits of laughter.

Turning back to Eira, my smile still in place, I asked, "Any other weapon attachments or variants, Eira?"

She paused thoughtfully before her eyes lit up. "I've been working on a few, but they're not ready yet. I'll show you when they are."

This is incredible. Eira is a genius! It managed to leave a mark on Zeke's barrier, so it should be efficient. The market will go wild when we release them.