NOVEL NEXT Chapter 152: Moving Forward
The Guild Apartments were in the mid-ring of Lumeria, close enough to the Guild building to walk but far enough from the upper district's cold perfection to feel breathable. The building itself was elegant without being ostentatious—clean white stone, large windows, balconies with iron railings and flowering plants.
Marron stood in front of it with her cart, Mokko, Lucy, and all her possessions packed into bags and boxes. The copper pot sat wrapped carefully in cloth, nestled among her other cookware like it had always belonged there.
"Studio apartment, number 3-C," she said, reading the paper Hestia had given her. "Third floor."
"Sounds perfect," Mokko said, adjusting his grip on the boxes he was carrying.
Lucy burbled encouragingly from her jar.
The building's entrance had a directory and a doorman—a tired-looking human man who perked up when he saw Marron's Guild pin.
"New resident?" he asked.
"Yes. Marron Louvel, studio 3-C."
He checked his ledger, nodded, and opened the door with a flourish. "Welcome to the Guild Apartments, Chef Louvel. If you need anything, I'm Henrik—different Henrik from the poultry instructor, we get that confusion a lot. Building facilities are on the second floor: practice kitchen, library, common lounge. Your apartment key is with the building manager, Mrs. Chen, third floor."
"Thank you."
The interior was just as nice as the exterior—polished floors, good lighting, the faint scent of herbs and bread from the practice kitchen. Other residents passed in the hallway, most wearing chef's whites or Guild pins. A few nodded politely at Marron.
This is really happening, she thought. I'm not just visiting Lumeria. I live here now.
Studio 3-C
Mrs. Chen was a stern-looking elderly woman with sharp eyes and an efficient manner. She handed Marron a key and a small welcome packet without preamble.
"Rent is due on the first of each month. No loud cooking after 10 PM—people need sleep. Practice kitchen is first-come, first-served. Any questions?"
"No, thank you."
"Good. Welcome to the building." Mrs. Chen's expression softened slightly. "You're a new certification, yes? Congratulations. We get a lot of new chefs here. Most of them move on within a year or two—get restaurant positions, open their own places, go traveling. But while you're here, we're family. You need anything, you ask."
"I will. Thank you."
Mrs. Chen nodded and disappeared down the hallway, keys jangling.
Marron unlocked her door and stepped inside.
The studio apartment was small but perfect. One main room with a kitchen area along one wall—proper stove, good counter space, decent storage. A large window overlooking the street, letting in warm afternoon light. A sleeping area with a comfortable-looking bed. A small bathroom through a door in the corner.
And most importantly: enough space for her cart, which she wheeled inside and positioned near the kitchen area where it belonged.
"This is nice," Mokko said, setting down his boxes. "Really nice."
Lucy bubbled agreement, already exploring from her jar.
Marron walked to the window and looked out over Lumeria. She could see the street market in the distance, the crystal towers of the upper district, the Guild building just a few blocks away.
I have an apartment. A real apartment. Not an inn room, not a temporary rental. A place to actually live.
It felt strange and wonderful and terrifying.
"Let's unpack," she said, turning back to the room. "And then I need to sell some food."
The Street Market - Evening
Marron set up a small pop-up stall in the street market with Millie's help. The rabbitkin had been delighted to hear about the copper pot revelation and insisted on helping Marron sell her test dishes.
"You made all this in a week?" Millie asked, eyeing the spread: French onion soup in small jars, portions of braised short ribs, containers of sticky mango pudding, jars of Moodfruit preserves, and carefully packaged marshmallows.
"Testing," Marron explained. "I needed to know if the pot was special. Turns out it is—just quietly special."
"The best kind." Millie helped arrange the display. "What are you charging?"
Marron had done the math. She'd spent 126 gold on ingredients. If she kept half the food for herself (the risotto, some stock, one batch of preserves, some marshmallows) and sold the rest, she needed to make at least 65 gold to break even.
But the street market didn't support high prices. These were working people, not upper district clientele.
"French onion soup: 8 gold per jar. Braised short ribs: 12 gold per portion. Mango pudding: 5 gold. Preserves: 10 gold per jar. Marshmallows: 6 gold per bag."
Millie nodded approvingly. "Fair prices. Good quality. You'll sell out."
+
She was right.
Within two hours, Marron had sold:
4 jars of French onion soup (32 gold) 3 portions of short ribs (36 gold) 6 mango puddings (30 gold) 2 jars of preserves (20 gold) 5 bags of marshmallows (30 gold)
Total: 148 gold
Marron stared at her coin purse, feeling the weight of it. She'd not only broken even—she'd made a profit. A significant one.
"The marshmallows were popular," Millie observed. "People were surprised you made them from scratch."
"They're simple," Marron said. "Just sugar, gelatin, vanilla. But—"
"But simple doesn't mean easy," Millie finished, grinning. "Maestra Vivienne would be proud. You're learning."
"I'm trying." Marron packed up her remaining items. "Thank you for helping. I couldn't have done this alone."
"You could have. But it's better with friends." Millie's ears twitched. "Are you coming back to the market? Or are you one of those fancy Guild apartment chefs now who forgets about the street vendors?"
"Never," Marron said firmly. "This market taught me what beauty really means. I'm not forgetting that."
"Good." Millie squeezed her shoulder. "Then I'll see you around, Chef Louvel."
Back at the Apartment - Late Evening
Marron sat at her small kitchen table, counting out her earnings. She'd started the week with 974 gold, spent 126 on ingredients, and just made 148 from sales.
New total: 996 gold
Better than she'd had in weeks. And she still had food left over—enough to eat well for several days, plus gifts for friends, plus samples to share if opportunities arose.
She updated her notebook:
Week 1 in Guild Apartments: - Rent: 50 gold/week (200 gold/month) - Food sales: +148 gold profit - Net: +98 gold - Current funds: 996 gold
The copper pot is confirmed as a Legendary Tool. It works through patience and reliable temperature control—slow to heat, but steady once it reaches working temperature. Perfect for delicate work, long braises, sugar work, anything that requires consistency.
Next steps:
1. Return to Simone and tell her about the pot
2. Continue specialization classes
3. Look for clues about other Legendary Tools
4. Figure out what having two tools means
She was about to close the notebook when there was a knock at her door.
Marron opened it to find the building doorman, Henrik, holding an envelope.
"Mail for you, Chef Louvel. Came by special courier—must be important."
"Thank you." She took the envelope, noting the seal: the Wolfkin Kingdom crest, pressed in silver wax.
Her heart jumped.
Alexander had written back.
She closed the door, sat back down, and carefully broke the seal.