If buying expensive cars and designer handbags were Earth's way of showing off wealth, going to the Main Magicus School for the Gifted Elite was the way of the Tama empire. I looked down at the required list of materials for my apothecary class and my eyeballs bulged in horror after I realised not only how hard it was to get the items but the prices that were going to be involved.
40 x pieces of Low-Rank Water Essence Stones
100 x pieces of Low -Rank plants of various species
25 x Ambient Yin Vials
25 x Volatile Yang Vials
35 x Compound Components
And a damn Mixer Array Table! This was just the apparent "basics" for the first few months. I was told during lunch by my cousins that each of these items would cost around 25 gold pieces per batch and the mixer array table would go for at least 300 pieces of fine Tama gold.
To put this into perspective it was apparently enough for someone in the lower crust of society to live on for the next 30 years and all of these items were supposed to be thrown away so I could learn how to make potions?
Ridiculous!
I came from a middle-class family back on Earth but even then thinking about this made my eyes bulge. Being independent of my parents at a young age back on Earth had taught me how to be alone and earn enough money to eat. I didn't want to ask for any handouts especially from my grandpa who had already paid for my tuition, just thinking about how much it costs to send me here made my mind boggle.
[ These spoilt rich kids!!! ]
I spent lunch catching up with Setsu, Tomo and Hina. It was really nice to get to know my cousins again after not seeing them for so long, Tomo had grown much taller and his cheekbones had become more defined I couldn't help by nod my head in admiration when he told me he was learning how to take over the Tiegan Auction House.
When the conversation came up about me making money to pay off my own school supplies ( amongst other things that I didn't want to tell them ) he talked my head off* about various ideas for getting rich quick.
The most feasible was to set up a contract with the auction house. It would basically mean that I would grow plants give them to Tamo and Hina to deliver they would auction them off for me. Then their company would take a small cut and deliver the funds.
I mentioned the Tanaka food supply family to Tamo and asked him what he thought about me using their seeds and buying in bulk to save money.
The surprising thing was that my cousin had never heard of the concept of buying in "bulk" and I had to sit there and explain to him what it meant. By the end of my explanation, he had moved from actively listening and nodding to taking notes on his napkin like a madman before quickly excusing himself and running away like his pants were on fire leaving me no choice by to talk to Hina about my money saving plans before she too ran off.
They had been no help when it came to the Tanaka family known as the best in Tama for supplying foods and seeds. I vaguely remembered the kids from when I met them at my birthday party but as far as calling on them to do business I didn't have too much of a rapport.
[ Perhaps I could get grandfather to reintroduce me to them? ]
But at least a way to safely make use of my wood magic and train at the same time had been acquired. This cheat like wood magic made me one of the best farmers I could think of as I was basically a plant growing machine at this point.
I mean it wasn't exactly ideal for being a mighty general or marching into war but it would only be another day or so before I could start using the Lubu Lubu War System and I hope that between making money and training I would have enough to buy my school supplies with enough money to hire some mercenaries to find traces of my father.
It wasn't exactly the most well thought out plan but it was the only one I had. Speaking of the Lubu system I had checked my status and noticed something very peculiar about the system that I really wanted to ask Loki about when I saw him next.
My mother Airi's Lubu profile… was still active. I mean I had spent the last few years training, sitting in moments of grief, thrown into soul scapes, getting pushed into a heart attack, yelled at by an employer and even being forced to marry someone I didn't even like.
Caring about the Lubu system was really the last of my priorities. I had even noticed at the time that I had never even activated Ren's profile. I just so happened to see it as I was scrolling the systems profiles because I was eating my lunch.
Was this fate?
Could she really be alive?
Is she with Father?
I didn't want to get my hopes as maybe the profiles just didn't dim down as I expected them to. I raced to finish the rest of my lunch and headed to where Loki was sitting outside. He had told me that it was too loud for him inside and that he wanted to eat alone. I was guessing he was just feeling a little people crowded so I respected his wishes and gave him some space.
When I had walked outside to chase down Loki something truly unexpected happened. The one person I had never wanted to bump into was standing right in front of me to block my path.
