After finishing their meal, the trio bid farewell at the cafeteria entrance.

Winnie and Balke were off to practice horseback riding, while Luo Wei planned to meet Troy outside the school grounds.

However, she hadn't gone far when Vina intercepted her once again.

"You wench, feeling smug, are you?" Vina glared at her fiercely. "Your disguise might be convincing, but it doesn't change the fact that you're nothing but a commoner!"

Luo Wei furrowed her brow. "What madness has gotten into you now?"

Vina's face contorted. "I know you're just saying that because you're afraid I'll expose you."

"Just wait, Luo Wei. I've already written to the Holy Knights of the Church. As soon as they arrive, they'll unveil your true identity!"

"Very well, I'll be waiting," Luo Wei sneered. "Now, if you'll excuse me. Good dogs shouldn't block the way."

Inwardly, she was puzzled. Vina had previously believed her to be a noble. Why had she suddenly come out with such accusations?

Who had provoked her this time?

There was only one possibility: Axina.

Axina, proud of her status, disdained to act personally. She always instigated others to deal with Luo Wei.

Given her personality, she should be observing from some corner at this moment.

Luo Wei, sensing something, looked towards the second floor of the cafeteria. Sure enough, she saw the blonde girl standing by the window.

Axina didn't panic at being discovered. A faint smile graced her delicate face.

However, her eyes were cold and contemptuous, with hints of hatred and wariness.

It was as if she wanted to kill Luo Wei, grind her bones to dust, and obliterate all traces of her existence.

Luo Wei was filled with suspicion.

Surely Axina wouldn't hate her so much just for taking the bedroom she had her eye on?

Or was there some other reason?

Perhaps the people she sent to investigate had brought back some news?

No, it couldn't be that fast.

From Siria to the Northern Coast, a round trip would take at least half a month.

So what exactly was the reason that made Axina keep causing trouble for her, even when she wasn't certain that Luo Wei was a commoner?

Luo Wei fell into deep thought, feeling that she had overlooked something, just on the verge of understanding.

Vina had been hurling abuse for quite some time, but when she focused her gaze, she realized Luo Wei was lost in thought. This instantly made her face flush red with anger.

Those were the most vicious, most malicious curses she had spent two whole days thinking up!

"You wench, you're asking for a beating!"

Vina's eyes were red with fury as she raised her hand, intending to slap Luo Wei.

"I'll ruin that face of yours!"

Luo Wei snapped back to reality, grabbing Vina's hand and stepping forward. "Enough, you fool!"

Her fingers tightened, a flash of killing intent in her eyes.

"Vina, I have a bad temper, and I'm capable of killing."

These hands of hers had been stained with the blood of quite a few people.

"You're just the daughter of a minor count. How many heads do you have for me to chop off?"

"I ignore you because I choose to, not because I fear you."

"Crushing you would be as simple as squashing an ant."

The original owner of this body came from a fishing family, and her hands, accustomed to farm work, were much stronger than those of a delicate young lady.

She squeezed Vina's wrist until the bones creaked, her eyes so dark they didn't let through a single ray of light.

It wasn't until Vina begged for mercy that Luo Wei slowly released her grip.

"Use your brain. Don't let others manipulate you anymore."

Vina's face turned from purple to ashen gray. She had been thoroughly frightened.

Luo Wei gave her a cold look before turning to leave the school grounds.

Vina trembled for a while, then suddenly looked towards the window on the second floor.

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She might be impulsive and quick to anger, and had been easily manipulated back in her territory, but she wasn't hopelessly stupid.

With Luo Wei's reminder, she also came to understand.

Axina was using her.

......

As soon as Luo Wei stepped out of the school gate, Troy emerged from some hidden corner.

It seemed this fellow had been waiting for her in the vicinity all along.

Luo Wei raised an eyebrow, just about to praise him for his sense of commitment when Troy extended his hand towards her.

"Gold coin."

Luo Wei's expression vanished in an instant. "You were worth just one silver coin yesterday, and today you've raised your price?"

Troy angrily retorted, "You said it yourself, one gold coin per day."

Luo Wei glanced at him. "I think I offered too much. You're only worth one silver coin."

Troy hesitated for a moment, then extended his hand again. "Fine, give me the silver coin then."

Luo Wei: "I'm broke. No money!"

Troy looked at the money pouch at her waist, which was bulging, clearly indicating she had money.

He gave her an accusing look. "Then what's in your money pouch?"

Luo Wei quickly covered her money pouch. Hilarious, it was filled with stones. If he found out, she'd be in trouble.

"Wait a moment, I'll give you something else instead."

