The exchange hall recognized Leon the moment he stepped inside.
It wasn't dramatic—no alarms, no bows—but the mana flow adjusted subtly, sigils along the floor brightening a fraction as if preparing for a heavier transaction. Elena felt it through the bond of proximity alone, the way the air seemed to settle around him.
Leon didn't comment. He never did.
He opened his System interface as they walked.
[System Storage]
High-Grade Mana Stone ×4
Mid-Grade Mana Stone ×38
Low-Grade Mana Stone ×186
Elena glanced at the numbers, then at his face. Calm. Focused. Too familiar with carrying weight like this.
"You're sure?" she asked quietly. "All of it?"
Leon nodded. "Power sitting still attracts attention. Currency moves."
She smiled faintly. "You always say that."
"And you always prove me right."
They stopped before one of the primary exchange constructs—taller than the others, its chest sigil layered with authority runes. This one wasn't for small trades.
"State transaction," the construct intoned.
Leon didn't hesitate. "Full exchange. All grades."
For a brief moment, the hall grew quieter. Not silent—just… attentive.
The stones manifested in the air.
High-grade crystals burned like compressed suns, dense enough to warp mana currents around them. Mid-grade stones pulsed steadily, disciplined and refined. The low-grade stones—numerous, duller—formed a wide constellation before dissolving into the exchange array.
Rates flashed across Leon's vision.
High-Grade Mana Stone → 3,000 Elnor (per unit)
Mid-Grade Mana Stone → 240 Elnor (per unit)
Low-Grade Mana Stone → 12 Elnor (per unit)
The calculation completed instantly.
[Exchange Complete]
Elnor credited: 15,528
Leon felt the transfer settle—a different kind of weight than mana. Sharper. More political.
Elena exhaled softly. "That's… clean."
"Clean for now," Leon replied. "We'll spread it across accounts later."
The construct stepped back.
Elena moved forward next.
She didn't need to look at Leon to know he was watching—not possessively, not protectively, just aware. Like always.
She opened her System.
[System Storage]
High-Grade Mana Stone ×3
Mid-Grade Mana Stone ×45
Low-Grade Mana Stone ×168
Her fingers hovered for a moment.
She remembered where those stones came from.
The trial.
The way Leon had pressed the high-grade crystals into her hand without ceremony, blood still drying at his knuckles.
You'll need these more than I will.
At the time, she hadn't argued.
Now, she didn't hesitate.
"Full exchange," she said.
The stones appeared.
Her high-grade mana stones were slightly different—same rank, but sharper resonance, still carrying traces of the trial's authority. The construct paused half a second longer than it had with Leon.
Then absorbed them.
[Exchange Complete]
Elnor credited: 13,176
Elena closed her interface.
For the first time since arriving in Aurelion, her storage felt… empty.
Not weak.
Unburdened.
They stepped away together, the exchange hall resuming its usual rhythm behind them. Outside, the morning had fully settled. The last wedding lantern drifted down nearby, its light fading as it touched the stone.
Leon stopped walking.
Elena noticed immediately. "What?"
He looked at her. Really looked.
"You didn't have to exchange the high-grade stones," he said. "Those were insurance."
She tilted her head slightly. "They were leverage. There's a difference."
"And now?"
"Now," she said, meeting his gaze evenly, "we're equal in risk."
Leon studied her for a long second.
Then he nodded. Once.
"Fair."
They resumed walking.
To the city, they were still newlyweds out on a morning stroll. To the System, they were two entities whose assets had just shifted sharply. And somewhere deeper—beyond notifications and numbers—Aurelion adjusted invisible ledgers, recalculated threat levels, and quietly reclassified them.
Not as individuals.
But as a unit.