HTACS 68

Chapter 68

The world Lee Young-jin knows is very narrow and limited.

All information and knowledge about this world comes from the game.

D/Z SAGA unfolds centered around the academy of Zefflin, and while I know character stats, relationships, and routes within it, once I step outside Zefflin, I’m worse than a chick in front of a stationery store.

A few DLC stories do cover outside Zefflin, and the epilogue after the ending also has a few scenes outside, but those are extremely short.

So the knowledge Wolfram von Lohengrin currently possesses about this world is largely unusable. Especially since Ayla Trista is a fallen tragic boss, and there wasn’t much involvement with her family.

By Kelterus’s standards, Spica Trista—who enters as a freshman in his second year—was the last means of obtaining information about the Trista family.

But now I have to admit it.

Wolfram von Lohengrin refused Regina Sierra of the 【Merchant Route】, exchanges double middle-fingers with Eve von Lohengrin of the 【Imperial Route】, and hasn’t even seen the face of Isolde of the 【Knight Route】.

Instead, he’s gotten close to Ayla Trista—the 【Act 3 Boss】—became companions with Rudika Hassan Shadow—【Kelterus’s Discipline Officer】—and formed a good senior-junior relationship with Mille-feuille von Sabre—the 【Pink Chick Who Should Have Been Expelled】.

Nepheterian—【Nep】, or rather 【Knight of Faith】 Nephti—was originally friendly toward Kelterus, but she doesn’t even remember his name.

…So I need to understand this.

I’m not someone who was close to ‘Kelterus’—I’m Wolfram von Lohengrin, a former third-rate villain, and my connections and relationships are forming with people who, perhaps by fate’s whim, don’t have much to do with the main story.

So what I’m saying is…

One fact: the information I know might not be as helpful as I think, and—

“So what kind of monsters appear mainly?”

“Slimes.”

“…The Trista family, one of the Lohengrin Empire’s two great merchant houses, the Black Crystal’s pride, is struggling with—”

“Slimes.”

“……”

And another fact: this world is probably livable even without knowing that kind of information.

No, wait…

Slimes?

Did they reincarnate or something?

—

“Slimes are… well, I could probably handle them alone, honestly?”

“A-hem. Well, you see. Hmm.”

Naturally, ‘in the lore,’ my future father-in-law Count Glass knows my stats, and his face reddened at my words. Is it because his name is Glass that his mentality is a bit fragile? Honestly, I’m not confident about real slimes either. If it’s an edible slime, I could go head-to-head and take it with a 50/50 chance.

“…Ahem. Well, you see.”

“…Let me explain instead, Father. Even if they’re slimes, they’re not ordinary slimes.”

“What kind of slimes?”

Spica took over the explanation.

Unlike just moments ago when she was going on about “brother,” her eyes were cool and intelligent.

Spica pulled a pair of rimless glasses from her front pocket, put them on, and sparkled her eyes as she continued.

“Slimes—specifically, they’re called Mining Slimes. Normally they blend in with the soil, but when impacted, they attack in reverse. …That much I know.”

“Even if they’re Mining Slimes, they shouldn’t be that tough—they’re still slimes.”

“The problem is that everyone who goes into the mines only carries mining tools. We can’t give the workers weapons or protective gear.”

“Hmm.”

“And considering the characteristics of slimes, it gets even more complicated.”

“Indeed. I see. Understood.”

Slimes—whether edible, mining, or apocalyptic world-ending slimes of fiery hell—have the habit of splitting when their HP gets low unless you accurately pierce their ‘core.’

So in game terms, it’s like 【Slime’s HP is low. Slime attempted to split!】 and *poof* it multiplies.

They also have 【Kin Recognition】 habits and decent 【Agility】, so they’re nimble. So if you don’t catch slimes properly, they multiply, split, recognize kin, and are quick… If there’s one, you have to assume there’s a hundred…

“Like cockroaches.”

“What’s that?”

Spica tilted her head. Come to think of it, Zefflin—or rather, this world—has no cockroaches. Truly a happy, peaceful, and beautiful world.

