It was time for lunch. After his brief conversation with Mr. Krishman, Drew made his way over to the dining hall, a three-minute walk from the Low-Class Building, where Elias and Wan had reserved a table.
"Your late." Elias 'welcomed'.
"Sorry," Drew apologized. "Mr. Krishman wanted to talk with me so I got held up a bit."
"It seems like Mr. Krishman knew you already before..." Elias trailed as Drew knew what he was going to ask.
"Oh, he helped me after the incident six months ago. That's how I became acquainted with him."
"I see."
"Anyways, what's on the menu today?" Drew asked looking at Elias's and Wan's trays of food.
"It's pasta, apple slices, and bottled water," Wan replied as she swallowed piping hot meatball coated in tomato sauce.
"That looks really good!" Drew commented before heading over to the lunch line. "I'll be back in a couple of minutes then."
"Better hurry before they run out, food's good here," Elias said pointing over to the Low-Class lunch line with his fork.
Drew laughed.
"I know!" He hollered.
Scanning his Student ID, Drew watched the gate to the lunch line open, the holographic tape changing from red to blue. After doing all those odd jobs before the Academy started, Drew had enough credits to purchase all his meals at Star for the year. It was rather convenient as it meant that he didn't have to work as hard later to gather extra cash and that he could spend more time studying. Picking up a black plastic tray, Drew made his way down the lunch line, taking one of everything in the Low-Class lunch selection.
How nostalgic. He thought to himself as he places each item on his tray.
He had always been standing on the other side of that lunch line, watching as all the students pass him with their trays. The aromatic smell of each dish flowing into his nostrils as one tray after the other filled up with mountains of food. He had always seen the students on the other side acting carefree while he had to work every last hour of daylight to make ends meet. It was miserable but the people there treated him like family. Now, after all those weird coincidences and strange situations, he was finally standing amongst that very crowd watching as his former 'family', colleagues, work tirelessly to serve each one of them. Looking at the employees on the other side, they were too busy to notice his presence. Being a former employee there, Drew did not realize how much was going on behind the scenes all at once. Pots and pans hitting each other, cooks running through the swinging doors, food flying through the air, it was chaos.
Drew was finally at the cash register where the recognized a familiar face that was focused intently on the students in front of her. It was Rika. She seemed exhausted after dealing with the onslaught of students. She looked miserable. Her eyes were sagging, the dark circles under them growing puffier by the second. Her black bandanna falling loosely off her head revealing her oily, brittle, dark hair. Sweat trickled down the side of her forehead as she served the incoming students.
Finally, it was Drew's turn. Concentrating on only the items on his tray, Rika held out her hand limply.
"That'll be five Kalas." She said in a half-dead tone.
Drew scanned his Student ID, watching as his balance dropped five Kalas. As it scanned, Rika took a quick glance up from the cash register to stretch her neck when she met eye to eye with Drew. Her eyes widened yet she didn't say anything. Drew had done it. He had made it into Star. He didn't let them down. With no time to exchange words with him, she gave him a small smile, one that represented the whole soup kitchen. He had successfully made them 'proud'.
"Thank you." He replied tipping his hat as he took his tray over to his new 'family'.
Upon Drew's arrival to the table, Elias and Wan had finished half of their food and were joined by Rider, who had acquainted himself with Wan, and a short blonde-haired girl with green feathers lining her earlobes.
"Hey Drew, you're back," Elias called.
"Yeah, the line was pretty long," Drew replied awkwardly as he placed his tray down on the table.
"Sorry I took your seat," Rider chuckled, probing his elbow up on the rim of the table.
"So you're Drew Li." The blond-haired girl began, looking at Drew with a hint of curiosity. "You're an Avain."
"My hair color gives it away..." Drew muttered, "and you are..."
"Brix, Brix Lennington. I'm Wan's roommate." The blond-haired girl introduced holding out her hand which was a shade of green similar to her feathers.
Drew accepted her hand.
"Nice to meet you Brix. I've noticed the feathers on your ear. Are you, perhaps, a Harpy?"
"That's right." She confirmed with a toothy grin.
>>>
Harpies are a race similar to Avians except Harpies cannot fully transform into their bird counterparts, they can only transform their arms and legs, unlike Avains and thus, retain some of their bird-like features in humanoid form such as feathers or different skin color on their hands or feet compared to the rest of their body. Additionally, Harpies only have affinities for two Otrio Attributes: Wind and Light compared to Avains whose affinities vary depending on their descent. For instance, Snowhawks have a high affinity for Wind and Ice while Nightengales have a high affinity for Wind and Dark.
