Chapter 91
Chapter 91
Episode 91
EP23 - Hand (1)
I was once registered in the Guinness Book of World Records. As the person who lived the most boring life in the world.
Of course, that was a lie, but it means I lived a life that was that boring. That didn't change even after I was reincarnated into a game.
When I woke up, I'd make coffee, read the domestic and international news, then do physical training, research [Illusion Magic], eat, and after that, I'd either train my Mana control or practice the [Colossus Soldier's Sword○]. The movements of my hand without [Activation].
In the end, I can now even flick a knuckle.
KWA-AAAAANG — !!
A shockwave erupts with deadly force.
It's a knuckle flick that's almost on par with siege weaponry.
Anyway. There wasn't really a reason for living such a boring life. It was simply due to my personality, which found little enjoyment in anything.
Back then, I used to pretend to enjoy things by following what others did… But after getting cancer, my thoughts changed. Instead of forcing myself to pretend to have fun, I decided to just live as a boring person.
Perhaps because I lived that way?
“Hey, hey. Did you see that?”
When I feel truly amused, I feel like a pinwheel spinning in my heart.
“Ah, the Hidden Dragon Society guy??”
Like now.
“……”
The place was a park bench.
I was enjoying my leisure time with a fedora pulled down over my face when the Students next to me started chatting.
“You saw it too? That was seriously amazing.”
“I always thought he was a bit of a punk, but after seeing the interview…”
“Gray? He’s surprisingly decent, isn’t he?”
“Yeah, yeah. He speaks coherently when he has something to say, and he didn’t back down when he had that standoff with the Kreutz guy…”
“Right, right. He must have been nervous.”
“If it were me, I would have stammered, not knowing what to say, and then cried out, ‘You f*ing b**…!’”
“Ahaha! Crazy.”
“But he was so composed, it was refreshing.”
“Hey, hey. The [Illusion Magic] is even more amazing.”
“Really?”
“I’m majoring in Assassination Illusion Magic, you know. I was puzzled when a freshman was chosen to represent the Academy. But after seeing his illusion magic, I totally understood. His level is incredibly high.”
“Ah. That’s why back at our dorm earlier, everyone gathered to watch the illusionary combat against Kreutz, and everyone was surprised…”
The senior Students continued to chatter for a long time after that.
It couldn't be helped.
This Assassination Daily wasn't just about a junior’s photoshoot. It symbolized the unfolding of an enormous opportunity where everyone’s future and livelihood were at stake.
“Hey, then can we go to the Empire too…?”
“That rumor about the Department opening up? I hope so…”
“Right. They say assassins’ prices triple when they go to the Empire…”
The [Betting Table] is a national event.
And Gray beautifully opened the gates to it.
By presenting a national image of a Hiaka assassin.
“We’re really going to make it big now, aren’t we…”
⋮
After that, the exciting times continued.
The response to the monthly Assassination Daily, which had only been released for less than a week, began to explode all over the world.
“Professor, Professor…!”
In the mansion’s living room, Adele thrust the [Assassin Town] towards me. Even though I usually avoided it, thinking it was just to see the kids’ reactions, I read it thoroughly today.
“All the recommendation posts are about Gray!”
It was true.
< Gray's Photoshoot Collection >
< Gray vs. Last 12 Months' Monthly Model Comparison >
< Kreutz Traitors Who Lost Their Front Page, What's Their Status LOL >
< No, are Kreutz ← These guys really f***ing idiots? Why did they butt into a solo shoot and set the stage? < That tattoo freak really likes it ㅡㅡ >
< ★Great Illusion Magic Genius★ The Empire and Overseas Reactions Are in Chaos Because of Gray >
< Does the Empire Fear Hiaka's Development? >
< Wow, f***. They're selling limited edition Habanero necklaces in Sector 9 of the Department right now. [Proof of Purchase] >
< Someone's already reselling. Report them. >
< Yo! Gray made a Starfield⧉ account! Follow him NOWWW >
< Gray X Elise, don't you think those two are a bit subtle? >
< Don't overreact just because they got popular for a bit. >
< Gray's Starfield⧉ followers surpassed 100,000 in just one day LOL >
< Isn't this really the best for a Hiaka assassin? < [Live] Just met Gray OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG >
< Predicting Gray's Monthly Assassination Daily Sales >
Good reactions and bad reactions.
Everything was about Gray.
I checked a few.
———
< Kreutz Traitors Who Lost Their Front Page, What's Their Status LOL >
Hagen Chief ← Starfield⧉ account deleted ㅋㅋ
Kyon Chief ← Attacked by an Imperial business's sewage treatment vehicle ㅋㅋㅋ
Gloomy Chief ← Skipped court appearance and is out of contact ㅋㅋㅋ Did he betray Kreutz again and go to Hiaka? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Battalion Chief ← This ultra-bastard is now facing an impromptu hearing for insulting the Kreutz royal family ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
———
Of course, I couldn't know if it was true. It was a post scraped from Imperial gossip sites.
