CHAPTER 140: SUMMER BREAK

The summer sun hammered down on Rosevale’s cobblestones like it had a personal grudge against anyone bubbly enough to be outside.

Aegis wiped sweat from her forehead as she followed Headmistress Valdris through the Noble Quarter. The streets were wider here, lined with shade trees and fancy iron gates. Servants in crisp uniforms hurried past carrying packages. A carriage rolled by, its wheels clacking against stone.

[Summer break already. Feels like yesterday I was dying in a hospital bed, and now I’m a noble walking through the fancy district.]

Valdris walked with the kind of purposeful stride that made people get out of her way without her saying a word. Her silver hair was pulled back in its usual severe bun, and her robes somehow looked crisp despite the heat.

"Lady Starcaller," she said without looking back. "What are your plans for the summer?"

Aegis jogged a few steps to catch up.

"Honestly? I haven’t thought that far ahead," Aegis lied. "Maybe visit my family? Do some training?"

"Hmm. And your financial situation?"

[Straight to business. Classic Valdris.]

"Better than it was. House Vermillion’s backing helps a lot, so I’ve got some income."

"Some income." Valdris’s tone was dry. "You’ll need considerably more if you intend to maintain a noble household."

Aegis knew that.

"I’m working on it."

They turned down a quieter street. The buildings here were larger, set back behind gardens and walls. A few looked occupied—manicured lawns, painted shutters. Others looked abandoned, their gardens overgrown with weeds.

Valdris stopped in front of a wrought-iron gate hanging off one hinge.

"We’re here."

Aegis looked past the gate.

The manor beyond was a disaster.

The main building was three stories of grey stone, but half the windows were broken. The front door hung at an angle. The gardens were a jungle of waist-high grass and dead rosebushes. The whole east wing looked like it had been hit by a trebuchet—just wooden frames and piles of debris where walls should be.

[What the fuck is this?]

Valdris pushed the gate open. It screeched like a dying animal.

"This," she announced, "is your reward for ranking first overall in the Winter Trials."

Aegis blinked.

"I... what?"

"First place overall. Not just the combat tournament—though that certainly helped—but first in totality. Strategy, cooperation, combat. You excelled in each category." Valdris walked up the cracked stone path toward the front door. "The academy awards property to exceptional students. This manor is yours, Lady Starcaller."

Aegis stared at the building.

[Wait. Wait wait wait. THIS place? Half-collapsed, overgrown, looks like a haunted house had a baby with a construction site... THIS place?]

She followed Valdris up the path, her boots crunching on gravel.

The headmistress stopped at the front door and turned.

"I understand it’s not in ideal condition. Most recipients would complain about receiving what amounts to a money pit. However, the location is excellent—central to trade routes, close to the academy, and the land it comes with alone is worth a considerable sum. With proper investment, this could become a valuable asset."

Aegis barely heard her.

Because she recognized this place.

It took a bit of time because it looked different in 3D compared to top-down 2D, but finally, Aegis recognized it.

[Holy shit. Holy SHIT. This is THAT property!]

In Queen of Hearts, there was a mid-game quest where you could acquire a manor in the Noble Quarter. Most players ignored it because the upfront renovation costs were insane. But if you actually invested in it, upgraded it fully, it became one of the most broken properties in the game.

The basement had secret access to ancient ruins—perfect for combat training and a few rare monster spawns. The location was also right next to the Merchant’s District, letting you set up house some merchants and set up merchant contracts that generated passive income. And the expansion potential meant you could eventually build additional wings, host events that boosted faction reputation, and even unlock special romance scenes.

Endgame, fully upgraded, this place was worth hundreds of thousands of gold.

[I just got handed the single most valuable piece of real estate in the game. For free. Because I won a tournament.]

She must have been grinning like an idiot because Valdris raised an eyebrow.

"You seem pleased."

"I am. Very pleased."

"Most students would be demanding I give them something that doesn’t require a small fortune to repair."

"What can I say? I like a challenge."

Valdris’s lips twitched. Barely. But it was there.

"Good. The deed will be transferred to... House Starcaller officially by week’s end. What you do with the property is entirely your concern." She glanced at the broken windows. "I suggest hiring contractors sooner rather than later. The structure is sound, but it won’t stay that way if left to rot."

