Chapter 50
"You fool... You're really a fool."
"Yeah~ yeah. I said I was sorry."
Sniffle-.
Luna sniffled loudly once more.
After rinsing her hair and clothes with water, I took a hair tie from my pocket dimension and tied her hair into twin tails.
Our Luna, after all, besides her dog-like personality, twin tails are all she has.
Why do I carry a hair tie, you ask?
To take care of a child, you need to be prepared for anything.
Well, the problem is that this 'child' is 15 years old.
But despite my utmost care, I couldn't do anything about her swollen eyes.
"Sniffle... Don't get the wrong idea."
"Huh?"
"It's not because you were gone! Not because I thought you had died... Ah, no, I mean, got hurt or something."
Did she hate to even think of me dying?
'How cute.'
She might think she looks fierce, but with her swollen eyes and those words, she wasn't very convincing.
"Re, really? You think I'd even blink if you died!?"
"Keke, it would be a bit sad if that happened."
"Ah, no, I mean... not really like that. I'd save you before you die. It would be sad if a friend died..."
Did she realize her slip of words?
Luna looked confused and lost.
I gently patted her head.
"Keke, you've worked hard. Don't worry, I'll always stick close from now on."
I could feel Luna calming down.
As expected, the best way to soothe a child is a combination of praise and patting.
"Wh, who's a child here!?"
Luna pushed my hand away and pounced on me.
Hmm, now she's back to the usual Luna.
I ignored her biting my head and fell into thought.
'What was the deal Caron made with Renia?'
Only three things were certain at the moment.
That Luna was involved.
That there was a need to prevent me from getting too close to Luna.
And that it was a request made by Luna's mother, Renia.
Could it be...!
'Was the deal to find a good man for Luna?'
Then I'm the perfect candidate.
I'm a great guy.
Good enough to offer my head to the fierce Luna!
"From now on, don't step a foot away from me."
"...Huh?"
"Why would I let you out of sight? We'll be together wherever you go. Remember that!"
Anger control disorder, stalker tendencies.
And now, separation anxiety too?
This is my only party member?
I feel dizzy, really.
"Oh, Zero! You're safe? Thank goodness."
A group of students approached me.
They were kids from Group 3, who had explored the ant nest with me.
"Lady Luna is amazing! Thanks to her, I can now confess!"
"Yeah, really. Thanks to her, we survived!"
The cliché-spouting, confession-killer (?) survived too.
Listening to their conversation, it seemed Luna had saved the kids.
'Did Luna fill the gap left by Caron?'
[Lv. 21]
The number floating above Luna's head.
She was level 18 before we parted, so she had gained three levels.
Moreover,
[Ambivalence A]
A new skill had appeared.
A skill, especially an A-grade, popping up suddenly. 'Ambivalence is a synergy skill.'
Synergy skills are passive skills activated when there's a character in the party meeting specific conditions.
[Ambivalence] affects the overall stats, either increasing or decreasing them.
Stats increasing or decreasing? What does that mean?
If the condition-matching character is present, stats increase.
If not, stats decrease.
'From what I know, A-grade means ±25%.'
For reference, S-grade means ±50% stats applied.
Yes, it's overpowered.
But such a skill also comes with a penalty.
First, if something happens to the condition-matching character, the synergy effect immediately disappears.
Given the current situation, the target of Luna's [Ambivalence] is me.
If I were to move away, faint, or die, the effect of [Ambivalence] would immediately disappear, and she would receive a -25% penalty on all stats.
Secondly, the penalty is excessively harsh.
When I'm not together, it's -25%. A whole quarter of the strength is reduced.
And this impact will only grow as levels and stats increase.
Thirdly, it's best not to expect this skill to reach S-grade.
Reaching S-grade with conventional methods is nearly impossible in this game.
In this game, S-grade is not just a simple step up.
'It's fair to say that the skill itself transforms, creating a huge difference.'
That's right. S-grade is not just about grinding; it requires luck to reach that level.
That's why there's a 25% difference between A-grade and S-grade.
And this is exactly why.
'This is why veterans gamble on potential.'
To obtain an S-grade skill that's off the charts.
Though it's random, the value of an S-grade skill makes it a gamble worth taking.
'Come to think of it, I've accumulated enough points for another potential gamble.'
I gained a whopping 10 levels in the ant nest.
All from just one use of [One Flash].
'Perhaps... Caron's appearance was designed to prevent this?'
In a game where leveling up becomes increasingly difficult, had I continued to use the skill, I could have reached at least level 50.
The issues that would arise from that are not few.
Caron's appearance was designed to prevent a balance collapse.
Indeed.
'This game is fun, isn't it?'
I wanted to gamble on potential right away, but I held back.
There were too many watching eyes.
I had to consider the possibility of acquiring a skill that manifests involuntarily.
'Summing up the gains from this ant nest...'
A 10-level gain, 100 points for potential gambling.
10 gold and 1 skill level-up point from completing the quest.
Discovering Caron's hidden piece, establishing a minimum level of trust.
And Luna's growth on top of it all.
I reaped an enormous harvest in just one day.
'The Ambivalence skill... it's not bad enough to complain about.'
Rather, with Luna by my side, she gets a +25% stat increase.
Since we're hardly ever apart, it seems there's no need to worry too much.
