Chapter 14
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Berkeley Hall, where the freshman welcome party is being held, is one of the largest and most complex buildings in all of Elphante.
That's probably because nothing smaller would be enough to accommodate and manage the hordes of freshmen pouring in from all over the continent at once.
In other words, despite the friendly name “freshman welcome party,” the actual event is such a madhouse that even a crowded marketplace would pale in comparison.
Seeing the staff shouting from every direction as they desperately try to keep the students under control is almost enough to make me feel sorry for them.
Fortunately, since no one has the time to pay attention to anyone else, the odds of getting “caught” during the event are considerably lower.
And now it's time for this to make an appearance.
◎ Clone Walker
[ Item: Special ]
[ Price: 1,000pt ]
[ Creates a clone that imitates the main body's personality and behavior. It can interact with other buffs, too! ]
[ Remaining Points: 1,000pt ]
For its hefty price, it creates a clone that's almost indistinguishable from me. It even learns my usual behavior and speech patterns, then moves around on its own.
Of course, it's not perfect, but there's one more thing I can add to it.
◎ Buff: Charisma Enhancement
[ Item: Special ]
[ Try giving it a personality! Various traits will be added to the target. 2 types currently unlocked! ]
Option: Cold Gentleman
[ You're not good with words or actions! Why not pass that off as cool composure? ]
[ Price: 500pt ]
Option: Pheromones
[ Become a playboy, too! All your actions will gain bonus points that make the opposite sex more likely to feel attracted to you! ]
[ Price: 500pt ]
[ Remaining Points: 1,000pt ]
I should just apply the Cold Gentleman option to the clone.
That way, even if I control the clone a little loosely, people will just assume, “Oh, this person is naturally so cool and reserved!”
As for Pheromones...
“...”
Not buying it.
Absolutely not buying it.
Elijah's affection level is rising at a strange pace, and Elnore's is even worse.
I know I've got a skill called Fatal Attraction, but it feels like it's climbing unusually fast.
To the point that I'm starting to wonder if Elnore was always so easy to win over.
‘I'll have to settle things with Elnore eventually.’
I smile wryly at the thought.
I know perfectly well that I can't solve anything by running away forever.
After all, Elnore is one of the most important characters in the scenario, with deep ties to the Gray Demon. There are countless problems I'll have to resolve for the sake of reaching the ending.
And with my Gift, it's obvious I'll inevitably get involved in all of it.
‘...Still, though.’
There are limits.
I haven't even attended a single class at the academy yet. Isn't it a little early to get tangled up in anything more?
‘First, I need to take care of what's in front of me.’
I sigh inwardly and pull another window into view.
【Event: Double Date】
-Congratulations! You plan to seduce two important characters at the same time!
-Don't get caught until the event ends!
-Failure will result in a penalty to your scenario progression!
[ Time Remaining: 20 minutes ]
“...”
I'm not sure what exactly I'm supposed to be seducing, but...
This plan is a mess from the start. If anyone so much as says they saw me in two different places at the same time, I'll be caught immediately.
Still, I feel like I can manage to hang on until the time runs out.
For now, I just need to avoid the penalty. If I get caught afterward, I'll figure out how to handle the fallout then...!
“Ah, there you are!”
I spot Elnore waving at me from far away.
Unlike her usual self, she's waving wildly with her hand raised above her head.
With everything around us in such chaos, I suppose she has to wave like that just to be seen.
All right. I'll meet up with Elnore first, while applying the options to the clone...
-!
-!!!
Just as I was about to tap each window, a sudden roar from nearby made me jump in alarm.
I was so startled that I accidentally dragged my finger across the shop window in front of me.
“Move aside, move aside!”
“It's dangerous! All students, get back!”
I glanced out into the corridor beyond the hall and saw several knights escorting an enormous bear-like monster, bound inside an iron cage.
Sometimes, creatures captured alive on the outskirts are brought into the academy. They're valuable as test subjects and research materials.
It's dangerous, but some faculty members are adamant that there's no better subject for research than a living magical beast.
“...”
Of course, this is what causes an accident at the freshman welcome party.
There's a reason I made Ultima my top priority out of all the items I could've brought along.
‘Still, well...’
The protagonist and the final boss are both here, so the situation should be easy enough to contain.
As long as I get those two to the right place at the right time.
I just need to pay attention to that part. Thinking so, I turn my gaze back to the window.