But conversely, there are slimes.

“I see—in other words… it’s like cockroaches infesting the mine, with camouflage…”

“Huh? No. They’re slimes, brother?”

“Yeah. Slimes. Slimes are swarming the mines. And Mining Slimes are… quite a vicious species.”

“Do you know a lot about Mining Slimes?!”

“Of course. It’s all written in the imperial family’s ancient texts.”

“…Ah, you’re so wonderful. I want you, brother.”

“That book can’t be taken out of the imperial family.”

“No, that’s not what I meant. Hehe… If I take it from sister, it’s revolution. The success of revolution. Spica… Ooh, oohoho…”

As soon as the explanation ended, she lowered her head and started muttering something.

Well, anyway.

Aaaah—it’s attacking slimes that attack people!

Just thinking about it makes my skin crawl.

“So… if you know about Mining Slimes, can you also subjugate them, Wolfram-sama?”

“Hmm. I don’t know how many there are, but mass subjugation is also possible.”

“O-oh…”

“First, I need to inspect the mine. Prepare a carriage urgently. I’d like Ayla, Rudika, and Patrasche to accompany me.”

“Ah, understood. I’ll prepare immediately. For reform!”

“Brother. Can’t I go instead of sister?”

“Why?”

“Sister stayed up late yesterday being all fluttery, so she’s still in dreamland! I’ll go instead, I’ll go!”

“Hmm… Haha.”

I placed my hand on Spica’s head and *pat pat*—gently tapped twice.

A small *ouch* sounded from beneath my palm, and I chuckled at the sound.

Kid. Do you know how dangerous the place we’re going to is?

“Spica Trista. Zefflin students must devote themselves to the empire’s people at all times. That’s a duty written in the Zefflin student regulations. But right now, as the young lady of the Trista family, you have neither the authority nor the obligation to go to a potentially dangerous site. Unless Count Glass permits it, of course—”

“It’s still dangerous for Spica.”

“—so he says. So leave this to your future seniors. Challenges and adventures can wait until after you enroll.”

I said that and smiled involuntarily.

Since she’s Ayla’s sister, she feels like a little sister to me too.

How is she different from Eve? Eve isn’t my sister—she’s my family register mate. What nonsense.

Ah, I wanted a little sister like this. Really.

Let’s trade with Eve.

“Ugh…”

Spica’s face reddened, perhaps embarrassed at being corrected.

“Understood, Spica Trista?”

“…Yes, I understand. But you have to stay at the academy until I graduate next year, okay?”

“I plan to be in Zefflin next year anyway.”

“Yes. Because for the first time, I’ve found something I truly want. Jewelry, dresses—I always inherited sister’s hand-me-downs. So… for the first time, I’ve found something I want to take. I’ll stake a revolution on it. With all my heart…”

Spica looked at me with eyes that clearly resembled determination.

Hmm. Eyes with such deep conviction that they remind me of Ayla in serious mode.

“Understood. I’ll wait.”

“Yes. You absolutely have to wait. Your Highness Prince Wolfram von Lohengrin—no, brother!”

With that, Spica bowed politely and scurried out of the room.

“…Hmm, so this means entrusting the entire future of the family to Wolfram-sama. No, perhaps… entrusting everything to this young man and gambling…”

Behind me, Count Glass was muttering something.

No, so when is the carriage coming?

—

And so I, Rudika, and Patrasche obtained a carriage and headed to the mine.

Inside the carriage heading to the site, I looked at Rudika Hassan Shadow, the God of Assassination, and made a proposal.

‘Rudika. Want to do a job with me?’

‘Oh? Do you know what it means to entrust a request to this Rudika Hassan Shadow?’

‘Of course. To the secret art of the assassin’s lineage. The greatest descendant. The Abyssal Dagger—Rudika Hassan Shadow.’

‘Good. As long as the compensation is right, I don’t refuse requests. Especially if it’s from Wolfram.’

