Chapter 4
Chapter 4
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Entrance Exam (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After the exam ended, a heavy silence filled the waiting room.
The team members were holding their breath, as if they had encountered a ferocious beast.
And rightly so. The performance from that boy, whom they hadn't even expected anything from, was more than enough to shock them.
‘Is it... luck?’
He had stepped forward to intercept attacks perfectly, as if he knew in advance the ones they couldn't block.
He seemed to grasp his teammates' capabilities completely, constantly pushing them to their limits.
‘It felt like we were puppets on a stage.’
It reminded Lian of the time he went monster hunting with his father as a child.
He couldn't shake off that feeling that everything was under someone's control.
“It's definitely a misunderstanding.”
Rowen, who barely passed the first exam at the bottom, is actually the strongest among us?
Even if a child said it in jest, no one would believe such nonsense.
As he dismissed the ridiculous thought,
“Ha! You still haven't come to your senses!”
An unpleasant voice pierced his ears.
‘Dores, was it?’
The idiot who panicked from stage 4, spammed magic wildly, and got reverse-summoned due to mana exhaustion.
And yet, he's pointing fingers at Rowen, who fought until the end.
“Unlike me, who did my best to support Lady Estelle, what makes you so great, just loitering around the golem!”
He retired first and knows nothing, yet he's blabbering away.
Just as Lian, feeling annoyed, was about to speak up,
“...Enough. He's not someone you can judge.”
“Yes? But this guy...”
“Watch your mouth. I'm not that nice of a person.”
Estelle's quiet words, as she observed the situation.
Excluding the Hero, she was evaluated as having the highest talent—her words were enough to tense up everyone in the waiting room.
‘Rowen... Are those movements what they call talent?’
Estelle had innate talent from childhood, with no peers to match her.
To her, Rowen's brilliant display sparked great curiosity.
Moreover, that cute face somehow stirred a protective instinct.
“Hmm...”
Rowen sleeping innocently, unaware.
In the final stage, when the golem targeted her, the worry in Rowen's eyes...
To her, weary of people's desirous gazes, it had been a warm comfort.
Estelle felt repulsed by most men.
But now, seeing herself sitting next to Rowen, she thought,
‘I think we can be good friends...’
A thought that would make her friends, who know her personality, freak out.
But since they weren't here, it passed regrettably...
When I came to, I was already in the waiting room.
And all my teammates were staring at me.
‘Ugh... This is burdensome.’
Especially Estelle's intense gaze.
She should have had social anxiety until meeting the protagonist, keeping her distance from everyone.
Yet, for some reason, she was sitting right next to me, staring.
‘This is too much for my heart...’
Her snow-white hair gleamed, drawing the eye.
Lilac-like beautiful eyes.
A straight nose and cherry lips.
Seeing it all up close, I nearly let out a sigh of admiration.
“Is there a problem?”
Worried I was staring blankly, enchanted by her, Estelle asked if I was okay.
“I was just thinking about earlier.”
I couldn't say, Because you're too beautiful.
Besides, during the exam, after that final thrust, I really did feel something—so I brushed it off.
Estelle pouted, unsatisfied.
Seeing her, I finally understood what it means to be bewitched by a fox spirit.
But I had something to confirm, so I forced myself to ignore it.
Before losing consciousness, I'd heard a notification that the achievement was cleared.
If achievements really exist, they'd be a huge help going forward.
‘Status Window’
‘So I wasn't seeing things.’
The system rewards achievements cleared in the game.
I thought it was a perk only for the protagonist, but it seems they gave me this much consideration.
Free stat points for clearing stage 10, and 〈Weakness Perception〉 from the hidden achievement.
Plus, the experience in the illusion magic must have helped—Swordsmanship leveled up too.
‘Kuh... How much I struggled to uncover those hidden achievements.’
Unlike regular achievements cleared by quests, hidden ones have brutal difficulty and conditions.
Especially 《Devil's Dance》—sever all the golem's weak points to destroy the mana core.
Practically all about control, it was called the newbie shredder.
‘I'll think about free stats later. Check the skill first?’
〈Weakness Perception〉
Detects the opponent's weaknesses more clearly.
Attacking weaknesses applies 2x damage.
Performance worthy of being called an essential skill.
2x damage on weak points.
Practically applies to everyone except the final bosses.
I felt immense satisfaction gazing at my bolstered status window—but only for a moment.
“All cadets, gather at the main gate to check your second exam results and admission status!”
With all teams finished, the examiner announced the results.
Academy admission would decide my path forward, so I headed to the main gate without hesitation.
At the main gate, students crowded to check the results.
‘Let's see where my name is...’
Fortunately, the rankings hadn't changed.
I worried clearing stage 10 might shake things up, but it was fine.
As everyone headed to the entrance ceremony, satisfied with their ranks,
Estelle next to me glared at the list, unhappy with her placement.
“Rowen at 150th... Guess the academy's full of idiots.”
“Haha... More like, you at runner-up. That's what I regret.”
Her fierce competitive spirit fixated not on her runner-up spot, but mine.
Reality's personality is different, huh, I thought, touched—until
“Hey! What are you doing clinging to Eri?!”
A cute girl's voice rang out from afar.
Running over was Laura Merrygold.
Estelle's childhood friend, who's been with her since young.
Later, she becomes Estelle's solid ally for love advice, teaching charm and flirting.
Her shy, coquettish side contrasts her cold image—unforgettable.
As fond memories surfaced, she arrived in a flash and unleashed a barrage at me.
“Eri has no interest in boys like you! Get any funny ideas out! Our Eri's so shy! Silence doesn't mean okay! Right, Eri? Leave him and let's go inside!”
“...”
That's a machine gun, right?
Like overprotective parents, she rattled on and dragged Estelle toward the auditorium.
Estelle looked regretful, but surely a misunderstanding.
“All passers, please gather in the auditorium!”
Would've been nice to go together, but oh well.
Reluctantly, I headed to the auditorium.
The academy's professors and dean were all gathered.
Looking around: the Hero, heroines, and various characters.
All the figures I'd only seen in the game were now alive and moving in reality.
‘Kya... It's really starting now.’
Since possessing this body, I'd tried to adapt, but anxiety lingered deep down.
Am I dreaming?
What if I fail the academy?
Such worries faded as my favorite game became reality, and I could advance together.
Finally, I could savor this moment.
As I anticipated a fun academy life,
“Hello, new students.
I sincerely congratulate you on joining Avillon Academy.”
“This incoming class is overflowing with talent. Even the Hero and Saintess.”
“When I entered this academy...”
The dean's speech began.
Right after accepting my possession, a principal's address...
I desperately needed the game's skip function.
Never listened to the end before...
Paying for skipping dialogue here, huh? Amid the punishment,
“...Thus, our academy has done its utmost to recruit the finest faculty.”
“We welcome your challenges wholeheartedly and wish you an enjoyable academy life.”
The eternally long speech ended, and students erupted in cheers.
Academy life—the story's true beginning—had started.