Chapter 100: Artifact (1/2)
8:00 AM, Jyorta woke up in a hurry, taking a glance at the timetable.
”Today is Madam Rizenne's class; if I am late by even a second, I will not be allowed entry.” Jyorta sprang up and picked his basket, hurriedly placing his uniform and toiletries inside. He then locked his door and bolted towards the restroom.
8:20 AM, Jyorta returned to his room, having freshened up in record time. He then placed a pen in his pocket, picked up his notebook, and exited the room. Walking towards the end of the hallway, he noticed sounds from Haesha's room, showing signs of hurried activity.
'She has the habit of getting ready at least 30 minutes before the time. I wonder why she is running late today.'
Jyorta knocked on the door, producing muffled sounds. He didn't want to sound rude by using too much force. Ten seconds after he had knocked, the door opened as Haesha peeked out, glancing at him.
Her expression looked tired, evident by her baggy eyes. It seemed like she hadn't had much rest the previous night. Noticing Jyorta, Haesha gave a wry smile, ”Give me a minute, I am almost done.”
”Okay,” Jyorta nodded, leaning on the wall beside the door, waiting for her. Due to the time constraint, he already decided against eating breakfast. It would be too late by the time he swam through the long queue. Moreover, the classes were held in the Head Office Building; meaning, he would have to consume ample time to traverse till his destination.
A minute later, Haesha walked out, slinging a small bag over her shoulders. It had an open section at the top, showcasing a book and a notebook placed in it. There was also a pouch at the bottom, containing some stationery.
”Shall we go?” Haesha said in a hurry, taking a glance at the time displayed in her watch. She then began to braid her long hair, her actions swift, looking natural. There was a sense of elegance in the way she tied up her hair, accentuating her appearance, serving to accelerate his heart rate.
”Sure,” Jyorta nodded, accompanying her as they descended the stairs. On the way, they noticed the Espers belonging to their batch hurrying after them, looking tired. Some of them even sleepwalked, their eyes barely kept open under sheer willpower.
Taking a glance at Jyorta's face filled with confusion, Haesha sighed, ”The scores of you and Laila have spurred everyone to work harder. 12,000 Credits, I can't even imagine getting that sum.”
”Ahaha,” Jyorta chuckled, ”The truth of the matter is that the two of us have been tutored by the Walta Professors. That is the only reason our base is that strong.”
'One of us is a transmigrator while the other is a transmigrator plus an old monster. Moreover, I have already appeared for all the tests in maths, and chemistry. I have also taken quite a few tests in physics, one of my strong suits to accumulate that score. After this, I would also have to start learning like others to gain more Credits.'
”Walta professors…” Haesha scrunched her brows, trying to recall the name. After a couple of seconds, her expression froze, looking at Jyorta in shock, ”You mean, Professor Rishinik Walta and Professor Rishishen Walta?”
”Yeah,” Jyorta nodded, confirming her guess.
”How rich are you to be able to afford them? Is there even a limit to the wealth of the aristocratic families?” Haesha muttered, feeling her head spin.
”There is nothing of the sort,” Jyorta shook his head, sporting a wry smile. ”The taxes we have to pay are even higher than the common folk. Moreover, we also have to pay taxes to our Family to support research. If we didn't have anyone at Tier 3, we would have been doomed. Many branches in our family are ridden with debt when the capable ones are killed.”
He then sighed, continuing with a sombre tone, ”Central command also tasks us missions every month. Paving the path for the development of the city, those tasks are left to the aristocratic families. So, we would have to send most of the elites from our Family to the Wild Zones and kill the Frenzy beasts.”
”So, there is no free lunch after all.” Haesha nodded, feeling her previous illusions shatter.
”Hey, at least we possess an Unranked Skill.” Jyorta smiled, ”This massively increases our strength. Using that, we can easily complete our tasks. Our Family members that have become Shifters are incredibly rich. We wouldn't have been imposed with such taxes if we didn't have the capability to pay them.”
8:30 AM, Madam Rizenne arrived in the auditorium, closing the six double-doors upon entry. She then noticed a sharp decline in the crowd, the ones seated sporting tired expressions.