She rummaged in her sleeve and pulled out three black peppercorns.

In this era, pepper was incredibly expensive, worth its weight in gold. Carrying a small handful of pepper when going out was a symbol of status and respectability.

The price of pepper was so high that in the Middle Ages, there was even a case where a merchant was reported and thrown in prison for adulterating pepper powder with silver dust, showing just how precious this spice was.

The alchemy class had only given out five peppercorns in total, and she was offering three of them.

"Here you go."

"Pepper!" Troy's eyes lit up, and his gaze towards her became appreciative. "If you had pepper, why didn't you say so earlier?"

He quickly accepted the peppercorns, brought them to his nose for a sniff, and revealed an expression of enjoyment. Then he gave her a reproachful look.

How could she be so careless with such a valuable item? What if she had dropped them?

He carefully placed the peppercorns in his flat money pouch.

Luo Wei glimpsed his actions and clicked her tongue. It was painful to watch.

She wondered how pepper had been discovered in this world, given that there was no Eastern Continent.

Historically, the pepper coveted by Europeans was imported from places like India.

The climate of the Western Continent was similar to that of Europe, unsuitable for growing spices. By rights, pepper shouldn't exist here.

Luo Wei suspected that there might be a continent in this world with a geographical environment similar to Asia.

Unfortunately, when she had tried to find a map of this world earlier, she couldn't.

Maps were still a scarce resource in this era, held as strategic weapons by kings and armies. Ordinary people had no access to them.

Even kings didn't have complete continental maps.

Because the surveying conditions were very primitive at this time, drawing a map might take several generations. A successfully completed map could become a family heirloom.

Luo Wei had to flip through more than a dozen books to barely piece together the positions of the three continents on the Star of Galan.

But all she knew was that the Western Continent was located in the northwest of the planet, with a humid climate; the Wastes were in the south, with a dry climate.

"Troy, do you have a map of the continent?" Luo Wei thought for a moment and asked him.

"How could I possibly have such a thing, and what do you want a map for?"

Luo Wei: "I want to know if there's any land beyond the Western Continent and the Wastes."

Troy spoke in a low voice: "There's a legend that has been passed down for thousands of years. It's said that there's another continent beyond the sea called the Misty Plains, larger than the Western Continent and the Wastes combined."

"Many bounty hunters and adventurers have tried to find that continent, but they've all failed."

"When I was young, I met an adventurer who said there were man-eating sea monsters and turbulent waves overseas. Out of their entire ship's crew, only he managed to escape back, and he would never venture out to sea again."

It was the same as what she had read in books.

Luo Wei began to consider the possibility of fabricating herself as a noble from the Misty Plains. After all, the small fishing village where the original owner lived was also in the northernmost part of the Western Continent, very close to the legendary fog belt.

"What are you thinking about?" Troy asked.

"Nothing," Luo Wei looked up. "I was wondering why you chose to be a mercenary instead of a bounty hunter."

Mercenaries had been a popular type of soldier since ancient Greek times, mainly earning a living through wars and adventures. When there were no wars, they often struggled with hunger.

Bounty hunters were different. The profession of bounty hunting had existed since the formation of countries on the continent, with their main task being to capture fugitives.

Compared to mercenaries, bounty hunters received much more generous rewards and didn't have to flee between countries. It seemed more suitable for a skilled fighter like him.

Faced with Luo Wei's question, Troy instinctively wanted to evade.

"There's no particular reason," he lowered his eyes, his tone somewhat stiff. "I just prefer being a mercenary."

Luo Wei made a noncommittal sound. It seemed this swordsman had quite a story behind him.

"Let's change the subject," she pulled out a wooden jar from her lantern sleeve. "Can you help me check if this is poisonous?"

Troy took the jar, opened the seal, and looked inside. His expression immediately became serious.

"This is a juvenile Infernal Arachne. How did you come to possess such a thing?"

Luo Wei shrugged. "I don't know either. I woke up the night before last, and it was just sitting on my blanket."

She urged, "Quickly, tell me if it's poisonous."

Troy snapped the lid shut with a loud 'clap'. "This is a highly venomous magical beast."

"Ah?" Luo Wei said worriedly, "Does that mean I can only keep it in the jar and can't let it out to pet it?"

Troy's temple twitched. "I said, it's highly venomous."

"I know, but isn't it cute?"

Luo Wei poked the wooden jar with her finger, remembering those big, shiny black eyes. She cupped her face, seemingly melting with adoration.

Troy's face contorted for a moment.

The Infernal Arachne, cute?

Were all noble ladies' hobbies this peculiar?

TBC