Chapter 9: Onward
Mail in Valan, and anywhere else in the country of Alencia, was curried by hawk. There was a certain area of space in the sky, segregated out just for the birds, that no Ability User could fly through. Also, hawks were illegal to hunt and buying your own was like purchasing a luxury car.
Rei's grandpa had his own hawk, a Cooper's hawk named Koka-Tai. She'd always wondered how he was able to afford it, but it was a story he hadn't told.
Now that she thought about it, there was a lot of mysterious things about her grandfather. Like how he knew so many types of martial arts, never mentioned his own Ability, got letters every Thursday, and apparently had some sort of Hidden Headquarters in his backyard.
Rei was moving the firewood indoors when Koka-Tai came swooping down with a formal scroll tied around his leg. She brushed away splinters and let the hawk perch on her shoulder. It hurt like hell since she wasn't wearing her shoulder guards.
She petted Koka-Tai fondly, so he knew it was alright to go flying, and unwrapped the message.
'Dear Miss R. S. Egale,
We are pleased to inform you of your acceptance into Asa Academy. The next semester begins February 8. For necessary equipment and arrangement of your schedule, please refer to the attached documents.
With regards,
Lantern Silica, Dean of Students'
Rei actually recognized the name Asa Academy, though she wasn't sure from where. She could've sworn it hadn't been one of the schools she sent an application to, but why else would she receive an acceptance letter?
Dismissing the short letter, she checked over the equipment list, and sighed. It was all things she already owned, like weapon care tools and basic hunting and traveling gear. It wasn't a strange list to have when most Academies focused on developing professional Adventurers.
Rei tucked her papers into the usual spot, and gathered up her things. She had some loot to sell.
Every city in Alencia had its own marketplace. Adventurer's needed somewhere to trade and sell their gains, and artisans needed to get materials. The marketplace was open all hours with booths covering every foot of space, and people practically crawling over each other.
Rei hated going there, so she was fortunate to be able to provide most of her needs herself, but she wasn't so lucky today.
She had no use for Dungeon Monster Pelts or the Cores currently, but she wouldn't waste a perfectly good source of income. She deigned to stick to the outer booths and hope for a decent haggling.
Pulling up her hood, she disappeared into the quieter part of the market where everyone knew each other and nobody would eat you out for selling or trading something illegal or otherwise.
Rei didn't go to the market often, but she went often enough to have found this gem area of the booths. It was perfect for a quick in and out trade, and it kept her major paranoia at bay.
She set down a Pelt and a Core onto a booth that didn't have many of them. She could always fetch a higher profit for items that were in demand.
The merchant paid her ten Copper for each Pelt and five Silver for each Core, totaling fifty Copper and twenty-five Silver. It was a worth equal to one Gold and ten Silver.
Twenty-five Copper was equivalent to one Silver, fifteen Silver amounted to one Gold, and ten Gold matched the price of one Gem.
When Adventurers went into to a Dungeon, they cleared around five to seven Floors on average. There were about fifteen or so Monsters each Floor, profit split between the Party members. Assuming each member of the Party contributed an equal amount, each Dungeon run earned an individual somewhere between eighty and one-hundred twenty Silver.
Average Adventurers made an income similar to a full time minimum wage job, while the professionals could make pay better than boss level. It was a good career choice for making money as well as fame, but it was also dangerous.
Rei simply thought being an Adventurer seemed boring. Sure, there was a bit of variety in Monsters and Dungeons, but it was just fight after fight with only half-intelligent creatures.
She saw no reason for someone like her to stagnate her skills by doing the same thing over and over, so she would never be an Adventurer.
In fact, she didn't really know what she wanted to do at all. As long as it was something exciting and challenging, Rei would love it.
For now though, her only wish was to improve upon herself one step at a time, and Dungeons just happened to be a handy way of doing that.
She would hate every second of fighting the same Monsters and Clearing the same Floors, but the possible Skills and exp she could earn from it was far more important. Getting stronger was a habit ingrained into her soul by her grandpa, and she would put that above everything else.
Hopefully, Asa Academy would be a place where boredom was taboo and weakness forbidden.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
TheFiestyFrost
TheFiestyFrost There was a shocking amount of math involved in this chapter, but at last I have established a currency. (Copper-Silver-Gold-Gem)
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone