Rowen closed the front door and flipped the sign to "Closed." Then he sat down and counted the low-grade mana stones he had earned that day about one hundred and forty-five in total. Before that, he had around fifty-two stored away. Rowen had a total of one hundred and ninety-seven low-grade mana stones.
Rowen carefully filled in every field on the blank blue screen; the fern had shown him production numbers, selling prices, daily recharge cost, and the leftover stock. It looked exactly like the sheets they had just discussed.
Rowen let out a small breath of relief. A single button to lock everything in place felt almost too convenient.
Rowen tapped the glowing Save button. The screen shimred once, then settled and vanished into the empty space.
The fern gave a satisfied nod.
"From now on, you don’t need to calculate anything by hand," it said. "Just enter what you sold at the end of the day, and the system will handle the rest automatically."
Rowen leaned back, almost laughing at the thought. No more scratching numbers on scraps of paper or double-checking totals; everything was neatly organized for him now.
Rowen frowned at the screen. "Then... how do I calculate today’s sales? Do I need to input everything one by one?"
The fern shook its leafy body, a faint chi in its voice.
"No. For sales, you only need to enter the numbers at the end of the day after the shop is closed. The system will tally them up automatically. As for production, you don’t need to worry at all. The portal space now runs on its own ti adjustnt. When the clock strikes midnight, the first production cycle begins. From there, everything flows on schedule."
Rowen’s eyes widened a little. That ant the crops were no longer bound to his mory or effort; the system itself would track every harvest, day after day.
Rowen tapped the screen again. "So this will be implented from tomorrow?"
"Yes," Fern replied without hesitation.
Rowen nodded, satisfied. A proper record system ant fewer mistakes.
Rowen then glanced at the pouch of one hundred ninety-seven low-grade mana stones. It was the first ti he had seen such a solid inco, and the sight made him smile. The apple sales had clearly boosted his profits, and the difference was undeniable.
Rowen considered what to do with the extra stones. For the first ti, he could think about more than just daily survival. He wanted to buy materials for practicing magic casting and studying formulas, and maybe even treat himself to a al at one of the restaurants in the upper town.
Darian led him toward a broad counter tucked into the far corner of the hall. Behind it, a clerk in a neat uniform sat with a polished crystal terminal glowing faintly on the desk. A small line of rchants waited, most of them with ledgers and pouches of stones in hand.
When the clerk’s eyes lifted and landed on Darian, their posture imdiately straightened. "Young Master Velestra," he said respectfully. "How may I assist you today?"
"I’m here for so personal matters," Darian replied lightly, then placed a hand on Rowen’s shoulder. "But first, I’d like you to open an account for my friend here."
Rowen stiffened under the sudden attention. The clerk’s gaze flicked to him, surprise obvious at his plain clothes, but they quickly smoothed their expression. After all, anyone personally brought forward by a Velestra wasn’t soone they could dismiss.
"Of course," the clerk said, already pulling a fresh crystal ledger forward. "We’ll need so details and the initial deposit to begin."
Rowen swallowed once, glancing at Darian before stepping closer to the counter.
"There are four levels of accounts you can open," Darian explained, as though sensing his hesitation. "Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Bronze is the basic kind; common folk, low-ranked adventurers, and small rchants usually stick with that. It handles everyday deposits, withdrawals, and low-value stone exchanges."
The clerk nodded in agreent while preparing the ledger.
"Silver gives you more breathing room," Darian continued. "Mid-ranked adventurers and rchants prefer it higher transaction limits, better exchange rates, and so storage privileges. Gold is for the ones who’ve already made a na for themselves: large guilds, caravans, and seasoned adventurers. They get priority service, vault space, and better credit options. And Platinum..." Darian smiled faintly. "That’s for nobles, federal rchants, and the like. It cos with top-level vaults, overseas transactions through M-Net, and almost no ceiling on what you can move."
Rowen listened carefully, trying to process the tiers. The words "Bronze" and "basic" echoed in his head.
