Plan to make money (Empress sudden visit)

While squeezing every last brain cell, a plan formed in my mind.

In the Empress's chamber, she sat in a chair, a luxurious table in the center. Atop it rested an orb.

It projected an image, and she watched it intently— a boy struggling. She suddenly realized just how broke he was.

She chuckled lightly, her voice seductive and alluring.

"Hmm… I could've helped you," she murmured.

"But not now… seducing a girl on your first day?" Her tone darkened slightly.

In her free time, she used the illusory orb to inspect Marquel, her servant.

What she saw was him trying to touch a beautiful girl's ears. Her eyes flickered with annoyance at the sight.

She continued watching for now, savoring his struggle for money.

Late that night, I woke extremely early and tore a blanket, crafting a makeshift hoodie.

It didn't look particularly good, but it was enough to cover my face.

It was black and looked tattered, but from a distance, it wasn't too noticeable.

The storage bag I needed cost about 150–200 gold coins.

That was the best option—and even then, it could only store about the size of two buckets.

I grabbed a chair and desk, then rushed outside with my hood up, moving quickly so no one would notice me.

Since it was still dark, I managed to claim a spot and placed the chair and desk there.

I modified both so they wouldn't look like they were stolen from my room. I drew a moon symbol on them—and on my hoodie too.

To do that, I used mana to create a glowing moon-shaped image.

Then, using the Grabbing Shallow technique, I manipulated a leaf to hover above my head and form the letter "M."

With my current proficiency, it stayed stable for a little over two hours—just enough time.

I waited... and waited... until the first rays of sunlight appeared. Finally, a student came out and saw me sitting in the middle of the path.

His face turned puzzled as he approached.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice filled with curiosity and anticipation—he must've read a lot of supernatural stories and saw this as his lucky encounter.

I smiled mysteriously.

"I'm a fortune teller," I said in a low tone.

His eyes lit up. "Then... can you help me?"

I nodded. "5 gold coins for an answer."

He hesitated, surprised at the price, but for someone mysterious like me, it was worth trying his luck.

5 gold coins wasn't a lot for nobles, but it wasn't cheap either.

He smiled and asked, "Can you tell me if my childhood friend—my crush—will like me back?"

I was surprised, though I didn't show it. I expected people to ask about getting stronger or breaking through bottlenecks.

I nodded and, using the Grabbing Shallow technique, manipulated the leaves into the shape of a heart.

The student stood there, shocked, anticipation shining in his eyes.

The heart held its shape for a few minutes. I smiled again, speaking in a mysterious tone:

"It's your lucky day. The heart remained—it seems she likes you."

Judging by his appearance, he was good-looking and had a naive personality. Honestly, I'd feel guilty if he got rejected.

He beamed with joy, handed me 5 gold coins, and left.

I then moved the chair and desk to a secluded area behind the building, where no one ever went.

When the rest of the students arrived, they didn't notice anything and went to their respective classrooms.

Classes went on, as boring as ever. During lunch break, Irish invited me to eat, but I declined— I could go without food for a week.

She nodded, a bit disappointed. Her bright smile dimmed slightly.

I sighed. This girl… she's making me feel guilty, I murmured to myself.

She suddenly spoke again.

"Hey, did you hear? There's a mysterious fortune teller at night. The school newspaper confirmed his predictions are mostly true!"

She continued, eyes wide with excitement.

"Some students even saw him! He controlled a bunch of leaves and formed a heart!"

My eye twitched slightly, but I kept calm. Her naivety kept her from noticing.

She rambled on.

"The guy who told the story even got a girlfriend this morning! Everyone in his class knew they liked each other, but the boy finally confessed!"

Her blue eyes sparkled with excitement.

"I'll wake up early tomorrow to find that fortune teller!"

I just kept nodding, making small expressions while she talked endlessly.

Class resumed, and she waved goodbye as she returned to the front row.

I had nothing else to do. I needed a good entrance for tomorrow—I had to teleport in and out.

Frustrated, I sighed. After class, I rushed back to my room without wasting time and wrote a letter to the Empress.

I had to stop for now—too many people would come tonight. I needed them to think I was profound.

So, I asked the Empress for a teleportation talisman—expensive, but that's exactly why I needed her help.

While at it, I also requested a storage bag.

In the kingdom, a beautiful lady with red eyes and red hair let water trickle over her body as she wrapped herself in a towel—fresh from a bath, steam still rising from her.

She yawned gracefully and stretched her delicate arms upward.

Unburdened by money concerns, her time was devoted mostly to cultivation. In her spare time, she spectated her servant.

She gazed into the illusory orb and saw the young boy writing something. With a flick of her hand, she zoomed in and read his words.

"Dear My Lady," it began, followed by flattery and sweet praises.

At the end, he asked for a storage bag and a teleportation talisman.

These items were costly even for nobles—but for her, they could be bought in a blink.

She put on elegant robes of red and black, enhancing her already breathtaking beauty.

A mischievous smile crossed her lips. She grabbed her sword and, with a slash, split the air open as a dark void swirled into existence.

Yawning after finishing the letter, I sat back.

If I was asking for a talisman, I might as well go all in and request the storage bag too.

Just then, a spatial rift opened before my eyes. I nearly fell over in shock.

She shouldn't be able to teleport this easily—not until Sequence 1!

She had already grown stronger.

My eyes widened as the Empress stepped through the spatial rift. It closed behind her.

The room was instantly filled with her scent—fiery, seductive. She looked at me with a mischievous Smile.