Arriving at the auction, Nyssa stepped inside and immediately noticed how packed it was, crowded even more than the Academy.
She made her way toward the ticket line, but suddenly an Essence Crush hit everyone present, herself included.
The girl at the counter froze, ticket still in hand, her eyes wide as she watched a group pushing through the crowd. Leading them was an elf.
"A noble Faeryn" she whispered.
The Faeryn moved toward the counter, but before he could reach it, a wall of ice formed in front of him, blocking his path.
Nyssa caught the group's irritated expressions and, without hesitation, conjured a three-meter-long ice spike, launching it at them.
The person who had cast the Essence Crush leapt forward to shield the Faeryn, but stopping the attack drained a huge amount of their essence.
The Faeryn stepped forward "What do you think you're doing?" he said arrogantly "I'm a noble of the Faeryn race. Even if you're a Drakon, your pathetic Arcanist Stage 4 won't save you. We have dozens like you".
Nyssa smiled, amused. "For an inferior race, you seem to have more pride than us Drakons."
With a wave of her hand, she summoned twenty more ice spikes. They tried to resist, but each was pierced in moments.
Ice spread through their bodies, freezing them solid, and an explosion transformed them into a cold mist, leaving no trace behind.
Sighing, Nyssa moved to the front of the line. Calmly, she placed her card on a sphere near the ticket girl and snatched the ticket from her hand.
Once the payment went through, Nyssa took back her card and left. The others remained stunned, unable to react even after she had gone.
Meanwhile, in a luxurious restaurant, a couple ate quietly. "I didn't think you remembered I skipped breakfast," Jessica said, her voice filled with gratitude.
Looking into her eyes, Taylor replied with quiet determination, "I'm your boyfriend. I want to take care of you, always."
Jessica's heart raced. She stared at him, forgetting to eat for a moment.
After Taylor reminded her to eat, she resumed her meal. Once breakfast was finished, they headed toward the island's largest square.
Feeling the wind in her hair, Jessica tried to fix it, but it was already a bit messy. She sighed "What a disaster".
Taylor noticed a nearby shop. "We could get something for your hair there" he suggested.
Jessica turned to see a store filled with girls' items. Smiling, she took Taylor's hand and led him inside.
The idea of just getting a hat vanished the moment they stepped through the door. Jessica eagerly tried on outfit after outfit, running in and out of the fitting rooms with delight.
Every time she showed him a new look, Taylor calmly said, "That looks good on you." Jessica blushed, feeling both thrilled and embarrassed at the same time.
Jessica was about to pick only a few outfits, after trying on too many, when Taylor placed a hat on her head and said, "Come on, I've already told them to send these clothes to my villa."
Surprised, Jessica asked, "Don't tell me you paid for all of these outfits?"
Taylor nodded and, with a hint of hesitation, said, "It doesn't matter who pays, but since the clothes are coming to the villa, you'll stay with me, right?"
Jessica, sensing his obvious intention, let out a small laugh and, taking his hand, said exasperated, "Fine, but let's just have fun for now."
They spent the day exploring the square and trying various foods.
When they realized it was getting dark, they got into the carriage waiting outside the square and headed toward the villa.
Upon arriving at the villa, they were greeted by Rebecca and the other maids. Taylor, standing next to Jessica, spoke coldly "Rebecca, did anyone come looking for me?"
Rebecca replied calmly, "A Drakon named Nyssa came, and there were also people who brought some clothes."
Taylor nodded. "Alright, take me to her."
Jessica, standing close to him, took a step back and said, "If you have business to attend to, I can wait. I also wanted to see the clothes."
Taylor turned to Rebecca, who nodded and said to Jessica, "Please, follow me."
As he was guided to the guest room, Taylor entered and saw her with a cup of tea.
As soon as she noticed him, she stood up and said "Sir, I took a ticket from the auction and sneaked into the director's office to swap it with the VIP. It seemed almost everyone was in the infirmary."
Taylor, taking the VIP ticket, replied, "I understand. You can keep the card; your reward will be automatically credited to you every month."
She nodded and sat more composedly in the armchair.
Taylor, sitting across from her, gave her instructions: she would need to receive information from the Faeryn and Sombra, who would arrive the next morning, take control of the people mentioned in the information, subdue them, and kill them if they refused.
He continued, "In case there are people stronger than you, though I doubt it, you can use this."
He tossed her a crystal. As soon as she held it, Nyssa's eyes widened at the power it emanated.
Taylor explained the crystal's function "It's a crystal that can make you skip two stages at once. In your case, it would be Ethereal Knight."
Nyssa said reverently, "I won't fail."
After Taylor finished with her and Nyssa left, he headed to his room to change.
But sitting on the bed reading a book was Jessica, wearing a nightgown. She looked up at him and said, "You're back."