338,

Before peace came, when the Grand Chancellor was still alive, Eileen's world was only black.

For how long? Looking out at the street, how long did she hold on to her sense of self?

Tiny girl, in the big city, lost her family, lost her home that she could return to.

Just one person, sitting quietly in a small alley, waiting for death to come.

Until that person appeared, the president of the Wand Research Association, Miss Marder, discovered herself.

It was only in that moment when she reached out her hand that Eileen came alive.

"So that's how it is..."

Cyclone listened to Eileen's weak voice and silently contemplated.

Six months had passed, and Cyclone was just starting to understand Eileen's past.

Eileen's past was very similar to that of Little Dragon and Yuna.

These three girls had all lost their families.

By chance, the three girls found a common point of connection.

During the time that Cyclone didn't know, these three girls quickly became acquainted and shared laughter and conversation.

Cyclone had always wondered what made these three women so harmonious.

It turned out, they had similar pasts.

Eileen's father was a jeweler, a middle-class businessman with his own business in the city of Allen.

However, at the time, the Grand Chancellor, in order to solidify his power and amass wealth, continuously extorted protection fees from his underlings under the pretense of maintaining regional security.

Suppression and misappropriation, as well as secret study of dark magic and more.

Cyclone had heard about the Grand Chancellor's villainous deeds, many, many times.

But...they were all surface-level reasons.

The most important question in his heart still had no one to answer.

What were the Grand Chancellor's reasons for all this? What forced him onto this path?

As fellow subjects of the same country, although Cyclone didn't have any ideals, every time he looked at that diligent Dou Ding, Cyclone couldn't help but wonder...

Why did he let his city, Allen, fall into depravity?

After gaining power and wealth, what meaning did the Grand Chancellor find in that fallen world?

Cyclone couldn't understand.

The most likely explanation was that he was cooperating with demons, and the Grand Chancellor himself was also a part of the demons.

However, Cyclone felt there was something subtly unnatural about it.

Even if it is evil, "evil" must surely have its own reasons for its actions.

Moreover, in Cyclone's understanding, demons weren't necessarily evil.

Cyclone didn't mention this to Eileen; at this moment, it wasn't the time to question Eileen, but to encourage her.

Things like the Grand Chancellor should be left to contemplate in his heart.

Anyway, whatever his reasons were, they should not and must not have any impact on Eileen's future.

"I'm not like my dad, I don't have the ability to appraise the value of goods, and now I even struggle with cooking like my mom..."

With just one sentence, Cyclone caught on and broke through Eileen's mental barrier.

"No, Eileen, you haven't shown me that ability yet~"

Cyclone directly interrupted Eileen's despair.

"The ability you just mentioned, I've never seen it, never heard of it~"

The so-called appraisal value means acquiring something of higher value at a low price and selling it at a higher price.

Among them, gemstones are one of the most valuable appraisal commodities, requiring specialists to evaluate them.

After the dull and lifeless little stones are appraised, those deemed to have development potential will be sorted out and processed.

Finally, they are presented in a new form, revealing their true value.

This is Eileen's father's business.

Although Cyclone doesn't quite understand, they have come up with a solution to uncover the value of some ordinary things.

"Well, let me prove it to you!"

Looking at Eileen, who used to have direction but lost confidence, Cyclone has made a decision.

Cyclone points forward to Eileen.

"Do you see anything valuable in front of you?"

However, Eileen doesn't want to pay attention.

"Already…"

"Ei~leen~"

Seeing Eileen like this, Cyclone comes close with a creepy face and shouts beside them.

"Ei~leen~"

Annoyed, Eileen points at random, not even knowing what they are pointing at.

But Cyclone shouts out.

"Great!"

In the direction pointed by Eileen, there is a small stone. Cyclone picks it up and shows it to Eileen.

"Eileen, this is what you just pointed at."

Just an ordinary stone, not even a gem.

"I will prove to you now that you have the ability to appraise it."

***