Chapter 52
The dawn after I smashed the cultist branch and returned to the dormitory.
I slept straight through until the afternoon.
My whole body ached as though I had muscle soreness, but the fatigue weighing down my eyelids seemed to have eased considerably.
“Urgh···.”
Of course, that didn’t mean my exhaustion had disappeared.
I sprawled out across the bed.
I lounged around as though I had no intention of getting up.
And with good reason—it was the first vacation I’d had after days of being run ragged.
Until then, I’d been busy preparing this and resolving that.
‘No one can drag me out of bed.’
I even hummed a tune to myself as I savored my leisure.
I felt a small wriggling in the front pocket of my shirt.
[Mmm···.]
It was Carmilla.
She was lying on my chest in the form of a silver bat.
She must have liked her sleeping spot, because she was sleeping as comfortably as could be.
I quietly looked down at the bat.
‘How fascinating.’
As a human, she got embarrassed even when I merely held her hand, but in bat form, she sprawled right across my chest.
Judging solely by the degree of contact, wasn’t this situation much more embarrassing?
Or did she care more about volume than contact density?
As her small body heat seeped into me,
I had to seriously consider the matter.
‘Or perhaps it’s selective embarrassment···.’
Carmilla had rather violent sleeping habits.
Even when she was deeply asleep, she would squirm this way and that.
Still, perhaps because she was worn out today, it was much less severe than usual.
‘She doesn’t look like she’s going to wake up.’
I considered waking her for a moment, but the purring sound she made was cute, so I left her alone.
When I gently stroked her with my fingertips, she practically melted in response.
[Mmm···. Nnh··· Victor, how impudent···]
Even as she mumbled in her sleep, the princess showed no intention of falling off.
She rubbed her cheek against my chest, then pulled the front pocket of my shirt over herself like a blanket.
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
‘Who would ever guess···?’
That such a tiny and insignificant little animal was actually the last princess of the Blandir Dynasty.
‘Of course, that gap is what makes her cute.’
I lay down properly so the princess could sleep comfortably.
Afterward, I fiddled with the status window with one hand.
I idly moved the blue UI around this way and that.
‘Come to think of it···.’
Yesterday had been hectic in more ways than one.
To organize my thoughts, I lightly brought up my information window.
――――
[Status Window]
Name: Victor
Title: Saint
Equipped Items: Mask of the Evil God, Robe of the Evil God
Active Set Effect: The World Seen by ■■■.
.
.
[Saint]
-> Good Karma points accumulate for every life you save.
-> Good Karma points can be used to improve the user’s basic stats.
(This title’s special ability takes priority over other restrictions within the system.)
――――
The eventful night before had left its mark.
That trace remained intact in the form of points.
Ding-!
[Basic Stats]
Stamina: E+
Strength: E
Agility: E
Mana Sensitivity: E
[Remaining Good Karma points: 620p]
The Good Karma I had accumulated at the cultist branch totaled 620 points.
Since I received 20 points for every life I saved, it was the reward I had received after saving exactly thirty-one lives.
“As expected··· I’d better raise them right away.”
That was what I had obtained the points for, after all.
I was still somewhat dazed by it, to be honest.
Who would have thought it was possible to break through an Additional Option and raise my stats?
It made sense, since even the original work had no function for modifying stats.
‘There weren’t any bugs related to it, either.’
As far as I was concerned, this was excellent news.
The higher my stats rose, the more bugs I would be able to use.
There were countless bugs that could only be implemented if my body could keep up with them.
‘Raising my basic stats means diversifying my means that much further.’
I invested the points without hesitation.
Since this was my first time, I distributed them evenly.
Ding-!
[Good Karma points will be used.]
-The rank of the basic stat “Stamina” will increase by +1.
-The rank of the basic stat “Strength” will increase by +1.
-The rank of the basic stat “Agility” will increase by +1.
-The rank of the basic stat “Mana Sensitivity” will increase by +1.
[600 Good Karma points have been consumed]
[Remaining Good Karma points: 20p]
It took 100 points each to raise a stat from E rank to E+ rank.
It took 300 points to raise a stat from E+ rank to D- rank.
That was how the reward for saving thirty-one lives was spent.
The number of points dropped by a large chunk, and the stat window before my eyes changed throughout.
[Basic Stats]
Stamina: D-
Strength: E+
Agility: E+
Mana Sensitivity: E+
“Whoa···.”
Perhaps because I had raised several stats at once.
The improvement in my stats seemed much more noticeable than before.
“I definitely feel lighter.”
It felt as though I had taken off a forty-kilogram backpack after carrying it all day.
Even the muscles that had been stiff and sore had settled down.
As a test, I placed my hand on the desk beside the bed.
Swoosh-.
“What?”
The leg of the desk came up more easily than I expected.
Of course, I couldn’t lift it with my pinky and spin it around, but it felt about 40 percent lighter than it should have.
‘It’s this effective···?’
Even though I had only raised it from E rank to E+ rank.
