The two girls lunged at the loli; driven by intense desire, Ren and Krista practically had Viel pinned against the wall.
"Really? Really? Can you really create a body for a spirit?" Ren anxiously pressed.
"How much will it cost? No, it doesn't matter how much—it's worth it! I'll find a way to earn it!" Krista exclaimed, seeing in this proposal a chance to turn things around.
Both of them, in fact, saw this as their chance at a comeback, which explained why they were even more worked up than Miles himself.
Compared to the other two, Aisha had a deeper bond with Miles. Her greater advantage lay in the fact that she was the true host of the Millennium Puzzle—bound to him for most of the time.
Even in tough duels, Miles would always choose to fight alongside Aisha.
There's that saying… how does it go again? Familiarity breeds affection?
If Miles gained his own body and was no longer bound to Aisha, wouldn't that mean their chances would improve?
The sly little Viel, even cornered against the wall, had already read their minds completely.
"I am, after all, a Master Magitech Artisan. Creating a body, something so simple, is no problem at all. However..."
"However?"
"The price is quite high!"
The little brat finally revealed her dagger.
Though honestly, that was a pretty short setup for a reveal.
"How many SP Points will it take?" Ren quickly asked.
"No, no, no. Human Transmutation deals with forbidden arts. I only take cash."
"Guh... cash..."
That struck Krista right in the weak spot.
As a Duelist from Axet, she could live comfortably on SP Points earned from dueling, which acted as a specialized form of currency.
That said, when it came to actual money—hard cash—Krista didn't really have much on hand.
The first clause of Axet Republic's SP Point Usage Act clearly states that while SP Points can function as a special currency for consumption, direct exchange for cash is strictly forbidden. Any black-market conversions, once discovered, would be heavily punished.
This law existed to protect Axet's economic system.
Being a technology-driven nation and the smallest among the Three Great Countries, Axet's generous Duelist policies were designed to attract more Duelists from abroad.
What the government didn't want, however, was for those Duelists to earn SP Points, convert them to cash, and then vanish without a trace.
"Cash, huh? Well, that gives me the edge!" Ren's mismatched eyes began gleaming.
Compared to Krista, a common Duelist from Axet, Ren's noble background gave her a much stronger financial advantage.
"Miss Viel, if we convert that into Livorden currency, how much would it cost?"
Time to make use of her position as the Austin family's youngest daughter.
She had three doting older brothers who practically spoiled her rotten. Even if her own savings weren't enough, getting an advance on her allowance from her brothers would be no problem at all.
"In Livorden coinage? Let me think..." Viel rolled her eyes up for a moment, then smiled. "Two hundred gold coins."
"Two hundred, huh. Alright, give me a few days—I'll have my family send the money."
"Two hundred... thousand."
"Huh?"
Ren's confident smile froze on her face.
"T-Two hundred thousand?"
That was an astronomical figure… roughly equivalent to the Austin family's total accumulated wealth over several years.
For a single 'product,' it went far beyond simple overcharging.
Of course, Ren also understood that Miles's body couldn't be treated as an ordinary commodity. If Viel really had the power to create a physical vessel for a spirit, then no matter how high the price, it would still be considered reasonable.
"Two hundred thousand..." Ren bit her lip. "I'll find a way..."
"Don't, Ren," Miles interrupted. "Two hundred thousand gold coins… that's not something I'd want you to sacrifice for."
"But Miles, I really want you to have your own body."
Krista, whose wallet was entirely empty, still echoed her sentiment. "Yeah, I... I want that too!"
Miles shrugged. "Oh, you think I don't want that myself?"
From the first day he arrived in this world, the Main God told him he could one day obtain a body of his own. Miles had never once forgotten that.
As for Aisha, currently resting in the Soul Room, she probably hadn't heard any of this.
Regardless, as his host, Aisha Carlos also deeply wished for Miles to have his own body, to exist independently.
Aisha had never intended to keep Miles bound to her through the Millennium Puzzle forever.
Still, Viel's asking price—two hundred thousand gold coins—was absurdly high. Even with only a limited understanding of the Spirit Continent's economy, Miles knew that much.
