Chapter 130
I couldn't help but feel disillusioned.
Inside the box was a rabbit... no, Rezé, collapsed.
'You die if you make eye contact with strong people? What kind of dog-like situation is this?'
Where had the strong appearance shown just a little while ago gone?
This was a bigger problem than I thought.
'Training is essential. Especially for Rezé.'
The reason training is essential for these kids. It's because their 'Stats' increase.
As I've said before, the 'Player Character' that gamers play has the privilege of gaining 1 stat point with every level up.
The reason I've been able to survive till now is almost entirely because I've poured all my pt into potential gambling.
'Plus, Player Characters can choose to increase whatever stat they want.'
So, the gap between other characters keeps growing.
Support characters end up becoming a burden rather than helping the protagonist.
A setting that could cause a balance collapse.
And the system to compensate for this setting is the stat increase through 'training.'
It's designed to grant additional stats with each training and battle.
As a result, characters referred to as NPCs often increase their related stats with each training, battle, or specific quest they undertake.
'In the game, you are given a choice three times a day.'
Classes, training, rest, library visits, wandering, deviation(?), etc.
Various choices are given, and the growth of the character changes depending on which choice is made.
I choose classes in the morning, training in the afternoon, and training again in the evening.
Of course, blindly training isn't always good.
It's more efficient to gain stats through quests or obtaining hidden pieces through conversations than through training.
However.
'With Divine Imitation at my disposal, most hidden pieces are nothing but baggage.'
Having a large number of useless skills only makes my head dizzy.
While having hundreds of passive skills is fine, it's better to have fewer active skills.
Anyway, consistently training right now is the most important thing.
Not only because it's an opportunity to aim for an increase in stats...
'Because Lucia has agreed to teach us.'
In the game, when you choose 'training,' sometimes a teacher or an unidentified person appears to help with the training as a hidden piece.
When this hidden piece is activated, the chance of gaining stats increases, and sometimes skills can be acquired as well.
'What if you receive guidance from a teacher, let alone the hero Lucia?'
And that too, receiving guidance from Lucia at the beginning of Chapter 2?
Stats as a given, skills for sure, and if lucky, something even beyond that.
It was a situation worth aiming for. But...
'What? You die if you make eye contact with strong people?'
It's a situation where it wouldn't be strange at all if I went crazy and jumped up and down.
But I am an adult.
I decided to save the pitiful rabbit pufferfish in front of me.
"Keke, weren't you fine yesterday?"
"That, that was because I was out of my mind. My, my tears made it hard to see too..."
So that was it.
Thank goodness. I've thought of a solution.
"Then you just need to be in pain every time you receive guidance. You have to withstand the recoil on your right shoulder... so from now on, I'll dislocate your left shoulder every day."
"Eh...?"
"Keke, don't worry. It won't hurt at all once you get used to it."
"Eh, eh...?"
"It'll sting a bit. Just a tiny bit."
This is all for Rezé.
Even if someday our party abandons her, if her stats are high, she should be able to take care of herself just fine.
It was when I reached out towards Rezé, trembling inside the box.
"You crazy bastard!"
Slap-!
My head jerked forward.
Because Luna had hit me on the back of my head from somewhere close by.
"You're going to dislocate her arm every day! Are you out of your mind?"
But it can't be helped.
The opportunity to receive guidance from Lucia isn't common.
A whole month, a whole month.
Having the privilege to receive Lucia's guidance for that time and not using it?
Idiot... no, it would be an understatement to call someone like Luna that.
"Keke, think outside the box, Miss Luna."
"Think outside the box?"
"Wouldn't it be okay to have a dangling arm for about a month? After all, people have two arms. It's definitely there for situations like this."
"..."
Did my logic get through? Luna smiled slightly and said.
"Then let's dislocate your head too. It should be fine to be without it for a month, right? Right?"
Luna Luna, what are you saying? People die if their heads are dislocated!
People only have one head, not two!
"Keke, I'll pass. Then I would die."
"You said it earlier. To think outside the box."
Crack-.
"Maybe people can live without their heads. Why don't you try thinking in that way? I'll personally make you experience it, so don't worry."
...Why would you make me experience that? And how can I not worry in this situation!
It was when Luna slowly approached me.
Rezé, trembling inside the box, screamed.
"Eek! I, I can feel it!"
"?"
"St, strong people are coming! I, I'm going to dieeeee!!"
Sure enough. The idiot hair on Rezé's head was spinning like crazy.
I've felt it before, but it really is an efficient radar.
Is there no skill like [Idiot Hair]? It would be useful if there was.
"Hmm... it's regrettable. The opportunity to receive guidance from Lady Lucia isn't common."
"So, sorry... Bu, but it's true. The, the energy from the eyes of strong people is different..."
"It's okay, Rezé. I've never once thought of your words as a lie."
"Lu, Miss Luna..."
At this point, Rezé's words felt like the truth.
You die if you make eye contact with strong people.
Is that why they cover their eyes with their bangs?
"Then, is it okay as long as we don't make eye contact?"
"Eh? That, well... it's not like you die."
Is that so?
"Keke, I've come up with a good method. A way to receive guidance without making eye contact."