I couldn’t help but voice my quiet admiration.
Everyone but me had been enjoying something this good all along···.
Beyond the curse of fixed stats, a whole new world had been waiting.
“Oh, oho, ohoho, ohohoho.”
I swung my arms around playfully several times.
Of course, I stopped immediately when it seemed the princess was about to wake up.
“Hmm···.”
I put my thoughts together.
‘I distributed my stats evenly this time, but from now on, I’ll need to make a plan before raising them.’
The number of points required would rise exponentially as the ranks increased.
To spend my points wisely, I needed to make a plan in advance.
The stats I needed to raise first were Stamina and Agility.
The relatively less important ones were Strength and Mana Sensitivity.
‘I don’t plan on learning magic or anything yet.’
Besides, Strength was also less important than the other stats.
Especially since every weapon I used was light as a feather.
The Black Mist weighed no more than a sheet of paper, and the Balloon Sword went without saying.
‘First, I need to accumulate as many Good Karma points as possible.’
In other words, I needed to save as many people as possible.
It meant I had to continue walking the path of the Saint.
Satisfied, I turned off the status window.
“Good, good···.”
With that, all the cleanup was finished.
‘I’m seriously not going to do anything.’
It was time to go back to sleep.
The reward for running around without rest for days was sweet.
I grinned broadly and wrapped myself up in the blanket once more.
“Heheh.”
I’m going to rest.
Nobody can stop me, teehee.
***
Fuck.
Apparently, they could stop me.
[Student Victor.]
I sat awkwardly in the waiting seats for Class E.
My name was called, and this poor lamb was summoned up to the podium.
[Not only did this student take first place in the latest practical training evaluation, he also provided decisive assistance in apprehending a mole within the academy.]
[Please come up to the podium.]
[Students, please welcome him with a hearty round of applause.]
Clap clap clap clap clap-.
The sound of applause rang out all around me.
I got up from my seat and walked toward the podium.
Faculty members and the dean were waiting for me atop the podium.
“Phew···.”
The academy had arranged this ceremony to commend my achievements.
The eyes of the entire student body focused on me.
‘They’re really going all out with the praise···.’
No.
Hmm.
I didn’t know how to put this.
It was definitely a good thing, but I wasn’t sure if I was really supposed to be happy about it.
‘My quiet academy life has gone out the window.’
If my concept was to live as an unremarkable commoner without drawing attention, it had failed a long time ago.
Like all the other people who transmigrated, I had learned that living quietly wasn’t as easy as it sounded.
I realized that a quiet life was, logically speaking, impossible.
Especially in a world with a brutal setting like Nugme, all sorts of disasters that even the faculty couldn’t stop came rushing in.
A transmigrator who knew the future had to deal with them alone, and that inevitably drew attention.
‘Whenever I saw that happen, I used to leave tons of scolding comments asking why they didn’t stick to their “quiet life” concept···.’
I really thought I could do it better if I were the one in that situation.
Countless senior transmigrators flashed through my mind.
‘Now I finally understand···.’
In the end, transmigrators had only two choices: become attention seekers, or ignore every incident no matter what happened, run away to live alone, and follow the dropout-loser route of becoming a hermit eccentric until the world itself was destroyed.
Thus, I decided to define them as follows.
All transmigrators were simply mentally ill people who lived lives in which they could never be quiet, desperately denied reality, and believed they could somehow enjoy a peaceful life.
What a bleak reality.
Fuck.
No, Nugme.
[Student Victor displayed outstanding ability in overcoming the practical training······.]
[Afterward, he apprehended the mole alongside the chief investigator······.]
A faculty member was diligently listing my accomplishments from the podium.
I only half-listened as I calmly climbed the short steps.
After that, I accepted the award plaque from the academy.
‘At least it’s a relief that they told me in advance there would be a ceremony.’
I only found out about this event early this morning.
I would have liked to refuse, but I forced down my annoyance and nodded.
It was advantageous to maintain a smooth relationship with the faculty.
I also had plans in progress, and I wanted to build up enough goodwill to receive their help whenever necessary.
‘······Still, knocking on my dormitory door at dawn was a bit much, wasn’t it?’
I forced those stray thoughts out of my mind.
I put on a pleasant smile in front of the entire student body.
No··· Come to think of it, I realized that since I was wearing a mask, I didn’t need to manage my expression.
So I simply stood on the podium with a look halfway between a smile and tears.
[Now, Student Victor.]
[As the academy’s hero, please give us a few words about how you feel.]
A microphone was suddenly thrust toward me.
It was the speech given by a representative of the year at every ceremony.
Since I was the main character today anyway, they must have decided to hand the role over to me entirely.
“Ahem, ahem··· First, I would like to thank the faculty and staff of Grandia Academy for arranging this occasion.”
I had been given a script in advance, after all.
All I had to do was read it straight through.
My voice reached the magical tool, and its amplified volume echoed through the auditorium.
“I would also like to thank Chief Investigator Jaber for providing wholehearted support throughout this incident······.”
