"What Lilith said is true. It was just a head massage," Viktor said, attempting to dispel the misunderstanding.
"Alright then."
Hastora pulled four Giant Ant hearts from behind his shadow and placed them on Viktor's table.
"As you wish."
"Where are the others? Is that all?" Viktor asked curiously.
Hastora replied, "Yes, there are only four Giant Ant hearts."
"Why so few?"
"I only encountered four Giant Ant within the gate?"
Viktor raised an eyebrow.
"Why is that?"
"I don't know," Hastora replied flatly.
"Well, alright then, I'll take these."
Viktor took the Giant Ant hearts one by one and stored them in the dimensional storage he created through spatial magic.
"So, what do you want as a reward now?" Viktor asked with a serious expression.
"I want you to give me all the information about Velmora Grand Academy.
"I want to know everything. From secret rooms, the names of professors and instructors, and everything else. I want to know it all," Hastora answered, elaborating on his desire.
Hearing that, Viktor took an envelope from his drawer.
He then handed it to Lilith.
Viktor leaned his face close to Lilith's ear, and seemed to be whispering something.
Lilith nodded, then stepped out of the room.
"You will get information about Velmora Grand Academy tomorrow," Viktor smiled slightly.
"Alright."
Hastora needed information about Velmora Grand Academy first before actually entering it.
It was all so that every action he took would be easier.
He could know which professors or instructors could be used for his benefit.
He could also find out about the secret rooms in the Academy.
He could go directly to those rooms without any difficulty.
His plan was going smoothly.
"Viktor," Hastora called.
"What is it?"
"I want you to help me."
Viktor raised both his eyebrows.
"What do you want me to help you with?"
"Well, I got a privilege for successfully completing the gate during the academy entrance exam.
"I don't know what to choose. So, can you choose for me?" Hastora explained frankly.
"Hmmm... What are the options?" Viktor asked.
"I don't know. The headmaster didn't tell me."
"So... This is probably a free choice?"
"Maybe."
"What if you choose so that you can choose the mission you want at will as your privilege?"
Viktor's thought was the same as his.
Hastora had also been thinking about it from the beginning.
It's just that he didn't want to act rashly.
If Hastora could freely choose the mission he wanted, then it would benefit him in carrying out the mission given by Viktor.
Viktor could also freely send missions to Hastora without any interference whatsoever.
"That's a good option. Initially, I also thought the same thing as you," Hastora replied.
"If you've been thinking about it from the beginning, why do you have to ask me again?" Viktor asked with a flat expression.
"Nothing. I just want to hear your opinion."
Viktor pulled out his Manaphone from his pants pocket.
"Give me your contact."
Contact?
And what strange thing was he holding?
Hastora had never seen or heard of it.
No, maybe he had heard it when he first met Gisella and her friends.
20,000 years ago, there was no such thing as a Manaphone.
It sounded strange to him.
"Viktor... What is that Manaphone?" Hastora asked curiously.
Viktor got up from his chair, his hands slammed on the table hard.
"Who are you really?" Viktor asked, a little surprised.
"I'm just a commoner. My hometown was destroyed by monsters, so I went to the capital to survive."
Viktor sat back down in his chair after hearing that.
"So you're a commoner? I thought you were a nobleman at first."
Nobleman?
He wasn't entirely wrong.
Initially, Hastora was indeed the child of a nobleman. But now he's not.
He is just a child of a commoner.
Hastora's biological father was a nobleman who ruled a small town near the capital.
The hallmark of their family was their beautiful dark blue eyes.
They considered red eyes a symbol of evil and bad luck.
That's why his biological father threw Hastora into the river.
They were indeed trash.
Hastora responded to Viktor's words earlier.
"It's impossible for someone like me to be a nobleman. You're wrong if you think I'm like that."
"I don't know. You have beautiful black hair and red eyes, and your face is very handsome. It's only natural that I think you're a nobleman," Viktor replied.
"Turns out your brain is small too."
"I don't want to hear those words coming out of your mouth."
"Whatever. And now the most important thing is the Manaphone. Can you explain it to me?"
"Alright, I don't mind."
