After entering the car, Mario settled into the seat, his eyes flicking briefly toward the driver.

  "Sir, is there any place to stay that is closest to the academy?" he asked.

  "Which academy?" the driver replied, his tone calm but curious.

  Mario paused. He only knew about the academy and hadn't realized there was more than one. After a moment, he asked hesitantly, "Um… sir, what academies are there? I mean, are there any differences?"

  The driver started the car and flicked on the meter. "There are two types," he explained. "One is for those special youths who receive unique skills along with a proficiency panel, and the other is for those with only the proficiency panel."

  "…Close to the first one, sir," Mario said after a pause.

  The car shifted course. "Seems like you're one of those special youths, huh?" the driver remarked, glancing at him through the rearview mirror.

  Mario didn't know how to respond and only turned his head slightly, as though shy.

  "Congrats," the driver added casually, returning his attention to the road.

  Time passed in the quiet hum of the engine. Mario's thoughts drifted to the golden card in his hand, turning it over absently. At first, he hadn't given much weight to what the middle-aged man had said, but now the idea of points as currency settled in his mind.

  Curiosity edged past his politeness. "Sir… I want to ask—are points the only currency here? There's no physical money?"

  The driver's eyes flicked briefly to Mario through the mirror, a small crease forming on his brow. "Solid?" he echoed thoughtfully. "…You mean copper, silver, and gold coins?"

  Mario nodded. "Yes, sir."

  "I'm not sure… I think those currencies stopped being used around 86 years ago," the man replied.

  '86 years ago?' Mario thought as he recalled what the director had told him. '...It should be two years before the establishment of the academies.'

  Setting the thoughts aside, he looked at the driver and asked, "Does that mean no one uses them here at all?"

  Saying this, he took the pouch from his briefcase and opened it.

  The driver's glance flicked to it. "Those coins?" He thought briefly before continuing. "Hardly anyone. They're mostly used in cities far from here."

  Then his eyes shifted briefly toward Mario's face before returning to the road. "Seems like you're from one of those cities, huh?"

  Mario nodded, lost in thought.

  After a few minutes, he asked the question he'd been holding back. "Sir, what's the exchange rate between gold and points?" His voice stayed polite, but there was a subtle tension underlying it.

  "They're the same. One gold equals one point," the driver replied, not taking his eyes from the road.

  Hearing that, Mario's gaze fell to the golden card in his hand. '98,975 points, equivalent to the same amount of gold... That's more than the 10,000 gold lottery prize.'

  'Is it… a mistake?' He shook his head internally. 'No. It's impossible for Arthur to make such a mistake. But… if it's not a mistake…'

  Mario then shifted his posture and slumped against the seatback. '...Did I just become a pawn in someone else's game?'

  'Haa~ I don't like this.' He let out a breath before closing his eyes.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  After an unknown stretch of time, the car gradually slowed. "Here we are, kid," the driver said, noticing Mario's closed eyes and assuming he'd been asleep. "This is the closest one, but the price isn't cheap."

  Mario's eyes opened slowly. He handed over the card and paid. Once it was returned, he stepped out of the car.

  Before driving away, the driver rolled down the window. "Good luck, kid," he called.

  Mario offered a slight smile and dipped his head in acknowledgment.

  With the long briefcase in his right hand and the paper bags containing his clothes in his left, he turned to look at the towering building beside him.

  A massive, modern structure loomed before him, so tall it forced him to tilt his head back. Pale concrete and long strips of glass stacked upward in neat, boxlike levels, the sunlight flashing along their edges. The glass-covered base and dark-beamed entrance only emphasized its height, making the building feel cold, expensive, and imposing.

  He walked toward it.

  The sliding glass doors parted smoothly. The moment he stepped inside, cool air brushed his skin and a faint, refreshing fragrance reached his nose.

  The floor was polished to a reflective shine that mirrored the soaring ceilings above. Warm golden lights ran along the edges of the walls.

  He walked to the far end where a woman stood behind the reception counter—tall and graceful. Her skin seemed impossibly smooth. Her long dark hair was tied neatly behind her head, and she wore a crisp, formal light blue uniform with silver threads.

  Everything about her posture was precise, as though she were a machine designed to resemble human.

  Sure enough—

  [Good afternoon, sir. Welcome to the Celestine Hotel. How may I assist you today?]

  The same soft, melodic yet emotionless voice rang out as she spoke.

  After seeing the woman from the clothing store, Mario wasn't even surprised anymore.

  His expression returned to its normal expressionless look as he said in a calm and neutral voice, "I want a room. Something near the top floor. I want a good view."

  A place where he could easily look at the night sky whenever he wanted and see the surroundings clearly.

