Chapter 161: The Agreement Unilaterally Ruined by Sister Bai
“Can I interview that person? Just a few questions, our newspaper will definitely report truthfully! We will absolutely not use any clickbait or out-of-context tactics!”
This senior looked at me very sincerely and said that if it weren’t for her strange behavior of chasing me on a broom, I might have actually believed her!
Seeing that I was still unmoved, the senior had no choice but to bring out her trump card, “I’ll personally offer you an interview fee!”
“Interview fee? Alright, let’s discuss how much it is first.” I abruptly stopped, since money was involved, she should have mentioned it right away!
As if I was unwilling!
“Eh?” The senior clearly did not expect me to react this way. She didn’t manage to stop and suddenly darted away.
Then she took a long detour to come back.
“So, does that mean you agree?”
“Let’s first see what the interview fee is?” I directly asked.
“Um… do you want money or something else?” The senior asked awkwardly.
As a reporter for the newspaper, she had naturally encountered various interviewees, and it was not uncommon for some to ask for money, but she didn’t expect me to be so down-to-earth.
But if she was willing, then everything could be negotiated!
“Well, money feels quite vulgar. How about giving me a magic source instead? A spellbook would also work.” I probed.
After all, at this stage, I wasn’t very short on money. Although I didn’t have a stable income since I stopped working part-time at the bakery, the academy’s subsidies were enough for me to get by for a while.
Moreover, with my abilities in the future, would I have to worry about money? Though I hadn’t thought of how to monetize this power yet.
Still, at this stage, it was more cost-effective to acquire something more valuable than money.
“Eh? A spellbook? That kind of thing… what about a small spellbook? Or a magic source would work too, but not too much.”
“A small spellbook? Is it one without a ritual?” I confirmed again.
“Um, yes. Is that okay?”
“Well… it’s not impossible, but that kind of spellbook doesn’t have much power. Aren’t these things common in the academy? I can see them at stalls.” I continued to belittle the small spellbook. Although they were indeed sold at stalls, they were not cheap, so I started with this line and then aimed to raise the price.
“Uh… so what do you want to do?”
“Add more magic sources.” I said confidently.
“You want more magic sources? This… can I only give you one?” The senior looked like she was negotiating, as if giving me one was painful for her.
“One is too little, how about five?”
Although one or five wouldn’t make a huge difference for me, I might as well fight for more.
I still remembered when I was in the club, how happy I was to receive a spell and a magic source. Now it seemed beneath me… life really changes too fast.
“Five? Don’t go too far! At most, two!”
“Now you’re the one who needs something from me, right?” I reminded her.
“But… five is too much. Three, please.”
“Well… I’ll take a step back, how about four? Let me tell you, I currently have 266 magic sources, and adding four makes a nice round 270. What do you think?”
“270!” Clearly, the senior was surprised by this news I dropped, “Really?”
“Not really, if you give me four magic sources, I’ll say it’s real.”
“Alright! Here you go!”
“This…” Seeing her agree so readily, I instantly regretted it. It was clear that I was going to end up with less!
I watched as the senior stuffed the magic sources into me, as if she feared I would change my mind. At this stage, I was unable to transfer them, so it seemed this senior was not as simple as she appeared.
“Also, here’s this small spellbook! Um, can I start the interview now?”
“Um… let’s go downstairs, it’s not good to do it up in the sky.”
“You’re right!”
After the senior accompanied me down, she found a good angle and began her professional work.
“Do we need to film? Can we skip filming?”
“Well… filming makes the report more credible, um…”
“Isn’t taking photos enough? Let’s skip filming.”
“Alright, that’s fine.” The senior had to reluctantly put away her equipment and started using a recording device, “Uh, can we start now?”
“Mm.” I nodded.
“According to rumors, your number of magic sources has reached 270. Is this figure accurate?”
“Uh… more or less.” I looked at her continuously giving me side-eyes, which seemed to be part of the prescribed process for recording?
Alright, since I received some benefits, it was fine to cooperate a bit. This kind of information would eventually be exposed anyway, including the spellbooks I possessed.
