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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: 13. Double
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"Why on earth did you do that?"
"Hm?"
As I was warming up just before entering the final stage, Eliya tossed those words at me.
Seeing her say it with a completely dumbfounded look on her face, it seemed she was more than a little flustered herself.
"I know you're skilled, Teacher, but was it really worth challenging the all-time record...?"
"Yeah."
"..."
Eliya just gaped at my matter-of-fact response, her mouth opening and closing silently.
"...Your confidence is something else. Is there some reason you're so sure?"
Of course there is.
For one, the artificial dungeon's beasts have almost fixed patterns, so at my level, it's easy to memorize the timings and target their weak points.
Hitting those timings isn't all that hard.
And above all...
[Konrad here. You ready?]
"Been ready for a while."
[Good. The final section lets you set the difficulty. The higher it is, the more bonus points you get, so—]
This is why I'm so confident.
"Set it to the highest difficulty, please."
[...]
A brief silence followed, then the voice on the other end suddenly switched.
[I've been listening, and I get that you freshmen have guts, but this is too much! There's no penalty for losing the bet, so why push it this far...? Highest difficulty is basically real combat! You could die and no one would bat an eye!]
It was Persy.
Her voice was angry, but the concern in it showed her true master was still her true master.
"Yeah. I know."
Right. With that setup, the beasts will come at me with clear intent to kill.
"But anything less wouldn't be worth the effort."
[...Huh?]
"Anything easier isn't worth exerting myself for."
[...]
I smirked at the stunned silence on the other end.
That's exactly why I'm asking for it.
That's easier for me.
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"Do you really need to go that far?"
"What's with the sudden concern? Didn't we do the same difficulty back when we were freshmen?"
"Not in the Colosseum. You could actually die here."
Persy said it with a sullen expression.
The Colosseum, the final section of the artificial dungeon, involves taking down as many endlessly spawning enemies as possible.
In other words, the longer it goes, the more beasts spawn, so cranking up the difficulty recklessly could turn it into a hopeless mess.
"You think he'd say that without any confidence? Just watch."
"I've been watching his progress so far. Are you sure this kid deserves such high praise?"
Persy crossed her arms, grumbling discontentedly.
"No aptitude for abilities, and his combat skills are—"
"—a total mess. Yeah, you fell for it too."
"Huh?"
Persy blurted out in bewilderment at Konrad's chuckling response.
"Just watch. If it really gets dangerous, we'll jump in and save him."
As they spoke, the two freshmen on the screen had already entered the Colosseum interior.
Persy sighed inwardly as artificial beasts poured in from all sides, encircling them in a ring.
As expected of the highest difficulty, their basic movements were completely different. A faint-hearted student would probably freeze up just facing those bloodthirsty beasts.
'I hope he doesn't overdo it...'
Persy thought as she sipped the tea she'd just been served. It was an old habit to reach for hot tea whenever she worried.
The record she and Konrad had set was 50 beasts in the time limit—an otherworldly feat for freshmen.
Yet watching that cocky attitude, she couldn't shake the anxiety that he might try to break it out of sheer bravado.
Of course...
That anxiety vanished the moment Dawood Campbell encountered the first beast.
—!
—!!!
She gaped as the beast shattered into pieces under his swing.
"W-What?!"
Konrad snickered beside her as she shot to her feet, shouting.
If it had just been a clean slice in one strike, she wouldn't have been so shocked. Any skilled fighter could manage that.
But for a sword swing to smash it like it had been hammered by a massive mallet?
It must have been due to a perfect strike on the weak point at the precise timing, but how was that even possible?
"See? Everyone falls for it the first time they see those things."
Normally, she'd have snapped back at his smug addition, but Persy had no room for that now.
The scene before her was that shocking.
"N-No, no, no—! How does that even make sense?! That guy who seemed like nothing just a moment ago—!"
"Maybe he didn't seem like nothing. Maybe he made himself seem that way."
"..."
Persy slumped back into her seat, feeling like she'd been smacked on the back of the head.
Her gaze drifted to the panel showing the duo's clearance records.
Unmatched numbers—not just this year, but over the past few years of freshmen records.
That line from the student earlier echoed in her mind.
—Anything easier isn't worth exerting myself for.
