Applause!!

As Alterisha stepped onto the podium, the applause continued without pause for a while.

Those moments of applause were enough to calm her nerves, and they came to her like sweet honey.

After taking a deep breath, she took a step forward, and the applause gradually subsided.

The sudden quiet was a bit eerie, and it drew the audience's attention to Alterisha.

Today, she was dressed in jeans, a plain white t-shirt, and a white robe.

Originally, a team of stylists wanted to enhance her beauty even more, but Alterisha vehemently refused.

She wanted the world's attention solely on the 'item' today.

Clap!

As she took her steps, the attention of over ten thousand audience members focused on her.

However, Alterisha intentionally stood slightly to the side rather than in the center of the stage.

Some might have thought she hesitated, but it was a deliberate action.

She avoided standing directly in front of the central screen on the stage.

It was to avoid blocking the view of the screen, which was still empty.

She stared at the screen, discreetly gulped, and parted her lips slightly.

They say beginnings are the hardest.

While planning the presentation, Alterisha had come to realize why that saying existed.

‘The opening line.’

How should she start?

'Hello? I'm Alterisha.’

That was too cheesy.

'I have completed the Delta Augmentation formula and developed an item...'

It was not a self-introduction time.

'Greetings! I'm Alterisha from the Alchemy Department of Stella Academy!'

That sounded as if she was overly nervous!

For a long time, she pondered over countless options.

How on earth should she start?

How should she introduce herself?

Then, she changed her perspective.

"... After the inception of magic's history, technological revolutions have brought about significant transformations in the world of magic."

The screen's image changed.

Alchemy.

"Thanks to the discovery of magical conduits, even those who cannot use magic can now benefit from its advantages."

Lights illuminated by magic, doors that automatically open by sensing life, floating buildings in midair – numerous inventions quickly passed by, and finally, trains and airships appeared on the screen.

"With the development of Warp Holes, the concept of space has been astonishingly minimized. People now disregard the limitations of distance and travel freely across the world."

This time, a picture of a massive Warp Hole accompanied a world map.

All points connected by Warp Holes were marked, and the graphic showed the population moving by the tens of thousands every day.

"Whenever revolutionary technology is unveiled, humans’ life takes a different trajectory."

The screen turned black.

It was to draw the audience's attention to Alterisha.

She paused for a moment and then slowly uttered, ".... And today, I dare say that another revolution is about to take place in the lives of humanity."

Soon enough, light returned to the screen.

However, it displayed an image completely opposite to what everyone had expected.

There were no flashy power points, no magic circles or formulas.

Just one word.

[Item]

That was all.

"I will introduce the technology that will bring a revolution to the world, 'Items'."

As Alterisha’s presentation continued, Baek Yu-Seol moved to entertain Melian and Jeliel.

'I never expected to meet them like this...'

Jeliel, the villainess.

He didn't have particularly positive feelings towards her.

In the original game, she was known for tormenting players with her malevolence.

Of course, Hong Bi-Yeon seemed to have undergone some change and the game's contents were just a game, but the situation was slightly different.

While Hong Bi-Yeon’s backstory somewhat justified her fate as a villainess, Jeliel willingly embraced the path of evil, driven solely by personal gain.

Jeliel would unhesitatingly do whatever she pleased, and she was not someone who directly tormented players on the surface, but rather, she was like a mosquito in the summer that irritates with every action, making life a nuisance during progress.

‘What's her purpose?’

There wouldn't be any other reason for her to come here.

Sharing the story about the 'Branded Items' would suffice with Melian.

Given her personality that pursued efficiency to the extreme, she meticulously avoided any unnecessary actions.

But there must be a reason she came all the way here to meet Baek Yu-Seol...

"Apologies for the sudden visit."

"No need to apologize."

Without realizing, he almost let tension seep through his words.

[Blessings of the Yeonhong Chunsamweol]

But in the next moment, as his heart settled down... he found himself able to approach the situation more calmly.

"To think I get to meet the famous President’s niece, it's an honor. You truly are beautiful, just as the rumors say."

"Thank you for saying that."

Baek Yu-Seol quickly prepared tea.

Recently, the lightly flavored Riltea had started to become trendy among the nobles.

Melian sipped Riltea leisurely, savoring the aroma, but Jeliel’s expression gradually stiffened, seemingly displeased.

Understandable.

The smell was quite strong, wasn’t it?

"Oh... indeed, your skill at brewing Riltea is impressive, much like a royal tea master."

"As expected, you're well-informed."

"Haha... to say 'well-informed' is an understatement. The Headmaster brags about it to everyone in the neighborhood."

Baek Yu-Seol briefly imagined the absurd sight of the mischievous boy, the Archmage, spreading the word about Riltea while running around.

He shook his head to dismiss the thought.

Melian, who had put away his tea cup, spoke with his trademark relaxed smile. "Shall we take a look at the finished product then?"

After clearing the teacups, Baek Yu-Seol took out a black bag that had been prepared on the table.

This bag was also known as the 007 Bag, and it was already a product of Item technology itself.

Thunk! Swoosh...!

Pressing a button, the bag split open to the sides, creating partitions like stairs, and formed a small dressing table-like structure.

"Oh..."

In the air, an array of magical runes twinkled as they checked the system.

"This bag charges the magical energy of the items stored inside, checks for any malfunctioning parts, and restores damaged components. And this...”

A bracelet was taken out of the bag.

"Is that a wand?"

"Yes. Staff-type wands are incredibly bulky, making storage difficult and causes significant inconvenience when carried around. However, with this one, as long as you wear it on your arm..."

Thunk!

The shape of the bracelet transformed, and it became a long staff in an instant.

"Anytime, anywhere, you can immediately equip a wand if you wish."

"Oh..."

