Genuine Friends (Pay-to-Win)
The first to adapt was Pino, the girl with the sharp green hair.
“Hmm. What’s your angle here, Mr. Midas?”
“Just call me Chrome. Gets confusing with Fiore otherwise.”
“Fine. Chrome, then. So what’s this little get-together really about?”
“It’s my small, selfish wish to build some real bonds with the people I’ll be stuck with for the next few years. I dragged you out on your day off, so the least I can do is pay for everything.”
That alone seemed to tell Pino exactly what I was after.
“I’ve got a lot of things I want to buy. You’re sure I don’t have to hold back?”
I handed her a small pouch without a word. When she peeked inside, her eyes went wide.
“Whoa. The scale really is on another level. Rabaul, mind carrying some bags? If there’s anything you want, grab it.”
Despite Pino’s casual offer, the gray-curled young man in scholar’s robes—Rabaul—frowned.
“Hmm. Sage. No matter how you look at it, accepting goods from someone you barely know without offering anything in return is—”
“Isn’t it worse to reject a gift that carries a new friend’s sincere feelings? How awkward would that be for everyone?”
“I… suppose that’s true. Ignoring goodwill is hardly proper.”
“Good. Then let’s move.”
With brisk steps, Pino dragged Rabaul off to browse the shops.
“She established the power dynamic pretty fast,” Fiore remarked. No one disagreed.
“Shall we go too, Miss Akasha?”
The woman called Akasha shrugged. “I don’t mind, but are you sure this is okay?”
“Of course. You helped me during the exam—this is just my way of saying thanks. Oh, that looks delicious!”
“Not bad at all. In that case, I’ll gladly accept, Brother of Fiore.”
“Chrome is fine.”
“Then you can call me Akasha.”
With that absurdly oversized greatsword strapped to her back and her surprisingly boyish gestures and speech, she vanished into the crowd of the shopping district as well.
Loto hesitated. “Um, Sir Chrome? I’m really all right, so I’ll just—”
“Loto.”
I looked him dead in the eye, expression serious.
“Between having good equipment and having no equipment at all, which do you think gives you a higher survival rate in this academy?”
Loto stared back with equal gravity and answered.
“I’ll be in your debt, Sir Chrome.”
Finally, the last holdout—Crow Vein—grumbled.
“What the hell is this? Some rich kid’s money-flaunting party? Sorry, but I—”
I ignored him and turned to Ligret.
“Come to think of it, you need a new weapon after the one you broke during the exam. Let’s get you one today.”
“Got anything like a war hammer? Against hard-skinned opponents, blunt force seems more efficient than blades.”
“From what I’ve heard, they poured just as much money into the shopping district as they did the school buildings, so they should have something. Might even be enchanted blades with special spells. Oh, and Crow—I heard you’re a swordsman too. Want to tag along?”
BLITZ FORGE
After passing the signboard engraved in heavy, imposing letters, we stepped inside. Silver weapons, armor, and shields gleamed on display like they were greeting customers.
“Hmm. Customers, are you?”
The man behind the counter rose. Short-cropped hair, muscular frame, skin flushed red from the forge, and stubborn eyes—he was the very picture of a blacksmith.
“What are you here for? If you’re looking for new weapons for academy classes, check the shelves over there.”
I answered, “Do you carry magic tools as well?”
His eyebrow twitched.
“We do.”
The owner fetched a silver sword from the deepest display.
“This blade carries a wind enchantment. Twice a day it can unleash blades of rushing wind.”
“Ooh!” Loto’s eyes sparkled.
Magic tools ranged from everyday conveniences to massive infrastructure supports, but the ones crafted as weapons were especially expensive. They needed durability, perfect balance as both weapon and magical device, and that drove the cost up.
Crow didn’t seem particularly impressed, but I understood why.
His family isn’t exactly poor, after all.
Crow Vein was one of the major characters in Planetarium, the third son of the Vein family—a prestigious swordsmanship house from the Nahat Grand Duchy. He’d lost to Ligret in the entrance exam, but among the dozens of potential allies, he ranked in the top ten for physical fighters. Getting to know both him and Ligret at once was a stroke of luck.