‘At the mine we’re going to…’

Thus, a deal reminiscent of a noir film was struck, and we agreed that I’d take a 30% middleman’s cut and hand over all compensation to Rudika Hassan Shadow.

But is it really right to do nothing and take a 30% cut just for brokering a request to an assassin?

Who cares.

In this world, it’s the sucker’s fault.

30%, huh? It’s not like we’re making a profit either. You know?

“I’d like to finish this quickly.”

“Hmm.”

And so, with my cheerful companions, we entered the mine, and following Rudika’s desire to finish quickly, we immediately engaged the slimes.

And Rudika did not betray my expectations.

“………”

*Swish, swish, swish, swish*—Rudika’s attacks, silently cutting down slimes, were truly ruthless. Brutal.

Rudika’s daggers precisely pierced the slimes’ cores in one strike, and each one dropped dead in a single blow.

However—

*Splat, splatter!*

Every time a slime burst, its corpse splattered toward Rudika—that was natural. No matter how skilled an assassin, one can’t attack and defend simultaneously.

Unable to use a stance of absolute offense and defense, Rudika’s uniform, starting with her academy uniform, became covered in slime.

“…Enough. At this rate, there’s no end.”

“I think so too.”

While she was still cutting with *swish, swish*, keeping her mouth tightly shut as an assassin, I could tell she was cursing up a storm inside. I let out a deep sigh.

“Count Glass. I have a question.”

“Please ask, Your Highness Wolfram.”

“They’ve multiplied quite a lot. You must have fought them for quite a while to try to eliminate the Mining Slimes—am I right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Tch.

I knew it.

Unable to kill them in one blow, they multiplied until they overflowed.

Moreover, slimes also have a tendency to consume the corpses of their fallen kin as nutrients.

Now, without planning a total all-out war against the slimes, this mine is unsalvageable.

“How about abandoning this mine?”

“…Considering this mine’s output, it would be a severe blow. Moreover…”

“Moreover?”

“It’s not just this mine. Similar things are happening in most of the western mines right now. We need to find a way to hold them—retreating won’t solve anything.”

“I see.”

Only then did something click in my head.

Why Ayla gathered talent in Act 3, why she became a boss, etc.

Ah…

Well, this is…

“However, your friend here is a member of the Hassan Shadow family—reputed to be the greatest shadow on the continent—and despite showing such prowess… to be this helpless…”

“……”

Count Glass looked at me with a hollow smile, and Rudika, who had entered assassin mode, glanced at me and said nothing.

“No. There is a solution.”

“Pardon?”

“Now, let’s change the strategy. Rudika. Stop there. We’re switching to a different method.”

“…Oh. Good, Wolfram. Rudika was getting tired too.”

With that, Rudika smirked. I responded with a wry smile and turned my back on the mine.

“A d-different method?”

“Yes. There is.”

“W-well, well. May I hear it?”

“Yes. It’s not difficult. It’s a poison-feeding method. …Hmm. I’ll need some ingredients.”

“Poison-feeding…?”

“Yes.”

As I mentioned earlier, slimes have a tendency to consume the corpses of their fallen kin.

In other words—

“Poison a slime to death. Then other slimes eat the poisoned corpse and get poisoned. They die, and their corpses become nutrients for more slimes. That repeats infinitely.”

“Ah, aah… Th-then it could definitely be dealt with… but that’s… how should I put it… It’s not reform, rebellion, or revolution, it’s…”

The mentally fragile Count Glass hesitated, then finally managed to continue.

“…Slaughter?”

“Oh my.”

No bad words.

When I glared sharply, Count Glass immediately backed off.

“…Wolfram, that. Isn’t Wolfram more suited to being an assassin than Rudika?”

You too?

I’m not that kind of person.

“Hmm. No, well. It’s assassination-level.”

“…Assassination is more covert than that. We don’t do mass slaughter. Wolfram underestimates assassination… no, in this case, overestimates… no… well, hmm…”

Rudika broke down.

Well, actually—

“If there are no survivors, isn’t that assassination?”

I’m right, aren’t I?