Suspicion

"Mr. Roen, what do you mean by that?" Sean paused his meal and looked up at Roen. The development of the current situation seemed different from what he had anticipated.

"Mr. Sean, do you know about Phantasmalite?" At this moment, Roen exuded an aura that was different from an ordinary person. Although Sean knew that Roen was a normal person with no rank or abilities, except for intelligence and willpower, both of which were only six points, he was still taken aback by the aura emanating from him.

It was a genuine aura of someone in a higher position, sharp but not overbearing, powerful but not domineering.

"Of course, I do," Sean replied solemnly.

He not only knew about this type of crystal but also had a clear understanding of its mining locations, related data, and uses.

Phantasmalite, as the name suggested, was a rhombus-shaped crystal resembling a pointed tower, measuring about five centimeters in length. It had a translucent white color with a faint silver glow.

This crystal contained magical energy, similar to magic crystals. However, the amount of magical energy within Phantasmalite was very scarce, making it unsuitable for use in magical tools or large-scale magic arrays like magic crystals.

However, the stability possessed by Phantasmalite was unmatched by magic crystals. It was precisely because of this stability that apprentice wizards could utilize Phantasmalite for mental training.

However, its use was limited to apprentice wizards.

Once a person broke through the limitations of magical and mental powers and became an official mage, the mental stimulation provided by Phantasmalite became useless.

Additionally, Phantasmalite was not as difficult to mine or as rare as magic crystals, nor did it require any processing.

Therefore, in the market of the Magi Empire, it was sold for only two Magi Empire silver coins.

According to the unified currency plan introduced by the Pan-Continent Commerce Union later, one gold coin could be exchanged for ten silver coins, and one silver coin could be exchanged for one hundred copper coins.

The normal monthly expenses of an average household of three members were approximately five gold coins, although this level could vary slightly depending on the country.

Generally, it wouldn't deviate significantly from this range.

Therefore, the burden of two silver coins was not a problem for an apprentice wizard.

This was why Sean mentioned that while the Black Cat Guild was indeed well-known, there were things that apprentice wizards could afford but couldn't buy from them.

As a prominent guild specializing in the sale of magical materials and tools in the northern region of the Miracle Continent, the Black Cat Guild offered a wide variety of products, with stable supplies and quantities.

However, they oddly did not have Phantasmalite for sale. The reason was simple—there were no Phantasmalite mines within the Kingdom of Portoroa. The known deposits of Phantasmalite were only present in the Magi Empire.

"Mr. Sean, you're not from Portoroa, are you?" Roen took a sip of juice, furrowing his brows slightly, and then set down the glass.

Seeing Roen's actions, Sean's brows furrowed as well. He knew Roen well from their interactions in the game, so he was familiar with many of Roen's habits. For example, Roen preferred wine over juice, and whenever he felt confident and assured, he would raise his wine glass to hide the faint smile that appeared on his face.

What made Roen so confident?

Sean suddenly realized that the storyline that he should have been very familiar with seemed to be slipping out of his control. "Yes," he replied.

"A batch of Phantasmalite was stolen from the Black Cat Guild," Roen said, setting down his wine glass, his words light and airy. "It happened within the Kingdom of Portoroa's territory."

"Do you think I did it?" Sean raised an eyebrow, clearly getting angry.

"The effects of Phantasmalite are known only to a few high-level mages in the Kingdom of Portoroa," Roen said in a deep voice. "Moreover, this batch of goods didn't go missing elsewhere; it happened to be at the intersection of the Tindes and Zoberd territories, just five days ago." Roen deliberately paused, observing Sean's reaction, but unfortunately, he didn't find anything on Sean's face. He continued, "And on the same day that the Black Cat Guild's goods were stolen, you happened to be present here, closest to the scene of the incident. Is this just a coincidence?"

At this point, Sean was infuriated.

This was clearly just a coincidence! But he also realized that he couldn't explain it clearly because it was his own fault for not thoroughly understanding the information.

The player who announced this quest on the game forum was a resident of the Kingdom of Portoroa, and he had heard the news from the Black Cat Guild. Naturally, Roen wouldn't suspect him.

But now, Sean realized that Roen had become suspicious because he didn't follow the usual steps that triggered the quest. Roen clearly regarded him as the culprit.

Finally understanding where Roen's confident aura came from, Sean realized that he was being treated like a criminal.

"I just entered the territory of the Kingdom of Portoroa five days ago," Sean said calmly. Although things were getting out of his control, Roen didn't have a complete grasp of the conversation's pace yet. "To be precise, I just entered the Tindes territory."

