Vol 1 Chapter 2.1: The duchess of discipline

It was now five am as I got up from my bed and looked at my phone, however instead of yawning, I groaned as I looked at my phone.

"It seems like I was right…"

I saw about 45 notifications about accepting a matchup, and all of them were from Class E and F.

I guess they wanted a desperate attempt to take on the 'little guy' who is me since I am on the bottom and they would believe I wouldn't get affected too much since I wouldn't drop a rank.

But then again, there is the other probability this could just be a strategic move by someone or both of the classes working together, although that might not be the case since we all just arrived at this school yesterday.

"…Well no need to worry about this."

I said as I went to put on one of the casual clothes that I bought near the dormitories, which cost me 200 Requiems.

I then looked at myself in the mirror.

The mirror is indifferent to those who show a false expression to others—it reflects not who we pretend to be, but the silent weight of what we truly feel. To feel it without flinching is to grasp the depths of one's existence.

I feel the smile on my face, but the mirror shows otherwise.

I chuckled at my reflection. "Despite all odds, regardless of how I feel, I'll only smile at the obstacles knowing that I'll overcome them, even if it's death I am facing, I'll overcome them."

It's what my mother would want me to do.

Anywho, I went to go out and take a walk, however I was met with an unfortunate fate.

"You're finally awake, like a shadow escaping a forgotten labyrinth, slow and deliberate." Lucico was holding two cups of coffee when I opened up my door.

"How long have you been up and waiting for me?"

"Two hours." He took a sip from what I believe is his coffee cup as he handed me the other one.

I took a sip of mine and noticed that it was incredibly hot, which meant he recently got these, probably around ten minutes ago.

"Waking up that early isn't exactly good, you know. Anyways I thought the coffee shop opens at six?"

"Oh, the nice lady in the lobby was so kind enough to make me two cups of coffee."

It seems Miss. Pfefferminz was serious when she said she would be working 24/7 if she was up this early.

Anyway, we headed out of the lobby as the peppermint waved at me, and as the kind person I am, I waved back at her as Lucico and I made it out of the dormitory to walk around.

"Lucico, I was wondering why you came to this school. It seems rather odd of you."

Of course, his grades were nothing to scoff at since he, Sister Claire, and I were fairly equal in academics according to my mother.

And since Lucico is the type of person to values personal freedom with no restraints, coming to this school would restrain his freedom to some extent.

So it made me curious about why he came here.

"You should know Isaac that I am a changed man and want to become more disciplined and civilized for our great society." He proclaimed with a dramatic flair with his coffee cup.

"It seems Sister Claire was wrong, your jokes have improved a lot more that it almost made me laugh."

Well not really, but it was comical enough to make my funny bone tingle at an atomic scale.

Lucico sighed looking at me with an over-dramatic defeated expression. "Well~, I guess you can say good ol Sister Claire convinced me. Of course, I was against it but she used her torture—I mean methods on me to convince me to enroll here 'voluntarily'."

I have great friends, I can come up with a decent idea of why Sister Claire would do such a thing.

"She's still worried about my mental health?"

"Yep, Sister Claire enrolled here with the intent of keeping an eye on you to make sure you don't have a mental breakdown. Of course, I thought you would be fine, but she wanted me to come so here I am."

Sister Claire was the moral compass out of the three of us, despite her being a nun in training, she is also a professional con artist in secret.

"I'm grateful for your two wanting to stay with me at this school, but still you two had not to worry about me."

Sister Claire was always worried after my mother died, of course, she, Lucico, and I witnessed her die. After all, the Azrael killer crucified my mother in the dead center of the wall in the living room. So an image like that can mentally scar someone, but I know my mother very well enough that she didn't want me to fall into a despairing state, hence why I keep smiling.

I could still see the bloodstains on that wall whenever I closed my eyes. The image was burned into my mind, yet it didn't control me. Pain was an old friend, one I had long since learned to tame.

During that time when we were only eleven, Sister Claire and Lucico were always there for me after her death, which made me incredibly happy and grateful for them.

Even if they weren't there for me, I would still not fall into a state of hopelessness.

"…Also, that Alexandra Dollfuss girl that you asked if I know about? Well, I'll be doing a bit more research as I'll watch her like a shadow in the corner of her eye, I watch, ever patient—my gaze is the hand that tightens around her every move."

I guess he still wants to create yet another book in his supposed library of humans in that brain of his.