[ Option: Charisma purchased! ]
[ Option: Pheromones purchased! ]
[ Options applied. ]
[ Applying Option: Pheromones to the main body! ]
[ Applying Option: Charisma to the clone! ]
“...”
What the fuck?
Why did it buy Pheromones, and on top of that, apply them to me?
In the first place, could I apply these to the main body, too?
‘...Come to think of it.’
I did drag my finger across the shop window when I jumped earlier.
But still, how the hell did I manage to swipe it so precisely that this happened?
“My dear, what have you been staring at so blankly...?”
Elnore had come up beside me while saying that, but the moment our eyes met, she stopped mid-sentence.
[ Pheromone effect applied to target ‘Elnore’! ]
No. Don't.
Please.
Elnore's eyes widened. Her breath caught in her throat.
An alarm rang in my head.
This was the same pattern as before...!
[ Skill: Fatal Attraction activates... ]
[...It doesn't! ]
[ The target is desperately fighting off her attraction to you! ]
“...”
Right. It was the same pattern as before.
But the message was a little strange.
I don't know why she was suppressing it, but I suppose that's a relief?
As I turned that over in my mind, Elnore's expression quickly returned to normal. She pressed a hand firmly to her chest and muttered,
“Calm down. You're being noisy.”
“...Pardon?”
“I wasn't talking to you.”
Then who was she talking to?
“My heart.”
“...”
“It was being noisy.”
Watching Elnore add that without changing her expression, I didn't know what to say.
As in the original, Elnore can be seriously eccentric sometimes.
“...Shall we go, then?”
I say that and start moving.
By now, the clone should have met up with Elijah. In any case, I need to get moving so I don't run into the two of them.
Still, I'm a little worried about the Pheromone effect.
It'll be fine... right?
●
Honestly, it was one close call after another.
“Oh, there's a place selling snacks over there. Shall we grab a bite?”
[ Skill: Fatal Attraction activates... ]
[...It doesn't! ]
“...How did you know I liked those? No... It must be a coincidence.”
Yeah. It's definitely a coincidence.
I mean, I don't even know your food preferences that well.
“This button's nice. Would you like it as a gift?”
[ Skill: Fatal Attraction activates... ]
[...It doesn't! ]
“I was just thinking I needed to replace one on my uniform. You really do keep an eye on me even when we're apart... No, of course you don't. Hmm.”
“...”
I wish she wouldn't read so much into me offering her some random thing like a button.
Watching her interpret every little thing on her own and swing back and forth emotionally is enough to drive me crazy, too.
‘This is giving me a headache...’
Still, I'm glad I've managed to escort her without anything going wrong so far. The clone with Elijah seems to be getting along with him without a hitch, too.
At this rate, nothing major should happen if I just keep going like this.
With a little room to breathe, I glance around the welcome party.
The overall scene is one of students who've chosen their majors gathering in small groups, getting to know each other while their upperclassmen guide them around.
I haven't officially been assigned to a class yet, so I don't get that kind of guidance.
“By the way, have you decided on your major?”
“Oh, yes, I have.”
Actually, this was something I'd spent quite a while thinking over.
In the world of Sera, choosing a major is basically choosing your main build.
“I'm going with the Department of Theology.”
Elnore's expression immediately clouded.
“...With your talent, not joining the Department of Knights would be a waste. Why don't you reconsider?”
Well, she's not wrong. It wouldn't be a bad choice.
I've already experienced more than enough of how powerful Tristan-style swordsmanship is when I'm in a life-or-death situation.
But I chose this path for my own reasons, too.
“There's something I want to learn in the Department of Theology.”
“Something you want to learn?”
“Yes. There's something I've always wanted to protect.”
Uh.
Mainly my own life.
Divine skills are the most survival-focused of all the builds in Sera. You can tell just by looking at how the blessings I received in Ultima are specialized for that.
Especially once I unlock high-level skills like “Miracles,” I can handle everything myself.
At any rate, it's definitely a build that suits my goal of surviving straight through to the ending.
‘And...’
What comes after this freshman welcome party is Chapter One: the ‘Rise of the Secret Society’ incident.
If I take theology classes as my major, there's a good chance I'll have a major advantage in that scenario. The chapter boss is unusually vulnerable to divine power.
And I can make good use of the one-time wish from Persi, the item from the Vault of Secrets, and the Ultima I've already obtained.
[ Skill: Fatal Attraction activates... ]
[...It doesn't! ]
“...”
But why are you activating here, too?
I glance over in surprise, and Elnore quietly murmurs beside me.
