Chapter 18
●
I feel like I'm going to die.
Not figuratively. Literally.
“-Thus, a sword can be considered the most basic weapon in any situation. As an armament suited to dealing with every possible circumstance-”
I let the professor's words go in one ear and out the other, cold sweat streaming down my back.
It's basic stuff to begin with. No need to focus.
“Professor. I have a question.”
And that also raises the question of why on earth this person is taking this class.
Elnore, seated to my left, raised her hand with an expressionless face, and all color drained from the professor's face.
“Go ahead, Lady Tristan.”
“Don't you think the theory is excessively long-winded? None of this knowledge has much bearing in actual combat.”
“My apologies. I'll correct that.”
The professor said so with a stiff smile.
It was an incredibly bizarre sight: a student casually critiquing a lecture and the professor agreeing, but no one objected.
That's Lady Tristan. No one would even think of calling out her attitude.
That is,
except one person.
“Huh? I was listening just fine.”
Elijah, sitting on my right, chuckled and retorted.
She didn't seem the least bit intimidated, even under Elnore's chilly gaze.
“...Surely you don't think this sort of armchair theory is useful in actual combat, either.”
“The professor gets to decide how to teach. If you were ‘just sitting in’ by force, why not keep quiet?”
Elnore closed her mouth, looking displeased.
Unlike Elijah, who was a freshman like me, she seemed well aware that she'd forced her way into this class.
According to what Atalante told me later, she'd insisted on coming herself, saying she ‘absolutely wanted to be with me.’
“But even if it's an introductory class, shouldn't it be more practical than this-”
“No, the problem is that sort of thing is too biased toward one point of view-”
Their verbal sparring intensified.
The professor, who was supposed to be teaching, was so overwhelmed by the titles ‘Hero candidate’ and ‘Lady Tristan’ that he couldn't get a word in.
“Then what do you think?”
“Yeah. What do you think, sir?”
And this is the very essence of why I feel like I’m going to die.
They bicker with each other, then eventually toss the bomb over to me.
“...For now, I think it would be best to continue the lesson.”
Feeling sorry for the professor, whose face was pale and trembling right in front of me, I said that.
At my words, Elnore's brow furrowed slightly, Elijah beamed, and the professor smiled in relief, too.
“Yes! One more win.”
“...I lost this time.”
I rubbed my brow as murmurs came from both sides.
These two have been like this through every class so far.
They debate the material between themselves, then ask for my opinion at the end and keep tallying who wins based on whose side I take.
Every time, the winner looks so happy they could die, while the loser is genuinely furious. It's ridiculous.
What the hell does one word from me even mean to you...?
Why are you two doing this to me...?
“...”
The other students have also been looking at me with increasingly strange eyes because of this.
Like, who even is that guy, and why is he caught between the Hero candidate and Lady Tristan, getting treated like that?
‘I have no idea, either.’
Yeah. I really don't.
At least this could be seen as proof that the academy was doing a good job of suppressing my public profile. There were still a few who seemed not to know me at all.
Put another way, it meant Elphante itself was keeping a very close eye on my every move.
‘...If something happens, they'll deal with it themselves.’
So, to distract myself, I should focus on what I need to do.
Leaving the professor to stumble through the lecture again, I turned my gaze to the window floating before me.
< Gift-Related Character Alert >
♥ Elnore Erinaria de Tristan
[ Trust Stage 5 ] >>> [ Affection Stage 1 ]
[ Rewards available to claim! ]
▼ Elijah Crisanax
[ Curiosity Stage 5 ] >>> [ Interest Stage 1 ]
[ Rewards available to claim! ]
Once again, I tapped through the screen.
[ Claiming Gift reward from ‘Elnore’. ]
[ Acquired ‘Trait: Breathing Technique – Fuchō’! ]
< Mastery Info >
[ Trait: Tristan-Style Swordsmanship ] [ Rank: Basic ]
[ Current Mastery: 58% ]
[ The sword style of the renowned House Tristan, a family of master swordsmen. ]
[ ■ Allows you to wield any weapon with a consistent level of power. ]
[ Trait: Breathing Technique – Fuchō ] [ Rank: Basic ]
[ ■ A breathing technique that dramatically increases your physical durability and stamina with long-term training. It works especially well with Tristan-Style Swordsmanship. ]
‘...Nice.’
Fuchō and Tristan-style swordsmanship are practically a set.
The person who makes good use of this combination is the Lady Tristan sitting to my left.
Elnore became the final boss for many reasons, but her monstrous close-combat ability—which was one of the biggest factors—owed a great deal to this combination of skills.
She boasts monstrous attack power, and her body is as tenacious as a weed, so no matter how much you hit her, she just won't go down.
This is probably one of the most effective combinations of physical combat traits.
And then,
[ Claiming Gift reward from ‘Elijah’. ]
[ Acquired 2,000 pt! ]
[ Current Points: 2,000 pt ]
So instead of giving me anything special, this one just gives points? Still, she does hand them out generously all at once, just like the protagonist she is.
Still, it's a bit disappointing. I wish there'd been something extra...
