Chapter 146
Chapter 146
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 146
Chapter Title: Practical Exam (3)
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●
The scene from moments ago kept replaying in my head.
‘...He said it’s been a while, that guy.’
I replayed the last words Sullivan the Chancellor had left me with in my mind.
No, when the hell would I have met that guy?
At the very least, since I possessed this body, I hadn’t even crossed paths with him, let alone met him properly.
[Didn’t you meet him at least once when you were little?]
Suddenly, a voice came from within the Soul Linker.
‘Pardon?’
[Maybe you met him before and just forgot?]
‘...As if that could happen.’
Sullivan was a core character even in the main scenario to begin with. There’s no way I wouldn’t remember running into a guy like that.
Especially if it involved receiving a gaze laden with ‘complicated emotions.’
“...”
Thinking about it, it’s pissing me off?
‘You’re not teasing me right now, saying I’m some trash who slept with his woman and can’t even remember her, are you?’
[Do you have persecution complex?]
‘...’
[Though yeah, that was kinda the intent.]
This jerk, seriously.
“...”
Still, there’s a possibility.
There’s a chance I met him and just don’t remember.
Because of the ‘blank period.’
If my memories are correct, the point where I entered the Savior Rising world and became ‘Dawood Campbell’ was when this body was seven years old.
The memories before that... well.
‘...Due to circumstances, my memories up to age six are a bit hazy.’
[Right. So maybe during that time—]
‘But that’s almost impossible too?’
According to what my father said, my body was ridiculously weak back then, to the point where even he had basically given up on my survival around that age.
Not just unhealthy—it was like I was a vegetable with only a body, no more.
Never once opened my eyes, never spoke, just barely clinging to life like a lump of meat.
They said even the most skilled physicians couldn’t fix it, no matter what medicine they tried.
I heard that at seven, my body miraculously recovered, allowing me to at least move around.
In that state, there’s no way I met anyone or did anything.
[Your parents must’ve suffered a lot, huh.]
‘Yeah, my father suffered a ton.’
[...Huh? What about your mom?]
‘...’
When I let out a sigh without answering, Kalliban shut his mouth.
He seemed flustered, but I didn’t want to talk about that either.
How should I put it.
Talking about her always gives me chills.
Almost like fear or dread.
[From the vibe, it doesn’t seem like she passed away or anything. What is it?]
‘...It’s better if you don’t know.’
I rubbed my temples, thinking that.
“Dawood, student—? What are you thinking so deeply about—?”
Ophelia Knight, in charge of conducting the exam, said that, so I snapped out of it and looked her way.
“Are you alright—? Is something wrong—?”
“...It’s nothing, Ophelia Knight.”
I barely managed a level tone in my response, and Ophelia Knight tilted her head, looking at me.
She must’ve been worried because I kept zoning out without responding during her explanation of the exam procedure.
“Please continue the explanation.”
I forced a smile and made the request, and Ophelia Knight tilted her head again but resumed.
“Just in case, I’ll go over it again. In the territory defense battle, Dawood student, your role is on the defense team—since you’re in the 2nd academic group, you’ll face off against students from the 1st academic group with your two teammates—”
Ophelia Knight pointed to the wild mountain behind the academy, which would serve as the exam site.
Take the flag at the top for an attacking team victory, defend it for the defending team.
‘...We have to win.’
No matter how you slice it, losing the exam means everything goes down the drain.
The Chancellor’s wildcard aside, the fundamental reason I’m going through all this trouble is to get a shot at seeing the Emperor.
Even just Chapter 4, tied to Painol, has plenty of parts involving that side.
“Your defense teammates are free to choose anyone you want—”
Ophelia Knight glanced back and forth between the application I handed in and me.
“...You’re really okay with these two—?”
Objectively, it’s a weird lineup, no doubt.
Seraph is a recent transfer student, and Painol is top of the class but still just 1st academic group.
Normally, defense teams are formed from the top three scorers within the 2nd academic group.
But in this situation, it’s definitely the most rational choice.
Because to begin with.
This isn’t just about blocking students.
“...”
I thought that as I looked toward the podium built near the mountain.
It didn’t feel hastily thrown together—definitely set up to host VIPs.
“...It’s fine, Ophelia Knight.”
I answered as I watched the golden-haired woman entering from that direction.
“With this team, we can show satisfactory performance.”
I looked straight at her and continued.
“No matter what situation arises.”
I genuinely believed that.
Otherwise.
Things could really go south.
●
I’d spoken to Ophelia Knight with such confidence.
Honestly, I was a bit anxious.
Both of them were walking time bombs when it came to ‘accident potential.’
‘...For now, this one.’
I side-eyed Seraph.
The purple demon slumbering inside her body seemed quiet, fortunately.
Considering that guy’s personality, I’d worried he’d burst out of Seraph regardless of any promises and cause chaos.
“...Seraph?”
“What is it, mas—?”
“...”
Did she almost say master just now?
Seraph herself looked horrified, clamping her mouth shut after nearly saying it.
[...She doesn’t look entirely okay to me?]
“...”
Agreed.
Why’s she acting so suspiciously?
“What is it, uh... Senior Dawood.”
“...Could you take one of the entry paths?”
I pointed to one of the paths on the map.
There were two entry paths total. Painol would take one, Seraph the other, and I’d handle the final point where the flag was planted.
