Chapter 8: Enrollment Woes

Words : 1053 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Chapter 8: Enrollment Woes Luca decided to look around before returning to his dorm. He had many things to consider and a few things he wanted to verify. In his stress, he forgot to ask about the enrollment deadline, so he went to the registrar's office to check. By now, he's started to enjoy the walk around the campus. That pill really made a difference. There was no way he'd risk doing this in his earlier state. And imagine if he hadn't risked it? He wouldn't have known about the enrollment! The registrar's office was next to a manicured garden. It was pretty, and Lucas just now realized that this was his first time seeing plants. A stark difference from his original planet, which sometimes looked like an overgrown garden. But that was it, just pretty. Normally, he'd see the vitality and energy of the plants around him, so this made him wonder if he'd lost that ability. Impossible. Because I remember seeing the energy of the plants in my space. Maybe these were artificial plants? Luca tried going around the shrubs, looking for their roots. While he scrutinized the garden plants, the registrar's staff assessed him. They knew who this kid was, and they were surprised to see him like that, for better or for worse. They hadn't been told to treat him well or something similar, but they were always prepared for untoward incidents. Kidnapping nobles was once a thing, so they had to know which ones were possible targets. And this young man who kept on touching the plants had one giant bullseye on his back. "Is something wrong with the plants?" Asked one of the receptionists. "I don't think so. They look fine to me. The gardener had always been meticulous about this garden, after all." And as if the garden had its own alarm, a stocky gardener who looked more like a soldier approached the unsuspecting Luca, who was looking at the leaves intently. "Is there a problem with the plant?" The man cleared his throat, which startled Luca. He hastily let go of the plants while apologizing for touching them without permission. The gardener was admittedly surprised, as a student genuinely apologized for being handsy with the plants. "What were you trying to see? Did you lose something by the garden?" The gardener's tone softened in response to Luca's demeanor. Luca actually considered it before asking. He didn't know if it would come across as rude, but he figured this gardener would be his best bet for plants. "I...I was wondering if these plants were artificial." Luca decided to pick his words carefully, not wanting to drop more information than necessary but unwilling to give up gathering crucial information. "I don't seem to feel the plant's vitality." He had no plans to say that these plants should've been coated by energy, so he just thought of asking in this way. To his surprise, the gardener sighed. One so deep you'd think he carried the problems of the world. "Well, of course, kiddo, it's been a while since we've seen plants imbued with spiritual energy. And anytime one is found, the nobles tend to monopolize them. So this is as artificial and as real as we could get." Shrugged the gardener. Aha! So there were plants with spiritual energy! Just very rare, I guess? "I see. That's a shame..." Replied Luca, who itched to enter his space and rub his face against his real plants. "It is, but even if these aren't spiritual plants, you shouldn't manhandle them like that. They're still fragile, okay?" The gardener cocked an eyebrow at him, and Luca went to apologize once more. He really did look like he wanted to pull the leaves apart, and with plants looking like commodities, it was no wonder he would be reprimanded. "Go on. If you have business with the office, you better go now. They'll be closing down soon." Luca was chased towards the windows, but he couldn't ask just yet. He opted to check the electronic boards and signages. Then, he saw a few articles about the different divisions. Luca had been torn about this since earlier, but he seemed to have no choice upon seeing these materials. The digital brochure about the Manufacturing Division listed the subsidies for materials acquisition. Heck, the tuition apparently did not include the materials, nor did it include out-of-class use of the lab and the mecha hanger. Sure, he was Luca Kyros now, but he couldn't even pay for that 150 Star coins meal earlier. How on earth would he be able to afford to study Mecha Manufacturing? This new information allowed him to see Ollie in a new light. He was still unclear about the financial hierarchy, but as a nobleman who couldn't pay for his lunch, Ollie seemed far richer. And if he didn't blink at these piling expenses, then the guy must be loaded. Then there's the Infantry division, which he must keep as a last resort. So, if he was unqualified to join the Medical and Logistics Divisions, he could only join the Mecha Combat Division. He was initially doubtful because he found out that mecha pilots would eventually need their own mecha. But he was relieved to know that as a freshman, he could still borrow the school-issued mecha when needed. In his mind, all he had to do now was to strive to make is past the assessment stage. Luca steeled himself as he set his personal short-term goal. But if others could hear his brain's logic, they would cough up blood at how lightly he considered the division's assessment. With not much choice in the situation and thinking that this would soon be someone else's problem, Luca proceeded to sign himself off to slavery, err...to higher education. Luca felt accomplished today. He had learned a little bit about this new world and had even managed to avoid a problem by enrolling properly. He marveled at his new ID card, which was stored in his terminal, before entering his space to deal with his other problems.

Chapter 8: Enrollment Woes

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