Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Team Formation (2)
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‘Interesting.’
S-Rank #6. Top enrollee of the Assassination Department.
Cain Ishir, eldest son of the renowned assassination house of Ishir.
He was currently analyzing the man before him.
At this critical moment when he had simultaneously received proposals from two S-Ranks no less.
And at that very moment, Jeron Airgia was dozing off out of nowhere.
A situation that would fluster any ordinary person.
But Cain maintained his composure, as befitted a seasoned assassin.
‘A provocation. Or perhaps a show of strength.’
Naturally, he couldn’t actually be sleeping.
This was a form of psychological warfare, a battle of wills.
Such behavior typically carried one of two intentions.
An arrogant provocation conveying, ‘You’re not on my level.’
Or a display of confidence saying, ‘I have the leisure to act this way.’
‘He’s trying to seize control of the negotiations like that, huh. Quite the schemer, Jeron Airgia. But this is still within my expectations.’
Just as he grasped Jeron’s intent and began calculating his next move, Cain’s narrowed eyes widened slightly.
‘…Hold on. Something’s off.’
He possessed a technique for reading people’s presence.
From the faintest muscle tremors or the depth of their breathing, he could discern whether it was genuine sleep or a feigned vigilance.
And in Cain’s eyes, Jeron—
‘What? He’s actually asleep?’
Was in a state of perfect slumber!
In a situation like this.
With two S-Rank rankers right in front of him, he had actually fallen asleep?
‘What the hell is with this guy?’
Cain couldn’t help but waver, unbefitting an assassin.
***
‘…Hm?’
I opened my eyes to the noisy sounds around me, and two men were standing before me.
Cain, the top of Assassination, and Askal, the top of Martial Combat.
The lead NPC types of [Stella Academia] and S-Rank rankers, both of them.
“…….”
They stared at me with faces full of bewilderment.
‘Whoa, damn. I actually fell asleep.’
But.
I was just as flustered.
At first, it had been an act.
Obviously, a prime catch like me would draw swarms of cadets.
This moment, with everyone’s attention focused, was the perfect timing to put on a sloth performance.
So I’d immediately headed to the corner and conjured the Shadow Throne.
Pretending to have no interest in team formation and holing up to rest—but actually making myself even more conspicuous.
On top of that, to make the sloth act as realistic as possible, I’d asked Ker for help.
[What? You want me to make it as comfortable and cozy as possible? Hmph. I really can’t fathom what goes through your head, human. But if you beg like that… perhaps this one shall exert a little effort.]
Ker added a massage chair function and heating to the Shadow Throne.
‘Whoa… this is way too good? Ker, you had features like this?’
[Hohoho. Can’t get enough of it, can you, human? Now do you see? When this one gets serious, it becomes like this.]
My body felt like it was melting away.
A massage relaxing my entire body.
Warmth spreading perfectly from behind my back.
And with the constant pretense of drowsiness, real sleepiness came over me.
I’d kept nodding off like that, and by the time the two arrived, I was half-asleep and couldn’t hold out any longer, drifting off…!
Ding!
[S-Rank rankers are flustered by your slothful sleep!]
[Sloth +70!]
I gazed at the system window in front of me.
Hm… Falling asleep for real wasn’t part of the plan, but sloth went up, so it worked out in the end.
Anyway.
Just ignoring them wasn’t an option, and dozing off mid-conversation was probably rude.
“…Sorry. I dozed off without realizing.”
I apologized politely.
“Krahaha! Jeron Airgia! You’re a bolder man than I thought!”
Rather than anger, Askal burst into hearty laughter, clearly amused.
“You were really asleep….”
Beside him, Cain muttered in a somewhat deflated tone.
Askal soon bellowed boisterously again.
“Good! I like your guts! Now decide. Whose side will you take between us two? The answer’s obvious, of course! Krahaha!”
Askal asked me once more.
The watching cadets held their breath, awaiting my answer.
“Thanks for the offers, but I’ll pass on both.”
“Hm?”
“Both? You’re rejecting both?”
Their voices erupted in unison.
“Why?”
Askal asked with a puzzled look.
I smiled and replied.
“I’ve already got my team set.”
Truth was, I didn’t need to worry about team formation at all.
I’d prepared all the plans long ago for the comprehensive evaluation event.
“…Hmm? Already set? Who?”
Askal asked, curiosity plain on his face.
