Morning sunlight spilled over the Town of Beginnings, but the atmosphere beneath it was anything but calm.
The streets were alive—yet restless.
Voices overlapped in urgent bursts, footsteps echoed in hurried patterns, and the usual rhythm of the town had been replaced by something sharper… something frantic.
"…Hidden dungeon cleared—!"
"…We need weapons! Now!"
"…Prices are rising—don't wait!"
"…If you don't buy now, you won't be able to later!"
The tension in the air was palpable.
Ryota slowed his steps slightly, his gaze shifting from one panicked group to another.
"…Something's off."
Rio didn't slow down.
"…Yes."
Her voice was steady, almost indifferent.
"…It's because of us."
Ryota blinked.
"…Us?"
Rio's eyes scanned the crowd with a calm, practiced precision.
"…We cleared the hidden dungeon."
A brief pause.
"…That means the market has shifted."
Ryota followed her gaze, then exhaled softly.
"…Oh."
The realization settled in.
The ripple effect of a single cleared dungeon had already begun to spread.
Players weren't just playing anymore.
They were competing.
Both Rio and Ryota continued to walk,
Until they arrived at a familiar weapon stall.
Wooden counter.
Scuffed display.
A place Rio had once visited without hesitation.
She stepped forward.
"Give me your best musket."
The merchant hesitated for only a moment before quickly retrieving a weapon.
The musket was placed on the counter with careful hands.
Simple.
Functional.
Exactly what Rio expected.
She inspected it briefly, checking the weight, the mechanism, the alignment.
"…1 copper coin."
She placed the coin down without hesitation.
The merchant accepted it immediately.
Too quickly.
Ryota tilted his head slightly.
"…That was fast."
Rio gave a small nod.
"…Good."
Then—
"…That'll be 7 copper coins."
Rio froze.
Slowly.
She turned her head.
"…What did you say?"
The merchant avoided her gaze.
"…Market rate has increased…"
Rio's eyes narrowed.
"…That musket was sold to me for 1 copper coin."
"…Yes…"
"…And now it is 7."
"…Yes."
Silence fell.
Not loud.
But heavy.
Ryota felt it immediately.
He stepped forward slightly.
"…Rio—"
But she had already spoken.
"…Seven."
She repeated the number.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
"…You're charging seven copper coins for something that was worth one yesterday."
The merchant stiffened.
"…With the dungeon cleared, demand—"
"…So the value has increased by 700% overnight."
The merchant hesitated.
"…That's how markets work—"
Rio's hand slammed against the counter.
CRACK.
The wooden surface trembled.
"Markets do not create value out of desperation."
Her voice was controlled.
But there was something sharp beneath it.
"…This is exploitation."
Ryota stepped in quickly, placing a hand lightly on her arm.
"Seven copper coins for the same item does not mean it is worth seven copper coins."
Her voice was no longer calm.
It was controlled—
But sharp.
She didn't move.
Her gaze remained fixed on the merchant.
"…People like this…"
Her voice lowered.
"…They make the game worse."
Ryota tightened his grip slightly—not forceful, just grounding.
"…We'll find another way."
A pause.
"…Rio. Let's go—"
Rio exhaled slowly.
Then—
"…Fine."
She stepped back.
"…We go to the auction."
Rio's gaze lingered on the merchant.
The streets of the Town of Beginnings were still in motion.
Still loud.
Still restless.
But for Rio—
Everything felt… muted.
Ryota walked beside her, adjusting the strap of his bag, occasionally glancing at her from the corner of his eye.
She was walking at her usual pace.
Controlled.
Measured.
But the atmosphere around her was different.
He could feel it.
"…You're still mad."
Ryota's voice was careful. Not teasing. Not dismissive.
Just… honest.
Rio didn't answer immediately.
Her gaze remained forward, scanning the crowd as they moved through the market streets.
Players passed by them in a blur—some carrying newly purchased weapons, others shouting prices, others already heading toward grinding spots.
None of it reached her.
After a moment—
"…Yes."
A simple answer.
Unfiltered.
Ryota nodded slightly.
"…I figured."