His family’s strict traditions mean he doesn’t have much personal spending money, right? Perfect.
His standards would be high from growing up around quality gear, but his wallet would be light. Ideal conditions for winning him over.
I told the owner, “Anything else? Swords or hammers. Show me the best you have in the shop.”
The stubborn-looking craftsman frowned.
“Listen, kid. It’s not good to chase the best weapons before you’ve earned them. I recommend growing into your gear gradually.”
Without a word, I pulled out a pouch and set it on the counter. The moment he saw the glint of gold inside, he froze—then laughed.
“Already picked up some bad habits, have you? I should’ve expected this when I opened a shop near an academy full of noble brats—”
Thud. Thud.
I silently placed two more identical pouches on the counter.
The owner cleared his throat. “Choosing a weapon you’ll carry for life early and training with it is actually quite wise. You said swords or hammers—any interest in shields?”
“Come back anytime! I’ll have better stock ready for you next time!”
In the end, the owner sold us three different magic tools plus a pile of other equipment. He lamented his own lack of preparation for not having even better pieces ready and begged us to visit again.
“…Hey. Are you really okay with me taking this?”
Crow held the flaming-enchantment blade with an uneasy expression.
“Ligret’s using something else anyway, and the price wasn’t that bad. It’s fine.”
Of course that was a lie. No matter how much I’d saved, magic tools were luxury items. The one I gave Crow wasn’t top-tier, but it was definitely among the better mid-grade pieces.
Still, I acted casual because it was easier to let him accept it naturally. If I made a big deal about how expensive it was, he might feel burdened and refuse. Better to let him use it first and realize its value later.
Ligret picked out a war hammer with impact-amplification enchantments and a shield that could shrink down with a spell for easy carrying. Loto refused any magic tools, saying they were impossible for him, but he still walked away with several high-quality pieces of gear.
“Still… it feels wrong to just take all this.”
“Then pay me back later. Half the class seems like the type who won’t just sit quietly in lectures anyway. Help me if I’m in danger—that’ll be enough.”
“Haha! If that’s all, no problem! Chrome, was it? Just leave it to me when the time comes!”
Crow laughed heartily and clapped me on the shoulder. He really was a simple, good friend.
Pino returned with armfuls of daily necessities, consumables, and clothes. Rabaul, who had been carrying her mountain of bags, bowed to me after picking up a few new books himself.
“Here is your change.”
“Thanks. And don’t worry about it. I’ll return the favor someday, Golden-Handed One.”
“It’s nothing.”
Pino whispered, “That student Nicolaus has been spreading bad rumors about the Midas family all over the place. I’ve already warned the ones we’ve gotten close to, but anything more is difficult.”
“Don’t push yourself.”
She knew her limits and was quick-witted. As a business partner, she was ideal.
Fiore bought a single piece of jewelry and some fatigue-recovery potions. Akasha seemed to have gotten a new pair of boots. Both of them had also picked up what looked like spray bottles. When I asked what they were, Fiore answered with a mischievous grin.
“Perfume made through alchemy. The scent itself is wonderful, but it has a side effect that makes older people sneeze when they smell it. So it was on sale.”
“We don’t have any elderly people in our class, so no problem, right?”
“…Yeah. Exactly.”
Watching the two of them exchange wicked smiles, I briefly considered offering a silent prayer for the suffering old Shotar would soon endure. But then I remembered it was entirely his own fault and decided against it.
After that, I continued playing the role of generous sponsor throughout the shopping district. My wallet grew painfully light, but in exchange, the once-awkward group slowly filled with laughter.
At dinner, I raised a glass filled with juice. The concept of minors was vague here, and there were naturally no age restrictions on alcohol. Still, I judged it unwise to start the first official day of classes hungover—especially with Professor Istal watching. So juice it was.
"""""Cheers!"""""
Watching the group chat noisily over dinner with people they’d barely interacted with before, I smiled.
Some might click their tongues and call it buying friends with money, but the effect was undeniable. It worked perfectly.