HTACS 65

Chapter 65

Convenience Store No. 2.

Let’s say WR Branch 2 opens.

“No.”

“Why not?! Didn’t my sparkling eyes just now deserve your approval?!”

Why not?

Because I don’t want to.

“Nephti, listen carefully.”

“Yes. I’m listening, Senior!”

“First, do you have capital? Including key money, monthly rent, and modeling costs.”

“…Uh.”

“……”

“I’ll earn it! I’ll work hard!”

“Yeah. That’s a good mindset.”

I’m not heartless enough to crush a young person’s dream of starting a business by earning money.

And the second problem.

“Fine. Let’s say you run a convenience store. Then where will you secure the building?”

“Naturally, in the heart of the First Knight Department, not here?”

Naturally.

You’re wise.

I’ll give you 100 wisdom points.

“Yes. That’s right. You’re truly wise. That’s why it’s a no.”

“…E-excuse me? That’s the reason?”

“Yes.”

“Wh-why?”

I fell into thought.

Nephti takes my management style and items.

And opens a convenience store in the First Knight Department.

Of course, it would sell like crazy. Monthly sales could reach hundreds of millions.

Then before I know it, Nephti has sucked up all my techniques, piled up money, and…

She’ll come to me in the 8th Magic Department, raise her middle finger, and say:

‘Your convenience store is done. From now on, this place is ruled by Nep.’

“This icon of betrayal—the beast of ruin…”

“Wh-what?!”

“No, nothing. Anyway, I haven’t thought about branching out yet.”

“I-is that so.”

Nephti was visibly disappointed.

“Why do you want to run a convenience store?”

“…Well, actually. Hmm. You won’t scold me for being disloyal?”

“Go ahead. Speak.”

“To rise in Zefflin—no, in the Lohengrin Empire, graduating at the top of this academy is the best path.”

I nodded and urged Nephti to continue.

“I, well, if I can maintain these grades—theoretically—I’ll probably start as a lower-class knight within the empire. Probably.”

“Is the salary insufficient?”

“Ah, no. It’s not that. It’s just that lately, I’ve been thinking it’s not easy. I receive a lot of jealousy from all sides, you know.”

“Hm.”

“Especially—as you saw, Senior—there are people like Ms. Garbage Trash who hate me. …Ahaha. It’s not easy.”

Garbage Trash?

I saw her? That peculiar girl?

…Ah. The one who hated Nephti.

How does someone end up with the name Garbage Trash?

“So?”

“Even when I really work hard, I get hated, and it gets frustrating.”

“Thinking ‘I have to keep walking this path’ makes it frustrating. That’s it.”

“Yes! Exactly that! Isn’t there some other exciting life out there? Being a knight is cool, but… hmm…”

Somehow, I ended up doing high school career counseling.

“So why a convenience store?”

“…It’s, um—so sparkly!”

“Sparkly?”

“Yes! The snacks and treats you make, Senior! The drinks with all kinds of effects! Fun and exciting things that never existed before! Doesn’t that make your heart race?”

“Well, I suppose. Then let me ask you this. Is your faith in the convenience store?”

“……”

Nephti froze.

“What is your faith?”

“It was to protect my mother and family, to protect my village, and beyond that, to protect the smiling faces of the people around me.”

She spoke those words without a moment’s hesitation.

As if it were natural, she proudly declared her faith.

Yes.

That’s how Nephti was in the main story too.

When you partied with her, she was the character most devoted to ‘protection’ than anyone.

When her affection rose, she could protect allies even in ‘impossible’ moments.

The greatest tank I trusted more than anyone.

A character whose defense alone had areas where she outshone 1-tier tanks.

A girl who never forgot to smile despite poverty, who made protecting her family and younger siblings her mission, and remained the party’s sturdy shield all the way to Act 12.

But not now.

Without venturing outside the academy, there are no monster battles to fight, and time has expanded.

It’s also true that the stage where her faith can shine has shrunk.