"You know. You put a lot of effort into your simile, if only you put that much effort into your jokes." I chuckled a bit as he gave me a deadpan expression.

"At this point, I am starting to suspect you and Sister Claire have some sadistic tendencies in looking down on my great comedic acts."

"Of course not."

"Really?"

"No."

It's always a good time to have a banter with Lucico.

However, our banter came to an end as we heard a voice right behind us. "Lucico."

The voice behind us was that of a female, but her accent had a mix of sharpness and strength, yet her tone was dull and alluring at the same time. And her accent sounded Romagnol, so she must be Italian. Which means she was born in the region of Romagna.

And from Lucico's expression which was a wide grin with his eyes slightly squinted with the hint of amusement.

If he's like that then he knows the girl who spoke right behind us, which could mean this girl and he are in the same class.

Lucico found someone amusing huh…. Then I suppose I should also observe this girl 

"Ah! Vittoria Mussolini! I wasn't expecting you to see me this early on this lovely morning." Lucico turned around with his new wide grin.

As I heard that name, I recalled seeing that name also on the ranked list, she ranked 80, now it makes sense that Lucico knows her since both are in the same class.

Miss. Mussolini…..there aren't many—no it is extremely rare for someone Italian to have that surname. And her accent is Romagnal, the same as the infamous Benito Mussolini.

I decided to turn around as well to get a good look at Miss. Mussolini.

She had a light olive skin color and short bleached blonde hair with a gradient of orange. And her eyes were as cold as the color of dark grey as her iris. Her physique from a distance seems average for a normal girl, but from my perspective, she has the build of a wolf in sheep's clothing.

She was currently wearing a white long-sleeve buttoned-up shirt with her purple bowtie. But she didn't have her blazer on, but she was also wearing black suspenders. And she was wearing black pants instead of the usual skirt a female student would wear.

Of course, this school's rules on school uniforms were more lenient as the uniforms provided for us students can be customized to an extent. And wearing black pants for girls wasn't prohibited. The fashion Miss. Mussolini matched the aura she had which was an absolute authority aura.

That also goes without saying that her expression remained indifferent. 

There is no doubt in my mind now, that this girl is a descendent of Benito Mussolini from two centuries ago. 

Miss. Mussolini ignored his comment as she walked towards us, seemingly to have something important to talk about with Lucico.

I felt the atmosphere thicken a bit around her so to the point it could make someone's instinct tell them to back away a bit to acknowledge this girl's intimidation. "Lucico I would like a conversation—well an offer to be exact that will benefit us both." She proposed.

I looked at Lucico to see if anything changed, well nothing changed at all, his grin and his amused eyes were the same. He didn't look intimidated.

Well consciously speaking he wasn't aware, since I noticed his hand had goosebumps on them, and from the looks of it, he isn't remotely aware of it. But his body can tell that this girl wasn't someone to be taken lightly.

"Then it should be fine to have it here," Lucico said to her. "And you haven't even introduced yourself to my precious magician here."

I decided to speak with my usual calmness. "You must be Vittoria Mussolini? It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss. Mussolini, I am—"

"You're Isaac Mahoka, ranked 200, the one who is labeled the King of Trash according to some people I've heard." She interrupted.

King of Trash? It seems my reputation has already gone further than the Marina's trench.

I noticed that she wasn't insulting me, but rather stating the fact that a handful of the student body, or most likely Class E and Class F considering that I received a handful of match-up requests from them, are now calling me the King of Trash.

I can probably guess what their strategy was if someone coordinated this and was able to get most of Class E and Class F on board.

After all, desperation doesn't organize itself.

Someone gave them direction, a reason to move.

If it were a matter of pride, which would be unlikely considering that Class E and Class F aren't that far away from being considered the bottom class of this school's cutthroat hierarchy, it wouldn't be so unified.

Low-ranked students don't rally together unless they have something to gain—or someone made them believe it.

This isn't just an attack—it's a statement. The number of people who requested a matchup against me was the timing and the way it's been well coordinated.

If going by the assumption that this strategic attack was directed at me, given that they decided to target the entirety of Class H, then Class E and Class F would be too overwhelmed if the majority of Class H accepted their matchup requests. So another conclusion would be that they are targeting a few Individuals from Class H, which does help decrease the disadvantages for the person behind this strategy, although it would still be slightly overwhelming for Class E and Class F since they could be taking on multiple competent people from Class H. So targeting one specific individual, me, is the most likely scenario that this strategy is based on.

