Harper cpped her hands together. “Thank you, Instructor Hepburn. I’ll take great care of them.”'

  Instructor Hepburn ined her head at the bloheed, leaving the colle of students—led by the blonde uppercssman—alone in the meeting room.

  The first day had begun in ear, though not actual csses. Rather, an initiation day. Over the past hour, Instructor Hepburn had gone over the funal requirements expected of them … the Te code of duct, and various policies they were expected to know by heart.

  Harper was a fourth-year student, nearing graduation. She’d be talking Natalie’s first-year group through a variety of topics: the role guilds, the token system, life at Te in general, extracurricurs, and so on.

  She didn’t exude any particur sort of petence, but Natalie knew not to trust that instinct. Just because she had a bubbly personality meant nothing for her bat skills. Her soft curves, heart-shaped face, and bright, i blue eyes, didn’t remotely guarantee weakness.

  Maybe for someohout an adventuring css, physique could indicate strength, speed, or athleticism, but in the world of delving—or bat csses, to appropriately generalize—a five foot nothing girl who looked like she’d blow away in the wind might very well be able to dig her fingers into a boulder and chuck it across a pond like a skipping stone. Or not. That was the point—you couldn’t know.

  Probably not the case, with Harper … she likely wasn’t that strong. But Natalie’s point was, regardless that this girl didn’t look dangerous, she’d made it to Te’s fourth year. She’d wipe the floor with Natalie. And Sofia and Jordan. All three of them, at the same time, at a guess. Skill mattered, but only to a point. Harper had levels on them, even if she didn’t have skill. And she almost certainly did have skill.

  “So!” Harper started brightly. “I’m sure you’re all excited to be here. I know I was! Te Delving Academy … your life begins in ear. But,” she said firmly, pointing at the group of students who, like Natalie, were slightly perplexed at her exuberant behavior, “we’ve got a lot to talk about, and it’s all important. So listen carefully. I’d like to get through this as fast as possible, to give you time for questions.”

  “To start us off, the token system. Let me outlihings.” She put her hands on her hips and frow the group. “But before I do, I o be did. I don’t know which of you this applies to, but while Mommy and Daddy might have bought you a way into Te, now that you’re in, you’re on your own. No, you ’t exge helixes for tokens. Yes, if you’re caught, you’ll be reprimanded, aually expelled. I don’t care what your name is. Te has expelled more important people than you, I promise. You don’t matter. Get that through your thick skulls.”

  The harsh words were said in the same sweet tone as before, which was kind of impressive. Harper made it clear what she thought of the people the discimer applied to.

  “Not that you’ll st long, if you’re needing to buy tokens off your less useless peers,” Harper said breezily, smiling. “But either way, it’s time to put y girl and big boy pants on. Don’t circumvent the system. Not only will you not like what happens, but if yoing to wash out, it’s best you get it over with.” She raised her eyebrows and emphasized the part. “It’s better to wash out normally, than what’ll happen down in the dungeon. I promise you that.”

  A bright smile, and Harper cpped her hands. “That said! The token system is real fun. You’ll learn to love it. It’s a great motivator.”

  A snort somewhere in the back of the audience, which Harper ignored.

  “First, let me break it down for those who might never have heard of it.”

  “Who wouldn’t have?” a mase voice asked, somewhere to Natalie’s left, he front. He sounded bored.

  “Who wouldn’t?” Harper echoed. “Well, most of you don’t his brief, that’s fair. But not everyo Te has such b ins, Mister Adair, sed son to Nobleman Whoever-The-Fuck.” The words tio be perfectly sweet, delivered with a smile.

  She khe boy’s hough? Was he important? Not too important to insult … but enough tnize.

  “The Dimming Herald, however, was raised in a cave,” Harper tinued. “She didn’t meet another human until she was een. She attee, and, I suppose, wouldn’t have known what the token system was when she arrived. So let me expin, please?”

  She ehe statement with a sneer, and damn, Natalie thought she had a new favorite fourth-year. Miss Bubbly has some kick to her. sider Natalie a fan.

  The interrupter—Mister Adair—didn’t bristle, to his credit, only seemed amused at hoer had shot him down. It raised Natalie’s estimation of him. Natalie respected a person who could take their licks, even if she thought he was annoying for not shutting up aing Harper get through her spiel.

  “As I was saying,” Harper said. “The token system. Fually, it’s a way to ence a delver to be the best version of themselves they be. It’s not a well-kept secret that Te had problems with ism in the past … that individuals were accepted by family name more tha.”

  The bubbly blonde’s attention flicked to Mister Adair, quirking an eyebrow, though it seemed more a taunt than a real accusation.