< System Message >
[ Confirmed that you have exerted a certain degree of influence over a person with a Good alignment! ]
[ The second Gift has been unlocked! ]
[ Acquired ‘Skill: Dominion of Evil’! ]
“...”
It really did show up.
<Special Gift>
Gift #1- Fated Attraction
[ You gain various rewards as the affection of people with an Evil alignment toward you increases. ]
Gift #2- Near Ink, Turn Black
[ You gain various rewards as the affection of people with a Good alignment toward you increases. ]
[ However, the rewards are far less substantial than those for people with an Evil alignment. ]
[ Instead, you receive great rewards if you make a person with a Good alignment sufficiently negative! ]
< Skill Info >
[ Skill: Dominion of Evil ] [ Rank: E ]
[ You can influence a person with a Good alignment who has been sufficiently affected by you. ]
[ A person affected by Dominion of Evil must grant you one request. ]
[ Number of people currently affected: None ]
I read through all the text before me.
‘...Hmm.’
I read through it all again.
No, because I didn't quite understand it.
In short,
if I turn a good person bad, I get rewards accordingly.
Well, that's...
“...”
Is that really right?
●
Time flew by, and at last we reached ‘Introduction to Survival,’ the final class of the day.
The class was held in the ‘Fairy Forest,’ a beautiful woodland a long walk beyond the academic buildings.
It looked like an ordinary forest, but Elphante Academy was so old that people said its history stretched back alongside Atalante, an Eternal who had lived for over a thousand years. There was no way anything here was entirely ordinary.
Deep inside were all sorts of spirit beasts, magical plants, and rare minerals.
Some of them were dangerous enough to threaten your life.
By this point, even Elnore and Elijah had quieted down.
They might have been tired from fighting nonstop so far, but it was probably also because the one running this class was someone they couldn't argue with about the curriculum.
“Welcome, little chicks.”
Conrad Baltador, Dean of the Department of Knights, said in a bored tone, but the freshmen around us were visibly tense.
Anyone with even a little knowledge of Elphante probably knew just how infamous this class was.
“Survival studies is the sum of all the practical tricks picked up by the folks out there right now, busting their asses mining dungeons and ruins. It can't hurt to learn them if you don't want to die.”
For a lecture delivered by the dean himself, his explanation was unbelievably halfhearted.
The whole thing reeked of ‘this is a pain, but it's tradition for the dean to teach the first class, so there's no getting around it.’
Well, it was an important subject, all the same. The imperial household gave it special consideration in hiring, so some students' eyes were practically sparkling.
“The task is simple.”
Then came the part of the lecture that would snuff out all those eager looks.
“Go into this forest and bring back something that catches my eye. You have ten minutes.”
“...”
“Oh, and if you think you’re about to die, scream as loud as you can. I’ll rescue you. But expect the lowest possible score.”
“...”
As silence settled, one student cautiously raised a hand.
“What?”
“...Um, is there a grading rubric?”
“I just told you. Whatever I like.”
“...”
“Life is the real deal, chicks. You have five minutes to prepare.”
“Oh, class president, come over here. You can help me grade.”
As the students turned pale watching Conrad abruptly walk off after saying that, I was the only one standing apart from the mood, staring at my status window.
Gift #2- Near Ink, Turn Black
[ You gain various rewards as the affection of people with a Good alignment toward you increases. ]
[ However, the rewards are far less substantial than those for people with an Evil alignment. ]
[ Instead, you receive great rewards if you make a person with a Good alignment sufficiently negative! ]
I had absolutely no idea what this was supposed to mean.
Make a person with a Good alignment turn negative? That was way too vague.
‘...It definitely means I shouldn't get along with them.’
And with a Gift called Near Ink, Turn Black, it feels like I just have to do something bad, right?
“Sir. Shall we team up?”
As I stared at the window, trying to sort out my thoughts, Elijah said that with a grin.
I don't know. Not interested.
“Go do it with your friends.”
I said, pointing to the ‘protagonist party’ gathering in small groups nearby.
The warrior Luca, the mage Falco, the healer Trisha, and the sharpshooter Grid.
Maybe they'd grown close after the assassination attempt earlier, because even now they were waiting for Elijah in the distance.
“...Um, sir, you're my friend, too. Why don't we do it together?”
“No, I'm fine.”
Yeah. I mean it.
Somehow I'd gotten involved with her, but Elijah needed to get close to the protagonist party right away.
After all, they're the only ones capable of growing strong enough to save the world.
If I get in there, I'll just be an unwanted extra.
“We're not that close, are we?”
“...”
At my words, she pouted in annoyance.
“...That's harsh, seriously. Ugh, whatever!”
She snapped, then trotted away from me.
Looks like she got sulky.
“Excuse me.”
While I was mulling over that, someone beside me called out.
I turned and saw a handsome blond man with blue eyes looking at me. He was practically dripping with the refined air of an honor student.
‘Oh, right. There was a character like this.’
Seeing the long spear jutting over his shoulder, I immediately remembered who he was.
