"May I examine them more closely?" Princess Roxene asked, as though they were alone in a private study rather than the center of a very public spectacle.
"Yes, please."
She lifted each stone with the reverence of a scholar handling ancient texts, her dark eyes reflecting their inner light. This close, Astra could sense the controlled power radiating from her—like standing near a forge that had been banked but not extinguished.
"Interesting collection," she murmured. "Water, fire, earth, wind, and..." She held up the neutral stone, letting its prismatic glow dance across her fingers. "A perfect neutral stone. Few merchants in the capital could even appraise this properly."
The genuine fascination in her voice caught him off guard. This wasn't royal condescension or political maneuvering—this was the reaction of someone who truly understood the rarity of what he carried.
"I was planning to sell them eventually," Astra admitted, surprised by his own honesty. "Start something new. A mercenary company, maybe. Try my hand at leadership instead of wandering."
Roxene tilted her head, studying him with renewed interest. "A mercenary company? That's an ambitious goal."
"Ambitious, maybe. But it's honest work, and it's mine. No politics, no court intrigue. Just contracts and payment."
She was silent for a long moment, her expression unreadable as she continued examining the stones. Then, without preamble: "Sell them to me."
Astra blinked. "You want to buy them?"
"All of them. Here. Now."
"If I may ask, Your Highness... what does royalty need with stones of this quality? Surely the crown has access to better materials through official channels."
"Experimental applications," she answered without hesitation, lifting the neutral stone to catch the dying light. "I'm researching certain theoretical approaches to elemental manipulation. They require extremely pure base materials."
Astra felt his jaw tighten. "Experiments? With this grade? That's like burning masterwork swords for firewood. You realize most experiments fail, don't you?"
"Of course. That's why true research demands volume. One must be prepared for failure to uncover the rare success."
The casual dismissal in her tone sparked something hot in his chest. "Do you realize, Your Highness, how many commoners could enhance their entire careers with just one of these stones? *One.* And you intend to risk destroying them for a 'theory'?"
Her eyes flashed—not with anger, but with something sharper. "I realize perfectly. But individual enhancement isn't the goal. If my work proves correct, it could revolutionize magic itself. The potential benefits to the kingdom justify the expense."
"That's the difference, isn't it?" Astra said, his voice carefully level. "A commoner thinks of survival. A noble thinks of revolutions. And in between, the gap only grows wider."
Instead of taking offense, she leaned forward slightly, her gaze intensifying. "You speak as though nobles squander resources carelessly. Yet without vision, without risk, the world would remain stagnant. Tell me, Astra—would you rather see these stones hoarded by individual sorcerers, or consumed to light a greater fire?"
The use of his name without title or honorific should have been insulting. Instead, it felt oddly... honest. Like she was stripping away the pretense and speaking to him as an equal.
"Vision without risk, huh?" He found himself smiling despite his irritation. "It stings, but I can't argue with that logic."
"Such noble vision, Princess. I'm humbled by Your Highness's insight—and ashamed of my own narrow thinking."
But even as he said it, Astra couldn't shake the bitter truth: This was exactly why the gap between nobles and commoners kept growing wider. Nobles didn't just have more money—they had the luxury of thinking in terms of long-term theoretical advancement while everyone else worried about immediate survival. Every successful magical innovation would be patented, licensed, and monetized, creating a cycle that ensured the wealthy became wealthier while everyone else remained dependent on their discoveries.
Still, there was something in her manner—the directness, the lack of condescension—that suggested this particular noble might be different.
"What would you offer for all five?" he asked.
"Thirty gold."
Astra nearly dropped his drink. That was three times the current market value—which meant she knew exactly what these stones were worth and was deliberately overpaying.
"That's... very generous, Your Highness."
She produced a leather purse from her robes, its substantial weight making soft clinking sounds as she counted out gleaming coins. "I don't mind paying fairly for quality materials."
"Though I am curious," she continued, stacking the gold with precise movements, "where exactly does one acquire stones of this caliber? The clarity and elemental purity suggest they weren't purchased through normal merchant channels."
"The Wild Rok region has its secrets," Astra said carefully.
Her hands stilled. "Wild Rok? That's... one of the most unforgiving places for human travelers."
"So how did you survive it? The magical storms alone should have been lethal."
Astra met her gaze steadily. "By not being careless. And by knowing when to run rather than fight."
Something in his tone must have convinced her not to press further. She completed the count and slid the coins across the table—more money than most people saw in a year, exchanged as casually as buying bread.