Chapter 133: The Jade Ring

Chapter 133

The Jade Ring

“I don’t have a brother,” Ellie looked at his confident face before denying it. However, the man in front of her just laughed.

“Hmm? Do you think I believe that? If I asked your brother, he’d probably say he doesn’t have a sister either. You two are really mysterious.”

“Think whatever you want, but leave me alone.”

“What’s this? You don’t want me to bother you? Then, if I hear any news about your brother, you won’t want to know?”

“I don’t want to know.”

“What’s this? You’re quite something...So, you managed to come here, which means you must be studying at the institute, right? If you see me at the institute, don’t reveal my identity. I must keep it a secret. I’ll keep the matter of your brother a secret as well.”

“...............”

“And make sure to study hard, okay? Your brother works very hard to pay for your education. I heard he hunted 2 wild boars on his own. I don’t know what troubles your family is going through, but if you need...I can help with your tuition fees. I have some money to spare.”

“Also...after this, if you don’t want others to know you’re connected to your brother, you should hide this ring well. Since both you and your brother have this special ring, it makes identifying you quite easy.”

The prince laughed happily, but then he left, like a breeze that comes and goes, leaving Ellie feeling a bit colder.

She looked at the dimensional ring she had received from the Setter family and realized it was indeed distinctive. Despite her efforts to hide it on a necklace, the sharp eyes of the 2nd Prince had spotted it!

No! Actually, dimensional rings were rare and each one had its own unique features. The bond with the spirit ring shows they possess their own spirits.

The ring from the Setter family could easily be traced back to its origin. The prince must have concluded that the stunted girl and the young man named Luke were from the Setter family. As a prince...he would be familiar with the Setter family, whether as a counterbalance of power or as allies protecting the kingdom.

The Setter family’s emblem on the ring was so prominent that there was no need for further investigation. This led him to easily conclude that the girl and the young man in the tower were siblings.

Luckily, he didn’t suspect that they were the same person. Ellie’s voice sounded like a woman’s, and people were not yet familiar with the voice-changing mushroom, which only grew in the heroine’s village. This trick helped the heroine avoid suspicion when disguising herself as a Mage.

Ellie seemed to benefit from the writer’s favoritism, allowing her to use the power of these mushrooms to create a male voice. Without this, an observant person like the prince might have immediately guessed they were the same person. Initially, he was confident they were the same, which was why he approached her.

Of course, Ellie felt grateful for his warning, which ensured there wouldn’t be a next time. She just hoped he wouldn’t recognize her at the institute, or it would lead to unnecessary complications.

Regarding the dimensional ring, she might need the Setter family’s help look at it or find another way to hide it...

“Miss...I don’t mean to eavesdrop, but are you interested in this gold locket? It’s not expensive, just 100 gold coins,” a woman’s voice sounded next to Ellie, noticing the worry in her eyes.

A good merchant must understand what the customer needed. Although she hadn’t intended to listen in, she overheard that the young man recognized the girl by her ring, which matched her brother’s. Thus, an item that hid the ring, like this...gold locket with a cover, would be perfect!

Ellie saw the merchant’s shrewd gaze and realized she had made a slight mistake by showing her concern. This gave the merchant the opportunity to know what she lacked, causing the price of the gold locket, which was originally 80 gold coins, to suddenly increase to 100.

“Miss, do you think this price is too high? But this gold locket will allow you to hide your rings. You have two rings, one for your pet and one dimensional ring, right? If you keep wearing them like this, they’ll be noticed again. It’s best to store them in this gold locket. Wearing a gold locket will help you blend in with others. Look around...see how many people wear gold jewelry,” the merchant pointed around to demonstrate. Her sales skills were indeed excellent.

“Additionally, you don’t need to worry about losing this locket. The high price is because it’s a special device. No matter how much you jump or run, it won’t come off. Even if someone tries to snatch it from you, they won’t succeed. Only you can remove it, or if your head is separated from your body.”

“Well, let’s say you take this item. I’ll throw this in as well. This bracelet matches the gold locket. It might not have any special features, but wearing them together enhances their beauty.”

Seeing Ellie hesitate and seem indifferent, the merchant knew it was crucial to close the sale. The middle-aged woman quickly packed the gold locket along with the matching bracelet for Ellie. It would be difficult for Ellie to refuse now.

“Sigh. You’re a very skilled seller. In that case, can I also get that ring? If I’ve been wearing a ring all along and suddenly remove it, it will leave a noticeable mark.”

Ellie pretended not to care much as she pointed to another piece of jewelry, a jade ring that seemed ordinary. However, this item was far from ordinary at first glance.

The merchant hesitated slightly when she saw the item Ellie wanted. This piece was something her husband had brought back from the tower. It should have had some value, but after getting it appraised, they found it was worth only a few silver coins. They said it was just an ordinary jade ring with no particular value.

Furthermore, it had been in the shop for many years without much interest. The jade ring was neither fine nor clear; its murkiness made it look unappealing to wear. Still, she had wanted to keep it.

However, thinking of the 20 gold coin profit, the merchant reluctantly agreed.

"Because you’re so adorable, I’ll sell it to you. If it were someone else, I wouldn’t be so generous with the extras," the middle-aged merchant said, flattering Ellie as she spoke. Ellie couldn’t help but smile, seeing that the intriguing jade ring was now hers.