She turned and walked back down the path without another word, her robes billowing behind her.

Aegis watched her go, then turned back to the manor.

[Alright. Let’s see what I’m working with.]

The front door was unlocked because the lock was broken. She pushed it open and stepped inside.

Dust. Everywhere.

The entrance hall was massive—two-story ceiling with a grand staircase leading up to a balcony. Or at least, it would be grand once someone fixed the cracked marble and replaced the missing banister. Sunlight streamed through holes in the ceiling, illuminating swirling clouds of dust.

Her footsteps echoed on the floor.

To the left was a sitting room. Broken furniture lay scattered everywhere—an overturned couch, a smashed table, chairs with missing legs. Faded paintings hung crooked on the walls.

To the right was a dining room with a table that could seat twenty people. Half the chairs were missing. The chandelier had fallen and lay in pieces on the floor.

[This place is fucking trashed. But... yeah. I can work with this.]

She walked through the ground floor, cataloging the damage. Kitchen—usable but filthy. Pantry—empty except for some concerning stains. Servants’ quarters—smelled like something had died in there. Probably had.

Then she found the basement door.

It was hidden behind a bookshelf in what must have been a study. The bookshelf had fallen over, revealing a narrow wooden door with an iron handle.

[There it is. The secret access.]

She pulled the door open. Stone steps descended into darkness.

Aegis pulled out one of the glow-stones she kept in her Inventory and held it up. The light pushed back the shadows, revealing a narrow staircase leading down at least thirty feet.

She descended carefully, testing each step before putting her full weight on it.

The basement was huge.

Stone walls stretched out in every direction, forming a maze of corridors and chambers. Some areas had been used for storage—empty crates and barrels stacked against walls. Other areas were completely empty, just stone floors and walls.

And at the far end, barely visible in the glow-stone’s light, was a heavy iron door.

[There it is. The ruins entrance.]

She walked over and examined it. Ancient runes covered the surface, glowing faintly blue. A keyhole sat in the center—no normal key would work on this.

[In the game, you needed the Archaeologist’s Runic Key. Got it from that annoying fetch quest in the Merchant’s Guild—had to recover some stolen artifacts from bandits in the Whispering Woods. Pain in the ass quest, but worth it for the ruins access.]

She traced her fingers over the runes, feeling the faint hum of magic beneath them.

[Gonna need to track down whoever has that key now. Probably still the Merchant’s Guild, if this world follows the game logic. Should be doable once I get my finances sorted. The ruins respawn Level 15-25 monsters every three days, plus there’s rare crafting materials down there. All worth a fortune.]

She stepped back, already planning.

[But first, gotta make sure the house doesn’t collapse on my head. Priorities.]

She headed back upstairs, emerging into the dusty entrance hall.

The second floor was more of the same. Bedrooms with collapsed furniture. A library with empty shelves. A bathing room with a broken tub and pipes that looked like they hadn’t worked in years.

The third floor was somehow worse. One room’s entire ceiling had caved in, leaving a gaping hole that exposed the sky. Another room’s floor was so damaged she could see straight through to the second floor.

[This is gonna cost a fortune to fix. But... yeah. Worth it.]

She made her way back down to the entrance hall and stood in the center, looking up at the damaged ceiling.

Then, Aegis thought about the progress she’d made over the last handful of months.

Summer break had been productive as hell. Daily training sessions with Scarlett that left her sore, some ways better than others. Shadow magic lessons with Nazraya that pushed her limits. Meditations with Rosanna that expanded her mana pool. Plus all the studying, politicking, and—let’s be real—fucking that came with maintaining five active relationships.

[Let’s see where I’m at.]

Her HUD flickered to life.

