Chapter 581
Chapter Title: An Unlikely Pact
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Eliza stayed up all night with Karl, gathering as much information as she could about the world of Lumerne she had entered.
It was the dead of night, and they couldn't leave the room, but they managed to find more information than expected.
‘First, it was fortunate that the person Karl Thomas possessed, Cleri Jesiang, is the student council president.’
Cleri's room was filled with documents necessary for the student council president.
Through those documents, they were able to get a grasp of the current events unfolding within Lumerne.
‘The Dragon of Genesis, Rhodia, followed by the Comet Sorcerer Seirun, the Great Warrior Azonia, and the Indomitable Demian…’
The big names, hailed as successors to the Great Hero, were all gathered here in Lumerne.
“An event significant enough to bring the Heroes of the Beginning together should have been recorded, but to my knowledge, they never all gathered at Lumerne.”
“Oh? Really?”
“You. Isn't knowing the history of the school you attend basic knowledge?”
“It's a little strange hearing such a model student-like thing come out of your mouth.”
“Hmph. It's basic. You're an expert on useless things but ignorant about this?”
“Well, you’re not wrong.”
Karl shrugged.
“In any case, after the Return of the Calamity was ended, instances of the Heroes of the Beginning gathering in one place were rare enough to be counted on one hand.”
Eliza fell into thought.
“The fact that such an important event took place at Lumerne Academy but wasn't left in the history books… means the reason why is the key to conquering this World of Heroes.”
“Exactly.”
Eliza wore a satisfied expression.
She then crossed her legs and, sitting on the edge of the bed, said,
“First, we'll need to figure out how many players there are.”
It was essential whenever one was caught in a Hero Dungeon.
“For now, all the second-year contestants from Lumerne must be in this world.”
Eliza recalled what happened before she entered the World of Heroes.
The waiting area for the Lumerne students was definitely within the activation range.
“It's not just us. The second-years from the other schools who were on standby must have all been swept up in this too.”
“How do you know?”
“I checked right before it happened.”
“You had time to check during that sudden crisis?”
“Yep.”
“Hmph…”
Eliza’s eyes narrowed.
“You certainly are good at improvising.”
“Oh? Is that a compliment?”
“Did it sound like one?”
Karl chuckled.
“Anyway, let's get at least a little sleep.”
Karl checked the clock.
There was still some time left to sleep.
Nodding at his words, Eliza asked,
“Where are you going to sleep?”
“The bed, of course. This is the room of the person I’m possessing.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. The bed is my spot.”
“Want to sleep together?”
“Are you trying to die, making a crude joke like that?”
When Eliza asked in an icy voice, Karl grinned slyly and lay down on the floor.
Looking down at him, Eliza scoffed, then lay on the bed and pulled the covers over herself.
As she turned away from Karl and tried to sleep, he asked her,
“By the way, Eliza. How's your training these days?”
“You didn't care before. Why ask now?”
Eliza scoffed, her back still turned to him.
“Your absence hasn't caused any problems with my training. It's going well. I've even gotten somewhat used to that damn pain.”
“Weren't you used to the pain long ago? You used to laugh like you'd lost your mind sometimes, remember?”
“I told you never to bring that up again, didn't I?”
Eliza turned to glare down at Karl, her face scrunched in annoyance.
Seeing her, Karl chuckled.
“Sorry I couldn't be there for you. I was stuck with Elena, who kept exploiting my labor. I wanted to help as much as possible, but it was just impossible.”
Lying down, Karl folded his hands behind his head and crossed his legs.
Staring at the ceiling, he muttered,
“Well, I’m sure you’d do fine even without me.”
“If you knew that, why did you offer to help when you couldn't even manage your own affairs?”
Eliza said irritably.
“You should have been worrying about yourself instead of me. If you had, you might have improved your skills a bit and avoided expulsion.”
“Hmm. To be frank, that’s not it.”
“True, I suppose.”
“...Aren't you agreeing a little too quickly?”
Karl, who had let out a dry laugh, said,
“I just wanted to help.”
“Why?”
“You weren't acting like yourself back then.”
“What?”
Eliza’s eyes widened slightly.
“The Eliza Hergin I know isn't someone who doubts her own potential.”
Karl smiled faintly.
“She may seem arrogant and look down on others, but she's actually a responsible person who takes good care of those around her.”
Eliza was the leader of the second-year summoning department.
And the entire second-year summoning department followed her with great loyalty.
If she were merely a haughty person who looked down on others, she wouldn't have earned that much trust.
From the moment she enrolled, she had led the other students, vowing to make the summoning department the best.
“When you hit a limit, you do whatever it takes to overcome it. That's the side of you that suits you best. That's why I wanted to help.”
Eliza stared at Karl with a dazed expression.
A moment later, Eliza clenched her fists and said,
“Karl Thomas.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m sorry for what I said to you back then.”
“Ah, that? Don't worry about it. I don't mind. It was the truth, wasn't it?”
“It wasn't the truth.”
Eliza tilted her head.
“There isn't a single one of us who doesn't think you're amazing. I especially received a lot of your help. Despite what I just said… I wouldn't have been able to endure the training without your help.”
Eliza looked into Karl’s eyes.
Seeing her, Karl was taken aback.
“Hey, hey, what's with the sudden change?”
“So don't give up.”
“Huh?”
