“Here, we have the main study hall. As long as your problems are of the usual nature, this is the place you will go to seek advice.” Pointing her hand at a spacious building in the middle of an otherwise low-rise area, the guide smiled. Appearing to be in her middle twenties, her brown skin coated with insanely white hair made her truly a marvel to look at.

‘I guess they changed the strategy, huh?’ Smiling to his own thoughts, Layn ignored the building the girl was presenting just like he did with the entirety of this trip. ‘After all, we are here to show ourselves to everyone else, not to learn about the layout of this place.’

Satisfied with the current course of the events, Layn decided to focus on something far more important and urgent. Holding up Irea’s hand, they were actually supposed to enjoy this trip before going for a meal and then a romantic date somewhere in the meadows!

“Junior, I don’t think you are appreciating the wonders of the academy at all.” Suddenly attacking, the guide pressed on with her brightest smile. What she didn’t know though, was that the intensity behind this expression killed all of the cuteness that would show otherwise.

“Oh, don’t mind me, senior. I’m not going to stay in this place for long, so I just can’t feel the need to learn all this stuff.” Putting on not an arrogant, but sheepish smile, Layn refused to act in line with what he just said. “You see, the one thing that I regretfully remember is one of my friends claiming that the world isn’t actually flat, but round!” Suddenly striking a pose, Layn covered his face with his hand. “Can you believe it? For me to remember that such a question even exists… I would much rather learn more about local wines or good places to eat!”

Playing the role of a slightly dumb, happy-go-lucky persona, Layn perfectly enjoyed himself. With the added sugar of Irea constantly losing it from laughter and desperately attempting to hide it, the guide quickly turned into another type of leisure.

“You little…” Muttering through her clenched jaws, even their guide was slowly losing her patience. “That’s why I hate normies…” Adding yet another unexpected comment, the girl turned around, allowing her long, white hair to flutter on the wind. And smack both Layn’s and Irea’s faces by ‘accident’.

Despite all the fun they had, the guide continued. From the main teaching hall, through the common quarters for the disciples, villa plaza where elders and more prominent teachers lived…

‘I wonder…’ There was one thing that was obviously wrong with this place. Something so obvious and so out in the open, that Layn actually had to take his time to notice it. ‘This place is way bigger than it should be…’

The location of the academy was in a fortress atop a small hill. According to Irea’s lecture, only later the growing city swallowed the outpost, filling the gaps between the old town and the vanguard fortress. But while outer academy was fitting that space perfectly…

Just where did the space for all those massive buildings come from?

‘Teleportation? No, that’s super hard even for the modern magic…’ Pondering over this topic for the greater part of their trip, Layn occasionally even lost awareness of Irea snuggling up to his side. On the other side, while some signs of anxiety occasionally appeared on the girl’s face, she appeared to grow used to Layn’s antics.

‘A condensed space? That’s possible even with their level of knowledge but still…’ Puzzled by this problem, Layn continued to look around with curiosity. Beside him, the blonde guide took it for a good sign. As a result, rather than keeping up the slightly hostile nature from before, her instructions and lectures turned a bit more inspired and engaging.

In the end, Layn could only give up on trying to figure out the answer to his problem. Without proper samples, testing, and discovery learning, he would be unable to determine the variables of this space. As such, even if he could somehow prove that this indeed was abnormal space, not knowing what kind would make the entire scientific endeavor completely useless.

“And here you have the market. Most of the goods that our fellow disciples and teachers obtain will circulate through this place. What’s more,” for the first time since the trip started, a true passion appeared in the eyes of the blonde, as she turned her hand towards the open area covered with primitive rain shields, “once in a while, a treasure from the core sect will make its way here, granting great opportunities for anyone lucky enough to obtain one!”

Just from the way in which the girl explained the possible event one could clearly tell how big this matter was. Even if only for the disciples of the inner sect, the fact that some goods circulated from the core academy to its inner division managed to score a few points for this place in Layn’s mind.

“Oh, I believe this group is here to talk with you…” Suddenly, the voice of the guide changed. Clearly unhappy about the development, she pointed her hand towards the approaching group, ‘accidentally’ standing in the position where the entire side of her body was fully exposed. With her robe consisting of two straight patches of cloth bound by several straps on her side, not a hip nor a side of her chest escaped Layn’s attention.

“That’s right, I just wonder what kind of development they will choose.” Averting his eyes from this as alluring sight as it was dangerous, Layn looked towards the group. In it, two familiar faces of the young student who pestered him a few times and the man who brought the message back to Irea’s house.

And obviously, they held the backline, with two older and clearly more powerful disciples treading forward at the front.

“Esteemed senior, it’s our pleasure to finally meet you.” As soon as the group of five approached them, the trio at the front bowed deeply, clapping their hands together to pay their respects. Even though this form of greeting was something new for the archmage, the intent behind this motion was obvious.

“I understand that you came here to pay me the offered amount?” Smiling gently, Layn took a step forward while pulling Irea to the side. As a result, half of her body was hidden behind the archmage.

“Yes, obviously.” Noticing the actions of the archmage, the disciple leading the group only smiled apologetically before lowering his face and bringing out a simple, silver ring to the open.

“One thousand grade one stones and two hundred grade two ones, am I right?” Passing the ring on his open palm, the leader of the group smiled in order to diffuse the tension.

“Just tell me one thing…” Lowering and then shaking his head, Layn then looked sharply at the leader of the group. “Why did you assume I would agree to such disgraceful price?” Shaking the side of his robe away, Layn locked his hands behind his back before raising his chin a bit. “Five hundred grade two stones. You have two days to gather the money. Once two days pass, every next day will increase the price by twofold.”

Squinting his eyes, Layn looked with a relaxed smile on the shocked group before suddenly turning around.

“Come, dear. My mood turned foul.” Grabbing Irea’s hand once again, Layn’s smile finally relaxed to its usual form.

“We…” Attempting to say something, the leader stopped before a real sentence would come out of his mouth. Swallowing his saliva, he lowered his head for a moment as an expression of extreme focus appeared on his face. “We will bring the money tomorrow!’ Raising his head only to shout after the leaving group, the leader of the inner disciples could only bite his lips in frustration.

“Five hundred grade two stones?” After a moment when they walked sufficiently far away, Irea asked. “That’s a really serious amount of money. Even for an inner disciple… Even for them, gathering so much can be challenging.”

Speaking up as if she wanted to defend the other party, Irea quickly realized it herself. Pursing her lips, she didn’t try to speak for them anymore.

“You see, what I did was just a letter of challenge.” Smiling to his own thoughts as if unbothered by the entire encounter, Layn freed his hand from Irea’s hold only to gently pat her head. Already used to this hobby of her man, Irea only hummed slightly when Layn’s fingers rubbed her scalp.

“If they bring me the money as requested, I will take the deal and leave. Five hundred grade two stones is about how much I would price that shrine for.” Explaining this simple reality, Layn suddenly stopped before turning around. With the guide not daring to follow them after the scene he caused, they had the luxury of being all alone, surrounded by nothing but the gentle breeze.

“On the other hand, if they refuse, then I will just let the shrine decay.” Shaking his shoulders, Layn brought his hand up before pointing at the building in the distance. “It’s the teaching hall that lass shown before. If the treasure that our shrine is based on will decay, and it will, then an explosion around the size of this building would consume it.”

With a vile smile appearing on Layn’s lips, even Irea trembled under the immense pressure of his killing intent. “I just can’t wait to see how they will respond.. I love it when people unknowingly seal their fates with their own sins.”