Chapter 244 |
Rezé had acquired the skill 'Lightning Dash.'
It’s a passive skill that increases the moving distance.
Objectively, it's not a bad skill. On the contrary, it’s considered a good skill.
'Hero of the Academy' is a tile-based SRPG game.
Increasing a character's movement range enables a variety of plays, and there’s nothing better than that.
Especially, it would be a game-breaking skill if a tank acquired it.
Even if allies are far away, they could quickly move and deploy defensive skills.
Rezé's role is not a tank but a dealer. However, it’s a skill that can be fully utilized.
As previously mentioned, in an SRPG game, an increase in movement distance is beneficial.
'It’s a one-hit-kill game either way, what’s the point?'
Rezé is a character who will exit the battlefield when targeted and also finish off enemies with a single hit.
After an attack, there's no need to run away or create distance for such a character.
And yet, to give such a character 'Lightning Dash.'
For Rezé, there couldn’t be a more meaningless skill.
'While the increased movement might allow attacking a bit faster...'
As the game progresses, it becomes pointless because of 'gimmicks.'
Before three stacks accumulate in the attack range, you had to avoid the Demon's Shard.
Continuously attacking was necessary to prevent all of Bineus flames from lighting up.
And there are demons with such gimmicks appearing in the future, but should Rezé charge in alone to attack first?
That would be a perfect recipe for becoming roasted rabbit.
'If she had obtained an attack-related skill... then Rezé’s operational lifespan would have increased, and she could have utilized it well even in the later stages.'
But then.
Paraparabam~!
Congratulations! Rezé has evolved into a 'Slightly Faster Pufferfish Rabbit!'
-How utterly disappointing.
Despite my feelings.
"You realized this so quickly. Despite your fragile appearance, you have a strong heart inside."
"Well done, well done, well done~!"
Adonis and Luna were busy praising Rezé.
"Ah, uh..."
In the meantime, Rezé stood awkwardly with her hands dangling, not knowing what to do.
But one thing was certain.
'...She seems happy.'
The idiot hair dancing excitedly on her head proved that fact.
‘Now that I think about it, when the new Advanced Class was announced after the note test, Rezé said.’
-It's strange... Something in my chest... It’s tickling... It feels like it's overflowing.
A sense of accomplishment.
The emotion felt after achieving a goal through strenuous efforts and the joy of being recognized.
I remembered Rezé’s bewildered face when she first felt a sense of accomplishment.
Yes, Rezé was feeling a sense of accomplishment.
Her life's second sense of accomplishment.
‘Well, nothing can be done.’
I scratched the back of my head, brushing off the disappointment.
It wasn’t Rezé’s fault for not obtaining a good skill.
After all, it’s impossible to change an already determined skill.
Clapping my hands, I approached them.
"Keke, congratulations to both of you. It was a tough training, but you’ve endured well."
"Heh! This was nothing."
"Yes, exactly. I can do much more if I'm with Luna... you see."
Rezé's voice trailed off into a whisper.
Well, whether Luna heard it or not was none of my business.
"Zero, I feel left out. Don’t I deserve some praise?"
Sparkle Sparkle-.
Adonis's eyes shone brightly.
Why should you be praised? It's not like you obtained the skill.
‘But I couldn’t say that.’
I am a good child who respects the elderly.
Just as I was about to thank Adonis, Luna pushed my face away with her hand and interrupted.
"Why should he praise you? Why should Zero have to praise you?"
"I helped with the training. At least, I deserve a thank you."
"Hmph~ Helped with training? That probably wasn’t your only intention?"
Luna was right.
Currently, Adonis was looking for someone to entrust Victoria to.
Training Luna and Rezé was also part of an effort to win my favor.
‘That’s an unexpectedly sharp observation for Luna.’
Has our Luna finally started to think? If so, I would shower her with praise.
Our daughter has grown up so much.
It was a moment for a father's tears, stolen in the secrecy of my heart.
"You just want to be friends with me, that’s why you’re doing this. But why would you expect a thank you?"
"...What?"
"You probably planned to help with the training under the guise of kindness and then extend a hand of friendship. You thought I wouldn’t see through your cunning intentions? That's a mistake! I'm very quick-witted!"
