As an Ordinary person (Why do I keep attracting Psychopaths?)

The moment the hunting team stepped through the academy gates, they were bombarded with an enthusiastic welcome. Their classmates, who had been eagerly awaiting their return, rushed forward with shining eyes, their voices overlapping in excitement.

"They're back!"

"Did you bring meat?"

"How did the hunt go?"

"Are you guys hurt? You look fine, right?"

The hunting team members puffed up, pride swelling in their chests. This was the recognition they deserved! Eager to bask in their classmates' admiration, one of the students dramatically pulled out a large cut of meat from a storage bag and displayed it triumphantly.

"Behold! Freshly hunted beast meat!"

Expecting gasps of awe and reverence, the hunting team members grinned smugly, only for their smiles to stiffen at the reality before them.

Their classmates did react—but not to them.

Instead of admiration directed at the hunters, all eyes were glued to the meat itself. The crowd visibly gulped, their gazes filled with pure, undiluted reverence for the food.

"It's real..." someone whispered in a shaky voice, as if they couldn't believe their eyes.

"Actual meat..." another murmured, hands clutching their chest in emotion.

Then, all at once, chaos erupted.

"Quick, let's prepare it!"

"Forget that—give me a piece, I'll eat it raw!"

"Are you insane? At least cook it first!"

The hunting team, who had been standing proudly just moments ago, were utterly forgotten.

One of the hunters, expression crumbling, tried to get their attention back. "Hey! At least listen to how we took it down—"

But before he could finish, another student had already snatched the meat away and was running toward the kitchens.

Another hunter mumbled, defeated, "They don't care about us at all…"

"Did we just… get overshadowed by a slab of meat?"

"Unbelievable. I nearly died for this!"

Their pride lay in tatters.

The hearts students are bubbly as ever.

...

One fine day just like any other at Evigheden Academy. Students trudged toward the cafeteria with their usual lifeless expressions, already resigned to another day of bland, tasteless food.

But then—

A scent.

A delicious scent.

The students halted in their steps, sniffing the air like bloodhounds. Their eyes widened as their empty stomachs clenched in hunger.

"Wait, do you smell that?"

"Am I hallucinating? That's real food smell, right?"

"Who's cooking?!"

An electric anticipation surged through the students as they rushed toward the cafeteria, pushing through the doors only to be met with a shocking sight.

At the front, displayed inside a gleaming food cabinet, were actual dishes.

Steamed meat, crispy golden-brown bread, roasted vegetables seasoned with fragrant herbs, even soups simmering in large pots—it was the kind of sight that made a person want to weep.

Above the counter, a large wooden billboard had been installed, listing various meals along with their respective prices, marked in school points.

And behind the counter, the people serving the food wore Evigheden Academy's standard black uniform—but with a striking difference. Each of them had a distinct pink heart stitched onto their sleeves, marking them as members of the Heart Card class.

The cafeteria erupted.

"When did the Heart class start running the cafeteria?!"

"Does that mean… we actually have an economy now?!"

"What's with the points? How do I get points?!"

Some students nearly teared up at the sight of food, while others scrambled to figure out how much they could afford.

And it wasn't just in the cafeteria.

Outside, in the academy's open courtyard, students were met with yet another unexpected scene.

Stalls had been set up.

One stall displayed a variety of potions in glass bottles, neatly arranged by effect—healing potions, stamina potions, antidotes, and even ones for minor buffs. The students running the stall were from the Apothecary and Alchemist groups, their hands stained with faint traces of herbs and potion residue.

Another stall had a collection of freshly forged weapons—simple yet sturdy. The forging group had finally produced their first batch of weapons, mostly crude knives and basic swords, but compared to the half-broken weapons some students had been using, they were leagues better.

The moment other students saw the weapons, a commotion broke out.

"I need one!"

"How much?"

"Wait, wait, wait! I want first pick!"

"Where did they even get the materials for this?"

The entire academy buzzed with excitement, students flooding the stalls to inspect the goods. The economy of the academy—something that had never existed before—had suddenly begun taking shape.

And it had all started without anyone truly realizing it.

It was the unintentional outcome of Yuna's plan—something she herself was still unaware of.

…..

In the quiet yet grand study hall of the Diamond Class, Crown Prince Alaric Kaelar sat in deep thought, his fingers rhythmically tapping against the polished wooden table. Around him, his close friend Cailum and a small group of his entourage watched with varying expressions—some contemplative, others intrigued. The topic they were about to discuss was unlike anything they had anticipated upon entering Evigheden Academy.

The economy.

It had been a week since the Heart Class started selling meals, potions, and even crude weapons, effectively forming an economic system using the academy's point system. What began as a simple method to ensure survival had now turned into a full-fledged market.

"This development is… unexpected," One of the nobles murmured. "No one expected a class like Heart to set something like this in motion."

They have the least number of students.

Cailum, ever the amused observer, leaned back lazily. "More than unexpected, it's impressive. A functioning economy in this abandoned husk of an academy. Who knew they had it in them?"