Even so, he wasn't about to give up.
Yet there was one line he refused to cross.
"I'll handle the money myself!"
That was Miles's bottom line—when it came to his own body, he wouldn't spend anyone else's money.
No matter how much the women wanted to pay for him, this was one thing he would never agree to.
Every cost for creating his new body had to be covered by him alone.
Otherwise, even if he did obtain it, he could never accept a body that came from mooching off women.
"Oh, how admirable," Viel teased with a smirk. "Nonetheless, two hundred thousand is no small sum. Even great noble houses would struggle to gather it quickly. Don't you think that's too heavy a burden for you, Miles?"
"If you know it's heavy, maybe give me a discount?"
"Sorry, no can do. Human Transmutation is a forbidden art. I'm already taking a huge risk accepting this job… if I get caught, I'll need some funds for my escape, won't I?"
What? 'Second imprisonment'? This brat was only out of prison the first time thanks to Alester's help… she'd never actually finished her sentence.
"It's alright, Miles," Ren tried to reason. "Even if two hundred thousand is a lot, if the Austin and Carlos families work together, we could make it happen. After all, you're the hero who saved everyone in the royal capital."
He hadn't just saved the noble families of Livorden—because of Miles's efforts, the Carlos family had even earned Aisha a Royal Knight title and a noble rank.
Given Alice's management skills, their wealth accumulation would likely skyrocket after that promotion.
And there was another possible backup plan.
With Miles's connections, he could always appeal to the Kaiser royal family—or the Seth family.
For such world-class powerhouses, raising two hundred thousand gold coins would be a matter of minutes.
"Yeah! If we all pitch in, there's bound to be a way!"
Krista was determined not to be left out when it came to Miles's new body.
"I don't have much, but I do have some cash on me," she said, fumbling through her tattered pocket and pulling out a few wrinkled notes.
"Here, one gold and twenty-five silver. Count me in."
Well, it wasn't much, indeed.
"No need. Your thought alone means a lot to me," Miles said firmly.
For him, it wasn't about who paid or how much they could gather.
If even a single coin of the total came from someone else, then no matter how glorious his new life might be, Miles could never feel at ease.
"It's just earning money. I'll figure it out myself."
Since on the Spirit Continent Duel Monsters had long surpassed swords and sorcery as the dominant power, Miles refused to believe that with a hand full of god cards, he could possibly be defeated by a mere two hundred thousand gold coins.
"Oh, right, Miss Viel, could I... pay in installments?"
Of course, refusing to let others pay for him was one thing—whether or not he could buy on credit was another.
Either way, Miles would make sure to repay every coin.
If he could get his own body ahead of time, earning money would become much easier.
Viel widened her round eyes incredulously. "Do you take me for an idiot? You still owe me money!"
As expected, the massive two hundred thousand gold coin sum couldn't be put on credit.
Leaving behind only a hollow promise for now, Miles, Ren, and Krista said goodbye to Viel and Luca. Krista finally received her long-awaited new D-Wheel, carrying Ren and Miles back toward Synchron Academy.
Three people on one D-Wheel—it was only manageable because all three of them were slim and light.
With Miles inhabiting Aisha's body, he was nestled in Krista's arms while Ren sat behind.
Thanks to Krista's excellent riding skills, they made it back to Synchron safely and smoothly.
Or so they thought—until, right at the academy gates, an unexpected problem arose.
"Oh crap!" Krista, at the handlebars, suddenly panicked. "Why's Principal Orcus here?! If he sees us… Ah, looks like he already has."
The robust, broad-shouldered man in his fifties, with silvered hair at his temples, stared sternly at the trio wobbling atop the D-Wheel.
"I could forgive an out-of-school student not knowing better, but Krista, this is undoubtedly a violation of Axet's traffic laws. What are you doing?"
"Sorry, Grandpa Principal~"
She stuck out her pink tongue, trying to defuse it with a bit of cuteness.
Sensing the awkward tension, Miles and Ren at once dismounted.
