HTACS 24

Chapter 24

The day after I safely finished the mini-test.

My academy life was changing little by little.

First, my schedule. To be honest, during the few days Nephti took over the cart business for me, my body felt incredibly light.

But I couldn’t just hand over full control to Nephti just to look after myself. It wasn’t like I was plotting a rebellion like Aila, but the connections with graduate students seemed like they’d be quite important for my future path.

In the undergraduate department, I’m treated like a villain, but in the graduate school, I’m a sensible merchant who supplies delicious things from the morning. The stronger those connections, the more walls I have to protect myself.

Next, the convenience store.

The number of customers didn’t increase, but the selection was better stocked than I expected.

First, by obtaining the magistone freezer, the variety of drinks expanded.

I didn’t put out the energy drinks carelessly—if I did, Aila would probably start a ruckus shouting “It’s time for rebellion!”—but the selection of shakes and sorbets increased. If I use Aqua Beans and Bubble Beans, I could probably make carbonated drinks too. I’m researching the best ratio. They’ll probably sell well once summer comes.

Next, jelly and candy types made with edible slime. Black bread. Balimandju. Doughnuts can be refrigerated too, so the fun of putting all sorts of things on the food display has increased.

Foods made with Red Pepper Herb are a specialized taste that only Rudika seeks out, but I enjoy them occasionally too. I’m considering what to name it if I make gochujang with Red Pepper Herb—whether to call it red pepper paste or just pepper paste. Still debating the naming.

Now, I’ve described a little about the changes to my schedule and daily life, so let’s talk about academy life—which is equally important, no, even more important.

First, classes.

Surprisingly—truly surprisingly—I’m somehow keeping up with my major. I don’t think my grades will be good, but it seems I have enough knowledge to survive in this hellish Zephrin.

Honestly, this is probably thanks to Teacher Aila’s excellent private tutoring, but Wolfram knows how to praise himself. Well done, Wolfram. That’s the spirit.

In particular, Professor Lantica Grace, who teaches the Mage and Battlefield subject that required the mini-test, has been looking at me with an unusual gaze. Professor Lantica Grace, who’s past sixty this year, is supposedly an authority on battlefield mages or something. Aila told me.

Then one day.

“That concludes today’s lecture. Wolfram von Lohengrin, could I have a word with you for a moment?”

“Yes, Professor.”

That professor came to find me personally.

Why is she calling me?

Why is she speaking politely?

It’s terrifying.

—

I headed to the discussion room with the professor, and she even poured me tea herself, wearing a kind smile.

“Wolfram von Lohengrin… May I call you ‘student’? Since you’re no longer student council president.”

“Yes, that’s fine, Professor. I’m not the student council president right now.”

The name “student council president” carries that much weight in Zephrin. Because he’s an imperial descendant and the only rank-holder. Even old professors like her don’t want to deal with him carelessly.

“Thank you for understanding. Do you happen to remember the answer you wrote on the last test?”

“I wrote: ‘Large-scale escort formations to protect mages on the battlefield are a terrible waste of manpower.'”

“That’s right. But that creates gaps in defense. Archmages are tremendous assets. So Student Wolfram wrote two countermeasures below.”

[One is to use a golem enchanted with 【Fortress: VIP Protection: Steelization】 as a barrier. However, when the enemy’s offensive surpasses the golem’s defensive power, it endangers the mage.]

“That’s a common answer. It’s actually used in practice too. But the second answer was very interesting.”

[Another is to prepare artifacts containing two types of magic.

Tier 3 【High Magic: Protect: Mana Shield】

Tier 2 【High Magic: Teleportation: Escape】

The mana for activation is supplied by recruiting ordinary mages.]

“To be honest, I thought it was just a fantasy. Mages’ inherent mana colors have tendencies. If multiple mages’ mana gathers in one artifact, it just goes *pop*—and explodes.”

“That’s correct.”

“Of course, Student Wolfram didn’t stop there.”

“So I wrote: ‘Therefore, we must develop a spell that turns all mana colors transparent.'”

“Yes. However, that theory has been concluded impossible among mages. Restoring colored mana to transparency is like making already applied paint as if it never existed.”

“Yes. That’s correct.”

“But, I’m not sure if this is a good example, but there is one person in history who could use multicolored magic.”

“Yes.”

The First Emperor.

The greatest conqueror who created this academy island.

“When someone of his bloodline says it, it does make it seem like there might be some possibility.”

“I wrote it only as a hypothesis. The exam question was asking for logic, after all.”

