August 06, 1658.
Today is Saturday, and students don't have classes; this is their free time to learn or do other things aside from studying their daily courses.
Some students used this time to do cleaning. After all, no one would clean their rooms or do their laundry except for themselves.
On the other hand, freshmen students from the aristocrats would use their merit points to hire students with commoner status, and some commoner students would accept it since they like the idea of earning points, and by doing this; they could buy high tiered scrolls that would let them learn skills that is beneficial and rare to them.
After all, every student can only learn the same set of skills under one professor. Which means that the skills they would learn are all the same, and many students don't like it for many reasons. For one, it will no longer be surprising when they use these skills in combat.
That's why many students would buy limited edition scrolls or rare scrolls, so they could learn a skill that is not the same as the others.
On the other hand, some students just want to earn merit points, so they can learn a lot of skills.
This is the real truth in this academy.
The academy forbids students from using their background status and real money, but the academy doesn't forbid students to use their merit points to hire other students and do the job for them.
After all, this is also a skill in a way; to haggle and negotiate is a necessary skill in the outside world; this is what the academy wants the students to learn in studying here, and not just about independence.
However, to use merit points just to hire people to clean one's own room is indeed an extravagant way of living. After all, it is not easy to earn merit points, but freshmen noble students still have no idea about it.
"300 merit points, how does that sound, Andrea? If you do both cleaning and the laundry, I'll give you a total of 500 merit points, fair enough, right?" Said the female student, negotiating with her classmate in their GOF dormitory.
Andrea shook her head. "1000 merit points, that's my limit, Beatrice. Otherwise, just hire someone else," Andrea said resolutely.
Kendra glanced at these two as she walked out of her own room. Andrea is a commoner like Kendra, and Andrea is also Beatrice's roommate. Their room is also located on the same floor as Kendra and Faye.
Andrea is a hard working, clever student. The moment that the academy announced the use of the merit point system; Andrea instantly took advantage of it by volunteering herself to do the cleaning and the laundry for freshmen nobles in their GOF dormitory.
Which is why, for a week, Andrea manages to buy a Rare S-Tiered Scroll for her two attributes.
After that, more and more freshmen commoners mimicked what Andrea did. Being aware of Kendra's stare; Andrea glanced at Kendra, raising her brow. Beatrice noticed it and also glanced at Kendra.
"Good morning," Kendra greeted with a pleasant gentle smile.
Andrea and Beatrice both nodded their heads. "Morning," they replied simply, then they went back to haggling.
If Kendra remembers correctly, Andrea is someone who isn't hard working back in their original timeline; Andrea is indeed clever in the original timeline, but Andrea isn't the hard working type of student, which means that there is a huge possibility that Andrea is also a time traveller like Kendra.
In Kendra's original timeline; Andrea was one of the students who didn't manage to graduate in the academy, because Andrea was too lazy to work hard back then. After that, Kendra doesn't know what happened to Andrea; she only heard rumors that Andrea became a waitress afterwards.
So there is a seventy percent chance that Andrea is just like Kendra; a time traveller. Which is probably why Andrea became a hard working person during this time.
In addition, Kendra remembers that Lilith and Zelda said that there are many people who time travelled to the past just like Kendra, so perhaps, Andrea is one of those people.
However, this is still just a mere theoretical assumption, and Kendra doesn't have evidence. But Kendra is already considering how to get Andrea to work with her. With that, Kendra approaches the two with a friendly smile plastered on her face. The two ignored Kendra as they haggled at each other.
Kendra patiently waited, and when Andrea was done and got her advance payment from Beatrice; Kendra approached Andrea.
Andrea crosses her arms in her chest. "What is it? Are you also hiring me for cleaning and laundry?"
"No," Kendra replied. "Can I talk to you in private?"
Andrea narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Why? What do you need from me?"
Kendra remained calm and smiling as she whispered, "you'll know if you come with me, Andrea."
Andrea furrowed her brows. "I don't do shady business," Andrea replied, walking away.
Kendra didn't panic; she knows Andrea's weakness and that is merit points. Andrea is probably working hard to buy high-tiered scrolls, containing skills in the academy. After all, war is happening soon in this kingdom.
At that, Kendra mumbled, "1000 merit points."