---

STATUS SHEET

BASIC INFO

Name: Aegis Starcaller

Race: Human (Fertility-Blessed)

Titles: The Shameless Commoner, Apprentice Shadow Sorceress, Aether Weaver, Winter Trials Champion, Lady of House Starcaller

MP (Mana Points): 220/220

STATS

POWER (Combat ability): 52

INTELLIGENCE (Academic knowledge, magical theory, and strategic thinking): 64

GRACE (Elegance, poise, and artistic expression): 35

INSIGHT (Reading people, detecting lies, and understanding hidden motives): 26

CHARISMA (Ability to persuade, intimidate, seduce, and charm through words): 100

RELATIONSHIP STATUS

Active Love Interests: Professor Nazraya, Talia Stone, Liora Vale, Scarlett Lionheart, Serilla Frost

Current Relationships:

- Nazraya Stringer: (❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️)

- Scarlett Lionheart: (❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️)

- Talia Stone: (❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️)

- Liora Vale: (❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️)

- Sophie Starcaller: (❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️)

- Queen Rosanna: (❤️❤️❤️❤️🤍)

- Lune Solana: (❤️❤️❤️🤍🤍)

- Serilla Frost: (❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️)

- Kai’Lin Summerfang: (❤️❤️🤍🤍🤍)

- Mei’Lin Summerfang: (❤️❤️🤍🤍🤍)

- Darius Goldspire: (❤️🤍🤍🤍🤍)

REPUTATION/SOCIAL STANDING

School Reputation: Notorious Commoner, Winter Trials Champion

Faction Standings:

- House Roseheart: +50

- House Vermillion: +50

- Commoners: +25

- Academy Guards: +10

- Commander Korvo: +5

- House Valemont: +5

- House Stone: -5

- House Goldspire: -5

- House Duskbane: -10

SKILLS/ABILITIES

Magical Spells:

- Shadow Bolt (Basic)

- Touch of Shadow (Basic)

- Shadow Veil (Novice)

- Shadow Embrace (Passive, gained from Bondmark with Nazraya, +25% Shadow Magic Affinity)

- Battle Fervor (Passive, gained from Bondmark with Scarlett, +25% combat skill progression)

- Aether Breathing (Intermediate)

- Aether Bolt (Basic)

- Aether Whip (Intermediate)

- Aether Step (Intermediate)

- Aether Veil (Novice)

- Aether Pulse (Intermediate)

INVENTORY & GIFTS

Current Items:

1. Commoner’s Locket

- Effect: Increased ability to go unnoticed by those of higher social status

2. Maid’s Earring

- Passive: Hear Conversations within 50 meters

- Active: Focus Hearing through Barriers (3 uses/day)

3. The Lover’s Ring

- Effect: Doubles Affection Gains, Doubles Experience Gains

- Special: Cannot Be Removed Once Worn

4. Starbloom Petal

- Effect: +15% Magical Potency (Permanent)

5. Ruby & Sapphire

- Type: Charisma-Scaling Weapons

- Current Damage: 100 (Base 1 x Charisma 100)

6. Moonlight Veil

- Effect: Grants Invisibility Once Per Day

- Special: Conceals Magical Signature

In Storage:

- Prison Spider Venom x12

- Iron Sword x6

- Iron Breastplate x6

- Staff of Flames

- Aether Core x35

- Empowered Aether Core x3

- Summer Training Manuals x4

COMBAT TECHNIQUES

- Basic Combat Skills (Lvl 2)

- Dual Wielding (Lvl 3)

**ART PERFORMANCE TECHNIQUES**

- Basic Singing (Lvl 1)

- Seductive Swing (Lvl 1)

- Effect: Dramatically increases partner’s affection during dances

- Warning: May cause public scandals

---

OTHER INFO:

HIDDEN TRAITS

- Blessing of the Fertility Goddess

- Effect: Enhanced "compatibility" with all potential partners (Aegis has hermaphroditic genitalia)

- New Equipment: Divine Rod of Conquest

- Type: Biological Enhancement

- Effect: Allows Bondmarking of conquered partners

- Special: Grows stronger with each conquest

- Warning: Marks are permanent

- Effect: Increase gained XP per relationship attained

- Current Amount of XP Increased: 5x (Five Active Bondmarks)

- Additional Effect: Each Bondmark increases training efficiency by 25%

---

SCANDAL POINT SHOP

Available Intel:

- Shadow Empress Identity (150 Points)

- Major Timeline Deviation (300 Points)

- Lune (500 Points)

Scandal Points: 128

---

Current Objectives:

- Restore Starcaller Manor

- Investigate Shadow Empress Activity

- Maintain Top Rankings

---

Completed Routes:

- Talia Stone: Route Complete! (Permanent Buff: Noble’s Pride: +20% to all social interactions with nobility Special: Intimidation attempts against you have 50% chance to fail)

- Liora Vale: Route Complete! (Permanent Buff: Honest Heart: Lies directed at you are 75% easier to detect Special: Your genuine compliments have double effect)

- Joint Route Bonus: Royal Scandal (Scandal Points generation +50%)

Active Bondmarks: 5 (Nazraya, Scarlett, Talia, Serilla, Liora)

Current Bondmark Training Efficiency: 125% faster XP gain

---

Aegis dismissed the HUD and grinned.

