Lyra sprinted down the path, catching up to two younger witches, Amy and Alba, who had lagged behind the main group at the foot of the mountain.
"Hey, Amy! Alba!" Lyra called out, flashing a wide grin. "Want a card that lets you see your magic power accurately? Just 50 mana per card! And you can keep using it all the way until you hit the peak level, no need for replacements!"
The two witches looked at her, confused, their faces full of question marks.
"A card?"
"Magic value?"
"One-time magic payment?"
Lyra held up her own {Character Card}, which she had temporarily translated into witch text for their convenience.
"Is this made from your talent manifestation, Lyra?" Amy and Alba leaned in, inspecting the card curiously.
"Yup! And it only takes 50 mana of one-time magic power, or you can pay the equivalent," Lyra said confidently.
But both witches shook their heads. "It sounds amazing to see our magic power accurately," Amy said, "but we can't afford that right now."
Alba nodded in agreement. "After our talent tests, we only have around 52 and 55 mana magic respectively. We signed contracts for the apprentice-level Golden Pen Technique and the Witch's Book yesterday. There's definitely less than 50 mana left between us."
Lyra wasn't fazed. "No problem!" she said, pulling out a contract. "You can pay in installments! And if you delay, the interest is just 1 mana a day! The longer the installment period, the less you pay daily. It won't affect your studies at all."
Amy and Alba leaned in closer to read the contract:
"I agree to pay 50 mana or the equivalent of 50 mana to purchase a {Character Card - Apprentice - Unbound} from Witch Lyra. For each upgrade, 50% of the upgrade's magic cost will be paid to Lyra. The card's energy consumption is covered by the user. If insufficient magic is available, payments can be made in installments, with a daily interest of 1 mana. There is no early repayment discount. Suggested installment plans:
- 1. Two installments of 26 mana each.
- 2. Three-day plan..."
They exchanged glances, clearly considering the offer.
"So, what do you think?" Lyra pressed, sensing their hesitation. "My magic power is limited, and I can only make a few cards a day. If you don't buy today, you'll have to wait a while!"
Amy and Alba, now intrigued, glanced at each other again. "Which installment plan do you recommend?" Amy asked.
Lyra grinned, sensing victory. "The longer, the better! For example, if you choose 50 installments, you only have to pay 2 mana per day. It sounds like a lot of interest at first, but eating a few more breadfruits can easily make up for those two mana. In other words, it's almost like paying no interest at all!"
She leaned in, her voice enthusiastic. "Plus, this way, you won't disrupt your magic studies. There are only two spots left in this 50-installment offer, so you're lucky! If you wait, you'll be in line for the next round, which could take a while."
In truth, the energy in the purple gem of her {Book of Cards} was only enough to create two more cards today. Lyra didn't want to dip into her own magic reserves; every bit of mana spent today meant one less she'd have tomorrow, and she couldn't bear the thought of that loss.
Hearing Lyra's pitch, Amy and Alba quickly made up their minds. "We'll go with the 50-installment plan!"
"Great choice!" Lyra said, her eyes lighting up. Using the Golden Pen Technique, she quickly wrote up two contracts and handed them over, her attitude as cheerful as ever.
The energy stored in the purple gem of the Book of Cards drained by 20 mana, condensing into two {Character Cards - Apprentice} for Amy and Alba.
Meanwhile, Lyra's magic power increased by 4 mana, and for the next 49 days, she'd receive 2 mana daily from Amy and Alba as part of their installment plan.
Since both witches were already at the apprentice level, they could bind to the cards immediately. The moment they did, they saw their magic values displayed with crystal clarity. They both felt it was worth the cost.
"At least I don't have to guess how much dimmer or brighter my energy aura is anymore," Amy said, relieved.
"If you have any questions about the cards, just come find me," Lyra said with a wave. "But I've got to go. More witches to catch!" And with that, she darted off, chasing after the others in the group.
Lyra had no time to waste. She approached every little witch she met along the way, her sales pitch evolving as the supply of mana from the purple gem ran out.
"Are you worried about high interest on installment plans? Let me tell you; five installments is the sweet spot!" she would say, expertly adjusting her pitch. "I don't recommend going beyond that. Why? Because I have to use my own mana to make these cards! The more cards I make, the less mana I can recover by the next day. It's a huge loss for me!"
She continued, "If you want one today, I'm running low on mana, and others have already bought theirs. If you wait, I'll need a few days to recover, or you'll miss out!"
The little witches, who had barely even seen a market, felt the pressure. 'Wait? Others already bought?' The urgency was real.
"It's just a one-time mana payment, and you can recover that by munching on some breadfruit! And the card lasts all the way to the peak level!"
"Buy it! We need to buy it now!" they muttered, swept up in Lyra's enthusiasm.
Starting from the back of the group, Lyra made her way forward, selling her {Character Cards} to every little witch she passed. Most chose the five-installment plan, paying 11 mana per installment.
For each card, Lyra spent only 10 mana to create, so not only did she make back her initial investment immediately, but she also earned an extra mana that same day, with another 11 mana coming in for the next four days.
By the time all the first-year witches had bought cards, Lyra's magic reserves had jumped from 184 to 206.
Behind her, the little witches were left gnashing their teeth and chewing breadfruit while studying their cards, watching their magic power reserves grow.
There was even a small trend starting, witches munching breadfruit while checking their magic progress on the cards. It turned eating into an exciting event, as they could now 'see' the magic growing inside them.
Half an hour before class began, the third-year witches arrived on their broomsticks, landing in the square outside the castle. Spotting an opportunity, Lyra wasted no time.
With a bright smile and a bounce in her step, she approached the third-years. The names of the older witches, which she had memorized on her first day, were now coming in handy.
"Senior Grace! Good morning! Would you like a card that can show your exact magic value?"
"Senior Nellie! Of course, I remember your name! You're amazing at fire magic! How about you take a look at the card I made from my talent manifestation? All the first-year witches love it!"
"Senior Gulila! Last time, you mentioned not knowing how long it would take to break through the apprentice level. This card can show you exactly how much magic you have left to go! Want to give it a try?"
Lyra's enthusiasm was infectious, and she wasn't about to stop until every witch on campus had one of her cards.