“…Hmm. I suppose that’s true.”

Ah, I see.

The professor seems curious whether I have any clues.

If you could turn all colored magic colorless—in other words, it would become an absolute magical barrier that no magic could penetrate.

All conventions would be overturned. It’s tempting enough to go mad and leave your name in history—and the one who dropped that hint is a prince? I can’t ignore that.

“I thought I got the multiple-choice questions mostly correct, so I just wrote down the theory.”

“Ah, I see. I understand.”

The professor clicked her tongue in disappointment.

“Then I’ll take my leave.”

“Yes. Go safely.”

I turned around and thought about that spell.

It’s not an absolute cheat skill that nullifies all magic and draws it into your own mana?

So does such a thing actually exist?

Haha.

Of course.

It does.

It’s among the top tier of Tier 1 spells, but it exists.

It’s a spell allowed to only two people in this game.

And even then, you could only barely learn it near the end of Act 12 after completing all sorts of hidden quests—the greatest miracle.

Kelterus, the Hero of Light when he devoted everything to magic.

And—

Eve von Lohengrin, with her natural mana stat of 22.

Only when she threw away her humanity could she barely use it—the resurrection of myth.

—

The next morning, at dawn.

What greeted me was Nephti.

“What now?”

“Um, could I take over the sales in front of the Magic Department just for today?”

“Nephti. Where exactly are you spending all your daily wages?”

“I broke three wooden swords during skill practice yesterday.”

Ah, that could happen.

If I remember correctly, wooden swords in Zephrin were about 10,000 rin each.

“But there’s no special overtime rate. You know that, right? 8,720 rin per hour.”

“…Of course!”

What was that hesitation about?

Anyway, the wage negotiation was over, and Nephti took the cart and dashed off.

“Should I go back to sleep?”

Since there were no classes today, I took a leisurely nap—and when I woke up, Nephti was in front of me again.

“What now?”

“Oh, no. The sales are over. I came to get my hourly wage settled.”

“…Ah.”

I suppose I should pay her.

Let’s see.

Three hours, so 26,160 rin.

I handed her three 10,000-rin bills, and Nephti’s eyes sparkled.

“Thank you! As expected of Wolfram-nim—truly a descendant of the Imperial family! When you said you’d only pay minimum wage, I was so worried… I, Nephti, doubted you even for a moment!”

“…I see. Continue to serve with loyalty.”

“Yes! …Come to think of it, something strange happened during the sales.”

“Strange? Did a graduate student howl, wail, scream, and do all that while dancing naked?”

That would still be within normal range, wouldn’t it?

“No. I was only surprised by the graduate students’ antics at first—I’m used to it now. It’s not that. I heard a rumor about a professor.”

“A rumor about a professor?”

“Yes. They say she’s started research after obtaining top-secret information from the Imperial family. I think the name was Lantica? Lantis?”

“…Lantica Grace.”

“Yes. I think that’s the name. Apparently she’s been squeezing graduate students to do research on top of their already heavy workload—one graduate student was wailing while doing a headspin in his underwear. I heard another regressed to infancy yesterday and then tried to return to his freshman year, fleeing the lab.”

That’s not regression—that’s a mental illness.

Come to think of it, wouldn’t it be terrifying if I had witnessed that myself?

Good thing Nephti went to work in my place.

“And I also heard there’s a plan to abduct an undergraduate student into graduate school.”

“What?”

“Well, it’s all rumors, but… Ah, the headspin-wailing and the fleeing are real.”

“…I see. So those are real.”

“Yes.”

…Well, anyway. She brought back good information.

“Nephti, I’ll give you another 20,000 rin.”

“I offer my utmost loyalty and devotion from the bottom of my heart. My convictions are yours alone.”

“Yeah.”

I took the 30,000 rin and handed her a 50,000-rin bill. Nephti grinned foolishly.

Leaving that stupid expression behind, I sank into thought.

My opponent is a professor obsessed with achievements and honor. She’s doing everything she can to squeeze graduate students.

And it seems that professor has her eyes set on abducting me into graduate school.

“There’s only one way. Ha!”

How dare she look down on me. So that’s how you want to play it?

—

“Hello, senior.”

“Hello.”

“Um. I’ll order.”

“Two strawberry doughnuts. What about you?”

“I’ll get two sugar doughnuts without cream—I’ll get fat otherwise!”

“Strawberry. Sugar, two each. Order received. Will you eat here?”

“To go.”

“To go too.”

“Got it.”

The next day.

I moved the cart to the first-year undergraduate building.

