“Big brother, do you even know what you’re saying?!”
Kaixiya slammed her hand on the table, and the chair scraped against the floor with a harsh screech.
“You want us to accept every single task on the mission board related to Silver Bell Marrow?!”
She stared at Luomiu, her face full of disbelief.
“Big brother, are you still half-asleep?!”
Kaixiya truly wanted to yell that question at him.
However, the thought that she still owed him a massive thirty-credit debt…
The momentum she’d just worked up visibly deflated, and she slunk back into her seat, swallowing her words.
“I really don’t want to get pummeled by a magical beast until I can’t stand, and then get forcibly sent back home!” Her voice dropped several decibels.
“Sigh, this is where you don’t understand.”
Luomiu shook his head, his tone light.
“I only want you to take the tasks. I never said you had to actually complete them all.”
“All you need to do is keep these tasks in hand for two weeks. Any breach penalties from letting the time run out, I’ll take responsibility for.”
The youth’s face was strikingly handsome, his temperament clean and pure—no one would ever guess that just last night, he’d emptied out a mentor’s entire warehouse.
“High-quality Silver Bell Marrow goes for two credits a dose on the open market, and a single second-tier card requires at least three or four doses…”
“The batch I’ve got in hand now, that’s worth at least two hundred credits as a baseline.”
“And it’ll go higher.”
Murmuring thus in his heart, Luomiu once again rehearsed the entirety of his plan in his mind.
To acquire alchemy materials, aside from buying and selling, there were only two options.
First, join the academy’s monster hunts, trading your life for materials and credits.
Second, use the teleportation array to requisition supplies from your family.
For first-year students, the former was no different from courting death.
As for the latter, the academy would levy a heavy tax, plus the outrageous teleportation fees—a guaranteed loss.
But… even a mosquito’s leg is still meat.
What’s more, there happened to be a young hunter involved in that so-called “Talent Development Program,” wracking her brains with her team over how to earn enough credits.
“Is… is this really going to work?”
The trio was clearly troubled.
No one had ever heard of such a ridiculous demand.
“Ten credits each for you three, half paid upfront.”
Seeing their hesitation, Luomiu said this, adjusted his brooch, and directly transferred fifteen credits to the three in front of him.
“Whoa, seriously?!”
Kaixiya reflexively reached for her new crossbow, eyes instantly lighting up with greed.
Just yesterday, she’d learned that an outstanding grade in a course only netted five credits as a reward. That pittance nearly had her selling her brand-new crossbow just to pay off her debts.
But now?
Ten credits!
A full ten! That was equivalent to two months of credit loans at once!
“Just holding onto the tasks… this is practically free money!”
“Yeah, the academy rules only say there’s a breach fee for expired tasks, but nowhere does it say you can’t accept them without doing them!”
“This isn’t even against the rules!”
Her other two teammates immediately caught on, their faces a mix of excitement and confusion, whispering animatedly in low voices.
Luomiu, sensing the time was right, casually interjected.
“What, you don’t want credits?”
His gaze swept over the three.
“I take it your grades are so good you’re confident you’ll ace every class?”
“Ugh!”
Kaixiya’s features contorted painfully as she let out a tragic wail.
“Please, stop! I’m begging you!”
Born a borderland noble, she’d never faced so many subjects in her life. Just keeping up with the coursework required burning the midnight oil.
After only two days of classes, she felt her brain had become a punching bag for fighters—pounded into mush.
Ace the classes? Maybe in her next life!
“Kaixiya, haven’t you ever wondered, even for just a moment…”
Luomiu lowered his voice, leading her thoughts:
“That brand-new crossbow displayed at the very top in the store, the brightest one—just what kind of performance does it have?”
“This…” Kaixiya’s breath hitched, her eyes flickering. “But it’s just too expensive.”
“That’s right, credits.”
“Only credits let you touch it, carry it on your back, and use it to pierce the toughest shells of magical beasts.”
Luomiu didn’t give her any more time to hesitate, pressing in step by step.
“Now, tell me.”
“If you don’t even dare take this tiny step, how will you ever achieve your dream of becoming a hunter?”
His voice suddenly turned cold.
“What’s the worst that could happen? You get expelled? Wasn’t that something destined for you from the start?”
“……”
In that moment, the three girls were rendered completely speechless.
