Weapon seller in the world of magic

Around eight in the evening, inside the Nexus Store, the quiet hum of production filled the air like a steady heartbeat that refused to slow down. The counters stood empty, no customers lingering, no footsteps interrupting the rhythm, leaving Kiara alone with the system’s voice echoing at regular intervals.

[Ding! You successfully created a 9mm bullet]

The notification appeared, faded, and then returned again.

[Ding! You successfully created a 9mm bullet]

Kiara’s hands moved in a practiced flow, her focus sharp and unwavering as she processed batch after batch. The metallic scent of materials, the faint warmth of generated energy, and the soft mechanical hum blended into a strange kind of calm, yet beneath that calm her mind remained restless, calculating time, output, and efficiency with quiet intensity.

”No customers… good,” she thought, her fingers pausing only for a fraction of a second before continuing. ”I need to finish as much as possible before tomorrow.”

The order from Icarus Veyne was not something she could afford to delay.

Two hundred thousand bullets.

Even with the system assisting her, the sheer volume demanded patience, discipline, and time that felt like it was slipping through her fingers.

The door creaked open.

Kiara stopped.

She did not need to turn immediately.

She already knew.

The faint shuffle of robes, the controlled footsteps, the presence that carried authority without needing to announce it.

”A eunuch,” she thought.

Then she looked up.

Chief Eunuch Miel stood there, holding a scroll.

Every time he appeared, something followed.

Orders.

Summons.

Complications.

Kiara exhaled slowly.

”What does the Emperor want this time?” she asked, her tone calm but carrying a faint edge.

Miel stepped forward respectfully and extended the scroll. ”This is from His Majesty.”

Kiara took it without hesitation and opened it.

Her eyes scanned the contents.

Her expression shifted.

Curiosity.

Then tension.

Then a faint frown settled on her face. ”A lunch meeting… with House Drake?”

Her fingers tightened slightly around the scroll.

”To resolve differences…”

Her thoughts moved quickly.

”So now he wants to mediate?”

A faint, cold amusement surfaced.

”I don’t have a problem with them.”

Her gaze hardened slightly.

”My problem is with him.”

Her mind replayed fragments of the past.

Memories she had buried.

Emotions she kept locked beneath layers of control.

Then another thought surfaced.

”But why invite Felix… and Baltrow?”

Her eyes narrowed.

”He already sensed Baltrow’s realm. If anything, he should keep his distance.”

Silence stretched for a brief moment.

Then she folded the scroll.

”Fine,” she muttered.

”Let’s see what game you are playing.”

She raised her head.

”Tell the Emperor I will come,” she said.

Then she added, her tone firm and deliberate, ”But I will not come alone. My siblings will accompany me. And I expect them to be treated with the same respect as me.”

Miel nodded immediately. ”Understood.”

Without another word, he turned and left.

*

The door closed.

Silence returned.

Kiara stood still for a moment, the scroll still in her hand.

Then she exhaled slowly and placed it aside.

”Back to work.”

The rhythm resumed.

[Ding! You successfully created a 9mm bullet]

*

The next morning arrived quietly, carrying with it a tension that lingered just beneath the surface.

At dawn, Zion placed a wooden board outside the store. ”Closed for the day.”

The words stood simple, yet they carried weight.

Today was not a normal day.

Inside, preparations had already begun.

*

On the first floor, in the living area, Kiara sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by a scattered pile of ether crystals that shimmered faintly under the light. The air itself felt charged, filled with raw energy waiting to be consumed.

She picked one up.

Crushed it between her fingers.

Energy surged.

[Ding! You absorbed low-quality ether crystal (10 carats). Ether energy has been increased by 5 points.]

She did not stop.

Another.

And another.

Her breathing remained steady, but her mind sharpened with each absorption, as if every fragment of energy carved clarity into her thoughts.

Previously, it had taken time.

Ten seconds.

Slow.

Inefficient.

Now—

Barely three.

The energy flowed faster.

Smoother.

Her body adapted.

Absorbed.

Transformed.

Hours passed.

The pile shrank.

The room grew warmer.

The faint crackle of energy filled the silence.

[Ding! You absorbed low-quality ether crystal (10 carats). Ether energy has been increased by 5 points.]

Again.

Again.

Again.

By the time the last of the low-quality crystals dissolved into nothingness, Kiara exhaled slowly.

”4085 crystals…”

Her eyes flickered.

”20425 points.”

But she did not stop.

Not yet.

She reached for the next batch.

Mid-quality.

Then high-quality.

The difference was immediate.

Heavier.

Denser.

More volatile.

[Ding! You absorbed mid-quality ether crystal (10 carats). Ether energy has been increased by 50 points.]