Andrea stopped on her tracks immediately as she turned around, facing Kendra once again.
"What do you need?" Andrea asked, looking even more vigilant.
"It's not a shady business, don't worry, but first you have to come with me, so we could discuss things in private," Kendra explained.
Andrea stared at Kendra probingly, then she took a deep sigh as she nodded. "Let's go now since I really have some other matters to do," Andrea said.
Kendra nodded, smiling at Andrea even more softly.
"Then follow me," Kendra mumbled as she started walking.
Kendra and Andrea left the GOF dormitory, going to the forest.
After getting out of the Academy's boundary; Kendra stopped as she stared at Andrea, who had been cautiously following behind her.
"So what do you need?" Andrea asked.
"I need some people, if you agree to become my assistant, then I would give you 1000 merit points every month, how does that sound?" Kendra said; straight to the point.
Andrea didn't respond as she suspiciously narrowed her eyes. "Are you going to make me murder people or steal something? If this is something shady, I'm afraid I have to say no," Andrea said.
"Like I said, it's not something shady, are you still refusing?" Kendra asked calmly with a gentle smile.
"I don't know, why don't we start signing a soul contract, you know of that, right?" Andrea suggested.
Kendra's smile deepened hearing Andrea's suggestion.
Even if Kendra isn't sure whether Andrea is also a time traveller like her; Andrea's hard working personality is already enough for Kendra to feel that Andrea has the potential to become someone important in the future.
"Very well," Kendra mumbled as she nodded understandably, taking out the necessary items for the soul contract inside her satchel bag.
"Do you always bring these things with you? You're kinda weird for a student, you know that, right, Kendra?" Andrea commented.
Kendra didn't feel offended. "Perhaps, anyway, here is the contract. We just need to recite them both to seal both our souls," Kendra said.
Andrea nodded, taking the paper.
Afterwards, Andrea and Kendra both started reciting as they both took an oath. Andrea promised that she would work as Kendra's assistant as long as Kendra paid her 1000 merit points for every task, and as long as the task is nothing shady. The contract will end when the two of them graduate from the academy. Anyone who breaks the contract will get hit by a lightning sword from the God Bathala.
"The contract is sealed, do you have any tasks for me?" Andrea asked, grinning.
Kendra shook her head. "There is nothing for now. Don't worry, I'll contact you soon if there is something I want you to do," Kendra said.
Andrea clicked her tongue. "Tsk, then I'll be going back. I still need to do something, how about you? Are you staying here?" Andrea said.
Kendra nodded.
"Alright, we'll go our separate ways here," Andrea said, walking back to the academy.
Kendra stared at Andrea's back, and she couldn't help but smile. Kendra finally acquired her fourth personnel.
The first batch of personnel is Coy Silverwaters, Paz Quakeroaths, and Beck Whistleman. Leon Abraham and Axel Smallfire are not fully there yet, but Kendra already has a friendly relationship with them, so it's just a matter of time.
Having these students on her side; Kendra can rest assured that she could finally unite her commoner classmates in one.
Kendra just needs Gabriela to also be on her side, and the rest of the problem in her class lies on whether the nobles are willing to cooperate with Kendra on the upcoming mini competition at the end of the month.
For now, Kendra's arrangement with all of them is temporary, but Kendra will find a way to get them to work for herself voluntarily. After Andrea's figure disappeared, Kendra went to the flower field; to check if Nasrin finally wrote a letter back.
When Kendra arrived there; Kendra smiled seeing a fluttering letter.
"Finally," Kendra mumbled in delight.
Hurriedly, Kendra stride her legs in the middle of the ground, leaping her feet up, grabbing the letter in midair.
The lids of her ocean blue eyes spread wide open. Her wide full lips are rendered speechless.
"I...Nasrin is...she's...oh goodness..."
Kendra uttered in broken words; her heart was beating rapidly; blood rushed to her head, making her ears pinkish red as she felt all sorts of emotions.
"What should I do?" Kendra mumbled to herself. "...this is not what I expected...how could this be? I can't let her take part of my plans if this is indeed the truth...no, wait...I need her..but…."
Taking a deep sigh, Kendra then tried to calm her wavering determination. "I need time to think."
At that, Kendra left the flower field.