It's Always Been Pandemonium Before the Semester Starts #1
It was said that the seven gods created the world and fashioned Ludens Island at the very end. Crafted with every ounce of their expertise and devotion, Ludens was vast and beautiful. It was only natural that an island where oceans, lava fields, frozen snow mountains, grasslands, and forests all coexisted would be called a microcosm of the world itself. Naturally, it teemed with people. The population numbered roughly one hundred thousand. Subtract the thirty thousand academy students, and the remaining seventy thousand were civilians—usually graduates of the Prison Academy or island residents who made their living off them.
“Step right up, wolf pelts from the kingdom mainland for sale. Five hundred thousand Rene.”
“Five hundred thousand Rene? That’s five million gold in mainland currency. Wasn’t the original price only fifty thousand gold? You’re inflating it ten times over?”
“Ah, do you have any idea how difficult it was to sail all the way here? My ship was nearly torn in half by the summer typhoon. If you don’t wish to buy it, then don’t.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to buy it, I’m simply asking for a small discount….”
The market near the harbor was as noisy as if the game world had been transplanted directly into reality. With so many travelers arriving by ship from distant lands, the din was almost painful to the ears. The constant hawking and clamor of countless goods created a relentless cacophony.
It’s lively and rather pleasant.
Still, the atmosphere lifted my spirits. Visiting the market always filled me with the resolve that I, too, should live with such vigor.
“There are fewer people here today than I expected! They say a typhoon struck nearby—perhaps that’s why? The goods also seem more expensive than usual.”
Nike tilted her head while observing the crowd. Conversations about a typhoon had indeed been floating through the air. The sea route between Ludens Island and the mainland kingdom was a treacherous stretch of dangerous waters; not just any merchant vessel could make the crossing.
For reference, the variety of trading companies that visited the island changed depending on which quests one cleared. There was the Kraken Trading Company selling rare seafood, the Onyx Trading Company dealing in jewels, and many others. Since the merchants that appeared varied by time of day, it required considerable grinding.
Anyway.
“Nike. You appear considerably composed within this marketplace.”
I had expected Nike to bounce around shouting “There are so many things!” the moment we reached the market, but she remained calm. In fact, she was calmer than I was. Perhaps it was because, earth mage or not, she was a native resident of this world.
“I come to this market every Friday to sell rabbit skins!”
“I see. Then I shall entrust you with guiding us through the market.”
“Guiding is simple enough, but why have we come here? The bank for loans is not at the harbor but on Central Street, is it not?”
“There is something I must purchase first.”
“Hmm….”
Nike made a doubtful sound from beneath her ragged hood.
“Until this morning you seemed quite reliable. Yet suddenly you have become extremely suspicious.”
“In any case, let us move quickly. For those of us burdened with debt, time itself is a resource. Simply standing still incurs a loss.”
“Understood. So where exactly are we going?”
In response to Nike’s question, I informed her of the item I required.
“Eggs?”
“Correct. One will suffice.”
“If it’s only that, they sell them at the school store as well. There is no need to come all the way here, is there?”
“Ludens eggs will not do. It must be a mainland egg that has crossed the sea by ship.”
As far as I knew, they were sold only at this harbor.
“Hmmm….”
Still half-doubting, Nike led me to a shop filled with chickens. The particularly vivid smell of poultry hung thick in the air as a pirate-like merchant bared his yellow teeth and asked.
“You must be student nobles from Ludens. What are you looking for?”
“I wish to purchase one egg. A mainland egg.”
“One egg, eh? Of course we have them. Here, that’ll be five thousand Rene.”
The merchant roughly thrust a single egg forward. Five thousand Rene for one mainland egg. Thinking of it as paying five thousand won for a single egg was enough to make one dizzy. Still, it was a necessary expense. I did not consider it wasteful.
“What are you doing, Nike? Calculate the payment quickly. Time is passing.”
“M-me? I’m the one paying…?!”
Nike jumped in surprise. Why was she startled only now?
“Did I not tell you yesterday? My entire fortune consisted solely of the bottle of water I drank yesterday. Having no cash on hand at present, you must purchase this egg.”
“Hmmmm…, five thousand Rene for a single egg. With that money I could buy five Ludens eggs…. Five eggs would be five full meals….”
