Chapter 79

“Did you also come here to eat lunch?”

Zorv asked, opening his eyes slightly wide.

It was a typical acting tone.

The students following behind were naturally those wondering if there would be some scraps to pick up behind Zorv.

Whenever Zorv went around publicly, he always dragged followers around like that.

‘Even though he clearly tracked me down using his information network.’

Roan looked with slightly narrowed eyes at Zorv, who was acting as if it were a shamelessly unexpected meeting.

As the operator of Dragon Street, Zorv naturally had lackeys hidden all over Akerandir.

In the first place, Zorv usually invited a chef to the dormitory to enjoy top-grade meals, and did not bother to come to this commercial district.

“Didn’t you come here knowing?”

“Oh, indeed, worthy of my successor.”

“…I will not take charge of Dragon Street.”

“An yet, perhaps.”

The still persistent Zorv smiled deeply.

Meanwhile, glancing around, he called the owner of the restaurant, apparently displeased with the noisy atmosphere.

“I will buy this restaurant for today.”

He then handed a bag of gold coins, which looked heavy at a glance, to the owner.

“Roan, didn’t you say gold coins can’t be used in Akerandir? Brother Zorv is already a fourth-year, but he still doesn’t seem to know~”

Seeing that, Demona sneered at Zorv.

Roan shook his head.

“It depends on the gold coins.”

“Eh?”

While paying for a single meal with gold coins like Demona was not allowed, buying out the entire restaurant like Zorv did was a different story.

Even though they were both of the four great families, in front of Richmond, even the Wychronon family was merely middle class.

Sure enough, the owner’s eyes changed instantly after checking inside the bag.

─ Please leave! We are closing for today!

─ A-Ah, no, we are eating…!

Although the students were thoroughly flustered by the sudden eviction order, the owner was merciless.

Clatter─ Slam─

They say even a school dog can recite a poem after three years, but the owners who had rolled around the commercial district for a long time were even more formidable.

In the first place, many were graduates of Akerandir, and even if not, the mainstream was composed of famous former adventurers or masters of other magical schools.

The owner of Edelan’s Frying Pan was no exception.

‘He retired and came here after active duty as a famous adventurer for about ten years in the Kingdom of Zelden.’

Naturally, Roan knew his background.

Ultimately, let alone the students who followed Zorv in, even those who were already eating were kicked out of the restaurant in the blink of an eye.

─ How can such a thing happen!

Before them, Talents exactly three times the amount they had already paid fluttered and fell.

─ …Eating somewhere else once in a while is fine too!

─ We can just come back next time!

It was a perfect ending with no one complaining.

“If there is anything you want to eat, I will buy it all. Order as you wish.”

“Brother, you were a better person than I thought?”

Demona brightened up at Zorv’s words.

At that, Zorv clicked his tongue.

What he was thinking internally could be known to everyone even without listening.

“Can I really order everything written on the menu?”

“…Yes.”

Except for Demona.

In contrast to the others who all ordered modestly just enough for themselves to eat, Demona truly tried to order every single menu item.

No, she seemed to have the momentum to even get them packaged to go, just in case.

“If you don’t want to pay with your own money, order moderately.”

“You aren’t even the one buying… That brother has plenty of money. This much is nothing to him, right?”

Glare─!

Having no problem with money was a completely different issue from feeling offended.

“Just one pork roast set meal, please. …With double portions.”

Ultimately, Demona only came to her senses after receiving Roan’s sharp gaze.

After the meal was served, while Roan was cutting off Zorv’s pestering like a knife.

Demona, who was devouring her food, suddenly seemed to recall something and looked at Zion.

“Saintess candidate. Did Brother Zorv tell you how much you are too?”

“What do you…? Ah, yes.”

Zion didn’t understand Demona’s words for a moment, but soon nodded.

Was the expression not too cheap to refer to the proper authority, the Eye of Value?

“How much did he say you are?”

“…Three million gold.”

Zion answered softly, blushing with half embarrassment and half pride.

It was quite embarrassing to say such a large sum of three million gold with her own mouth.

However, hearing Zion’s answer, Demona opened her mouth in a circle and spoke.

“Wow! It’s the same as me?”

“…….”

At the same time, Zion’s expression turned freezing cold.

“Don’t lie.”

Zion simply did not want to believe Demona’s words.

She suddenly thought that she would rather have her value be a mere hundred thousand gold, as long as it was higher than Demona’s.

‘Get a grip! I am a Saintess candidate!’

However, immediately changing her mind, Zion lightly tapped both of her cheeks.

Demona looked at her strangely and asked Roan.

“It’s true. Roan, how many gold did he say I was?”

“…Three million.”

Once even Roan’s confirmation fell, Zion could no longer dismiss it as nonsense.

‘For my value to be equal to Demona’s, this is impossible… Should I form a study group with Darc?’

Zion clenched both hands into tight fists under the table in shame.

She must have felt so aggrieved to even think of aligning with Roan.

By any means, she would definitely widen the gap between herself and Demona by graduation!

It was the moment Zion’s small yet clear goal was born.

Regardless, Demona pointed at Hector, clutching her stomach and laughing.

“You know what? The fanatic is worth ten thousand gold, ten thousand gold! Hahaha!”

“…It is fifteen thousand!”

Hector shouted, flushing red, but even if five thousand gold was added to ten thousand, it was not particularly comforting.

…To Zion, whatever Hector’s value was was equally useless.

At any rate, Lafia and Riel, who were quietly listening to their story, also had their curiosity piqued.

“What is that all about? What is three million gold, and what is ten thousand gold?”

