Chapter Seventy-Four: Hard-Won Dwelling

Because it was very late, Andy wasn’t able to proceed with his enrollment procedures, so he and Catherine had to find a hotel in the outer district of Grim to rest for the night.

He was astonished to discover that an ordinary room cost ten gold coins. In this world, gold and silver coins weren’t mere tokens, even for wizards; the refined gold and silver extracted from them were essential materials for alchemy. Gold coins circulated among wizards, and one hundred gold coins could be exchanged for a single magic stone.

Stein had mentioned that a year’s tuition in Grim’s inner academy cost five magic stones, equivalent to five thousand gold coins—just enough to stay in this modest hotel for a month and a half or so.

The next day, when Andy went to pay his tuition with his notification letter, he was informed that the outer academy charged not five, but fifty-four magic stones per year. Since he was also holding Catherine’s letter and intended to register for her as well, the total for two people came to one hundred and eight magic stones for a year.

This was quite a blow to Andy. The magic stones he and Catherine had acquired from Viscount Colin, after expenditures on their journey and using the magic mirror, now amounted to less than a thousand. Handing over a tenth of their fortune at once—and for just one year’s tuition—was a heavy cost.

Nevertheless, their main goal was to settle in the outer academy and seek a chance to enter the inner one; the first year's tuition had to be paid. He considered paying only for himself, but remembering Catherine’s anxious expression when she collected her notification yesterday, he kept silent.

Once Andy paid the tuition, he received two student cards for the outer academy. He learned that many of the outer academy’s facilities were protected by defensive wizard arrays; only those carrying student cards could safely enter, and failing to carry the card would trigger an alert.

The student card looked much like the meal card Andy had in his previous life. Scanning it with his mental power, he sensed the following information:

Name: Andy Charles
Student ID: 120012006257
Race: Victorian
Status: First-year student at Grim Preparatory Academy
Club: None
Academy Contribution Value: 0

Andy immediately asked the staff about the academy contribution value and was told that access to important materials in the “Victorian Dream Library” or key courses required spending contribution points.

The usual way to earn contribution value was to take and complete tasks at the academy’s task hall. Other methods included inter-student transactions, which the academy did not prohibit.

The staff kindly reminded Andy that within the academy, contribution value was often far more precious than magic stones.

As for clubs, Andy assumed they were similar to those in his previous university and didn’t inquire further. He took his and Catherine’s student cards and started arranging their accommodation.

Grim’s outer academy dormitories were graded; the higher the grade, the higher the fee. The cheapest was a four-person room, which made Andy wonder how students managed their daily meditation. Next were apartment-style single rooms, then row villas, and finally detached villas.

Andy and Catherine had their share of secrets, so they preferred a detached villa.

In fact, most wizard apprentices were inclined to live alone, since the practice of wizardry was a secretive affair. Few were willing to expose their skills, trump cards, or power levels, except to the closest confidants.

Of course, whether they could afford the thirty magic stones annual rent was another matter.

Andy insisted on a detached villa despite hearing the annual fee, which made the staff beam with delight. She explained that villas were available for rent or purchase.

If rented, the villa would be reclaimed by the academy upon graduation, and during residency, students had to use the academy’s standard defensive wizard arrays, without modification or replacement. Damaging any fixtures meant compensation at market price. If purchased, none of these restrictions applied—even dismantling the villa for amusement would be permitted.

After discussing with the staff, Andy realized Grim’s outer academy was full of such pitfalls. He knew that if a wizard experiment caused significant damage, the compensation would surely exceed his expectations.

Andy preferred to buy the villa outright, though it cost him another three hundred magic stones. This way, the villa belonged entirely to him, and he could install his own defensive arrays, which was far more reassuring than relying on the academy’s.

Unfortunately, Andy knew almost nothing about wizard arrays, so this would require careful planning.

After he paid, the staff’s hospitality grew. She personally led him to select a villa to his liking, handed him a “Grim Preparatory Academy Student Handbook,” and reminded him he could consult her anytime.

