Inside the city, Victor couldn’t help but feel the thrill of having returned to a lively urban center. Brightmoon City was worthy of being called a regional city, its wide, paved streets bustling with activity and flanked by towering, Victorian-style buildings adorned with detailed moldings and wrought-iron balconies. Mana lamps lined the streets, though not currently illuminated because it was in the morning.

  Despite the recent change in control, the city was still quite busy; it was as if the residents either didn’t know or didn’t care that House Brightmoon had fallen. People moved through their daily routines, merchants hawked their wares, and children ran through the streets, oblivious to the machinations under the surface.

  Well, it’s not like the Merlin family doesn’t have good governing abilities… Or else, they wouldn’t have become as large and powerful as they are now, Victor thought.

  Victor then gave a subtle hand signal to the players, and they quickly split into three groups as per their prior arrangements. The players nodded, quickly slipping into the crowd. Victor just hoped that they would be able to complete their tasks without any trouble.

  Once they disappeared, Victor adjusted his robe, took a deep breath, and allowed himself to relax just a little, blending into the flow of people as he made his way toward the city’s heart — the lord’s mansion. He wanted to see what the Merlin family was up to.

  ***

  Sean and his party — Chicken, Butterfly, Scarlet, and Patrick — strolled through the city’s bustling marketplace, awestruck by the level of detail around them. The rich aroma of freshly baked bread and roasting meats mingled with the spices from vendors’ exotic wares, making the whole market feel alive. The merchants’ loud bartering, the clinking of coins, and the chatter of townsfolk added a vibrant backdrop to their exploration, making it easy to forget that this was all within a game.

  “The devs have really outdone themselves with this new map,” Sean murmured, enchanted by the surroundings. Although the academy also had a market, it paled in comparison to this. Here, the scope was vast, and all were performed with NPCs instead of players — their routines were also no different than real humans.

  Chicken also gasped. “I can smell that stew from a mile away! Let’s grab some before we get on with our mission.”

  Butterfly rolled her eyes, smirking. “We’re here on an important mission, remember? Keep your drooling under control.” She darted ahead, her eyes filled with wariness. Nevertheless, she stopped at a fabric stall where bolts of shimmering silks and brocades were displayed. She ran her fingers over the vibrant colors, clearly as enraptured as anyone.

  “Hey big girl, don’t just look around and touch everything. Buy something at least,” the vendor grumbled.

  “I-I will.” Butterfly harrumphed.

  In spite of being familiar with the game’s extreme immersion, they were still enamored by the setting of the game. It was unlike what they had seen in the real world.

  Patrick surveyed the bustling scene, his sharp eyes noting every detail. “The NPCs here really feel like they have lives of their own, not different from the ones back at the village,” he remarked, clearly impressed. “The server's computing power must be massive to handle all of this.”

  “That’s not all,” Scarlet chimed in. “It’s as if they know we’re outsiders, but they’re choosing to ignore it.”

  She wasn’t wrong. In typical RPGs, NPCs often treated players as invisible or simply followed basic programming. In “Skyrim,” for example, you could walk right up to a guard, steal their armor, or even place a bucket over their head, and they wouldn’t bat an eye, let alone retaliate. Here, however, the NPCs seemed subtly aware of their presence, giving their interactions a depth that bordered on unsettling.

  Sean glanced around at the vendors, noting curious glances that were cast their way. It was hard to shake the feeling that, at any moment, someone might walk up and question their purpose here. Fortunately, they weren’t the only ones wearing hooded robes on the street.

  “Regardless,” Sean said, “we’ve got work to do. Let’s split up and get what we need.”

  Their mission this time was to gather all sorts of products they could get ahold of in the market that were not available around the academy and the village — exotic plants, minerals, and even rare animal parts that were abundant in this region. The headmaster had provided them with the money needed, and if it wasn’t enough, they were free to cover the expense with their money first. While it wasn’t as critical as securing the rare materials, magic metals, and ores that the other teams were after, the wide array of other useful goods meant they’d get to explore more of the city.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  ***

  Meanwhile, William’s party was no less excited by their assignment. With both Mike and SuperNova absent from the expedition, Thunder and Locktekei had joined Zero, Storm, and William to round out the team for this mission.