Now getting back to the strategy itself, this is a performative move, the person wants me to respond in a particular way.

So one might ask what is the win condition for this?

If I fight back without being rational, I show my cards. That would tell them what I am capable of, how I operate, and whether I am worth keeping down or worth being destroyed completely.

If I refused, they would win anyway. They control the narrative. I remain weak, the bottom-ranked, the perfect target for whatever they plan next.

Either choice benefits them.

That's completely fine.

If they've laid out a script for me, I'll burn it. If they expect an outcome, I'll make sure it never comes to pass. I refuse to become predictable.

The first step isn't to succumb to what they want, which is to react. No, it's to observe. 

Who amongst them or beyond is giving them orders?

Who benefits the most if I lash out?

The one behind this coordinated attack against me knows how to pull back rather than the one who stepped forward.

And when I finally encountered them?

I won't directly challenge them, and I won't expose them on the spot.

I'll let them have their fun.

And when I think the fun is over?

I'll dismantle everything.

Miss. Mussolini continued, wanting to get to the point with Lucico. "Considering that you seem like you don't want to talk about this privately. Then I guess I can tell you it here with him listening."

Lucico puts on a dramatic happy expression. "Well aren't I just the best stubborn comedian~"

"As you know from what I announced in our class yesterday after Professor Seraphina Voss's orientation. I proposed the idea of having all of the class form a collective contract where we would all gain and lose the amount of Ruby Points and our Requiem Progress. Currently speaking, I already have twenty of our classmates agreeing to the contract with them signing it, you and three others haven't signed it yet. And I believe that it is in your best interest to join."

"And like I said before to you, I refuse. It limits my individuality. Just exactly what this school encourages, pure individualism." Lucico argued.

He is right, naturally, this school does encourage pure individualism given its meritocracy relies on individuality and not the collective class. However, it seems Miss. Mussolini is defying the philosophy of the school by wanting to have a collective so that not only her but her classmates as well can move up to different classes at the same time. Miss. Mussolini seemed determined to achieve this goal as she was willing to also lose the amount of Ruby Points and in the Requiem Progress bar.

Now I was interested in how she would argue against the stubborn jester beside me known as Lucico.

"Lucico, you claim individualism is the academy's core philosophy, which you aren't wrong I won't deny. But have you ever considered why they enforce it? It's not to empower us—it's to isolate us, to pit us against each other in a never-ending competition where the academy holds all the power. True freedom isn't found in isolation but in collaboration. Imagine a rope: a single thread is weak, but woven together, it becomes unbreakable. The academy wants us to be threads, competing for the same resources, but if we unite, we become a force the administration and other classes can't ignore. This isn't about conformity–It's above innovation, about rewriting the rules of their game."

Miss. Mussolini's argument is sharp, and near-perfect with its precision, almost prepared as if she expected Lucico to still be stubborn.

She quickly turned Lucico's appeal to individualism from a virtue to a tool of control.

It's a rather creative and impressive move to be able to appeal to Lucico's love for freedom and rebellion. 

But will it be enough to sway him?

Lucico is not someone who is easily convinced, since he is an incredibly stubborn person to the point that I have to gamble and win against him to even change his mind, and it takes Sister Claire her physical methods to convince him as well.

And he thrives on challenging the status quo, even if it means standing alone.

Lucico sighed as he still had his widened grin as he spoke more than I have ever heard from him in my lifetime. "Vittoria my dear, I get where you're coming from, really I do. But I can't shake off the feeling that the collective that you are creating in our class would just tie me down. You talk about freedom but isn't true freedom about being able to make my own choices without being bound by a group? I'd rather be a kite, soaring wherever the wind takes me than in a thread of a rope, no matter how strong it is. Sure, the academy's rigid cutthroat system is tough, but at least I know where I stand. I don't have to worry about someone else's mistakes dragging me down or being forced into decisions I don't agree with. I've got companions like Isaac and Sister Claire for support—I don't need a collective to feel connected. I'd rather take my chances as an individual, even if it means facing the risks alone."

I expected nothing less from Lucico, of course, he would still be defiant against her since he has a deep love for his individuality.

However, I did notice he isn't using similes but metaphors this time. Which means he is trying his best to resist.

It seems even Miss. Mussolini's words are slowly working on him.

His argument, ever so clever, has its cracks. 

He's relying on idealism, ignoring the practical benefits of Miss. Mussolini's collective. 

