“Mm, that’s right. It’s me.”
Lomiu added with a smile:
“But although you could say I was her disciple, we only spent about a month together, so there’s definitely some exaggeration to it.”
“Senior, you don’t seem like the type to be swayed by empty titles. How come you’re interested in this kind of gossip?”
“I wonder which classmate you heard this little rumor from.”
“My, what a frank answer.”
Sylvia’s tone carried a hint of surprise at Lomiu’s straightforward and open attitude:
“It’s just that someone who barely counts as a friend happened to see it and gossiped with me about it for a bit.”
…Beatrice is still trying to make her presence known!
Lomiu knew all too well.
Other seniors might want to drain the junior’s body, but this one was only interested in their wallets.
Credit points.
Sylvia was a merchant.
There wasn’t a hint of curiosity about freshmen in those vertical pupils—only calculation and appraisal.
She’d set her sights on the top team, naturally targeting their vast credit point reserves.
“Trying to do business with me, squeeze credits out of me? Seriously?”
Lomiu couldn’t even guess what tricks she was planning to use.
“But this hair color really does resemble an ATM…”
A credit-point-loaded ATM!
As long as you picked the right moment—when she’s about to graduate, or at a key point in some plan—and brought out the evidence you held…
Lomiu didn’t even dare to imagine how many people would want that proof!
Right now, the key was still to set the right tone for this conversation…
“A friend of the Dragonborn, huh. That really is unusual.”
Cavnir interrupted forcefully:
“If I had a Dragonborn among my friends, there’s only one question I’d ask her.”
“Why do you still have the face to live?”
“Your ancestors sold their bodies to fuse with dragon blood, then sealed pacts with that bloodline—and somehow, that past got packaged into a noble family.”
“So-called duchies, honestly, are far too free.”
“Oh, but I’m actually rather satisfied with this bloodline.”
Sylvia turned to face Cavnir, unruffled by his words:
“At the very least, it’s not like the cannibalistic Russell Empire throne. Ever since the guardian dragon left, every queen has died before the age of forty.”
“If I’m not mistaken, isn’t the current queen due to be replaced within three years as well?”
“If that’s the reason for your harsh words, Cavnir, your honesty really does make this senior’s heart ache.”
“Eh, you’re mistaken there.”
Lomiu spoke up, joining the fray and steering the topic:
“The current Empress of Russell is the one who reclaimed the northern lands from the fiendish forces, maintaining peace for more than a decade—a remarkable figure.”
“If, as citizens of Russell, we feel no gratitude for such a queen, nor any sentiment upon seeing the Dragonborn, wouldn’t that be the strange thing?”
“And besides… who says the Russell queens can only live long if the guardian dragon is there?”
“Oh?”
Sylvia’s inhuman vertical pupils suddenly contracted into two straight, narrow lines.
“Lomiu, you’re quite familiar with Russell’s affairs?”
“I wouldn’t say familiar, just that I know a bit.”
Lomiu shook his head with a smile:
“During the days I spent with Genoa-sensei, she was always telling me little secrets. It’s hard not to remember them.”
“If you’re interested, Senior, perhaps we could find a time to discuss, and learn from each other.”
Lomiu tried to create a reasonable opportunity for a private conversation.
“Intelligence from the Sage… that does make sense.”
“If there’s a chance, I’d really like to hear some of your past stories, Lomiu. Would you mind if I trouble you for a bit after class?”
“It would be my honor.” Lomiu agreed succinctly.
Good, that settles that, doesn’t it?
As she spoke, Sylvia’s gaze drifted between Lomiu and Cavnir twice, as if confirming something. Then she looked toward the rest of the class:
“Is there anyone else who’d like to ask a question, or has anything to say to their senior?”
“Um… Senior, there really is something that’s been troubling me lately!”
Afraid Sylvia would overlook her, Kaixia hastily raised her hand:
“How can I earn more credit points?”
“My, already concerned about credits? What a good child.”
Sylvia glanced at the brand new hand crossbow behind her, giving a meaningful smile:
“Credits are the only hard currency in this Academy.”
Sylvia’s voice was clear and pleasant, carrying that persuasive, guiding tone unique to merchants introducing their wares.
“You can use them throughout the Academy’s facilities to exchange for whatever you need, from alchemical materials, magic scrolls, to brand new weaponry and gear, even private lessons from upper-year seniors—everything you could want.”
She paused, her vertical pupils sweeping over Kaixia’s shiny new crossbow, her smile deepening:
“Of course, credits can also be freely traded among students, as long as both parties come to an agreement.”
At these words, the two girls behind Kaixia stiffened instinctively, glancing at the calm and composed Lomiu.
“Besides that, credits are also a mark of honor.”
Sylvia continued her explanation.
Her bearing was elegant; rather than explaining, it was as if she were painting a beautiful vision.
“When the total credits of the four members of a team reach a certain amount, the Academy bestows the title of ‘Elite Squad’.”
“If you go further and become the team with the highest credits in your year, you’re given the title ‘Chief’.”
“Each of these titles grants varying degrees of discounts and privileges when shopping or using facilities within the Academy.”
“For those who wish to make a mark here, this is undoubtedly an honor worth striving for.”
Sylvia’s words were full of temptation, leaving several freshmen in the classroom a little breathless.
Kaixia’s eyes lit up, eager as she pressed further:
“Now that the exams have just finished, how can we get more credits?”
“Good question.” Sylvia rewarded her urgency with an approving smile, then, with a change of tone, delivered the most basic and the harshest truth.
“To earn credits, the most standard, and also the most reliable way, is to achieve outstanding results in every subject’s assessment.”
“Each time…”
She deliberately slowed her speech, as if savoring the suspense.
“You can earn five points.”
Five points?
The classroom instantly fell silent.
The excitement and anticipation on Kaixia’s face popped like a bubble—gone in a flash.
She blinked, as if she must have misheard.
“Wait, fi… five points?”
She instinctively held up one hand, gesturing, her voice trembling.
Not per lesson, but per course!
After all that hard work, passing the assessment, and you only get five points?
Then the huge debt she owed Lomiu… thirty credits, interest included—wouldn’t that mean she’d have to go a whole semester without food or drink, and ace every subject just to barely pay it back?
But she’d just… just bought a new crossbow!
Kaixia’s mind went blank with a “buzz”.
Stiffly, she turned to look at her two teammates.
Those two, also minor nobles hoping to change their fate with alchemy, looked no better than she did.
Their expressions, from anticipation to stunned shock, then to utter dejection, shifted in just a few seconds.
“I—I’m not paying it back for you! I already tried to talk you out of it yesterday!”
The short-haired girl behind Kaixia glared at her, exasperated.
“Huh??”
“Pfft.”
As Kaixia’s expression changed, on the verge of tears, her smile didn’t disappear—but moved to Lomiu’s face instead.
He swiftly lifted his textbook to cover his face, shoulders trembling as he tried to hold back laughter.
“I’m a philanthropist. I’m doing good deeds.”
“Letting them experience the cruelty of society and the weight of money early on—that’s a truly precious lesson, isn’t it?”