“Curious.”

“I told you it is fifteen thousand!”

As a commotion arose around them.

Roan and Zorv, who were continuing a tug-of-war over the operating rights of Dragon Street, could no longer ignore it either.

Though it was closer to Roan responding to their words to divert the topic somehow.

“Could you evaluate their value once too?”

“Hmm. Sure.”

Zorv nodded readily, although he seemed a bit disappointed.

Evaluating the value of others was also the joy of Zorv, who valued talented individuals.

Owners of the Eye of Value rarely rejected requests to evaluate value.

This was because they considered using the authority granted by Hiloa as much and as well as possible as a repayment for that grace.

“Senior Richmond has an authority called the ‘Eye of Value,’ and he can evaluate your value by converting it to Imperial currency.”

“You can call me Zorv, and I shall call you Roan from now on.”

“…At any rate, that is how it is.”

Roan felt Zorv was becoming increasingly burdensome for some reason.

At any rate, Lafia and Riel reacted with curiosity to Roan’s explanation.

“Wow, such a thing is possible? And the Saintess candidate and Demona received a rating of three million gold?”

“Aw, what is the point of being the same as a bad-tempered Saintess candidate~”

“…Look who’s talking!”

As Demona spoke, leaning back, Zion immediately protested.

Hector snorted as if he had little interest and turned his head.

“Hmph, one of those two will definitely be lower than me.”

“…Isn’t that rude to the two of them, fifteen thousand… no, Hector.”

“What did you just say, Roan!”

Of course, the one who was more overly immersed in Zorv’s Eye of Value than anyone else was Hector, no matter who said what.

“Could you tell me your names?”

“I am Lafia Kedan!”

“Oh, the Kedan family.”

“Ah, do you know our family?”

“Of course. I am always grateful for your devotion to the Empire’s safety. Thanks to the good public order, our family firm also receives a lot of help.”

“Ah, thank you too…”

As expected of the eldest son of the Richmond family, which connected trade routes to every corner of the Empire, Zorv even knew of the Kedan family, a minor noble family.

Since it was an unexpected reaction, Lafia blushed in embarrassment.

Zorv turned his head toward Riel and asked.

“And here?”

“RielHaylickthank…”

“…What did you say?”

Even Zorv, who was well-seasoned in all kinds of accents and dialects, could not immediately understand Riel’s words, which were fast like a suspicious spell.

“She’s saying, ‘To dare try evaluating my value, it’s a duel,’ brother?”

Demona spoke with a serious face, but Zorv didn’t even pay attention and looked at Roan.

“She is Riel Haylick. She says thank you for using the authority.”

“Hmm. I have also heard many stories about the Haylick family. I am indebted to the family head.”

At that, Riel bowed her head very slightly and blushed just a little.

To everyone except Roan, that appearance strangely seemed to fit Demona’s interpretation, so Zorv was slightly flustered.

“…Is it really okay to use the Eye of Value?”

As explained before, the Eye of Value could not be used without the other party’s consent.

Roan glared at Demona while answering Zorv.

“It is really fine.”

“Y-Yes.”

Zorv’s eyes flashed twice like that, and,

“Hmm. Kedan is five hundred thousand, and Haylick is seven hundred thousand.”

“Wow… Wow! Really?”

“So much…!”

“Both are very excellent as freshmen. If you make efforts, it can go up further, so work hard.”

Zorv even positively evaluated the potential of the two.

Lafia and Riel opened their eyes wide in surprise at the amount, which was higher than expected.

Zion also rejoiced as if it were her own affair.

“Congratulations! Both Kedan and Haylick.”

“Hehe, thank you, Saintess candidate. I hear you are much higher.”

“You don’t have to speak so formally, just call me comfortably by my name.”

“Then, Sai… Zion, you speak comfortably too!”

“Should I?”

Along with the giggling atmosphere unique to female students, the dining table brightened up in an instant.

‘…But aren’t they roommates?’

In fact, it was just more surprising to Roan that they hadn’t been close like this even though a week had passed.

Perhaps because the members were who they were, it was difficult to get close.

Roan suddenly became quite curious about how the atmosphere in the Illania Room, which the three shared, had been until now.

“Clar, everyone came out high~ You guys can also work at Brother Zorv’s firm later.”

“Demona, shut up!”

“Don’t tease others just because your value is high!”

“Quiet…”

“N-No. I meant well?”

It seemed Demona was quite impressed by the way Beanin had been so happy yesterday that he even shed tears upon receiving the firm recruitment offer.

“Just kidding, Demona is also amazing! Hehe.”

“Yes… Wait, Lafia, I wasn’t joking?”

“Amazing.”

As the three immediately exchanged compliments as if they had been joking, the air at the table quickly became friendly.

On the other hand, in that atmosphere, there was only one person whose eyes were shooting sparks.

‘All those guys higher than me must be heretics! They must be!’

It was fifteen thousand gold… no, Hector, who was overly immersed in the Eye of Value more than anyone else.

***

In the afternoon, Professor Kaina’s Anti-Black Magic Combat class.

Just as Kaina had said in the first class, starting from the second class, it was conducted at the athletic field of Ciotric Hall.

However, even though the class hour had just begun, Professor Kaina did not appear.

─ What’s going on?

─ Did she go to catch Professor Belec?

Because it didn’t fit Kaina’s image at all, the students gossiped.

Although those words were nonsense, Roan was also slightly puzzled.

‘How unusual.’

It was truly rare for Kaina to be late to class.

Sure enough, like a diligent and enthusiastic professor, Kaina appeared almost immediately.

Boom──!