Chapter 24
Chapter 24
Translator: Penny
Chapter 24: Bullying Like a Commoner
Episode 24: Acting Like a Commoner
"Congratulations! How did you find the Generator so quickly?"
"Hmm... I just did it, and it worked, I guess?"
I let my guard down... What am I saying? Weren't all the default characters supposed to be male anyway?
The white-haired girl had charged in confidently and destroyed the Generator with a single blow. She was one of the white-haired female students who had passed through the academy gates during the Entrance Ceremony Incident.
Unlike the male students, there were so many white-haired female students that I had dismissed them without a second glance. I never imagined the protagonist would be a girl.
"President? We should start wrapping things up."
"...Ah, sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment..."
I must have been so focused that I didn't even notice the Student Council members approaching.
Information, information...
InformationName: Seo Jian Age: 18 Alignment: Good, Inquisitive Skills:Path of Victory (UR)
If there's even a sliver of possibility, you can make it a reality.
Sweatdrop of the Hard Worker (UR)
Greatly increases the amount of growth stats gained. This increase doubles when you experience near-death situations.
Undying Slaying (UR)
Allows you to kill immortal beings.
Stats:Strength: B+ Defense: B+ Mana: B+ Stamina: B+ Agility: B+ Luck: B+
"So... the protagonist really was a woman?"
It perfectly matched the protagonist's skill window that could be checked at the start of the game.
"As expected, Great Fortune (S) is missing."
Still, I was truly relieved to have Undying Slaying (UR), a skill essential for defeating the Final Boss.
"Sweatdrop of the Hard Worker (UR), Path of Victory (UR)... Sweatdrop is a UR-grade ability you can choose when starting a second playthrough, while Path of Victory (UR) is a skill you have to purchase to obtain."
In any case, the protagonist had entered the game having grown so overwhelmingly powerful that they could easily defeat the Final Boss even if left to their own devices.
Maybe I'm not needed after all.
To be honest, in these possession-type stories, there are often too many cases where the original protagonist is too weak or the plot goes completely off the rails. When I couldn't see the protagonist, I felt a slight sense of helplessness and fear.
The thought of having to defeat the Final Boss alone had made me tremble slightly... But now, with the prospect of simply hopping on the bus, the corners of my mouth curled upward.
I don't have mental attack immunity yet... but that's easily solved by picking up some fortuitous encounters. Easy peasy.
To conquer Yun Se-a, who had earned the nickname "User-Slayer," the developers had scattered an abundance of fortuitous encounters tailored specifically for her throughout the Academy.
By playing it safe, a solo player could acquire enough mental attack defense encounters to completely nullify Yun Se-a's mental attacks. By being thorough, they could even gather enough to equip each party member with a mental attack defense encounter.
There's no reason for me to be hostile toward the protagonist and his group.
I have no intention of antagonizing them. In fact, I know the locations of most of their fortuitous encounters, so I can guide their growth smoothly and efficiently.
This means... I can finally go home.
If they don't meet the required standards... I'll force them to grow, even if it means making them defeat the Final Boss by any means necessary.
Of course, it's unlikely I'll ever need to resort to such drastic measures.
-Square-
Cadet Seo Jian, originally assigned to Class B, has demonstrated exceptional discernment by independently locating and destroying the Generator. I recommend promoting her to the next higher class, Chairwoman.
This was the final entry in the detailed records of students from the Entrance Ceremony Incident.
Immediately after the entrance ceremony, the new cadets headed to the armory to receive weapons tailored to their physiques.
Since Master... Seo Jian had used a one-handed sword to destroy the Generator, she must have chosen the Striker position, a balanced and versatile role.
Perfect.
I was immensely relieved she hadn't made the colossal blunder of choosing the Defender position and then wielding a spear like that idiot earlier.
"Leave the cleanup to me... You should all return to your respective classrooms. The conversation between the Chairwoman and the Board of Directors... might be a bit uncomfortable to overhear."
"...Yes."
With a subtle application of Suggestion, the Student Council members immediately understood my instructions. They gathered their belongings and began dispersing to their classrooms.
"Miss Ayul, you should hurry too. Unlike the freshmen, we have classes to attend."
"True enough. Don't be late. As Student Council President, your tardiness would bring shame to the entire council."
After seeing Kang A-yul off, I leisurely approached Eve to hand her the records.
