Chapter 20


    Linas eyes sank.


    After gazing at Ian for a moment, she suddenly disappeared through a portal.


    A ripple of mild surprise spread around.


    Hasnt Lina changedtely?


    She seems a little, or rather, quite aggressive.


    Did you see how she red at Ian earlier? Theres definitely something going on between them.


    The whispers about Linas transformation ended up reaching Ian.


    Hey, did you guys hear those rumors from Kirtos? When Ian jumped off


    Various rumors started to circte briefly. The final team had arrived.


    Gerald Bomel, an instructor and former war hero, finished his evaluation. He then approached the gathered students.


    Were you all surprised?


    Your answers are weak.


    Yes!


    Whispers of that old b*stard could be heard among the students, but it didnt reach the instructors ears.


    Making quick and urate judgments even in times of surprise. This is whatbat is all about. I believe you all have learned something.


    Ian nodded his head.


    Thanks to that, he would get a good grade, the logical conclusion.


    Next, youll be facing quite dangerous monsters. Even though theyre engineered with magic, their realism is quite high. They can cause serious injuries, so be prepared. Thats all!


    And so, the first practicalbat training was concluded, and the teams were assigned.


    It will be perfect if I go and eat, train, write in my journal, and sleep.


    Training never stops, no matter what happens during the day.


    With this enjoyable thought in mind, Ian walked.


    Oops!


    He bumped into someone.


    Sorry Oh, its you, Silvia.


    Blink blink.


    Her cat-like violet eyes blinked twice in quick session.


    Oh, its you, Silvia? What a rude reaction, isnt it? If youre going to apologize, you should do it all the way.


    Anyway, you werent looking where you were going either. Its 50-50.


    Huh?


    Silvias eyes widened. To be honest, Ian thought that he was being a bit too brazen right now. It was a somewhat calcted action.


    Silvia tends to like people who live on their own terms.


    To be precise, she admired people who lived on their own terms.


    It could be attributed to the counteraction of the strict etiquette training received by the daughters of prestigious families.


    Thats why Ian maintained a confident, or rather, somewhat brazen attitude in front of Silvia.


    But does the Aether ss do their training here too? Speed Run?


    Hmph! Is that even possible? Were going to deal with monsters right away.


    Monsters? What kind of monsters?


    Grade 5 Danger Type, Frost Bear.


    Grade 5. It meant a monster that could single-handedly raze a small city. By the way, a Frost Bear, huh? Thats quite a strong start, isnt it?


    Isnt it different from ordinary sses?


    Silvia chuckled with her hand over her mouth. She seemed like a genuine fantasy world noble daughter, and it was a bit annoying.


    Due to her personality, Silvia had strong self-esteem. Perhaps it was because she was still upset about the mud incident, but


    Ian wasnt one to back down so easily.


    Yeah. After you put on your mud mask, we chant Omtoke! Omtoke! just like the high-level Aether ss.


    That thats!


    Silvia was about to argue something but gave up on her logic and jumped into a mud fight.


    Hmph. So youre a washing machine, then?


    Washing machine?


    A washing machine, a device for washing clothes. Ah,moners wouldnt know about this, right? Pfft!


    A washing machine


    Ians eyes trembled with intensity.


    With the legacy left by Pongpong, he could understand going as far as to be called Dishwasher.


    But a washing machine?


    That was a direct hit to Ian, who had purified Silvias clothes himself.


    I didnt mean to hurt you that much. I just wanted to win the argument. I cant stand losing.


    Silvia, who was more flustered than expected, couldnt find the right words.


    Yeah, dont apologize.


    Thats even more hurtful.


    After a brief pause, she tucked her hair behind her ear. In the dim light, her hair had a slight silvery sheen.


    Well I was thankfulst time.


    You act all tough, but surprised that Id express gratitude? Saying thanks to me wont do anything for your reputation.


    Ian and Silvia were indeed different from the other students.


    Hmph. It doesnt make sense to put Laurents name on it and forget to express gratitude. It doesnt matter what other people think when expressing gratitude.


    It was a touching statement at first nce, but


    Ians eyebrow twitched slightly.


    Silvia slightly avoids her eyes.


    Silvia, who had previously been confident andposed, now started to show signs of unease.


    Ians assassin radar had kicked in.


    Dont you have any friends either?


    Hah? No, its not that!


    But why isnt anyone asking you to join their team?


    Well maybe its because Im a bitcking in skills?


    Ian had a rough idea of how things were turning out.


    Perhaps she had developed a different talent, like Pongpong, rather thanbat.


    No matter how much an Aether like her was treated as a top in Lichten, its natural for some to excel while othersg behind.


