The whole base was unusually quiet.

Maybe it was because most of the candidates were still recovering in the infirmary after surviving the Eighth and Ninth Trials, while the others who survived with lighter injuries had decided to completely lock themselves inside their rooms to sleep, rest, or mentally recover from the darkness they had endured.

Of course, not everyone stayed hidden.

A few candidates still wandered around the base to meet friends, eat in the café, or continue training as though the trials had not nearly destroyed their minds.

Ezra sat alone on a long bench in the training grounds.

Snow drifted down lightly from the pale morning sky while cold wind brushed across his face and clothes. The hood of his white cardigan covered his head halfway, casting a faint shadow over his calm dark eyes.

He wore white gloves, black trousers, and dark boots.

Because he had already taken the heat stimulant pills earlier, the freezing weather didn’t bother him much.

White mist escaped from his mouth every time he breathed.

"One more trial to go, huh..."

Ezra muttered quietly to himself while staring at the cloudy sky above.

To him...

Everything felt too fast.

Far too fast.

From the moment he woke up inside that glass box tied to a steel chair and was forced to assemble a revolver faster than the candidate sitting opposite him...

To the moment when he pulled the trigger and killed another child with his own hands for the first time in this life.

Then came the trial where he ran desperately from the Silverback Dire Wolves.

Then the awakening trial.

Then the slaughter during the Fourth Trial.

Then the Fifth Trial that pushed him to his limit against endless monsters and the terrifying Kalians.

The Sixth Trial where he encountered the so-called strongest members of the Ashenlocke family, even if they had only been illusions.

The Seventh Trial where he started learning how to apply Tai Chi from the Book of Memories.

And finally...

The Eighth and Ninth Trials.

The trials that forced him to stare directly into the regrets and madness of his previous life.

Ezra remembered everything clearly.

Every scream, every death and every chain tied to his soul.

"We’ve really come a long way."

A familiar female voice came from his right side.

Ezra didn’t turn immediately, instead he sighed faintly.

"Why is it that you V-Twins like appearing with light footsteps?"

He asked while still looking up at the sky.

Vera stared at him for a second before sitting beside him on the bench.

A small amused smile rested on her face.

"V-Twins?"

She tilted her head slightly while resting her hands beside her on the bench. Her dark long hair slid gently over one side of her shoulder because of the movement.

"Vera. Veda."

Ezra finally turned toward her.

"It’s easier calling the two of you like that."

His expression remained completely straight.

Vera pouted immediately.

"Well, I don’t like being put in the same category as my little brother."

"That’s not really my problem though."

Ezra replied flatly.

"Humph."

Vera turned forward again while still pouting lightly.

The cold breeze passed between them quietly.

Then suddenly...

"Ezra..."

She crossed one leg over the other.

"You seem to have something you want to ask me."

Ezra finally looked at her properly with a faint trace of surprise appearing in his eyes.

"How do you know that?"

His attention completely shifted toward her now.

Vera slowly smiled.

A small smug look appeared on her face.

"It’s because it’s me."

Ezra narrowed his eyes instantly.

She chuckled softly after seeing his reaction.

"Well, it’s easy to tell."

Her tone became lazy and calm.

"With how your gaze stayed on me during the Seventh Trial, and considering how intelligent I am..."

She leaned back slightly.

"It wasn’t hard to figure out."

"Wow." Ezra’s voice became dry with sarcasm. "So now you can see the future?"

"Of course not."

Vera replied immediately.

"It’s simply the process of staying one step ahead of everything around me."

She raised one finger proudly.

"That’s why I already know what the Tenth Trial is about."

Then she pointed directly at Ezra.

"But too bad..."

A teasing smile appeared on her lips.

"I’m not telling you."

"I never asked."

Ezra replied sharply, but Vera ignored him completely.

"You know..."

She stretched slightly.

"If you want me to tell you, then you’ll have to pay me back with a favor."

Her eyes drifted toward him slowly.

"Since apparently our relationship is only a business one."

The moment she said that...

Ezra’s eyes twitched faintly.

She knows about the conversation Veda and I had in the library.

He stared at her silently for a second.

This girl...

Ezra sighed internally.

"Well, let’s forget about all that."

Vera smiled in satisfaction after seeing his reaction.

"Now then..."

She adjusted her sitting posture and faced him more directly.

"What does the great Ezra want from this ever-present me?"

Ezra felt slightly annoyed listening to the way she described herself, but he ignored it.

"I want to know more about Britannia’s business system."

His tone became serious again.

"Unfortunately, after searching through the library, I couldn’t find anything detailed enough."

He folded his arms.

"Knowing it now would help a lot with my future plans."

Vera stared at him quietly., for a brief moment...

"I hope your plans involve starting a family."

She spoke with a teasing smile.

Ezra immediately narrowed his eyes again.

Should I just add her to my kill list?

The intent in his gaze sharpened slightly.

"You’re thinking something rude again, aren’t you?"

