Pearl was genuinely happy. She was fully cured, and she got to spend time with her savior, Jaune.
Not only that, but she had acquired a magnificent, unique artifact: the Profound Feather Pen.
The pen was already proving to be invaluable, correcting her grammar and seamlessly aiding her as she began to write a personal, detailed recovery journal.
As she was engrossed in her writing, she heard a melodic, young female voice whisper directly into her ear, startlingly close.
"You have a very strong bloodline. Do you want to be my disciple?"
"Who?!"
Pearl yelped, standing up instantly and looking wildly around her opulent bedroom.
The bodyguards were outside, and the room was empty.
"Where are you looking? I am right here in your palm!"
The voice instructed, slightly annoyed.
"Huh?"
Pearl looked down at the pen in her hand.
It was glowing faintly with a soft, iridescent silver light.
"Y—you can talk!"
She exclaimed, dropping the pen in surprise.
However, the pen was stopped in mid-air by an unseen force and then floated gracefully in front of her face.
"How rude of a child. You can't throw away things that possess ancient spiritual power,"
The voice scolded with a hint of aristocratic authority.
"Who are you? Aren't you just a high-tech tool?"
Pearl calmed down after seeing that the pen didn't mean her any harm.
"Well, let me introduce myself... who am I again? Ouch, I can't remember my proper designation,"
The voice winced, a brief flicker of amnesia showing through its confidence.
"But that is not important. Do you want to be my disciple? If you accept me as your Master, I will teach you the Ice Phoenix God Investiture Canon!"
Pearl was not convinced. Ice Phoenix? God Investiture?
She thought the pen must have suffered a catastrophic malfunction or was some kind of elaborate prank.
She instinctively reached for her Scroll to contact Jaune and report the issue, only to remember he hadn't had one.
The pen sensed her skepticism.
"Hum, you don't believe me that I am real. Then I have no choice. You don't have to accept me as your Master yet."
After the pen finished speaking, it shot a small, cold ball of silvery-blue light at her forehead.
The light instantly vanished into her skin, and a torrent of intense, icy memories and techniques flooded her mind.
She experienced visions of frigid realms, complex energy manipulation, and an entire celestial cultivation method focused on ice and soul energy.
"It's real!"
Pearl whispered, stumbling back against her desk.
Her breathing became deep and regulated, her Aura instinctively resonating with the new, powerful Ice Phoenix knowledge.
She regretted doubting the pen immediately.
She wanted to ask a thousand questions, but the pen's light became dim and flickered.
"I have to rest a little bit. That transfer cost me a considerable amount of spiritual power. See you next time, future disciple."
The pen then went completely quiet and fell heavily down onto the thick rug.
Pearl quickly picked it up, cradling it in her hands, then respectfully placed it on her desk as if it were a fragile artifact of immense worth.
She had just gained something so priceless it defied the comprehension of her world: a literal path to godhood, and the pen was her mentor.
She realized the true value of the pen was not just one silver coin, but far, far beyond any price in Lien.
"100,000 Lien is not going to cut it,"
Pearl declared, her voice firm with newfound resolve.
"I have to give Jaune 900,000 Lien more!"
She immediately called her servant and gave the urgent, uncompromising order:
"Go to the young man named Jaune Arc in the Lower City Slums. Give him 900,000 Lien as a goodwill payment for the Profound Feather Pen. Do not fail!"
Jaune was still thinking, having quickly retrieved his Crocea Mors heirloom before accepting the terms of his return to Beacon.
As he was cleaning the floor at the store, Ciel's voice chimed in excitedly.
[Incoming transaction detected. Deposit of 900,000 Lien from the Schnee family. Converting at a rate of 1,000 Lien per mcc. Received 900 Copper Coins or 9 msc.]
Jaune stumbled, nearly dropping his mob.
"Nine hundred thousand Lien?! Nine Silver Coins?!"
[Affirmative. Current Balance: 10 Silver Coins, 25 Copper Coins.]
Jaune, the boy who couldn't afford proper clothes an hour ago, was now one of the wealthiest people in his local economy.
He could buy whatever he wanted.
He was now prepared for his new life as a Beacon student, Multiverse Shop Keeper, and Secret Gold Rank Tycoon.