103. Experienced
103. Experienced
He gave off a strong impression of being an honor student.
He kept his black hair trimmed to shoulder length for easy maintenance.
He wasn't ugly, but his face wasn't beautiful enough to be called handsome either—just mediocre, with freckles sprinkled across it.
His clothes gave it away too.
He wore clothes that looked neat, but they were worn in places.
It was as if he had bought them when he first enrolled, determined not to fall behind, and had kept wearing them for years.
"I'm Rio. I'm a 3rd-year, and this is my third Hunting Festival. Want to team up with me?"
"With me...?"
"Yeah!! It'll be hard to find a teammate like me. I've consistently stayed in the top 10 ever since I enrolled... and last Hunting Festival, I even placed in the top 5. Sounds good, right?"
Amy was extremely flustered by the sudden proposal to team up.
No matter how much she searched her memory, she had never seen a sunbae named Rio before.
"Um... have we met before...?"
"Nope, this is our first meeting."
"Could I ask why you're asking a total stranger like me to be your Hunting Festival teammate?"
They were strangers who knew nothing about each other—so why had he offered to team up with her?
A teammate was a truly crucial element in the Hunting Festival.
No matter how controlled the prey was in the shallower areas, the Black Forest was still the Black Forest.
If you took it lightly, naturally, accidents happened and led to serious injuries.
Since bonus points and even prize money were on the line, it was a choice that had to be made with great care—so why make a sudden proposal to someone he just met? Amy wondered what kind of person he was.
If he had a valid reason, she'd gladly join, but if not, she intended to politely refuse.
Just then, snickering laughter came from behind Rio.
"Keke. Hey, stop bullying the underclassman."
"Don't you guys have anything better to do? Quit following me!"
Several students were watching Rio and sneering.
Judging by the color of their brooches, they appeared to be 3rd-years like Rio.
Every single one of them was a recommendation admit student, while Rio was an exam admission student.
"Hey, newbie, let me give you some advice. If you team up with that guy, you'll definitely regret it. Twenty people in the same year already turned him down flat. That's why he's grabbing onto you now, since you don't know anything."
"That's not true!"
"Not true? Should I recite the list of the twenty students who rejected you?"
"They kept interfering, so everyone refused... There's nothing wrong with me!"
The sneering 3rd-year student looked utterly despicable to Amy.
How many people could look favorably upon that kind of behavior?
She could accept that Rio had been rejected by students in his own year.
But someone who memorized and recited exactly who he'd been rejected by, in such detail, was incredibly unpleasant.
Amy tried to recall what had happened moments ago.
Rio had been chased by someone before colliding with Amy.
'Did he follow him around and record all that? What a creepy guy.'
Had he really been tailing Rio all day long, obstructing him one by one?
Thinking that Rio had entered this maze-like general store to escape that group, his situation seemed terribly pitiful.
"Do you seriously think you'll get anywhere by acting like that? Wake up."
The student who had spoken first stepped forward.
"Hey, you really think you can get ahead like this? Wake up."
The student advanced step by step toward Rio, and Rio stepped backward.
With every backward step, Rio's complexion grew paler.
"Yeah, just leave him be. His scholarship's been cut off anyway, so he'll have to pack his bags and leave the academy soon. Keke."
"You tell me to stop following, but that hurts. If I don't see you now, when will I, right?"
"You acted all cocky just 'cause your grades were good, and now look at you. Did you seriously think you could stand above us?"
As they neared a shelf, the student's hand stretched out and nudged Rio's shoulder.
Normally, it would have been nothing more than a momentary push, but Rio's physical condition wasn't normal.
Shoved on the shoulder, Rio lost his balance, fell backwards, and crashed into the shelf.
-Clatterbang!!
"Ugh!!"
It didn't seem like he hit the back of his head, but as his body struck the shelf, several miscellaneous items inside came clattering down onto the floor.
"Stop it!"
This was going too far.
