Healing at the Academy convenience store

The academy city of Jephryn.

It’s the stage for the main part of the D/Z SAGA.

According to the setting book, it’s an artificial island created by the first Emperor of the Roengreen Empire and the royal court wizards on what used to be the ocean.

Yet, it boasts such natural scenery that it’s hard to believe it’s man-made, including mountains, canyons, rivers, and even deserts, volcanic zones, glaciers, and jungles within the island.

And to the contemporary minister’s question of what he would use this Jephryn for, the first Emperor answered with a single word, ‘Academy’.

The Emperor’s intent in investing his capabilities to create Jephryn was to make a huge academy city.

The academy city, academy island, and academy fortress Jephryn.

The well-known anecdote is that the contemporary minister grabbed the Emperor by the collar and called him a ‘crazy bastard’, but Jephryn later became the greatest achievement of the first Emperor.

Because the Empire would rejuvenate around Jephryn over the course of three hundred years.

So why has Jephryn, which is like a natural history museum, become a symbol of royal glory?

Because the essence of continental education is gathered in the Academy Island of Jephryn.

If you have the ability, it provides education without discriminating against commoners, and it’s densely populated with all of the continent’s education.

First, it’s broad. Jephryn offers a wide range of learning opportunities, to the point that you can take a liberal arts course on the traditional culture of a small country of a thousand people. Students decide what they want to learn in this land filled with infinite possibilities, and professors assist them.

Second, it’s prestigious. This academy, which educates royalty, nobility, and talented commoners from all over the continent for 7 years, receives respect everywhere in the world just by graduating.

Third, it’s profound. The purpose of all the curriculums of Jephryn is to develop the entire continent and secure the future key figures of each country from a young age. It’s impossible to escape from Jephryn, which is an island. To make your child elite, you must send them to Jephryn, but sending them to Jephryn is no different from letting your child be taken hostage by the royal court. This combination of nurturing and political effectiveness has made each country of the continent loyal to the Roengreen Empire.

Students strive day and night to excel in their chosen fields, not only in swordsmanship and magic but also in etiquette, liberal arts, commerce, management, and even self-sufficiency, hunting, or farming.

This place is Jephryn.

If you wish, you can amass wealth through business while in school, and it’s an artificial island where you can fight bloody battles with monsters that transcend life and death.

The greatest symbol of humans surpassing nature. The paradise of learning for all students.

“The account information for Mr. Wolfram you inquired is as follows.”

“……”

“You have no money. It’s 0 Rin.”

This was the only hellish place for me.

***

Jephryn Central Bank.

Of course, the world’s currencies are not unified, and each country’s monetary system such as Doge, Ripple, EOS, Maro, Stella, Ignis operates separately.

This place, which exchanges those currencies into Rin, a currency that is only valid in Jephryn, also serves as a currency exchange for the world.

And the account balance of Wolfram, the former student council president and the child of the Emperor, is…

“Do I have no money?”

“Yes.”

There was none.

Not even a penny.

Does that make sense?

Regardless of anything, isn’t it strange that a prince and student council president of the royal family doesn’t have a single penny in deposit?

“Please print out the account transaction history.”

“Yes.”

The employee cheerfully printed out the deposit and withdrawal history of my account, and I was taken aback as I looked at it.

[Depositor: Royal Court

Deposit amount: 30,000,000R

Withdrawal location: Eastern Magic Deposit/Withdrawal Machine

Withdrawal amount: 30,000,000R

Withdrawer: Wolfram von Roengreen

Cash service record: 200,000,000R

Withdrawer: Wolfram von Roengreen.]

Leaving the bank, I quietly examined the deposit and withdrawal history.

Every month, 80 million Rin is deposited under the guise of dignity. In the official setting, Rin has a similar ratio to Won. In other words, a student has been spending 80 million Won(61,000 USD) every month.

This guy spent everything. He spent it on clothes, suspicious magical tools, gambling, and handing it out when those around him flattered him. It’s not that there is no money, it’s that this guy spent it all. And now, this guy is me.

