Chapter 107
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 107
“Here it is. The ticket for a date with Freya.”
I rose from my seat with confidence and strode toward the stage.
The students murmured, startled by my sudden movement. Even the announcer, who had been desperately calling for the S-grade treasure note, seemed flustered. He looked at me, his voice trembling slightly.
“Y-Yes! President Roen of the Student Council is coming forward, claiming to have the note! Could it really be true?”
“Of course it’s true.”
I stepped onto the stage and snatched the microphone from the announcer.
“Since everyone seems to be waiting, I’ll graciously read its contents.”
I unfolded the golden note and read the words written inside in a calm, steady voice. It was written in Freya’s own hand.
“Congratulations. I am not certain this prize will be of much benefit to you, but if you wish, I would be delighted to share a meal with you. Please deliver this letter to the Ishtal Student Council office, and we will contact you separately to arrange a schedule. Signed, Freya Gunhild.”
As I finished reading, the audience erupted into a buzz of chatter once more.
“What? It was real?”
“Looks like it. But where did he find it?”
“You never know, they could have planned this together.”
“Nah, would they really go that far?”
Rumors of a connection between Freya and me—or that we had rigged the event—began to circulate, but they died down just as quickly.
“Hey, she’d rather pretend the note never existed than conspire with a guy like Roen.”
“You think so?”
Everyone knew it would be better for her reputation to simply have no S-grade prize at all than to collude with someone like Roen. To quell the remaining controversy, the announcer posed a question to me.
“Yes, President Roen? If I may ask, where did you find this?”
I held up the note and answered exactly as the Chairman had instructed me.
“This note was discovered at the very bottom of letterbox number 17 in the Union’s Grand Auditorium. That is all.”
In truth, I had already dragged my exhausted body to that location earlier to create an alibi. A few students must have seen me fumbling around as I searched the area, so no one would doubt my explanation.
“……”
The students’ murmuring and the voices of suspicion finally quieted down. Amidst the silence, Freya looked at me and let out a small sigh.
“So you found it in the end.”
“I did.”
“……May I ask how you found it?”
Did she think I possessed some incredible magic detection or reasoning ability? I had nothing of the sort.
“That’s a secret.”
A secret, indeed. Because I had no idea how I found it either; I had simply received it from the Chairman.
“Is that so.”
She gave a small nod before her expression brightened once more. Taking the microphone from the announcer, she spoke in a clear, ringing voice.
“The final prize of the treasure hunt event hosted by Ishtal has been claimed by Roen Devalis, the Student Council President of the Union! Let’s give him a huge round of applause!”
Whaaaaa!
The second day of the Athletic Meet concluded amidst a storm of cheers and thunderous applause.
The next day.
The final day of the Athletic Meet.
The final matches for each event held over the past three days took place, followed by the awards ceremony.
First place, with a total of 383 points, went to Ishtal Academy. It came as no surprise. Ishtal students were fundamentally superior in physical ability, and as the host academy, their motivation was at its peak. It was the natural outcome.
“Congratulations, Lady Freya.”
At the awards ceremony, Freya wore a satisfied expression as the gold medal was placed around her neck. The rankings descended from there, with Seintea, Voltimir, and Eredor following in order.
Up to this point, it was much the same as previous Athletic Meets, but this time, there was also a presentation for the ‘Special Award’ prepared by the Student Council.
Forty-one smaller academies had scored over 100 points in total. I had promised to build tram stops and routes for every single one of them. The number was higher than I’d expected, but it was fine. It just meant that many more academies would be boosting my approval rating.
Funding was an issue, but not a major concern. I wasn’t going to build all 41 stops at once; I had already announced that they would be built sequentially, based on the points each academy had earned. The Chairman had also promised to contribute funds for the tram construction, so I could proceed with it gradually.
The final night of the Athletic Meet, after all the matches, the awards ceremony, and the closing ceremony had ended.
The night sky was filled with brilliantly twinkling stars, and below, the shopping district glowed brightly. I was strolling through the festive streets with Ciel when we headed for a hidden gem of a restaurant I had looked up beforehand.
“Welcome!”
It was a cozy pub serving flame-grilled sausages and dark beer. The atmosphere felt like a snow-covered mountain cabin in the dead of winter. The snug wooden bar and the round tables where groups could gather had an air of charm, weathered by the passage of time.
“Over here, over here!”
As we entered, Trish, who had already claimed a spot on the second floor, waved at us. Tonight was the after-party—a celebration for the end of the Athletic Meet and the successful debut of the Alchemy Club.
And, most importantly.
“You’ve arrived.”
It was a party to welcome Beatrice, Yuliana, and Bell to the Alchemy Club.
Beatrice, who had been absent throughout the meet, was sitting at a table with Yuliana and Bell. The other members of the Alchemy Club at the next table were already completely wasted.
