Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 023
Chapter Title: Ways to Avoid Graduate School
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After safely finishing the mini-test.
My life at the academy had started changing, little by little.
First, my schedule. For the few days Nefti handled the cart business, honestly, my body felt so relaxed.
But it felt wrong to leave everything to Nefti just to take care of myself. Not that I'm plotting rebellion like Aila, but connections with graduate students would play a pretty important role in my future path.
In the undergraduate program, I'm treated like a villain, but at the academy, I'm the conscientious merchant providing delicious treats from morning on.
The stronger those connections, the more protective walls I gain around me.
Next, the convenience store.
The number of customers hadn't increased, but the variety was better than expected.
First, getting the magic stone freezer expanded my beverage options.
I didn't stock energy drinks, figuring Aila might freak out and yell, "It's time for rebellion!" if I did. But I added more shakes and sorbets. With Aqua Beans and Bubble Beans, I could make carbonated drinks too. I'm experimenting with the perfect ratios. They'll probably sell well come summer.
Next, jelly and candies infused with edible slimes. Black Bread. Belly Manju. Donuts can be refrigerated now, so stocking the food shelves has become more fun.
Hongcho-based foods are a niche treat only Rudika seeks out, but I enjoy them occasionally too. I'm debating the name for gochujang fermented with hongcho—Hongchojang? Or drop the "hong" and just call it Chojang?
Now that I've described these small changes to my schedule and daily life, let's talk about something equally important—no, even more important—in my academy life.
First, classes.
Surprisingly—truly surprisingly—I'm somehow keeping up with my major.
My grades probably won't be great, but I must have enough knowledge to survive this hellish place called Jefrin.
Honestly, this seems like the result of Aila's exceptional personal tutoring, but Wolfram knows how to praise himself. Good job, Wolfram. You can do it if you try.
Especially, Professor Lantica Grace from the Sorcerer and Battlefield courses, where the mini-test was, looks at me with unusual eyes.
Professor Lantica Grace, who's over sixty this year, is apparently an authority on battlefield sorcerers or something. Aila told me.
Then one day.
"We'll end today's lecture here. Student Wolfram von Loengrin. Could we have a brief talk?"
"Yes. Professor."
The professor called me directly.
Why is she calling me?
Why is she speaking so formally?
This is fucking scary.
Heading to the lounge with the professor, she poured tea for me herself and smiled kindly.
"Student Wolfram von Loengrin... I can call you 'student,' right? You're no longer student council president."
"Yes. That's fine, Professor. I'm not the student council president anymore."
At Jefrin, the title of student council president carries such weight.
As the sole imperial descendant and noble, even old professors like her hesitate to treat me lightly.
"I'm glad you understand. Do you remember the answer you wrote on the last test?"
"Using large-scale escorts for battlefield sorcerers is a horrific waste of manpower."
"Correct. But that creates gaps in defense. Great sorcerers are immense assets. So you wrote two countermeasures below."
[One is using golems enhanced with 【Guardian Fortress: VIP Protection: Steel Reinforcement】 as barriers. However, if the enemy's assault exceeds the golem's defense, it endangers the sorcerer.]
"That's a common answer. It's even used in practice. But the second one was very intriguing."
[The other is preparing artifacts containing two spells.
3-tier 【High Magic: Protect: Mana Shield】
2-tier 【High Magic: Teleportation: Escape】
Power them with mana collected from regular sorcerers.]
"Honestly, I thought it was just fantasy. Sorcerers' mana has unique colors and tendencies. Mix multiple in an artifact, and boom—it explodes."
"Yes."
"But you didn't stop there, Wolfram."
"You wrote: 'Develop a spell to turn all mana colors transparent.'"
"Yes. But sorcerers have concluded that's impossible. Turning colored mana transparent is like erasing paint that was already applied."
"Yes. Correct."
"But—and this might be a good example—there's one historical figure who used multicolored magic."
"Yes."
The founding emperor.
The greatest conqueror who built this academy island.
"Hearing that from his bloodline makes it seem plausible somehow."
"I only wrote it as a hypothesis. The exam question wanted logic."
"...Ahem. True enough."
Aha. I see.
The professor's curious if I have a lead on it.
If all colored mana could be made colorless, it would create an absolute magic barrier no spell could penetrate.
It flips all conventions. Tempting enough to go mad and etch your name in history—and the prince dropped this bait? Unbearable.
"I got the multiple choice mostly right, so I added the theory."
"Ah, aah. I see. Understood."
The professor smacked her lips regretfully.
"Then I'll be going."
"Yes. Take care."
As I turned to leave, I thought about that spell.
An absolute cheat skill that nullifies all mana and draws it into your own?
Does such a thing exist?
Haha.
Of course.
It's top-tier even among 1-tiers, but it exists.
A magic granted to only two people in this game.
The greatest miracle, barely acquirable after clearing all hidden quests in the late 12th act.
Kelters, the hero of light who devoted everything to magic.
And,
Eve von Loengrin, born with 22 mana.
The mythic reincarnation she could barely wield after transcending humanity.
The next day at dawn.
Nefti greeted me.
"What is it?"
"Um, could I handle sales in front of the magic department today, just for today?"
"Nefti. Where exactly do you spend your daily wages?"
"Yesterday during skill practice, I broke three wooden swords."
Yeah, that happens.
In my memory, Jefrin wooden swords cost around 10,000 rin each.
"No special overtime pay. You know? 8,720 rin per hour."
"...Of course!"
What was that hesitation?
Anyway, wage negotiation done, Nefti dashed off with the cart.
"Back to sleep."
No lectures today, so I took a leisurely nap, and who should appear before me? Nefti again.
"What now?"
"Ah, no. Sales are done. Here for hourly settlement."