But even half of it being true would be good.
It was incredibly satisfying.
And then?
< Don't overreact just because they got popular for a bit. >
Who is this idiot?
———
< Don't overreact just because they got popular for a bit. >
(Photo of Gray with the sun composited onto his face)
———
Hmm. I'll let it slide.
———
< Gray X Elise, don't you think those two are a bit subtle? >
Hello? This is the Spine Fairy. Lowest price for spinal surgery is 300,000 Hica. The spinal surgery process begins by cutting open the skin on the back with a knife, holding the skin with forceps on both sides, and then using a hammer and chisel to drive a finger-sized Stigmata nail into the center of the spine…
———
I straightened my hunched back.
Below that, there was an even more interesting tidbit.
———
< Predicting Gray's Monthly Assassination Daily Sales >
…….
———
It was a long prediction post.
Sales figures.
They are first tallied on the 10th day after release.
And are the 'measure of buzz' that garnishes the most attention.
Ultimately, if popularity or impact truly exists, it must translate into money for the Assassination Daily.
Otherwise, it's an illusion.
For example, when Rebecca became a model for the Weekly Assassination Daily. The royal family and the department supported her a lot, but the sales figures were just average, even for a weekly.
However… this time, the department's reaction is unusual.
‘How many copies is Gray selling?’
This is not just about immediate results.
It will determine the breadth of the stage where Gray will perform in the [Betting Table] in the long run.
He must sell a lot, no matter what.
The highest sales record for the Assassination Daily is 2.9 million copies by the youngest [Crux†]. (That person was the youngest Constellation in history, and simultaneously unified the divided sects and became the Saintess of the Holy Mother Church. They wore a bikini for the first time in the Assassination Daily, but it was revealed they were male right after release…)
That number is unattainable, of course.
In the last three years, the highest record was 410,000 copies. And that was with a significant gap from the second place.
‘I wonder. How many copies…’
The sales figures will be watched by Gray and everyone interested. Adults like numbers.
The prediction post estimated 200,000 copies, but that seemed unlikely.
The standard for a moderate success for the Monthly Assassination Daily is 50,000 copies, and 100,000 is a huge hit.
If I'm greedy, I hope for 80,000 copies.
‘The sales figures are announced in two days… But it’s strange. In the end, the forged time from [Peeping Star│ㅅㅇ)] actually helped.’
Ultimately, for something to succeed, the importance of marketing cannot be ignored.
In the forged time, the Monthly Assassination Daily, which was a huge hit because it was Gray (presumably due to an Amulet), meant that the marketing benefits lost then have been regained.
‘I’m grateful…’
Even if it’s a perverted nickname.
It’s also a star that cannot be replaced.
So, what is the protagonist of this situation doing right now?
Just then, a message arrived.
-
Gray: Professor
I looked at the [crystal ball] with a cheerful mood.
-
Gray: Save me ㅠ
-
Gray: ㅠㅠ
Gray sends cat emoticons.
The cat has a crying face, with its paws clasped together.
-
Me: ㅋㅋ
-
Me: You seem very busy.
-
Gray: If this continues, Gray will die ㅠㅠ
-
Me: What's your schedule like?
-
Gray: It's f***ing crazy, the Department lunatics.
-
Gray: I was summoned to the royal palace five days ago, finished all my appointments, came back at dawn yesterday, and slept at 4 AM. Today, from 8 AM, I was scheduled as a Department promotional model for photoshoots, and I just got back. I have another appointment in 3 minutes ㅠ It's for the Habanero necklace shoot in Sector 9.
-
Gray: They're insane, seriously, f*** ㅠㅠ
-
Gray: If this is how it is, just give me a rope so I can hang myself.
-
Me: ㅋㅋ
-
Me: Ask for a necklace instead.
-
Gray: Shut up haha ugh
Even hearing it makes me sick.
Is this like an idol's schedule?
It seems like a torment for Gray, who is usually a bit lazy.
-
Me: Handle it yourself.
-
Gray: Ah, please save me, don't do that.
-
Gray: Professor, you can get me out of this, right? ㅠ
-
Gray: We have our second class today… Huh??
I thought another emoticon came, but this time it was a photo.
Gray with a sad expression, hands clasped together.
-
Gray: Please… ㅠ
-
Me: Good luck.
Then, messages like "Traitor," "I changed your name in my contacts to Dantalion," "A professor is always responsible for what they tame…" (Where did he learn such things?)… came before it cut off.
