Chapter 246 |
Rat-a-tat-tat!
A window positioned along the corridor.
Through it, instructors and teachers were seen busily moving about, a sight that continued unabated.
"Is that... a rat, right?"
"It, it seems so?"
It wasn't just them bustling about; occasionally, rats mingled in their midst.
Rats scurrying in the open despite needing to operate in darkness?
It was evidence of a major incident—a crisis so urgent that there was no time to hide.
By now, even the children had realized that the situation was far from ordinary.
"Is it like last time, when demons attacked?"
"Or, or has a war broken out?"
As the word 'war' was mentioned, the children's faces turned pale.
"Lord Teron, is what they’re saying true?"
A child from Teron's faction asked him.
It was not unusual. After all, he was the leader of Teron's faction.
‘Teron has a network of information no less extensive than the rats.’
Especially in circumstances like these, his network wielded more power than the rats.
The first to receive news if war had broken out would naturally be from the noble circles.
However, there was one problem.
"...I don't really know."
Even Teron had no solid information.
‘The erosion must have started last night... It would have been too much to expect the information to reach Teron.’
The other children were in a similar situation.
"Yuridia, it’s the same with you, right?"
"...Yes. I haven't received any information either."
Both faction leaders were without any information.
Thrown into confusion, the children began to chatter among themselves.
"Is it really a war!?"
"And if our side is deliberately controlling the information..."
"Student soldiers? Are they planning to conscript us like during the war with the Rohan Kingdom?"
Chaos has a way of spreading rapidly and devouring emotions.
The classroom quickly descended into turmoil. The children, still young, were especially quick to succumb.
It was precisely at this moment, as some children attempted to leave their seats in fear, that a voice full of conviction halted them.
"Everyone, stay calm. It's not going to be a war."
The owner of the voice was none other than Teron.
All eyes naturally turned towards him.
"How can you be so sure?"
"Since the black mages started causing trouble, the continent has temporarily ceased warring. It's an awkward thing to refer to as a promise... but yes, honor. That's the appropriate word."
If the Empire was struggling with black mages, then it stood to reason that weaker kingdoms or duchies couldn’t be faring any better.
It would be impractical to wage war while merely maintaining homeland defenses was already overwhelming.
Teron was pointing this out, and Yuridia nodded in agreement.
"Even if someone were to start a war, it would be problematic. Any country doing so would face tremendous criticism and become isolated, a risk no one would want to take."
"If it came to that, they would target a weaker nation. Attack us, the strongest? That's nonsensical."
"Then what could it be?"
"Perhaps a black mage or demon has appeared nearby. They might be gathering forces for a preemptive or support mission."
"That does seem highly likely."
Only then did the chaos filling the classroom begin to subside.
The children gradually resumed their chatter, and the classroom began to regain its previous atmosphere.
"But... that's strange. The Empire isn't so lax in its defenses to be swayed by those black mages."
"Could it be the work of those recently mentioned guys?"
"Ah, the ones who call themselves the Four Heavenly Kings? Yeah, that might be it."
Listening in on the conversation, I could detect a deviation from the original storyline.
‘This conversation wasn’t in the game.’
Originally, the term "Four Heavenly Kings" wouldn’t be used until much later.
The usage of such a term from the second chapter was a critical check item.
As I was mentally cataloging this information, it was then that I heard:
"The quiet is unexpected. Well done, everyone."
Before anyone noticed, Caron had taken a seat at the lectern. His appearance was still a mess, but it was an improvement from before.
Realizing this, the children let out sighs of relief.
However, they didn't know that Caron was merely pretending to be calm.
‘For the children, so they don't fall into chaos. Acting as if it’s nothing serious when it really is.’
It was a typical behavior for Caron.
Once he confirmed that all the children were present, Caron tapped the chalkboard to gather their attention.
"We don't have much time, so I'll make this brief. Last evening, the erosion began in Carpathia. We are to provide support, and you will be tasked with guard duties."
Deployment, erosion, and guard duty.
It wasn't much different from what Teron had predicted, so the chaos was minimized.
"Erosion in the center of the Empire?"
"How important is initial response to erosion? What were the defense forces doing?"
"Are they all dead? Something dangerous is brewing..."
While the children murmured among themselves, one raised their hand.
"Has a war broken out?"
"No, that would be too grand a term to use. A fiefdom conflict, at most."
Hmm, it makes sense to call it a fiefdom conflict since it involves protecting a territory.
The problem is that the opponent is a demon.
"I understand what you all are worried about. The sudden real-life experience must be frightening and bewildering."
However, dedicating oneself to the nation is a duty for students of Annwood Academy.
Those who shirk this duty do not deserve the rights guaranteed by the Empire.
Above all.
"Think of the suffering citizens of the Empire and make sure to participate."
Caron’s speech was certainly moving.
"Um... I'm not feeling well, is it okay if I sit this one out?"
But not every child could be persuaded by sentiment alone.
There were quite a few in the advanced class who were just there to graduate and secure a good job.
Caron responded with a slight smile.
"Of course."
"Then I will be admitted to..."
"However, you’ll score zero on your midterms. Such a pity to be ill at this time."
"What? What does that mean...?"
"Carpathia is close, but still two days away. It takes four days to get there and back, so there’s no way you can properly prepare for the midterms that are a week away."
Some of the children looked stunned.
Meanwhile, those quicker on the uptake were bright-eyed, having guessed what Caron was about to say next.
