Chapter 67
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Where Should I Go?
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I'm cursed with the worst handwriting.
If I had to make some lame excuse, it might be because I taught myself how to hold a pen.
Back in my previous life, during the basic education funded by the state.
I have no idea how much I ruined those sharp pencil leads the first time I gripped one.
Even after becoming an adult, someone pointed out that my habit of gripping the pen way too short was the problem, but I had no intention of fixing it.
Contract signatures? There are seals or thumbprints for that, and it doesn't matter if I scribble them out lightning-fast. Plus, with computers around, I never had to write by hand in daily life anyway.
The time and effort it would take to break that short-grip habit and correct my handwriting was massive, so rehabilitation? Rejected.
But every now and then, I do think it might've been nice if I'd fixed it back then.
Scritch- scratch-
"Agh..."
I pressed down hard with the black ink, scribbling onto the notebook at breakneck speed.
It had been a while since I'd held a pen, and combining that with the speed made my writing an absolute mess.
The high-quality memories and info swirling in my head right now—what if they evaporated and vanished?
The moment I escaped the bookmark of memories and opened my eyes, I pulled out the notebook and started writing.
'Bet I won't miss anything...?'
For now, jot it down fast, then copy it neatly onto another notebook later—that was my resolution as I kept my hand moving nonstop.
What had I done inside that bookmark?
Sitting in place, with diluted liquor and a notebook at hand, I'd cleared Akarite twice.
Using cheats and trainers that I'd never touched before.
'On a business trip all the way to Iran, and my luggage was that pathetic?'
The virtual world wouldn't let my body step outside the cabin.
Even if the door opened, there was a time limit on the space, so I had no plans to leisurely stroll the streets anyway.
I started the game dormant in the library and even used cheats.
The point I observed most carefully was the continental events unfolding from the end of Lofty Academy's first semester.
From Robert's perspective—whose goal was to leave this dimension—anything outside the academy wasn't his concern.
So I ignored the main story entirely and moved only outside the academy.
Clearing side quests en masse, I gathered rumors and info from NPC dialogue I'd normally glossed over.
Gamer or not, events that resolved on their own without Robert's interference were crucial to me.
The result?
There were a few incidents and agendas the imperial family might entrust to me right now.
But the requests I'd taken and the stuff I'd stirred up with Rike could trigger butterfly effects.
Especially black mage requests tied deep into the power structure—like those involving Nematos— I'd need to think long and hard before accepting.
"..."
The most likely incident the imperial family—currently using Eclair as a messenger to summon me—would entrust was...
A labyrinth or a pleasure city.
'I could handle both if they requested them.'
Having cross-verified all the hazy info, I felt confident.
This intel was for me, not Robert.
With clear, abundant information, my mind brimmed with confidence and security.
Plus, the ambiguous time left after the second Akarite clear naturally led me to pore over the detailed settings for the Dreitna sisters.
I'd never dived into character setting books for anyone but Rike while playing the game...
But things were different now.
Building rapport wouldn't hurt. And their real-life reactions were more entertaining than anything.
'Unlike Chloe, Eclair prefers bitter and sour flavors with depth over sweetness, and she has significant difficulties in interpersonal relationships—'
Rumination works better if I mutter it aloud.
Thud-!
Once I'd jotted down all the necessary info, I rolled the pen across the table.
A short break, then neatly rewrite it in a fresh notebook, and I'd be done.
"Whew."
It's no illusion that focusing on writing for one or two hours tires me out more than fighting all day in a dungeon.
'Yeah, if it's not physical labor, I just can't hack it...'
Closing my eyes for rest, I could keenly feel my own aptitudes.
A desk job rolling a pen? Not for me.
..
..
Screech-
I nudged the chair with my foot, lost in thought.
'If I pick up some flowers on the way back, will Rike like that?'
Tomorrow was Lofty Academy's first-semester closing ceremony.
Just the end of one semester, but with all the notable nobles gathering, it was never a simple affair.
The scale had grown so massive it could pass for a graduation ceremony.
Rike seemed dissatisfied with the lengthening timeline and added hassle.
But there was no helping it, so she'd gone to the academy to finish the last class of the semester.
Meanwhile, since today was the day I'd scheduled with Eclair, I was in the Adventurer's Guild reception room.