Alaric, however, was not as amused. His eyes remained sharp, unreadable. "Power comes in many forms. Strength is one. Wealth is another." He glanced at his peers. "What do you think will attract more influence in this place—a strong arm or the ability to provide resources and dictate the flow of trade?"

Silence fell over the group as realization dawned.

"You're saying that the Heart Class… or at least the person leading them, has effectively created a power structure," One of his entourage concluded.

Alaric nodded. "A monopoly."

The Diamond Class, the supposed elite, had been completely unaware of the shift happening right before their eyes. And now, the Heart Class had unknowingly positioned itself as the central trading hub of the academy.

"The meal market is already lost to us," Another noble spoke up, frustration in his voice. "Most of the Diamond Class students are noble-born. Even if some were willing to work in a food service, the Heart Class started first and now holds a strong grip. To compete, we'd need to lower prices, and that's a losing battle—more labor for less pay. It's beneath us."

"The potion market," Alaric said, shifting the conversation, "is another opportunity. The Heart Class sells low to mid-tier potions. If we focus on higher-tier potions and luxury-grade elixirs, we can create an exclusive market rather than a mass one. But…"

"Where do we get the materials?" Cailum interrupted, raising an eyebrow. "The herbs? The alchemical catalysts? You can't make high-grade potions without a sustainable supply."

"Exactly."

This was the true challenge. They couldn't just decide to create a high-end potion business without access to rare materials. The Heart Class had begun trading with the combat group, and even has a 'garden' of their own forming a stable supply chain. Could the Diamond Class do the same?

The herbs the heart club planted are not available and provided by the academy as well, how they get their hands on it remain suspicious.

The heart class, though small in number are quite reclusive and conservative, keeping things to them and does not interact much with other card class outside of their business activities.

Quite united so to say.

"What about forging?" Another student suggested. "Weapons are a valuable market."

Alaric nodded. "Yes. While Heart Class is selling basic forged weapons, we could invest in finer craftsmanship. But again, we come back to the issue of material procurement."

They don't have the habit of storing away the hunted beast carcass and only ever focus on extracting its meat. They didn't have to do that kind of work before, extracting meat is the most they compromise when they first hunted for meal.

Cailum chuckled. "So, what you're saying is that despite being the most 'prestigious' class in this school, we're actually at a disadvantage because we don't know how to get our hands dirty like the Heart Class does?"

There was a heavy silence.

The diamond class, almost half the students is composed of noble born children so they singled out themselves as the more prestigious.

No one wanted to admit it, but it was true. The Diamond Class had been raised with resources at their fingertips, expecting wealth and power to come naturally. But here in Evigheden Academy, with no external connections to their noble houses or family wealth, they were forced to compete on equal footing with everyone else.

And they were losing.

Beyond the Diamond Class, similar discussions were erupting across the academy.

— In the forging workshop, students who had been casually experimenting with weapon-making were now taking it seriously.

"If we refine our forging techniques, we might be able to sell specialized weapons instead of just basic knives."

"Yeah, but where do we get the metal?"

"Maybe the combat group who usually go out to hunt for materials can barter materials with us? They're already out hunting for food, right?"

— In the alchemy labs, students huddled around cauldrons, murmuring.

"The Heart Class potions are decent, but we can make better ones."

"We should partner with the Diamond Class for more refined potions. They have the skills."

Noble children are taught since they were young, they have better resources and materials than the commoners.

"Tch, why should we work under them? We can form our own trade system!"

— In the common areas, students of all classes were chattering about the sudden rise of the economy. More clever and sharper students started to become restless.

"Can we still join in, or is it too late?"

"That point system really changed everything. Now if you don't do something, you're just wasting away!"

"Maybe I should join the combat team. They seem to be getting the best deals."

— Even among the nobles and commoners, unexpected conversations were forming.

"You know," a noble remarked as he wiped dust off his sleeves, remnants from helping clear out the abandoned library, "I never thought I'd be working alongside a commoner, but… it's not so bad."

"Hah! You nobles sure do complain a lot," a commoner teased, organizing a pile of books. "But at least you're useful for once."

A noble girl sniffed, crossing her arms. "Hmph. Just wait, we'll be the ones running this place soon enough."

They were clamoring to get more points so that they can afford decent meals and weapons.

Meanwhile, the apothecary students who had spent the past week clearing the overgrown academy gardens were finally starting to reap benefits.

"Hey, this herb—it's actually rare!"

"Do you think we can use it for high-tier healing potions?"

"If we can cultivate it, we can sell it at a higher price!"

Too bad they dare not get close to the bad tempered and mischievous sentient plants to clear their surrounding in search of more herbs like the heart class students who seem to have a mild relationship with it.

The academy, once a haunted wasteland of purposeless students, was now alive with plans, schemes, and ambitions.

Yuna, of course, knew none of this.

She had simply wanted to create a functioning system so she could be less involved in the future. Yet, unbeknownst to her, her casual structuring of a hunting group, forging division, apothecary supply, and trade system had ignited something much bigger.

She had, unintentionally, laid the foundation for an economic revolution in Evigheden Academy.

And now, those with power—like Alaric Kaelar—were watching. Planning. Preparing.

Those who are more clever started to participate to gain more advantage.