I sat down in an empty seat and offered a greeting.
“Beatrice, I heard you weren’t feeling well. Are you alright?”
With a weary expression, she slowly parted her lips.
“I can move about. Appearing at official functions is a bit much, but a relaxed atmosphere like this is manageable. However, you don’t look too well yourself, do you?”
Indeed, I was practically being supported by Ciel. The aftereffects of the [Overload] trait I had used yesterday still lingered, and my body felt heavy.
“Well, something came up.”
The demonkin incident at the Athletic Meet. I couldn't be sure to what extent the incident would be contained, so I chose my words carefully. I brushed it off vaguely and changed the subject.
“What made you decide to join the club? You’ve always been lukewarm about outside activities.”
Beatrice preferred sitting in her office reading books to engaging in external activities. For her to personally express interest in joining a club was certainly no ordinary event.
When I asked, Beatrice shrugged.
“It was merely a matter of personal interest. Trish, you said the club made and sold carbonated water?”
At Beatrice’s show of interest, Trish seemed a little nervous.
“Y-Yes, Your Highness.”
“The carbonated water maker was built by the Triplet Dwarves, and the method was provided by Roen?”
“Th-That’s right.”
Beatrice’s gaze shifted back to me.
“Roen, how did you find out how to make a carbonated water maker?”
The technology for a carbonated water maker was clearly an out-of-place artifact given the continent’s current technological standpoint. It wasn’t strange for Beatrice to be interested. Since there was a dungeon I needed Beatrice’s help to clear, I decided to lay the groundwork now.
“Beatrice, have you ever heard of the Academy’s 7 Great Mysteries?”
“You mean that unreliable gossip.”
“Unreliable? It seems you haven’t been keeping up with the news. Not long ago, I successfully explored a dungeon located beneath the abandoned school building with a member of the Journalism Club. It was even in the papers.”
“Don’t tell me…”
“That’s right. I found the blueprint for the carbonated water maker there.”
As I spoke confidently, Beatrice let out a disbelieving laugh.
“Ha, why on earth would that thing be found there?”
“……”
‘I know, right?’
It was a reasonable question. I didn’t know the exact reason either. The blueprint was just a player-exclusive perk scattered throughout the academy. If I had to tie it to the in-game lore, the setting would probably be something like lost technology from a golden age being preserved in the ruins.
“In any case, the Academy’s 7 Great Mysteries aren’t just baseless rumors. They’re real.”
“Hmm, if that’s true, it is quite interesting. It might be worth investigating at some point.”
“Right. Let’s do it as a club activity sometime.”
As we chatted, a waiter soon arrived carrying a large tray.
“Here is the course meal you ordered. Where should I put the dark beer?”
“Here, over here, please!”
Trish took off her party hat and grabbed the large, boot-shaped beer mug the waiter set down. The others just stared blankly at the scene.
“What? Am I the only one who ordered alcohol?” Trish grumbled. “You people don’t know how to have fun.”
The rest of the group took their juices and other drinks and placed them on the table.
“Well then, let’s have a toast before we eat.”
Delicious-looking smoked roasts, hot pots, and salads were placed one by one on the table. I raised my glass first, and Ciel, Bell, and Trish followed suit. Beatrice and Yuliana looked slightly displeased but raised their glasses as well.
After confirming everyone had their glass up, I spoke calmly.
“……To a peaceful academy life. Cheers.”
“Cheers!”
Clink—.
The glasses met with a clear, bright sound. And so, amidst the lively chatter, the final night of the Athletic Meet deepened.
The next day.
The weekend morning after the Athletic Meet had ended.
The students who had partied all night were either dead to the world or just now groggily waking up, well after the sun had reached its zenith, to have a late breakfast.
Of course, since I hadn’t been drinking the night before, I was perfectly fine. My stats, which had dropped due to Overload, had returned to normal, and my condition had recovered nicely. After a refreshing shower following my morning meditation and exercise, I headed straight for my lab.
‘The battle against the demonkin, just two days ago.’
During that fight, I had been able to realize a combat style that had previously only existed in my head. A combat method where I absorb the enemy’s demonic energy and use it to manifest magic.
It didn’t use my own internal magic power—the inefficient magic power converted into Bell’s Magic Orbs. I had literally converted the excess demonic energy absorbed from my opponent directly into magic.
‘If I can refine this combat method, it could be incredibly helpful later on.’
It was an efficient method that would allow me to store absorbed demonic energy and use it when needed, without having to risk taking it all into my body. Although it wouldn’t be usable in normal combat, only against demonkin, it would surely prove useful in the battles with them that I would continue to face.
“Hoo.”
Taking a deep breath, I took out the Dark Mana Stone I had received from the Chairman and began my experiment.