In truth, she found the jade ring interesting, sensing a green energy around it. However, Ellie didn’t want to send her own power into it to investigate. She didn’t know if doing so might change the ring’s condition. It was best to take it first and examine it later.

Ellie stored everything in her dimensional ring. Now was the right time to enter the beast shop. Even though the professor and student from the Ares Institute were still inside, the staff wouldn’t be able to identify her as someone from the Ares Kingdom.

The young girl walked into the shop, and the beast at the entrance sniffed her briefly before signaling the staff. The person attending to her was a plump middle-aged man with a business-like smile at the corner of his mouth. Ellie pretended not to pay attention to him and browsed the merchandise on her own. If it had been Professor Lily and her student, the staff wouldn’t have allowed them to browse freely but would have tried to understand Professor Lily’s needs to offer special prices—not special discounted prices, of course.

For Ellie, who smelled of herbs, the beast immediately judged her to be from the Gaia Kingdom. Therefore, she was seen as a potential regular customer, unlike Professor Lily and her disciple, who were seen as one-time profit sources. The merchant didn’t feel the need to retain such one-time customers. In contrast, if Ellie, who was the citizen of this kingdom, spread word of being taken advantage of, it would have widespread repercussions, and the merchant couldn’t risk that.

“I need food for beasts, suitable spirit crystals, potions that would help with growth, and any other recommended potions. I’ve just started raising a beast, so I’d like your suggestions on essential items.” Ellie acted like a novice owner of a beast. The plump attendant nodded, understanding Ellie’s needs immediately.

Her open demeanor confirmed that she wasn’t from another kingdom. Would a young girl from another kingdom start raising a beast so recently?

“Alright, I’ll gather the necessary items. But may I know what kind of beast you have?”

“I have a rabbit.”

“Oh, a rabbit,” the attendant replied before disappearing into the shop, leaving Ellie to wait outside alone. She continued to browse until she saw Professor Lily and her disciple emerging from inside the shop.

“It’s unfortunate there weren’t many growth potions for beasts. Otherwise, I would have bought some for my other disciples as well.”

“Yes, Professor, but...you bought a rare light elemental beast. Does this mean you’re planning to accept that girl as your disciple?” Initially, Ellie hadn’t paid much attention to them and was about to let them pass by. However, upon hearing the mention of the light element...her interest piqued, leading her to think of a student she knew.

“She came to me, begging on her knees. She must be desperate.”

“But Professor, she has a really bad character. She harmed her fellow villagers before...”

“I know. I’m aware of the rumors about her behavior. However...don’t forget that she has no one to turn to now. No professor is willing to take her in. She’s at her wit’s end, and offering her help now is a good deed.”

“A good deed?”

“Yes, it’s like giving her firewood on a cold, dark night. If she becomes a priestess in the future, she won’t abandon us. With her future support...I believe the beast tamers in the Ares Kingdom will finally have a place!”

The female professor spoke confidently. Ellie felt that her guess was likely correct. Nara was indeed a good strategist and still had the same resilient character as in the novel. She was the tenacious heroine who wouldn’t give up easily. Previously, she was involved in a conspiracy with Professor Maxim. Although she hadn’t been caught yet, many had talked about it. It was said that Nara had personally met with the director yesterday to confess, claiming Professor Maxim forced her to cooperate or face expulsion from the institute. The equipment was also Professor Maxim’s, making Nara seem like a victim too.

Well...Ellie didn’t know the full truth, but Nara, the heroine of this novel, certainly wouldn’t go down without a fight. Up until today...despite the scandal, she still had something that drew the institute’s professors to her, and she was about to be saved again.

However, Ellie wondered if Nara, after becoming the priestess she aspired to be, would return to support Professor Lily, who had helped her in her darkest hour. Would Professor Lily’s hope be fulfilled, or would it be in vain?...Ellie didn’t want to speculate too much.

“Please come this way. I have prepared several items suitable for a beast like a rabbit. Feel free to choose whatever you need. If you’re not satisfied, I can find something better, but it might take a bit more time,” The plump attendant came back hastily, fearing that the customer had been waiting too long.

Ellie pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Those two seemed to be from another kingdom. What were they doing here?"

“Oh, those two customers? They’re likely from the Ares Kingdom. They pretended to be looking for general potions, but they actually needed special healing potions. Probably students and a professor from the institute who just went through some intense battles, haha,” the plump man laughed, his belly shaking.

“Really? I heard they bought a rare light elemental beast?”

“Oh, yes, that’s true. But the light elemental beast they bought doesn’t have combat capabilities. It’s a beast that can increase speed by about 1% within a 1-meter radius for 15 seconds, once per use. It seems they bought it as a gift for a low-level priest in the Ares Kingdom. They paid 300,000 gold coins for a level 0 light elemental beast with no potential for evolution.”

The plump man laughed again. However, a beast that could not evolve, even if it’s a light elemental beast, was still considered low-level. Especially a level 0 beast. Even the users of light element in Gaia, who could buy it for just 100,000 gold coins, wouldn’t purchase it. Yet, it was the Ares Kingdom that ended up buying it!