>>>
Wan coughed, gathering the group's attention.
"Now that everyone knows each other's names, let's play a little get to know each other game. "
The whole group automatically agreed to this idea and immediately spent their remaining time getting to know each other.
Drew had learned from this short interaction, Rider is the eldest out of six siblings and the first person in his family to attend a Military Academy while Brix didn't want to take over her family's dojo after Mandatory Military Service but instead pursue fashion despite knowing how competitive the industry is.
Listening to their stories made Drew realize how fortunate they were to even have a 'family'. A 'family' to look forward to seeing once they accomplished their goals or cheer them up when they didn't but who was going to be there for Drew? Who was going to be there for him once he accomplished his? Drew questioned that and felt envious.
Time passed and it was time for the last of Drew's General Education Courses which was Language Arts. Tick. Tock. The digital colon on the digital clock flashed as each second, minute passed. It was almost time. Just a minute left. Twenty seconds. Ten seconds. Nine. Drew shut off his supercomputer which he took notes with, the holographic screen and keyboard retracting. Eight. Drew tossed the supercomputer cube up into the air, high enough so it didn't fall in line with the teacher's field of view. Seven. Drew caught the supercomputer with one hand, proud of his successful catch. Six. Drew placed the supercomputer in a pouch lining the inner fabric of his backpack. Five. Shoved his textbooks, handed out from each class, into the main compartment of his backpack, each textbook the same weight as a brick. Four. The Language Arts teacher shuts his lecture folder with a resounding snap. Three. The rest of the Class jostles around in their seats to pack up their things before the bell rings. Two. A few students leave their seat, slinging their bags over their arms in a hurried manner. One. The rest of the class gets up from their seats and the teacher makes his way to the sliding door. Drew's eyes focused on the blinking colon, counting down till the last second. Zero. The bell chimed through the speaker next to the clock. It was time for Position Classes. All the students on the floor filtered out of the classrooms. The traffic was even worse than lunch.
Drew immediately left the classroom, the other students behind him shoving him out the door like a fighter jet ejecting its pilot. Suddenly, his communication device beeped. It was Elias.
Elias: I'll see you at the Dorm Dining Hall at six. Have fun with Position Classes.
Drew responded swiftly to the message. Typing quickly on his holographic keyboard.
Drew: Thanks. See you, then.
Drew closed the holographic screen and sighed. In truth, he wasn't heading to his Position Classes. He was heading to Yerburn where his 'teacher', Gerald, was. It pains him to white lie to Elias and the others but what choice did he have? If he did, it could cost him his life especially for the fact that he's only known them for half a year. He couldn't risk putting them in danger, who knows, these unknown enemies may be around him at this very second! Disguised as students or teachers. In this world, it wasn't rare for powerful figures to sneak their pawns into prominent industries. Thus, whatever is said in public, can never be hidden once spoken.
Speaking about 'once spoken'. Drew hadn't even interacted with the Princess once today even though she sits next to him. He tried talking to her in between classes or even during homeroom but she was silent. Did something happen that he's not aware of? Even so, she shouldn't be this silent. It was rather awkward. Weird. Whatever it was, Drew decided that he wouldn't pry on it for now. It was best to give her some space.
Drew left the Low-Class building and made his way over to the station. Luckily, the Scout Position Class Building was in the same direction as the exit. From there, he took a quick air train ride to Yerburn where Gerald was waiting patiently for his arrival at the now indefinitely closed 'Tavern'. Of course, Drew didn't forget to switch forms, stuffing his blazer in his backpack to make it harder for him to be identified as a student. The alleyways in Yerburn were lurking with all sorts of danger regardless of the time of day so one could never be too prepared. Pushing open the door, which was intentionally left open, Drew was welcomed by an empty bar with only Gerald polishing glasses to pass the time.
Hearing the door swing open and shut soundly, the little bell attached to the top of the bar door let out a subtle chime, alerting Gerald that Drew had arrived. Tenderly placing down the glass he had just finished polishing, Gerald glanced up Drew who had taken a seat down at the bar area.
"You are just on time, Young Master." Gerald welcomed wiping his hands with a towel.
"Hello, Gerald" Drew greeted placing his hat on the bar countertop, brushing through his ice-blue hair.
Gerald gestured to the back room.
"Shall we get started with today's lesson?"