Was that not bravado... but sincere?
Even these records were just light exercise for that guy?
"...I see why you're interested, Konrad. I underestimated him—my eye for talent was too narrow."
"No need to beat yourself up. If I hadn't seen him beforehand, I'd have been fooled too."
The faculty hadn't paid him any attention until his true colors showed in the duel with the hero candidate.
"But setting records beyond this is a whole different story. The Colosseum gets harder as it goes—the beasts just keep getting stronger—"
Persy's words cut off mid-sentence.
The beasts in the second wave met the same fate, shattering under Dawood's sword just like the first.
'...Huh?'
The doubt flickered in her mind.
And the unfolding scene shattered her common sense along with it.
Third wave after clearing the second: shattered in one strike.
Again, again, again.
At the same relentless pace. No matter how strong they got, always the same result.
'...'
Were beasts always this easy to smash?
Even when she and Konrad broke the record, they hadn't done it like this.
Like mowing down weeds.
Like it was just mindless repetitive labor, not combat.
So effortless it made the hero candidate fighting nearby look irrelevant.
The waves were supposed to get progressively stronger, so why was it the same as before?
A system glitch?
'...No, no.'
That wasn't it.
Nothing so trivial.
The more she watched the screen, the clearer the feeling became.
'He's getting stronger with them.'
As the opponent got faster and stronger, that man, Dawood Campbell, matched them—faster, stronger.
'How is this even possible...!'
As she trembled with the thought, the death counter for beasts on the panel racked up at an insane rate.
Over 10 in the first minute.
By the halfway mark of the time limit, she and Konrad's record was long broken.
Yet Dawood Campbell's speed didn't slow.
If anything, it accelerated.
As if the stronger they got, the stronger he became in turn.
And so...
When time finally ran out...
A silence so deep hung in the air that even someone's breathing would have sounded loud.
[Congratulations! An unbelievable feat!]
[You've broken the all-time record!]
[Dawood Campbell & Eliya Chrisanax duo successfully hunted 100 beasts!]
Persy's teacup slipped from her hand, shattering on the floor.
But no one nearby glanced at it.
Everyone stared at the record in stunned silence.
"Bravo."
In the hushed room, only Konrad's applause rang out, a fierce grin on his face.
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"Not bad."
In all sorts of ways.
Traits build up well from real combat experience, so the Tristan-style Swordsmanship proficiency jumping like that was one example.
"Not bad? That's an understatement."
Eliya swept back her hair from her forehead as she said it.
Why the scolding tone?
"No, I mean..."
She glared incredulously at the document in her hand.
It was something Konrad—with his proud grin—and a dazed Persy had personally delivered.
It offered one item from Elpante's 'Secret Vault' for borrowing.
"Isn't the Secret Vault the kind of thing you need imperial request just to open...?"
"That's why they wrote that you can borrow one here. Handing it out outright would cause issues."
I answered calmly.
Of course, getting it this fast was ridiculous.
Opening the Secret Vault is an event that only happens twice in the entire game.
Both after major incidents way later in the scenario. Absolutely not something freshmen get.
And one 'ask anything' favor from Persy Syston Levantyn, head of the Magic Faculty...
'This is seriously good.'
Even by my veteran standards, this is an excellent start.
"..."
As I mulled it over, Eliya turned to me with a strange look.
"I've noticed it before, but you're always so calm, no matter what."
"Hm?"
"Like you knew everything in advance, had it all planned out, it was all expected. You always give off that vibe. Hmm..."
She stroked her chin as she said it.
What's this about?
"Hmm, yeah. Guess I should prepare a little surprise then."
"...What?"
"I mean I've got something in mind. I was already thinking about it, but the mock battle just now made it clearer. If we don't stake our claim now, someone's gonna snatch you up soon."
"..."
What's she on about?
As I stared at Eliya in disbelief, she grinned and held out her fist.
"...What's that?"
"C'mon, fist bump. Don't guys do this with their friends?"
"..."
I'm realizing it again.
She seems as sociable as in the original story, but there's something oddly sloppy about her.
Thinking that, I bumped fists with her, and she beamed before dashing off.
"See you tomorrow, Teacher! I'll send a letter to your dorm!"
"..."
That makes me uneasy, coming from you.
