Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 854: Thrifty Lorianne

Chapter 854: Thrifty Lorianne

Sein found himself once again visiting Lorianne’s residence on the top floor of the divine tower.

While this was not his first visit, he could not help but notice that something seemed to change every time he came by.

This time, it was two magical flowers sitting in one corner of Lorianne’s laboratory that Sein had never seen before.

Compared to the Black Jade Bamboo Eileen had purchased for a hundred magicoins, these magic flowers radiated far stronger elemental waves.

They were likely Lorianne’s recent acquisitions.

Sein had been here just a week ago, and he was pretty sure the flowers had not been there then.

In addition to the magic flowers, a mysterious alloy the diameter of a small bowl now occupied a prime spot inside a crystal cabinet in Lorianne’s living room.

Though the crystal barrier prevented close inspection, Sein could tell the alloy was anything but ordinary if Lorianne preserved it so carefully.

Sein’s subtle glances did not escape Lorianne’s notice.

In truth, these were not her only recent acquisitions. This time, Lorianne wore a pair of pure blue gemstone earrings.

The rich energy fluctuations radiating from them confirmed they were not mere accessories but powerful magic equipment.

Of course, Lorianne’s new earrings did not escape Sein’s keen senses as an alchemist.

However, the overwhelming law energy radiating from Lorianne herself somewhat overshadowed the energy fluctuation of the earrings, explaining why Sein had not noticed them immediately.

Since the end of the Wild Star Domain War, Lorianne, who had spent centuries living with limited resources, now seemed to be indulging in her newfound wealth.@@@@

Rare magic ingredients that Sein considered treasures were appearing in her possession one after another.

Even the twenty golems stationed around the divine tower were part of Lorianne’s extravagant spending spree.

Yet, as a Rank Four mage, Lorianne had not completely lost her sense of prudence.

Despite the variety and volume of her purchases, everything she acquired had a purpose.

It was far from reckless squandering.

The rising costs of this magitech might be the result of deliberate manipulation by the major powers in the Magus Civilization.

Lorianne wisely chose to make early preparations by securing additional prism forts and war airships amidst this inflationary environment.

After all, investments in such equipment were long-term—they remained operational for centuries, even with technological advancements.

A well-maintained war airship could easily last a thousand to two thousand years, while prism forts and space fortresses had even greater longevity.

Demonstrating her thriftiness, Lorianne sourced her purchases strategically. The two prism forts came from the Capiche Business Alliance, while the eleven war airships were Steel City products.

The surge in prices had deterred many new Rank Four powerhouses from making large purchases. However, it also prompted merchants to introduce attractive options and benefits to entice buyers.

The maintenance subsidy that came with Lorianne’s Verdant Spring Space Fortress was one such perk.

During her acquisition of prism forts and war airships, Lorianne had to carefully compare three different suppliers before making her decision.

“Aww, money is never enough,” Lorianne lamented. “Sky City’s latest generation of star prism forts are nearly as powerful as a secondhand space fortress, but they’re really expensive and completely out of reach for most mages. Even Steel City’s ‘Steel Chewer’ war airships, which have the best price-to-performance ratio in Magus World, are five times the cost of standard models. Only the richest and most established divine towers can afford them.”

She could envision the ideal arsenal—a fully customized top-tier space fortress, equipped with star prism forts and a fleet of Steel Chewer airships.

But such a dream was far beyond her current means.

The recent Wild Star Domain War had indeed brought substantial wealth to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, allowing Lorianne to make several significant acquisitions and even splurge on personal items like materials and jewelry.

Yet, much of that wealth had been used to repay most of the space fortress loan.

This loan carried a higher interest rate compared to the near-interest-free loans offered to divine towers, so Lorianne had prioritized clearing it.

She had, of course, set aside a portion of her earnings for other needs, but the remainder was less than she had anticipated.

Seated in her chair, Lorianne sighed softly.

Sensing the shift in her mood, Sein offered a compliment.

“Master Lorianne, your new earrings are really pretty!”

The seemingly belated observation yet earnestly delivered praise lifted Lorianne’s mood significantly.