"Is it really okay? It feels somewhat risky..."
"Kekekekekekeke!"
"..."
My laughter echoed throughout the training ground.
* * *
Rustle-.
"Lady Lucia! Hello!"
"Eh? How did you know I was coming?"
Us, standing in a line.
Lucia tilted her head slightly, puzzled.
But that was a mystery to us as well.
The idiot hair on top of Rezé's head. What on earth could it be?
Could it have been created by an alien experiment?
"Ah, hello. I, I couldn't properly thank you yesterday. Th, thank you for helping me!"
Rezé stuttered out her thanks.
"Oh, is that so. How's your body feeling?"
"Yes, yes! Thanks to you, I'm, I'm much better! Receiving treatment directly from Lady Lucia. It's an honor for my family!"
Rezé's thanks were filled with sincerity.
However, Lucia was noticeably embarrassed. Why?
"Don't worry about me. I'm, I'm just a wall in the training ground, you could say."
Rezé murmured with her back turned.
She even started talking to the wall of the training ground.
"Hmm... did that kid hit her head yesterday? Or did I do something wrong and she's mad at me?"
"Keke, don't worry about it. Why, there's always one in every class, isn't there? A child in love with the wall."
"Kids these days are like that? Fascinating..."
Only then did Lucia turn her attention away from Rezé.
This was the good method I had come up with.
Conversing with Lucia with our backs turned.
It was a simple and crude method, but effective.
Just in case, we even put on a blindfold, so there's no way our pufferfish rabbit would meet an untimely end.
"Lady Lucia! We've warmed up. We can start training right away!"
"Oh~ Really? Then let's see what you've got."
"Yes!"
Luna's sword dance began. And after a while.
"Next."
Luna's head drooped. She had not received acknowledgment again.
But her expression was bright. Since we decided to train together from today, she must have been thinking she would eventually receive acknowledgment.
'I suppose I'm thinking the same thing.'
Slash, smash, stab.
As soon as the third move ended, Lucia waved her hands.
"Ah, ah! This is terrible! Pass!"
A harsh critique. But it didn't matter.
Because starting today, we would truly learn swordsmanship.
Next was Rezé's turn, but...
"Wh, where's the target?"
Rezé was clueless about where to go, let alone where the target was.
Seeing her condition, Lucia spoke up.
"A magic gun, right? No need to shoot. I don't know anything about it. Well, if you plan to use it as a club, I might watch..."
That was impossible. Rezé's Strength stat was merely 3.
That concluded the first assessment.
What kind of training to do, what kind of guidance to receive.
It was when Luna sent an expectant gaze.
"Training's over for today. I'm going to sleep."
Lucia flopped down on the mattress.
The mattress that was piled up as soon as she arrived here.
Maybe about 3 minutes had passed?
It also meant today's training ended in just 3 minutes.
"Er, Lady Lucia?"
"Hmm? Why?"
"Hadn't you agreed to teach us? Even just pointing out what's lacking in my swordsmanship would be okay..."
"Everything's lacking, how can I point out anything specific?"
"That, that's so. But if you could explain a bit more..."
"You guys are misunderstanding something?"
Lucia smirked and said.
"I said I'd look at you once a day, not that I'd help with training?"
Luna stiffened in shock.
Only then did I realize Lucia's true intention.
'Lucia, that damned bear?'
Yes. Lucia had no intention of guiding us from the start.
She just wanted to use us to sleep.
"See you tomorrow."
Looking at Lucia scratching her belly and falling asleep, I thought.
Maybe this quest.
Might never be completed.
* * *
Late at night, in the principal's office.
Dwener was lost in deep thought.
Specifically, recalling the conversation with Zero.
-Artifacts are evolving day by day. For a few years now, we've been successful in creating artifacts without borrowing the power of mysteries. One of them is the magic gun.
-This will be a much more powerful weapon than a bow. A bow relies purely on one's strength, but a magic gun combines one's strength with technology.
At that moment, Dwener saw it.
Zero's deep eyes hidden behind his slit eyes.
'It was a near certainty, an insight surpassing even my own competence...'
Dwener smirked.
"Zero, you really are an incredible student."
It wouldn't do for the principal to sit idly by after hearing such good advice.
A mere first-year. And one that many looked down upon, Zero's advice.
Even dabbling in the much-avoided magic engineering.
But Dwener wasn't embarrassed. The ones who should be embarrassed are.
"Those who know but do not act."
And he was one of those beings.
Dwener didn't deny that fact. And it was likely to continue in the future.
But.
'Not this moment.'
Dwener's pen began to dance elegantly.
Through the late night, past dawn, until the morning sun rose and the student council members arrived for work.
Dwener's pen and mind didn't stop for a moment.
The student council president, Aywin, and the vice president, Rodelin, couldn't help but be surprised.
'The principal... can write?'
'The principal... is voluntarily working?'
They were momentarily perplexed, but soon both reached the same conclusion.
'It must be just for show.'
Regardless.
Dwener silently filled out the paperwork.
Two documents were floating around on the desk. Written on them was:
<Establishment and Operation of the Magic Gun Division>, and
<Investment Proposal for the Magic Engineering Association>.
--TL Notes--
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