[One hundred twenty-eight Scandal Points. Just twenty-two more until I can unlock the Shadow Empress’s identity.]

That was the real prize, right now.

In the game, the Shadow Empress was the main antagonist—the puppet master behind half the assassination attempts, political upheavals, and magical catastrophes. Knowing who she was early would give Aegis a massive advantage.

[Though... in the game, it wasn’t always the same person.]

The default route had a woman by the name of Lady Morganna Blackheart as the Shadow Empress. But depending on player choices, in a select handful of routes, it could be someone completely different. In one playthrough, it was actually a member of the royal family. In another, it was actually Nazraya.

[Which means I can’t just assume it’s Morganna and call it a day. Gotta actually use those points to find out who it is in this timeline.]

She looked around the ruined entrance hall again, her grin widening.

[First things first though. Let’s build a fucking empire.]

Her HUD flickered to life.

PROPERTY ACQUIRED: Starcaller Manor

Renovation Status: 15% Complete

Current Value: 5,000 Gold

Potential Value (Fully Upgraded): 500,000 Gold

Available Upgrades:

Structural Repairs (Cost: 10,000 Gold)

East Wing Reconstruction (Cost: 15,000 Gold)

Basement Excavation (Cost: 8,000 Gold)

Garden Restoration (Cost: 3,000 Gold)

Interior Furnishing (Cost: 5,000 Gold)

Special Features Locked:

Ancient Ruins Access (Requires: Runic Key)

Merchant Contracts (Requires: Structural Repairs + East Wing Reconstruction)

Event Hosting (Requires: Full Renovation)

Aegis whistled low.

[Forty-one thousand gold to get this place functional. And I’ve got... let me check...]

She pulled up her HUD.

Current Funds: 8,743 Gold

Aegis sighed.

[Right. Closing that contract from the twins made a big dent in the gold Darius gave me for "staying away from Talia", hehe. Gonna need a lot more money. But once I get the ruins unlocked, I can farm them for materials. Sell those, reinvest in upgrades. Then unlock merchant contracts for passive income. Classic snowball strategy.]

Her grin only widened.

Especially since she knew exactly what this place would become.

In the game, the fully upgraded Starcaller Manor gave you 2,000 gold per week in passive income from merchant contracts alone. The ruins respawned high-value monsters and materials. You could host faction events that boosted reputation across the board. And the hidden well in the garden? Connected to an underground spring with unique alchemical properties—potions made with that water sold for triple the normal price.

She walked to one of the broken windows and looked out at the overgrown garden.

[The well should be... southwest corner, near the old rose trellises. If those even still exist under all that mess.]

Beyond the garden, through the trees, she could just make out the tops of the academy’s towers.

[Close enough to walk to classes. Far enough that I’ve got privacy. Perfect... But I think I’ll keep rooming with Lune.]

A breeze blew through the broken window, stirring the dust.

Aegis turned and walked back to the center of the entrance hall. She planted her feet, put her hands on her hips, and surveyed her new domain.

Broken windows. Collapsed ceilings. Holes in the walls. A jungle for a garden. An entire wing that was basically just lumber and good intentions.

Most people would see a disaster.

Aegis saw potential.

[Starcaller Manor. Has a nice ring to it.]

Her HUD updated again.

NEW QUEST UNLOCKED: Manor Lord

Objective: Restore Starcaller Manor to Full Functionality

Rewards: Passive Income Generation, Rare Item Access, Faction Reputation Boost

Time Limit: None

She laughed, the sound echoing through the empty hall.

[Alright. Challenge accepted. Let’s build a fucking empire.]