Chapter 5 005
The scooter rattled to a stop outside the Velkaryn Central Shopping District — a gleaming stretch of high-end retail towers and designer boutiques that Korvian had passed a hundred times without ever stepping inside.
Mirelle climbed off and looked around uncertainly. "Korvian… the orphanage supplies would be cheaper at the wholesale market on Fifth. Why are we here?"
"We're stopping here first," he said, pocketing the keys.
She followed his gaze toward Elyndra & Co., one of the most prestigious clothing brands in Velkaryn City. A single outfit from their window display cost more than her monthly salary.
"You can't be serious."
Korvian said nothing and walked straight through the glass doors.
The interior smelled of cedar and expensive perfume. Marble floors reflected the soft chandelier light. Two sales attendants stood behind the counter, both of them looking up with the kind of polished smile that immediately calculated a customer's worth and adjusted accordingly.
The smiles faded the moment they took in Korvian's worn jacket and scuffed shoes.
"Sir," the taller attendant said, her tone precisely pleasant enough to avoid a complaint, "this floor carries our premium collection. Perhaps the outlet branch on the lower level would be more suitable for your needs."
Mirelle stiffened beside him.
Korvian looked at the attendant without any expression. "I didn't ask for directions. Bring out your full catalogue."
"Sir, I strongly suggest—"
He placed the Void Card on the glass counter.
The room went quiet.
The shorter attendant made a small, involuntary sound. She reached out slowly, picked up the card, and turned it over. The shifting silver runes caught the light. She read the engraved name and looked up with wide eyes.
"Mr. Draethor… I sincerely apologize for the misunderstanding. Please, this way."
Mirelle leaned close as they were escorted toward the private fitting section. "Where did you get that card?"
"A gift," he said simply.
She looked at him sideways. "From who?"
"Someone who owes me ten years."
Before she could press further, a system chime rang softly in his mind.
[Ding!]
[Daily Login Bonus Received: 50 Essence Points]
[Total Essence Points: 1,250 / 2,500]
[The Goddess of Boundless Prosperity has issued a new Trial.]
Trial: Spend 200,000 Elyrian Dollars on others before sunrise.
Reward: 400 Essence Points plus one Prosperity Shard.
Penalty: None.
Korvian nearly smiled. The Goddess had a pattern — each Trial pushed harder than the last. She was testing not just his willingness to spend, but his instinct for who deserved it.
He spent forty minutes outfitting Mirelle from the full collection. She protested through most of it, insisting she only needed two or three pieces. He ignored her and kept adding. By the time they reached the counter, the total came to just under ninety thousand Elyrian Dollars.
Mirelle stood beside the bags in stunned silence as the card was processed without a flicker of hesitation.
"Korvian," she said quietly on the way out, arms full of bags she hadn't asked for, "what is happening? Yesterday you came home with a suspension notice. Today you're spending like you own half the city."
He took the heaviest bags from her without answering right away.
"Do you trust me?" he asked.
She thought about it honestly. That was one thing he had always appreciated about Mirelle — she never gave false answers just to be agreeable.
"I think I'm starting to," she said finally.
He nodded. "Then give me a little more time before I explain everything."
They loaded the bags onto the scooter, which now looked absurd under the weight of luxury packaging, and rode south toward the wholesale district. Korvian spent the next hour moving efficiently through stalls, filling a rented cart with winter clothing, school materials, hygiene supplies, and nutritious dry goods for the orphanage. The total came to sixty-three thousand. He paid without pausing.
[Ding!]
[Trial Progress: 153,000 / 200,000 Elyrian Dollars spent on others.]
[The Goddess of Boundless Prosperity is watching with interest.]
Outside the last stall, Mirelle stopped walking.
"Korvian."
He turned.
Her expression had shifted. The confusion was still there, but something firmer had replaced the uncertainty underneath it.
"The phone you returned to me today," she said carefully. "It was in my bag when I left the set this morning. I never dropped it." She paused. "Someone took it. And then you showed up with it." She held his gaze. "What happened at that bridge?"
Korvian studied her face for a long moment.
She wasn't afraid. She wasn't asking him to explain himself. She was simply telling him that she already knew more was going on than he had let on, and that she was choosing to stand beside him anyway.
He exhaled slowly.
"Get back on the scooter," he said. "I'll tell you everything on the way to the orphanage."
For the first time since the system awakened, Korvian felt the weight of ten years shift — just slightly — off his shoulders.
[Ding!]
[The God of Eternal Moments has taken notice of your decision to trust.]
[New Passive Ability Unlocked: Unshaken Presence]
Unshaken Presence (Passive): Your composure under pressure subtly unnerves opponents and earns the instinctive respect of allies. No cost. Always active.
[Total Essence Points: 1,300 / 2,500]
The night was still young.
And Korvian Draethor had barely begun.