“Hehe, but these are quality eggs from fine mainland chickens. So, five thousand Rene it is.”
With obvious reluctance, Nike pulled a coin pouch from her clothing. The jingling gold coins—though to be precise they only resembled gold coins—were not actually gold. They were the magical metal currency known as Rene, created by the mysterious magic unique to Ludens Island.
“The sound of Rene clinking is always pleasant. That is why I brave the storms to come here. Please visit again later.”
“Ugh….”
Seeing how much Nike regretted the expenditure, I decided to encourage her.
“Worry not. Those five thousand Rene shall return as fifty million Rene.”
“…Thinking about it now, it sounds far too absurd and unrealistic. Why did I ever join hands with you? I still have no idea what you are even trying to do.”
Ah, so Nike is feeling anxious.
Explaining the road ahead to one’s investor was an important duty. Therefore, as we left the market, I revealed my plan to her.
“We are going to establish a club. To establish a club, one needs everything from securing a location to workshop materials. That is why we are taking out a loan.”
“A club?”
“Indeed. Since you mentioned having opened a club before, you should easily understand my words.”
“The screening process was incredibly difficult. Will it really be all right?”
“The Fragrant Soup you ate last night. We shall utilize that for the screening.”
A cooking club that prepared food should suffice. Nike, who had tasted the Fragrant Soup, had given it extremely high praise. It was not simply because the dirt-poor Nike had never eaten delicious food before; after visiting the seaside market I understood that clearly. The market itself was generally outdated. Most of the ingredients on display were easily obtainable 3-tier goods. The prepared dishes being sold were all cheap fare. But if I began selling 2-tier food in that market alone? It would be profitable. It was truly only a matter of time.
First we located a bank on Ludens’ Central Street. The student council’s accounting department executive dispatched there rummaged through documents for a long while before speaking.
“Victor, Nike. Both of you have high credit. You can each receive a same-day loan of ten million Rene.”
“Then combined that would be twenty million.”
I had hoped to borrow around fifty million Rene. With fifty million we could secure a proper club room and obtain above-intermediate equipment. With only twenty million, it might be wiser to focus on equipment rather than the room. For the room, we could operate a wheeled street cart, serve customers, and expand into a chain….
“Very well. We shall take the loan.”
“Understood. Please sign here.”
Scribble scribble scribble.
“Nike. You should sign quickly as well.”
“…….”
Faced with the ten-million-Rene loan documents, Nike seemed completely at a loss. It was natural to hesitate. She already carried debt; she would not wish to increase it. People burdened with heavy debt naturally feared taking on more loans for investment. I had once been the same. Yet earning large sums without investment was difficult.
“Invest with the heart of a wild beast, Nike.”
“Wild beast?”
Nike flinched in surprise.
“Heart of a wild beast… You sound exactly like my father.”
“Does your father engage in things such as stocks? Is that why your household carries debt?”
“No, it is not like that. Sigh…. I do not know anymore.”
Nike applied ink to her thumb and stamped the document.
With this, we had obtained twenty million jingling Rene!
Jingle. Heavy.
Nike clutched the bundle of Rene tightly to her chest and trembled.
“…This is the first time I have ever held such a large sum in my life. What if a pickpocket steals it?”
“Then we could apprehend the thief and seek additional compensation, which would be beneficial. However, do not deliberately allow yourself to be pickpocketed. It would become troublesome.”
“I will not do that…! Anyway, we are heading to the student council building now, correct? You said we were starting a club. I know the procedure well. Follow me!”
“No. The student council building comes later. There is a place we must visit first.”
“A place to visit?”
I scanned Nike slowly from head to toe.
“First it would be best to wash and purchase new clothes.”
“Clothes?”
“Correct. Even if plain clothes are excessive, we should at least be able to purchase one clean set of uniform.”
“I already have the clothes I am wearing. This is complete extravagance! You know how expensive the uniform is!”
The uniform was indeed expensive. Following in-game prices, one set would cost around three million Rene. However, the current Nike looked like a homeless person or beggar at first glance. Going to the student council building for screening in such a state? She would certainly be rejected. The balance of food, clothing, and shelter was extremely important—no amount of emphasis could overstate it.
“Nike. If you wish to repay the debt, organize your outward appearance.”
“…Is it not a person’s inner self that matters, rather than their outer appearance?”