" Hey Sora," I said pretending to be unperturbed by his presence.
He looked at me for a moment before he grabbed my arm and started leading me to a quiet part of the campus. It wasn't that far from where I had to meet Loki in the first place but the number of students around was minimal to none.
" We need to talk," He said as he sat me down on some grass.
" About how you tried to kill me? Or how about how you made an idiot out me because I thought we were friends? Or how you nearly killing the friends I do have..." I said with my eyebrow raised.
" Nope not about any of that, I still hate your family and as far as I am concerned against an enemy country I have no need to be apologetic," Sora said as he looked at me.
" Then we have nothing to say to each other," I said as I went to stand.
" No Yuki! Stay will you!" Sora said as he tugged on my arm.
" I have nothing to say…" I said unapologetically.
" Can you stop being so stubborn and listen to what I have to say?" Sora said angrily.
" Can you apologise for being a jerk?" I rebutted.
" This is getting us nowhere," Sora said as he shook his head.
" I agree," I said flatly as I stood up.
" FINE! I WON'T TRY AND HARM YOU AGAIN! I THOUGHT OF YOU AS MY FRIEND TOO ARE YOU HAPPY?!" Sora shouted before turning a shade of pink.
" Not quite an apology... But I will take it. What do you want." I said unsure of what to make of the situation.
" Can.. can we try being friends again?" Sora said in a quiet voice.
" Didn't you just say you wanted to kill my family?" I said blinking rapidly.
" I mean.. I do but.." Sora sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
" Forget it," He said before he went to leave.
" We can be friends as long as you do not try anything while you are in this academy," I said to his back.
" REALLY?!" Sora said with a wide smile.
I nodded briefly.
[ What the hell kind of relationship is this going to be ]
" I promise no trying to kill anyone! You were the first real friend I made..and I" Sora said as he cut himself off.
" I get it.. But there is a class starting soon. So cya round?" I said as I sized up my new yet old friend.
" Yeah cya round Yuta!" Sora said as he winked at me and happily strode off.
[ He can be a real kid when he isn't a murderous demon ]
[ Check Profile Sora ]
Name: Sora Telga
Hobbies: Blank ( Unlock per hobby 30 DD)
Heart Meters: 5/10 Green | 2/10 Red | 5/10 Black ( Unlock In-depth info 100 DD per heart)
Thoughts: Blank ( Unlock 40DD)
Likes: Blank(Unlock: 55 DD)
Dislikes: Blank ( Unlock: 20 DD)
Magic: Wind
Kibbles Comments: I am confused.
I chuckled as I looked at the Kibbles comment in the Lubu system. Sora at least didn't have a super amount of black hearts anymore and he had grown quite a few friendship hearts since I last checked.
I wondered what had changed before I finally made my way back to Loki.
As I got closer I saw that he was sitting next to the girl named Rinny. It was at this moment that I realised without a doubt she had to be Rinura.
She had Loki in a headlock as she was trying to shove food down his throat. I had never had an elder sister before but from all the movies I had seen in my previous life, this had to be close.
" Eat your greens Loki!" Rinny said trying to shove some random green vegetable in Loki's mouth.
" No this food is revolting!" Loki said before clamping his mouth shut.
" You dumbarse you have to eat! " Rinny replied as she put down the food and smacked him on the back of the head.
To be honest I had never seen Loki or Cupid for that matter act like this. Instead of an almost omnipresent god, he looked like a kid at a dinner table being picked on.
It was at that moment he glanced in my direction before his eyes winded before a shake of pink ran across his face.
" Yuki?!" Loki said as he coughed.
" Hi Rinny, Hey Loki," I said trying to stifle back a laugh.
" I have to go," Loki said as he shot up like there were ants in his pants and hid behind me while Rinny pouted.
" We will talk about this later" Rinny said as she looked at me before stomping her foot and walking off.
" That is definitely Rinura," I said flatly.
" Shut up." Loki said embarrassed.
" I will imprint this moment inside my head and never forget it," I said as I looked behind me at Loki.
" We should go," Loki said as he stormed off towards our next class.
" Comming," I said with a jovial tone as I followed behind.