Payment, Please

Hearing the term "friendly match," Conner nearly ground his teeth to dust.

While Du Pont hadn't exactly tried to kill Pete, stopping his assault before he lost consciousness, and even used two first-circle spell slots, did he really stand a chance against him?

Even though Conner was quite arrogant, that confidence definitely didn't extend to combat class.

Pete might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, and his Sorcerer skills might be lacking, but a Dragon Bloodline's lifespan was far longer than a normal human's. He had plenty of time to patiently advance. His physique was a natural gift; give him a weapon, and even a black bear might not be able to beat him. Yet, he was defeated in hand-to-hand combat without even landing a blow.

And now he's inviting me to step into the ring?

Does he think I'm an idiot?

Realizing the key point, Conner feigned a carefree, disdainful smile: "Heh, I'm not one of those uncivilized barbarians who duel over every little thing. I just had some doubts I wanted to voice, and I hope the instructor won't be offended."

The instructor shook his head at this: "I can overlook other things, but leaking a classmate's attribute values is not something to be taken lightly. Report back to your mentor, and whether it's a week or two of confinement will be up to your mentor's discretion."

Conner's face paled instantly upon hearing this. He looked at Bran, only to see him shake his head. Then, Bran glared at Du Pont with resentment, and said to the instructor in a low voice, "The instructor is right. I'll go back and accept my punishment now."

With that, Conner walked out of the crowd and returned to the academy. The temporary dueling arena was left with only Du Pont, who felt a strange excitement as he looked at the incredulous gazes and whispers around him.

Is this what it feels like to be the center of attention?

Not bad, actually. No wonder that kid Conner was addicted to it.

"Excuse me," Bran said, leading a few people to the center. He looked at Pete, who had been healed by the Friar and was now awake but still dazed, and hoisted him up. He gave the instructor an apologetic smile, then said softly to Du Pont, "My name is Bran. It seems we'll have a lot to deal with in the future."

"You should know my name," Du Pont pointed to his badge. "I'm always available."

"Perhaps," Bran shrugged, and with the help of the others, carried the rotund Dragon Bloodline Sorcerer away.

"I must say, today's combat class was quite interesting. This student, Du Pont, demonstrated how to win even when unarmed and facing an opponent much larger than himself: with sufficient composure and courage." The instructor glanced at Du Pont. "However, I don't recommend that everyone learn this method. It requires considerable confidence and the ability to pinpoint the enemy's weaknesses. Without a certain amount of combat experience and explosive power, it's impossible to achieve. Everyone, please practice on your own."

Returning to the crowd, Du Pont cheerfully returned Charles's principal and winnings to him, then announced that he would be treating everyone to whatever they wanted at the cafeteria that evening. The crowd cheered and laughed, but Annie had already quietly disappeared.

"That bitch, colluding with people from other departments to scheme against us," Charles cursed. The surrounding students also looked disgusted, but Du Pont shook his head and said nothing.

Pity for the defeated is a virtue of the victor, but has she really failed?

Not necessarily.

While their apprenticeship still had a considerable amount of time left, a person's life officially began when they left the campus.

For an Apprentice from the Department of Civil Engineering, no matter how hard they worked, without opportunity, they would only end up joining some organization as a management-level employee in the engineering department, living a comfortable life but without much ambition, dealing with mortals and undead all day long.

With such a limited career ceiling, siding with a rich and powerful young master was clearly not a bad choice.

It's just that the person she sided with wasn't very mature, still stuck in the low-level stage of reveling in campus dominance.

As someone who had been there, Du Pont understood the young class monitor's choice and didn't feel as indignant as Charles.

He had seen far dirtier things. In elementary school, he had seen classmates report each other to the teacher for a little red flower.

But while he understood, the reckoning that needed to be done still needed to be done.

Since she chose to take shortcuts like an adult, it wouldn't hurt to let her see the cruelty of the adult world in advance.

The defeated must pay the price.

But before that, Du Pont went to Angie and greeted her softly, "May The Lady protect you, Priest Angie."

"May The Lady protect you, just call me Friar," Angie said, surprised to see Du Pont. She asked softly, "Is something the matter? Are you injured somewhere?"

"No, I'm in pretty good shape," Du Pont rubbed his hands. "It's like this: I noticed some information about Barley Village last week. The graveyard there isn't very peaceful; it's haunted. I was planning to go this Saturday to eliminate the hidden dangers there, but I'm worried that my strength isn't enough. Do you have any holy items like Holy Water or Holy Oil? That way, I'll have some means of fighting back when facing ghosts."

"Well, I have some Holy Water, but I rarely carry Holy Oil," Angie looked into his eyes, and for the first time, felt the word "sincerity" from his heart. After thinking for a moment, she took out three bottles of Holy Water. "Is this enough? I can go back and get some more if you need it."

The Church wasn't far from here, just in the front and back courtyards.

"That should be about enough. I haven't been there yet. If it's not enough, I'll come and bother you again." As he said this, he remembered something: "If the surrounding villages encounter similar problems, will they come to the Church for help?"

"If nearby villages have problems that even passing adventurers can't solve, they usually report to the affiliated towns first. Our primary responsibility is the safety of the academy." Angie spoke softly, her pale red eyes always watching the other person's eyes. "If even the nearby towns can't solve it, then they might contact us, but they might also ask the city for help. We'll be dispatched when we receive the news."

Du Pont was surprised to hear this: "Is it that strict? But I remember that many adventure teams also have Priests accompanying them?"

"Each Church has its own area of responsibility. The Lady's enemies are cunning and vicious. Unauthorized attacks may cause greater disasters and fall into the enemy's trap. Most of those outlying Priests have their own missions. Experience is also one of them, to bring The Lady's glory to those who have not received The Lady's grace."

As Angie spoke, she took out a bottle of crimson liquid: "If you're worried about not having timely means of recovery after being injured, this Intermediate Healing Potion might be something you urgently need. Some bandages and anti-inflammatory ointments that can stop bleeding are also essential."

"You're too kind, you've really helped me a lot." Du Pont was overjoyed to see this, and the joy of getting something for free made him feel comfortable all over. But the next second, this joy was interrupted by the little Friar's words.

"A sincere price, ten Gold Coins a bottle." Angie revealed a knowing smile, her small, pointed canine teeth shining brightly in the afternoon sun.