Energy surged stronger this time, pressing against her limits, forcing her to steady her breathing and control the flow carefully.

Then—

[Ding! You absorbed high-quality ether crystal (17 carats). Ether energy has been increased by 850 points.]

The sensation intensified.

Like fire beneath the skin.

Like pressure building from within.

She clenched her jaw slightly.

”Control it.”

She continued.

One after another.

Until finally—

Silence.

Kiara opened her eyes slowly.

”66435…”

She nodded faintly.

”Good.”

Not enough. But better.

She glanced at the time.

”Still early…”

A faint smile appeared. ”Then I can rest.”

She lay back, closed her eyes, and slept.

*

By midday, preparations were complete.

Kiara stepped downstairs, dressed and composed, her expression calm but her eyes alert.

Outside, a large double-horse carriage waited.

Noah stood beside it.

Dressed in elegant attire, he looked almost unreal, his presence drawing attention even without movement.

Kiara paused.

Her gaze lingered for a moment.

”I should have bought a mask to cover his face.”

”Baltrow,” she said calmly, ”after you.”

The manticore stepped forward, its massive form moving with quiet authority.

Kiara followed, holding the sleeping Felix in her arms.

Zion locked the store behind them and moved toward the carriage.

Then—

Kiara noticed something.

No coachman.

Her eyes shifted slowly.

To Noah, sitting at the front.

”Nope. Noah has a personality problem.” She sighed internally.

For a moment, she simply stared.

Then she murmured, ”Noah, switch with Zion.”

Zion took the seat instead while Noah joined her in the back.

The journey to the palace stretched for an hour, the rhythmic sound of hooves echoing along the road while the city slowly gave way to the imposing structure of the Imperial Palace.

The gates stood tall.

Guards stood firm.

The carriage stopped.

”Who are you?” the captain demanded, his voice sharp. ”Do you have permit papers to enter?”

Zion hesitated. ”No.”

The reaction was immediate.

Steel flashed.

And a sword pointed forward.

”Then leave.”

Inside the carriage, Kiara’s eyes narrowed slightly. For a brief moment, something cold flickered within them.

”Attack?”

The thought came.

Then vanished.

”Not now.”

She leaned back slightly. ”Tell your superiors that Kiara of Nexus Store is here.”

The effect was immediate.

The tension dissolved.

The gates opened without even needing an invitation scroll that Kiara purposely didn’t bring out of her inventory.

As the carriage moved forward, Kiara frowned slightly. ”Looks like they were prepared quite well. But still, a bit careless, considering they did not even verify whether I am the real Kiara or not.”

Her thoughts twisted slightly.

Looking for flaws.

For reasons.

For something to hold onto.

Noah glanced at her quietly.

He said nothing.

By the time they arrived, Chief Eunuch Miel was already waiting.

Smiling and welcoming.

Until—

Baltrow stepped out first.

The smile faltered on the Eunuch. ”What… is that?”

He frowned.

Then—

Baltrow stopped.

Its eyes shifted.

It felt the gaze.

The judgment.

The dismissal.

And something changed.

Slowly.

Deliberately.

Its aura unfolded.

Not violently.

Not explosively.

But with crushing certainty.

The air grew heavy.

Breath slowed.

The ground itself seemed to sink under invisible pressure.

Miel’s expression shattered.

His knees trembled.

”What… is this…?”

The moment Baltrow released its aura, the world around them seemed to bend under an invisible weight that pressed down on everything at once, as if the air itself had suddenly turned heavy and unwilling to move.

The pressure spread outward in waves, slow at first but relentless, rolling across the palace gates and spilling into the surrounding streets, carrying with it a presence that did not ask for attention but demanded it.

Servants stumbled mid-step, their breath catching in their throats as their knees weakened under the unseen force.

Soldiers instinctively tightened their grips on their weapons, yet their hands trembled despite their training, the metal of their swords vibrating faintly as if reacting to something far beyond their control.

Even the horses tethered nearby grew restless, their hooves scraping against stone as they snorted uneasily, sensing danger that they could not comprehend.

Inside the palace, the reaction was immediate.

The Emperor paused mid-motion, his brush hovering above parchment as a drop of ink fell and spread into a dark stain. His eyes narrowed slightly, the calm in his expression replaced by sharp awareness.

”An 8-star aura…” he murmured under his breath.

Around the palace, figures began to move.

Princes abandoned their chambers, guards broke formation, and high-ranking officials stepped out with urgency written across their faces. Quenric, General Calden, the Archbishop of Thanatos Church, and even Xander Cross, the Supreme Commander, all moved at once, their instincts pulling them toward the source like iron drawn to a magnet.