"Director Eve Meitner! What is the meaning of this?! You clearly stated it was virtual reality! You said it was to 'test the cadets' mental fortitude against enemies appearing instantaneously without physical harm'!"
"Oh, that? Sorry! I've been a bit distracted lately~"
"That's not the issue! Broadcasting the entire Entrance Ceremony live—what were you thinking?!"
A furious, booming voice erupted from Eve's communicator.
"Did she swallow a train whistle? She's so loud."
If he's shouting this loudly without even using a speakerphone... how furious must he be?
"Why? Is it because your nephew and son, the ones you bribed your way into Class A, were live-streamed foaming at the mouth and fainting?"
"Th-that's...!!!"
"Oh, that was hilarious. They were bragging about how they could ignore everything because it was just a hologram, then got knocked out by a single blow from a Lizardman's tail... And the other one tried to run away alone, tripped over the unconscious guy's leg, and knocked himself out too! Pfft! If they'd been placed in Class A, they'd be demoted to Class C in no time. The Student Council President recorded everything."
As Eve's mischievous streak ignited, the old man's voice from the communicator grew even louder.
"You washed-up has-been...!"
"Yeah, but we're S-Rank—the kind you can't reach even if you filled a truck with your Guild members and drove them here. Did you think because Cheonma, Jinmyeong, and I were keeping quiet, you could just boss around S-Rank Heroes like we're your puppets?"
"......"
Ah, the Chairwoman's getting fired up.
Eve's voice began to bristle with anger.
"This is the Academy I built. When I first proposed establishing it, you all whined about how there was already a National Academy and no need for another one. But as soon as it opened, you were scrambling to get your kids in through back channels..."
Her pointed remark struck home, leaving the other end of the line silent.
"Fine, this works out better anyway. We should just abolish special admissions altogether. From now on, there will be no special admissions. I'll personally select the students I want. Any Director who opposes this proposal will be removed from the Board of Directors by my authority as Chairwoman."
"I'll cut off all funding to the Academy! Without the capital from our Guild and others, the Academy won't be able to function properly..."
The old man was threatening with funding cuts as if it were his last desperate act...
Crack!
"Ugh, listening to that nonsense was exhausting."
Eve Meitner is the Guild Master of the Golden Guild, after all. Did they really think she was their friend just because she'd listened to them a few times?
The outcome was inevitable.
This old man clearly had no idea of Eve Meitner's true status in South Korea.
"Oh, Se-a. You seem to have heard... everything."
After saying that, Eve fixed her gaze on me.
Ah, this is unsettling.
"How about becoming the new sponsor for our Raon Academy?"
It was a blatant, unspoken pressure to become the new sponsor.
"...Well, I was the one who demoted half of that person's children to the second tier..."
[I]
[Mr. Deok-bae, I'm planning to invest in Raon Academy.]
[Kim Chun-sik]
[Yes, Young Lady. Then we'll need to allocate funds... How much should we allocate?]
"...Chairwoman, which guild was that person you just spoke with from?"
Now that things had come to this, it was necessary to remind the old men exactly who held their leashes.
"Hmm... Eunsa Guild, Jinhae, Baekma, Seorabeol... They're not quite major guilds, but when they band together, they're more formidable than any major guild. They're truly god-damned bastards."
"Most of these guilds colluded with the Naseon Guild to fix potion prices, didn't they?"
I
Raise the potion prices for Eunsa, Jinhae, Baekma, and Seorabeol Guilds. The major guilds, who are likely to resist, will accept it quietly because of what I did last time. As a bonus, offer a slight discount for bulk purchases, and they won't complain.
Kim Chun-sik
Ah, so you're forcing the mid-sized guilds into a dilemma: either purchase potions at the same volume as the major guilds or quietly accept being overcharged.
I
You're quick to understand, as always. But if they try to collude with a major guild...
Kim Chun-sik
Yes, it seems we can increase our second-round supply to the Vultures Guild. I never imagined that opening trade with them, thanks to the Young Lady's foresight, would prove so beneficial.
I
I haven't even mentioned that yet.
Kim Chun-sik
I-I apologize.
"Hmm... If a guild faces annihilation, they'll likely become quite docile, right?"
When I showed Eve the text exchange, the corners of her mouth curled into a wide grin.
"How can you always do such adorable things?!"
"Ugh, can't breathe!"