Chapter 15
No.
They’re reacting this badly?
“Where exactly is it?”
“You expect us to tell you where it is!? To explain it out loud with our own mouths!?”
The freebie five-star socially awkward girl screamed and freaked out.
“Y-you beast…!! Boy, I thought you seemed like one, but you really are a beast!!”
Even the cool, composed older girl next door was so flustered she didn’t know what to do.
Even I get it by this point.
Something serious is going on.
“Wait.”
I raised both hands. I surrender. I’m harmless.
“Sorry. I really didn’t know.”
…
…
“If you’re embarrassed to say it directly, could you at least recommend a book I could refer to? Would they have it at the library?”
…
…
After a long silence, Maron asked, her eyes full of suspicion.
“You really don’t know…?”
“I really don’t.”
…
Maron’s irises changed from red to purple.
Apparently, she believed I was sincere.
“I don’t know why you don’t know, but I guess you really don’t…?”
Maron sighed.
“Fine. But you absolutely can’t tell anyone, okay?”
Lucy tried to stop her.
“Wait, you’re going to show him?”
“…It’s my body.”
“No, even so, the star mark…!”
“I eat with Liam every day, after all.”
Gilliam was puzzled.
‘What does that have to do with anything?’
But Lucy immediately understood what Maron meant.
‘It’s a bit forced, but is she trying to keep me at bay by emphasizing how close she is with the boy?’
If so…
‘Even a delinquent like him has a rival…! Wh-what do I do? Should I show him mine, too??’
As Lucy hesitated, Maron brought her hand to her clothes.
“Star marks… the marks that appear on the bodies of those born with a star can be in different places for each person. That’s because they appear during puberty in the place the person feels most embarrassed about.”
She hooked a finger into the waistband of her bottoms and lowered them slightly.
Just a tiny bit.
“In my case, that place… the part of my body I feel most ashamed of… is right here.”
Her slightly rounded lower belly, just below her navel.
The top of a geometric, chestnut-brown design appeared on it, then vanished beneath her waistband as Maron raised her hand again.
“Now you understand, right? You must never ask women where their star marks are again. It’s the same as asking which part of your body you’re most ashamed of.”
“…Sorry.”
I bowed my head.
I could tell Maron had endured an immense amount of embarrassment for my sake.
“I really didn’t know. I’m sorry.”
“I figured as much.”
Then did Lucy have that star mark somewhere else?
Somewhere she’d be most embarrassed to show?
‘…This really is the world of a subculture game.’
Damn it, if <Astra Radius> existed in real life, I’d have prioritized protecting it over all the other worlds.
Oh.
Wait a minute.
“Um… is it the same for men? In the most embarrassing place?”
“What are you talking about? Only women are born bearing stars.”
I love this world of god-tier subculture games.
Guess that’s how they justified having only women as gacha characters.
【Tutorial Complete】
“?”
Confirming a soul that came from another star.
Granting the rank of Star Collector (集星者) to 〈Target: Gilliam Everchess〉
And.
【Bond Quest - Calamity Star】
〈Contact with the Villainess of Calamity〉
Objective: Touch the mark of the Calamity Star
Reward: Connection with the Calamity Star (LV.1)
【Fate Quest】
〈The One Who Gathers All the Stars〉
Objective: Touch the marks of all the stars (0/??)
Reward: ■■■■■■
‘Star Collector. Does that mean someone who gathers stars?’
<Astra Radius>’s ‘Commander,’ ‘Wanderer,’ ‘Traveler,’ ‘Admiral,’ and ‘Trainer.’
In other words, it was probably the title of the protagonist character.
‘A soul that came from another star.’
That must refer to me, who entered Gilliam Everchess’s body.
In other words, this world’s system had recognized me as the ‘protagonist’ and assigned me that role.
‘Did it spend the last few days waiting for me to adjust to this world? Or was seeing Maron’s star mark the trigger?’
It had to be one or the other.
And a Bond Quest telling me to touch Maron’s star mark, and a Fate Quest telling me to touch all the women’s star marks.
‘…Ah. Is this how the protagonist forms bonds with the gacha characters?’
They’d make attractive female characters with stars into the main cast, and the protagonist would have to touch their star marks. The ones that appeared in the places each woman was most ashamed of.
‘I can picture it. I can picture it.’
There was probably a Bond Quest after each gacha pull, and once you maxed out the Bond Level, you could interact by touching her star mark. Wow, those bastards were evil. How much money were they trying to make people spend?
Then…
‘I should put this off for a while.’
Maron and Lucy were both favorably disposed toward me.
But even so, asking them to let me touch such an intimate place was another matter.
I needed to build a relationship with Maron, and Lucy, slowly, then ask carefully.
“…You’re not going to ask me to let you touch it?”
“What do you take me for?”
“A delinquent womanizer.”
“You’ve upgraded from delinquent now.”
Maron muttered timidly to herself.
“…………If it’s you, Liam… you can touch it.”
“What?”
“It’s nothing.”
Liam is an idiot.
