"Original price."
Alice spoke up.
"I'll pay double."
"Go ahead."
Alice paused, then pushed the third takeout box toward him.
Eiji took it with satisfaction, opened the container, and began eating. For some reason, it tasted much better than the usual takeout.
"I heard my Magic Crest won't be ready for another two days?"
"Aoko is too slow."
"Hmm?"
Startled by Eiji's gaze, Aoko wore an awkward expression.
"So, it's actually Aoko who's making it?"
"Alice made me do it!"
Jiang Li: No wonder it's been four or five days with no progress.
"I want it done tonight. Is a million enough?"
"...If it's within an hour, could we make it two million?"
Alice hesitated for a moment before making a serious counteroffer.
She happened to have her eye on an antique recently but was a bit short on funds.
Normally, creating a Magic Crest wouldn't be possible for just a few hundred thousand, let alone a million. However, the production was included in their contract, and Eiji was only asking for expedited service.
"Deal!"
Eiji nodded generously.
After all, it's not my money—why should I care how it's spent?
"I understand."
Alice nodded, set down her takeout, and left the living room.
"Aoko, bring me that Crest. It's with you, right?"
Every second counts!
"The power of money is truly astonishing."
A while later, Aoko emerged from the basement and sat across from Eiji to eat dinner, sighing enviously.
Clearly, Alice intended to finish the Crest before dinner.
Before this, she hadn't been the least bit invested—even assigning the task to Aoko as homework. But now, with just two million on the line, she was not only taking charge personally but even skipping dinner.
"Ah, the dullness of the rich is beyond your imagination."
"Drop dead."
As the two bickered, time passed quickly.
Outside, the sky darkened. Eiji stayed in the living room for a long while, and no one came to kick him out.
With a black card in his possession, Eiji had become a VIP guest at the Kuonji residence. The "half-hour rule" had long since flown out the window.
"It's done."
After nightfall, Alice returned to the living room from the west wing, holding a piece of glowing green, skin-like substance.
"It's so small."
Eiji examined the Crest, displeased.
"Initial Crests are always like this."
Alice paused, then offered a more detailed explanation.
"The next step is to transplant the Crest onto your body. But a Crest is like an organ. Transplanting a complete one all at once would be too much for you to handle. The standard practice for magi is to start with a small piece and expand it over time to minimize rejection."
Transplanting a Crest was akin to transplanting an organ.
For the first transplant, magi always chose the smallest possible size. Additional magic could later be engraved into the Crest to expand it, reducing the risk of severe "rejection."
"I see. Does this one have the spell I requested?"
"It has the most basic Familiar Crest."
Alice pointed to the Crest.
It was only the size of a palm, with a single pattern engraved on it—the sole spell Eiji had requested: Familiar Magecraft.
With Eiji's magical energy, he couldn't sustain a powerful familiar, but even a weak one would be incredibly useful for gathering information.
"By the way, this Familiar is a complimentary gift."
Alice flipped her right hand, and a black starling appeared in her palm.
Five-star review!
Though it was likely that without the money, there would've been no gift at all.
With Alice's help, Eiji transplanted the Crest onto his left shoulder.
"Hmm..."
The procedure was quick, and Alice's skills were impeccable. But once it was over, Eiji clutched his left shoulder, frowning slightly.
"Why does it feel like there's a phantom pain?"
It was a needle-like sensation, concentrated on his left shoulder, coming in waves with no sign of fading.
"That's your body's rejection. You'll get used to it."
Alice seemed entirely unconcerned.
For professional magi, enduring the pain of a Crest was a basic requirement.
"I also have some small tools here. Are you interested?"
Alice waved her hand, and several small items miraculously appeared on the table.
Aoko's lips twitched.
When she first moved in two years ago, her treatment had been far worse than Eiji's. Back then, things had nearly escalated to a life-or-death struggle.
Yet here was Eiji, barely a few days in, and Alice was already pitching her gadgets to him.
Alice was a witch.
Her mother had been a genuine Great Witch, comparable to those from myths and legends—the most famous example being Medea from Greek mythology. Her mother had been that caliber of witch.
From her mother, Alice had inherited powerful fairy-tale familiars as well as remarkable talent. Her skill in crafting magical tools was exceptional, often producing works that made people's eyes go dark—no, that made their eyes light up.
"This is a bottle that can trap people inside."
Alice held up a small brown bottle, likely originally meant for pills—it looked quite crude.
"Think of it like the Golden Horn and Silver Horn's 'Pure Jade Vase' from Journey to the West. Just call out to the target, and they'll be sucked inside."
"That amazing?"
Eiji gasped.
Damn, if she'd used this on me back then, wouldn't it have been an instant win?
"There are drawbacks, of course. If the target resists even slightly, the bottle will shatter."
"..."
Eiji froze.
"Then what's the point?"
"...Now that you mention it, it is a bit useless."
Alice rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought.
It was as if she'd never considered the issue before.
Aoko's expression said, I knew it.
Alice's creations always had this flaw.
She adored fairy tales and loved imitating the weapons and artifacts from them to craft magical tools. The problem was that she focused solely on imitation, never considering practicality.
In other words, she acted on pure enthusiasm, making things first and worrying about their usefulness later.
"Let's skip this one. I'll introduce the others—"
"No, I'll take this bottle!"
Alice sighed and was about to put the failed creation away when Eiji suddenly spoke up, grabbing the small bottle.
"Then... 500,000?"
"Deal!"
Alice immediately perked up, her entire demeanor revitalized.
"Next, let me introduce this—it's a collar modeled after the 'Golden Headband.' Once placed around someone's neck, a snap of your fingers will make it tighten..."
She was as enthusiastic as a salesperson.
***
Hey readers!
Want to read ahead? 📖 Join my Patreon for early access to 30+ advance chapters! Your support helps me write more and bring the story to you faster.
🔹patreon.com/aarvan🔹