Meanwhile, some might have this question.
How can an assassin gain fame?
Isn't it a profession that requires stealth?
It was a question I had before playing the game.
But once I started playing, I realized.
First, assassins in this game are used like missiles.
And even if they perform actual assassinations, there are no problems.
1.
An assassin can choose whether or not to publicize their assassination records.
For example, Elise.
I suspect she has quite a lot of assassination experience. However, her portfolio is surprisingly clean.
She was never caught, nor did she choose to publicize her records.
In this state, if Elise fights well in the Empire, 'Assassin Elise' can become famous.
However…
2.
Those who wish to hire assassins prefer to see portfolios rather than simple rankings.
This is where the dilemma begins.
If you publicize assassination records, you make enemies.
If you don't publicize assassination records, you have no achievements.
For example, 'Professor Hakon,' who is known to have been killed by me, succeeded in numerous assassinations, and was either caught or publicized them.
Because his targets included Professor Leo's younger sibling, he earned his lasting animosity.
But assassins don't want to die either.
This was the origin of the first division between the Black Path and the White Path.
Even if they assassinate others, they needed a fence so that others couldn't harm them.
…There are other stories, like many assassins fabricating non-existent group assassination records to put on their portfolios for nominal experience, but they aren't very important.
-
Gray: I'm dying.
At that moment, another message arrived.
He must be suffering again, captured in Sector 9.
-
Me: I will live.
-
Gray: Eeh?? ㅠㅠ Don't live, die.
-
Me: I will live happily.
-
Gray: Don't ㅠㅠㅠ Don't leave Gray and live happily alone ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
I laughed without realizing it.
In any case, I was resting in peace, and it was good just to watch the success I had created with my own hands.
Whether Gray suffers or not is none of my business, is it?
As long as I'm at ease.
……Because I thought that, I was soon punished.
On the way to the faculty meeting before the break, in the hallway. I had skipped all other meetings wanting to rest, but this one was mandatory, so I was heading there when suddenly professors rushed at me with shouts of, "It's Professor Dante!!"
Like a horde of zombies.
“Senior Professor Dante! Could we possibly talk for a moment!?”
“No, just a moment…! I was here first? Chief Baekwa is asking if you have a moment…”
“D-Professor Dante, would you have time after the meeting!? I have a great proposal for you…!”
Countless professors surrounded me, trying to abduct me. What is this?
It wasn't just one or two people; both Black Path and White Path members were mixed in, and even a Chief Professor was among them. Wilhelm, why is this guy here too?
“Professor Dante…! Can I get your autograph, just one…!”
What kind of autograph?
So, by piecing together what everyone was saying, I realized.
It seemed that in other meetings, the assistant professors and Wilhelm had indirectly described my role.
Regarding this trip to the Empire, taking the princess, modifying Gray's attire, betting on the Assassination Daily, defeating the Kreutz Chief Professor in an illusionary combat, etc.
In the midst of this, wasn't the very reason Gray was featured in the Assassination Daily due to my illusion magic?
As a result, it seemed a rumor began circulating in the department.
【 ‘If Professor Dante takes you on as a student, you're guaranteed to hit it big in the Empire!’ 】
【 ‘Assassination Squad! There are still 2 vacancies in Dante’s Assassination Squad… If only we could put our Marina in there…!!’ 】
Oh my god.
The door to the Empire was opening, and all the professors were on the verge of a great opportunity. If they entrusted their students to me for a moment, and they became a sensation in the Empire like Gray, what immense honor would they gain?
Three ways to increase a professor's reputation: military strength, research, and students. The scope of students has expanded unbelievably.
Moreover, I happened to be neutral, making me an easy person to approach.
【 ‘Put a bell on Gray’s neck, negotiate with the princess, and manage to make the Imperial photoshoot a huge success… Dean Ezekiel was right. Professor Dante was born with Golden Hands…’ 】
What is that supposed to mean?
The Dean of the Magic Department seemed to have given me a strange nickname.
Indeed, everyone's gaze was fixed on my hands.
【 ‘I need those Golden Hands…’ 】
【 ‘If only my child could be held by those hands…’ 】
Their eyes were gradually turning mad.
And their legs were twitching as if about to pounce.
Uh oh, don't come any closer.
“Wait.”
I quickly raised my hand.
I calmed the professors whose eyes were blazing with fervor. With a firm voice.
The professors hesitated for a moment.
“But, what is that over there?”
“What do you mean, ‘that’?”
“Hmm? What is there…?”
Everyone turned their heads following my finger.
“Whoa! Dante’s running away!”
“Hey, hey! Catch him! Catch him!!”
“Someone catch Professor Dante thereeeee…!!”