Three days until the Monthly Ranking Test.
Aegis counted her coins for the fifth time, still grinning like an idiot. Twenty gold pieces clinked between her fingers.
[Not enough for anything game-changing, but at least I'm not broke.]
The aether cores had sold better than expected. Turns out, commoner merchants paid premium for materials they couldn't harvest themselves.
"You're early." Liora's voice drifted from the music room doorway.
"Couldn't sleep." Aegis pocketed the coins. "Too excited about butchering another innocent song."
"You're improving." Liora held the door open. "Last week you only made my ears bleed twice."
"Such praise. I'm blushing."
They settled into their usual spots. Liora at the piano, Aegis standing beside it like she might bolt any second.
"Warm-ups first." Liora played a simple scale. "Match the notes."
Aegis tried. The sounds that emerged weren't quite dying cat anymore. More like mildly distressed kitten.