Vera folded her arms.

"Tch."

Ezra clicked his tongue.

"Alright, enough of that."

Vera finally stopped teasing him for the moment.

"Britannia’s business system works mainly through rights."

Vera raised her index finger slowly as she spoke as snow drifted down around the training grounds while the cold wind brushed past her dark hair, causing a few loose strands to sway lightly beside her face.

"Rights over mineral resources."

Her tone remained calm and lazy, but Ezra could tell she was being serious now.

"These rights are the authority that determine how an individual operates their business."

She leaned slightly closer toward him.

"Take our family for example..."

A faint trace of pride appeared in her eyes.

"The Ashenlocke’s possess the highest rights over metal and stone minerals in Britannia. Because of that, we control the largest weapon production industry in the kingdom."

Ezra listened to her quietly.

"At one point, our family controlled almost everything related to those two resources."

Vera rested one leg over the other.

"But after certain political issues happened inside Britannia, portions of those rights were distributed to other Duke families and even a certain rising Count family."

Her expression didn’t change much while explaining it, but Ezra could still notice the slight irritation hidden beneath her calm voice.

"Now then..." She pointed at Ezra lightly. "Let’s use you as an example."

Ezra narrowed his eyes slightly.

"You create some incredible new type of gun."

Vera’s lips curved faintly upward.

"A very Ezra-like situation."

Ezra ignored the teasing.

"That invention of yours cannot enter mass production until you go through official contract signings with both the Royal Family and the Duke families who own rights over the resources needed to produce it."

She spoke slowly so every point would sink properly into his head.

"Which means..."

Vera lifted another finger.

"You cannot create a company freely without receiving official contracts of allowance."

A second finger rose.

"You cannot mass produce your weapons."

A third finger followed.

"And even if you do receive permission..."

Her gaze sharpened slightly.

"The amount of profit you gain depends entirely on what conditions the Royal Family and the Dukes decide to place on you."

The wind blew between them quietly.

Vera’s face became more serious now.

"You see..."

She looked directly into Ezra’s eyes.

"The more groundbreaking your product is...The more you actually lose."

Ezra’s gaze sharpened slightly.

"Especially because of the greed of the Dukes."

Vera continued calmly.

"They could force ownership claims into the contract itself and your invention could legally become partially theirs before you even realize what happened."

A faint mocking smile appeared on her lips.

"And if they dislike you enough..."

She shrugged lightly.

"They can simply steal your work, hand it over to someone under them, and leave you with absolutely nothing."

Her eyes looked colder now.

"A good lawyer won’t save you either."

She leaned back against the bench afterward and adjusted her posture more comfortably as though the conversation no longer interested her emotionally.

Ezra stroked his chin slowly.

Snow landed lightly on the edge of his hood while he silently processed everything she had said.

"With what you’ve explained..."

His tone became thoughtful.

"It means making my own demands within a contract would be extremely difficult."

Vera nodded once.

"There are ways to get your claims accepted."

She started playing lightly with her nails while speaking again.

"If the Duke family you’re negotiating with willingly accepts your terms, then things become easier."

She paused briefly.

"But realistically..."

"That rarely happens."

Ezra already expected that answer, so he didn’t look suprised.

"Unless..."

Vera looked at him with amusement.

"You possess a strong enough background."

She pointed at herself proudly.

"Like me." Then she pointed upward lazily. "Or someone from the Royal Family."

"In those situations, pushing your own claims becomes much easier."

"You could also sign your contract through another industry or company."

Vera added casually.

"But that still means directly working under them."

Ezra replied immediately.

"And those industries are still connected to Duke families because they also require contracts of allowance."

His tone remained flat, but it was obvious he already understood the issue with that method.

Vera blinked once before suddenly clapping dramatically.

"Yes...A hundred percent correct answer. Clap, Clap, Clap."

She smirked while slowly clapping her hands together.

Ezra stared at her without expression, doing his best to ignore her teasing again.

"Every noble family, commoner merchant, company owner, or industry head in Britannia must possess two signed contracts of allowance."

Vera continued.

"One from the Royal Family, and one from the Duke family controlling the resources needed for their business."

Then she paused.

Her eyes focused more deeply on Ezra’s face while the amused smile on her lips slowly deepened.

"But...There is another method."

Ezra’s attention sharpened slightly.

"A method that allows you to obtain a small percentage of resource rights yourself."

The snow continued falling around them quietly.

"And once that happens..."

Vera rested her chin against her palm while her elbow settled on her lap.

"You can create your own industry without having a Duke family constantly breathing down your neck."

For the first time during the conversation...

Ezra’s eyes showed genuine curiosity, especially with how her explanation made him know how difficult and unfair creating his own business would be. So, the fact she now said those words made him very interested in that method.

"What method?"

Vera smiled softly.

"You must attend the Royal Academy..."

Her dark eyes reflected the pale white snow drifting from the sky.

"And graduate obtaining a special Title of Alchemy."