“Everyone gets a piece of the pie, sister! I did contribute a bit this time, after all. Once we turn it into cash, we split it thirty-seventy, deal? Thirty for me, seventy for you.”
Taking advantage of Yelena looking down and diligently taking notes off to the side, Greg quickly leaned toward Victoria and whispered at a volume only the two of them could hear.
Victoria shot him a glare.
“Hmph, don't give me that. Even if you hadn't barged in, I would've found a way to make her swallow her own bitter pill. This thing would've ended up mine regardless. At best, you were just the icing on the cake.”
That said, remembering that she still owed Greg several favors, she didn't refuse.
Hearing the implicit agreement in her tone, Greg immediately pushed on: “I knew you were a real loyal friend! In that case, as a bonus, I'll give you a piece of intel for free—specifically, where you can sell this item for the absolute highest price.”
“Hm?”
Victoria's ears instantly perked up. When it came to gold coins, she was always deadly serious.
Greg: “Outside the academy, in the Market District on Third Street, right near the corner by the Old Clock Tower, there's a shop called Faded Iris. If you sell it there and drop the original owner's name, I guarantee you'll walk away with far more gold coins than at any other pawnshop.”
Victoria knit her brows suspiciously, her gray eyes filled with confusion. “Why? Is that shop specialized in fenced goods? Or do they have a grudge against that girl's family?”
Greg shook his head.
“Neither. As for the exact reason... you don't need to overthink it. Just remember one thing.”
He paused, his tone growing slightly more serious:
“If a mature woman who looks... well, somewhat like an artist comes up to strike up a conversation with you in that shop, or even asks you personal questions—like whether the socks on your legs are comfortable, what material they're made of, or if you can take them off and let her see...”
“Oh, and then?” Victoria grew a bit impatient from his secretive air and pressed.
“Then?”
Greg shrugged and spoke in a tone that sounded entirely for her own good:
“Then you only need to do one thing: ignore her. No matter what she says, what she asks, or how high a price she offers, pretend you didn't hear a word. Stick strictly to the transaction. Once the deal is done, take your money and leave immediately. Don't linger for a second, and above all, do not take off anything you're wearing to hand over to her.”
This was a piece of insider info Greg had learned from the original game in his previous life.
That shop named 'Faded Iris' appeared on the surface to be an ordinary store selling antiques and small magic items.
However, its true owner was a woman with extremely peculiar collector and fetishistic tendencies.
She was particularly obsessed with collecting personal items that had been in close contact with beautiful girls, or belonged to them directly. The more authentic and infused with the owner's personal scent the item was, the higher the price she would offer, even giving an emotional value surplus far exceeding market rate.
As for what she would do with those items after buying them back... that wasn't something Greg needed to care about.
Either way, as long as both sides were willing, getting the gold coins was what mattered most.
Victoria nodded dubiously. Although she found Greg's warning utterly bizarre, the prospect of selling it for a price far exceeding market value was far too tempting for an impoverished student like her whose financial situation remained tight.
She silently committed the shop name 'Faded Iris' and Greg's warning to memory, deciding to head straight over there shortly.
With the business settled, Greg cheerfully checked his pocket watch.
The hour hand was already pointing to exactly six o'clock in the afternoon.
According to what Vivian had instructed this morning, this time roughly marked the end of the Student Council's daily work.
However, usually before dismissing, members still needed to return to the Student Council room to briefly report the day's work situation to the President, or at least say hello.
But Greg didn't want to stay on the surface for a single minute longer. Right now, he only wanted to dive straight back into the dungeon, because that was his true safe zone.
His mind made up, Greg turned and walked toward Yelena, who was still writing diligently in her little notebook.
This Tiny Senior seemed to be striving to neatly record the mediation process and procedural justification of the incident just now, full focus written across her round face.
“Senior Yelena.”
Greg cleared his throat and said in as natural a tone as possible:
“In a bit... I won't be heading back to the Student Council room. Could I trouble you to deliver today's work report to the President by yourself?”
