Chapter 72: The Price of Everything

Narretar

Rain fell over the Kingdom of Heart.

Not gently.

Not peacefully.

It came down in silver threads, covering the streets, rooftops, and empty roads beneath a dark evening sky.

A lone figure walked through it.

Kiera.

His long coat was soaked.

Water ran from his silver hair and disappeared beneath the collar.

His silver eyes remained strangely calm.

At his side rested his katana.

He stopped beneath the roof of an abandoned shop.

Then looked at a small coin in his palm.

He turned it over.

Once.

Twice.

Then frowned.

"Only twelve."

He sighed.

"That's insulting."

He placed the coin into a small pouch.

Then counted the others.

"One hundred and thirty-seven..."

He paused.

"...One hundred and thirty-eight."

Another coin appeared between his fingers.

He smiled.

"One hundred and thirty-nine."

He carefully placed it inside.

Kiera wasn't simply fond of money.

He was obsessed with it.

A small job.

A small payment.

A large job.

A large payment.

Even carrying someone's bag could become a negotiation.

He would count every coin.

Every single one.

And if someone tried to underpay him...

They would quickly discover that Kiera's patience had a very specific price.

A few hours earlier...

Kiera had been sitting inside a small tavern.

A nervous merchant sat across from him.

"I need you to deliver this letter."

Kiera looked at the letter.

"How much?"

"Five silver."

Kiera stared at him.

"Six."

"Five."

"Six."

"It's barely a day's journey."

"Then you should have no problem paying six."

The merchant sighed.

"Fine."

Kiera held out his hand.

"Payment first."

The merchant stared.

"First?"

"Trust is expensive."

The merchant reluctantly placed six silver coins into his palm.

Kiera counted them.

Slowly.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

He smiled.

"Pleasure doing business."

The merchant blinked.

"You haven't even taken the letter."

Taken from NovelPhoenix, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Kiera took it.

"Now I have."

He stood.

Then stopped.

"Wait."

The merchant looked worried.

Kiera held out his hand.

"Travel expenses."

"What?"

"Rain."

"It's not raining."

Kiera looked toward the window.

"...It might."

The merchant stared at him.

Kiera stared back.

Finally...

the merchant gave him another coin.

Kiera smiled.

"Now we're even."

That was Kiera.

Money was everywhere.

In his thoughts.

In his calculations.

In his decisions.

Yet...

sometimes...

when nobody was watching...

his eyes changed.

A distant memory would surface.

A voice.

A hand reaching toward him.

A promise.

Something he had once protected.

Something he had once valued more than gold.

His expression would soften.

Only for a moment.

Then disappear.

Kiera would return to counting coins.

As if the memory had never existed.

That night...

he received a different kind of request.

A wealthy noble had become a target.

The payment was high.

Very high.

Kiera listened quietly.

Then asked one question.

"How much?"

The answer made his eyes widen.

"...Accepted."

The noble lived in a large estate.

The rain covered the gardens.

Kiera entered silently.

He moved through the corridors without making a sound.

The noble realized something was wrong too late.

A brief struggle followed.

Then silence.

Kiera stood alone in the room.

The noble lay motionless.

Kiera looked at him.

No celebration.

No anger.

Only calculation.

He searched the room.

One drawer.

Nothing.

Second drawer.

Some coins.

Third.

A small pouch of gold.

Kiera's eyes brightened.

"Oh."

He opened another cabinet.

Jewelry.

He shook his head.

"Not mine."

He searched another compartment.

Documents.

A locked chest.

He smiled.

"Now we're talking."

The chest opened.

Gold.

Silver.

Coins.

Precious stones.

Kiera stared.

For the first time that night...

his expression genuinely changed.

He looked almost happy.

He began counting.

"One hundred..."

A pause.

"Two hundred..."

Another pause.

"Three hundred..."

He stopped.

Then started again.

Because he didn't trust his first count.

He counted everything twice.

Then a third time.

"Enough."

He placed the money into several bags.

Then searched the house again.

He found hidden savings.

Black money.

Sealed pouches.

Coins hidden beneath floorboards.

Everything went into his possession.

Except the jewelry belonging to the noble's wife.

Kiera looked at it.

Then quietly closed the drawer.

"Not mine."

He took the money.

He took the gold.

He took what had been hidden.

But he left the woman's personal jewelry untouched.

Not because he suddenly became generous.

Perhaps there were simply some things...

even Kiera refused to put a price on.

He walked outside.

Rain struck his face.

He looked at the bags.

Then at his katana.

A strange smile appeared.

He lifted one bag slightly.

The coins inside clinked.

Kiera laughed.

Then actually jumped once in the rain.

"Beautiful."

He spun around.

Another pouch hit his shoulder.

He caught it.

"Even better."

He walked down the road.

Then stopped.