You stupid, delinquent womanizer.
Maron’s face grew hot.
——————
The Abyssal Order.
They rejected the stars, the truth and origin of this world, and worshiped the abyss.
At their summit stood the thirteen Guides of the Underworld (冥導者).
Those who led people into darkness.
The thirteenth, Piusur, was a man with a sinister mustache.
“Is everything ready?”
“Everything is ready.”
The academy.
A place that trained soldiers to stop the age of the abyss from beginning.
Piusur gathered those he could command and prepared a little commotion for the academy’s new students.
A commotion that would leave a few people dead or injured.
“The Abyssal Lantern?”
“It’s ready.”
A unique item that forcibly extinguished every light within its range.
“The wraiths?”
“Ready.”
Ghost monsters that were completely immune to physical attacks and could only be hit with holy power.
“The Void Bats?”
“Of course. They’re ready.”
Even monsters that automatically chased down and tore at enemies in the dark.
Piusur was satisfied.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“May the age of the stars end, and the age of the abyss begin.”
“May we end the age of the stars and usher in the age of the abyss.”
At the same time, somewhere else.
【Shop】
〈Category: Buffs〉
- Lesser Holy Water (100 points)
【Would you like to purchase Lesser Holy Water ×20 by paying 2,000 points?】
【Yes/No】
‘That takes care of preparing for the wraiths.’
I’d already prepared for the Abyssal Lantern and Void Bats, too.
【Quest】
〈A Twisted First Step〉
Objective: Stop the Abyssal Order’s ambush
Reward: 100 points for each participant who suffers no serious injuries.
However, if anyone dies, -1,000 points per death.
There would be 36 participants tomorrow.
If we finished without a single person seriously injured, I could earn up to 3,600 points.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
——————
The day of the dungeon practicum.
In front of a grassy field some distance from the academy, the dean in charge of the practicum gathered everyone’s attention.
“All right, everyone.”
Clap, clap.
“Before we go in, I’ll explain once more. The cadets will be randomly divided into groups of six, and each group must clear a D-rank dungeon to complete the practicum.”
When the dean waved his hand, letters appeared above the cadets’ heads.
“Go to the professor with the same letter as you. They’ll be your leader and examiner. And of course, changing groups is not allowed.”
Grumbles rose here and there. They wanted to be with their friends or members of their own factions.
“That won’t be allowed, either. Working with strangers is part of the practicum. From here on, Professor Sillon will take over.
“Y-yes, yes!”
The dean stepped back, and an unusually short professor came forward.
“Then, before we begin, does anyone have any questions…?”
“I do.”
I raised my hand.
Professor Sillon was visibly afraid.
“Ah….”
“W-what is it, Lord Gilliam Everchess…?”
“…I don’t know why you’re being so formal with a student.”
“Eek! I’m sorry! I’ll speak casually!”
…
Strange.
I haven’t done anything to that professor.
〈Next Compliment Suggestion (LV.1)〉
【Automatically identifies target→Kocha Sillon】
Recommendation: Cuteness
“Professor Sillon, you look cute.”
“What was that all of a sudden!? What was that supposed to mean!?”
【The target is flustered but happy】
<Praise Points: +50(0→50)>
Not too many, not too few.
“And before we begin, there’s one thing I want to do.”
Clap, clap. I, too, gathered everyone’s attention.
“Everyone, could I have your attention?”
“What is it?”
“What?”
“Everchess… what now….”
The next moment.
A high, broad arc of liquid shot up and came raining down on everyone gathered there.
“Eek!?”
“What is this!?”
“L-lukewarm liquid…! This must be—”
“Holy water.”
“Oh.”
“Ah.”
The woman who’d broken my window before, Shupi Vallier, stepped forward and shouted.
“Why did you suddenly spray holy water on us!?”
“Right, there’s no way the delinquent Everchess did that out of kindness…!”
“He’s definitely up to some kind of delinquent stunt!!”
“It really is… it really is holy water.”
Thanks to the testimonies coming from all around, at least they didn’t mistake it for some other liquid.
“Well… whatever. If it’s holy water.”
What did they think it was?
“So it wasn’t….”
And why did Maron seem disappointed?
The silver-blue-haired professor leading our group, Professor Kadisha Flareheart, approached me.
“Gilliam, what exactly are you thinking?”
“Did the holy water reach you, too, Professor?”
“Yes, it did.”
“Then you’ll find out soon enough.”
Professor Kadisha sighed.
“This isn’t a dungeon that needs holy water… but you did give everyone a buff, so fine. Let’s go in.”
“Before that.”
“?”
〈Next Compliment Suggestion (LV.1)〉
【Automatically identifies target→Kadisha Flareheart】
Recommendation: Hair
“Did you put a lot of effort into styling your hair today, Professor?”
Professor Kadisha blinked.
“…That’s surprising. Men usually don’t notice things like that.”
“I pay close attention to you, Professor.”
“………Hmm. All right.”
【The target is quite happy】
<Praise Points: +100(50→150)>