Vivian

"I need Three-Headed Hound teeth."

As Ahab stated his request, he handed over his Metal ID Tag.

A female apprentice sat behind the reception window. Her eyes tilted slightly upward, giving her a remarkably dashing look.

Her dark red hair was divided into two sections and tied into two bows behind her head with ribbons.

"Three-Headed Hound's Fangs... Yes, we have them. One costs six Magic Stones. This is the General Affairs Hall's price manual. Please take a look."

The female receptionist repeated Ahab's request, then took out a thick volume, opened it to a page, and pointed it out to him.

Ahab glanced at it. It did indeed state that each Three-Headed Hound's Fang cost six Magic Stones.

Still, he had to admit, he had not expected the receptionist at the academy's official service hall to have such a good attitude.

Before long, the receptionist handed him a rosewood box. Inside, a soft red silk cloth wrapped a complete Three-Headed Hound's Fang.

After giving it a brief inspection, Ahab handed over six Magic Stones and took the box.

Yet Ahab's reflection on the glass counter of the reception window did not leave with him.

The reflection pinched its brow as if thinking for a moment, then vanished with a whoosh.

"Never mind the other perks of being a group leader. Those ten Magic Stones a month alone are worth fighting tooth and nail for."

On his way back, Ahab held the rosewood box in both hands and sighed inwardly as he walked.

Ordinary apprentices received three Magic Stones a month. After necessary expenses for food and drink, they had only two left.

And a Three-Headed Hound's Fang was merely a common low-grade material, yet it already cost a full six Magic Stones.

An ordinary apprentice would need to save for three months to buy just this one material.

Moreover, experiments had a chance of failure!

If one kept failing to produce results and could not earn Academy Contribution, their prospects would become increasingly restricted.

If experiments failed for too long, one could only go into debt to buy materials. If an experiment failed again while in debt, they would be executed.

With prolonged debt, Academy Contribution would directly become negative. Suspended from classes and unable to find academy volunteer work, one would not be far from becoming experimental material.

Vice group leaders received seven Magic Stones, which was almost enough to avoid all those worries. Group leaders received ten, enough even to have spare money to improve their lives!

After all, those executed naturally had poor aptitude. Group leaders and vice group leaders were chosen by competing in Meditation Method learning speed, which usually meant they possessed high aptitude...

As he walked, Ahab reviewed the academy's various rules in his mind.

When he passed a small puddle, Ahab's reflection in the water suddenly froze.

Instead of mirroring Ahab's movements, the reflection violently swung its left arm.

At the same time, Ahab felt a twitch in his left arm, as though it had cramped, and involuntarily flung it outward.

Ahab had been holding the wooden box with both hands. The moment his left arm swung, the box immediately tilted.

The Fang slipped from the silk cloth and fell to the ground with a series of clear clinks.

"Have I been too tired lately? This body is still too frail."

Ahab grumbled as he bent to pick up the Fang, but his heart abruptly jolted.

Something was wrong!

The sound the Fang made when it hit the ground was wrong!

To avoid arousing suspicion, Ahab had spent all his time in the library before coming to the General Affairs Hall to buy materials, reading books about these two materials.

"The books said that when a Three-Headed Hound bit its prey, its teeth would fall out and embed themselves in the flesh without making a sound."

"The material of the Fangs is special. Even if they fall from a great height, they will not make the slightest sound upon striking the ground, which is why they are difficult to find once lodged in flesh..."

"But that Fang made a very crisp sound when it fell just now!"

Ahab raised the Fang above his head and examined it from side to side against the sunlight.

Yet no matter how he analyzed it, its appearance matched the description in the books.

Ahab tossed the Fang again, and it still made a crisp sound.

This was a remarkably sophisticated counterfeit!

But Future Diary had recorded that the General Affairs Hall of Mensis Academy was fairly upright. Ordinary materials were basically never sold as fakes.

Ahab pondered for three breaths before suddenly understanding.

He had been too careless!

There had been something wrong with that working female apprentice!

When he had stated his request, that female apprentice had repeated the material's name.

People usually only had that reaction toward something they cared about or something unusual.

And that female apprentice had been excessively polite. After stating the price, she had even specifically taken out the manual to show him, proving that she had not overcharged him.

But did working reception at the General Affairs Hall require such a good attitude?

She had clearly been worried that he would not buy it, leaving her no chance to switch it!

As for why that female apprentice had swapped it, Ahab already had some guesses.

He returned to the General Affairs Hall, and sure enough, the female apprentice at that window had already left.

Ahab found another receptionist and asked:

"Excuse me, where did the female apprentice who was attending the next window just now go?"

"If you're buying something, say so. If not, don't block the line."

The reception apprentice replied lazily.

This was the normal attitude... Ahab cleared his throat and said:

"I bought a fake."

"I heard the General Affairs Hall has always been fair. How will this be handled?"

Only then did the reception apprentice show a bit more interest.

"If it is confirmed to be fake, you will be compensated in Magic Stones. Whatever you spent will be repaid, and the fake will not be taken back."

Ahab asked again:

"What if it was switched by the receptionist?"

"They will be expelled, and they will pay you the Magic Stones as compensation."

So, he could not get the item back, and carrying out that entire process would take time... Ahab's grip on the wooden box unconsciously tightened.

"One last question. Was the female apprentice receiving customers at the next window just now named Vivian?"

"Why are you asking that?"

Ahab nodded with faint understanding and turned to leave the General Affairs Hall.

From what he had observed, the Ferry Ship taught by Gray had arrived at the academy relatively late.

The earliest group had arrived at the academy as much as half a month ago, and many apprentices from those ships had already found work.

After all, relying solely on the Magic Stones issued by the academy left one painfully short on funds for experiments and learning.

"At this point in time, she needs the Fangs so urgently that she is willing to risk expulsion."

"She knows the characteristics of Three-Headed Hound's Fangs very well and had prepared a counterfeit in advance, just waiting for someone to buy one so she could pass off the fake as genuine."

"At this point in time, it is probably no one but Vivian."

According to Future Diary, it had been Vivian who developed Corpse Dissolving Powder in the original timeline.

The original version of himself clearly had not known the details of Vivian's research into Corpse Dissolving Powder.

Being expelled for stealing from one's own post would result in a massive deduction of Academy Contribution... But if she produced a major achievement, she would gain a large amount of Academy Contribution in return.

"There really are as many capable people in the world as ribbonfish swimming in the sea."

Ahab Gul looked up at the sky and thought to himself.