She couldn't stand by and watch any longer. The moment she resolved to step in, even at the risk of friction with the 3rd-years—
[Impact detected. Protection protocol initiated.]
Suddenly, the shelf split into two, and a golem with a blunt, blocky form emerged from within.
[Cause identified: dispute among students. Students, please exit promptly.]
"What's wrong with this golem??"
[Resistance will result in forcible enforcement.]
"Aaaagh??"
When they didn't comply obediently, the multiple hands attached to the golem's body seized the students right in front of it and lifted them up.
"You stupid tin can, put me down right now!! Do you have any idea what family I'm from, treating me like this?!"
"Who's controlling this thing?!"
The captured students struggled, but the golem's grip was too strong, rendering their efforts useless.
"Let's run while we can."
"Oh...!"
Amy took the opportunity to grab Rio and escape the maze-like general store.
——————————————
"Here's some cold water."
"...Thanks."
Having fled the commotion inside the general store, Amy supported Rio and withdrew to a secluded garden with few people around.
Rio took the wide bottle cap that could be used like a cup, drank the water, and slowly regulated his breathing.
She could see his frantic, rapid breaths gradually calming down.
"Um... what just happened back there...."
"...You saw an ugly side of your sunbae... sorry...."
Rio couldn't meet her eyes, seemingly embarrassed by what had just transpired.
"You asked why I offered to team up with you?"
"Yes."
"I got rejected by everyone in my own year... I'm just grabbing anyone who's going to participate in the Hunting Festival and asking them to add me as a teammate..."
"Your credentials seemed good, but you were rejected by everyone in your year...?"
She truly couldn't understand him being rejected by absolutely everyone.
If the credentials Rio had initially mentioned were true, he was a highly capable person—so why did he have no teammates?
"I got on the bad side of... the professors and the nobles, for being cocky.
I should've just been satisfied with barely maintaining grades good enough for a scholarship, but I aimed for the top of the year instead....
I'd already gotten several warnings for being cocky, so now I'm completely out.
I should've just been satisfied with being able to study at the academy on a scholarship....
The professors must have made up their minds, because they're only giving me C's on all my assignments.
They're not inferior to other students' work, but they won't even meet with me. At this rate, I won't be able to keep the scholarship...."
An exam admission student being unable to receive a scholarship at the academy led to only one outcome.
'Voluntary withdrawal.'
The academy's tuition wasn't free; it was quite expensive.
For a lord with a territory, it was a reasonably affordable sum, but for an ordinary commoner, it was an enormous amount of money they couldn't even dream of.
For retainers serving the nation, the Empire subsidized their tuition, but there was no such thing for commoners.
Instead, exam admission students always had to study hard and earn scholarships to qualify to remain at the academy.
If they couldn't pay the tuition, they would first be evicted from the dormitory, then banned from entering the academy buildings, forcing them to leave across the bridge.
"I thought if my skills were outstanding, I could overcome a humble background. I didn't even realize everyone was just going easy on me...."
Rio wore a hollow smile.
-What are you so shocked about? You nearly went through the same thing.
As she stood there in a daze, Companion spoke to her, snapping her back to her senses.
'That's... true....'
Come to think of it, Amy had nearly been targeted by the recommendation admit students several times too.
Her face had become known on the first day of the entrance ceremony, so many students thought she was an easy target and bothered her in various ways.
-That's why I told you to just take it when the nobles harassed you. If you fight back half-heartedly and only get aggressive, you won't withstand the storm and will just break.
There were hard times to endure, but Companion simply told her to stay still and take it.
Saying that the ones who came were all idiots anyway, and they'd leave once they satisfied their sense of superiority.
Back then, it was hard to understand why she had to just take it, but now she could see it all clearly.
-If you're going to do it, you have to be thorough like Atlas, truly determined, ready to smash and destroy everything. The moment they find a weakness, you get eaten up like that. Since you wouldn't be able to do that, placating them was the easier path.
Amy realized anew just how fortunate she had been.
