Chapter 60

The internal affairs of the Allied Nations will be thoroughly revealed in the next few episodes.

The school administration informed Hikaru that it would take five days to complete the paperwork for enrollment. They placed the enrollment guide on the counter and explained from a distance of about three meters, as if they were quite afraid.

(Is this how they treat students who pay valuable tuition?)

Hikaru thought this, but he was actually exempt from tuition.

With some free time, there were still things to do.

Finding a place to live.

There were no dormitories, so he needed to rent a room in Scholarzard.

"Wow, this is lovely!"

Hikaru had asked a real estate agent to show him some rooms. The one Ravia liked was on the third floor of a three-story building. Although the building wasn't very large, the third floor was entirely one room with a spacious rooftop balcony. The layout was 2LDK, with a particularly large LDK. The back of the apartment had a well and a washing area, hidden from the main street. Hikaru thought of the streets of Paris, though he had never been there and probably never would.

"It gets plenty of light and is just a few minutes' walk from the Academic Institute. It's a wonderful property, isn't it?"

The real estate agent, with a beaming face, rubbed his hands together.

"How much?"

"Well, such a property is in high demand... The annual contract is 800,000 Gilan."

Hikaru didn't think they were trying to overcharge him.

It was prime real estate for students, with good interior design and the top floor.

The real estate agent seemed to have noticed the quality of Hikaru and Ravia's clothing and assumed they were from wealthy families, which might explain the higher price setting.

However, if this was a way to gain their trust, it could be seen as a positive aspect.

"Hmm..."

Hikaru checked the dust in the window frames and wall crevices.

It was well-maintained. The property was indeed popular, as the real estate agent said. The previous tenant must have just moved out.

The furniture was already in place. Most of it was built-in, but the previous tenant had left the table and sofa behind.

The bed needed a new mattress, but they only needed to buy bedding. They could start living there today.

"Can you do 400,000 Gilan for six months?"

"Hehe. Sir... It will be mid-winter in six months. We won't find new tenants. Please consider a one-year contract."

"Then 600,000 Gilan until spring, with a re-contract after that."

"700,000 Gilan..."

"Are you kidding? There are tenants even in this season? 620,000 Gilan."

"Hmm. How about 680,000 Gilan?"

"640,000 Gilan."

"650,000 Gilan."

"Alright, that's fine."

Hikaru signed the contract, which looked like a small check. When he touched it with his guild card, it glowed faintly blue. Apparently, he could withdraw money from the Adventurer's Guild with this contract. It was well-designed.

From the rooftop balcony, the southeast gate of the academy was clearly visible.

Ravia came to stand next to Hikaru.

"Hikaru... Is this okay? It seems like a rather expensive purchase..."

"We have enough funds. But if you're worried about money, why don't we work a bit? There should be an Adventurer's Guild in this town."

"! I'll go, I'll go!"

Despite seeing so many undead monsters in the underground dungeon, Ravia's curiosity about "adventuring" hadn't waned.

Hikaru and Ravia headed to the Adventurer's Guild together.

"Wow... The atmosphere is different."

The building had an unusual design.

It wasn't square but round, cylindrical, with a circular counter in the center.

Along the walls were request boards, and scattered around were round tables and stools where adventurers could discuss their plans.

When Hikaru and Ravia entered, a few adventurers looked their way. Some whistled at Ravia, but none approached her aggressively.

Perhaps it was because the adventurers were generally older, mostly in their late 20s to 30s, and there were more female adventurers than in other towns.

Or perhaps,

(It's about race?)

The adventurers seemed to group themselves by race. Those with blue skin only associated with others of the same race.

"There aren't that many requests."

"Well, it is a provincial city."

Hikaru looked at the Rank E request board.

Requests to slay unknown monsters, escort to unknown cities.

Many were from the academy, collecting materials for lectures and research. The academy studied not only martial arts but also magic and other academic fields.

"Hmm... This one."

【Plant Hunter】

【Dragon Kidney Flower Leaves】... Collect as many young leaves as possible.

【Reward】 Basic reward 500,000 Gilan. Additional 100,000 Gilan for good condition.

【Client】 National Academic Institute

This was likely related to the case Mikhail mentioned, involving the dean. The client was the academy.

"Hey, you there. You have a pretty face. Why don't you join my party?"

Turning around, Hikaru saw three men in school uniforms approaching Ravia.

Blond, red, and green hair.

Their clothes under the uniforms were well-tailored, suggesting they were from wealthy families.

They were older than Hikaru, probably around 18 or 20.

"..."

Ravia hid behind Hikaru.

"Hey. I'm talking to you. Come here. I said I'll let you join my party."

"..."

"Say something!"

The blond man, who was glaring at Ravia with disdain, raised his voice.

The red and green-haired men just sighed. The blond seemed prone to losing control.

"Let's take on a few requests."

"If that's what Hikaru wants."

"Ravia wants to level up, right?"

"Maybe... Are you taking on requests for my sake?"

"Yes."

"I'll do it!"

Ravia smiled brightly.

"Wait!? Why are you ignoring me!!"

The blond man stomped over.

"I am Roye of the Yellow Tiger clan and a student at the academy!"

"Which request should we take?"

"Killing monsters takes time, so maybe the Plant Hunter?"

"Y-You're ignoring me!!"

The blond man tried to grab Ravia's shoulder and turn her around.

Just before his fingers touched her, Hikaru grabbed his wrist.

"Hey... What are you doing, touching Ravia without permission?"

"Hah. Finally, you're looking at me. Grabbing the arm of a Yellow Tiger clan member, you must be stupid. Now, get lost—"

The blond man tried to pull his arm free but was held back by a strong grip.

"Wh-What?"

"Stop acting tough when you're so weak."

"Are you calling me weak!?"

Hikaru had a "Strength" of 1.

Glancing at the blond man's Soul Board, he saw:

【Soul Board】Roye = Yellow Tiger = Romani

Age 19, Rank 2

19

【Magic Power】

【Magic Power】1

(He's a pushover. And why does a "Yellow Tiger" have Magic Power instead of Strength...?)

"This is ridiculous! How can a kid like you hold me down!?"

"It's because I'm stronger."

"I am of the fierce Yellow Tiger clan!"

"You didn't inherit the ferocity."

When Hikaru took a step forward, Roye stumbled backward. The red and green-haired men caught him.

"Y-You're calling me a 'failure'... Is that what you want to say!!"

The blond man's face turned from red to dark red, as if a switch had been flipped.

"Hey, Roye, stop it."

"This is a guild. Calm down."

The red and green-haired men tried to stop him.

Other adventurers also noticed the commotion and started looking their way.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!! Being mocked and backing down is a disgrace to the Yellow Tiger—"

But Roye couldn't finish his sentence.

Without warning, Hikaru, who was behind him, lightly tapped the back of his head with a closed fist, and he collapsed on the spot.

"E... E?"

The red-haired man looked confused, but Hikaru didn't bother to explain.

"Hey, red hair. Move this guy out of the way. —Let's take this request."

Hikaru picked up the request memo with a nonchalant expression.