Jia Ruo Wanted to Make Money

"Knock, knock, knock."

A frantic knocking sounded at Jia Ruo's residence.

"Who is it?"

Jia Ruo hurriedly got dressed and climbed out of bed, then rushed downstairs.

Who would come knocking so early? It wasn't even light out yet. Could old Weaver have gotten confused and gone to bed at the wrong time?

Creak.

Jia Ruo opened the door and yawned.

Although he no longer needed to sleep at night—meditating all night not only strengthened his mana, but also restored his energy and spirits—the routine he'd maintained for over twenty years still made him feel sluggish at this hour.

"Jia Ruo, urgent mission. Come with me, quickly."

Lyle stood outside.

"What happened?"

"Master Percy got word that an Azure Carved Golem appeared northeast of Precidian. The Hall of Tranquility is organizing a team to deal with it."

"An Azure Carved Golem? What's that?"

"Wake Neeko first. I'll explain on the way. We're in a hurry."

"Right, right. I'll go get her."

And so, with a bleary-eyed Neeko in tow, Jia Ruo followed Lyle to the Hall of Tranquility's main hall in the pitch-black hours before dawn.

On the way, Lyle gave them a rough introduction to the Azure Carved Golem.

It was a relic from ancient times, and it was impossible to determine exactly when they had first appeared.

The people of Ionia believed that Azure Carved Golems had originated in the Ancient Battlefield Ruins of Ionia.

But opinions differed on whether Azure Carved Golems were magical puppets created by Ancient Sorcerers or Titans made during the Rune Wars.

They occasionally appeared in Runeterra, causing destruction around them without any awareness of what they were doing.

So, once the Hall of Tranquility learned that an Azure Carved Golem had appeared northeast of Precidian, it immediately gathered a team to go destroy it.

By now, many peacekeepers had assembled in the Hall of Tranquility's main hall.

Master Percy stood before them and cleared his throat.

"Now that most of us are here, let's get started."

He took a scroll from the clerical monk beside him.

"An Azure Carved Golem has appeared two hundred miles northeast of Precidian. Our scouts have confirmed it. We'll organize a small team to go destroy it. Anyone who wants to volunteer, raise your hand."

Whoosh!

Almost every peacekeeper raised a hand.

Jia Ruo didn't understand what was going on, but everyone else seemed eager, so he raised his hand too.

"That's quite a lot of volunteers... All right. Those in the Guard Group who are on duty over the next two days, and those in the Investigator Group who already have assignments, put your hands down."

At Master Percy's words, two-thirds of the peacekeepers lowered their hands with sighs.

"We haven't picked our assignments yet, Jia Ruo," Neeko whispered behind him.

"Right, so we don't have to put our hands down."

Jia Ruo whispered back with a smile.

Percy looked around and continued, "All right. I'll choose from those who are left."

"Hood, Laleno, Hert, Gary... And Jia Ruo and Neeko. You twelve should be enough. Go get ready, and meet at the north gate at dawn. All right, the rest of you are dismissed."

The peacekeepers whose names hadn't been called looked disappointed.

"Hey, Lyle, they didn't pick you."

Jia Ruo went over to Lyle.

"That was to be expected. Azure Carved Golems are hard to deal with. Someone like me wouldn't be much help."

"Lyle, everyone seemed eager to go. Isn't this mission dangerous?"

"Azure Carved Golems are indeed dangerous, but they also carry treasure."

"Really?"

"The Azure Carved Golem's magic core is on top of its head. It's called the Crown of Insight, and it contains an immense amount of magical energy. They say whoever kills an Azure Carved Golem will be chosen by the Crown of Insight and gain vast Magic Power, as well as the ability to control magical elements."

"So you mean one of the twelve of us will get lucky and receive the Crown of Insight?"

Lyle shook his head.

"If it were that easy, everyone would be fighting to go. The council has a Secret Arts technique that can extract and preserve the Crown of Insight when the Azure Carved Golem dies. Master Percy knows it, so he'll probably lead the team himself this time."

"But..."

Lyle changed tack.

"Those who take part still get a huge benefit: the right to buy Sorcery Potions at half price. After the Crown of Insight is brought back, it'll be used to make Sorcery Potions and other magical items. They may not compare to the Crown itself, but Sorcery Potions are priceless treasures too. They can greatly improve a transcendent's control over magic, and ordinary people might even gain the ability to wield magic after drinking one."

"My goodness, we're going to make a fortune from this mission!"

Jia Ruo couldn't help exclaiming.

"That's not all. Honestly, I've always envied you favorites of the heavens. Magical talent is one in ten thousand. You know how many wealthy people are trying to buy Sorcery Potions? Every single bottle sells for at least ten thousand gold. Do you know what ten thousand gold means? Lady Lesthara bought me a whole set of high-end formalwear yesterday for just thirty-five gold."

Jia Ruo had never really understood the value of money in Runeterra. Only now did he realize that no matter the world, getting stronger required money. (Some Mr. Ma from a certain Penguin Company knew this all too well.)

Jia Ruo sucked in a breath. He'd thought that a peacekeeper at the Hall of Tranquility earning twelve gold a month had a pretty generous salary. Who would've thought that was just a basic allowance? It was nothing in front of magical items that cost tens of thousands.

He made up his mind: once they returned from this mission, he'd drag Lyle along to take on more assignments and save up enough for a Sorcery Potion.