If Liber hadn't stepped up... if Atlas hadn't stepped forward and diverted all the attention onto himself...
Just imagining it was terrifying.
She would have survived somehow, but she thought she wouldn't have been able to enjoy her time at the academy as happily as she did now.
"You might not know me, but I've seen you a couple of times in passing."
"Me?"
"That small kid you hang around with... is there anyone at the academy who doesn't know him?"
"Don't say things like that carelessly. If he heard that anywhere nearby, he would've come running right over."
He was saying something dangerous, so she cut him off quickly.
If Atlas had been nearby, he would have come running the instant he heard those words.
"Uh... it's that bad?"
"Yes."
"I'll be careful...."
When Amy spoke with utmost seriousness, Rio realized it wasn't a joke and covered his mouth with his hand.
"Right... if you teamed up with someone like me who's been blacklisted by those guys, it'd only bring harm to you... I did a really shitty thing..."
Rio laughed hollowly, as if he had resigned himself to everything.
She wanted to team up with him if possible, but worry came first.
If she teamed up with someone the entire 3rd-year class had conspired to bully, what kind of demerits would arise?
Would they be prevented from participating in the Hunting Festival even after signing up, or something?
As she was agonizing, Companion spoke to her again.
-Amy, team up with that person.
'You're recommending this? Why??'
-If he doesn't find a team now, he'll likely end up making a contract with a demon.
'............. Really?'
-What do you think awaits in that person's future if he can't find teammates?
Only a nerve-wracking period of deciding when to submit his withdrawal form awaited him. And such a weak heart is the easiest thing for demons to exploit.
Hearing even that, she could no longer refuse.
This was practically blackmail to force her into teaming up.
They were saying if he didn't, he'd contract a demon, and if he ended up becoming a Magically Infected Human, there was a high probability Amy would have to deal with it herself.
"... Let's... team up."
"Really??"
----------------------------------------
Atlas, having emptied all the milk in the cafe, parted ways with Liber.
Liber said he would go meet Amy and ask her to be in his team, and since I had confirmed I wasn't participating, we all needed to gather and decide what to do during the Hunting Festival period.
"You stupid tin can, put me down right now!! Do you have any idea what family I'm from, treating me like this?!"
"Who's controlling this thing?!"
As I tried to pass by the general store where people were murmuring, a golem standing about 2 meters tall came clanking out of the store's entrance.
A student was held in each of its arms.
They all thrashed and tried to escape, but the golem didn't even budge.
[Continuous disturbances within this establishment will negatively affect your grades. Please exercise caution.]
"Aaaagh!!! I won't let that golem off easy..!!"
"Hey.. hey, hold it in, that thing's academy property!!"
It seemed they had caused a commotion inside the general store and were being dragged out by a security golem.
The world's really going to hell. People should know basic manners—how could they cause a ruckus inside a general store?
"What're you looking at, huh!! Got something to gawk at??"
One of the three students, still not having cooled down, lashed out wildly, threatening everyone around and hurling insults.
He was like some obnoxious drunk causing a disturbance in a tavern.
The student, looking around as if searching for prey, fixed his gaze on me.
He kept snickering and acting pissy, so I didn't avert my eyes and just stared quietly back.
Then he suddenly exploded with rage.
"What, you're not lowering your eyes! You cheeky little runt, just because—!!"
-Ppak!!
The male student's jaw violently snapped to the side.
"Khuck???"
"Has this guy lost his damn mind, really."
I thought maybe not, but then he immediately barked some bullshit, so my fist flew.
What was this, picking a fight with someone just trying to quietly pass by?
The male student, his jaw knocked askew, collapsed to the floor trembling, foam forming at his mouth.
"Gasp!! Hey... hey, are you okay??"
"Hey, breathe, will you??"
Right now, he looked like a corpse, but I hadn't hit him hard enough to kill him.
"Jeez, what a weirdo to run into. No luck at all today..."
Leaving the half-dead idiot drooling foam behind, I walked on my way.