Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Give Me Wings
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Aila had shattered her own limits by a full twenty minutes.
I tried the coffee myself, but it wasn't quite as effective as I'd hoped.
"If you brew it really weak, it tastes kind of like barley tea."
It was on the level where it might be better just chilled as a barley tea substitute. The awakening effect was that underwhelming.
"...No, maybe it just doesn't work as well on my body. In that case, I'll have to try some other methods."
In short, the sample size was too small with just me and Aila. Time for some clinical trials.
And I already knew the perfect test subjects.
People more familiar with experiments than anyone, and who hated variables with a passion.
Graduate students.
Ever since the freshman welcome party, one of my routines had become setting up shop in front of the graduate dorm a few times a week.
I couldn't do it every day, but whenever I had a spare moment, I'd head over, and a few familiar faces among the grad students would greet me or chat a bit.
Early dawn.
I fried up some donuts, filled the hot water dispenser with fish broth and shredded radish to prep pollock soup, loaded it all onto the cart, and pulled it over to the graduate dorm.
Sure enough, the grad students came out to greet me.
"Ugh... grrr... guh..."
"Hm. One million lin, well received. Help yourself."
"Grr... yeeesss."
The ones in absolutely wretched shape—...well, the utterly 'typical' grad students—wet their throats with the nicely warm pollock soup.
"Ugh, oooooh! Alive! I can keep living! My life! My everything!"
Once the life returned to their bodies, they regained the power of speech, grabbed some candy, and staggered back to the lab.
Could you even call those people?
Whatever. Let's not dwell on the poor things. Tormenting grad students makes you a bad kid, Wolfram. They just made the wrong choice, that's all.
Anyway, the ones in somewhat better shape—...you know, the ones whose eyes weren't completely hollowed out, whose hands weren't shaking uncontrollably, who only muttered to themselves—those ones spotted me and looked for something else.
"Got any of those?"
"Those, huh. You know the price, right?"
"Of course I've got the money."
I eyed him slyly, and he pulled out the bills with sparkling eyes.
"Good. Of course I do."
"Heh. Hehehe. As expected of the Prince. I knew I could count on you. That's our Prince."
"The fallen Prince. Flattery won't get you anywhere."
"No, no. To us, you're a far greater savior than even your little sister."
"......Tch. Don't say things you don't mean. Just buy what you want and go."
"Yes, sir. That's the way. Heh heh."
What he wanted was donuts, still faintly warm.
The kind stuffed full of cream beans to send his blood sugar rocketing into orbit.
The grad student took them, hands trembling.
"Heh, hehehe. This is it. This. One set for five million lin, right?"
"That's right."
"Heehee, he hehehehehek!! I bought 'em! I got 'em today! Completely, totally, I bought the donuts!! I'm the winner today, hee, heek!!"
The grad student cackling maniacally while clutching a set of five donuts was downright terrifying, but the Imperial Bloodline skill didn't allow panic in any situation.
"Hey. I've got something to ask you."
"Yes, Prince. Heh heh. Ask away. Anything, anything at all. Even research results?"
"Lately, more people have been asking for donuts. Where'd it spread from? I can't sell openly enough for big crowds, so too many would be a problem."
The beans had to be used for research too, so moderation was key.
"Well, see, one of my labmates bolted from the welcome party."
"......?"
What's that got to do with anything?
"The idiot said he wanted to go back seven years and hang with the freshmen at the party, so he ditched the lab."
Oh, what a tragic backstory.
"Wait, so one of the customers that day was..."
"Yessir. One academy student tried the Prince's donuts. Said they were heavenly. We're sharing the info discreetly among ourselves, trying not to let it spread too far. The others got caught by the prof today, but I snuck out and made it. Heh heh, heek!!"
"I see. Good enough."
"Pure luck, really. You don't come sell here often lately, Prince. Heaven and earth have to align for mere mortals like us to survive."
Couldn't help that; my stamina was trash.
"Thanks for the intel. Seems the grad students think... pretty positively of me."
"We're not childish enough to meddle in undergrad politics. And not adult enough to go independent."
"Hm."
Don't go saying touching stuff like that.
"That's why we'll stuff ourselves with this sugar rush... and fried bread! And donuts that make our brains happy too! And write our theses! Hee, heek!"
Take back the touching part, punk.
Anyway, the reason I'd chatted up this grad student was to get feedback on the new product from someone other than Aila.
"...Anyway, take this, eat it with the donuts, and give me your thoughts by tomorrow."
"What's that?"
"It's called coffee. A new drink. Slight awakening effect, might make it hard to sleep at night... but the awakening is solid. Bitter taste, so sugar it up or pair it with the donuts' sweetness."
"Mm, got it. If the Prince is giving it, I'll try anything!"
With that, the grad student snatched the donuts and vanished.
"...Grad school. Not for me in a million years."
Why on earth did they choose that path?
Who knows.
Feedback on the coffee-like something came quicker than expected.
"Bitter. If it had any real flavor, it might've been okay, but the awakening effect was meh too."
"As I thought."
They weren't actual coffee beans, after all. With the beans I had, it only mimicked 'bitterness' at best.
Deeper in the Eastern Forest's entrance, there were bitter-tasting beans, but until I could get those, coffee might have to wait.
"Beans really come in every variety imaginable."
Just from memory, hundreds of types, each looking different.