"...Ah."
Right, gotta pay her.
Three hours: 26,160 rin.
I handed over three 10,000 rin bills, and Nefti's eyes sparkled.
"Thank you! As expected of Wolfram von Loengrin, true imperial blood! I was so worried when you said minimum wage... I, Nefti, briefly doubted you!"
"...I see. Serve loyally from now on."
"Yes! ...By the way, something weird happened during sales."
"Weird? Did a grad student wail, sob, scream, or dance naked?"
That'd still be normal range?
"No. I was shocked by grad students' antics at first, but I'm used to it now. It was a rumor about a professor."
"Professor rumor?"
"Yes. Apparently, they got top-secret imperial intel and started research. Name was... Lantica? Lantis?"
"...Lantica Grace."
"Yes, that sounds right. Squeezing grad students for it. They already have tons of research, and now extra? One did headspins in his underwear, sobbing. Yesterday, one regressed to infancy and tried to drop out back to freshman via rap."
That's not regression; that's mental illness.
Thinking about it, witnessing that myself would've been terrifying.
Good thing Nefti went instead.
"And rumors of kidnapping an undergrad into grad school."
"What?"
"Just rumors, though. The headspin sob and dropout are real."
"...Yeah. Those are real."
"Yes."
......
Anyway. Good intel.
"Nefti, here's 20,000 rin more."
"I pledge my loyalty with utmost devotion. My conviction belongs solely to you."
"Good."
I gave her a 50,000 rin bill for the 30,000 total, and Nefti grinned like an idiot.
Leaving that dumb expression behind, I pondered.
Opponent: a professor mad for achievements and honors, fully committed to wringing grad students dry.
And she's eyeing me for grad school kidnapping.
"Only one way. Ha!"
Daring to see me as easy prey? Bringing the heat, huh?
"Hello, senior."
"Hi."
"Hm. I'll order."
"Two strawberry donuts, and what do you want?"
"I'll gain weight, so... two sugar donuts without cream!"
"Strawberry. Two sugars each. Order up. Eating here?"
"To go."
"Me too, to go."
"Got it."
The next day.
I moved the cart to the freshman undergrad building.
No, this isn't fleeing or running away.
Simply put, freshmen over grad students.
Selling to kids with potential to reach 1-tier in the main story seems far more valuable for my future. That's all I thought.
Partying with grad students is tricky; most have debuffs like 【Obsession】【Fear】【Mental Illness】【Depression】 on their stats. Freshmen don't. They're all shining brightly.
And soon, Act 1 Chapter 1 of the main story begins, centered on Kelters.
"Aila crushes Kelters completely."
Normally, she takes one hit from Kelters, then laughs "Hehe," sees him fall, and rages: 'I took one hit? Me, Aila Trista? From a commoner...? Unforgivable!' unleashing fury.
If Wolfram's a third-rate villain, Aila's a third-rate villainess lady in concept.
But this total victory means no "Eeeeek!" shrieking enmity toward Kelters, and hopefully no real rebellion... I hope.
Anyway.
Massive changes are obvious in Act 3's story.
Wolfram, who battles edible slimes in the Act 1 Eastern Forest map with a 40% win rate, won't meddle in the main story but needs max intel.
So I started vending here to gather info from freshmen...
"Eaten well?"
"Y-Yes... Thank you! Goodbye, senior!"
"Th-Thank you. See you, senior!"
The freshmen grabbed donuts to go and bolted before I could ask anything.
Why?
If donuts tasted bad, they wouldn't buy, but packing up and fleeing?
They're not high schoolers ditching palm reading for tteokbokki...
My dilemma resolved easily.
"Because guild seniors forbade buying from your street stall, Wolfram."
The sudden uninvited guest.
Eve von Loengrin sat down, looking at me like an idiot with disbelief.
Forbidden?
"Why would they?"
"Second-years and above still haven't forgiven what you did last year. It's passed down."
"I see."
Perfectly reasonable.
I nodded, but Eve tilted her head in surprise.
"...Not shocked? You're trying to reform, but you're branded."
"Shocked."
Of course, it's Wolfram's sins, not mine, but I'm Wolfram now.
And...
"Still, some freshmen sneak out. Means my snacks are tempting enough to defy seniors."
"Twisting it like that... Ha."
Eve shook her head in disbelief. Rockhead.
"Not buying? Leave. This is a shop; no loitering."
"...Fine. One set of every flavor."
"Order up."
"Candy cup to go too. Okay?"
"Pay up."
"Of course."
I nodded, and behind me came rustling as she popped candy in her mouth. Then...
"Hehe."
A cutely creepy voice echoed.
Logically, maybe cute, but goosebumps rained on Wolfram's body—real ones...
What does Kelters see in her to walk the noble guardian knight path in the magic division route?
Impossible without going insane. Seriously.
Ah.
If I can't get info from other freshmen, just ask Eve.
What Kelters is doing now. Whose affection he's grinding.
If he left his brain behind and somehow took the Eve route.
While prepping, I casually asked Eve.
"By the way, Eve."
"Hehe... Yeah? What?"
"Remember this year's freshman top student?"
"Freshman top... Ah, um. You know...
"Hm?"
"Ah, I remember. Cool... Coolpis? No, a tasty name like that? Kel... Kel-something?"
"Kelters."
"...Right. Yeah. Why Kelters?"
"......Nothing."
Good thing I faced away prepping donuts; Eve would've thought it weird if she saw my face.
Eve and Kelters have zero connection at this point.
In other words, the magic division route is utterly shattered.
The magic division, with imperial princess Eve as heroine, is known for its mild, orthodox story.
Magic division route collapsing means, for Kelters, either the knight division route with overwhelmingly bad endings,
or the hidden route infamous as utter hellfire.