I came out of the bank.

“Dormitory. Yeah, there might be something in the dormitory.”

Jephryn Dormitory 1. Glastheim is a building with 58 floors above ground and 7 floors underground.

Having used the top VIP room of this magnificent dormitory alone, there must be one or two expensive items inside. Selling those could help me secure some funds.

I remembered the map, and as soon as I opened the dormitory main gate.

“Wolfram von Roengreen, your check-out process has been completed.”

“…What?”

“This is your luggage, Wolfram. We thank you for using our dormitory until now.”

Two suitcases are thrown in front of my eyes. The staff member in charge of the lobby smiled kindly at me and then bowed her head.

“Then. We hope you enjoy your life at the academy.”

And then I was kicked out.

“………”

The world has abandoned me.

***

“Still, it’s not bad. Rather, it’s good.”

If I crank up my happiness circuit, a path somehow shows up.

In the luggage, there were some reasonably expensive looking items.

A necklace and ring each studded with gems. There, a ceremonial sword. One magical wand. An old magical book.

“It’s worth trying.”

Given that I was originally a member of the royal family, the items I carried were usually expensive.

Even if I don’t have a job, if the belongings I have are high-end, then it’s okay to make some money by selling them.

Fortunately, I know the location of a good antique shop or pawnshop based on the original work.

“Hmm. You came to sell something?”

“···Yes.”

The pawnshop run by the dwarf students has a keen eye.

They find their own way, and grow by focusing on ‘commerce’, such as how to see, buy, sell, and make goods in the academy.

In particular, the Dwarves’ guild, ‘Maestro’, is excellent with its strict rules. Although they haggle hard, they do not cheat. I am confident that I can negotiate the price of the goods here.

Dwarf characters are usually obsessed with money, but they are quite fun and honest when made into friends.

The way to gain the favor of the dwarfs is weaponry, including swords. Especially, these guys can’t live without swords, so I should start by selling the ceremonial sword to get the money.

Just as I was about to unlock the suitcase, a cold voice rang from across the table.

“Ah, no need to open.”

“······What do you mean?”

“Don’t you understand? It’s a boycott. Even if the item inside is the divine sword of the wind, Rafir Regina, we have no intention to purchase.”

“Why not? Does the money-hungry dwarf also pick and choose what to take?”

“That’s how it is. Please leave. It’s also difficult for us.”

“······.”

The dwarf student scratched his chin beard, clicked his tongue, and sighed.

And so, I was kicked out.

“………”

Why?

Did they release a Wolfram version or something?

“No. Calm down. Calm down. Count the primes. The numbers that can only be divided by 1 and themselves give me courage···.”

Muttering nonsense, I kept thinking.

Yeah. Wolfram might have caused trouble at the pawnshop.

He might have beaten up the dwarfs because he had no money, or he might be on the blacklist because he bullied Maestro.

“If not Maestro, then it’s Yggdrasil.”

The alliance of elves. They are cold but they do not refuse.

There, I have magical clothes to sell. Anyone can see it’s a top-quality product.

There, I noticed that this clothing is treated with El Condor silk, which the elves love to death.

If I sell this to the elf guild, Yggdrasil, I should be able to make a considerable amount of money.

“Maybe around three million?”

If it’s El Condor silk from the original work, it should be about that much. If it’s Symbolry silk above that, maybe about five million.

Elves dislike unfair trades, and they have no reason to have any hard feelings towards me.

When I arrived at the Yggdrasil branch in the center of Jephryn and requested a meeting with an elf···.

“We refuse.”

“······Do you know what this item is?”

“It’s a garment made from the finest El Condor silk. It’s a top-quality product.”

“Knowing that, you still won’t buy it?”

“Yes.”

“···Do you know it’s an incredible luxury item?”

“Of course. The price is 30 million Rin. Shall I put a price tag on it?”

“Thirty million?”

“Yes. That’s about right.”

Inside, I smiled. I doesn’t know the price at all, this is the perfect situation to catch a sucker.

“Then I’ll sell it for ten million.”