Lucky I memorized them all; no wonder this world had no bean research.
"Most bitter beans are for treating severe status ailments. Can't be helped."
9-tier beans treated minor status ailments. 8-tier for stamina recovery or mid-tier ailments. 7-tier and up for buffs. 6-tier plus had magical effects or even attack uses.
Of course, sorting, roasting, all that sounded exhausting, so shelve the coffee dream for now.
With that in mind, I pondered mixing sweet beans with bubble or aqua beans and energy beans as I headed to the Magic Division.
And while walking the halls, calculating next class prep and bean effects—
I ran into it. Striding confidently, trailed by a horde of attendants.
"Tch."
"Tsk."
We clicked our tongues the moment our eyes met. Proof positive we were blood siblings.
Right, Eve?
"Clicking your tongue at someone's face seems narrow-minded for a Student Council President."
"If they were a normal student, maybe."
"Then I'm a normal student, thanks to the President's consideration."
"If you know it's consideration, act the part. Tch."
"You think there's anyone alive more proper than me? Tsk."
We traded barbs, then scowled in perfect sync, no one backing down first.
Eve's attendants kept their eyes firmly down, pretending not to notice. Yeah, who'd dare stare during a royal sibling spat at Jefrin?
"So, where to, normal student?"
"Caring this much about a normal student's whereabouts? Eve's got the makings for seven straight years as Student Council President after grad school."
"Seriously, how do you say stuff like that?! H-how, how can you!"
"Students are watching. Mind your dignity."
"Ugh...!"
Seemed like whispers from the bowed heads behind her: 'Whoa, told her to run for president in grad school too?' 'Harsh.' But nah, just my imagination.
Had to be.
Anyway. Felt a tiny prick of conscience, but once I'd decided to land the poke, time to follow through.
"Sigh. Anyway, quit wandering around and study harder. Like, seriously. Know how shocked I was getting reports of a normal student heading to the Sleeping Mountains?"
"...That shocking?"
Sleeping Mountains were dangerous, sure.
But family worrying, huh.
Guy's...
"If you'd gone and started some dark cult cabal there, think of the manpower it'd take to wipe it out..."
"......"
One day, gotta settle things with that one.
"I know. Anyway, you're a real normal student now, so exams get normal student treatment. No privileges, got it?"
"Got it."
"Good. Mini-tests start official evaluations soon, you know?"
"Got it."
"Great. Study hard then. Bye."
With an indignant huff, Eve strode past me.
Watching her go, her last words hit me, and I tilted my head.
Wait.
"Was that punk... worried about me?"
No way.
Really?
Back at the convenience store after class, I sat lost in thought.
As Eve said, mini-tests led into regular exams, scores counting later.
The original D/Z SAGA had exams too. More like mini-games, really—trivia from game lore turned into questions. Like, 'What's the optimal ratio for mixing Fire Beans and Wind Beans into Mix Beans for max damage to Blue Goblins?'
Basically mini-games.
But this Jefrin was my harsh reality, and classes differed plenty from the game.
So, gotta study even harder.
But this garbage stamina wouldn't let me, and my coffee knockoff helped zilch.
"Still, I got something out of it."
After much deliberation, I figured out why the coffee-ish stuff flopped.
"Energy Beans apply the minor status 'Rage,' but other beans build resistance. Effects cancel each other out."
What to do? As I pondered, the store door opened.
"Wolfram busy?"
It was Aila.
"Nah, not busy. Aren't you swamped with studying?"
"Yeah. So, I was hoping for more of that drink that pushed me past my limits yesterday."
"...For a measly thirty extra minutes?"
"Even thirty minutes adds up to huge gains."
"...Mini-tests are just a week away. That's barely over two hours saved."
"Ugh... right. Then every thirty minutes!"
"What?"
"Drink twenty cups a day, gain six hours! A week nets forty whole hours!"
"Don't."
"Why?"
Why? You'd gain six hours now, lose sixty years later.
Coffee was still unfinished.
Aila sighed helplessly after my explanation.
"Can't be helped. Since I'm here, wanna study together?"
"Suddenly?"
"Yeah. Better than walking back in a daze. Let's make a study group—you know, those things I've heard about!"
"Heard about?"
"......"
"Never had friends to form one with?"
"......Ugh."
Ah. Aila had never made a study group because... no friends.
Thinking back, even in Act 3, she had minions and underlings galore, but no real friends.
That towering pride the issue?
"I-I have tons of friends! L-like, a ton?"
"Sure, sure."
"Hang on, sit here. I'll prove how many friends I have right now."
"Want something to drink? Something sweet?"
"......Ugh. Fine, just this once. But make it really sweet!"
I chuckled and stood.
"Let's see."
Sweet drink, huh. Sugar Beans or Strawberry Beans as base? Orange Beans could work.
And since it's a study group today, add Energy Beans. Plain sweet's boring, so mix in Bubble Beans for...
"Oh?"
Then, a curious combo popped into mind.
I slipped on gloves, set Dexterity to 10, and started mixing Beans.
Energy Beans trigger 'Rage' and activate 'Improved Focus.'
Aqua Beans prep it as a drink.
Mix in Bubble Beans for carbonation,
and Orange Beans for color, flavor, aroma...
I took a sip. The zesty orange rush and steadily rising focus had me nodding.
This was it.
"An energy drink?"
More reliable than coffee. And way worse for you.