Chapter 49: The Pheromone Clue, A Win-Win Rhythm

“By the way, Senior, instead of accusing others of scheming, shouldn’t you be more worried about yourself?”

As Lok Miu spoke, he quietly placed his hand on the table. With a thought, he summoned the glass vial of pheromone that had been lying in his system warehouse for quite some time.

“Alchemical materials aren’t something you can just trade at will. You have to follow the rules of the Duchy and the Academy, don’t you?”

The broken glass bottle was exquisitely made, the pale yellow liquid inside emitting an indescribable odor, causing those around to cover their noses.

“This smell… Sub-Beast Pheromone! Who would smash something so dangerous?”

Upon seeing that bottle, Sylvia’s gaze sharpened instantly.

Beatrice…

So the person she wanted was Lok Miu!

“No matter how sinful this face of mine may be, it’s not so bad that someone would use this kind of thing, putting my whole squad in danger, right?”

Sensing the other’s emotion, Lok Miu crossed his hands, his expression cold:

“So, Senior, do you still think our contract was just a result of impulse?”

“If I report this to the Academy, there’s nothing you can do about it… Or is that what you think, Junior?”

Sylvia smiled, acting as if she no longer cared about the pheromone bottle that was illicitly traded:

“A glass bottle picked up at random can be called evidence?”

Idiot!

Sylvia did panic for a moment.

She’d considered many possibilities—why Beatrice would, before the class placement exam, disregard family ties and throw money at her just for a bottle of pheromone.

She’d thought it was a signal from the family behind her, that the two heirs were going to share forbidden secrets and gradually improve relations…

But it turned out she’d only wanted to force a man—and his whole squad!

And now she was dragged down herself because of it!

Pig!?

But Lok Miu… Was he Kafnir’s strategist, or someone else entirely?

None of this seemed like something a border noble’s son could pull off!

“Oh, how could it be.” Lok Miu smiled. “This wasn’t picked up at random.”

“Annie, tell her how you found this thing and how much you suffered for it.”

“Yes.”

Annie revealed herself:

“It all started with the class placement exam…”

She gave a concise account of how she and Kafnir encountered a beast tide during the exam, and how Beatrice, before the finish line, made those improper, coercive proposals to Lok Miu.

Everyone finally understood.

It was just a low-level courtship play, but it implicated the whole squad, with no regard for the risk to others’ enrollment or nobility!

“To try to destroy a squad just to get a man… What trash!”

“This is so degrading. If you actually joined that squad, what’s the difference from being a slave?”

Almost all the girls present were noble daughters, with at least some upbringing. Hearing the truth, they all condemned Beatrice’s shamelessness.

At the same time, their suspicious eyes fell on Sylvia.

“A first-year would never get their hands on this stuff unless an upperclassman sold it to them!”

“But we can’t rule out the possibility that the maid is lying…”

No words were needed; the seed of suspicion had already been sown.

“Everyone, if you doubt what I just said, I have one more piece of physical evidence.”

As she spoke, Annie rolled up her sleeve.

On her forearm, an as-yet-unhealed, narrow, torn scab left by a beast’s claw was revealed to all.

“So serious!”

“That claw mark really is from a beast in the exam arena…”

“For an assassin like her to get hurt by a beast… It could only be from the beast tide!”

“And that wound is days old. No way it was faked just now…”

Witness, physical evidence, logic!

In contrast, Sylvia’s defense was so feeble!

Even without the Academy’s involvement, the evidence was irrefutable!

“Boring.”

Suppressing the growing itch and sensation at her neck, Sylvia stood up.

Winning is all that matters.

One to nine…

Everything of his will belong to me…

So many dirty tricks—Sylvia had never expected this.

She even felt for a moment that her coming to the dessert shop was part of Lok Miu’s plan!

“Your preparations are thorough enough, but so what?”

Sylvia no longer planned to hold back anything.

Even if the Valentin name was temporarily shamed, as long as she controlled Lok Miu—

She’d use the power of the contract to force him to admit everything was just a ploy, and everything would be resolved.

Victory was the only thing she didn’t doubt.

“Finally getting serious? Isn’t it a little too late?”

Lok Miu was utterly unruffled.

No matter how much this dragon girl could make money, she still needed to invest capital. Meanwhile, he had an entire warehouse of Silver Bell Marrow for free!

“Too late? Are you joking?”

As she spoke, Sylvia’s scales had already crawled up her neck, glowing with a faint blue light, even more eye-catching than a jeweled necklace:

“When do you think the next Academy exam will be?”

“Once the notice is posted, and the news of the caravans being cut off gets out, how high do you think the price of materials will go?”

“No way to say, Senior.”

Lok Miu was a little surprised, but realizing she was an upperclassman, it made sense that she knew this.

Rather, the Academy’s next plan announcement was the real reason she wanted to sign the contract—

She really wanted to control the market and use this incident to dominate.

“Your resources are impressive, but if all that stock ends up in your hands… things could get really bad, don’t you think?”

“And doing this makes it really hard for all the students who want to improve their strength lately.”

“I’ll choose the timing myself.”

To Sylvia’s ears, these words sounded like a loser’s plea:

“And you, my dear junior, will end up with nothing.”

“Suit yourself.” Lok Miu said no more. “Let’s just follow the contract. No need to worry about me reneging.”

“Senior, you’re awfully conspicuous right now. Still not heading back? Need me to escort you?”

“Heh, no need.”

Sylvia shot a look over her shoulder and left the dessert shop. Her steps were steady, but there was an undeniable sense of embarrassment.

Is control really in my hands?

Watching her back, Lok Miu could hardly imagine what would happen to Sylvia’s stockpile the moment the Academy shop restocked!

Stage two stock meant a 20% loss, stage three meant a 50% loss, and buying from individuals meant several times the loss!

But as for him, since all his materials were at cost or free, he wouldn’t lose a single credit!

Fair?

It was more than fair—this was a true win-win.

He could fleece the market and win the contract. How is it not a win-win when one person wins twice?

“The SSR three-year credit stockpile… After expenses and debts, I’ll still net at least one hundred credits for myself!”

At least a hundred for himself, plus warehouse goods, plus a steady supply from the Phantom Sea secret chamber…

With these credits, Lok Miu couldn’t even imagine how high he could raise his talent tree!

His goal, of course, was the next Academy test, to seize the top seat and stand out!

Of course, before that…

He should take advantage of this rare opportunity to find some “premium clients” eager to improve themselves and offer them a “talent cultivation plan.”