Orcus's eyes swept over Aisha's and Krista's outfits—both marked with scuffs and tears from an intense duel—and his expression softened in understanding.
Given that the flash of that massive duel earlier that morning, one that had nearly illuminated the entire city, had left little doubt among those who knew what it meant.
"The issue's been resolved then, Krista?"
"Uh, probably... sort of, yeah." Krista nodded vaguely. Still intent on hiding the truth of her Shooting Quasar form, she didn't quite know what problem Orcus was referring to.
"Good. That's good." The principal's stern face broke into a gentle smile.
Ever since Krista's parents had passed away, Orcus had cared for her personally—she was like a granddaughter to him.
And being close friends with Dr. Shia, he also knew full well the secret that Krista carried.
Now reassured that she was safe, Orcus turned his gaze toward Miles.
"Aisha Carlos, I sent someone to check the Fusion Academy dorms this morning and learned you'd gone out early. So I've been waiting here."
"For me?" Miles pointed at himself in surprise.
He'd thought Orcus was here to scold Krista for staying out overnight—he'd been ready to watch the show.
"There's something I must hand to you personally—and immediately."
From within his immaculate white robes, Principal Orcus produced a small, exquisitely crafted box.
"Something to hand to me right away?"
Miles took the box curiously. Judging by its appearance and weight, it evidently didn't contain cards. Whatever was inside, it was small… but special.
"Each minute I delay in delivering this would be a dereliction of duty. After the nation's Supreme Council entrusted it to me, I came here as fast as I could."
The Axet Supreme Council… the same one that had invited Miles the previous day, only for him to refuse participation.
He had made it clear then: he had no interest in getting involved in politics.
Still, curiosity got the better of him. Slowly, Miles opened the ornate box.
"What's this?"
Inside lay an even more beautifully crafted insignia.
"Aisha Carlos, even though you refused to attend the Supreme Council, as the hero who saved Axet, the nation cannot ignore your achievement. After an emergency session last night, it was decided that you are to receive Axet Republic's highest honor—the title of Republic Knight."
"Republic Knight?"
Miles carefully lifted the badge from its box.
Its design was asymmetrical—on the left, a black-winged bird; on the right, intricate machinery. The moment he held it, it seemed drawn by some unseen force, attaching itself to Aisha's left shoulder.
+1.
Miles felt something strange. After saving Livorden's royal capital, Aisha had earned the Royal Knight title—and now, after saving Axet, came the Republic Knight title.
+1.
Two of the Spirit Continent's three great nations—he now held the highest knightly honor of both.
That did sound impressive enough to make future bards sing of him for centuries.
But fame was never something Miles cared about.
When he became a Royal Knight, what mattered to him was the access to the Royal Card Vault—and the Carlos family's elevation in noble rank.
So what about this Republic Knight title?
A badge? That's it?
It didn't make Miles particularly happy.
In fact, accepting it made him feel like he'd been morally shackled—if Axet ever faced trouble again, wouldn't that mean he'd be obliged to help?
+1.
"There's no practical reward for this Republic Knight thing? Not even a little cash bonus?"
It was a fair question. Especially since Miles was currently desperate for money to create his new body.
"A practical reward? Aisha Carlos, you should already be feeling it," Orcus said with a knowing smile.
"Feeling what? There's nothing..."
+1.
…Wait, what was this fuzzy '+1' that kept flashing before his eyes ever since he'd put on the badge?
Principal Orcus explained seriously, "The Republic Knight's Badge isn't just an insignia. It's a legendary-class artifact of Axet. It continuously grants its wearer a natural increase in Magic Points over time."
"Natural Magic Point growth!" Miles realized instantly.
So the '+1's he'd been seeing… they were Magic Points?
He quickly activated the Spirit Eyes to check his remaining total.
Remaining Magic Points: 12.
It had risen from 8 when he left the Witch Workshop to 12 now.
In such a short span, he'd gained four points naturally.
It didn't look like much… but it was a monumental leap from nothing to something; And in terms of time efficiency, this growth rate was downright terrifying.
...
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