Doroin had already seen Leilin's Merit Card before and knew it only held just over five hundred and sixty merit points.
Even if Leilin spent every last one, it would still fall within his spending limit, so naturally he could afford to be generous.
"Understood, sir!"
The clerk at the window clearly recognized Doroin. After taking a blood-red crystal card that Doroin handed over, he smiled and said to Leilin: "My lord! Since Lord Doroin has used his authority, all items on the display will be available to you at a ten percent discount…"
"Good!"
Leilin nodded. "I'll take three doses of the Phantom Void Flower first!"
This flower was a required ingredient for brewing many ancient potions. Leilin had once thought it had gone extinct on the South Coast, so finding it here was a pleasant surprise indeed.
"Mm! Fifty merit points per dose!"
The clerk took Leilin's Merit Card and swiped it through what looked like a card reader.
Ding! The medal emitted a crisp chime.
The number on the screen behind the counter immediately changed, dropping from 563 to 428.
Once the transfer was confirmed, the clerk quickly handed over three crystal cases the size of a fist. Inside the translucent crystal, a small white flower with an almost ethereal appearance was clearly visible.
The flower was exquisitely beautiful. Through the semi-transparent petals and stem, one could faintly make out the delicate veins within, while several pale yellow stamens peeked out softly from the bright golden center.
Framed by the crystal seal, the entire flower looked even more ethereal and dreamlike.
"The Phantom Void Flower…"
Leilin accepted the three crystal cases, murmuring softly.
"This rare botanical material dissipates quickly when exposed to air, so we use a Crystal Solidification Sigil for preservation. The unsealing procedure is…"
The clerk then walked Leilin through the important steps.
Leilin nodded, committing everything to memory, before carefully storing the materials away. He then pointed to a line on the screen and said:
"I've long admired Master Taiwen's potion notes. I'll take those…"
Doroin followed Leilin's finger to a line of small text on the exchange display: "Master Taiwen's Potion Notes — Condition: Partially damaged, sole surviving copy — Exchange Price: 100 merit points…"
His expression stiffened. It looked like this Leilin intended to spend every last merit point in one go.
But he had already resigned himself to taking the financial hit. Considering he hadn't used much of his own monthly allowance, even if Leilin spent it all this time, he could still cover it. At worst, he'd just have a tight month. So he said nothing in objection.
After spending another 90 merit points and receiving a black-covered notebook with a somewhat worn exterior from the window, the smile on Leilin's face grew even wider.
"Also, give me that ancient potion recipe, and this one…"
Leilin shamelessly pointed out a whole array of rare materials and advanced academic knowledge. Some of these were things he had sought everywhere without success, and others were advanced knowledge from other White Wizard Academies that couldn't be bought at any price — yet now they had all appeared on the merit exchange list.
A few minutes later, the number on Leilin's Merit Card plummeted rapidly, dropping all the way to zero.
Such extravagant spending was something even the clerk, who had worked here for a long time, rarely witnessed.
Doroin's heart ached terribly. This Leilin had practically drained his entire monthly allowance. But for now, he let out a breath of relief and said with a laugh: "Ha ha… Leilin, with spending like that, you've probably set a new record here…"
But then his expression froze.
Leilin flashed a brilliant smile and produced an identification badge from inside his robe, handing it to the clerk through the window.
"I noticed the regulation says that anyone short on merit points can convert Four Seasons Garden contribution points at a ratio of two to one. That's correct, isn't it?"
In that instant, Doroin felt that Leilin's smile looked like a demon's grin, and he himself seemed to have fallen into a bottomless abyss…
A short while later, Leilin emerged from the exchange center with a satisfied smile, while Doroin left with a cold face and hurried away.
Leilin's spending at the exchange center had far exceeded Doroin's monthly limit. That remaining ten percent shortfall would have to come out of his own pocket! No wonder Doroin's expression looked so grim!
But in the end, he seemed to be restrained by some concern and didn't turn hostile outright.
"Another poor soul bound by rules," Leilin murmured, watching Doroin's retreating figure, a flash of light glinting in his eyes.
Official Wizards had extremely long lifespans, so in many cases they would compromise with peers of equal strength, all for the sake of peaceful coexistence in the future.
Doroin and Leilin belonged to the same organization, so they would inevitably see each other every day.
And Doroin had wronged Leilin first, so even though Leilin's actions this time were somewhat excessive, Doroin endured it.
But with this, Doroin had gone from being the one who wronged Lein to being the victim. If any conflict arose between them in the future, public opinion would tilt just a little more in his favor.