—

No, this is by no means a retreat or an escape.

It’s just that freshmen are better than graduate students.

I just thought that selling to kids who have the potential to grow to Tier 1 in the main story would be much more valuable for my future than selling to graduate students.

Even if I recruited graduate students as party members, most of them have status effects like 【Obsession】, 【Fear】, 【Mental Illness】, 【Depression】—making them difficult to use. But first-years don’t have those problems. They’re all brilliantly shining kids.

And soon, Act 1, Chapter 1 of the main story—centered around Kelterus—will begin.

“Aila defeated Kelterus. Completely.”

Originally, after taking one hit from Kelterus, she’d see him fall and think, “I allowed one hit? Me, Aila Triesta? A commoner… unforgivable!” and unleash all sorts of rage.

If Wolfram is a third-rate villain, Aila’s concept was a third-rate villainess noble daughter.

But with this complete victory, she won’t scream “Eeeek!” and antagonize Kelterus, and I’d like to believe she won’t actually start a rebellion… but anyway.

It’s clear that there will be massive changes in Act 3’s story.

Wolfram, who barely has a 40% win rate against edible slimes in the Eastern Forest—Act 1’s map—shouldn’t interfere directly with the main story, but he needs to gather as much information as possible.

So I started pulling the cart and selling to get information from first-years, but…

“Did you enjoy it?”

“Huh? Yes… thank you for the meal!”

“Th-thank you. We’ll be going, senior!”

Before I could ask anything, the first-years packed up their doughnuts and ran off in a flash.

Why is that?

They wouldn’t come buy them if the doughnuts weren’t good, but what’s with the rush to just take them and leave?

They’re not even high school students sneaking out for tteokbokki…

This concern of mine was resolved very easily and simply.

“Well, Wolfram. It’s because the guild seniors have forbidden buying and eating anything from your stall.”

The uninvited guest who appeared suddenly.

Eve von Lohengrin sat down, looking incredulous, and shot me a look like she was staring at an idiot.

Forbidden?

“Why?”

“What you did last year—the undergraduate students above second year still haven’t forgiven you, and it’s been passed down.”

“I see.”

Truly a reasonable reason.

I nodded, and Eve tilted her head in confusion instead.

“…You’re not shocked? You’re trying so hard to turn over a new leaf, but you’ve been marked.”

“Shock, you say.”

Of course, it wasn’t a crime I committed—it was Wolfram’s crime, but I am Wolfram now.

And…

“Even so, there are first-years who snuck out. That means the snacks are attractive enough to defy the seniors’ taboo.”

“You interpret it that way… Ha.”

Eve shook her head in disbelief. This brat.

“If you’re not here to buy something, leave. This is a store, and I don’t serve non-customers.”

“…Fine. Give me one of every flavor in a full set.”

“Order received.”

“I’ll take a cup of candy too. That’s fine, right?”

“Pay for it.”

“Of course.”

I nodded, and from behind me came the rustling sound of her putting candy in her mouth. And…

“Heehee.”

A horrifically cute voice echoed.

I mean, if you analyze it logically, it might be cute, but it made Wolfram’s body break out in goosebumps—truly…

What exactly did Kelterus see in her to walk the noble path of a guardian knight on the Magic Department route?

It’s impossible without going insane. Truly.

Ah.

Come to think of it, if I can’t get information from other first-years, I can just ask Eve.

What Kelterus is doing right now. Who he’s building好感度 with.

Whether Kelterus, by some miracle, hasn’t gone down Eve’s route—since he’s living without a brain.

I kept cooking and casually asked Eve.

“Speaking of which, Eve.”

“Heehee… Huh? Why?”

“Do you remember who the top first-year is this year?”

“The top first-year… Ah, um. That is… That…”

“Hm?”

“Ah, I remember. Cool, Coolpiss? No, that’s not it—was it a delicious-sounding name? Kel… Kel?”

“Kelterus.”

“…That’s right. Yes. What about that Kelterus?”

“…Nothing.”

It was fortunate that I had my back turned to Eve while cooking the doughnuts—if she’d seen my face, she would have thought it strange.

The fact that Eve and Kelterus have no connection at this point in time.

In other words, it means the Magic Department route has been completely destroyed.

The Magic Department route is known as a moderate and orthodox story because Eve, the princess, is the heroine.

And the collapse of the Magic Department route meant that from Kelterus’s perspective, he either took the Knight Department route—which has overwhelmingly many bad endings—

or, even worse, the hidden route known as hell itself.