She was bound to be disappointed if she expected a reaction from me.
She snorted once more. Louder this time, clearly annoyed that I hadn’t responded.
She stretched her right hand forward and, with a flick of her wrist, summoned a holographic green wallet that appeared on the palm of her hand.
"A C+ Swift Horned Panther typically costs 300,000 Roble notes on the open market. But considering the context of this purchase. I will give it to you for 270,000 Roble notes," She explained.
That was more than fair. It was a clear sign of her sincerity.
"Okay." I nodded in agreement.
With another gentle flick of her hand, the transaction was swiftly processed.
I watched as my balance increased from ’0’ to ’130,000’ Roble notes. All Roble transactions were securely protected and stored in an encrypted wallet, which was then transferred to a randomly generated account before final withdrawal.
"I’ve paid. Spit out the information," Bunnytea said, her fan lowering slightly.
I told her the same information I had given to ’Queen of Solitude’ and ’Iamthegoat’ regarding ’Ezekiel’s’ and Ivory’s duel. As usual, I made some prejudiced remarks about myself to make it seem that I was the perpetrator.
After that, I made another purchase from Bunnytea for Felix. I purchased mechanical firearms to test Felix’s compatibility and talent.
The transaction cost me 29,800 Roble notes.
Due to the academy lockdown, the delivery was delayed by two weeks compared to the time I had received my earlier package.
She was interested in knowing what I needed it for. But I ignored her questions. After that, the meeting was concluded.
I swiftly exited the white room and returned to the virtual park.
After reverting to my default avatar’s appearance, I walked out of the virtual park and entered the city where the students resided. At Grand Avalon Academy, First-year students were restricted from meeting each other in person across departments.
The reason was to avoid distraction, as each Path had its own foundational teaching, and the academy preferred that we focus on that first before exploring other Paths.
Nonetheless, students weren’t isolated within their paths.
The academy encouraged networking. After all, one of the reasons noble and influential families send their heirs and descendants to the Grand Avalon Academy was to make connections and build alliances.
That was why the academy allowed for virtual communication across departments. Full in-person interaction would only be allowed from the second year onward.
Of course, some organisations may be exempt from this rule, such as the Student Council and the Disciplinary Committee. This was why they were all.
The virtual city was filled with skyscrapers, shops, cafes, and hang-out spots, resembling a true metropolis, minus the billboards and clustered holograms that would be found in the fortress.
There were various recreational spots for both students and teachers alike. Yes, teachers can also utilise this server to communicate with their students. Naturally, they also have their own instructor-only server.
I walked through the streets, visiting the usual places, such as cafes, the library, and the common plaza, where students gathered to share news and updates.
I wanted to uncover some information about myself or Ivory that I hadn’t heard before, but I found nothing useful.
If I didn’t know better, I would have thought that it was a thing of the past.
Unfortunately, the fact that I had several pieces of information regarding it today meant that it was still a hot topic within the academy.
The information was likely suppressed to prevent others from discussing it in public.
As for who was responsible... who else could have pulled this off except the descendants of the Zahara Clan?
If I could uncover the details of who the specific culprit was, I could solve 90 per cent of the quest and be one step closer to exposing the truth.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t an easy task.
But I was not one to back down from a challenge.
I stood up and exited the coffee shop. Thirty minutes later, I returned to the virtual park, and then I logged off.
Back in the real world....
I took off my VR headset, placed it on the side of my bed, and sat up.
I stretched my hand forward to summon Felix.
Instantly, a swift-horned panther materialised before me.
Without hesitation, I swiftly triggered its cybernetic mode.
Felix’s furry skin peeled away and was swiftly replaced by mechanical parts. A mechanical hum and twirl resonated through the air.
I still couldn’t get over its transformation.
"Safeguard the parameters. Anyone who sneaks into my room to attack me should be dealt with enough force to knock them out," I ordered.
"Yes, master," Felix responded telepathically. He turned around and immediately moved to the other side of the room, crouching to hide under my desk.
I dimmed the lights to further mask his presence. With his advanced magical beast properties and his heightened intelligence, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to sense him unless they were extraordinarily perceptive.
Although I wasn’t against reaping a few lives for those who wish to harm me, it was against the rules for students to kill one another. Duels were an exception.
Of course, this rule was often ignored.
Students, especially those with influential backers, would hide their victims’ bodies after the deed was done.
Investigations were conducted regardless of who it was. But oftentimes, when a commoner died, no one asked too many questions.
Commoners could only lower their heads when they encountered a situation that could cost them their lives, hoping that nothing would happen to them afterwards.
One of the many ways students died mysteriously was within the dungeon. Feuds among students were usually handled within the dungeons.
Despite the dungeon’s strict regulations, magical beasts were unpredictable and were often used as an excuse for such cases.
Training fatalities were so common that the academy had healers on standby to treat them. This was the only way they could tackle the issue.