Chapter 122
Chapter 122
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: The Fixer Aspirants (4)
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"A t-treasure hunt?"
"There's treasure hidden in the Hideout?"
"Telling us to find treasure all of a sudden without any explanation…."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Perhaps it was due to the gourmet Fixer, Mira Valentia's, exceedingly abrupt declaration of a treasure hunt.
The examinees, who had been somewhat excited to meet a famous Fixer, now showed signs of bewilderment.
Well, I suppose this reaction wasn't so strange.
They had come to take a serious exam, only to be suddenly told their first task was a treasure hunt.
To the Fixer aspirants who had paid a hefty application fee, it must have sounded like utter nonsense.
Most of them had likely spent anywhere from half a year to several years preparing for this exam.
The thought that all their hard work could be wasted on something like this must have been maddening.
But regardless of what others thought, this was excellent news for me.
This situation was a carbon copy of the Fixer exam I had seen in the original story.
*In the original, there was an episode where Alice and David took the Fixer exam as a New Year's special. I organized my notes just in case… I can't believe it's playing out exactly the same.*
Considering the way the Fixer exam was set up, with the examiner being chosen almost six months in advance, it was unlikely the content would change easily, even with the butterfly effect I'd caused.
If that was the case, this was an easy win, no matter how I looked at it.
Getting into the top 100 on a first-come, first-served basis when I already knew the answer?
Unless a bolt of lightning suddenly struck me from the sky, there was no way I could fail.
Please, let the second and third tasks be the same as the original, too!
Then my plan to knock Raven down a peg would be a surefire success!
As my mind raced with such joyful possibilities, my happy circuits practically overheating, Mira tapped the watch on her wrist and spoke in a light tone.
"The first task will begin immediately. It ends when the first 100 people have completed it, or when three hours have passed, at 12 o'clock. Detailed information about the task has been sent to your watches, so please check them. Well then, gentlemen, I wish you the best of luck."
"Ugh… for real…?"
"Dammit! I've got to go first!"
"Me, me too! This is no time to dawdle!"
Perhaps because she had pushed ahead without giving them a chance to respond, the examinees, who had been exchanging reluctant glances, scattered in all directions to find the treasure.
It was a well-known fact that all tasks in the Fixer exam were decided at the examiner's discretion.
As long as Mira was the examiner, they had no choice but to obey her instructions.
Fortunately, the gathering place for the exam was a wide, empty lot.
With only a few hundred people gathered, there was nothing to obstruct their movement.
The examinees rushed out of the lot as if in a race, without even checking the task details.
Alice, however, checked the details first, unlike the others, and tilted her head.
"Hmm… Something about this is strange."
"What part do you find strange?"
"Look at the task the examiner sent. The things that lead to disqualification are written in detail, but the information about the treasure itself is vague and ambiguous. At this rate… even if we find a real treasure, how would we know if it's the right one?"
The Watch was a watch-type terminal that displayed a holographic screen when tapped twice on its face.
Looking at the task details sent through the Watch, anything related to disqualification was described meticulously.
For example, intentionally causing the death of another examinee would result in disqualification and criminal charges.
Receiving help from an outsider or using an unauthorized communication device would also lead to disqualification.
Intentionally disabling or damaging the Watch, which tracked the examinee's location and every action, meant disqualification.
Yet, regarding the first task—the treasure hunt—it only stated that the treasure was hidden somewhere in the Hideout.
There was no way of knowing what form or value the treasure possessed.
Searching aimlessly like this would make finding the treasure an incredibly daunting task.
"Indeed, this requires some thought. What one person considers a treasure might be a worthless antique to another… Perhaps figuring out what constitutes the 'treasure' is part of the task itself."
"Ugh… So even if I'm lucky enough to find a precious diamond somewhere in the Hideout, I could still fail if the examiner says it's not the treasure… This is a bit difficult."
Alice and David fell into deep thought, muttering to themselves as they discussed the problem.
Then, Alice suddenly scratched her head with a somewhat awkward smile and asked.
"Ah, now that I think about it, it felt so natural I didn't even notice, but are we just going to cooperate like this? From what I know, the Fixer exam is more of an individual competition…"
"Hmm, the instructions for the first task don't prohibit cooperation among examinees. So for now, I believe it's fine for us to work together."
"Hmm… True, teamwork would be meaningless if there's only one treasure. Then it's better to cooperate! It looks like other people are sticking with their friends, too."
Hehe, Yuria. I'll make sure to help you pass the first task!