But still, his emotional appeal is strong, something that Miss. Mussolini will have to address this.

Although from the looks of it, she already had expected this from him. 

Miss. Mussolini's face remained unfazed, her authoritative aura still there, but yet she spoke a bit softer despite her tone still dull. "Lucico, I understand and respect your love for freedom, but true freedom isn't about being untethered—it's about having the support to soar higher. What I want isn't a cage like you described; it's the string that keeps your kite steady, letting you fly without the fear of crashing. You don't lose your individuality—you amplify it. Think of it like a symphony: each instrument plays its part, but together, they create something greater. And if your goal ever diverges, then you are free to leave as you please. But until then, why not see what we can achieve together? You don't have to give up who you are, you just gain the tools to become who you could be. So, will you join us? Not because you have to, but because you see the potential for something greater."

What an impeccable recounter against Lucico!

She took Lucico's supporting counters and turned them against him, reframing the collective as a stabilizing force rather than a constraint. 

She's also appealing to his ambitions of the idea of becoming something greater. 

It was incredibly effective on Miss. Mussolini's part as it is working on Lucico since his grin faltered for a moment.

She has won him over, and he will agree, of course, he won't be entirely submissive. After all, Lucico is never the one who would go down without a little flair.

Lucico sighed, running his free hand through his hair. "Well played my dear, you've made your case. I'll join this collective contract of yours for now. But don't think for a second that I'll stop being the great joker in the deck. If this starts to become a cage for me I am out."

"Like I said before, you are free to leave if it starts diverging from your philosophy." Miss. Mussolini reassured.

Seeing this future for Lucico working with a group will be interesting. It's like seeing fire meeting ice.

Lucico cleared his throat as he handed me his empty coffee. "Now then my lovely peers," He said as he grabbed something from his pocket. "I shall now disappear like a whisper in the wind, never caught, never caged!" He finished as he threw the small object to the ground and it created a large amount of smoke to block off the visibility of Lucico.

Seconds later Miss. Mussolini and I saw the smoke disappear as we saw him running in the distance.

"Dramatic as always…" I muttered under my breath as I continued drinking my coffee.

On another note, I never knew this school would sell smoke pellets. But then again they do sell magic trick items here so it makes sense for them to sell smoke pellets as well.

"Miss. Mussolini, if you don't mind me asking some things about your collective contract plan of yours." I turned back to look at her stoic expression.

She didn't seem to be bothered that I asked her based on her expression. "Ask away."

"You seem to place your classmates at a high enough standard to form a collective group despite the school's opposite nature of what you are trying to achieve. What I am getting at is, do you take into account the nature of a human?"

Considering her well-thought-out plan of creating a group is extremely beneficial and efficient to cause trouble for basically everyone that isn't in Class D, even high-ranking students in Class A might experience a lot of trouble.

From her understanding of Lucico's philosophy of Individualism and utilized it to get his reluctant agreement. She should understand what I meant.

"Yes, human nature itself is unpredictable and greedy to the point that even a loyal member or family member in their corresponding group would betray them for a selfish reason. However, there are many ways to force that greed to stay in its place, as I ensure the context of the contract I created covers that part, if any betrayal were to take place from the group, which also includes myself, that harms Class D. Then they will have to drop out as the contract's penalty. And if you want to know how we will detect betrayal from these matchups or school events. I have a referee who will be kept within my class and observe every little detail of these matchups and school events that my class partakes in to determine if any betrayal is met. And if there is betrayal the deduction of our Ruby Points or Requiem Process of the class will not be changed since the contract will automatically separate the parasite that tried to sabotage, cheat, or betray the class since they will drop out once the referee finishes their synopsis."

So the school itself will punish the parasites, instead of the class D members, and it destroys any favoritism given the surface nature of the referees.

"And what about outside forces?" I persisted. "You may have locked down betrayal, but other classes won't just go about it like nothing once they feel threatened by you and your class. They'll do anything in their capabilities to dismantle your system. Can you be prepared for that?"

She looked at me with her unchanging gaze as if unaffected but still acknowledged it. "This school enforces an individualistic meritocracy that much is for certain, and because of that, no class has ever thought to work as a true unit. Even the upper classes, despite their advantages, are fragmented by their ambitions. That is their weakness."

She took a slow step forward, and I felt the weight of her presence.

"I do not doubt that other classes will attempt to strike, that is inevitable. Some will use brute force, some might rely on cunning methods. But they are not built to sustain prolonged conflict. But we are."