“Jeron, are you under some misunderstanding? You can’t team up with the top four rankers above us due to the score limit.”
Cain spoke with an expression of utter incomprehension.
But I silently pointed a finger toward one corner of the auditorium.
The gazes of Cain, Askal, and everyone else snapped toward where my finger aimed.
And there.
“…Huh? Uwa?”
“…Jeron. You serious?”
Yuria, flustered by the sudden spotlight, and Artel, staring at me in shock, stood.
***
A little earlier.
The moment they’d just received the documents listing the cadets’ scores.
Yuria looked at Artel beside her with a joyful face.
“Artel, look at this. Jeron got 85 points! So if the three of us team up…!”
She excitedly started calculating the scores.
Jeron 85 points, Artel 92 points, and herself at 68 points.
Total 245 points.
A three-person team that just barely fit under the 250-point limit.
But unlike the elated Yuria, Artel’s expression was dark.
She quietly grabbed Yuria’s arm and said.
“Yuria, hold on a sec.”
“Yeah?”
“If we ask to team up, Jeron would accept, right?”
“Yeah! Of course he would!”
“But… that would be taking advantage of Jeron’s dislike for hassle.”
Artel glanced at the other names on the document. The section with the S-Rank rankers.
“See? If Jeron teams with an S-Rank like Askal or Cain, or even the #7 ranker, he could make a stronger team than with us. This is an official evaluation. We can’t hold him back.”
“Ah….”
Yuria’s excitement deflated at Artel’s cold, realistic analysis.
Come to think of it, she was absolutely right.
Yuria bit her lip.
Her desire to team with Jeron clashed with her concern for him.
That’s why, even seeing him head to the auditorium corner to rest, she hadn’t been able to call out to him.
“Let’s give Jeron a chance to choose first.”
“Yeah, that makes sense.”
The two deliberately moved to the opposite corner of the auditorium, so Jeron could hear others’ proposals without issue.
From afar, they watched as countless cadets swarmed Jeron like hyenas.
Prominent A-Rank rankers, and finally even S-Ranks Askal and Cain.
‘Everyone wants Jeron, as expected.’
‘Teaming with them would be better for Jeron… right?’
The two tried to hide their bitter feelings.
But the situation took a strange turn.
Jeron, receiving proposals from two S-Ranks, had dozed off as if utterly uninterested.
And upon waking, he rejected both without hesitation.
Saying he already had a set team.
‘A set team?’
Artel and Yuria looked at each other simultaneously.
Who on earth had he decided to team with?
Right then.
Jeron pointed a finger straight at where they were.
Countless gazes converged on them in an instant.
“…Huh? Uwa?”
“…Jeron, you serious?”
***
I said to Askal and Cain.
“See? It’s those two.”
“Heh heh….”
“I don’t get it. Why….”
They still looked unconvinced but didn’t try to hold me back anymore.
I dispelled the Shadow Throne, tucked it into my sleeve, and walked toward Yuria and Artel, who were still frozen amid the gaze of countless cadets.
“Shall we go register the team?”
But Artel said to me with a look of firm resolve.
“Jeron, talk with us for a bit first.”
She led me out of the auditorium.
Yuria followed us with a worried face.
We arrived under the shade of a quiet tree.
Artel opened her mouth with a serious expression.
“Jeron, you really… mean to team up with us?”
“I just said so.”
“I’m serious. This isn’t a game—it’s the academy’s official evaluation. There’s no reason to reject S-Rank offers and pick us.”
She spoke frankly.
Admitting that she and Yuria fell short compared to Askal or Cain.
Voicing her worry that they might hold me back.
Yuria nodded beside her.
“Yeah, Jeron. We’re fine, so choose what’s best for you.”
The two were genuinely concerned for me.
…Man, these kids are so nice.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at their sincerity.
“You think I’m just teaming with you because you’re close and it’s less hassle?”
“…….”
They flinched, hitting the nail on the head.
“Of course that’s part of it.”
“Eek.”
[This is slothful speech!]
[Sloth +5!]
Their eyes cooled.
However.
“That’s not all of it.”
I changed my expression and spoke in a serious tone.
Truth was, from my position, not teaming with these two would throw all my plans into chaos.
The second objective of the Mythic-grade skill quest, ‘Hydra’s Egg.’
I absolutely needed their help to obtain it.
I looked straight into their eyes and said.
“I really need you two. Artel, Yuria. Team up with me.”
“…!”
Their eyes widened round.