The students’ gazes felt like needles against my skin.
The looks from the upper-ranking cadets in particular were a sight to behold.
They were so thoroughly displeased that they couldn’t hide the feeling of, ‘Who the hell does this guy think he is?’
Perhaps because they were still young, or perhaps because their egos were oversized, they displayed their emotions without restraint.
-Who the hell is that guy? He took first place in practical training and even apprehended the mole···?
-That’s impossible. He’s the top student in Class E.
-No way. The top student in Class E took first place in practical training?
-He’s famous, isn’t he? The one who beat Shariell from Class C so badly she couldn’t even fight back···.
-If he’s that skilled, why is he in Class E? Isn’t it just a rumor that got blown out of proportion?
A low murmur reached my ears.
Some were surprised, some were jealous, and some were skeptical.
One thing was certain: not many students were sincerely congratulating me.
‘Of course.’
A piece of trash they had thought was beneath them.
Someone from lowly Class E had appeared and achieved results they couldn’t make sense of.
They must have found it distasteful, to be honest.
-No matter how you look at it··· Class E is still Class E.
-Didn’t you see him during the freshman welcome exam? I’m telling you, he’s different.
-Different how? He’s wearing some weird mask over his face···.
-He does seem to be showing off too much.
-No, more importantly, how the hell did he take first place in practical training?
That was especially true of the highly competitive Grandia cadets.
They were children trapped in an elitist mindset who hated falling behind.
-Ah~ Fuck, this is pissing me off.
There was one girl in particular.
One who spoke as though she deliberately wanted me to hear her.
She was seated in the very front row, close to the podium on this side.
-That guy was in the same group as Lady Kihano, wasn’t he?
-Isn’t it obvious? He just got lucky and benefited from her.
-And yet he’s standing up there blabbing away. Someone should do something about that ridiculous mask on his face.
Bright yellow hair and skin tanned brown.
Her appearance was somewhat too rough around the edges for a noble young lady.
How should I put it?
In the language of my previous life, she gave off the aura of a delinquent girl.
The girl sat in the Class B waiting seats with a slovenly posture.
-Fuck, as if he’s impressive just because he’s from Class E···.
-Everyone’s sucking up to him like crazy just because he got a little lucky.
-One punch from me and that bastard would be bawling with a bloody nose in no time.
The delinquent girl was the top student in Class B.
She was one of the academy’s upper-echelon talents.
‘Endure it.’
I resolutely recited the script.
But perhaps because she was so close, her whispers remained faintly audible in my ears.
It was rather underhanded.
She was speaking at a volume just low enough that the professors couldn’t quite hear her.
When the girl saw that I wasn’t reacting, she sneered as though I were even more ridiculous.
-Ha··· Can you see how scared he is?
-He must be embarrassed too~ Getting praised for something he doesn’t deserve.
I was familiar with people like her.
People who couldn’t reach the very top and instead guarded the threshold of the upper ranks.
Despite that, they were stuffed to the brim with inferiority and threw their weight around to protect their pride.
That was the defining trait of people like her.
When someone they thought was beneath them performed well, they couldn’t stand it because their guts twisted with envy.
-He’s completely frozen.
-I’ll have to pick a day later and teach him a lesson.
-And he’s a commoner, right? Then there’s no need to worry about consequences.
The delinquent girl seemed determined to say something.
That I shouldn’t show off, and that I shouldn’t draw attention.
‘Endure it.’
I decided to tune her out.
I would simply endure it.
A soft bed was waiting for me in my dormitory.
I would finish the ceremony without incident and return to my room.
‘If I let her get to me here, I’ll be no different from her.’
Thinking that seemed to calm my body and mind.
There was no need to pick a fight with her right now.
I would have a chance someday.
It was better to let things pass smoothly today.
-Pfft··· Looks like he really got scared of the Class B top student.
-Hey, what’s so special about him?
-Well, just because he beat the Class C top student doesn’t mean he’d think the Class B top student was an easy opponent.
-Besides, the Class B top student is a bit much. Her personality is a real mess, so if you cross her···.
Perhaps swept up in that atmosphere, the cadets continued whispering among themselves.
The upper-ranking students in particular laughed as though to say, ‘Of course.’
I recited the long script again and again, and before I knew it, I had reached the final sentence.
-What a bore.
Thank you for listening to my long speech.
Once I said this one sentence, everything would be over.
“Thank you for listening to my long······.”
The arduous journey was coming to an end.
I smiled at the thought.
-What’s that bastard so happy about? Why does he sound so cheerful?
-See? He’s nothing special.
The delinquent girl was still busy putting me down.
But regardless.
“Th··· Th, th, th······.”
The words caught in my throat and refused to come out.
I took a deep breath and looked at the delinquent girl.
“Th, th···.”
Then, as if to show her, I put on a bright, refreshing voice and spoke the final sentence.
“You orphan bitch, if you’ve got a problem, how about we throw down?”
Oops.
I couldn’t hold back.