Rowen cleared his throat. "Um... what details do you need? And how much is the minimum deposit for a Bronze account?"
The clerk straightened, his tone professional. "For the Bronze level, we’ll need your full na, age, and current place of residence. If you have no family na, that is acceptable; many rchants in the outer districts are the sa. crystal will bind the account to you, ensuring that only you can access it unless you later authorize another."
Rowen nodded slightly, then pressed again, "And... the deposit?"
"The minimum to open a Bronze account is twenty-five low-grade mana stones," the clerk said evenly. "This ensures the account remains active for a full year. You may deposit more if you wish, and of course you can withdraw at any ti. The system will also allow you to make and receive paynts instantly through M-Net once the account is active."
Rowen blinked. Twenty-five wasn’t a small number, but it was within reach. He still had more than enough stones left after buying the ring. He let out a small breath and glanced at Darian.
Darian gave him an encouraging nod. "It’s a fair price. Think of it as an investnt; you’re setting yourself apart from most shopkeepers in the lower town."
The clerk pushed a smooth crystal ball across the counter.
"Place your hand on it," he instructed.
Rowen pressed his palm down. The surface rippled with light, and a mont later, a glowing barcode floated into the air above the ball.
"This," the clerk explained, "is your unique account imprint. You can scan it with any M-Net-linked device. The first ti you scan, the system will automatically bring up the registration app. Fill in your details there, and your account will be linked to M-Net."
Rowen blinked at the floating pattern, the shifting lines almost srizing. "And after that?" he asked.
"Once you complete the signup, you’ll need to make the initial deposit of twenty-five low-grade mana stones," the clerk said. "That finalizes your account. After the paynt is verified, your bronze-level card will be printed."
Rowen hesitated only a mont before reaching into his pocket. He pulled out the simple phone, its surface a little scratched from daily use. Holding it up, he pointed the cara at the floating barcode.
With a soft beep, the screen lit up, and an unfamiliar interface opened on its own. The clerk leaned forward slightly. "That’s the M-Net registration app. Fill in your details there, and it will link your account to the system."
Rowen typed in his na, age, and residence. When he hit confirm, a new prompt appeared: Initial Deposit – 25 Low-Grade Mana Stones.
"Go ahead," the clerk said.
He gestured toward a slim, rune-lined machine at the side of the counter. Its faint hum suggested it was already active.
Rowen glanced once more at Darian, who gave him a faint nod. He reached into his storage ring, pulled out his old bag, and counted out twenty-five stones onto the counter. The clerk swept them neatly into a crystal basin set beside the terminal. A flash of blue light pulsed through the device, verifying the stones’ grade and count.
"Deposit confird," the clerk announced. He turned slightly and tapped a rune on the side of the machine. With a faint hum, it whirred to life, etching runes into a thin bronze card. A mont later, it slid out onto the tray.
The clerk picked it up carefully and handed it over. "This is your Bronze Account Card. It’s tied to your imprint and M-Net ID. Use it when dealing with custors or rchants who are set up for M-Net transactions."
Rowen took the card with both hands, the bronze surface cool against his fingers. Runes shimred faintly along the edges, but what caught his attention most was the front. His na, Rowen, was etched cleanly beneath a small, rune-stamped picture of his face. Below that, his residence was listed: Border Town.
He blinked at it, almost startled. He hadn’t posed for any picture, yet the imprint from the crystal ball had clearly captured him. It felt strangely official; more than just a piece of tal, it was proof that he existed in the federal system now.
For the first ti, Rowen was holding sothing that tied him directly to the broader world beyond the border town.
Darian caught the look on his face and smiled faintly. "Feels different, doesn’t it? That card ans you’re no longer just so naless shopkeeper in the border town. You’re recognized now as part of the system."
Rowen gripped the card tighter, a mix of nerves and pride swirling in his chest.
Darian glanced at the ti, then gave Rowen a brief nod. "I’ll leave you here. I’ve got so business upstairs."
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