Meanwhile...

Crimson Snow Atelier sat on StrataLink like a mysterious new café with no reviews and suspiciously elegant branding.

At first?

Ignored.

It only has one product, no ratings, and there’s no even sales history.

People scrolled past it like, "Oh look, another delusional artisan."

But then—

Eight more listings appeared.

And suddenly...

"...Wait. Is this a themed store?"

Curiosity is the strongest marketing strategy known to beastmen.

Just one curious, slightly bored click on the 3D preview.

And then—

Silence.

The model rotated smoothly in mid-air projection.

The carved cat’s tail curved naturally.

The ears were symmetrical.

The paws even had individual toe definition.

Toe definition.

On a low-grade energy stone.

The internal energy veins glowed faintly beneath the surface, flowing in perfect alignment.

"...Why does it look... alive?"

Another user clicked.

Then another.

The viewing counter began ticking upward.

Zoom in.

Rotate.

Flip underside.

Zoom further.

"Wait. Since when do low-grade stones look this refined?"

"It’s more beast-like than mine."

"Why does mine look like a potato with ears compared to this?"

The comparison damage was immediate.

Screenshots started circulating in small beastman forums.

"Hey there’s a new shop that just dropped."

"Either this is fake rendering or this carver is insane."

Despite all the remarks, they clicked Order.

And then—

They saw the price.

500 IC.

The silence immediately broke.

"WHAT?"

"Five hundred for low-grade?!"

"Is the shop owner mentally unstable?"

"Tsk! 500 for a mere junk?"

"Does it at least cook dinner for me too?"

"This better regrow my tail if I’m paying that much."

The outrage spread faster than common sense.

Thousands hovered over the order button.

Thousands reconsidered their life decisions.

Low-grade stones normally sold for 100 to 200 IC. Everyone knew that. That was the unspoken rule.

This wasn’t just overpriced.

This was audacious.

The type of pricing that either meant:

Scam.

Delusion.

Or absolute confidence.

"Is it even effective in curing this damn sickness?"

That question lingered longer than the price complaints.

Because no one could deny it.

The craftsmanship was superior.

But 500 IC wasn’t pocket change.

It was a week’s savings for some.

So one by one—

They closed the tab.

"I’ll wait for reviews."

"Let someone else be the idiot."

"Not risking it."

The outrage cooled into cautious distance.

The store traffic remained high.

The sales count remained zero.

For now.

Until—

In a quieter corner of the Imperial Capital, in a private room lit only by a dim blue screen, one beastman stared at the rotating 3D model without blinking.

His claws rested lightly on the desk.

His condition had worsened recently.

Energy instability.

Migraines.

Partial beast transformation that refused to revert fully.

Doctors and even the carvers called it manageable.

He called it exhausting.

He zoomed in on the stone again.

Whoever carved this stone wasn’t a grand master but more higher than that. This carver was above than those so-called grand master carvers.

He didn’t hesitate.

Didn’t scroll to comments.

Didn’t check reviews.

Didn’t complain about price.

He simply clicked: Order.

500 IC deducted.

Confirmation sent.

If this energy stone doesn’t work, then I’ll just kill owner and get back my 500 IC

Across StrataLink, Crimson Snow Atelier’s sales counter ticked from:

0 → 1.

And somewhere on a balcony, an albino leopard’s whiskers twitched faintly.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

My ears twitched.

A soft, crisp ping echoed from the OmniSync interface floating in front of me.

For a split second, I froze.

What is it? Another spam notification? A system reminder? A cruel glitch?

I whipped my head toward the hologram so fast my whiskers almost smacked the screen.

————————————

Crimson Snow Atelier

Order Received – 1 ItemLow Grade Energy Stone – Regal Fox Variant500 IC – Payment Confirmed

————————————

For a solid three seconds, my brain stopped functioning.

Then—

"NYANG!"

Translation: WE HAVE ASCENDED.

I jumped to my paws so suddenly that Agatha nearly dropped the brush.

’Someone actually bought it.’

For a brief moment earlier, I had genuinely considered the possibility that I would become that one overly confident shop owner with zero sales and nine beautifully ignored products.

But look at this.

One sale.

Which is infinitely better than zero sales.

"Okay," I muttered to myself, tail swaying with renewed ambition. "We are officially a business."

Then reality slapped me gently across the face.

Delivery.

I blinked at the confirmation tab.

Status: Awaiting Packaging.

I have carved masterpieces, built a brand, and even disrupted the low-grade energy stone market.

But I have not thought about... boxes.

I slowly turned my head toward Agatha, who had resumed brushing my fur like nothing monumental had just occurred.

I turned my head toward Agatha, who was gently brushing my fur with steady, rhythmic strokes.