She continued speaking through her tone but it became more alluring. "They can try to make discreet moves all they want. But our system is built on the foundation of discipline. They will try to outmaneuver us, but we will simply adapt faster than they can plan. They will try to target me and the others…. And they will fail."

The conviction in her voice sent a chill down my spine, although not enough to shake my calm expression.

She wasn't hoping her plan would work. She knew it would before the storm approached.

I took another sip of my coffee. "You have thought of everything, haven't you? And it's only the second day of our arrival at this school."

"Of course, there is no room for oversight in a world where the cost of failure is absolute."

I had already asked my questions. I had already tested the foundations of her contract, looking for a flaw.

However, like every nature, there is always one flaw.

Although she does make her plan look invincible. But if it is indeed invincible. 

Well, it would be more than troublesome that is for certain.

"I'll admit Miss. Mussolini, your plan is far more intricate than I initially thought. You've accounted for the internal and external issues and even the nature of human unpredictability. But before we part ways, I need to raise a few more concerns, just a few."

"Go on."

"You claim that betrayal is impossible due to the contract's penalties, but what about the referee system? The referees are former special ops operatives, sure, but at the end of the day, they are still human. What's stopping someone from influencing them? Bribery? Blackmailing? Even if they have no stake in this school, external forces could attempt to influence them."

It was a logical approach that people wouldn't go in-depth despite the initial intricacy, however, the girl in front of me responded with confidence.

"The referees are not just ex-special ops," She clarified. "They are government-affiliated and directly monitored by the school's upper administration. Despite them being third parties, they still have to abide by their superiors. Any attempt to bribe or threaten them would result in an immediate counter-investigation, not just into the offender, but into everyone even remotely associated with them."

"And if someone powerful enough still tries?"

Her gaze sharpened. "Then the school will step in."

She wasn't wrong.

This academy's structure was built on control despite its efforts to hide it under the idea of individual competition. If a referee did get influenced or anything Miss. Mussolini said that it would threaten the school system. 

Something that could not afford to let happen.

I nodded slowly, conceding the point. "Fine. But what about the other classes? You say they'll fail because they're fragmented, but what if they unite against you? What if Class C, Class B, and Class A see your rise as a danger and decide to work together to deal with you and Class D?"

Even if you persevere, you will always lose if you can't handle too many opponents. And having 75 classmates going against you and your class is quite frankly a lot to deal with.

"They won't…." She paused.

"…They can't."

I raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

She took another slow step forward, the weight of her presence increased as the suffocation became evident.

But yet still not enough to break my calm demeanor.

"The higher-ranked classes are not like us," She said. "They were placed at the top because they are individual successes, not collective ones. Each of them fights to maintain their superiority. Each of them sees their classmates as threats, not allies." She continues, unwavering. "If they attempt to unite, they will fail. Because the moment they do, they will turn on each other first."

It made sense.

It was brilliant in its simplicity.

Whether she observed or saw the behavior of the classes is irrelevant. Since she already knows what being on the top of the food chain is like.

Class A, Class B, and Class C didn't function as teams, they were filled with individuals who had already adapted to a cutthroat system. The moment they band together, their ambitions would destroy them from within.

By the time the others realized they needed to do the same, it would be too late.

I sighed. "So even if they try, they'll collapse under their weight?"

"Exactly." She didn't gloat, she didn't need to. This was just a fact.

"Then that leaves only one real threat."

She waited.

"The school itself," I continued. "The academy thrives on competition, it encourages individual merit, not collective success. If Class D rises as a unified force, it directly contradicts the school's philosophy. If the administration decides that the system that you are establishing within your class is a threat, they could simply change the rules."

For the first time, Miss. Mussolini smiled, a deliberate chilling smile.

"They won't." She said simply.

"You sound sure of that."

"I am."

Her next words came cold.

"Because we will make ourselves too valuable to erase."

I see now.

She wasn't planning just to rise in power.

She was planning to make Class D indispensable.

And if the school couldn't afford to lose them, then no rule change, no forced reconstructing, and no external interference would be enough to stop them.

I chuckled calmly. "You have thought of everything in such a short amount of time."

Her smile ever so chilling responded in her still-dull tone. "Like I said before, there is no place for oversight."

She is right in her perspective.

However, I decided to ask a question, one that might make someone wonder 'Why would Isaac ask a question like that?'

"…Then what if I attack?"

The air changed the moment I asked such an irrational question.

