Chapter 86.1 - The First Year at the Academy - Invitation From A Merchant (1)
In my previous life, it was supposed to be the final day of the New Year's celebrations.
I was walking through the bustling city of Selene, surrounded by noise and commotion.
Music was playing everywhere, and crowds of people gathered around stalls.
As I made my way through the crowd, the door of a tavern suddenly swung open.
Several men shouted, "To the new year!" and fired [Fire Bolt] spells into the air.
They were quickly apprehended by the guards and taken away, laughing at the pedestrians.
It seemed like a special exception only for the New Year. However, it seems you can activate [Fire Bolt] with a bit of alcohol.
Despite the lively atmosphere of Selene, it was quieter compared to New Year's Day.
That's because officially, only New Year's Day is a holiday, and yesterday and today are preparation periods for cleaning up and getting ready for the new year.
Of course, some places have been open for business since yesterday, and my destination is open all year round.
When I arrived, the Commercial Guild was more crowded than usual.
I considered coming back another day, but it would probably be the same then.
Today, I wanted to check my allowance and pay the tuition, dormitory fees, and rent.
Last year, they approached me directly, but now it's not the time for enrollment.
I surveyed the entrance hall and lined up at the general reception.
If I tell them my business here, they should guide me to another counter or staff member.
While waiting in an efficiently processed line, someone called, "Alter-sama?"
When I turned my gaze, it was a guild employee, Samini.
"Long time no see, Samini."
"Yes, it's been a while. Are you here to pay your tuition?"
"That's part of it."
"Understood. Please follow me."
Saying that she led me into a private room.
Unlike the hall, this room was completely private.
I looked around at the gorgeous yet calming decorations. I tilted my head.
It's strange. There's no need to hide the exchange of several dozen gold coins in the Commercial Guild.
The hall would be enough, and that's how it was last year.
Kindness… unlikely. The other party is a merchant, they won't take actions that won't generate profit.
Could it be about raising the rent?
The repairs have progressed, so the value has gone up a bit.
Will they say that the rent will remain the same for the next few months, and after that?
After a while, Samini returned with a stack of documents.
After exchanging simple greetings again, I conveyed my purpose.
When she finished listening, Samini handed me a letter.
"We have already received your payment last year."
Two letters?
Taking them, I saw they were letters from my father and mother.
My father's letter expressed concern about my studies, whether I haven't neglected training, and if I haven't caused trouble for my dormmates, among other things.
My father is surprisingly worried. I wouldn't cause trouble for the dormitory residents. I don't even live there.
Next, I opened my mother's letter and couldn't help but smile.
The content was the same as my father's but written in an even longer letter.
To top it off.
"It was very hot in Reedwald this year. How about coming back just for the summer? Meredith also said she wanted some ice."
A refrigerator, huh? It might be fine for my mother, but it's not suitable for Meredith in her position.
She thought I was concerned, as she mentioned my brother and Roland's whereabouts.
It's just like a mother.
My brother has become even more devoted to his political duties and seems to be Father's right-hand man, alongside Graham, the house butler.
As for Roland, they say he's training like crazy. I wonder what he's aiming for.
Although she didn't talk about Ragnidig or Nerio, they are probably still busy with their engraving and hunting.
After expressing my gratitude and putting away the letter, I checked the payment form for the tuition.
I stopped and reviewed the details when I reached the section with the amount.
"Samini, what about the dormitory entrance fee?"
"Oh, are you planning to move into the dormitory? I thought you were talking about the rent, so I assumed you'd be moving out…"
"That's right… Ah, it's a one-year contract, isn't it?"
"Yes, that's correct. Some people choose to rent a house after the first year."
I see.
But that's a problem.
The dormitory was a convenient place to store valuable items.
Alternatively, the Adventurer's Guild offers paid storage.
The storage fee is one silver coin per week.
So if there's even one day of lectures, I'd have to pay for the whole week.
I traced the events since my enrollment and roughly calculated the weeks when lectures were held.
The remaining three months are still uncertain, but since the end of the school year is near, there should be fewer lectures.
The lectures are roughly around twenty to twenty-four weeks.
Let's assume twenty-four weeks for now… no, it's charged per item.
I need to store the Rhino Sword, Rhino Stiletto, Blue Azure Cloak, Lightweight Two-Handed Sword, magic stones, etc.
If I group all those valuable items, it would cost 120 silver coins annually, which is equivalent to 12 gold coins.
Considering that the dormitory fee is around fourteen gold coins, the Adventurer's Guild option is cheaper for now.
However, if I add one more item, it would become almost the same price.
Besides, I'm using some of the magic stones for alchemical solutions, that cost almost 10 gold coins.
That's already a significant amount of money.
"How did it go?"
Samini asked, seeing my state of contemplation.
I explained the reason, and she also looked thoughtful.
"I see. Valuable items. The quickest solution would be a slave, but…"
"A slave…"
Slaves are present in this world, of course.
I often frequent big shops or small stores, and the former usually don't show slaves in public for appearances, while the latter doesn't have the luxury to buy them.
So I haven't had much involvement with them.
Moreover, slaves wear a collar to indicate their status.
But in larger cities, they aren't made to walk around in ragged clothes.
Slaves are expensive, and the average annual income of a commoner is not much. If the slave has particular skills, they can be even more costly.
Thus, they aren't made to look shabby, and it's not easy to notice them while walking on the street.
After pondering my hesitation, Samini continued, "However…".
"Even if you were to buy a cheap slave, you still need a subservience collar to deposit your valuables. In that case, the initial cost would be too high, and it wouldn't be ideal."
Regardless of the morality of owning a slave, she was right.
The subservience collar magic device is more expensive than an average slave.
In this situation, asking Ted and the others to watch over my belongings is an option, but I'm currently busy with Roland's request, so I'm even busier than before.
If it weren't for that. It might have been a good way to earn some pocket money.
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