Regnum Aetern: Dual Rebirth

Xion doubted that there would be such a large crowd in the city after that. Because of that, these guards would no longer be required.

Looking around, he finally spotted an inn. The building’s structure was so strange that he wouldn’t have known that it was an inn if not for the huge board hanging above the entrance.

Just as he was about to enter, he spotted a woman with dark circles under her eyes clutching a bundle of booklets in her arms.

"An academy city guide for those feeling lost! It’s really cheap and useful, I promise! Please just buy one and see for yourself!"

Her face was covered in sweat, and exhaustion was clear on her face.

He walked up to her and smiled amicably as he spoke.

"Hello there, pretty lady. I would like to buy one of these guides. So how much is it?"

The woman’s eyes lit up. She hurriedly fixed her disheveled hair and wiped the sweat off her face as she gave him one of the booklets.

"It’s actually twenty lux per copy, but I’ll give it to you for eighteen lux since you are such a sweet boy."

Xion smiled bashfully and took the booklet from her.

"Thank you, pretty lady."

Waving at her while walking away, Xion entered the inn and bought the cheapest room available, which was hard since most of them were booked.

After that, he lay on the hard bed with the booklet in his hand.

"Let’s see what useful information it contains."

He looked at the title.

{Academy City Survival Guide}

’Strange title, but maybe there is something useful inside.’

{Rule No.1: Don’t pick fights.

From the moment you enter, you are being monitored by one of the academy staff. The surveillance is being done using an Origin ability, so don’t try to evade it.

Picking a fight would instantly give you negative scores, which will be added to your score after you take the entrance exam. This will lower your scores considerably.

It doesn’t matter if you weren’t the one initiating the fight. Both parties will be penalized.}

’Hmm... is this the monitoring the guard was talking about? I’d say buying this was worth it for only this information alone.’

He turned the page.

{Rule No. 2: Do not try to bribe the academy staff.

Doing so will get you kicked out before you can even take the exam.}

’This is probably there because of the nobles.’

Noble heirs were bratty. This was a universal rule that wouldn’t change no matter the kingdom or continent itself. So some of those bratty kids must’ve tried to pull things like this.

He turned to the next page.

{Rule No. 3 (Last and most important): Absolutely do not trust strangers.

All the children present here are competitors. If someone offers that the two of you work together so that both of you can make the cut, then do not trust them easily. The academy isn’t responsible for any verbal promises you make and will not help you.}

’What about written contracts with the academy as a witness? Wouldn’t that work?’

Sadly, the booklet couldn’t answer him, and there was nothing more written in it either. All other pages were filled with what were supposed to be graphs and illustrations related to marking statistics, but they looked like something a three-year-old drew.

’Well, it was indeed worth the money.’

Closing the booklet, Xion got out of ‌bed. After taking a short bath, he took the booklet and left the inn.

’Let’s see...’

He looked around the busy area, and after a while, he spotted what he was trying to find. Some distance away, a girl with deep green curly hair falling down her shoulders and black eyes was sitting alone on a wooden bench by the roadside.

Her clothes were plain, with somewhat faded colors, a clear indicator of her identity as a commoner.

Xion approached her and sat in the leftover spot on the bench. He turned to the girl and smiled amicably.

"Pretty girl, it looks like you are feeling lost."

The girl seemed to have noticed him only when she heard his voice, looking at him timidly.

"Lost? Me? ...I don’t think so?"

"Oh, no need to hide it," he said in a reassuring tone. "I can tell right away."

The girl made a strange expression.

"But I’m telling the truth..."

"Anyways, I have just the thing for you." He pulled out the booklet and showed it to her. "This will help you greatly. It contains important information that everyone who wishes to enroll in the academy must know."

The girl stared at the booklet with curiosity.

"Oh? Thank you. I will never forget your goodwill."

She reached out her hands to take the booklet, but he pulled it back before she could take it.

"Pretty girl, nothing is free in this cruel world."

Hearing that, she paused in the awkward position with her hand stretched out. She looked at him with a light frown on her face.

"Then... how much is it?"

Xion’s smile deepened.

"How much do you think it is worth? Think about it. As long as you manage to enroll in the academy, your life is all but set. The institutions and merchant guilds will fight amongst each other to hire you, offering you whatever salary you desire. Hell, you could even be employed by a noble. An item that can increase the chances of you having such a future... How much do you think it’s worth?"

The girl thought for a bit as her expression turned somewhat dreamy. But her dreamy face suddenly turned conflicted.

"I-I... can’t give you any more than a hundred lux."

Xion brought his face closer to hers.

"A hundred and twenty lux. Sorry, but I can’t go any lower than that. If you don’t take it, then I will just have to sell it to someone else..."

"N-No," She hurriedly grabbed his hand. "Okay, I’ll take it, I’ll take it."

But just as she was about to take the money out of her pockets, she paused.

"Wait a second... I think I remember seeing a woman selling something like this in the area near the city entrance. She was only selling them for twenty or so lux..."

Xion let out a drawn-out sigh.

"Ah, that... Ugh, what do I even tell you? That woman is selling fake information. I’ll let you in on a secret: she is actually an agent planted there by those scumbag nobles. The nobles want that false information to spread among the commoner applicants so that most of the commoners fail and those noble bastards have an easier time. Think about it. Why else would she sell such valuable information at such a low price?"

The girl’s eyes widened in shock.

"What?! We have to report this quickly! Let’s go!"

"Wait, wait!‌" He hurriedly grabbed her arms. "If it’s found out that I was the one to reveal this information, then those nobles won’t leave me alone. I have younger siblings waiting for me at home, so please have mercy on me and keep it to yourself!"

The girl paused with a conflicted look on her face. In the end, she nodded lightly.

"Okay..."

And so, she took the booklet and paid him a hundred and twenty lux.

Walking towards the inn, Xion played with the silver coin she gave him, rolling it between his fingers as he smiled.

"I made quite the profit today."