“Okay, next question. What are your thoughts on this morning’s elimination match?”
“Well… I realized that having more spellbooks is a good thing.”
“Uh, didn’t you feel regret, sadness, or anything like that after losing?”
“Does your life consist only of sad failures, only to think of things that make you very sad?”
“Failure is the mother of success. Without learning from failures, how can there be success?” I directly quoted some motivational speak.
Isn’t that what an interview is about?
Though I personally only feel that failure is just failure; it isn’t worthy of worship. It only makes me realize my losses more clearly.
I will find ways to improve myself, and I will also find ways to change myself. That is my resolve! Not lessons learned from failure!
Failure will only repeatedly undermine my confidence until it smoothens out my edges.
“Uh, ah~ Is this what genius thinking is? It seems I need to study more.”
“So, next question. Before the grand brawl in the afternoon, someone saw you in a confrontation with Tan Han. Can you explain the situation? Is it okay to talk about it?”
“Confrontation? That term doesn’t apply here; I just had a casual chat with Classmate Tan Han about the matching mechanism of the academy’s new student competition. We had a friendly exchange; there’s no confrontation to speak of.” I smiled and made up a story; after all, could they go find Tan Han to verify it?
Not possible, right?
“Is that… true?” The senior awkwardly confirmed, though she seemed skeptical of my explanation, but since I said it, she might as well believe it.
“Yes.” I nodded seriously.
“Then I’d like to ask what spellbook was used for the fire-type spell that broke Tan Han’s transformation with your last hit?”
“The Fireball Spell, didn’t you watch the live broadcast? Didn’t the commentator mention it?”
“Uh… well, the Fireball Spell shouldn’t have that much power, right?” This time the senior really broke into a sweat; this answer seemed too dismissive!
“Oh, I blew up the entire Fireball Spellbook in one go. That’s about it.”
“Eh? So the Fireball Spellbook you used in the afternoon…”
“Of course, it was a new one; it’s just a low-cost spellbook.”
“That… seems plausible…” The senior was momentarily at a loss for how to retort. Still, it felt strange; the Fireball Spellbook costs a little while Tan Han’s transformation spell costs a thousand mana!
If blowing up a single Fireball Spellbook could break such a terrifying spell, then why pursue a spellbook that consumes thousands?
Others use a spellbook to break one spell, which is extremely cost-effective.
But the truth is definitely not counted that way.
“Next question…”
“Wait, I’ve already answered four questions; you gave me four magic sources. The interview ends here.” I immediately interrupted her.
“Eh? No, I’ll give you more magic sources. Please, let me ask just one more question!”
“See you～”
I won’t be fooled. Previously, I didn’t understand the market and was tricked into answering four questions for four magic sources. Now, her questions would definitely be even trickier. Does she think one or two magic sources could get me to spill more?
Impossible!
And judging by her stingy look, I wouldn’t get any good benefits; if I don’t run now, when will I?
So, I quickly leveraged my excellent flying skills to shake her off, perhaps she sensed my unwillingness to cooperate and gave up.
In any case, this turned out to be a small unexpected gain, exchanging some well-known or nearly public information for four magic sources and a… small spell.
So, I was better off.
Furthermore, I hadn’t used any spells that lack a ritual as a driving force yet.
So, I quickly absorbed it into my system; I couldn’t wait to see what this spell was like.
What effects did it have? What was its structure? Without a ritual as a core driver, how would it use those structures to form spell effects?
Is it like the scientific method of utilizing extraordinary energy? Or does it employ that extraordinary knowledge and laws? They seem to be fundamentally similar.
After absorbing the spellbook, I found that there were no detailed instructions, just the name of the spell.
Mud Spray!
It seems… this spell truly disappoints me.
However, the cost of this spell is comparable to my cleaning spell, making it a decent hindrance method.
In the future, whenever I meet someone I dislike, I can easily splash mud in their face, achieving both direct blindness and mental harm.
After a simple experiment, I found that it only sprayed out a brownish-yellow mud without any attack power.