Hearing his voice, Yelena looked up, a hint of confusion in her round eyes. “Huh? You're not going back? I-I mean, I can do that... but do you have something to do? Why the hurry?”
Greg had long prepared his excuse. A subtle, perfectly measured expression of fatigue and helplessness appeared on his face right on cue, his tone sincere:
“As you know, Senior Yelena... I've been officially expelled by my family now. In truth, I'm just a penniless commoner—maybe even worse off. Just to stay alive, there's already a mountain of things I have no choice but to do.”
He let out a sigh, turning his gaze toward the setting sun's afterglow in the distance. The side of his face appeared somewhat lonely in the dim yellow light.
“I'm very glad I could be of help today, but next, I really have other matters I must attend to. I'm sorry.”
He wasn't entirely lying with those words.
There was survival pressure, and there were indeed a mountain of things he had to do—for example, starting preparations as soon as possible to clear the second layer of the dungeon.
The Phase Two quest given by the system explicitly stated: "Successfully clear the second layer of the Academy Dungeon before the end of Act Two of the story."
Yet he hadn't even personally scouted the second layer yet.
Exploration, gathering intelligence, formulating plans, preparing supplies... all of these required time and energy.
As Yelena listened to Greg's words and looked at his profile—exceptionally handsome under the evening sun yet carrying a subtle, barely perceptible trace of fatigue—the softest spot in her heart felt as if it had been gently touched.
In her round eyes, her previous confusion was swiftly replaced by deep sympathy and understanding.
That's right... he must be having such a hard time right now...
Even though he was once such a noble Duke's son, now he has to rush about just for basic survival...
And even in such a difficult situation, he still joined the Student Council and tried to change himself...
He really is a good boy!
In Yelena's heart, the thickness of her good-person filter toward Greg surged once again.
If only... if only my family were a wealthy high noble house as well...
In that case, she could pull out some money to help Greg, at least so he wouldn't have to worry about living expenses and could focus more on his studies and work in the Student Council...
Regrettably, however, Yelena's family was merely an inconspicuous minor noble house on the kingdom's border, with barren territory and meager income.
Supporting her to study at a top institution like Glory Cael had already strained their entire family's resources, even incurring a considerable amount of debt.
She truly had no surplus strength to sponsor another fallen noble.
This sense of powerlessness deepened her sympathy for Greg even further.
He's working so hard despite how tough things are for him... From now on, I definitely must do everything I can to help him more!
With that thought, Yelena nodded forcefully, a resolute expression appearing on her small face as she spoke to Greg in an unprecedentedly serious tone:
“Mm! I understand! Student Greg, leave the work report to me! I'll go report today's events to the President right now! You can rest assured and go take care of your own matters! If... if there's anything I can help with regarding work in the Student Council or... or in any other area in the future, please don't hesitate to tell me!”
Like a tiny soldier accepting a monumental mission, she straightened her petite chest and flashed a smile full of goodwill at Greg.
Without delaying any further, she carefully tucked away her little notebook and pen, waved goodbye to Greg, then turned and trotted away from the Central Courtyard toward the Student Council building with strides unexpectedly brisk for her diminutive frame, her white skirt fluttering softly in the evening breeze.
Watching Yelena's retreating figure grow distant, Greg stood in place until she completely vanished around the corner of the tree-lined path before letting out a full sigh of relief.
He indulged in a deep, comfortable stretch, feeling every bone in his body emit a satisfying pop.
“Phew—finally took care of one hassle... Now then, next up...”
He turned around, preparing to step toward the entrance to the dungeon.
However, just as Greg lifted his foot and before it could land, a pair of soft little hands suddenly reached over from behind his side, tightly grasping his left wrist.
The touch was so sudden that Greg's body froze subconsciously, his raised foot halting midair.
Pausing his movement, he turned his head in surprise to look at the owner of those hands.
It was Silvia.
Rate on N.U.
