In the middle of her frustration, an idea struck Yuna like divine inspiration—or at least, as close to divine as she was willing to admit. Perfect? Maybe not for the whole class, but perfect for her. Why waste her time on some project where she gained nothing? If she was going to work, it was going to benefit her too.
She slammed her book shut and declared, "We're writing a novel! Publishing it, even! We can add visual effects using runes on the pages, or make the words speak with mana so people who can't read can still enjoy it!"
One student's hand shot up, eyes sparkling with barely-contained mischief. Yuna didn't even let him speak. "No. No bombs. Put your hand down."
"Oh, oh! Yuna, what's the story going to be about?" Celeste asked, practically bouncing in her seat.
"Good question. What do you think we should write?" Yuna countered, deciding to let them pitch ideas first.
"In our world, gods and deities are important. A story about them would be really popular!"
"Pass, next." Yuna dismissed instantly. Who wanted to read that kind of sanctimonious nonsense?
"How about heroes?"
"Pass, next."
"Warriors!"
"Pass, next."
"The greatest magician of all time!"
"Pass, next."
"The love story between a pri—"
"Alright, that's it. We're going to write a light-he—"
"Light?" The entire Heart Class suddenly froze, their eyes trained on her as if she'd just handed them the secrets of the universe.
"Yes," Yuna explained slowly. "Light-hearted. Not too heavy—"
But her words were wasted. They'd already spiraled into their own fever dream.
"We can write about Light representing hope!"
"A light that shines in our hearts!"
"What I mean is light-hearted, not light in the literal sense," Yuna tried to cut in, but they were too far gone.
"I like the idea of Light! How about a girl who comes to a world shrouded in darkness and brings her light to everyone?"
"That's brilliant!"
"No, that's cringe and—"
"She should have black hair and eyes. Very iconic!" someone interrupted, steamrolling right over her.
Yuna banged her desk with enough force to rattle their daydreams back into focus. "I'm talking about light-hearted novels! Not the concept of light itself!" she bellowed.
"But… we can't write what we want?" one student asked with a pout.
"Yuna, I want to write about Light!"
"Mom! Light!"
"Light, light, light!"
Yuna stared at them, dead-eyed. "…Fine. Do whatever you want."
Whether the book sold well or flopped didn't matter anymore. Their excitement had nothing to do with money now—they simply wanted to make something they cared about. And as much as she wanted to throttle them, Yuna knew that kind of passion wasn't something you stomped out.
…Still, she wasn't letting go of her own plan. They could write their 'Light' epic together, but she'd write her own novel on the side. Two books—one from the Heart Class's chaotic joint effort, and one purely hers. If anyone was going to benefit from this project, it was going to be her.
.....
For an entire month, the students of Evigheden Academy were absorbed in their own projects, each class busy preparing for the upcoming public activities.
When the new month arrived, so did the rainy season. Sheets of rain poured down, and students gathered in the grand Evigheden Hall, shaking off droplets from their cloaks. A long, makeshift counter stood at the front, where each card class would submit their finished work.
One by one, the class representatives stepped forward.
First was Enyo of the Spade Class. She strode up and laid out the materials they had gathered from the academy's forest—beast hides, rare pelts, and even a few carcasses. The crowd gasped at the sight. In truth, these were highly valuable in the outside world, especially to craftsmen and forgers. Yuna had long grown tired of listening to her class forgers ramble about the worth of monster materials found in Evigheden's territory, but she couldn't deny their value.
Next came Dane, the representative of the Club Class. He presented a collection of trinkets and artifacts forged by his classmates. Most were low- to mid-grade, with a few high-grade pieces mixed in. Individually they wouldn't fetch a fortune, but the sheer quantity meant steady, significant profit if sold in bulk.
Following him was Alaric from the Diamond Class. His submission was also a set of artifacts, but unlike the Club Class's mass production, these were few in number and of higher quality—clearly meant for a more selective market.
Finally, all eyes turned to Yuna, representative of the Heart Class. She stepped forward and placed two books on the counter, the rest neatly stored away in a storage bag.
The first book was an ornate creation with intricate designs etched into the cover. Its title read When the Light Came. Yuna refused to so much as glance at it. In her mind, it didn't exist—the cringe level was too high, especially because the main character bore an uncanny resemblance to her. She told herself over and over: This did not happen. That book does not exist. But alas, children's creative impulses were something she had learned—begrudgingly—to tolerate.
The second book was her own work, simply bound with a clean, minimal design. The title read The Girl Named Seelie. Unlike the overly dramatic, blood-soaked tales popular in this world, her story was a lighthearted slice-of-life meant to comfort rather than exhaust. In her eyes, this was exactly the kind of story the world needed.
Yuna is quite positive of the books unlike the other card students who doesn't think a story book which has almost zero value to be worth selling and compete with others in sales volume.
"A book?" Dane asked, raising a brow.
"Storybook, to be exact," Yuna corrected. "It's for sale. You can read it if you want—buy it with points."
"Hiss… What a capitalist," Dane teased, his tone light. A faint, warm smile softened his otherwise plain features, making him surprisingly pleasant to look at. He wasn't particularly striking, but that gentle smile gave him a certain quiet charm.
"Read it or don't. Your choice," Yuna replied flatly.
"I do want to read it, but no pity for your fellow class reps? How much?"
Yuna raised two fingers.
Dane gasped in mock outrage. "Greedy merchant."
"You buying or not?"
"…Fine. I'll take it."
And just like that, Yuna made her first sale—happily taking points from a fellow student.
Once all submissions were collected, the items were sent out to be sold beyond the academy's walls. The results of this endeavor—the profits and success of each class's project—would be announced in three months' time.