"Agatha..." I said carefully, pointing one paw at the floating hologram.

She leaned slightly to look at the display.

Her brows lifted.

"My Lady... did you create your own shop at StrataLink?"

I nodded confidently.

"So those energy stones... you were planning to sell them?" Agatha asked carefully.

I nodded proudly.

Of course I was planning to sell them.

Did she think I carved nine perfectly balanced, aesthetically superior, feline energy stones just for decorations?

I then grabbed my writing board and scribbled quickly, the chalk tapping with urgency.

"Investment."

Flip.

"Independence."

Flip.

"Financial stability."

I paused.

Then added in slightly smaller letters:

"And maybe someone can help me unstuck in my beast form."

Agatha blinked.

"My Lady..."

I tapped the board again and underlined the first word.

"Investment."

"In case," I wrote next, "something happens."

My paw slowed slightly.

New world. Unknown rules. Uncertain alliances. Even comfort can disappear overnight.

I erased that line before she could read too deeply into my silence.

Instead, I wrote:

"I don’t want to rely on Soren forever."

That one, I let her read.

Agatha’s expression softened. "My Lady... you don’t have to worry about such things."

I tilted my head.

That’s exactly when one should worry about such things.

I scribbled again.

"I’m broke. So broke that I don’t want to become a financial burden to Soren."

Agatha pressed her lips together, clearly trying not to smile.

"You’re very serious about this."

I drew a small, sharp-toothed grin on the board.

Then wrote: "Please keep this a secret from Soren too."

Agatha’s lips curved into a small smile. "I will, My Lady," she said gently. "Your secret is safe with me."

Good.

Because if Soren found out before I had at least twenty confirmed sales and a stable brand reputation, he would absolutely start asking questions like:

"When did you learn commerce?"

"Why are drones arriving at the balcony?"

"Why are you opening up a shop?"

No, thank you.

Agatha stepped closer as she examined the order details more closely.

"Oh, this is simple," she said calmly, as if I hadn’t just entered the economic battlefield. "When someone orders from StrataLink, a system drone is automatically dispatched for pickup."

"The address of the shop owner remains confidential," she explained. "Only the StrataLink delivery system can access it. Even the buyer cannot see your location."

I blinked.

"...Nyang?"

Translation: Drone

"Yes, My Lady. It will arrive shortly at the registered pickup point. We simply need to package the item securely and attach the digital tag."

She gestured toward the confirmation window where a small icon blinked:

Drone Arrival ETA: 12 minutes.

TWELVE MINUTES?!

That’s barely enough time to emotionally prepare.

Agatha continued, "The delivery drones are encrypted through the Regional Network. They are the only ones able to access the shop owner’s location data. The customer will never know where the item originated from."

I felt my shoulders relax slightly.

So my identity remains hidden.

Excellent.

"They also handle address verification and tracking," Agatha added. "All we need to do is package the item safely to prevent energy disruption during transport."

Secure logistics.

Anonymous operations.

Automated pickup.

This world truly understands business.

I hopped off the table and padded toward the shelf where the ordered stone rested.

It gleamed faintly under the afternoon light. The carved fur details along its tail curved elegantly around its body caught the glow beautifully.

"We need a box," I declared.

Agatha moved efficiently, retrieving a small white wooden box from the storage cabinet then she lined the interior with deep crimson fabric.

Before placing the stone inside, I quickly scratched something onto a small parchment card.

══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹══════

Crimson Snow Atelier

– B.F.

══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹══════

Agatha carefully placed the fox stone in the center of the velvet lining. It fit snugly, as if the box had been waiting for it its entire life.

She closed the lid gently then placed it within a reinforced shipping container provided by the StrataLink system. A small digital panel lit up on the lid.

Attach Order Tag?

I pressed my paw against the holographic confirmation.

The tag embedded itself into the package seal, glowing faintly before fading.

Just then, a faint mechanical hum echoed outside the balcony doors.

Right on schedule.

We both turned.

A sleek, hovering drone descended smoothly into view. Its metallic body reflected the fading sunlight, and the StrataLink insignia glowed faintly along its side. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Agatha opened the balcony doors and stepped forward. The drone’s blue scanning lights flickered as it locked onto the package.

"Pickup confirmed," it announced in a neutral tone.

Agatha placed the box onto the hovering platform extended beneath it.

The drone scanned the seal.

"Seller identity encrypted. Delivery route secured."

The compartment closed with a quiet click.

And just like that—

It lifted smoothly into the sky and disappeared beyond the estate grounds.

I stood there on the balcony, staring at the empty air where it had been.

Behind me, Agatha smiled softly.

"Congratulations, My Lady."

I lifted my chin.

One sale down.

Now we wait for the review.

And possibly raise the price.