The mud itself was just a spell effect; I could clean it with the cleaning spell, and it wouldn’t leave any dirt behind; it seems to be a spell effect leveraging earth elements. The maximum duration is currently unknown, and I am too lazy to test this data. I’ll deal with it when I’m bored later.
“Xiao Han?”
“Mm? Ah!” A sudden voice from behind startled me. After all, I hadn’t returned to the dormitory yet. Being called by my nickname in an unfamiliar place is truly frightening.
But when I turned around, I realized it was Sister Bai.
“It’s Sister Bai! You scared me to d*ath! How did you find me?” I asked, patting my chest.
“I followed you when you left. I noticed someone was following you, so I came over not feeling at ease, but I didn’t have time to tell you.” Bai Yu explained casually.
“I see… Um, did you hear about the newspaper thing too?” I asked, feeling a bit shy as I scratched my head.
“Yes, next time you run into those newspaper people, don’t believe anything they say. And don’t take any small advantages, understand?”
“I understand.” I nodded seriously.
“I’m glad you understand. By the way, Xiao Han, do you have any other plans for the afternoon?”
“Eh? Other plans… um… I want to start studying runes from the basics,” I said after thinking a bit.
I genuinely wanted to study; I could also research spellbooks during this time, bringing all my other spellbooks to an understanding level akin to that of Fireball Spell.
After all, having explored Fireball Spell, the other spellbooks of the same type would only require a change in methodology.
However, I still wanted to seize the momentum from today’s battle to kickstart my research on runes.
Anyway, today was just the first day of the new student competition.
I don’t believe that in tomorrow’s 200-person match, I’ll run into Tan Han again!
What are the odds of encountering her?
Moreover, the academy also needs to consider a very realistic issue: if Tan Han encounters me again, can she still win?
Lina gave me so many spellbooks. Even before, I could push Tan Han into that state with just a few spells.
What about now?
Since they say Tan Han is the protagonist and there are other interest-related dynamics at play, would they still dare to take on this risk?
If I were in their shoes, I wouldn’t even dare to touch it!
“Studying runes?”
When Bai Yu heard me, her eyelids twitched. Runes-related teaching is not even part of the required curriculum at the Witch Academy, and even as an elective, it’s relatively niche.
This is because runes are closely related to spells, but spellbooks allow everyone to skip the most critical part of spell theory. Nobody would willingly put in effort in learning this at the early stages.
The course at the beginning only covers basic knowledge about spell principles and elemental theory.
Previously, she had thought about escaping the limitations of spellbooks to release spells, but the power of spells once released from spellbooks was far from satisfactory.
So… she went to ask her instructor.
However, her instructor did not agree with her idea, as escaping the framework of spellbooks was an unwise choice. Nonetheless, she respected Bai Yu’s resolve and allowed her to try.
Based on that, she even recommended some materials and information related to runes. Bai Yu didn’t expect Xiao Han would touch upon such things so quickly.
Could it be due to the advantage of spirit vision at the Floating World level?
However, Bai Yu quickly realized that now was not the time to think about such things. Since Xiao Han wanted to study, she would certainly support her!
It was just like when Xiao Han first learned about the truth behind the script; she no longer emphasized keeping her distance from Tan Han. After all, the third choice was Xiao Han’s own idea, and at that time, she understood that Xiao Han was no longer that little child who needed her guidance.
Since Xiao Han was no longer a child, could she… cough, well, stop there. Bai Yu forced herself not to think too far; things hadn’t developed to that point yet!
“Sister Bai? What’s wrong? Is rune study very difficult?” I couldn’t help but interrupt, seeing her in a daze.
“Ah? No, Xiao Han, if you want to learn runes, I naturally support you. But don’t you want to try out the newly acquired spellbook to get a feel for it?”
“It’s fine~ I don’t have such a strong need at this stage. Are you hoping I’ll compete for first place in the new student competition? If so…”
“No way! How could I let you compete for first place!” Bai Yu quickly explained. If it were a competition for first place, wouldn’t that mean facing off against Tan Han again?