They continued walking.
A few steps passed in silence.
The noise of the town filled the space between them.
But neither of them spoke for a moment.
Then Ryota said—
"…You know…"
Rio glanced at him slightly.
"…What?"
Ryota shrugged.
"…You don't look mad anymore."
Rio paused.
"…I am still mad."
"…Yeah."
A small beat.
"…But you're not yelling."
Rio didn't respond immediately.
Then—
"…Yelling would not fix anything."
Ryota smirked faintly.
"…That sounds like the Rio I know."
She gave him a brief side glance.
"…And what is that supposed to mean?"
Ryota raised both hands slightly.
"…The one who thinks before acting."
A pause.
"…Mostly."
Rio didn't smile.
But her expression softened—just slightly.
"…You would be the one to act without thinking."
Ryota nodded without hesitation.
"…Yep."
A short silence followed.
Then—
"…Good thing we're a team."
Rio stopped walking for a brief moment.
Just a fraction.
Then resumed.
"…Yes."
Her voice was quieter now.
"…It is."
Ryota didn't say anything else.
But he walked a little closer beside her.
Not leading.
Not following.
Just… there.
As they moved toward the auction hall—
The tension in Rio didn't disappear.
But it shifted.
From anger…
To focus.
And somewhere in that shift—
She was no longer just thinking about the merchant.
She was thinking about what comes next.
The auction hall stood quieter than expected.
The delay had stripped away the usual chaos.
But not the tension.
The air still carried anticipation.
A system notice hovered near the entrance.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]Main Auction — Delayed 4 Days
Ryota scratched his head slightly.
Awkwardly looking away embarrassed knowing he was the cause of it
"…Yeah… we definitely caused that."
Rio didn't respond.
She was already walking inside.
Inside—
The atmosphere shifted.
Not frantic.
But controlled.
Items were displayed in glass cases and raised platforms.
Merchants and players stood in groups, whispering, calculating.
Every bid was measured.
Every pause deliberate.
Then—
An item appeared.
[ITEM: Bronze Flintlock Musket Crafting Scroll]
Ryota leaned forward slightly.
"…That's it."
Rio's eyes sharpened.
"…Yes."
Ryota nodded once.
"…We're getting that."
Rio didn't argue.
"…Yes."
The auctioneer stepped forward.
"…Starting bid: 8 copper coins."
The room went still.
Then—
"…8."
A voice.
"…9."
"…10."
Ryota glanced at Rio.
"…We're not missing this."
Rio's expression remained calm.
"…No."
She stepped forward.
"…11."
A ripple of quiet murmurs spread through the room.
No one immediately followed.
No one wanted to risk overpaying.
"…Going once…"
"…Going twice…"
"…Sold."
Ryota exhaled slowly.
"…That went smoother than I thought."
Rio nodded.
"…It did."
Then—
Reality settled in.
They checked their remaining coins.
Silence.
"…We have…"
"…1 copper coin each."
Ryota stared.
"…That's… not much."
Rio looked at the auction floor.
"…We need more."
Ryota nodded.
"…Then we sell something."
Rio and Ryota stood just off to the side of the crowded marketplace, away from the noise of panic-buying players.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Instead—
They both opened their inventories.
A faint interface shimmered in front of them, visible only to the user.
Rio's eyes moved first, scanning their shared loot with precision.
"…We're low."
Ryota nodded, leaning slightly closer as he checked his own.
"…Yeah… 1 copper coin each isn't gonna cut it."
A brief silence.
Then Ryota glanced toward the pendant in Rio's inventory.
"…That's our best option."
Rio followed his gaze.
She paused.
Then—
"…Yes."
No hesitation.
No attachment.
Just a clear, calculated decision.
"…We sell it."
Ryota nodded.
"…Agreed."
Another beat passed.
Then Ryota closed his inventory.
"…We'll get more later."
Rio closed hers as well.
"…Yes."
They turned in the same direction.
And without another word—
Walked back toward the market.
They approached another merchant.
Rio placed the pendant on the table.
"…We like to sell this."
The merchant picked it up.
Examined it carefully.
Then paused.
