Twelve more weeks passed in pretty much the same way.
Hal and Liora had already encountered each other since that heart-racing night and had also returned to their usual interactions, even going on a few quests together to advance their wizard ranks.
Still, crafting artifacts had remained Hal’s main focus.
The one he was currently working on would be the final piece he needed to complete Act One of the [Rise of Chaos’ Novice] questline.
"That should do it..." Hal murmured, wiping his sweaty face with a towel.
[You’ve completed Act 1 of "Rise of Chaos’ Novice".]
[You’ve earned 1,000 Chaos Points!]
[You may claim the additional reward: [Adept Arcanist’s Tome of Knowledge I], at the quest screen at any time.]
His eyes were slightly bloodshot, as he had forced himself to finish everything today in preparation for a larger shipment tomorrow.
It was simply difficult to resist the demonic beckoning of gold coins.
Since his first batch of artifacts, Hal had already earned around 250 gold coins and a few extra silvers.
Of course, he had also spent a portion of it to refill the rewards exchange room and add a few new rewards, including a manatech hoverboard, several rare-tier spellbook vouchers, and some training tonics, bringing his total reserves down to around 160 gold coins.
The good news was that Hal had fully paid off his balance at Suzoke Manatech Vehicles.
He had also purchased a Manatech hoverboard and two entry-level Manatech communicators—one for himself and one for his mother.
He planned to visit her and Aunty Lynn soon to bring them to Aeloria.
The other villagers should have successfully settled in Bunroon Town by now, anyway, so they likely weren’t in desperate straits anymore.
Hal also intended to pay their rent for one more year to give them a better chance at stability, though it would be the last time he covered their necessities.
At last, he could move forward into a better stage of life without the lingering guilt of leaving behind those who had helped him and his family survive during harsher times.
He had done what he could, perhaps even more than what could reasonably be expected of him.
Of course, he, his mother, and his aunt would still visit them in Bunroon from time to time, but that would be the extent of it.
After placing the last weapon-type artifact in the larger box, Hal stored both containers in the system’s inventory and left his workshop with Loki.
It was time to rest for the night.
Maximus would be checking the artifacts’ quality tomorrow, so there was no need for Hal to do so today.
As long as he felt good and confident about their quality, that was good enough for him.
Upon arriving at his dormitory suite, Hal went straight to the bed and plopped down, having already eaten a packed dinner with Loki earlier at his workshop.
The night peacefully passed.
Hal prepared himself for another business transaction with Maximus after waking up, heading to Wanzin’s Arcane Emporium once he was ready to further fatten his coin reserves.
"...Thank you once again for an excellent and swift transaction, Sir Hal! Reliable as always!" praised the bespectacled manager with a sincere bow and a wide smile.
Every exchange with the young man had been hassle-free and honest, and Maximus was genuinely pleased that "Joker" was this easy to do business with.
"Likewise, Manager Maximus. Please inform me at least a week in advance if you need more artifacts. I appreciate your honesty in these business matters, as I’m not yet well-versed in such things," Hal said, bowing in return.
Earlier, the bespectacled manager had informed him that their next business transaction would likely be in about a month, as there were still plenty of artifacts in stock.
It wasn’t that Hal’s artifacts were selling poorly.
In fact, they were selling too quickly, and if they kept catering to demand without pause, the value of the Joker-brand artifacts could begin to drop.
It was better to be "out of stock" every few days to emphasize just how valuable and sought-after Hal’s crafts were.
Of course, Hal appreciated being educated about such business matters, as he would have likely continued producing artifacts without a second thought if Maximus hadn’t explained it to him, completely unaware that their value would eventually decline.
He would also have more time to settle his mother down this way.
"Well then, until the next business transaction, Manager Maximus."
After bidding Maximus goodbye, Hal left Wanzin’s Arcane Emporium and returned to the academy, intent on focusing once more on increasing his wizard rank through missions.
However, on his way to the Mission Hall, Korvus’s assistant, Omar, suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of him.
Hal was naturally taken aback.
"S-Sir Omar," he greeted with a bow.
The assistant returned the gesture but quickly stated his business, as though he couldn’t afford to waste a single moment.
"Hal Fennec, please head to the Deputy Headmaster’s Office. Lord Korvus says he has something urgent to discuss with you."
Omar then bowed once more and disappeared just as suddenly as he had appeared.
Hal, of course, didn’t disobey and quickly headed to the Deputy Headmaster’s Office, wondering what the urgent matter was.
He couldn’t help but feel uneasy whenever he heard the word "urgent."
Meanwhile, Korvus had a somewhat grim expression as he waited in his office, seemingly deep in thought.
Knocks then sounded on his office door around twelve minutes later, snapping him back to reality.
Hal unceremoniously entered after being granted permission, offering a mandatory bow to the Deputy Headmaster before speaking:
"Deputy Headmaster Korvus, you called?"
"Yes, but I shall allow the Headmistress to explain things to you," Korvus responded, standing up and touching Hal’s back, bringing the young man with him to the Headmistress’s office through spatial teleportation magic.
Hal’s hunch that he was in for something serious proved correct.
He could only hope it wouldn’t take too long, as he was eager to bring his mother and aunt to Aeloria.