Saying "see you tomorrow" is part of it.
[Gift-Related Character Alert]
▼ Elnor
[ Trust Stage 5 ]
[ Approaching Trust status change! ]
[ Important character. Special events occur on successful change! ]
[ Time until related event: D-1 ]
▼ Eliya
[ Curiosity Stage 5 ]
[ Rewards not yet available! ]
[ Approaching Trust status change! ]
[ Important character. Special events occur on successful change! ]
[ Time until related event: D-1 ]
Tomorrow's the day.
The day the Main Quest and character events overlap.
'In the original, nothing big happens around now...'
The Main Quest for the welcome party I remember is just a 'beast disturbance' level.
But with two character events tied in, I can't relax.
"What're you thinking so hard about?"
A question flew at me as I pondered.
Turning toward it, there was Elnor, radiating a menacing aura from head to toe.
"..."
"..."
What's this?
What's with her?
Her face was still expressionless, but the slight furrow between her brows and the twitching at her eye corners showed she was seriously pissed.
"Looks like you two had a cozy time. Like that freshman Eliya?"
"..."
What the hell.
Fatal Charm wasn't activating, so she didn't seem intent on harming me, but if I didn't soothe her here, it felt like big trouble.
I had to say something...!
"Uh, Student Council President?"
"What."
"I missed you."
"..."
As Elnor clamped her mouth shut, a nonexistent dictionary entry flashed in my mind: "Completely clueless"—synonym for Dawood Campbell.
No way lines like that would work on the haughty Student Council President.
"...Is that so."
But her voice was much softer than before.
Her expression seemed relaxed too, maybe.
'...Huh?'
Did it work?
This?
This garbage line I blurted out?
As I panicked internally, Elnor crossed her arms and said it poutily.
"You were thinking of me even while with that freshman, right?"
"..."
Not exactly...
"Ah, don't misunderstand. Not in a romantic sense... Hmm. I meant it as friendship. We're not at that stage yet."
"..."
I didn't say anything.
"...Yeah, sure."
"Good. Just remember your priorities."
"..."
What priorities?
What're you even saying?
"Anyway, since I'm here, I'll pass this on early. Was going to give it tomorrow anyway."
With that, Elnor handed me a letter.
What's this now?
"...Open it somewhere alone. Later."
She left those words and vanished—whoosh.
She seemed extremely embarrassed handing it over.
"..."
What the hell?
Eliya, now Elnor—suddenly letters?
Better open it quick.
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"Should've just left it unopened."
I groan like a dying old man.
On the desk sat Eliya's opened letter and Elnor's, side by side.
The contents were identical.
Asking me to be their 'partner' at tomorrow's freshman welcome party.
"..."
Being a partner isn't a big deal itself.
It's just wandering around the event together, having fun—like a date.
On the surface, a wholesome exchange between the sexes, but this was an event from the original game too.
Rejecting drops favorability massively, and later scenarios hit with brutal penalties. Basically death sentence.
In the original, you usually pick one of the two 'sidesteppable' characters. At least manageable ones.
"..."
But I get stuck with the protagonist and the final boss.
Whichever I choose feels like hell. Turning either against me makes my life a candle in the wind.
Can't skip the event. As I said before, it's tied to a 'Main Quest.' No-show means high chance of game over. Straight to death.
Reject both? Double penalties. Still death.
No way out. Surrounded on all sides.
Dawood Campbell's greatest crisis ever.
No, if it were a real date, at least the death threat from choosing wouldn't feel so unfair.
These two aren't seriously asking for a date anyway. Trust statuses are just 'Curiosity' or 'Trust.' No romance.
More like interest-driven.
'Can't just sit and die, though.'
I grit my teeth and rack my brain.
Think, Dawood Campbell.
Some way to spare both feelings and save my neck—anything...!
"...Ah."
Then.
A plan popped into my head.
If it fails, I'm dead for sure, but if it works, I might squeak through.
"..."
A bit scummy, sure.
But it's the only path. My life's on the line—no choice...!
I close my eyes and spin my head. Pull every detail on the event and build a plan.
"...Feasible?"
Huh.
Doesn't seem impossible.
"..."
Thinking about it, picking either is basically death anyway.
So...
"...Meet both?"
Just don't let them catch on?
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