“You're still very useful.”
“…”
Karl scratched his cheek.
Then he smirked.
“I haven't given up. I'm going to struggle as hard as I can. Well, whether that will be enough or not, I don't know.”
“Hmph?”
“If I do get expelled, don't pretend you don't know me. Connections are really important once you leave school.”
At those words, Eliza let out a small laugh.
“If you're worried about that, shall we be friends?”
“Huh?”
Karl’s jaw dropped.
“You should be honored. I, the heir to the Hergin family, am acknowledging a commoner like you as an equal.”
Karl scratched his head, then grinned.
“I'm so honored I don't know what to do with myself.”
“Good. As long as you know.”
Eliza chuckled.
Karl looked at her, a fascinated expression on his face.
‘Now that we’re speaking casually, it feels a bit awkward.’
“Now that it’s come to this, you have to get promoted to the third year.”
“I’m telling you, it's not something I can achieve just by trying.”
Eliza glanced at him, then lifted her head and rested her chin on her hand.
“For someone who claims he hasn't given up, you're pathetically unmotivated.”
“Well, maybe I’d get motivated if there was some kind of extra prize.”
“Pathetic.”
Eliza clicked her tongue.
Looking at her, Karl gave a sly grin.
“If you’re grateful for my help with your training, how about you grant me one wish if I make it to the third year, as a way of repaying the favor? Who knows? I might get a little more motivated.”
At his words, Eliza sat up.
Thinking her immediate punishment was coming, Karl flinched with a ‘Hiek!’ and curled into a ball.
But the whipping he had expected to fly his way any second never came.
“Fine.”
“Huh?”
Karl lifted his head.
Eliza was sitting there, her legs crossed, an elbow on her knee, and her chin in her hand, smiling.
“I'll grant you one wish, whatever it is. So show me a little more motivation.”
“For real?”
Karl looked stunned.
“A member of the Hergin family doesn't go back on their word.”
“Really? For real? You’ll do whatever I ask?”
Karl grabbed Eliza’s hand and asked.
“You… what are you planning to make me do?”
Eliza asked, her eyes narrowing, but Karl shot up from his spot.
“Alright! I’ll make it to the third year no matter what it takes!”
Eliza, looking dumbfounded by his reaction, glanced down at the hand Karl had grabbed and let out a small laugh.
“Well, before that, conquering this World of Heroes comes first.”
Karl, who had been burning with motivation, said seriously.
“Yes, that's right. You know the most basic method for conquering a possession-type world, I assume.”
“Of course.”
Karl smiled confidently.
“You have to act like the person you’re possessing. Well, Eliza, you have few clues, so you might not have a good grasp of the person you’re in, but I’ve already figured it all out.”
“Oh? How so?”
Eliza looked intrigued.
“From the dorm mother’s reaction earlier, and the fact that the person you’re possessing, Megin Shell, is here in the middle of the night, breaking school rules. And most decisively.”
Karl opened a desk drawer, took out a small wooden box, and opened it.
He had found it while rummaging through the desk a little earlier.
*Click-*
When the box opened, it revealed it was full of fancy women's hairpins.
“They all seem to belong to different women. Looking at his tendency to collect things like this.”
Karl clicked his tongue.
“This guy is a huge playboy.”
“You have good deductive skills. So. Think you can act like him?”
“It won't be impossible.”
***
‘Yes, you’re doing well.’
Eliza smiled coldly.
‘So he hits on any girl he sees? It's your true calling.’
Cleri Jesiang was the second prince of Jesiang, a magical kingdom in the center of the continent.
On top of that, he was skilled enough to become Lumerne's first-ever student council president.
A solid background and overwhelming skill.
Combined with his personality, he was a casanova who left a trail of romantic scandals in his wake.
Karl did his best to act the part of Cleri.
The more he did, the more murderous Eliza’s eyes became.
‘I might die when we’re alone later.’
All he was doing was his best at the task at hand!
Just as Karl was about to cry,
“I'd heard the rumors, but isn't he a complete horny colt?!”
A pathetic-sounding voice came from a distance.
An elf with her arms crossed was approaching them.
As the elf walked confidently toward them, her shoulders back, the female Lumerne students gathered around Karl began to murmur.
“That’s the student council president of Seirun.”
“What is it? Is she here to provoke us right before the exchange match?”
Karl narrowed his eyes as he looked at Seirun's student council president, Seira Tingel.
‘Seira Tingel. The Comet Sorcerer. Seirun’s younger sister.’
She was also the de facto founder of the Tingel family, which had no children.
“This colt! What a dopey-looking face he has!”
As Seira shouted with her arms crossed, looking down on him, the students began to murmur.
“Doesn't the Seirun student council president's personality seem a little different?”
“You’re right. Her speech is so rough. I heard she was an incredibly elegant person.”
‘This one… could it be…?’
Just as Karl looked at the somehow familiar Seira with a look of dawning realization,
“Don't you agree? Lord Azonia?”
“The books of the beastmen… are… more… in-interesting than I thought.”
“Gyaaaah! I told you not to do that with that face!”
“Hieeek?!”
Seira rushed at Azonia.
Azonia looked terrified as Seira, her face beet red, went wild.
Seeing this, Eliza understood the situation and covered her face.
Karl muttered blankly,
‘Seira is Argo, and Lord Azonia is Eiran.’