Leo observed the man for a few seconds longer, eyes narrowing slightly as something tugged at his memory. Then it clicked.

"Weren't you there during our registration?" Leo asked.

"You have a sharp memory. Yes, that would be correct," the man replied. As he spoke, he lifted his head fully, letting his face come into view.

There wasn't much reaction from Leo or Lily, but Miho visibly startled. She gasped softly and immediately ducked behind Lily, clutching the back of her dress.

The archer noticed and exaggerated a wounded expression, pressing a hand to his chest.

"So cruel. I'm not that ugly, hehe," he said lightly.

His face was sharp and angular, with a pronounced jawline and a lean, almost wiry build to match. But his most striking feature was his eyes. They were wide open, with both iris and pupil unnaturally constricted, leaving an unsettling amount of white exposed, with a tiny black point at the centre. They barely seemed to move, giving him a predatory and eerie stare.

"She is just shy. Don't mind her," Leo said calmly.

He didn't linger on it and moved straight to the point.

"So, what informants were you talking about?"

"Oh—right, yes, yes. Informants." The man brightened as if reminded of his role. "Nice to meet you. I'm an informant. Name's Andrew." He extended a gloved hand toward Leo.

Leo noted. This guy really is eccentric.

"Hm. I'm Leo." He shook the offered hand.

"Hehe, nice. A new client," Andrew said cheerfully, his grip light but confident.

"So anyway," Andrew continued, rocking back on his heels,

"for a brief introduction to my work—I move around the academy surroundings. That includes the wilds, student territories, and—" He leaned in closer, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret."—the academy premises."

Leo raised an eyebrow. This guy sounded less like an informant and more like a spy.

"As for my job," Andrew went on, straightening up, "you pay me for information on anything I know. And of course, I won't lie. Lying makes me lose clients." He flashed a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Leo asked. "I can understand student territories, but the academy premises?"

"The cost is similarly high, you know?" Andrew said, forming a subtle money-sign gesture just below his stomach.

"And don't worry," he added casually. "To be honest, if you manage to slip past academy security, they usually let you off after some punishment and fines. At the end of the day, you're still learning skills for the benefit of humanity. Infiltration skills are highly sought after for missions in demonic and elven territories." He shrugged. "But yeah—sensitive stuff is still out of reach. Things like test leaks, locations of high-grade treasures, or some juicy tea about someone… those are within limits if you manage."

Leo nodded slowly. It made sense.

This guy clearly wants to establish a connection with me, Leo thought. But can a sophomore really have this level of skill? They all feel way too weak. And those eyes… straight out of a horror movie. Is that some kind of talent? A marksman-related mutation?

"So?" Leo said aloud. "What information are you selling?"

Andrew didn't answer immediately. He simply pointed toward the board.

"The exact thing you're looking for. Hehe."

"The ones not mentioned here?" Leo clarified.

Andrew nodded.

"And the rarest ones?"

Andrew's grin widened, and he nodded again.

"Which one, then?" Leo asked—only to pause when Andrew made another money-sign gesture with his fingers.

"Tsk. Not even the name?" Leo frowned.

"What if you say something that isn't that rare?"

"The reason I'm here," Andrew replied calmly, "is because I have confidence in myself. And once again, cheating isn't in my dictionary. It costs me valuable clients."

"How much?" Leo asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Five thousand," Andrew said simply.

"That much?"

"Well, you should be able to guess the value of that beacon from the price alone," Andrew said. "And I'm already giving you a 95% discount since this is your first purchase from me."

"Hoh?" Leo muttered. "A beacon of information valued at a hundred thousand AC…"

That's forty gold. Ack!

Then something clicked in his mind.

"Wait," Leo said sharply. "Are you trying to rip me off since you know I have the credits—or worse, lead me into a trap because my girl handled that woman earlier?"

Andrew blinked, then stared at Leo in confusion. His perpetually constricted pupils relaxed slightly as he suddenly burst into laughter, slapping his thigh.

"Hahahaha! You're a funny guy," he said between laughs. "Me, leading you into a trap? Never once in my five years at this academy did I think I'd hear that accusation." He shook his head, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "No. I'd never do that."

He exhaled and smirked.

"To be honest, I was barely holding my laughter back earlier. That Karen bitch finally got her bitchy ass handled. It was hilarious—seeing her on the verge of tears after that yank." He grinned broadly.

"You know what? I'll give you an extra one-thousand AC discount. On top of the fifty per cent. That scene was worth it. Hahahaha."

Leo was momentarily taken aback by the sheer enthusiasm. He didn't know why that girl was so universally hated—but it worked in his favour. Without hesitation, he initiated the payment of four thousand AC.

"Fluxsoil Heart," Andrew said the moment the payment went through, his voice turning serious.

Leo's expression hardened instantly.

That's the best treasure beacon.

He also noticed the sudden shift in Andrew's demeanor.

Business voice, Leo concluded.

"I don't need to explain the importance of that treasure, do I?" Andrew asked.

Leo shook his head. He absolutely understood its value.

"Send me a text," Andrew continued.

"I'll forward the map. It'll automatically integrate into your map function."

"That's convenient," Leo said, sending a message to the unique ID he'd received during the transaction.

A moment later, a file arrived. When Leo opened it, his map interface expanded and marked a distant location with a leaf-shaped symbol—at least eighty kilometres away.

"So far?" Leo frowned. "That'll take time. What if I need to urgently return to the academy—or worse, if someone attacks my territory while I'm that far away?"

Andrew once again formed a money sign with his fingers.

This time, Leo received a payment request.

5 AC.

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