Chapter 18: Choosing a Bedroom
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 18: Choosing a Bedroom
Seeing my refusal, the little robot vacuum calling itself a Smart Butler took the hint and went back to its own business.
As I stepped inside, the place seemed to burst with new life, as if the entire house were waking up. To put it simply, the main power switch for the whole building had been flipped.
Of course, it might not have been a matter of electricity. The design of this house was incredibly sophisticated; the patterns on the walls, which looked like mere decorations, were integrated seamlessly into the aesthetic. If I hadn't used my Spirit Vision, I wouldn't have realized that these glowing lines weren't just decorative LED strips.
It was mana—or at least some kind of transcendent power—flowing through them.
The flow of energy activated various standby appliances, creating the illusion that the house was waking up.
"Fascinating, isn't it? Many things in the academy are mana-driven. As long as you store your excess mana here, they'll keep running. It looks like the seniors who lived here before left quite a bit of mana behind for you."
Bai Yu walked over to my side. Seeing me standing there in a daze, she offered an explanation.
"Does that mean we don't have to pay for electricity or anything?"
I blurted out the question instinctively. After all, even with a free house, the utility bills for a place this size would be a massive burden. Not having to pay for electricity was simply wonderful!
Though, I'd have to inject mana regularly in the future. I just hoped I wouldn't end up as a human mobile battery.
"Pretty much. Since everything here is mana-driven, once you master the methods of mana manipulation, you can easily control all the mana-powered appliances remotely. For example, like this."
Under my curious gaze, Bai Yu snapped her fingers. Immediately, the hidden air conditioner in the living room hummed to life, and the massive screen mounted on the wall lit up.
Was that a TV?
Come to think of it, do people still actually watch TV these days?
In my past life, I'd stopped watching it entirely; the TV was just a decoration that wasn't even plugged in. However, in my memories of this life, my parents were quite fond of it—though they rarely let me watch.
I didn't care much, since I wasn't interested anyway.
Had I simply failed to get the hint that my parents disliked me back then? Or did they just not want me watching TV?
My cheap brother, on the other hand, watched it all the time. My strongest memory was of them paying for a VIP subscription for him—specifically for the children's channel.
I remember being speechless at the time. Since when did TV have paid VIP channels?
Still, seeing a TV here piqued my curiosity. I wondered if it would have a signal, and what kind of channels it would have.
There would probably be a news channel. Unfortunately, I hadn't paid much attention to the affairs of this world, likely because I lacked a sense of belonging. Watching gossip-filled news that lacked international conflict was honestly quite boring.
"...This just in: The heads of the Three Top Academies have responded to the Witch Academy's aggressive recruitment tactics. Regarding the incident, the Necromancy Academy expressed extreme outrage, stating that this behavior is... Additionally, we interviewed Ms. Gongxi, the head of the Admissions Office at Afuhemi Academy, who voiced a serious protest against these egregious actions..."
The TV happened to be broadcasting the news at that exact moment, and the content was indeed surprising.
No, actually, it wasn't surprising at all now.
Sister Bai, however, turned the TV off directly. "More mindless news. Every year at this time, the airwaves are flooded with this stuff. Why doesn't a reporter ever interview the Witch Academy?"
Interview the Witch Academy...
That would be a death wish, offending the Three Top Academies to the core. Aren't they afraid of getting beaten up?
Besides, I had a feeling that if there really were an interview, that senior sister would probably be smiling while saying the most provocative things. Thinking about it that way, I was actually starting to look forward to it!
Who doesn't love a good catfight?
I wanted to see blood flowing into a river!
Of course, as long as the crossfire didn't hit me. And I'll admit, I was just talking big just now; I wasn't actually advocating for war.
Compared to the useless TV, I was more interested in Sister Bai's trick. This was a lazy person's paradise!
I was about to use the current topic to ask how I could master the mana in my body when Sister Bai beat me to it.
To put it bluntly, this was just an academy dorm, and a shared one at that. That meant we had to divide the beds—or in this case, the bedrooms.
"Come on, let's go upstairs and check out the bedrooms. Pick one you like and claim it first." Sister Bai took my hand and prepared to lead me upstairs.
"After all, we still need to unpack your luggage and check what supplies you're missing. You'll need to purchase those yourself."
"Oh."
I followed Sister Bai upstairs obediently, dropping the subject I'd been thinking about. Though, I wasn't even sure what luggage I had—wasn't it just that one small bag?
And right now, it was still in Sister Bai's storage space.
What was there to "unpack"?
As for supplies, as long as it wasn't a necessity, I was too lazy to buy it (and too broke). But picking a bedroom was indeed important.
Since I was the first to arrive, I wasn't going to play nice for roommates I hadn't even met yet.
It wasn't even certain if we'd get along. While I hoped we would, I wasn't going to force it. We were randomly assigned by the academy; at most, they just had more money than me. If they acted up while living under the same roof, I wasn't going to indulge them.
If you've got such a superiority complex, you could've spent money to live somewhere better. Why live with us?
After a while, I snapped out of it. I hadn't even met my roommates yet, and I was already simulating a "wicked roommate" drama?
I stopped those thoughts; it was bad luck!
I should hope that the roommates living with me are all easy-going, pretty girls.
After all, I'm easy to get along with, and as for being pretty... I'll work on that in the future!
I've only just started being a girl, after all.
"Xiao Han, do you have any requirements for the bedroom? Lighting, position, ventilation, or anything else?"
"I'm not really picky."
I spoke modestly. Even though I'd just told myself I wouldn't be polite, when it came time to actually choose, I didn't have many demands.
Even if the room was backlit, dark, or in a corner, I didn't mind. Anywhere was more comfortable than living at home.
"You still have to pick one," Bai Yu said with a slight smile. Seeing my indecision, she made a direct recommendation.
"How about this one?"
Bai Yu pushed open a bedroom door. The interior was exquisitely decorated. The curtains were drawn back, revealing a massive, clear floor-to-ceiling window with a balcony outside.
If it was this bedroom, it would definitely work.
"Yeah, this is the one!"
I settled on it happily.
"Don't want to see the others? What if there's a better one?"
"Contentment brings happiness. No matter how many options there are, you can only pick one in the end, right? Better to be decisive now than to hesitate later."
"True enough."
Bai Yu walked into the bedroom with me. Then, a suitcase appeared out of thin air in her hand—the same one I'd been carrying before we left.