  They stepped into the industrial heart of Brightmoon City, where plumes of smoke from countless forges rose into the air and the glow of molten metal lit the doorways. Here, among the city’s finest blacksmiths and metalworkers, they were tasked with a critical mission: to secure rare magical metals, ores, and whatnot according to the list that the headmaster had given them.

  While they weren’t entirely sure of the purpose of gathering all of these, the reward offered — five hundred merit points each — was more than enough to keep them motivated. For a mission that could be wrapped up in a single day, it was exceptionally generous. As an added bonus, they were allowed to explore.

  William paused at the edge of the street while skimming the list on the holographic screen. “We have to be thorough here,” he said, glancing at each member of his party. “Let’s split up and ask around about the rarer materials on the list. This city should have everything we need if we dig a bit.”

  Thunder nodded, staring at a towering forge at the end of the street. “I’ll check in with the larger workshops — they’re bound to have access to bulk metals and might even deal in rare alloys.”

  Locktekei grinned and clapped Thunder on the shoulder. “I’ll go with you. You know, extra hands to carry any heavy finds.”

  “I’ll head to the local smiths.” Storm chimed in, already eyeing the smaller shops along the street, where independent craftsmen displayed their wares and ornaments. “They might know more about specialized ores — maybe even the sources of some of the rarer minerals.”

  Zero, on the other hand, made a show of adjusting his nonexistent glasses and said, “I’ll take notes and help negotiate prices then. We should be able to save some money, which may give us some bonus in terms of reward.”

  William watched as each of the party members picked their direction with focused excitement. “As for me,” he announced, “I’ll talk to people around here, and see if anyone has valuable information to share.” Naturally, he had a secondary motive — there could be beautiful NPCs hiding somewhere around the corner, and he didn’t want to limit himself to a single area.

  With their paths set, the party split up. William strode into the crowd with a sense of anticipation, wondering what — or who — he could find.

  ***

  In a lavishly furnished room lined with dark wood and lit by flickering crystal lamps, a middle-aged merchant sat stiffly, trying to maintain his composure. Across from him, seated with an air of absolute confidence, was a young girl in an acolyte robe. Her expression was calm, yet her presence had an undeniable sharpness that kept him on edge. The merchant's handkerchief had already made several trips across his brow as the conversation ensued.

  “Ten platinum coins for all of this? Surely you jest,” she asserted calmly, her words as sharp as her penetrating eyes. “Even for an established trading company like yours, no one else would charge half as much for this quantity.”

  The merchant gulped, not only because he was struggling to hold his ground but also because he knew the identity of the other party and her friends standing quietly behind her — mages. “Well, Miss Auralise. I must remind you that imports have been... costly, given the recent—”

  “In any case,” Monica, also known as Auralise in the game, interrupted, tapping the edge of the table, “we both know you've secured these items at far below current market rates. Why should I pay double for what’s available elsewhere? It’s not like you can sell these items to anyone else given the market situation. Five platinum coins, and I’ll take them off your hands immediately. Not to mention, you’ll gain the goodwill of five acolytes and the force behind us.”

  The merchant’s polite smile strained as he glanced at the gilded clock on the wall, mentally calculating the value of her offer. “I... I suppose. If it’s for building a friendship with esteemed guests like yourself, an adjustment can be made,” he stammered, wiping his brow yet again.

  “Now that we’re finally in agreement,” Monica replied, her voice softening as she extended her hand, “I assure you, this will be a transaction worth your while.”

  As they shook hands, Monica couldn’t conceal the smug smile playing on her lips. She had just struck a very good deal of securing not only most of the materials on her mission list but also a connection with one of the largest trading companies in the city, the Gilded Rose. Although, she had to admit that this wouldn’t have gone so smoothly without the help of the other players.

  Aphrodite, in particular, had proven invaluable; he’d assessed the quality and applications of all of the materials, even though some of them didn’t exist in the real world like magic ores. It appeared that this player was very talented, and Monica was already planning to recruit him once they returned to the academy. His abilities surely would prove useful to her whether in-game or in the real world.

  Monica then clapped her hands and told the other players to oversee the transfer of the materials to make sure every item they had agreed on was accounted for. As for her, she intended to savor the small luxuries of the Gilded Rose trading company headquarters, enjoying the tea that her servant, Dominique, had served her.

  She had earned this moment.