Although Kaixiya had lost out on being “King” and missed her chance at the top squad, Luomiu had indeed given her an opportunity to stay at the academy.
As for the other two, they were even less—they were his captives, not even friends.
Such a haphazardly assembled squad, their fighting strength dubious and future uncertain.
“Yeah…”
One of the girls murmured.
“We’re already doing this badly. I guess… there really isn’t anything scarier left.”
“I want your answer before class ends. If you’re not interested, I’ll just find someone else.”
Luomiu left those words behind, turned, and walked off, completely uninterested in their discussion and not needing to hear their reply.
He knew—the fish had already bitten the hook.
*****
After Luomiu left, the oppressive mood broke.
“Kaixiya, this is an opportunity!”
The fair-haired, earnest-faced girl Fannie was the first to speak. “He said we just have to hold onto the tasks, but nothing’s stopping us from picking out the easy ones to actually do!”
“That way, we not only get the support credits he offered, but we can also pocket extra material and task rewards!”
The blonde, twin-tailed girl Lifu nodded vigorously. “Exactly! We can’t just sit around—we need to pay off our debts as soon as possible!”
“Fannie, Lifu…”
Kaixiya looked at her understanding teammates. The confusion in her eyes vanished, replaced by renewed determination.
“That’s right! And since I’ve got new gear, let’s go and accept all the tasks now. We’ll finish as many as we can!”
She clenched her fists tightly, her eyes glimmering with a peculiar light.
“Besides… maybe this is part of his so-called ‘Talent Development Program’ too!”
“The three of us, we can definitely build a good life through our own hard work!”
“……”
“……”
The girls named Fannie and Lifu exchanged silent glances, each seeing the same thought reflected in the other’s eyes.
Seriously, does this girl… actually think she’s part of some ‘Talent Development Program’?!
At the other end of the classroom, Ibuki Rei and “Kafunir” were quietly observing, listening to the entire exchange.
Ibuki Rei spoke first: “You heard it too—that’s His Excellency’s plan.”
Karenina nodded slightly. “Silver Bell Marrow, huh… It’s indeed an indispensable material for anything above Tier Two, and only produced at the Russell Border…”
“If I’m not mistaken, you came to me to delay the next shipment’s arrival.”
“Lady Kafunir, as sharp as ever. The only question is, can the power behind you pull it off?”
“If you want the entire trade caravan to disappear, that might be troublesome.”
Karenina didn’t hesitate for a moment.
“But if it’s just about making them return to the academy at the most opportune time, there’s no problem.”
“I’ll make sure that blue dragon girl pays the price her family deserves for what they’ve done.”
“Oh my, that’s… exactly what I was hoping for.”
A glint of excitement flashed in Ibuki Rei’s eyes.
The price of Silver Bell Marrow depended on how much stock was on the market—and even more so on when the next shipment arrived.
The longer the delay, the more impatient those eager to grow stronger would become. The price bubble would only inflate further and further.
And the moment that delayed trade caravan finally reached the academy would be the instant the bubble burst, and every latecomer who’d bought in at the peak would lose everything.
This kind of coordination…
This kind of handiwork…
No wonder he was the heir to a great noble house—and surrounded by such partners.
If… if she could seize this chance to drive his gains to a lopsided nine-to-one ratio…
His Excellency Luomiu would surely look on her with even more…
No, that’s not right.
Sensing that subtle surge of joy, Ibuki Rei’s mind seemed to flash back to those woods, back to the figure who’d pulled her from despair.
He’d given her a new life, the chance to “bloom.”
And now, she was the sharpest blade in his hand, executing his will.
“……”
Ibuki Rei slowly closed her eyes. When she opened them again, the confusion had vanished from her gaze.
So that’s it.
This wavering wasn’t a sign of a shaky heart.
It was simply that her old “path” was crumbling, and a new “path” was forming, with him at the center.
His Excellency Luomiu had simply pointed the way, then left it to her to choose how to wield the blade.
That trust, in itself, was a message.
The key wasn’t what he needed.
It was what she wanted to do for him.
In that case, there was only one answer.
Ibuki Rei’s fingertip gently traced her sword hilt as she silently mouthed the words in her heart.
“This path is called Repayment.”
“That’s right, that’s right.”