She even winked at Andy as she said goodbye, which prompted Catherine to start drawing circles in the air.

Halfway through, Andy picked her up and soothed her, distracting her with their new home. As Catherine roamed around the villa, Andy flipped through the student handbook. Soon, he groaned aloud, “This is a bloody rip-off!”

The handbook stated that the outer academy’s program lasted three years; if a student failed to advance to the inner academy in that time, all apprentices and above would be issued a Grim Preparatory Academy diploma.

All courses in those three years were freely chosen, but courses were divided into free and paid. The free courses were mainly general subjects: national history, mathematics, continental geography, magical creatures, literature, and so forth.

As for wizardry, only the most basic “Introduction to Wizardry” was free. The vast majority of wizard-related courses were paid, and the higher the level, the steeper the fee. Courses covering knowledge Andy and Catherine most wanted—such as bronze wizard material—couldn’t be accessed with magic stones, but required contribution value.

Moreover, Andy noticed that courses related to bronze wizards and third-level wizardry were few in the outer academy, and not available year-round—only at specific times each year.

Andy calculated his remaining magic stones and reviewed the course details. He estimated that if he chose courses as he wished, they’d burn through their magic stones in half a year, not counting the magic mirror’s consumption.

Seeing Catherine so delighted with their new home, Andy didn’t mention this to her. But he was already planning ways to earn more. He regretted that, in the wizard-filled capital, he couldn’t make a fortune through murder and arson as in Dallas City.

While Andy lamented his inability to kill and rob, Cain was busy doing just that.

Thanks to Spick’s introduction, Cain discovered he’d been tricked by his neighbor’s second uncle, who had also pocketed a referral fee.

Such betrayal was intolerable. Cain was furious, and the petty merchant’s name turned bright red.

Cain wandered around the capital until he found the slums. It seemed even the most prosperous cities had their impoverished corners.

Cain was certain there were no monitoring arrays in this place, so he began his routine.

Gathering power!
Taking flight!
Come… come… come!
Boom!

In the huge crater Cain smashed, a disheveled, overweight middle-aged man had been reduced to a heap of mangled flesh.

Cain searched the area and found a small spatial pouch filled with hundreds of magic stones, which instantly improved his mood.

With a surge of earth element, the body was buried.

Looking at the rows of yellow names in his book, Cain thought that if he could summon a few more wealthy victims, he’d have enough funds for years in the capital.

But he closed the “Book of Gathering” without hesitation. His grandfather had taught him that the hardest thing for a possessor of power was not using it, but controlling it. Those who betrayed their conscience would never progress far in wizardry.

Though Cain despised those yellow-named fellows, none had yet reached the threshold where he’d kill them without remorse. Cain wouldn’t rob or murder simply for money.

He put away the book and quickly departed.

Five or six minutes later, several figures clad in black cloaks gathered where Cain had been.

“What happened? There was a surge of magical energy here just now!” one asked in a deep voice.

A stooped, short figure sniffed the air: “I smell a corpse, but it’s not a good specimen, just an ordinary man.”

This voice belonged to “Death Speaker” Yalvis. After arriving in the capital today, he contacted members of the Azure Phoenix Society. Tonight, they had convened in this lawless slum to discuss the city’s situation and upcoming missions.

Unexpectedly, halfway through their meeting, a surge of wizardry was detected. The Azure Phoenix Society, who prided themselves on secrecy, grew anxious, fearing exposure.

They hid by various means, only to realize that after the surge, nothing followed. So they came to investigate at the site of the disturbance.

Yalvis could read the memories of corpses, but his colleagues were unaware of this—otherwise, who would dare invite him to a funeral? Yalvis had no intention of revealing this ability. It was only an ordinary man who died; he couldn’t be bothered.

Another black-cloaked figure spoke: “Regardless, for safety’s sake, we should move quickly. Let’s head to gathering point two.” With that, he left at once.

The others scattered and vanished into the night.