Melian observed it with great interest.

"May I ask for an explanation about the differences from the products available in the market?"

"Performance and design go without saying, and most importantly..."

Baek Yu-Seol calmly convinced Melian.

There was something about his voice that had a calming effect on people's minds, and his logic was convincing even to experts well-versed in the knowledge of magical engineering.

Product appeal?

There was no need to mention it.

’This is definitely a huge hit,’ Jeliel thought as she listened to the explanation.

So…

… Her father's mistake was quite vexing.

‘Why did he make such a mistake?’

Turning the technology of the items into luxury products?

That was laughable.

He should have monopolized the technology of these items with Starcloud’s might.

Yet, why did her father nod in agreement to that ridiculous idea?

Jeliel glanced at Baek Yu-Seol’s head again.

[???]

Still, no numbers were displayed.

It meant she couldn't assess his value with her own eyes.

While Baek Yu-Seol’s value as the developer of the items had been clearly determined, understanding eluded her.

‘So, what's the reason?’

Did she love him?

Absolutely not.

Falling for someone at first sight wasn’t rational or logical.

From the beginning, Jeliel lacked the emotion called 'love'.

The forcibly extracted 'emotion somewhat resembling love' was all directed towards her father.

The remaining hypothesis was just one.

Baek Yu-Seol’s value as a boy was so distant that even her insight couldn't grasp it.

There was no other reason.

Jeliel looked at Baek Yu-Seol with trembling eyes.

Her special ability [The Value of All Things] allowed her to comprehend the 'essence' of others by analyzing all their components, connections, origins, existence... and more.

It was not just about expressing someone’s value as a number.

In essence, it meant that even Jeliel’s perceptive abilities couldn't grasp the essence of Baek Yu-Seol in front of her.

‘Could that... make sense?’

It couldn't.

To think she couldn’t understand someone with her own eyes, her own mind... especially someone who was just a mere seventeen-year-old high school student.

Jeliel clenched her fists and faced Baek Yu-Seol directly.

His smiling face was cheerful and handsome without any awkwardness.

"Your opinion is quite favorable. However, that's just an item with slightly better performance. But does it truly have the 'value as a luxury product'? If it's a product that receives treatment as a slightly higher-priced alternative and isn't truly recognized as a brand, then we wouldn't have a reason to treat it as such."

As Jeliel expressed a negative opinion in contrast to Melian's favorable reaction, Baek Yu-Seol hesitated for a moment and then took out a pen.

"This should do."

Then, he drew a line on the bracelet.

"What's that?"

"It's the boundary line that distinguishes regular products from 'luxury' items."

"Now, what...?"

Jeliel was so dumbfounded by the nonsensical statement that she couldn't even continue speaking.

"There's more. Now the item with the line drawn will be sold at a price ten times or even a hundred times higher than other products."

"... You think that makes sense?"

"Yes. Once it has a different mark from others and proves to be 'expensive', then it's already a luxury item. Furthermore, if it also includes rarer materials and better performance, there's no room for doubt. Oh, if we add 'handcrafted by skilled artisans' to that, it will be even more perfect."

"... You really see consumers as complete fools."

"Isn't that what you usually do?"

Startled, Jeliel’s eyebrows twitched slightly before she quickly composed her expression.

‘He knows so much…’

An average high school student couldn't possibly fully comprehend the dynamics of a meteor shower, so it was probably just a baseless remark.

There was no need to be moved by it.

"Anyway, the 'brand items' will use slightly different technology. In reality, there's not much difference... but how would consumers know? It's going to be kept secret at the company level."

"You seem like you've tried this before."

She prodded with a sharp question.

"Um... well, I've seen similar things in my hometown."

Baek Yu-Seol evaded like a chameleon.

It was evident he was lying.

After investigating him, it was confirmed that he hailed from a rural area.

He must be aware of the fact that everyone knew about his hometown.

However, why bother telling such lies...

‘He's probably trying to deceive me.’

If she were to retort with, "Your hometown isn't like that," he might counter with, "How did you know where my hometown is?" creating an unfavorable situation.

‘Suspicious.’

After that, Jeliel continued to throw words that seemed to pierce Baek Yu-Seol, but he parried every attack with a self-defensive demeanor.

Jeliel had her own 'mask.'

A mask to hide her emotions and act like someone else.

However, Baek Yu-Seol seemed even more skilled with his mask than she was.

She simply couldn't read his emotions or grasp his true feelings.

She had also accumulated a lot at her young age, claiming to have acquired knowledge and experience beyond the years she had lived... but the boy in front of her seemed to be looking down at her from a much higher place.

————

‘Did I... misunderstand?’

She thought his high value was solely due to the item.

She was wrong.

Was it an exclusive right to the item?

Technical skill?

Those weren't the issues.

It was Baek Yu-Seol.

The boy himself held value.

The item was just a very small part among countless elements that made him shine.

‘Father made a mistake.’

It wasn't a mistake to fail to secure the exclusive rights to the item... it was a mistake to have banished the boy who possessed true value.

"Why are you like this?"

Baek Yu-Seol asked, but Jeliel didn't answer.

An existence with unknown value.

If he became her pawn, she could use him as an exceptional gem for a long time to come... but he had already slipped from her grasp.

He was no longer a pawn or a gem.

He was just a potential threat.

‘I can't leave him like this.’

Placing the flag of a meteor shower on the world was her dream.

From the moment she was born, she ran toward that goal alone.

There were no setbacks.

There were no obstacles.

But for the first time in her life, an existence appeared that blocked her path.

Jeliel was intelligent, yet young, and had never experienced something like this before, so she could only make a very straightforward and clear choice.

‘... If I can't turn him into my pawn, then I'll eliminate him.’

A calm frost settled in her eyes.