“...So, stop doing things like that.”
“Pardon?”
“I can't tell whether you're sincere or not... Is that just the way you were born?”
Elnore said that, then brushed her hair back and quietly began to speak.
The mood was heavy.
“Do you know about the curse that dwells in House Tristan, Dowd?”
The topic suddenly took a serious turn. I looked at her in some confusion, and Elnore continued in a calm voice.
“The madness that makes every member of the family die young, before living even half their allotted lifespan. The only way to control it is to suppress it through mental discipline. Do you know what the only proposed solution to that terrible curse is?”
I knew.
An angel's blessing.
Not the modest sort I received in Ultima, but a miraculous blessing bestowed by several archangels at once.
It's the kind of thing you only hear about in creation myths. In practical terms, it's impossible.
“Yes. That's how difficult it is. So despite House Tristan's achievements and prestige, it can never truly be respected. It's simply feared, because its members could go mad at any moment and drive a blade into someone.”
“...”
“And yet, why do you approach me so easily? What exactly are your intentions?”
There was a slight chill in her voice. It was the opposite of how she usually showed such a wide range of emotions whenever she saw me.
So that's why she'd kept suppressing her feelings of attraction, despite all those strange reactions.
She had no idea what my intentions were in approaching her like this.
“I can't understand your intentions, and yet I find myself thinking about you far too much. Just now, when I heard you had something you wanted to protect by joining the Department of Theology, I instinctively wondered if it was for my sake. Who are you, Dowd? What are your intentions, and what do you want from me—”
Watching Elnore mutter on and on sent a chill down my spine.
Maybe the combination of Fatal Attraction and Pheromones had gotten under her skin, dragging her feelings around against her will and wearing her down.
“...”
This seems a little dangerous, doesn't it?
If I leave her alone, I feel like I'm about to see the signs of her mind cracking—the precursor to her falling to corruption.
There's no doubt my presence is affecting her far more than I expected.
“My intentions are obvious.”
“...”
My words slipped neatly between all the things Elnore was saying. Even I had to admire how perfectly I'd interrupted her.
“...Obvious?”
“I am trying to protect you. There's no need to overthink it.”
For now, it seems better to reveal at least a little of my true intentions.
My means of survival ultimately depend on staying by her side and doing everything I can to support her so her mind doesn't break.
And it's not fundamentally untrue, either.
“...Then why—”
“If I don't protect you, I'll die.”
“What?”
“Seriously. If I don't protect you, I'll die. There's no other reason.”
“...”
That was the pure, simple truth, without a single exaggeration.
For now, that should be enough of an answer.
Elnore blinked at me, looking stunned.
“...I thought this from the first time we met, but you really are a strange person.”
“I told you, didn't I? I hear that a lot.”
I answer, then get to my feet.
Well, since I've said something, she doesn't seem about to crack like she did earlier. That's good enough for me—
[ Skill: Fatal Attraction activates conditionally! ]
[ Excellent timing! You've planted a flag that will make her affection for you skyrocket later! ]
[ The next successful activation will have 3 times the effect! ]
[ The possibility of unlocking a second Gift has increased! ]
“...”
—or it would've been.
What do you mean, “planted a flag”?
Why does stuff like this keep popping up and making me nervous?
Not long ago, the skill had some kind of critical success and triggered, and now it's added something else weird.
As I sighed inwardly at the thought,
-!
-!!
-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A massive explosion suddenly went off.
“...?”
No, seriously, that came out of nowhere.
What the hell is this?
Chaos erupted in an instant. An explosion burst out from underground, collapsing the entire floor. A massive hole seemed to pierce Berkeley Hall from top to bottom.
“From underground...!”
“What the hell is going on?!”
Screams and shouts swept in from every direction.
The sight felt strangely familiar. A chill ran down my spine.
‘This...!’
The magical beasts being raised in the basement of Berkeley Hall had gone berserk. The explosion was sabotage intended to cause exactly that.
The Magical Beast Demonstration incident. It was definitely the “main quest” that took place during the freshman welcome party, but it was far bigger and more horrible than I remembered.
In the first place, there wasn't supposed to be an enormous explosion like this. At most, a few magical beasts were meant to break free and cause a commotion!
I hurriedly checked the clone's location. The route I'd planned was definitely...
[ Clone Location: Currently on B1 ]
[ Status: Seriously injured ]
[ Companion: Elijah Crisanax ]
“...”
Yeah, fuck.
No wonder everything had been going so smoothly.
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