As I pressed a button on a futuristic and somewhat stylish machine — actually, a drink dispenser — I was thinking about how to make the most of the time I had left before starting the academy.
In the novel Noah hadn't done anything special during this period. He was trying, unsuccessfully, to advance his rank, but with his damaged core, he was progressing much more slowly than the others.
'Anyway, I should still get to work. Getting ahead is still getting ahead.' I thought as I adjusted the temperature of my chosen drink.
The truth was, I would have liked to find a way to cheat and steal something from Liam, but at this point in the story, nothing like that existed.
'Hmm... maybe I could try to get a mid-level martial art.'
Martial arts, like weapon arts and skills, were divided into five levels: low, medium, high, very high, and destructive.
"Hey, could you hurry up, please?"
A harmonious voice suddenly pulled me out of my thoughts. Turning around, I saw a girl, clearly about my age, looking at me with a bored expression. She was beautiful, with a slender figure, and her black hair contrasted with her blue eyes, giving her a serious yet carefree look. A surface piercing near her left eye added a bit of a rebellious touch to her appearance. She wore casual clothes: a simple jacket and black shorts.
'I didn't expect to run into someone at this hour... wait a minute, she looks familiar...'
"Hey, stop staring and move!" she said, exasperated.
I snapped out of my thoughts, quickly apologized, and hurried.
"Ah, sorry, I was distracted. I'll be quick."
Once I had my drink in hand — which I was curious to taste, after all, there were so many new things to discover in this world — I moved aside to let her have her turn.
Suddenly, I felt a pressure on my t-shirt. Turning around, I saw the girl staring at me with both of her blue eyes.
"You..." she said in a low voice.
"Uh? Is something wrong?" I asked, intrigued. She reminded me of someone, but I couldn't quite place it.
I knew she wasn't one of the heroines from the novel; otherwise, I would have recognized her immediately. Yet, she felt familiar.
"...please?" she said again in a low voice.
"What?"
"Could you pass me a lighter, please?" she repeated, pulling a cigarette from her pocket while rubbing the back of her head.
'She's... embarrassed? Why...? What an odd girl...'
I searched my pocket, pulled out the lighter I had bought earlier at the convenience store, and handed it to her. She thanked me, lit her cigarette, blew out the smoke slowly, and then handed the lighter back to me.
As she returned it, a question crossed my mind.
"Hey, tell me... how did you know I had a lighter on me?" I asked, a little curious.
The girl looked at me calmly, then sighed before answering.
"I wasn't sure, but several things about you made it obvious."
I raised an eyebrow, slightly confused.
"The smell... you mean?"
"Yes, but not just that," she replied with a teasing smile. She took a puff of her cigarette before continuing.
"You know, not many people hang out here at this hour. Most enjoy the ambiance to smoke, go to bars, or clubs."
"Then, the way you stand," she added. "You're always touching your pockets, as if you're hiding something inside. If it were a phone, you'd have already pulled it out to check the time. So, it must be something small that you want to keep handy."
I quickly glanced at my pockets, realizing she was right.
"And that look you gave the dispensers," she continued with a small mocking smile. "You stared at the one for lighters and accessories, just next to the drink dispenser, for a split second. As if it reminded you of something."
I frowned, realizing that I had indeed shown a brief interest in that display without consciously thinking about it.
'...Now that I think about it, there is a character in the novel who fits her description, but something doesn't match. That person was also a student at the Eloria Academy, but only gets involved halfway through the story because she was part of that organization... In fact, it's Noah who ends up killing her in the original story.'
'A quiet person, but with a talent for analyzing her surroundings, always second in the theoretical exams, which were considered infernal. A person with dark motivations who never really mingled with the main cast. Her name is Camila Alves, and... she's standing in front of me right now.'
A slight smile formed on my face.
'To think I'd run into someone like her less than 24 hours after transmigrating... Is this really just a coincidence? No, I don't think so.'
Camila furrowed her brows as she saw me standing still and silent again.
