Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Flames of Purification
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Like most field-hunting RPG games, terrain effects were a thing.
But D/Z SAGA was oddly meticulous about historical accuracy—or maybe just ruthlessly faithful to its own worldbuilding.
It threw in Easter eggs with wild abandon, yet had this weird obsession with certain details.
In spring, debuffs like "Sleep Resistance Weakened" and "Food Effects Enhanced" afflicted every student due to seasonal traits. To resist them, you needed a Will stat of 17 or higher.
Fair enough up to that point, but spring's real kicker was yet to come.
At the edge of the Eastern Forest, crafted by the great founding emperor.
The Flower Sanctuary, where the entire map burst into bloom.
That insane field where fairies frolicked about turned into a pollen storm come spring.
The problem? The pollen drifted straight toward the academy district, and the ancestors' defensive barriers didn't register it as hostile.
Everyone ended up sniffling, tears streaming, drool dripping. Hay fever hell unfolded.
And the first side story revolved around this very hay fever plague.
"A blind spot. Come to think of it, with seasons being so prominent, why wouldn't side stories tie into them?"
Side stories usually popped up with a message like 【Main Episode Complete. Side Story Unlocked】—perfect for casual spins when boredom struck.
But in reality, events just flowed chronologically with time.
And in this hay fever episode, the one who suffered most was Eve von Loengrin.
My household registry buddy.
Jefrin Student Grand Tournament.
The Martial God and Magic God Tournament winners were 【Jewel Sword Isolde】 and 【Black Crystal Aila】, respectively.
Aila Trista's Black Crystal display was a masterclass in flawless combat, leaving everyone in awe. Isolde's, on the other hand, was the polar opposite.
True to her moniker, Jewel Sword Isolde wielded magic swords forged from gems, starting with the lowest-grade topaz and summoning higher-tier blades each time one shattered.
The stepwise progression was a limitation, but if you let her chain them, it became nigh impossible to block.
In the Martial God finals against a fourth-year 【Iron Wall】, she unleashed five swords. The arena ended up pockmarked with craters like it'd been bombed.
Since it was an event venue, they immediately called in the labor office, and repairs kicked off right away.
"Hey, Nefti. Eat up and get back to work!"
"Just this first!"
Nefti, checking collapsed spots for repairs, took off her work gloves and helmet at the laborers' call, then plopped down on the makeshift seating.
"What's on the menu today?"
"Same old, same old."
"Figures. Cream stew without chunks and black bread, huh..."
Nefti nodded. Better than grazing on grass, but something still felt lacking.
She took her portion and started eating slowly but steadily. The laborers exchanged wry smiles at the kid who seemed more at home on-site than they did, even after just a few days together.
"By the way, Nefti, how much do you pull per day?"
"Bumped up from minimum wage recently. Eighty thousand rin now."
"Damn, already? You'll be treated like skilled labor soon. How many sites is this for you?"
"Second one."
"No way. So what do you do with all that cash? Buy fancy clothes like kids these days?"
"The money, huh."
Nefti slurped it down, dipping black bread into the stew like rice in soup, eating comfortably with her spoon—and speaking just as casually.
"I send it home."
"...Ah."
"......Yeah. I get it, family stuff must be tough, right?"
"Hey, don't pry like that. If Nefti doesn't wanna talk, she doesn't have to."
"No, uh... Well..."
"It's tough at home... but not that tough. We get by."
"Oh? Yeah, okay."
Nefti continued nonchalantly.
"Got a letter from home recently."
"...Home? What'd it say?"
"My siblings wanna come to Jefrin. So this is for their tuition."
"......Right. Siblings' tuition."
"Yeah. Gotta support their dreams."
"Whew. Man... Makes me feel ashamed buying clothes and such. Good on you, Nefti. Really."
With meals wrapping up in twos and threes, Nefti stood. The armband on her shoulder gleamed beautifully in the spring sun.
"Gotta hustle before it gets hot to rake it in. Earn big in spring!"
"True. Before summer hits... Ah, summer."
"Hm? What's up, Nefti?"
"Nothing. Summer's coming... Means the flowers are stirring soon."
"What's that mean?"
"Pollen everywhere. Guess it's that time... Gotta ask my senior for tips later."
Thinking that far, Nefti—er, Miss Nefti—stood up.
As I pondered the impending hay fever season, knock knock. Someone rapped on the convenience store door. A glance outside revealed the usual brown bob-cut girl staring right at me.
"Come in."
"Pardon the intrusion."
Nefti slipped inside, decked out in her hard hat, work gloves, safety boots, knee pads, and ankle guards.
Folks like her usually grabbed LeSoudbi or convenience store jokbal with makgeolli.
In my case, I'd once run hard labor errands for coffee, grabbed a cold brew, and got chewed out bad.
"So, what're you here to buy?"
"Huh? Not buying."
"...Get lost."
"Harsh. Well... Gimme something cool and sweet to drink. You know, with ice floating in it."
She's starting to sound like a real site worker. Well, she is one. I handed over an iced smoothie, and Nefti beamed.
"Thanks. I'll enjoy it."
"Yeah. So, what's the real reason?"
"Do you know about the flowers' awakening, Lord Wolfram?"
"You too, huh? Of course."
"Yeah. Word travels fast, then. Pollen hits me hard—makes me feel off. Got anything to boost immunity?"
"Allergies?"
"What's that?"