With no hesitation, Drew followed Gerald to the backroom.
Opening the door, Drew was met with a flight of stairs that descended into the darkness, only lamps on the side provided enough lighting for him to see each individual step. That ominous feeling he had gotten didn't help either. It was like he was entering a dungeon. Gerald took one of the hanging lamps, initiating the descent to prove to Drew that there was nothing he should be suspicious of. Following him, Drew couldn't help but worry what was going to happen next but those worries were dispelled when they arrived at the bottom of the staircase. At the bottom, Drew was welcomed by a large, well-lit room equipped with every piece of equipment seen in a typical dojo: punching bags, arm and leg pads, a boxing ring, a rack of weapons ranging from swords to guns even yoyos! However, there were some things that Drew had never seen before. One of them was a bed of needles, each thin point as sharp as a knife. There was also a steel floor connected to a thermostat on the side which Drew presumed to be used to stimulate a lava or ice floor. Finally, there was a study corner equipped with two long desks and shelves of alchemy materials and equipment including a crucible, various flasks, and an herb storage. He was in awe.
"Starting from today and for the next few years, this place will be your second classroom," Gerald said looking at Drew who was admiring the facility. "Any questions?"
"What is today's lesson?" Drew asked.
"We will be covering your current Snowhawk Abilities and help you control them. I've heard from Mathis that you are a quick learner and that you have exceptional Otrio control. If things go well, I might just be able to give you your first 'task' tonight." Gerald explained as he dragged out a rather large cedar wood chest from under the boxing ring over to Drew.
"What's that?"
Geralds huffed as he undid the metal latches sealing the box.
"These are some things your father left behind at the Winter Estate before it collapsed."
Gerald flipped open the lid revealing a miniature arsenal of weapons, gadgets, Combat Manuals, gene regiments, cores, and clothing. The thing was a treasure chest. Each item in the chest was priceless! Gerald took out a triangular, ring-shaped object from the chest and handed it to Drew.
"Try putting some ice Otrio into it." Gerald gestured to Drew telling him to 'give it a shot'.
Drew followed and inject some of his chilling blue Otrio into the object. Suddenly, the object unraveled. The object extended longer and longer until it became 30cm taller than Drew. At the tip of the object, a blue ray of chilling Otrio was emitted in the form of a sharp blade that possessed a structure similar to an ice crystal. It was a spear!
"This spear is called Frostbite. It's a family heirloom that has been passed through the Winter family for generations. Your father, grandfather, and great grandfather all used that spear. It's a priceless item to the Winter family and only those who are a direct descendant can use it. Since it activated when your Otrio was injected, that proves that you are a direct descendant. However, you will not be able to use this for some time. Once you become D-Rank you can as it requires your ice Otrio control to be a lot higher."
Drew nodded. The spear consumed a large amount of Otrio and to Drew, who was holding it in his hand, it felt like an untamed beast ready to be unleashed. Not wanting it to take control of him, Drew retracted his Otrio from it, causing the spear to fold back into its original form. Meanwhile, Gerald took out an object that looked like a calligraphy pen and tossed it to Drew. Drew inspected the pen. It seems normal, despite all the fancy gold engravings on it, until Drew saw a small blue core that was embedded into the top of the wooden body of the pen.
"That," Gerald pointed, "in your hand, is a specially engineered rapier and plasma cannon the only one of it's kind and the perfect compact self-defense weapon. Rotate the body of the pen clockwise to activate the rapier and counterclockwise to activate the plasma cannon."
"So it's R*ptide with some upgrades installed into it," Drew commented as he rotated the pen clockwise.
As he did, the tip of the pen extended to the length of a sword blade. It's harmless tip soon became as sharp as the needles on the mattress.
"I wouldn't suggest turning the body counterclockwise unless the situation calls for it. The cannon embedded into this pen can cause immense recoil."
"It's that powerful!" Drew exclaimed. "What kind of 'self-defense' weapon is this then! It's already a perfectly good weapon on its own!"
"Hohoho," Gerald laughed, "Young Master, this is the Winter Family you are talking about. Their assets, when they were still the top family on Xolk, went into the trillions. This pen was just something that the Master spent his money on for fun."
"My father spent millions to get this pen crafted for 'fun' and I thought this pen served some greater purpose in his life," Drew said with a disappointed look on his face. "What a prodigal."
"Young Master, it is quite understandable when you have that much money at your expense," Gerald commented as if it were nothing.