...Luna, what are you even talking about?
Why would Adonis want to be friends with you?
Making friends with an elder is an unheard-of scandal in Korea, a novel kind of moral outrage.
"It seems there’s some misunderstanding. While it's true I wanted to be helpful, that was merely..."
"Yeah, you probably misunderstood something. That’s why you immediately started bothering our Rezé when you arrived. After realizing your mistake, you wanted to be friends with us. I understand it all."
"...It seems you understand nothing?"
"Not at all! Zero might be naive enough to be easily deceived, but not me! I'm a woman who catches on very quickly!"
Is she aging faster because she's too quick-witted? If that’s the case, maybe it wouldn't be weird for her to make friends with Adonis.
It would still be scandalous, though.
"Friends... It’s not that I couldn’t consider it, but your attempt to compensate for your mistakes with a single act of kindness is just repulsive. You can't be true friends if you expect something in return!"
"..."
"If you really want to be friends with us, you’ll need to try harder! That’s it!"
Ding-.
Adonis turned as stiff as a rock, seemingly fainting from shock.
‘He must be quite shocked. He never would have imagined Renia's daughter could be such a blusterer.’
I left the stiffened Adonis outside the training hall.
He'll move on his own once he regains consciousness.
As I was moving Adonis to a sunny spot,
"What have you done...?"
It was Caron. The Empire’s rat, the maker of bad endings, a business partner, and even a lolicon.
A man active in many (?), varied fields.
"Keke, it's nothing serious. Just a minor accident."
"Adonis is standing while unconscious, and you say it's nothing. Your arrogance remains unchanged."
I’m sorry, but the real arrogance isn’t mine; it’s Luna’s. You’d faint too if you knew what she’d done.
I was imagining both the stone-like Adonis and Caron standing side by side.
"...I heard you were receiving guidance from Lord Adonis. You must be quite skilled."
"Keke, isn’t it all thanks to my talents."
"...I see. That’s why you're so arrogant. You don’t even realize what you’ve done wrong."
I’ve done something wrong?
Let’s see, the crimes I’ve committed recently...
"Being handsome is a crime, I suppose. The laws of the empire are indeed terrifying."
"Ha-ha."
Caron laughed. Normally, he would have smacked me on the head for being insolent.
Could there be something going on? Or does Caron, the objective observer, also acknowledge that I am indeed handsome?
‘Well, that makes sense. No matter how ugly, how could anyone look like a cockroach?’
I smiled back at Caron. He was still smiling, very broadly.
"..."
Then I realized.
Caron was in a low mood. A seriously low mood.
"Don’t we have something to discuss among ourselves? Like... a certain magical sword?"
Ah, I forgot.
This was our first meeting since I hid information about the Sacred Sword from Caron.
Caron slowly opened his mouth, his face full of smiles.
"I’d appreciate it if you could spare some time. I just opened a new restaurant."
A new restaurant. He means an interrogation room.
Why does he keep expanding his collection of torture chambers?
"Keke, didn't I mention it? Going to your new restaurant feels like dying."
"Going to a new restaurant causes a deadly illness... just one visit and problems are easily solved. Please come tomorrow evening. By then, it will have turned into an old restaurant."
Yes, that’s right. The restaurant will be drenched in someone else’s blood by then.
If it's an old restaurant, then it's an old restaurant.
"Keke, becoming an old restaurant in just one day? It must be a restaurant with terrible cost-effectiveness."
"Don’t worry. I’ve reserved the newly introduced equipment especially for you."
Equipment prepared specifically to torture me. Should I be happy about this?
"I’ve also developed a new dish. It’s so deadly that even if two eat it, one would die... no, both would die."
If two eat and both die, what kind of dish is that! It must be poison!
"Keke, actually, I suffer from a disease that kills me if I eat new dishes..."
Thwack!
Suddenly there was a flash before my eyes and I felt a considerable pain in my head.
Caron had smacked me on the head.
"There’s a limit to hiding information. Hiding such things? Are you out of your mind?"
"I didn’t answer because you didn’t ask. If you had asked, ‘Do you have a Sacred Sword?’ I would have told you immediately."
"..."
Thwack!
Once again, there was a flash before my eyes. Hitting such a cute child like me.