“We will not buy it.”

“······Ten million.”

“We refuse.”

I faced a colder refusal than from the dwarf.

It’s a 30 million Rin garment that won’t sell.

“Can I hear the reason?”

“I’m sorry. It’s difficult to explain, but the position of Yggdrasil will not change.”

Coldly, why are you acting like this, really.

***

“……”

Afterwards, I tried to sell my magic book at the golden tower, but it didn’t sell. Rather, I was rejected more coldly.

Neither dwarves nor elves are working. Even humans won’t accept it.

Strange.

It’s very different from the strategies I knew.

This isn’t a route made entirely by brute force.

When I start Jephryn, it’s always the first thing to do – faction favorability work.

Once I’ve done this favorability work, from Act 4 onwards, they sell rare items.

And then you buy that and either use the blacksmith skill to make equipment, or enjoy the profit margin.

It’s a play that’s essential in the Golden Hand ending. But, if they don’t even buy it and communication doesn’t work, what should I do?

“…Should I try selling it again?”

Somehow, with the ceremonial sword in hand, I walked the streets as darkness began to fall.

That’s how I went to the Maestro Guild, and the dwarf who had been staring at the sword sighed.

“Quality product.”

“Isn’t it?”

Even by my standards, it’s a quality item. It’s for ceremonial use, but it’s worth at least 500,000.

“Once again, our Maestro cannot buy that item.”

“I can’t understand. Don’t you know this item is a masterpiece?”

“…I do.”

“Then, isn’t the name of the Maestro a waste? Buy a good product at a fair price. That’s the belief I know of your side. If a good product falls into the hands of a bad owner, wasn’t it the virtue of the Maestro to save it?”

“……”

At my words, the dwarf’s eyes trembled momentarily.

This is an official setting. Dwarves are the type to tremble endlessly at the sight of a good metal product.

But refusing to buy it, isn’t that against their belief?

“Reason, reason…”

The dwarf stroked his beard and took a deep breath, looking at me.

“Because you are the seller, Wolfram von Roengreen. Even bad things have limits.”

“······?”

“Rumors have already spread at dawn today, Wolfram von Roengreen is no longer the student council president. So Maestro, Yggdrasil, Diabolos and the Five-Color Tower should not treat him as the student council president.”

I’m well aware of the blame and resentment I’m going to receive.

First, sell the sword, sell the clothes, sell the magic book and get into even the lowest dormitory. Then, seize the opportunity to somehow rise to the end of this game.

So I put on a poker face.

“What does that matter? I’m now a regular student. I’m not asking for equal treatment, but the fact that the deal itself can’t be refused, is contradictory to the ideology of Maestro I know.”

“…It’s not necessarily contradictory.”

“What?”

“Maestro always puts the guild’s interest first.”

“Are you saying that a deal with me is a loss?”

“As you know, even in this Jephryn, only the student council president can stand above us, that the only higher-ranking person and the fact that the next student council president is hostile to you are important.”

“……”

I sobered up there.

The entire Jephryn is wary of me because the next student council president, Eve, is hostile to me. No, they’re deliberately ignoring it.

Because they don’t want to be out of favor with the Roengreen Royal Family.

Because they don’t want to look bad to the next regime.

“···I see. I understand. Thank you for the explanation.”

“I didn’t expect to hear a thank you from you. Hmm. Pardon me, but are you the notorious student council president?”

“I’ve had some realizations. I plan to live quietly from now on.”

“…Give me that sword.”

“Are you thinking of buying it?”

“No. I’ll put a price tag on it. Roughly about 50 million Rin.”

“50 million?”

“That’s right. Even with our Maestro’s utmost appraisal, 50 million should come out easily.”

“……Hmm. I see.”

Are they messing with me? Or is there a reason?

Anyway.

Looking at the item worth 50 million inside the bag, I laughed.

I feel full without even eating.

“Let’s start a new life with this.”

Amazingly, it’s about the same amount of money I had saved before coming into this world.

Yes. Once again.

In this hellish world.

Let’s try to start over again.