Viktor straightened his tie before explaining.
"The Manaphone is a magic-based communication device. It's thin, square, and has a magic screen that can be touched.
"The Manaphone can be used to talk long distance, send text messages, and store images.
"Inside it is a small magic crystal as an energy source. All its functions work because it is connected to a magic network that is widely spread, so the signal is stable and can be used almost anywhere," Viktor explained at length.
Hastora was silent for a moment after listening to that.
This Manaphone is far more advanced than he expected.
He was interested in the Manaphone, but he wanted to make sure of something first.
"Viktor. What other pleasures can be gained from this Manaphone."
"Pleasure, huh?... I guess playing games."
"Game? What is that?" Hastora asked curiously.
"A game you can play through the Manaphone. There are many types of games you can play on this Manaphone."
It sounded very fun.
He was interested.
It was time to get out of ancient times and move on to a new era.
"Where can I buy a Manaphone, Viktor?" he asked.
"You want to buy a Manaphone too?"
"Yes. I'm interested in games."
Viktor burst out laughing at that.
He never thought those words would come out of his mouth.
"Hahaha! You're so weird!"
"Weird? Be aware of your position as a lowly creature. You're the weird one here."
Viktor kept laughing at Hastora for five minutes until finally he fell silent.
"My stomach hurts. Please don't make any more jokes."
"You're such a weird kid. I've been serious all this time, you bastard. So, how about it? Do you want to accompany me to buy a Manaphone?" Hastora asked with a flat expression.
"Alright, I don't mind. Let's go then!"
Viktor got up from his chair and stepped out of the room, followed by Hastora from behind.
...
"Please choose the most expensive Manaphone later," Hastora requested.
"The most expensive? Do you have money?" Viktor asked curiously.
That was only natural.
After knowing that Hastora was a commoner, Viktor wasn't sure if Hastora had enough money to buy a Manaphone at an expensive price.
The expensive Manaphone itself could cost up to 300 gold coins.
That number was too big for a commoner.
But, he didn't know.
Hastora himself had collected a lot of money since he went to the capital.
He had a lot of money that he earned from gambling.
By taking advantage of the fools at Whispered Odds, he could make a big profit.
Hastora himself could be said to be very skilled in card games.
It was impossible for the people at Whispered Odds to beat him.
Hastora pulled out 500 gold coins from behind his shadow to show Viktor.
"I have money, don't worry."
"But you're going to enter the academy. You'll run out of money later."
"I have over 4,800 gold coins, still a lot."
"Over 4,800? That's a lot! Where did you get that much money?" Viktor asked curiously.
"I gambled at Whispered Odds, I won a lot."
"You gamble? I didn't know you were good at gambling."
"I'm the expert, don't doubt it."
After walking for a while, they finally arrived at a large store.
The door of the store was made of thick glass at a very expensive price.
The wall is made of concrete painted in light brown color. Then there were some tulips planted in the yard as decoration.
"Let's go in," Viktor invited as he stepped in through the glass door.
"Alright."
After entering, there were many Manaphones displayed in glass cabinets inside.
The glass cabinets were made of thick, anti-magic glass, making them difficult to break.
Viktor walked towards one of the glass cabinets.
"Hmmm... How about this?" Viktor asked, pointing to one of the Manaphones in the glass cabinet.
Hastora walked towards Viktor, then looked at the Manaphone he recommended.
The Manaphone was quite large. The back was adorned with gemstones.
It was perfect for playing games.
But, Hastora wanted a Manaphone that was simple in size, not as big as that one.
"This is too big, I don't want it."
"Eh? Didn't you want to play games? That Manaphone is perfect for playing games because of its large size."
"You have a small brain," Hastora cursed with a flat expression.
Then, he walked to another glass cabinet to look at the Manaphones that suited him.
"Not too small. No, too big. No, too ugly."
He had looked at all the Manaphones there. But, none of them caught his attention.
'I didn't expect choosinga Manaphone to be this difficult.'
Not long after, Viktor walked towards him carrying a Manaphone in his right hand.
"I think this one suits you."
To be continued in the next chapter…