  “But those days are past,” Harper said. “Now, Te cares only about f petition. With teology taking an ever-increasing presen our lives, an equal need for monster cores is rising. Powerful delvers have never been so crucial. And as one of thirteen primary delving academies—and the rgest in Valhaur, to view things more myopically—Te is one of the cogs that keeps the woing round.”

  The speech felt a bit too ed, but she saw the point Harper was making. It was true. Teology wasn’t cheap to run, and as the wrew, and teology became more plex, more and more cores were needed.

  “So,” Harper said. “Rather than students buying luxuries, equipment, and tut through helixes, our more undane currency, the aspiri pupil has to work for what they want. Crazy, right?”

  Natalie’s lips quirked. The ed speech was gohe frank hoy was back.

  She hadn’t expected a representative of Teo be so critical of the overwhelmingly nobility-based student body, but apparently Harper was—and Natalie appreciated it. Though, the whole dispy was a bit hypocritical. For all the cims to avoidiism, the wealthy were still Te’s majority by a signifit margin.

  Though, that might be due to wealth meaning proper training … and a slew of other advantages. Often times, the wealthy were the best didates. Not from ism, but privileged upbringings that led to ideal didacy.

  “So your question is pretty obvious. Harper, how do we get tokens? Public showers are such a drag. And to that I say—what do you think?” Harper ughed. “Delving! Though, I should be more specific. There’s a few avenues where delves turn into tokens. First off, the obvious. Levels. Levels are the most btant indicator that you’ve been putting work in, a is happy to reward it. In fact, as far as token-earning goes, it’s the single most lucrative.”

  “Because it takes forever,” a new voice said.

  “Exactly,” Harper said, pivoting and pointing at the boy. “So it’s not a viable option for primary token earning. Even your first level only be done in, hm, a week or two, at the best. Plus, as first-weekers, the dungeons are closed off … so it’s not an option anyways. You’ll o suck your circumstances up for at least a bit. Misery breeds character, haven’t you heard?”

  A few snorts. Harper seemed happy at that. She seemed to be a natural public speaker, enjoying the limelight, even in an academic way like this.

  “But not just levels. Depositing loot into the Te public treasury, whether monster cores or items, is a good, sistent way to earn tokens. Anood option is esissions. Taking harvesters of various sorts to risky dungeon locations to mine, ather, or whatever else. That’s more of a higher level option, but some crop up, so keep a.”

  Harper hummed before she tinued.

  “Okay, but besides the dungeon, there’s a bunch of other ways. Most of them fall uhe general umbrel of ‘quests’, but it’s worth breaking that down into a few categories, so you know what to expect. First, Te-offered quests. Stuff like helping your professors with grading, or tut other students, or … whatever. Stuff that Te needs done. I reend cheg those out, and not only because it pays well. w is important, which is a statement I know a lot of you will roll your eyes at. Who needs w as a delver, right? The goal is to cut your way through mountains of snarling monster, not ‘make es’.”

  Harper air quoted the words, mog the imaginary speaker.

  “It’s a juvenile way of thinking. The world’s more plicated than that. Sure, there’s exceptions. But the thing is, by definition, you’re probably not the exception. Most of you—us—are going to be normal, career delvers. Mid-ranks. Some of us bee high-ranks. A top-ranker? Probably not. People like the Dimming Herald don’t just crop up. If you had a ce of being her, you’d know by now.”

  Harper sighed.

  “And yeah, this is all poio say. You’re all wide-eyed and hopeful, and won’t believe me. But Te, and the dungeon, has a way of bashing the reality of a situation into your head, so maybe in six months you’d be willing to listen. But whatever. Think about it. w is important. Take Te quests, if nothing but for that. Help people, make friends.” She shrugged. “Or don’t. What do I care? I’m not your mom.”

  She tapped a finger against her lips.

  “ up, and don’t repeat this phrase outside of Te, are the ‘public retions’ quests.” She air quoted the words. “Te’s got an image to uphold, and that means having students go out into the city, or neighb cities, and be seen doing good. The more astute of you, here, know why this is necessary. Beyond just Te wanting a good image—adventurers being viewed favorably. In fact, besides killing a cssmate outside a saned petition, handling yourself in a way that degrades Te’s image is the quickest way to getting expelled. If yoing to get drunk and a idiot—or whatever else—do it on campus. You’ll get in trouble, but you won’t be expelled.”

  Harper breathed in.

  “Okay. I’ve been talking at you too lo’s get some group participation. One of you tell me why delvers o be viewed in a good light. I’m sure someone here’s w.”