He's nothing less than a child abuser.
"Don’t misunderstand. Actually, I suffer from a disease that compels me to beat arrogant kids. So, this isn’t child abuse. It’s just an outbreak of my condition."
"There’s no such disease in this world!"
"So, a disease that kills you when you visit a new restaurant or eat a new dish makes sense? How are you alive then since everything was new to you when you were born?"
Debunked!
It was a brilliant argument. The problem was that I was the one being debunked.
I raised my arms in a defensive posture.
"Blocking? Isn't that your own body?"
Caron began to give noogies with both hands.
Aaaaah! He really is a child abuser!
While I was frantically being beaten,
"...Next time, tell me first."
"What?"
"Meaning don't let me find out your secrets through someone else."
Hmm... something sounded odd there.
He wasn’t criticizing me for hiding the information.
It wasn’t that he was dissatisfied because I hid a Sacred Sword, but rather that I had disclosed it first to Adonis.
‘Could it be... is he jealous?’
Nah, that can’t be. Caron is a killing machine without emotions.
He wouldn’t know sadness or joy, let alone jealousy.
"Anyway, from now on, always tell me first. Understand?"
"Keke, I will try."
"..."
Caron raised his fist.
"Of course, Mr. Caron, you are the priority. Aren’t we business partners? Kekeke!"
Only then did Caron lower his fist.
A disease that compels beating arrogant kids. What a terrifying condition.
"Any new information?"
"It’s nothing major, but... it seems Mr. Adonis has become aware of Miss Luna’s presence."
"...That doesn’t seem like nothing. It seems like a big deal."
"It wasn’t a negative reaction. Perhaps you should talk to him?"
Caron’s gaze shifted towards Adonis, and seemed to be contemplating whether Adonis was an ally or not.
"Keke, if you give me a little hint, I might be able to probe on your behalf."
"What are you talking about?"
"The relationship between Mr. Caron and the Lester family. If you tell me about it, I might be able to inquire for you."
"..."
"Just tell me already. For the cute Miss Luna’s sake. Kekeke!"
Caron clamped his mouth shut.
I hovered around Caron, applying pressure.
What could it be? Huh? What are you hiding?
How delicious must this story be for you to hide it like this?
"...Sigh."
Thwack!
Caron's response was simple.
A sigh accompanied by another bump on my head.
As I rubbed the collection of bumps on my head,
Click-.
Luna opened the door to the training hall.
"Huh? What are you doing here?"
"Keke, Mr. Caron just opened a restaurant. A teacher moonlighting like this. There are serious issues with his attitude as an educator..."
"A new restaurant? I want to go too. No, let's throw a party there. A party to celebrate our newfound strength!"
Hmm... There will be a party, indeed.
The problem is that it might be stained with our blood and flesh.
"Keke, I'm looking forward to it. Aren't you?"
However, my words didn’t reach Caron.
He was already running away into the distance, with the petrified Adonis tucked under his arm.
*
In an old church in Carpathia, an old woman was prostrating herself in prayer.
"Please, kill them."
The demons—or rather, beings worse than demons—who mocked her family, falsely accused them, and even reveled in their deaths.
"Please, just kill them. I have fulfilled the mission you gave me..."
The old woman had succeeded in destroying the mystical force protecting Carpathia.
It was tough, but she had done it. She had gained the power through a contract with a demon.
Of course, the cost was a part of her body and all of her remaining lifespan.
In the moment when she had just one minute left to live.
A woman appeared there.
A woman filled with the aura of death, dressed in black.
"Do not be sad. Your will shall be carried on by us."
"Oh, ohhh..."
When the woman touched her, the old woman’s body transformed into a small tree.
A black tree, dark as darkness itself.
This tree would grow by absorbing the life around it until it firmly rooted itself.
"Do not be sad, Bineus."
Yes. The identity of the woman in the black dress.
It was Lizbeth, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, also known as the Mother of Summoning.
"My child, I will give you the finest funeral."
No, this was not the beginning of a war.
To call it a mere war would be an insult to them.
Yes, this was a funeral for Bineus, and a memorial for the old woman.
It was the moment the invasion of Carpathia began.
--TL Notes--
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