Not just facing off against Tan Han, but against the entire narrative, directly!
When she tried to alter the script, even before the start, she suffered severe injuries, and what she gained was merely a negligible modification to the script’s background… that’s roughly the idea.
This first match of Xiao Han against Tan Han was a typical arrangement, and no matter how exciting the process was, the outcome was still…
“Since Sister Bai has no demands on me, I naturally have no burdens~” I spoke in a carefree tone, mainly to lighten the atmosphere and break the impending serious topic.
“Relax~ My focus has never been the new student competition. If it weren’t for this event being led by the class leader, I wouldn’t bother participating at all.”
“You aren’t concerned about the rewards?”
“Rewards… well… they come as they do. Speaking of rewards, aren’t they all earth vein products? I don’t have much research into earth veins and don’t plan to pursue that direction.” I replied nonchalantly.
“But the top ten rewards are naturally more than just these. Although the rewards haven’t been announced yet, high-cost spellbooks, large amounts of magic sources, powerful alchemical items, and extraordinary items will surely be included.”
“Um… but competing for the top ten inevitably means I’ll run into Tan Han, right? Didn’t Sister Bai say…”
“Are you worried about that? Didn’t you say you wanted to choose your own life?”
“But… keeping my distance from Tan Han was our agreement!” I said earnestly.
You can’t back out of an agreement! For this agreement, I’ve made my relationship with Tan Han a bit awkward in the past.
But fundamentally, I have no major conflict with Tan Han, and I didn’t care about the first match. My impression of her is quite good after all; who would resent a friendly rich person?
“Ah? Because of this?” Bai Yu was somewhat flummoxed at this moment. “Then let’s consider this agreement over. You can’t be forced to make concessions in your life choices because of this.”
“But breaking the agreement like this…”
“Xiao Han, that agreement was made without your knowledge. I set it out of my personal selfishness, but your choices proved your autonomy, and it made me realize my mistake. So… let’s say I unilaterally breached the contract. It’s my fault for breaching the agreement, and I’ll compensate you later~”
“I see. Let’s discuss compensation later. Just like the help you gave me, I will repay it in the future. No need to dwell on that. By the way, Sister Bai, do you have anything else to do?”
Upon hearing Bai Yu’s words, I understood what she meant, and it also sent me a signal: that I could choose my path without reservations, especially regarding the issue with Tan Han.
I also wondered if my previous remarks had influenced her. I hope not, but proactive compensation was unnecessary.
After all, without Sister Bai’s constraints, isn’t Tan Han still a huge problem?
Same deal, just stay calm.
“As for me… I don’t have any urgent matters. Why? Xiao Han is going to have her own personal life now?”
“Pretty much, I want to head back to the dormitory. It wouldn’t be good to bring you back with me…” Just recalling my roommate made my head hurt; I literally couldn’t be frank with Sister Bai regarding such a roommate!
“I see. Then Xiao Han, you go ahead. I have things to do as well, just not in a hurry.”
“Mm~ Then see you later, Sister Bai~”
After bidding farewell to Sister Bai, I headed back toward the villa.
I wonder how they will react when I return after making such a big stir today?
I truly wish I could play together with them, but it seems they feel a bit distant due to me concealing the fact that I was initially a boy.
But I also don’t want to break my new life and revealing that I was originally a boy would only link me back to my previous life. This is genuinely a tough decision.
Even now, I know that girls in the class wouldn’t harbor negative feelings toward students who transitioned from boys, and they are even more willing to interact with them.
But I’m the class leader; the class leader was originally a boy… Can they accept that?
Should I go see a psychologist? It feels like there are so many things blocking my throat, even my understanding from both lives cannot overcome it.
The Witch Academy certainly has psychological counselors for the boys they admitted, right?
I thought about this as I pushed open the door of the villa.
“Xiao Han! You’re back!”
As soon as I opened the door, I heard Hong Chanyi’s loud voice. Although I’m already used to his behavior, I still find it unbearable.