Then I should remind her—

“What is your faith?”

“To become a shield for the people I hold dear.”

“Why did you dream that dream?”

“…My father died protecting our village from a monster attack.”

“So?”

“I came here to become a shield that protects someone too.”

“……”

“My dream is—a shield of faith that protects everyone from the lowest place.”

“Yes. Recall your faith once more. You’re not a knight of desire, are you?”

“That’s right. Ehe. Yes, it is. …Yes. I’d forgotten that.”

But it’s also true that she struggles with money.

Hmm.

Well, nothing I can do.

“If you’re short on money, tell me. As you can see, I’m making a decent amount now.”

“……Pardon?”

“I have plenty of jobs. The hourly pay is good too. So… don’t forget what you need to do. Nepheterian.”

“Yes. Senior Wolfram von Lohengrin. Thank you for listening to my complaints.”

Don’t mention it.

“Listening to a junior’s complaints is what a senior should do.”

“…Ehe.”

—

Student Council Room.

Eve von Lohengrin took the documents brought by the Knight Department officer and nodded.

“This is the sports festival report.”

“Yes. Good work. Any notable incidents?”

“…Hmm. Compared to previous years, mana sickness was reduced by about half, but there’s a peculiar trend.”

“A peculiar trend?”

“Mana sickness was reduced primarily among the parents in a specific area—but no magic-sealing stones were installed there. It’s too much of a variable to be a coincidence, but too ambiguous to make a big deal of.”

“…That is curious. Hmm. …Ah, wait. Can we find out where those people made their purchases?”

“Pardon? Yes… Let’s see, they primarily used the snack stalls… ah. This can’t be.”

“As expected. They’re the ones who bought potions from that man’s stall.”

“Indeed. …Hmm. The report wasn’t lying.”

Eve glanced at the top-grade mana potion placed beside her and let out a small sigh.

Following that man’s instructions to Silphia, she drank top-grade mana potions and felt significantly better.

And that wasn’t all—the efficacy of the potions sold at the sports festival stall was no lie.

“With this… rumors will spread, even a little, in noble society, and those rumors will circle back…”

“Yes. And eventually enter the academy.”

“……”

Yes.

Parents exchange gifts, and when the efficacy is proven, the rumors circulate and reach the ears of Zefflin students—who will approach Wolfram under their parents’ orders.

“…Having a guardian wolf by his side is good, but if the entire Golden Hand makes a move, it’ll be quite troublesome. What should we do?”

“Wouldn’t it be fine since his fiancée is from the Trista family?”

“That’s exactly the problem. If Wolfram were alone, it would just end as a scramble for his mysterious magical tools—but he’s already connected with the Trista family, one of the empire’s two great merchant houses… Do you think the Sierra family will stay quiet?”

“……”

“Leave. Hoo… I need to think alone.”

“I-I’ll take my leave.”

Left alone, Eve clutched her throbbing head.

“This is going to be way more exhausting than I thought… Especially the Sierra side—they’re not going to stay still.”

Sierra. Trista.

These two families, called the empire’s two great merchant houses, have slightly different directions, strictly speaking.

If the Sierra family is a ‘distribution business’ focused on domestic circulation and luxury goods,

the Trista family is closer to ‘mining and construction’—extracting ores from monster-infested mines and building structures.

That’s why, in terms of pure financial power and connections among merchants, the Sierra family has the edge.

But Wolfram von Lohengrin’s creations are more attractive to the Sierra family than to the Trista family. It could even be seen as a clear territorial invasion.

“Besides, Wolfram von Lohengrin is Ayla Trista’s fiancé. …This could be seen as a declaration of war by the Trista faction—and then the Sierra family won’t stay quiet either… especially that dangerous Regina Sierra—how will she act… Ah, really! I told them I could shut everyone up if they just waited one more year, but that bloodline-above-me father’s son really!!”

Eve *BANG!* spread her mana outward. Her anger shook the student council room before subsiding.