"You won't," She responded calmly as if there was no doubt.

It wasn't out of a warning or threat.

But a manner of staying the reality 

"Considering how you presented yourself when I was discussing with Lucico and when you addressed your concerns. You held a good composure and you were focused and perhaps analyzing everything in your thoughts. And the fact you brought up some interesting concerns that people won't catch on shows you think rationally. So you obviously won't follow through with the idea of going on the offense like that." She explained.

She has a pretty decent idea of how I think to a decent extent.

"But if you did decide to attack me or my class," She paused. "It wouldn't be a battle. It wouldn't even be a war…"

"…It would be an execution."

I knew she wasn't exaggerating, she was merely stating a fact.

She wouldn't need to put any effort into executing me, not with force, not with violence. It was simply inevitable.

A suffocating silence stretched between us.

And then, as if nothing had happened, as if she had not just established herself as the single most untouchable entity, not just her, but her class itself in this academy, she turned away, adjusting her white sleeves with casual precision.

"If there is nothing else," She said, her smile dropping back to her unreadable stoic expression. "I have to be somewhere now."

I remained calm with my usual smile as I turned around as well and took my last sip of coffee. "Duly noted."

We both departed as if this conversation never took place at all. 

As I walked back to the dormitories, I trod back to my thoughts.

My classmates and others from the different classes are quickly making their moves at a rapid rate, making sure to establish their place in this academy.

Things are starting to get interesting.

However, I can now say with certainty, that Miss. Mussolini is incredibly well calculated, near perfection I must say.

This is exactly why she is not the one who coordinated Class E and Class F to pressure me with the overwhelming matchups.

Such a strategy like this is too low-brow for her. And she makes sure to consider everything, while this strategy itself has its flaws.

I threw away the two cups of coffee that were in my hand as I took out my phone to decline all the 45 matchups and just wait it out.

Anyway as I made it into the lobby, I made my way to the innocent receptionist. "Miss. Pfefferminz, is it okay to ask you something?"

It was a very important question I wanted to ask her since I met her yesterday. "Of course Mr. Mahoka!" She said with a sheepish smile.

"Normally all the staff, referees, and all the other employees that work for this school already know the full basis and nature of how this school works, correct?"

She nodded. "Correct!" She then tilted her head as if wondering what my intention was. "How come you asked?"

"What I am getting at is that there is no rationally sane individual that would work for this establishment even if it guarantees good pay. Anyway, what I am getting at is…" I looked at her in the eyes and saw a glimpse of something ominous through that innocent person. "…Are you also a special ops operative like the referees?"

"What makes you think I am?"

"You have no actual presence, one cannot tell if you are intimidating, truly kind, or even feeling bloodlust. You keep that innocent demeanor because that is how it could be described, but it isn't like you are hiding it, it's just that no one is looking further or asking the right question."

She clapped her hands like a child getting praised. "You're perceptive!" She continued. "But~ I wonder why you asked that?"

"Just out of curiosity. It does have to do with two questions I would like to ask though."

"Ask away!"

"First, I wanted to know what would happen if a special operative or any of the referees would decide to violate the rules or play favoritism. What would happen to them?"

"Oh, that's simple! The upper school administration will deal with them accordingly and give out the punishment to them when they do wrong."

It seems Miss. Mussolini was indeed right. "I see, now for my second question. How much would it cost to buy the entire list of all the special operatives, or rather the referees right now?" I asked as I took out my phone. "I'm willing to pay the price even if it's expensive."

She widened her eyes slightly but then composed herself as she muttered. "So you even figured out the unspoken part huh…" 

She must be referring to the fact that I can use the Requiem currency to buy things beyond just materialist essential needs. "So how much will it be?"

"Hmm~ about 3,000 Requiems!"

I gave her the amount she needed as she went into a back room, which I assume is her small office as she gave me a binder. "Here you go!" She said in such a happy tone that one would never view her as dangerous.

"Is it fine that I can keep this?"

"Oh don't worry! I have quite a lot of copies."

I nodded to her words in understanding as I waved her goodbye and headed towards my dorm room.

As I entered back into my dorm, I skimmed through the binder to find two particular referees and to my greatest luck, I found them.

And I must comment that there are a lot of these special operatives and referees than I initially thought.

"I wonder if it's possible to meet them outside of matchups and school events?"

I pondered as I tried to think of a way to get in touch with them in a way they wouldn't decline instantly.

End of Vol 1 Chapter 2.1