"Ze, Zero! You're safe!"
Someone was trotting towards me from a distance.
It was Raymon.
Following him were two children.
Alex, the protagonist of this game, and Yuridia, the magic prodigy.
'It seems they met as planned.'
The ant nest episode is where the first battle unfolds and where the three first become aware of each other.
They'll be separated for a while but will eventually become companions through various incidents.
'I was a bit worried when Caron left...'
Fortunately, it seems to have progressed just like the original.
'Their levels... are high.'
All three were one or two levels higher than I expected.
Not just Luna, but the other children had grown a stage further.
'Was it the impact of Caron's absence?'
Normally, Caron would have killed those ants, but the instructors and children had to divide the task, making it a natural outcome.
It's not a bad thing. The stronger the protagonists, the higher the chance of clearing the game.
'This must be one of the hidden pieces. It's a relief that it ended without any incidents.'
It was fortunate that the main characters, who should belong to the first party, were safe, but Raymon also made friends.
It will take a bit more time for him to join them, but it's just a matter of time.
It was important that he found someone to rely on.
Was he conscious of my gaze?
Raymon swung his arms widely, saying,
"Ah, no! It's not like that!"
"...?"
"I, I made new friends, but we're not as close as I'm with you! So don't misunderstand!"
What is he talking about now?
Misunderstanding? I was just glad that the three of them had gotten acquainted!
Anyway, his pure evil trait is the problem.
"What's with him? Isn't he going to leave? He's making Zero uncomfortable!"
"Lu, Luna! You were bothering Zero again! It's you who should leave!"
"What are you talking about? Who takes care of Zero better than I do!"
Luna, how about first letting go of my head that you're biting?
That might make your argument more convincing.
"Uu, Uuu...! I can engage in that level of physical contact anytime, you know?"
Does this look like physical contact to you? Are you sane?
And I don’t want to be bitten by a boy, thank you.
"Sticking out tongue. Zero isn't the type to do physical contact with just anyone! He's quite principled, you know."
Was I engaged in physical contact?
Being forced to have my head bitten?
"Me, me! I am his BFF! That means best friends forever!"
"Be, BFF!? I am closer than that! I am his BBBBBBBBBBBBBBFF!!"
Luna, there's no such word in this world, you know?
Adding more 'B's' doesn't make you any closer.
"Gi, give me back my friend!"
"Who's talking back now?"
Luna started pulling Raymon's hair.
Her grip is quite strong.
So, [Ambivalence] applies to such scuffles as well?
Thanks for the new information, Luna.
"Let, let go of me!"
"Go play with your new friends! Why are you clinging to him?"
"I, I like Zero better!"
"My Zero doesn't like someone like you!"
"That's not your Zero, it's my Zero!"
Ah! Ah!
Luna and Raymon's petty fight had begun.
I had no intention of stopping them.
Children grow by fighting, after all.
"Hello?"
That was when.
Yuridia approached me with a gentle smile.
'She must think this is a good opportunity.'
To get acquainted with me and make her presence known.
And eventually, to suggest that I should become subservient to her.
By the way, although people from Yuridia's faction had visited me a few times, she herself had never come in person.
'Probably because of noble pride, and the pride of leading a faction.'
She wanted me to acknowledge her authority by approaching first.
And this was no different on Teron's side.
Their pride wouldn't allow them to come in person, so they kept sending people.
They had been frustrated by my lack of response despite their continuous overtures.
But to have such an opportunity now.
'She must think this is the best of luck.'
It's important that it wasn't a prearranged meeting or that I didn't seek her out, but rather a chance encounter.
Ordinary people might wonder what's the difference, but for high-nosed nobles, it's a completely different concept.
As different as heaven and earth, perhaps?
"Keke, hello. My name is Zero."
"Of course, I knew that. Every freshman knows the name Zero. Nice to meet you for the first time. I'm Yuridia de Rownter, the third daughter of the Rownter family."
Her uniform was a bit torn, but that didn't diminish Yuridia's dignity at all.
Utterly polite and well-mannered.
Of course,
'She must be thinking something completely different inside.'
In reality, Yuridia is quite the troublemaker.
But she's a noble.
Moreover, she's hailed as a genius in magic, carrying the expectations of her family.
Even if she wanted to reveal her true nature, she couldn't.
'Well, the family thinks she's reformed through education and guidance...'
But in reality, they haven't changed even 1% of Yuridia.
Her acting skills and patience are quite remarkable.
To sum up, think of her as a 'character living behind a mask'. It’s easier to understand her character that way.
Right now, inside, she's probably saying this.
'Ah, maintaining manners is so damn annoying. But since it's our first meeting, I guess I should care?'
- Is what she'd probably think.
She's not a bad kid.
Just a child whose inside and outside are a little (?) different.
By the way, Yuridia has nicknames like Two-Faced Yuridia, Asura Yuridia, and Jekyll and Yuridia.
It's because when playing as Yuridia in the game, her dialogue is accompanied by her inner thoughts in parentheses.
For example,
"It's an honor to meet you. I was a bit upset that you didn't respond even though I sent people to you. Just a little bit, of course."
You brat. I sent people to you, why didn't you come?
And ignoring me too? Do you want a little taste of death?
...would be her actual thoughts.
--TL Notes--
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