“…Hoo. Can’t be helped. For now, it’s probably best to pretend there’s no connection with the Trista family. Hmm… For example, if I make it seem like a third faction that Wolfram started alone, then somehow it could blow over…”

Eve’s anguish deepened.

—

And so the sports festival ended.

I made a ton, and then made another ton.

But… strictly speaking, nothing really remains.

After deducting material costs from the Black Market, the expedition with Eve, and the set sales at the sports festival—after taxes, I made a decent profit—but now I need to pour all of it into materials for the next item.

Can’t I keep a little wealth and live peacefully?

That’s the most foolish thought—one I need to discard.

Whether it’s online or offline games—

That’s how money works in games.

Saving 10 gold early to buy a 10-gold expensive item at mid-level—by the late game, weapon prices will have exceeded tens of thousands or even hundreds of millions.

Instead, investing in growth without holding back early is the only way to reach end-game specs, run carry buses, or craft and hoard money.

So the few tens of millions I made easily now should be poured straight into material costs—that’s the standard!

“Hold and hold again for future happiness, then go all in… That’s life. That’s how I live.”

Besides, the path is already visible.

“Since I’ve succeeded in combining Handy Worker, Mix Beans, and Potion Crafting as a triple skill combo. Now it’s time to go bigger… Hmm. What should I try? Honestly, Blacksmith would make money—”

“…Wolfram. Wolfram.”

“……?”

As I muttered to myself, I heard a leisurely voice calling me from beside me.

It was Ayla—with long black hair and eyes like amethysts—who had lightly drunk the energy potion I’d made for her.

“Come to think of it, Wolfram. I heard you made a killing at the sports festival. Did you earn a lot?”

“Hm. I earned decently.”

“I see. As expected… Hehe.”

“However, the income isn’t what matters.”

“Pardon?”

“More than the income, my plan—the fact that I passed the point I predicted—is more important. …Hmm. With this, I’ve broadened another direction for advancement.”

“……What did you sell?”

“A fusion of basic potions that anyone—regardless of stats—can drink anywhere.”

“……You made something like that? Are you planning to build an army or something?”

I wonder. I’m not particularly interested in armies.

“As expected, you exceed my imagination, Wolfram. Hmm…”

“Come to think of it, what was the Magic Department doing during the sports festival?”

“We just paid money, watched… and hung out. Since a lot of kids don’t consider exercise a hobby.”

“…I see.”

I stared at Ayla intently.

In my memory, Ayla Trista isn’t a companion, so her stats aren’t public.

So when I actually came to this world and checked her stats, I got some interesting results.

She has 15 stamina. Or maybe 16?

Anyway, her mana is lower than Eve’s, but her stamina is higher. I know her strength stat is quite high too.

Her stamina, strength, and agility are all high for a mage—she’s what you’d call a battle mage, a close-combat spellcaster.

That’s exactly who Ayla Trista is.

“Ayla. You must have been quite bored.”

“Oh my, you know it. I was quite bored, you know?”

“I see.”

“But I don’t think I’ll be bored for long.”

“Sounds like something quite enjoyable is coming up.”

“Oh my, didn’t you know? The field trip.”

“…Ah. The schedule to go outside.”

“Yes. Wolfram and I are in the same group. So our destination is the same.”

“Is that so? …Where to?”

“Where else? The Eden Territory, where the Trista family is, of course!”

“…………What?”

Ayla stretched and smiled brightly.

“I’ll get to see my parents after a long time. Hehe. It’s been a while since I’ve gone out—I can greet them too!”

“……What?”

“What’s wrong, Wolfram?”

“…You’re saying I’m going to your territory with you?”

“Hehe. Yes!”

Ayla looked at me with a stupid smile and laughed.

“I get to go home after a long time! Wolfram too—hehe. It’s been a while for you too, right?”

“……”

One hundred percent.

She has no idea what she’s saying right now.