    However, Ian nodded in agreement.


    If you were in the upper echelons of the Laurent family, youd know quite a bit about most monsters.


    In the world of Fanta X Aca, information was a closely guardedmodity.


    Information itself was a valuable asset, a major industry where various profiles, weaknesses of monsters or hostile entities, the quality of weapons crafted by different artisans, and even the peculiar fetishes of the empires second princess.


    All information was processed and sold.


    The IntraMuse guild, which exclusively handled information, held immense power and value.


    Even regr guilds ced great importance on information, especially when it came to details about monsters.


    So, it was hard to understand why Silvia was struggling to find a team.


    Are you bad at calctions, perhaps?


    Thats a rather rude thing to say all of a sudden!


    No, if you knew about monsters, wouldnt you gather a team, even if you had to use that information?


    Lichten Academy, particrly the Aether ss, held significantly higher value than the information about one or two monsters.


    Ha! Of course, I know that! How do you think we evaluate our information-gathering abilities?


    But then why are you acting like this?


    Silvia, who had been confident and sharp just moments ago, was now stumbling over her words.


    Could it be that you dont know the weaknesses?


    Yes.


    Wow. And Laurents top doesnt know?


    Ian was genuinely amazed.


    It seemed that information about monsters was meticulously guarded.


    However, Silvia interpreted this differently and was getting irritated.


    This isnt because Ick knowledge. Its just impossible for me to gather information about monsters living in the far northern snowfields.


    Her exnation made perfect sense.


    Frost Bear.


    Certainly, it was a monster that could only be encountered in specific regions.


    In the game, you had to defeat it to advance the story


    But in reality, its a different story. Of course, the monsters byproducts might have some value, but it was not worth the risk.


    Therefore, there probably werent many individuals crazy enough to venture into the territory of that massive beast.


    But I am different.


    Through ying the game, one inevitably acquired knowledge about a wide variety of monsters. With repeated gamey, you could naturally learn their patterns down to the second.


    A subtle smile crept across Ians face.


    I can sell the information I know.


    Selling information.


    It didnt sound like a bad idea at all.


    Moreover, there was a significant advantage to this kind of venture.


    There was no need to establish a physical store, hire employees, or make an initial investment. All that was required was a tform to ess the information stored in his mind.


    This meant that it didnt rely on Pongpongs decimated bank ount.


    But trustworthiness will be important.


    Buying information ultimately boiled down to trusting the person providing it. However, Pongpongs body presented the worst possible condition for building trust.


    True, even you might not know about it, do you? Information regarding the Frost Bear.


    These thoughts naturally urred to him.


    If its Silvia, shes the heir to the Laurent family.


    Even though shes been overshadowed by the heroine, Emilias position as the top student, it doesnt diminish Silvias abilities.


    Shes good at calctions and has business acumen, but most importantly, she knows how to repay a debt.


    Ian crossed his arms and continued his calctions.


    Moreover, since the Frost Bear has be a subject of study for Aether students, the information about it was likely to be disclosed.


    It means that the value of information will decrease.


    Now might be the prime time for information about the Frost Bear.


    Plus, there was someone right in front of him who desperately needed it.


    Investing in Silvia seemed like a good idea to Ian.


    Come here for a moment.


    Yes?


    Silvia, with narrowed eyes, approached cautiously.


    Was this guy trying to confess his feelings?


    Ian knew exactly what that expression meant.


    However, Ian had no qualms.


    He had information that could be sold at the highest price right now. There was no need to haggle.


    He would simply hand over the information initially, like pushing dr*gs into an unsuspecting neighborhood.


    Just like spreading drugs to ces where people dont know about drugs, at first they just give out information purely.


    Exploit the Frost Bears ears.


    What are you talking about?


    The Frost Bears weak point is the area behind its ears, where the muscles connect to its head. While the rest of its body is covered with tough fur, this area is different. Its particrly significant because the mechanism that generates its ice elemental powers is located there. You can neutralize abilities like its ice barriers or roar.


    Silvia blinked with a bewildered look in her eyes.


    It was too specific to dismiss as nonsense, and Ian wasnt someone she would trust without reason.


    Why are you telling me this?


    Just because I want to win against you in a verbal fight, even if just for a moment.


    Are you crazy?


    Even if I were, the information is real.


    Doubt, surprise, hope


    A mixture ofplex expressions filled Silvias face.


    Now, go gather a team quickly.


    Ian urged her to leave with a push on her back.


    ess 10 Chapters ahead of the Novelupdates release on our <strong>Patreon</strong>. <3


    Get notified about releases on our <em><strong>Discord Server</strong></em>