“It is easy to think so, but that is incorrect. First impressions are important. You may miss an opportunity that will never come again simply because of how you look. This comes from my experi….”
No, there was no need to tell her that much.
“In any case, grooming one’s appearance is helpful. That does not mean one must dress luxuriously. Simply appearing neat is sufficient.”
If we went as we were, we would not establish a club—we would be rejected outright and perhaps struck with salt once more. It was only natural that people lent their ears more readily to the same words when spoken by someone well-dressed.
“Hmmmm….”
Nike still seemed unable to comprehend. Cramming the debt-repayment strategies filled with the know-how of my youth into her in a single day was apparently no easy task.
“Then let us go.”
I led the hesitant Nike toward the central shopping district. Unlike the boisterous harbor market, the central shopping district was lined with rather antique shops—clothing stores, tool shops, and the like. The roads were straight. The people’s attire was proper. It seemed we were the only irregular ones present.
“This is my first time here since buying my uniform for the entrance ceremony. I am incredibly nervous…. Simply being here makes me feel as if I am committing a crime….”
Nike trembled as she gazed at the accessories displayed beyond the sparkling glass windows. Then she swallowed hard upon spotting something.
“A necklace for thirty million Rene? Even if we combined everything we possess, we could not afford it.”
“There is no need to purchase it. Something like that is precisely a luxury for us at present. Though the price is high, it is merely a 3-tier accessory with only one effect attached.”
“…You know quite a lot.”
Nike’s emerald eyes darted back and forth between her dirty bangs. With money in our pockets and having arrived at a glamorous market, feeling tempted was inevitable. Some might ask whether people carrying heavy debt could suddenly lose their minds over luxury goods the moment they obtained money. Yet such cases occurred surprisingly often. The resigned mindset of ‘It will take forever or even a lifetime to repay the principal anyway. I shall simply spend everything and live roughly until I die!’ truly appeared frequently.
“Nike. Regain your composure.”
“Y-yes.”
Nike’s eyes now left the display window and turned toward the female students walking the street. Today was Friday, the day before the weekend immediately preceding the new semester. The girls who had come shopping in preparation for the new term each carried large shopping bags and laughed merrily. They truly looked like young ladies enjoying their youth. No matter that Ludens was called a prison academy, a leisurely upper class clearly existed.
Nike watched those girls with envious eyes.
“Their shoes and hair are all sparkling…. After how long could I become like that….”
This is rather worrying. Perhaps I should carry the money bundle myself.
“Nike, I shall hold the money.”
“Ugh…. That would be better. But you absolutely must not run off with it! Then I will truly curse you. Even if I look like this, I am a fairly skilled dark magician! Understood?”
We were walking along Central Street engaged in such conversation when it happened.
“I’m telling you it’s true, so what I did yesterday was…. By the way, hey, your ex-boyfriend is passing right there. I mean Victor.”
“What? Where?”
“Just kidding. You keep falling for it. Teasing you is so much fun.”
“Shadi, do you really want to die? And he is not my ex-boyfriend—he is my fiancé, all right? A fiancé decided arbitrarily by the family.”
“All right, all right. Do not get angry, Victorica. If you get mad even after being dumped, it only makes things sadder.”
“…I was not dumped! I dumped him!”
Victorica? I flinched. The unexpected name startled me. Reflexively hiding my body behind a nearby streetlamp was an added bonus. Although Nike looked at me suspiciously and asked, “What are you doing now?” I even forgot to breathe.
Why was I hiding? I had done nothing wrong. Yet my body refused to move easily. Was it not me, Ha Seungri, but Victor who wished to hide?
…Well, it is understandable not wanting to meet one’s former fiancée. It would be awkward deciding what expression to wear when facing her.
“Victor, what exactly are you doing? You are trying to run away with my money! You swindler! Hand over my money this instant!”
However, Nike had begun to suspect my strange behavior. It was only natural for her to throw a fit while I, the one holding her ten million Rene, acted oddly. Thanks to that small commotion, someone noticed our presence.
“Hey, Victorica. Your ex-boyfriend is over there.”
“Shadi, I am not falling for it this time, you know? Do you think I will be fooled again?”
“…Hey, I swear on the God of Order this time it is real. He is with some strange girl. Maybe that girl is the….”
“What? A girl?”