  [Understood, sir.] She shifted slightly, her fingers gliding across a glass screen with fluid movements.

  [We have several suites available between the sixty-eighth and eighty-second floors. Prices vary depending on size and view. Would you prefer to buy or rent?]

  "What's the difference?"

  She tilted her head gently, maintaining her flawless composure.

  [To buy is permanent ownership. To rent is monthly or yearly. Many youths who enter the nearby academies choose renting.]

  "How long before the opening of the academies?" he asked after hearing about the academy.

  [Four months, sir.]

  "Then I will rent a unit for that time."

  She showed him a picture of the room on the glass screen. [Seventy-third floor. Corner suite. Full panoramic view facing the Elyndor Academy.]

  Mario briefly glanced at it before nodding. "I'll take it."

  She gave him a smile that would be hard to distinguish from a human’s.

  Mario subconsciously put on his usual mask, briefly mistaking her for a human.

  [Please follow me for verification and payment,] she said in the same soft, melodic yet inhuman voice.

  Mario paused as he realized his mistake, then eventually followed behind her.

  She guided him to a smaller desk near the lobby wall.

  The glass surface lit up as she placed a hand on it, her palm glowing faintly blue for a split second.

  [Please place your payment card here.]

  He raised an eyebrow in slight surprise before following her instruction and placing his golden card down.

  A soft chime sounded.

  [Payment confirmed. Your unit is ready, sir. Shall I escort you?]

  Mario nodded. "Lead the way."

  They entered a sleek elevator with mirrored walls and soft blue lighting. The woman pressed her fingertips onto the panel, and the elevator responded instantly.

  As they rose, the view through the narrow glass strip on the elevator's side expanded. The city fell beneath them layer by layer, until the distant silhouette of the academy began to appear over the horizon.

  [Your room provides a direct view of the academy. Many guests enjoy watching the sunrise above its buildings.]

  He remained silent at the comment.

  After a few minutes, a ding sounded.

  The elevator opened.

  The hallway was silent and warmly lit.

  They walked for a moment before the woman stopped at a certain door and waved her hand.

  The lock clicked open instantly.

  [Welcome to your unit, sir.] The woman handed Mario a black card.

  [If you need any help, you can find a red button on the wall. Just press it, sir,] she said before walking away.

  He looked at the black card in his hand—the key to his unit—before stepping inside.

  The space was bright and modern. Afternoon sunlight poured through dark-tinted glass windows, spilling across the wide living area. A balcony stretched beyond, its railing slim and unassuming. A minimalist kitchen sat to one side, and behind a frosted panel, the bedroom remained partially hidden. Soft ceiling lights cast an even glow over everything.

  He glanced at the kitchen for a brief moment as he remembered his Rough Cooking skill.

  'I suppose I could use the memories and experience of being a chef from the simulation to cook for myself here.'

  He walked toward the bed and set down his long briefcase and paper bags containing his clothes.

  Mario took out a pair of spare clothes before walking toward the door closest to the kitchen.

  It was a bathroom.

  For half an hour he washed himself, as he hadn't washed up for almost three days. Though he hadn't done anything other than sleeping, eating, and watching the fight at sea, it was still uncomfortable.

  After washing himself and putting on his newly bought spare clothes, he walked out holding his worn clothes from the past three days.

  He first looked at them carefully—they were crumpled and the colors had almost faded from repeated washing.

  Eventually he exhaled a quiet breath before walking to the trash can at the side and placing them there.

  Mario approached the bed and sat down, his backside sinking slowly into the mattress.

  It was soft and relaxing, something he had only experienced through the memories in the simulation.

  He bent forward slightly before picking up the long briefcase and the paper bags containing his clothes and placed them on the bed.

  Mario opened each paper bag and looked at his clothes.

  A white shirt and black pants.

  He was unbothered that they were all the same. Instead, he carefully folded each of them before placing them all in a single paper bag.

  Eventually he put the long briefcase and the paper bag on the small table beside the bed.

  Growl~

  Feeling slightly hungry, he pressed the red button on the wall.

  [How can I help you?] A voice answered from it. This time the voice sounded male, though he couldn't be sure if it was human.

  Mario didn't pay his idle curiosity much thought as he said, his voice turning polite:

  "Food, please."

  [Do you want me to deliver it there, sir, or do you want me to guide you to the cafeteria?]

  'Deliver? …How convenient.'

  "Please deliver it here."

  [Any specific dish you want, sir?]

  "No need. Just rice with fried fish and a small bowl of soup."

  [Order received.]

  Mario lay down on the bed as he waited, his body slowly sinking into the mattress, giving him a sleepy feeling. But his stomach kept growling, preventing him from sleeping.