Living carefree must be nice.
"Nope. Just wear a mask."
"Yggdrasil monopoly makes 'em pricey."
"Hm."
In pollen season, allergies and sneezing debuffs tanked accuracy and triggered random stuns.
I remembered buying masks for key characters before hunts.
But they were expensive even as consumables—around a thousand rin back then. Brutal for early Act 1 prices.
"How much each?"
"Ten thousand rin."
"Insane."
Better to tough it out than shell out for those.
"So you're asking if there's something wearable?"
"Yes. I could afford it on my wage now, but... the flowers' awakening stiffens up Jefrin's vibe."
"Stiffens it?"
"Yeah. Nobles drop ten thousand rin easy on masks, but us commoners can't."
"The outside world's full of class divides, but Jefrin's foundation—minus the Student Council President—is equality for all."
"Money coming in ain't equal, so how's that work? Everyone knows, but the mood gets weird..."
I nodded at Nefti's words.
"Guess we gotta meet then."
"Who?"
"The one student here with actual rank."
A disgraced prince with no claim to the throne was still a prince.
Loengrin name carried weight, so with a little maneuvering, I requested a meeting with Eve—and got it easily.
Waiting in her office, I sipped tea leisurely.
Everyone's side-eyes squeezed my chest tight.
Real talk: I was the trash who'd nearly tanked this academy. Walking in here was basically begging to die.
But Eve hadn't ordered my execution, so no poison, right? Haha.
Right?
Stop staring, seriously scary.
No. Panic, and a blade comes out the second I flinch.
Play it bold—chest out, shoulders back, smile on.
"Why the stares?"
"Y-Yes?!"
The tea-bringer was a second-year, Eve's aide.
I knew her as someone friendly enough with Kelters, handling odd jobs.
In the original, she helped him through tough times—a sweet senior. Clarice, I think.
"From your view, following Eve, I'm a thorn. What, poison in the tea?"
"No! Absolutely not!"
Clarice's legs shook as she eyed me. No way she'd do it. My mental wiki said her hobby was brewing tea.
"Kidding. Relax."
"Ah..."
I downed it in one go and chuckled.
Now my boldness spread. See? Wolfram neither flees nor hides.
"Fine brew. Hone it, and the palace might call."
"......H-Huh."
Clarice flushed oddly. What the—?
"Flirting with my aide while I'm gone? Straight out of a bookstore romance bad-boy act?"
I tilted my head at the reaction as Eve entered.
Wait, Eve?
White-based gold-trimmed full-face helmet covering everything, voice echoing from within—despite her height, build, and council president cloak, it threw me.
Less Eve, more... Lord Vader?
Golden full-face helm.
"Gol-den Eve?"
"Who're you calling Golden?!"
She yanked off the helmet and chucked it. Thud! Roll roll roll. It bounced away and wedged in far off.
Yep, Eve.
After shooing Clarice out, Eve and I talked alone.
Staring at her face: beet red, eyes puffy.
Not depression or stress—just insanely weak to pollen.
The side story was all about curing Eve's hay fever.
And even if she'd cried, no need for my concern.
She'd handle it fine.
"Get to the point quick. Got stuff after."
"Know that. Don't wanna stare at your mug long either. Helmet back on?"
"Drop dead."
"Pass."
"Idiot."
"Moron."
We flipped each other off amiably. Peak sibling warmth, right?
"Anyway, straight to it. Flowers' awakening incoming. You know."
"......Yes. Obviously."
"Got some requests and questions routed my way. Curious myself, so polling for opinions."
"What?"
"Any countermeasures for hay fever? Yggdrasil masks too pricey, they say."
"......Bulk order with laundering premise could equip everyone for around 100 million rin."
"But?"
Eve glared, grinding her teeth.
"Last year. Someone. Embezzled!"
"Ah."
That's me. Hi, how's it going? Haha.
"I've been mulling that too. Personally struggling big time."
"Big time?"
"See that helmet? Seasonal council president gear for the awakening."
"That gol-den one?"
"Limited-edition tribute to shield from all pollen. Yggdrasil and Maestro collab."
"......They both plotting to troll you? I'd just order a 20k rin mask."
Eve shook her head firmly.
"As tribute, the recipient—we dignitaries—must wear it publicly: 'Your loyalty reaches me.'"
"Hence Gol-den Eve."
"Call me that again, and I'll spear you till you glow."
"Ahem."
Her stubbornness was canon, then and now.
Whatever.
"So, plan for the awakening? Just 'seasons gonna season' and move on?"
"Tch. Thanks to who? ...We planned to, initially. But recently—super recently—a great idea hit."
"Great idea?"
"Yeah. All thanks to you, Wolfram. Gotta thank you here."
"?"
I tilted my head. Eve cleared her throat.
"A ticket out after 300 years—I wanna offer that chance to our cohort, this era."
"?"
Why me?
Don't.
Don't say it.
"'Follow me. I'll take you there.' Magic Craft Tournament words, right?"
"Y-Yeah."
Aaaargh.
Not embarrassing when I said it, but hearing it back? Mortifying.
"Inspired by that. Yeah— just go out. To solve it, leave. Like that someone suggested. Even without their 'ticket,' I'll lead. We head to the Flower Sanctuary!"
"......Head there?"
Eve smirked and snapped her fingers.
"Burn it down. No flowers, no pollen, right?"
Whoa.
Never thought of that.