Inside Skypierce Hotel.
Per Yori, "Since we just found out today that Third Bro is an expert stonecarver, we absolutely must go out and celebrate. Let's go to the Skypierce Hotel." And just like that, the four of them had gone to the Skypierce Hotel. As soon as they stepped foot within, many students patronizing the hotel turned to stare at them. Most of them looked at Renji. Hikari, Renji! The most eye-catching, outstanding geniuses of Keito Institute. Any place they went would become a focal point of attention. Several students far away began talking with each other in lowered voices.
The four bros were seated now, and the dishes just arrived.
"Squeak squeak." Echo, who had been napping lazily this entire time, poked his little head out of Renji's robes. His pair of slick, devilish little eyes stared at a gleaming roasted chicken on the table. Ryūji immediately grabbed the chicken and offered it to Echo. "Echo, c'mere."
"Boss Renji, I'm gonna go eat." Echo immediately said mentally to Renji. Before Renji even had a chance to reply, Echo leaped onto the table, grabbed the chicken, and began to chomp down on it. Less than ten seconds later, the entire roasted chicken was totally consumed by a little Umbramouse that was a full size smaller than it.
"Third bro, each time when I see how fast Echo eats, my heart can't help but shudder." Yori laughed.
After eating, Echo turned around to look at Renji. Seeing grease cover Echo's paws, Renji couldn't help but frown.
"Squeak squeak." Echo intentionally chirped out twice towards Renji, then half-closed his eyes in a very self-delighted manner, while at the same time, his entire body radiated a black glow. The black aura expanded, then in an instant disappeared. However, Echo's two formerly oily paws as well as his tail were now absolutely clean. Rubbing his small face, Echo stared at Renji and chirped once, and said mentally, "Boss Renji, clean enough for ya?
"
Renji couldn't help but laugh.
"Whoosh." With a flicker, Echo once again burrowed his way into Renji's clothes. And then the four bros started chatting and eating.
"Right, third bro, if you want to send your sculptures to the Yamazaki Gallery, there's some things you gotta make sure of." Yori reminded Renji.
"Oh, what am I to remember?" Renji asked. Renji knew nothing about the system through which the Yamazaki Gallery accepted new sculptures. Yori smiled. "For most sculptures, on the lower left corner, you must leave an inscription of your name or pseudonym, signifying this is your art. That's the first thing. Second, the sculpture is to be delivered to the Yamazaki Gallery totally sealed and boxed. This is to avoid damage to the sculpture while it is being delivered to the gallery. When the sealed sculpture arrives at the Yamazaki Gallery's warehouse, there will be people who will inspect it to see if it is in good condition and take down a detailed recording of your own information.
Usually, within three days or so, your artwork will be prepared to be put out for exhibition at the standard display hall within the Yamazaki Gallery." Renji nodded. Leaving behind one's name on one's artwork was done in order to prevent others from falsely claiming the work was theirs. Renji could also understand the reasoning for requiring the sculpture to be boxed and sealed. "Some sculptures are carved very exquisitely and delicately. In the shipping process, it is entirely possible that the sculpture might be damaged.".
At the very least, if I seal it off completely, adding lots of paper and cloth padding, it should be much safer."
"What about the price and auction? How is it handled by the Yamazaki Gallery?" Renji asked. The purpose of delivering the sculpture to the Yamazaki Gallery was for the sake of making money, thereby improving his family's economic situation. Yori brightened up and said, "The sculptures will be placed in the standard hall, and bidders can set any price they want. One month later, the highest bidder gets the sculpture, and you get your remuneration. Of course, Yamazaki Gallery will be taking 1% of the transactional commission and has a hard limit of ten gold coins.
If your sculpture exceeds one thousand gold coins in price, the commission of the gallery shall still remain just ten gold coins."
Renji now understood it.
"Third bro, you don't have to worry about this. Later, I'll get some people in Solara Kingdom City to take care of all this. I guarantee it will all be to your satisfaction." Yori smiled as he faced Renji and spoke. "If the third bro of our dorm sells a sculpture to the Yamazaki Gallery and it sells well, I will gain a lot of face too."
Giichi could not help but sigh with praise on the side: "Third bro, you're now a fifth-grade student; in the future, you will also surely be a master sculptor; your future is limitless; you will certainly do much better compared to us."
"A master sculptor? Don't flatter me." Renji laughed at himself. The four bros chatted as they continued drinking and eating.
"Living in the Keito Institute really is comfortable," Yori suddenly sighed as he set down his wine cup. "I remember when I was young and I lived at home, our family rules were extremely severe." Ryūji quirked his lips as well. "We are all students of the Keito Institute. According to Grandpa Lomu, right now, the world is very chaotic. In the outside world, there is constant warfare and slaughter. It's the Light Church supporting the Keito Institute; nobody will ever dare to offend it. That's the reason our lifestyle is this comfortable.
Later in the future, we'll head out and train in society once we learn how merciless the world can be.
"Absolutely right." Renji nodded and heaved a sigh. "I'm a student of the fifth grade now. Many of my classmates have gone to the real world for training. According to them, some students are killed in battles outside, while many of them are crippled or wounded. If we don't experience real battles of life and death, it is hard for us to grow.
"We're just like the pets of the noble families. Our lives may be easy, but how are they to compare to the cruelty of the real world?" Giichi sighed. "I really am looking forward to the bloody life-and-death battles that the high-level students will embark on. Those thrilling, blood-boiling lifestyles must be extremely stimulating.
Giichi, Yori, Ryūji, and Renji were now all fifteen years old. In each of their hearts lay a thirst for that action-packed world outside. However, Yori and the rest were still way too weak. If they entered into that life of death now, chances of them dying were too high.
"Renji, you are in the fifth grade now, yes?" Ryūji said suddenly. Yori and Giichi also looked to Renji, shining with excitement.
Renji took a deep breath and nodded. "Right. I am now a magus of the fifth rank. I can be considered a high-level magus now. In June, I plan to embark on a two-month trip to the Mountain of Magical Monsters, returning only in August."Renji had decided long ago. "The Mountain of Magical Monsters? " Yori, Giichi, and Ryūji all sucked in a cold breath. Less than a hundred kilometres east of Keito Institute lay the Mountain of Magical Monsters, the largest mountain range on the Aerthos continent. Many high-level students did indeed venture there for their second or third training missions.
But most students, in their first training expedition, would select some more ordinary locales.
For example, they might take on some low-risk assignments like being a bodyguard or escorting a caravan. "Renji, you go for training for the first time and plan to go to the Mountain of Magical Monsters?" Ryūji couldn't help but ask. Giichi and Yori also looked worried. "Relax. I have full confidence." Renji was rather confident in himself. As the fifth rank magus and the fourth rank warrior, he was already very fast as a warrior, which could be supported even more with the wind style spell 'Rapidstream'. Based on his current speed, combined with this spell, Renji managed to reach the speed of a warrior of the sixth rank. And most importantly… Renji was allowed to use the high-level wind spell, "Floating Technique."