His silver eyes moved toward the dark horizon.

His smile disappeared.

For a moment...

he looked lost.

A memory flickered inside his mind.

Rain.

Someone's voice.

A warmth he couldn't fully remember.

His fingers tightened around the katana.

Then the memory vanished.

His usual greed returned.

Kiera looked at his sword.

"So..."

He smiled.

"Who's my next target?"

His eyes turned toward the distant direction of the Kingdom of Heart.

"Restart Village."

Morning came differently there.

No rain.

Only soft sunlight.

Restart Village rested peacefully beside the river.

Golden light touched the wooden rooftops.

The ancient banyan tree cast a wide shadow across the village.

Children played nearby.

Farmers worked in the fields.

And beneath the great tree...

V was sitting quietly.

T sat beside him.

Kai was nearby.

Lily watched from a short distance.

Alistair stood with Brald.

V held a small leaf between his fingers.

His eyes were focused.

He wasn't chanting.

No spell.

No words.

Nothing.

He simply concentrated.

T leaned closer.

"What are you doing?"

V didn't answer.

He was thinking.

Trying to understand how magic moved.

Not how someone taught him to use it.

But how it existed before words.

V slowly raised his hand.

Nothing happened.

T waited.

Still nothing.

V frowned.

Then lowered his hand.

T immediately copied him.

She raised her tiny hand.

Closed her eyes.

And concentrated dramatically.

Nothing happened.

V looked at her.

T opened one eye.

"...Did it work?"

V shook his head.

"No."

T sighed.

"Mine was almost better."

Kai heard that.

He immediately walked over.

"Move aside."

Everyone looked at him.

Kai picked up a small tree branch.

Then held it against his mouth.

He stood completely still.

V stared.

T stared.

Lily stared.

Alistair stared.

Brald slowly raised an eyebrow.

Kai closed his eyes.

He looked extremely serious.

T whispered,

"What is Kai doing?"

V answered,

"Thinking."

Kai nodded.

"Exactly."

He then picked up a much larger branch.

Then an even larger one.

Finally...

he tried to hold an entire small tree against his mouth.

Everyone froze.

T's eyes widened.

"Kai..."

He stood proudly.

"Behold."

V stared at him.

"Why are you holding a tree?"

Kai answered with complete confidence.

"You were holding a leaf."

T was holding a small branch.

"So I thought..."

He adjusted the tree.

"...bigger object..."

"...bigger thinking."

Silence.

Then—

Lily covered her mouth.

Brald turned away.

Alistair's shoulders moved slightly.

T burst into laughter.

V stared at Kai for several seconds.

Then...

even he smiled.

Kai lowered the tree.

"I don't understand why nobody appreciates genius."

The laughter slowly faded.

V looked at the leaf in his hand.

He became quiet again.

The others eventually returned to their work.

T ran toward Lily.

Kai continued explaining his "advanced thinking technique" to anyone willing to listen.

But V remained beneath the tree.

Alone.

He looked at his palm.

He remembered every failure.

Every attempt.

Every time nothing happened.

He had tried again.

And again.

And again.

He didn't want someone else to do it for him.

He wanted to understand it himself.

V closed his eyes.

He breathed slowly.

No chant.

No spell.

Only concentration.

The breeze passed through the leaves.

A tiny spark appeared above his palm.

V's eyes opened.

The spark disappeared.

He froze.

He had seen it.

He knew he had.

He tried again.

Nothing.

He waited.

Then concentrated once more.

A tiny red spark appeared.

Barely larger than a grain of sand.

It flickered.

Once.

Twice.

Then remained.

V stared at it.

His expression slowly changed.

Not excitement.

Not pride.

Something quieter.

Something deeper.

He had done it.

A tiny spark.

Without a single word.

Without a chant.

Without anyone helping him.

V slowly closed his fingers.

The spark disappeared.

He looked toward the village.

Nobody had noticed.

A small smile appeared.

He looked at his hand again.

Then whispered,

"...I did it."

The words were almost too quiet to hear.

He looked toward T.

She was still laughing with Lily.

Kai was still trying to convince Brald that holding a tree was a legitimate training method.

V smiled.

He decided not to tell them yet.

Not because he wanted to hide his progress forever.

But because...

this little spark belonged to him.

It was the result of his own effort.

His own failures.

His own patience.

And he wanted to see...

how far he could take it.

V closed his hand.

The secret remained with him.

Above the village...

the sunlight passed through the banyan leaves.

A single golden ray touched his face.

And somewhere far beyond Restart Village...

a silver-eyed man walked beneath the rain.

Counting every coin he had stolen.

Counting every step toward his next destination.

Toward the place...

where his path would eventually cross with V's.

But for now...

Restart Village remained peaceful.

And V's tiny spark...

continued burning inside his memory.