The echoing silence of the Beacon Auditorium was shattered by Ozpin's voice, finally announcing the teams.
"Russel Thrush, Sky Lark, Cardin Winchester, and Dove Bronzewing, you are Team CRDL. And now for the final two teams."
Ozpin paused dramatically, savoring the moment.
"With that said, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao-Long—you are Team RWBY. The leader of the team is Ruby Rose!"
Ruby shrieked with disbelief and joy, while Weiss's jaw dropped in absolute offense.
"And Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos, and Lie Ren—you are Team JNPR. The leader of the team is Jaune Arc!"
Jaune felt a surge of pride and nervousness.
Ozpin quickly assigned them their dorm rooms, and everyone dispersed to find their new living quarters.
Inside the Team RWBY dorm, the atmosphere was thick with tension and clutter.
"How can we live in such a small room?!"
Weiss complained, throwing her hands up in exasperation.
She had brought enough luggage for a six-month European tour, and with the room this small, the beds were taking up nearly all the available space.
She couldn't even put a quarter of her belongings on her desk.
"I have a solution!"
Ruby declared, seizing the initiative. She grabbed two bed frames and, with the help of Yang, tried to stack them, creating a makeshift bunk bed.
The resulting structure wobbled dangerously.
Weiss was still sulking that she hadn't been chosen as the team leader.
She glared at the precarious structure.
"That is incredibly dangerous, Ruby! I will never accept you as a leader if you prioritize safety like a common street urchin!"
Just as the bed threatened to collapse, a voice chimed in from the doorway.
"Hey, that is a good idea, a bunk bed is essential for small dorms. But I have to agree with Weiss this time, that structure is going to crash. Let me help you, Ruby."
Jaune had come to visit them, checking in on the other half of the initial chaos squad, and found them in a surprisingly dangerous situation.
Jaune quickly assessed the flimsy construction.
To truly bond them, he needed an item from the shop.
"One moment, ladies."
Jaune pulled out a small, unassuming plastic tube—perfectly mundane, save for the faint shimmer of copper energy around it.
Item—Super-Adhesive Compound
Origin—Futuristic Sci-Fi World | Rank—Copper
Price—2 mcc
He carefully applied the Super-Adhesive Compound to the joints of the stacked beds.
In seconds, the glue hardened into an unbreakable bond.
The previously dangerous bunk bed was now a solid, immovable piece of furniture.
"Here it is,"
Jaune said, stepping back to admire his work.
"You can find this glue in my shop if you're interested. It could hold things that weigh a ton easily."
Ruby instantly brightened, her eyes glued to the tube.
"Wow! That is amazing! I could use this for Crescent Rose!"
However, Jaune knew she didn't have the Lien to buy such a powerful utility item.
He seized the chance to explain his commerce.
"My shop doesn't use Lien as its primary transaction. We use this."
Jaune showed them a handful of shimmering, pristine copper coins and his single silver coin.
"They are called Multiversal Coins. They drop after you successfully deal with Grimm."
Yang asked the crucial question, leaning in with intense curiosity.
"How does that work? We have been dealing with Grimms since we were kids, but none of them had ever dropped magic coins."
"That's because you haven't made a contract with my shop yet. My shop needs permission to integrate your hunter activities into its economy. If you have a contract, then you will start earning coins based on the threat level you eliminate."
Jaune then produced a bundle of thin, parchment-like paper.
"This is the contract. You can choose to hunt Grimm to get coins, or you can accept specific jobs for the shop."
The girls didn't hesitate.
They had just witnessed Jaune's impossible strength, and he had that undeniable, genuine "good boy" energy.
He was also offering a way to acquire the supernatural goods they just saw in action.
They all signed the contracts.
As their pens lifted from the page, the papers flew into the air, breaking into particles of brilliant, copper-colored light.
The particles drifted and entered their bodies, causing a strange, internal click sensation.
"What just happened?"
Ruby asked, rubbing her arm, slightly wide-eyed.
"The contract is established,"
Jaune explained.
"You will get coins from dealing with Grimm from now on, and you can accept jobs listed on the notice board inside my shop."
Jaune then gave them the exact location of the new branch near the cafeteria.
Satisfied, the members of Team RWBY agreed to check on his shop after they finished dealing with the rest of their room's chaos.
Jaune had just secured four new members for his growing, secret empire.