Arriving with time to spare, I passed the moments peeling and eating the grapes on the table.
'Good instincts.'
She must've liked that single gold coin last time—the receptionist had given me grapes I could eat skin-on.
By the time over half the plump, abundant bunch had vanished into my mouth.
A VIP had arrived.
Knock! Knock!
—I'm coming in.
A voice markedly softer, less stern and rigid than before.
Without waiting for my reply, the door opened.
Creeak-
"We meet often?"
"...So it seems."
Clank!
Today, Eclair wore armor instead of her uniform—likely from handling knight commander duties.
Her helmet tucked at her side, only her pale face peeking out.
Her signature ponytail was gone, replaced by a neat updo bun.
'Born knight through and through.'
Her transcendent physique probably made the armor feel light, but it was no small discomfort for most.
Born to a knightly house, her expression remained steadfastly solemn.
My eyes flicked past Eclair to the man standing behind her.
A face oddly familiar despite it being our first meeting.
"Who might you be again? Your face rings a bell."
One knight standing at her rear, helmet in hand.
His gaze toward me was far from friendly—like he might draw his sword any second—which oddly felt welcoming.
"Before we discuss the request... I wanted to apologize for the previous incident."
"...Apologize? For what?"
She stood ramrod straight without sitting, reciting like it was an official document, so I just watched without nitpicking.
"The Harun Empire has strived to maintain a smooth relationship and build trust with Roman, the platinum adventurer affiliated with the Adventurer's Guild."
"..."
At Eclair's glance, the man behind her masked his negativity and stepped forward.
"If a mere knight's actions crack the trust we've built thus far, that falls under the commander's responsibility for failing to supervise the field properly."
Classic line: the superior takes responsibility for the subordinate's mistakes.
"We disciplined Leo Floyd of the Silverwing Knights for that prior incident. But to erase any lingering resentment, he personally begged to apologize. Can you accept it?"
The name and mention of discipline jogged my memory.
It was around when Eclair had brought up the request and apologized repeatedly.
The rude-mouthed punk whose nose I'd broken before.
"Now I remember. Go on, then."
No reason to refuse this entertaining show from a guy who clearly hated doing it.
"Leo Floyd, step forward."
At Eclair's command, the man approached me.
Clank- clank-
The moment he passed his superior Eclair, his expression screamed utter reluctance.
Which only heightened my anticipation for what he'd say.
After grinding his teeth for a long while, he dipped his head slightly and mumbled in a tiny voice.
"No ill intent... but sorry."
No follow-up after that four-syllable bombshell.
"That's it?"
"?"
His face screamed, Isn't that enough? What more do you want?
If he'd aimed to sour my mood, it was masterful rhetoric.
'What a poorly raised...'
I wonder if he noticed Eclair behind him glaring like she could kill.
I sighed, picked up the scrawny remnants of the grape bunch, and stood.
Brushing past the dumbstruck man, I positioned myself beside Eclair.
"That attitude just crushed my delicate feelings... Forget the request; I wanna go home and knock back some drinks."
I draped one arm over her pauldron.
The cool metal chilled my skin.
Worried I might storm out without hearing the imperial request she'd brought.
She froze, tense, staring straight ahead.
"I apologize. Despite extra training... My subordinate's shortcomings are my failure as his leader..."
She started that way.
But she'd dragged in this bomb I didn't need to see just to apologize cleanly—no way I'd chew her out for it.
"Still—! I can't make my friend suffer just 'cause I'm in a bad mood. Apology accepted, so let's hear the request."
At "friend," the man's neck nearly snapped as he whipped toward me.
No matter how his subordinate gawked, Eclair visibly relaxed and exhaled the breath she'd held.
I patted her pauldron and addressed the man with the ridiculous expression.
"Hey! Don't make life harder for your hardworking boss. Screw up, and you'll get sausage for breakfast or what?"
Grind-
'Tasty reaction.'
The knight glared murderously, gnashing his teeth like he'd shatter them.
Hearing it, Eclair's eyes sharpened, regaining her dignity.
"Leo Floyd. Stand at attention outside until we're done... We'll discuss your deviation from training later."
"...Understood."
I thought he'd snap and draw his sword.
But hey, human enough to know basic judgment.
Creeak- thud!
The reception room door shut.