Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Those Who Made the Wrong Choice (2)
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Eve von Loengrin.
The first emperor of the Loengrin dynasty was a legendary ruler with no equal in wisdom, magic, or martial arts.
Even setting aside the historians' flowery embellishments, the princes and princesses were generally exceptional.
And the youngest princess of this generation, Eve von Loengrin, was renowned as a prodigy who would etch her name into the annals of history.
She sensed mana at age four, mastered 9th-tier magic at five, 8th-tier at eight, 7th-tier at ten. Now, at sixteen, she was an exceptional mage wielding 5th-tier spells.
She was a bundle of talent. Talent so immense it defied envy.
The mage destined to shine brightest in the world stood out even among the imperial family, which prized steady progression. Her brilliance intertwined with the shadow of her older brother just above her—Wolfram von Loengrin—making it gleam all the brighter.
Despite being only sixteen, she had surpassed the undergraduates, and even the graduate students didn't dare mock her magical prowess, talent, or knowledge.
She already had lab access privileges and was making waves in light magic research.
Pride in her imperial lineage. Confidence in herself. Charisma that dominated those around her. The youngest Student Council President in Jefrin history. Stunning beauty. Possessing it all, Eve made a casual appearance in the graduate lab today as well.
"Hello, Senior."
"Hello, Princess."
A familiar senior greeted her. Less a pure researcher and more someone skilled at networking and politics.
Eve didn't particularly like him, but opportunists had their uses now and then. She kept him around to sharpen her eye for spotting when he'd stoop to sleazy tricks.
"Princess, you're truly amazing. Heh heh."
"...What do you mean by that?"
"Oh, nothing. I'm just genuinely impressed by you... Ah, right. Want one, Princess?"
With that, he handed her something round wrapped in paper.
A sweet fragrance. Fruity. Sugar? And... artificial. But not offensively so—barely noticeable.
"...Candy?"
"Yes. Heh heh. I got one myself."
"......?"
To Eve, candy was an exceedingly luxurious treat.
Regardless of her status as princess, premium candy easily cost over fifty thousand rin per piece.
Fine fruits grew in mana-rich areas, which naturally attracted magical beasts.
Fruits supplied to the imperial family were cultivated amid such dangers.
Even in the palace, she rarely indulged in candies made from them.
"...Uh, um. Candy."
So Eve hesitated. Anxiety that it might ruin her palate if it wasn't top-shelf warred with her craving for that brain-tickling sugar rush. After a moment, she accepted it.
"Thank you, Senior."
"Y-Yes!"
The flustered senior bowed deeply, and Eve smiled as she popped the candy into her mouth. And then...
"......Huh? Heh heh heh."
"Looks like you like it."
Eve couldn't hide her spilling smile.
Tartly sweet flavor. A candy that soothed the heart with its kindness.
One might call it fuss over a mere candy, but this was premium stuff, hard to come by even in the palace.
"Wh-where did you get this?"
"...You didn't know...? Uh......?"
"Senior?"
"W-well, I thought you knew..."
The senior panicked excessively, and Eve tilted her head. Who could have sold it to make him this flustered?
"Who was it? I really have no idea..."
"...Pulling a cart at dawn and selling stuff in front of the Magic Division—wasn't that on your orders, Princess?"
"......?"
"That it wasn't punishment? Ah, no, then..."
"Atonement? No one around me has committed any great sin..."
She genuinely cocked her head. The senior stared at her blankly before squeezing his eyes shut as if to say, whatever.
"W-Wolfram... Prince Wolfram von Loengrin."
"Pardon?"
"H-he was selling fish soup and candy for us at dawn, so I grabbed some without thinking. I-I thought it was on your orders, so... that's why I bought it."
Plop.
The strawberry candy fell from Eve's mouth.
In her life, she could swear this was the first time since age one—when she'd tossed her pacifier away in shame—that food had dropped from her mouth.
No matter that it was Wolfram—or that he was an extra from the game who'd switched to convenience store owner—he still had to attend classes.
Student Council President privileges allowed one class a week for a diploma, but commoner Wolfram had no such luxury. He needed to complete majors, take electives, and earn credits.
Yi Young-jin from the real world had never gone to college, so it was a fun experience. Minus two factors.
"Ugh... Groan."
After pushing the cart at dawn and attending classes, massive muscle pain hit as expected. Stamina 2 trash stats didn't permit two jobs a day.
And then... the whispers around him.
[What's that...? Wolfram?]
[Didn't he drop out?]
[Isn't Eve the Student Council President now?]
[Pulling that stunt and still coming to school.]
[...Shh! Don't make eye contact!]
He hadn't done anything, yet he got glares. Hadn't done a thing, yet they stole glances.
Innocent, yet treated like a zoo monkey. And oddly laced with malice and killing intent.
He knew. He knew, but... he'd hoped a little.
Real-world Yi Young-jin was a high school grad, and Jefrin Academy doubled as a university.
So maybe he could have campus life too? A small hope.
But how was it?
Looking around, astonishingly, no one met his eyes.
"Now, the eight attributes of mana. Applying them to concepts yields these inferences. So..."
The professor—recruitable as a companion in the original game, an explainer but fun—stared desperately at the board. Why? Turning around meant eye contact with him.
Students dodged his gaze the instant he glanced over.
Mumble mumble. Professor spoke.
Scribble scribble. Students took notes.
An eerie silence filled the classroom, suffocating, but he kept scribbling.
Anyway, the shit was Wolfram's, but the muscle was Yi Young-jin's to provide in this dogshit situation.
His dreamed-of campus life was loner status from the start.