"You're really weird, you know that?" she said. "Anyway, fine, you can go. I swear I'm not a stalker or anything, it's just that—"
"Hey, can you give me your number?" I suddenly interrupted her.
"..."
"..."
Silence.
She scratched the back of her head, clearly annoyed by the turn of events. She sighed, took her drink, and replied as she passed by me:
"Look, I don't know if you know how to read the mood, but no, it's not happening. Sorry, but no. You can always try elsewhere, I'm sure other girls would—"
"I'll need you in the near future, you see," I interrupted again.
Camila stopped and exhaled a puff of smoke, waving her hand dismissively.
"Listen, if you keep being annoying, you'll regret—"
"I know you know how to prepare potions. I'll need one in the near future, so I thought it would be useful for us to stay in touch. Oh, and don't worry, when the time comes, I'll provide the ingredients." I said, cutting her off a third time as I took a sip of my drink.
This time, Camila stiffened. She was no longer as relaxed; she was on guard and ready to react if she saw me as a threat.
Her eyes scrutinized me with a particular intensity.
At this reaction, my smile widened even more. I took a deep breath, observing Camila with a sharp look.
"You're probably wondering how I know you're in this field, huh?" I started, a smirk on my face. She didn't respond, but the tension in her gaze showed that she was listening closely.
"To begin with..." I subtly pointed to a small purplish stain under her jacket sleeve, on her wrist. "That's not just ink. It's obsidian juice, a rare ingredient that strengthens healing potions. Its color is unique, and it always leaves a tingling sensation on the skin, especially when infused with mana."
She crossed her arms, trying to hide the mark, but I could see that my words made her uneasy.
"Next, there's..." I indicated the edges of her sleeves, slightly worn with a greenish tint. "These stains are valerian powder, a herb that, in its pure form, is harmless, but it reacts to mana to stabilize mental calming potions. Experienced alchemists use it to create complex mixtures that help control mana fluctuations in potions."
Camila shifted her gaze slightly, but her jaw tightened.
"And then..." I took on a more serious expression, my gaze dropping to her fingers. "Your nails are a bit damaged, with micro-cuts you wouldn't find on someone who doesn't handle toxic ingredients. When you're into potions, even the best gloves eventually show their limits."
She clenched her fists, clearly tense and uncomfortable.
"Well? Don't tell me you thought you were the only one good at observing people?"
'My perception stat is 320, idiot! No one my age can compare to me in terms of perception…'
If Camila always finished second in the theoretical exams, it was because there was always someone in first place, and that someone was Noah. His high perception helped him in many areas, especially in understanding phenomena related to mana. It gave him a significant advantage over others, especially someone like him, who was desperately trying to find a way to fix his damaged core. He had forced himself to study various disciplines, even trying to create potions himself. But his teachers had told him that no potion could accomplish such a miracle. Only by entering the Academy would he eventually discover a method to repair his core.
Camila sighed as she looked at me, half-irritated, half-amused.
"That's all fine and dandy," she said, crossing her arms. "But why would I accept your proposal? I've got nothing to gain. After all, you're the one who needs me, not the other way around."
I smiled confidently.
"You're right, I need you," I replied calmly. "But if you accept, trust me, you'll thank me later."
In reality, I wasn't worried. I knew exactly who I was dealing with. Camila wasn't easily manipulated, but if something piqued her curiosity, she couldn't help but get involved. And now, I could say with certainty that I had caught her attention.
I didn't need to analyze her to know she knew how to make potions, after all I read the novel but I had to pique her curiosity in some way.
She stared at me in silence, then began to laugh softly, amused by the turn of events. She pulled out her phone, swiped across the screen, and handed it to me. With a simple touch, our numbers exchanged instantly through the integrated transfer.
"There. But let's be clear," she said as she put her phone away, "This is purely professional."
Without waiting for a response, she waved and turned on her heel, walking away calmly, the smoke from her cigarette trailing behind her.
'Of course it's professional, what else would she think?'