Talion Armand.
The eldest son of the respectable House Armand, a viscount's family. He was undoubtedly one of the standout talents among this year's freshmen.
I remembered him as a flawless character, the sort who wouldn't have a speck of dirt on him even if you searched.
Integrity. Humility. Composure. Proper conduct.
And above all, he was skilled enough to give Elijah a run for her money.
He even had a fan club despite being a freshman, or so I heard.
But more than any of that,
‘...Wasn't he the midboss of Chapter One?’
This guy would fall into corruption for some reason before long and become a boss.
I never expected to run into him like this here.
‘But what does he want with me?’
As I tilted my head, wondering, Talion spoke again.
“Hey, what are you to the Hero candidate?”
“...Huh?”
His question drew a dumbfounded sound from me before I could help it.
No, I just couldn't figure out his intentions at all.
It was true that I'd spent the whole day with that girl, though.
“What do you mean? What am I to her?”
“Why did you approach her... Sorry, I mean, how did you become friends?”
His tone was polite, but his eyes gleamed sharply as he said it.
As if he wanted to take me apart and examine me from head to toe.
‘...Ah, I get it.’
If I remember his character setting, to him, Elijah was someone he ‘admired.’ A goal he wanted to reach and match, no matter what it took.
“She was the one who asked to be friends.”
When I told him the truth, the corner of his eye twitched.
“...With someone who's been called a fraud countless times?”
His tone turned a little hostile.
My eyes widened a little in response.
Not because his attitude had changed, in particular.
< System Message >
[ A person with a Good alignment has become angry under your influence! ]
[ Gift conditions partially fulfilled! ]
Because of the text that appeared before my eyes.
‘Is this how it works?’
In other words, the more I actively made this guy angry, the more likely I was to receive a reward.
Apparently, ‘negative tendencies’ included anger.
“...”
I sped up my thoughts a little.
If I activated my Gift on him and implanted the ‘Dominion of Evil’ skill, he'd have to grant me one request later, right?
Plus, I'd get more rewards on top of that.
‘Sounds good!’
He wasn't just anybody—he was the midboss of Chapter One. If I could get that effect to stick, the ways to use it would be endless.
‘And I'll have a chance to put it to use when he falls into corruption, too.’
If things went the way I expected, it shouldn't be that hard.
Then what I had to do here was simple.
Keep needling him until I fulfilled the Gift conditions.
“But there hasn't been any proof he's a fraud.”
“The circumstances make it obvious. There’s no proof that your spar with the Hero candidate wasn’t fixed, either, is there?”
Elphante sure did its job well.
It was remarkable that after everything I'd done to draw attention, they had still managed to keep the students believing that about me.
“Hey.”
I smiled bitterly to myself, but for now, I might as well be grateful for that impression.
“I don’t know why you’re making such a fuss, but all I did was accept when she asked to be friends.”
“...I don't believe you.”
“Why?”
Because it gave me a chance to really get under his skin.
“Did seeing the person you look up to get taken down in one blow make you realize the gap between you? So now you want to believe the spar was rigged?”
His brow twitched.
To be honest, I'd hit the nail on the head.
He was probably trying hard to deny it, but if that weren't the case, he wouldn't have any reason to pick a fight with me.
“And...”
I added with a smirk.
“Even if I were that kind of guy, what are you going to do about it?”
“...What?”
“I’m saying that even if I really were a fraud, I think I'd be better at it than you.”
His face twisted with anger.
“...Then let's make a bet.”
His eyes burned as he replied.
“Whoever gets the better score in this forest. How about it?”
[ Preliminary Gift conditions fulfilled! ]
[ Your opponent is extremely angry! ]
[ You can claim a reward if you inflict a humiliating defeat on your opponent in this state! ]
That's right.
He took the bait.
●
“...Hey. Class president.”
Conrad ran a hand through his hair, looking baffled.
Elnore's expression didn't so much as flicker as she listened.
“Yes. What is it?”
“I asked you to help grade, but I didn't say to just make things up.”
“I didn't make anything up.”
“...”
He silently looked down at the paper Elnore had given him.
The moment he'd handed her the grading sheets and pens, this was what she'd done.
“Then explain this. Why does this Dowd Campbell guy have a perfect score when class hasn't even started?”
“Because he got a perfect score.”
“...”
“That man deserves full marks.”
What the hell?
Conrad narrowed his eyes at her, but Elnore continued in the same expressionless voice.
“It seems you're not satisfied.”
“Would you be?”
“Then I'll go observe him more closely so I can explain in greater detail why he deserves full marks. I'll go into the forest.”
“...You were just trying to pull a stunt so you could stick with him from the start, weren't you?”
“No.”
Elnore replied calmly.
“I simply don't want to leave that freshman named Elijah alone with him.”
“...”
“I have a feeling something is going to happen between those two in there. Let me in.”
“Thank you for being honest.”
And he meant it.
Conrad smiled pleasantly.
“Stay here if you don't want to die. Before I kick you out for disrupting class.”
“...”
But being honest didn't mean he could indulge her in everything.
●