His expression shifted.
"…This is…"
Rio's eyes sharpened slightly.
"…What is it worth?"
The merchant looked at her.
Then—
"…8 copper coins."
Silence.
Ryota blinked.
"…Wait—what?"
Rio's expression changed.
"…This was previously valued at 2."
The merchant shrugged slightly.
"…The market is… different now."
Ryota leaned slightly toward Rio.
"…Looks like everything got expensive."
Rio exhaled.
"…Yes."
They completed the sale.
Each receiving: 4 copper coins.
Ryota pocketed his coins.
Rio turned to him.
"…What will you do with it?"
Ryota didn't hesitate.
"…Upgrade Iron Steve."
Rio blinked.
"…You're still naming that sword."
"…Always."
A brief pause.
Then—
Ryota subtly accessed his interface.
And in a moment that passed unnoticed by Rio— He converted his coins.
[EXCHANGE COMPLETE]4 Copper Coins → 4000 Yen
He closed the interface immediately.
No reaction.
No hesitation.
Ryota walked a step behind Rio as they left the crowded market, the weight of the day settling in their movements.
The moment was quiet.
Calm.
Then—
Rio slowed.
"…I'm getting tired."
Her voice was softer than before.
Ryota glanced at her.
"…Yeah… me too."
She adjusted her grip slightly on her bag, letting out a quiet breath.
"…We've been going non-stop since we logged in."
Ryota nodded.
"…A full day in-game."
A brief pause.
Then Rio looked ahead again.
"…Let's log out."
Ryota gave a small nod.
"…Yeah."
"…We should log out."
Ryota blinked.
"…Now?"
"…Yes."
She glanced at him.
"…It's late."
"…Late?"
"…We've been playing for the entire day. What do you mean it's late. The sun is literally still up"
"The time in Evermount is different from the time in real life"
Ryota froze.
"…Wait—what?"
Ryota's expression shifted.
"…But we've been in-game for almost a whole day—"
Rio's voice remained calm
"…One day in Evermount equals four hours in the real world."
"…It is currently 11 PM."
Silence.
Then—
"…That's… insane."
Rio nodded.
"…Time works differently around here.."
A pause.
Then—
"…Let's log out."
Ryota nodded.
"…Yeah…"
The world dissolved.
Light faded.
And they returned.
Ryota stretched.
"…That was a long session."
Rio's voice came from nearby.
"…Yeah I'm so tired. I can't wait to go to bed"
She stood up calmly.
"…But first I need a nice long refreshing shower".
Rio then stood up and looked at Ryota
"Don't you dare peek"
Ryota nodded and Rio grabbed a towel ad some clothes from her closet and went to the bathroom.
Ryota just lay down on the bed, He waited.
Then—
Quietly—
Ryota moved quietly down the stairs, the soft creak of wood the only sound breaking the silence of the house.
The living room was dimly lit.
Rio's mother sat near the table, looking up as he approached.
"…Ryota?"
He stopped and gave a small, respectful bow.
"…Good evening."
She tilted her head slightly.
"…Where's Rio?"
Ryota straightened, his tone calm.
"…She's in the shower."
A brief pause.
"…She said she was tired."
Rio's mother studied him for a moment, her expression gentle but observant.
"…I see."
Ryota gave a small nod, then hesitated slightly.
"…She had a long day."
Rio's mom then smiled and look at him
"What brings you here then"
He bowed slightly.
Then—
Handing her the money.
4000 yen.
She blinked.
"…What is this?"
Ryota's voice was calm.
"It the money I gotten today"
"…Please don't tell Rio."
A pause.
Then—
"It's just something I wanted to do to help her."
Rio's mother studied him.
Then smiled gently.
"…You're a good child."
"I'm glad my daughter has you by her side"
Ryota shook his head slightly.
"…I just… wanted to help."
She accepted the money.
"…I won't tell her but thank you."
Somewhere upstairs—
The sound of running water filled the quiet house.
Downstairs—
A small act of kindness lingered in silence.
And for the first time that day—
Ryota didn't feel like he was just playing a game.
He felt like he was building something.