"I still can't get over the fact that I'm some son from a rich family. It's unbelievable." Drew sighed.
"Make that two, Young Master. Unfortunately, most of the Night family's possessions that were supposed to be passed down to you were destroyed. The rest were sold in auction by third parties and I was only able to obtain one of them back. That one was the cuff earring you are wearing which I placed along with your parent's will before it was delivered to Kraus."
"Great, now I have another thing to put on my list," Drew muttered under his breath.
"You don't have to if you don't want to. Most of the Night possessions aren't exactly one of a kind like the Winter families."
"Then I won't go for those ones. I will only target the items that are exclusive to the Night family. They might contain some important clues related to my parent's death." Drew said curling his hand into a fist.
"Well then, if that's your resolution, I will assist you. According to some intel, one of the Night family's possessions the Phantom's Rifle will be up for auction in half a year. It will be put up at a price of 150 million Kalas. With wealthy bidders aiming for those kinds of items, I presume its price will skyrocket into the 300 or even 400 million Kalas. So in six months, we will have to acquire at least 500 million Kalas."
Drew jerked back.
"That much!"
500 million Kalas was enough to purchase a skyscraper in Ozwarth's city center! That wasn't a small price.
"Yes. Considering the time given, I'd say we have a decent chance of acquiring that but not necessarily through the most legal means."
"What do you mean by that?" Drew wondered cocking his head.
"Because you are both Nightengale and Snowhawk, you are built to be an excellent Scout. I've seen footage from your Exam and for only training for six months, you are rather talented. It's a shame that you didn't have the greatest conditions to flourish in prior to that or else, you could have been a Mid D-Rank Genetic Warrior by now. However, it's not too late. You have come here. I have the microcosm of a top-notch academy right here in this room. I was lucky enough to procure all the resources to do so and now, Young Master, we can put them to use."
"But you haven't answered the question."
Gerald continued. "As I said a few days ago, I will personally train you. I will bring out your full potential. As for the 500 million Kalas, it will be obtained."
"And how?" Drew asked getting impatient with Gerald's tangent.
"I have connections to a large Info Broker organization. It's called Crow's Eye and they have the best network of info brokers here on Kraus. The base of operation is located in a famous casino in Yerburn. It's called the 'Borealis'. Each employee there is an info broker and are exceptional Scouts and Businessmen."
"You don't mean..." Drew trailed.
"Whatever you are thinking Young Master, it's most likely correct. Yes. I intend to use my connection to get you in there as an employee. From there you will be able to learn and hone your skills as both a Scout and a Businessman. This is quite similar to what I put your father through in his younger days. As an employee, you will be able to engage in negotiations and you will be able to take 40% of the profits which is rather generous considering how much each broker makes from a deal."
"And who is this connection, exactly?"
"Why, the leader of the Crow's Eye himself," Gerald responded in a cheerful tone.
Drew coughed. "I'm sorry. Did I hear that right?"
"Yes, you have, Young Master. Your ears have not deceived you."
"Forget about it. Why am I even surprised? You were the Winter family's head butler so that type of thing is to be expected..." Drew trailed not being able to handle Gerald's access to these kinds of resources. "Anyhow, how much does each deal net?"
"On average, a transaction can net 1,000,000 Kalas. Your average Crow's Eye broker engages in about 20 transactions a night so that means 20 million Kalas in total. From that 20 million you get 8,000,000 Kalas. However, that is the 'average' including the larger transactions that occur there. Most likely you will only be able to make, at most, 1,000,000 Kalas a night being a new broker." He remarked.
Drew clicked his tongue.
"It's the best option we have for now assuming I do get lucky and get clients with deeper pockets later down the line. That's why you said it isn't exactly a 'legal' method."
"Well, there is an alternative method," Gerald continued.
"What is it?" Drew asked.
"You could also improve your Alchemy skills and put up the regiments you make up for sale. Unless, you create a currently existing one which is rare or create a completely new regiment not seen in the current market, the chances of making a major profit are quite slim. At your current level, Young Master, I'm afraid we are going to have to utilize this method as a supplement to the first."
"That's fine. As long as we can obtain the necessary funds to buy back the Night family's possessions, that's all that matters."
"Very well. I'll teach you a quick way to stabilize your Ice Otrio and tonight, I'll have everything prepared and we'll head off to the 'Borealis'. This will be your ‘first’ task.”
"Sounds goods."
As Drew set his things down by one of the desks, he heard a small squeal emerge from the old butler.