“...You’re having a Sacred Studies student fight alone?”
Painol tilted her head, saying that.
Having a first-year Sacred Studies student—who wasn’t even in direct combat—do this was laughable.
Defense battles usually involved the three teaming up, leveraging teamwork to hold the final point.
“Yes.”
In other words.
“Seraph can handle it.”
It was also a way of letting her know I knew she wasn’t your average Sacred Studies freshman.
“...”
“...”
Seraph gave me an odd look.
Yeah.
Even with all the prior events, from her perspective, she had every right to ask what made me so sure.
I opened my mouth to give the excuse I’d prepared—
[System Message]
[ ‘Skill: Fatal Charm’ has activated! ]
[ Target ‘Seraph’s favorability has increased! ]
[ A receivable reward has been granted! ]
“...”
Why?
Why’s it going up?
I sneaked a glance at her expression, but nothing had changed. Same blank face as always.
“...Well, I’ll give it a shot. I’ve come this far already.”
“...Yes, thank you.”
She responded so readily that I replied evenly.
But why’s she so compliant...?
Just to be safe, let’s check.
[ ‘Exploration Eye’ is used. ]
[ Loading target’s information. ]
[ 24-hour reuse cooldown applies to the same target. ]
[ Seraph Evatriche ]
[ Trait: Vessel – Purple Demon ]
[ Status: ...Does he trust me? Is he assigning me this because he believes in me? Can I take it as some special sign...? Wait, snap out of it, Seraph! He’s no saint, getting all fluttery over words from a guy like this is too—]
“...”
So that’s what she’s thinking behind that blank face.
No.
You’re way too easy.
Even if she’s the purple demon—the easiest one for me to conquer among all demons—this is overkill.
She’s already got so many unstable factors, too.
Practically a landmine for me.
[System Log]
[ You have successfully completed the emergency quest. ]
[ Target ‘Seraph’s exclusive quest ‘Betrayal’ has been unlocked! ]
[Quest Info]
[ Betrayal ] [ Character Quest ]
[ Raise the target’s favorability to ‘Adoration’! ]
[ The target will betray their current loyalty and pledge loyalty to you! ]
[ Greatly impacts the progression of Chapter 5, ‘Paradise’! ]
[ Connects to secondary quest, ‘Family Building’! ]
“...”
Betraying the Pontifex... that sounds good, at least.
But that follow-up secondary quest.
Looks ominous.
The kind that spells doom the moment you get tangled in it.
Better to raise her favorability as slowly as possible.
‘...Anyway.’
I sighed and turned to Painol.
It was a gesture asking if she was okay handling the other entry path alone.
“No problem on my end.”
She shrugged and replied, so I nodded.
Well, fair enough.
Even setting aside that she’s the vessel for the red demon, she’s one of the top genius ‘mage’ class characters you can meet in the game.
Blocking students should be a piece of cake for her.
-!
As we wrapped up the discussion, a sharp trumpet blast echoed nearby.
The signal for the exam’s start.
“Alright. To your positions.”
I sent them off to their spots.
And before I moved to mine.
I glanced one last time at the distant podium.
Sullivan the Chancellor was there. Chatting away with Dean Konrad Baltador nearby.
Unlike before, he didn’t immediately react to my distant gaze.
So natural it almost made me think the earlier vibe was my imagination.
“...”
I sighed and stood up.
I had no clue who he was exactly.
No idea what connection he had to me.
No clue what awaited in this exam.
But whatever it was, I’d handle it somehow.
Just like I’d done countless times before.
●
That was five minutes ago.
When I thought I could handle whatever came.
“...Hey.”
I opened my mouth in disbelief.
The fact that I was even addressing someone meant they’d reached the final checkpoint—the flag—in that short time.
“...What are you doing here?”
I didn’t feel like blaming Seraph or Painol.
Not when the intruder was this person.
“Ha! Good to see you, Dawood Campbell! Finally, vengeance for the Chester family—!”
“Shut up for a sec.”
I snapped harshly at the guy chattering triumphantly.
Didn’t care who he was. Not right now.
My headache was intensifying like mad.
I clutched my temples and groaned again.
“...I asked what you’re doing here, Elnor. Why is the Student Council President on the attacking team?”
“...Not Elnor.”
Elnor, hood pulled low, spoke in a voice clearly strained to disguise itself.
“...I’m an enigmatic freshman enrolled in the Knight Faculty. Elnor? No idea who you’re talking about.”
“...”
“Participation eligibility is per, fect, ly, fine. Hm.”
“...”
No.
Seriously.
What the hell is she doing here?
As I glared at Elnor with that thought, she cleared her throat repeatedly and spoke.
She seemed embarrassed by her own antics.
“I came for a fair and square duel with you.”
“...A duel?”
“Yes.”
“...”
My headache worsened dramatically.
“The loser must unconditionally fulfill one demand of the winner.”
“...”
“My demand is, well...”
Elnor trailed off after saying that, staying silent for a long while.
She clearly needed immense courage just to voice it.
Making me increasingly uneasy just watching.
No.
What the hell is she trying to say—
“...Y-You, spend time with me.”
“...”
“From dusk till dawn. Just the two of us.”
“...”
Hey.
Seriously.
Please.
[...Her actions are cute, though.]
Kalliban chuckled.
[The demand’s instant death?]
“...”
Agreed.
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