After class ended and he returned to the store, he let out a deep sigh.
Candy-making traces littered the shop, and the lingering sweetness made his head spin.
"Too sweet... Maybe change the order."
Fish soup and candy sold decently, but this was putting the cart before the horse.
But he shook his head.
"...Rather than invest in new stuff, get the existing lineup on track."
Of course, some items 'inevitably' boomed. Like the Act 2 pen destruction incident.
Milpieu, the eternal second-place Magic Division senior, temporarily concept-corrupted every student's pen out of spite for exams.
'Pen' as a concept crumbled in the Magic Division building, so outside pens worked, but you needed non-pen alternatives inside.
An epic episode.
Anyway, barring surefire hits, orders needed caution.
Plus, draw customers here first. Needed selling points: "This store's strength is this."
If only his stamina were better, daily cart vending would work—but classes after left him dead.
Lots to do. As he pondered the schedule...
Ding. Ding. Ding.
A clear chime rang. Customer alert.
A customer? In this ghost-town store? Lifting his head...
"Long time no see, Wolfram. Never thought you'd end up in a place like this."
The current Student Council President—his sister—glared at him.
"So this is what you've been up to? Running a convenience store? What's your angle?"
Straight fastball. He shrugged.
"Angle? Harsh words. I took over the store per contract and run it legit."
"You can swear there's zero shady stuff in that?"
"Can. Want my resume? Prepaid this quarter's taxes too. Deduct properly and refund later."
"......Wh-what?"
"Whatever. Point is, I'm running an honest business."
"Y-you expect me to believe you haven't done anything bad?"
"Obviously. Check the papers."
Eve snatched the documents in front of him, scanned them briefly, then clenched her fists.
"No way."
"Way."
Her face flushed beet red with fury.
Now, Eve was a preconception-packed, iron-fist charismatic leader type.
Simply put: 'Wolfram's a villain. Can't trust Aila.' 'Kelters is trustworthy.' 'School's rotten.' She locked in her 'answers' like that.
Then collected 'evidence' to fit and acted accordingly.
One mistake made her a tyrant of dogma.
Thus, she was infinitely cautious before deciding—but never reversed once set.
How'd he know? Saw it constantly in the game. Written in the setting bible too.
So in Eve's mind, Wolfram was the villain, scheming dirtily—hence sniffing for ulterior motives.
"...So your first move was vending food and candy in front of the Magic Division? You tampered with them, right?"
"Magic Division ingredient analysis. Used exactly as the previous owner ordered."
He handed over the paper stamped 'no anomalies.'
Eve clenched her fists in frustration.
"Ugh... But you could've slipped something in during cooking..."
"Don't nitpick. You insulting your seniors?"
"What?"
"They're Magic Division grads, rotten or not. Experts in contamination and alteration. Verification, comparison, validation, blocking—that's their bread and butter, no? If they ate tainted food without noticing, they should quit school on the spot."
"......Ugh."
Eve's face burned crimson, eyes welling up.
Her presumed villain Wolfram having no gaps? Her ultimate humiliation.
"B-by school rules, a Magic Division non-Maestro like you doing this violates regs!"
"Doesn't."
"Huh?"
"Article 3, Clause 1: All Jefrin students must freely discover and develop their talents. Article 17, Clause 6: Even outside their major, if they deem themselves talented, they prioritize development over later transfer—but must prove results."
"......Huh?"
"Took over a failing store and profited Day 1. Problem?"
"...Ugh, uuuugh!!"
Eve stomped the floor, then threw a tantrum rolling around.
Still got that habit.
"No complaints? Out."
"Then what's with that candy."
"That candy?"
"The one your seniors bought! I tried it too! Where'd you get such premium stuff? I'll trace the illicit funds!"
"Ah..."
Premium?
That candy he grew?
"Uh, um. Tasty?"
"Obviously! Way better than palace-supplied candy! You drugged it, right? To brainwash my seniors!"
"No, got it. Tasty, huh."
"What. Knew it—dirty dark magic trick. Your fiancée Aila put you up to it? Ha!"
"Made it from fruit I grew."
"..............?"
Eve tilted her head.
"My secret method fruit."
"Pardon?"
"Yeah. Here."
Saying so, he plucked a ripe fruity from the side sapling, wiped it, and handed it over.
Eve took it, bit in...
"......Heh heh."
And grinned like a simpleton.
He remembered that face.
...Eve's gap moe, grinning idiot-like at Kelters' sweets. Cute character trait.
But.
His sister? Body rejecting it?
Gave him chills a bit.
"Anyway. Thanks for saying it's tasty."
"......N-no way. Fruit you made..."
Clutching it, Eve trembled.
"Gonna toss it?"
"Taking it for analysis!"
"......Do what you want. Dispose of the pit properly."
"...Y-you!!"
Ears scarlet, she stomped the store floor.
Hey. Hey. Break a tile and it's on my dime.
"A-anyway, I'll be watching. One dirty trick, and you're shut down on the spot."
"Fine."
"Y-you!!"
Fuming at his reply, she turned to leave. He called after her.
"Eve von Loengrin."
She ignored him, heading out—but halted at his next words.
"Like it that much? Buy a bag of candy? Special: ten thousand rin per piece."
"......Yooooou!!"
Watching her storm out candy bag in hand, he shrugged.
"Sold grads fifty thousand per cup, but she one-shot a hundred pieces."
Royalty really pays well.
Should've thrown in extras as service.
"Nah. Would've seen that creepy smile more..."
Sisters gonna sister.
Didn't wanna see that scary grin often.