"I asked at the entry point, and there is no information related to you," Roen chuckled, his confident expression growing even stronger. "There are no records of you in either the border or the Tindes territory."

"I came from the Starfall Forest," Sean shrugged, appearing nonchalant.

Upon hearing Sean's words, a faint perplexity flashed across Roen's face. It seemed like he couldn't quite react at first, but after a moment, he burst into laughter. "Haha, that's the funniest joke I've heard so far."

"If someone else said it, I would think the same," Sean laughed as well. He wasn't in a hurry to defend himself. He was well aware of the ways of the aristocracy in this world and knew how to control the rhythm in certain situations. Dealing with nobles was a fundamental skill that all players in "Miracle" had to possess. "But if I say it, many people usually won't find it funny."

Roen looked at Sean with interest and raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

With a slight smile, Sean resumed his dining in an elegant and graceful manner, displaying typical noble demeanor. He knew that he had completely taken control of the pace of the conversation. "I came here with Viscount Durun."

Stiffness.

The smile on Roen's face instantly froze as if he had been hit with a freezing spell. His eyes revealed a trace of disbelief. He exchanged a glance with the middle-aged man beside him, who also showed an expression of disbelief. The middle-aged man immediately turned and walked out of the inn. Even if Sean had to guess with his toe, he knew that the man had gone to verify the information.

However, Sean wasn't worried at all. He calmly continued enjoying his dinner. Cecilia had already finished her meal and sat obediently, also watching Roen with curiosity. If it had been a few minutes ago, Roen would have greeted Cecilia politely and exchanged pleasantries. But now, he was completely devoid of that sentiment.

To have identified him as the suspect, believing that the theft of the Phantasmalite could be easily resolved, only to discover that he had made a mistake himself and that the target was even related to a viscount—these were things that Roen needed to handle carefully.

Although the Black Cat Guild was indeed one of the most prominent suppliers of magical materials and items in the northern continent, their influence was not great enough to manipulate the attitude of a kingdom. Let alone control, it was impossible for them to have any significant impact.

Accusing a noble of robbery?

Unless Roen was a fool, he would never do such a thing. Although he had some doubts, he wondered if the theft of the Phantasmalite was related to the nobles in the Tindes territory.

Sean had been closely observing Roen's expression, and he could tell from the changing colors on his face that he had suspicions in his heart. So, in a calm and unhurried manner, Sean spoke again, "The House of Dragon Language Guild has been considering opening up the magical materials market of the Kingdom of Portoroa."

Roen looked up, his face filled with astonishment. "Who are you exactly?"

Sean touched his nose. This was the second time someone had asked him that in the past few days. However...

The rhythm was completely under his control.

"Leaving aside the House of Dragon Language, even though Polar Silver deals in different products than the Black Cat Guild, the scope of their operations is the same," Sean poured himself a glass of red wine and slowly swirled it. It was more fitting for a noble like him to enjoy a glass of wine in this posture at this moment, exuding an air of superiority. "No guild doesn't want to become stronger. If Polar Silver were to occupy your market share as well, wouldn't they become even more powerful than you?"

Roen's face paled slightly. If the House of Dragon Language Guild had ambitions to open up the magical materials market of the Kingdom of Portoroa, the Black Cat Guild would have been prepared.

But this strike from Polar Silver was something they hadn't anticipated. Based on past circumstances, although Polar Silver and the Black Cat Guild were both prominent guilds in the northern part of the Miracle Continent, the Black Cat Guild had always held the upper hand.

After all, their customers were mages who were not concerned about money, and their wealth accumulation speed was beyond what Polar Silver could compare with.

However, because the Black Cat Guild had always focused on operating within a specific market, they were certainly no match for Polar Silver in terms of connections across multiple fields.

If Polar Silver truly used Phantasmalite as a stepping stone to open up the magical materials market, a continuous flow of other magical materials would enter the market. In that case, the Black Cat Guild's market share would, conservatively estimated, shrink by at least half!

Roen's forehead started to sweat slightly. "Polar Silver has never... been involved in the magical materials market..."

A slight curve formed at the corner of Sean's mouth, and Roen's heartbeat suddenly accelerated. He suddenly realized an answer that he didn't want to admit.

And that answer, was now being spoken by Sean, "What if Polar Silver collaborated with the House of Dragon Language? Or perhaps not the House of Dragon Language, but the Medusa Guild?"

Roen's face turned pale, completely devoid of color.