Alice put her arm around me and struck a pose brimming with motivation.
Well, I didn't really need the help, but I appreciated the thought.
In return, I suppose I could lend a hand. The sooner we cleared this task, the better.
"…"
"Hm? Yuria, what is it?"
"…!"
"Oh, huh? You want me to follow you?"
I asked Alice to let go of me.
Then, I took her by the arm and leisurely began to walk out of the lot.
I'll be waiting here, so come back when you find the treasure.
Perhaps because Mira had said that and settled down at the starting point, the area just outside the lot had descended into pandemonium, with examinees engaged in all sorts of bizarre activities.
"Dig, dig, dig, dig…"
"Is this it? Is this it? Is this it? Is this it?"
"The most precious treasure in this world is obviously the sun! Therefore, the correct answer is to bring nothing! Hey, are you all listening to me!"
There was an examinee digging holes indiscriminately, another who bit into anything they could get their hands on.
There was even one who, like a cult leader, grabbed passersby to preach their own theory…
The single fact that no one knew what the treasure was had thrown the scene into utter chaos.
The only saving grace was that harming other examinees resulted in demerits, so at least there was no bloodshed, with everyone just minding their own business.
Of course, I was sure that even now, in some dark corner, someone was getting jabbed with a tranquilizer needle.
Or perhaps being locked up somewhere without being physically hit, just to keep them from getting out.
Or being tricked into deactivating their Watch to reduce the competition. Such acts were probably happening frequently.
The proctors likely wouldn't interfere with such minor details.
After all, anyone taking the Fixer exam was expected to be prepared for that kind of sabotage.
*Yeah, it's best to speedrun this in the shortest time possible before any troublemakers latch onto us.*
I glanced back at Alice, whom I was leading by the hand, then stopped and looked around.
When what I was searching for came into view, I pointed at it for Alice to see.
"Huh? What is it…? Oh? Is that… a squirrel?"
"Hmm, judging by its three-pronged tail, it appears to be a creature from another world. I can't search for it, so I don't know the exact species."
"Oh, that's a Thunder Squirrel. Its tail has a special shape, and when it wags it hard, it makes a sound like thunder. I've heard they're tasty, but I've never tried one."
"Heeh, I see… Huh?"
Alice, who had been nodding with fascination, suddenly turned her head, her eyes wide.
I followed her gaze. There stood a woman with a striking appearance.
She was a beauty with spiraling blonde curls that reminded me of a Renaissance noble.
Her clothes, a lavish dress fit for a noble's banquet, made her look even more out of place.
I never thought she would join the conversation at this timing.
I secretly chuckled at the appearance of a character from the original story, whom I had been subtly noticing for a while.
But to Alice and David, she was just an unidentified competitor.
They both looked at her with a hint of caution as they asked a careful question.
"Who are you?"
"Me? Ah, please call me Lisa. I may not look it, but I know quite a few things. You were having such an interesting conversation, I just couldn't help but chime in."
"Uhm… is, is that so?"
The woman, who introduced herself as Lisa, gave a noble-like curtsy, gently lifting her skirt.
Perhaps due to the sudden intrusion of such an overly eccentric character, Alice wore an awkward smile, unsure of how to react.
She then subtly stepped in front of me, as if to shield me, and spoke to Lisa in an exceedingly polite manner.
"Thank you for the information. But we are competitors. We would appreciate it if you would keep your distance."
"Oh my, what a shame. You two have such an impressive air about you, I was hoping to subtly join your group. Well, things don't always go as planned, do they?"
"…"
She was an interesting person, revealing her intentions so openly.
Still, she was a good person, so there was no need to be wary.
Knowing Lisa's character from the original story, I tugged on Alice's clothes to signal that it was fine.
Then I turned, took a biscuit from my pocket, and used it to lure the nearby Thunder Squirrel.
This biscuit was a snack with a flavor that Thunder Squirrels loved most.
A squirrel raised by humans would never be able to refuse it.
"…!"
"Oh, the squirrel… came over?"
"It's quite cute up close."
"Judging by the glossiness of its fur, it seems to have been touched by human hands."
Touched by human hands?
Alice, who was observing the Thunder Squirrel closely, furrowed her brow slightly.
She quickly looked around and her eyes widened as she seemed to realize the source of the strangeness.
"Now that you mention it… don't you think there are an unusual number of animals here? Especially animals from another world…"
It seemed Alice had already figured out the secret of the first task just from that.
She really was smart. I was so proud of her.