"Therefore, your performance in this deployment will be reflected in your grades. This was decided in a recent faculty meeting, so it’s non-negotiable."
"..."
"Since it’s an exam, I hope everyone will participate. Well, unless you're terminally ill."
Demanding dedication to the nation, manipulating midterm grades as leverage – Caron’s actions were no different from those of a criminal. Or perhaps, a politician?
Hmm... well, it’s all the same in the end.
"So, when do we leave?"
"There’s no rush, so I’ll give you enough time. Let’s see... about 30 minutes."
"...?"
"Pack your bags quickly and assemble at the drill field. That’s all!"
There’s no rush? It’s completely urgent!
But this was also part of Caron’s strategy. He intended not to give the children time to dwell on their thoughts or fall into contemplation.
"Zero! See you in a bit!"
"Sure! Gotta pack the emergency rations!"
Clatter-bang!
Luna and Rezé, along with other children, quickly left the classroom.
Hmm, Rezé.
Bring something tastier than carrots...
*
After a brief stop at the dormitory to pack.
Though saying 'packed' might be a bit of an exaggeration.
I had simply shoved everything into a [Pocket Dimension].
‘Such a handy skill, really.’
After cramming all sorts of things into my body, I left the dormitory.
Next destination wasn’t the drill field, but the dining hall.
"Move faster! Quicker!"
The cooks were incessantly moving as they brought out the food.
It was rice balls, steaming and slick with gloss.
‘Just like the game.’
30 minutes of limited time. Treating the remaining time as one turn per minute.
It's a mini-game where you can collect five 'Annwood Academy Special Rice Balls' per turn, an item that astonishingly restores 1,000 HP—a potency comparable to a mid-level potion!
No need to worry about the taste, and best of all,
‘It’s all free!’
In summary, it's an exciting mini-game with nothing to lose.
Just as I was sweeping the rice balls into my pocket dimension,
A kitchen lady carrying a tray of rice balls nudged me.
Oops! Looks like I got caught trying to sneak an extra sixth rice ball.
Ma'am, it’s a misunderstanding. I was just trying to take what looked like five servings but might appear to be six!
As I tried to send her a convincing look, I realized something.
With my slit eyes, conveying expressions through my gaze is virtually impossible.
"Tsksk, it's just like they say, 'A thief always feels the cold.' You're the very picture of that."
Surprisingly, a male voice came from the kitchen lady.
That’s right. This person was not just an ordinary kitchen lady.
He was the liaison for Annwood Academy’s plaza branch, and a double agent between Caron and me.
He was the lowest of the low, the rat among rats, Scarlet.
"Keke, you seem well-suited for this. Ever considered switching to a chef full-time?"
"I’ll pass. It would be a waste of talent to stick me in a kitchen."
"For someone so talented, you seem to have nothing to do. You’re excluded from this mission too, right?"
Thud!
Maybe that hit too close to home. Scarlet collapsed to the floor.
"Yeah... I’ve been excluded again! Damn that Caron, always overlooking me!"
"Keke, for someone so overlooked, you seem to be doing quite well."
"Ugh! Are you mocking me too? Don’t be absurd! How is this even a mission!"
It was obvious what had happened.
- Uh... Lord Caron? I’m sorry to bother you during such a busy time, but I’d like to request a mission.
- A mission?
- Yes! I’m confident I can handle anything! Even if you asked me to fight thousands of demons, I’d do it!
- Thousands, huh... There is a perfect mission for that. A tremendous task requiring you to fight thousands with your bare hands. I can’t just assign it to anyone...
- Just assign it to me! I’ll handle it perfectly!
And this was the result.
A mission to fight with... no, to make thousands of rice balls.
"Keke, you’ve been beautifully manipulated. Maybe it’s better we pretend this transaction never happened."
"Hey! Do you have any idea how hard it is to negotiate with Caron? My flesh trembles! You wouldn’t understand!"
Would I really not?
As I raised an eyebrow, Scarlet clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Seems he remembered that I have a business relationship with Caron.
"Damn..."
Perhaps he disliked being outdone by someone younger.
Scarlet irritably scratched his head.
That seemed enough to establish the pecking order.
"Well, there is one mission even an idiot could handle."
"A mission?"
I pulled out a map from my pocket and handed it to Scarlet.
As he looked at the map and the symbols I marked on it, Scarlet murmured,
"It’s close. A week should be plenty. Most of the seniors have headed to Carpathia... Surveillance will be lax."
Seems like he received a plausible mission.
Scarlet’s eyes lit up with fervor.
"Is it another mystery this time? Like last time, do I need to know something in advance?"
"Keke, there’s a simple demon’s puzzle here. I’ve written down the solution, so just follow these instructions and you should be fine."
Hexagons, pentagons, and circles.
A challenging puzzle where pieces are fit haphazardly into these shapes filled with white space, completing the puzzle.
It’s a difficult puzzle, but since I've provided the solution, he should be able to pass through easily.
"If you solve the puzzle, something containing the power of mysteries will appear inside each shape. Just take the item inside the circle."
"Wait, so there are three mysteries? Can I take the others too?"
Sure, as long as you don’t mind your body being split into the shapes.
"Keke, fascinating."
"What is?"
"It’s fascinating that someone about to die is still talking to me... It’s only natural to be amazed."
"..."
Scarlet's eyes grew cold and narrow.
--TL Notes--
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