Chapter 8
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Seria and Liliane
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"And with that, the introduction to 'Practical Combat 1' is over. We'll see the Swordsmanship Department students who choose the class next time."
The Knight Department cadets looked at my solution with expressions like they'd witnessed some grotesque cosmic horror.
The Swordsmanship Department, on the other hand, was mostly surprised at first but quickly accepted the method.
Two departments with starkly different temperaments.
What was meant to be just a simple class as a means to an end might turn out more interesting than expected.
"Everyone, eat a good lunch."
There'd be no need to come to the academy until the first actual class.
In the meantime, the protagonist would head to Red Myer upon hearing about a grimoire on dimensions, but the book would be a bust, and I'd already consumed the elixir, so nothing would change.
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Tap. Tap. Tap.
Back home, I tapped the table with my fountain pen as I read through the records.
Lately, I felt like I was reading more books than in my entire life.
I was rereading about three of them, but my focus would occasionally crumble.
"Urgh—"
There's this saying.
(In 'Akarite,' the more abstract the skill description, the better.)
To unpack what that means: among the many skills I possess...
[Bullseye - C]
▷ Throwing weapon accuracy increases by 50%.
...something like this is less impressive than...
[Blood Ghost - A]
▷ Physical abilities increase proportional to bleeding amount.
▷ Physical abilities increase the lower stamina is.
▷ Resistance to bleeding increases.
Skills without such precise details tend to be of higher rank.
True to the game's subtitle, the protagonist starts with light-related skills at B-rank, which grow all the way to SSS just before returning to Korea.
The heroines each begin with enviable skills of their own, but the standout one is currently held by Rike Skadi.
[Piercing Gaze - S]
▷ Pierces and discerns.
A skill born at S-rank, with an explanation at the pinnacle of abstraction.
She probably couldn't wield it properly yet and was struggling.
Before she could receive proper training, her family was destroyed.
No—it's inevitable since she acquires it the moment the incident happens.
Originally, she learns to handle it while traveling with the protagonist after resolving the incident.
"Maybe I should toss out a few keywords in class..."
Come to think of it, that's wishful thinking too.
It'd only work if she took my class.
"Argh—trying to do something not in my fate is no easy task~"
A sigh I couldn't hold back escaped me. I chucked the book into my Inventory and flopped onto the bed.
Seria Electra had been the daughter of a baron's family since birth.
The youngest of three sons and three daughters.
I'd never known hardship.
My father told me to leverage my natural looks for marriage alliances that would benefit the family.
As long as I did that, I could continue this smooth life.
A life without a single worry.
One where I offloaded headaches onto others and lived like a doll, without opinions or assertions.
As the daughter of House Electra, I thought that was only natural.
But my sister was different. Always kind and never raising her voice, she defied her fate.
My sister left the family to find her own path.
Leaving me just one letter.
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"Sisssster—!"
"Seria!"
She came running and threw herself into Liliane's arms.
Liliane scooped up the smaller Seria and spun her around in the capital's plaza.
Gazes gathered on them, but the two ignored it.
For Seria, the joy of entering the academy paled next to seeing her sister more often than before.
Previously, it was once a year.
Twice if luck was really on her side.
But now, free from their parents' watchful eyes, she could stay as close to her sister as possible.
Holding her sister's soft hand, they entered the restaurant.
"No classes today, huh?"
Her sister looked at her with eyes full of affection.
"I have to pick subjects and make a schedule by tomorrow! Today was just a basic intro."
"Hmm~ That's intriguing."
Seria paused with a tomato halfway to her mouth, suddenly recalling some info.
"Right! Speaking of which, there's this adventurer instructor who showed up... but something felt off about him..."
"Ahaha— W-where exactly?"
Liliane's smile held, but the corners of her eyes twitched faintly.
Seria didn't notice and kept talking.
"He doesn't look that old, but they say he's Platinum rank? Does someone like that even exist? Maybe he's lying to scare us..."
The Electra barony was far from the capital.
Complete opposites, end to end.
Without using gates, it took serious resolve just to make the trip.
Even news of top adventurer Urus completing a request took ages to reach the barony.
And Roman had only recently hit Platinum, plus he'd minimized public announcements on purpose, so even an adventurer buff like Seria wouldn't know right away.
"...That guy's probably Platinum for real."
"Really? Someone that young... Is he stronger than Uncle Rak?"
Liliane just smiled at the tough question.
Rak might've shed bloody tears hearing that.
The youngest newbie to society didn't fully grasp the authority of adventurer ranks yet.
Or maybe she just didn't want to believe it.
Knowing Seria admired Rak as her sturdy frontline, Liliane debated whether to spell it out coldly.
"Hmm..."
Liliane had seen Roman complete a request once.
She'd bumped into him by sheer luck on his way back.
That man was on another level.
He looked human, but it was hard to see him as one.
Sometimes, even mid-nag, she'd snap to and feel a chill.
Ten people charging him wouldn't stand a chance...
Seria's eyes sparkled too brightly.
After agonizing, Liliane decided to defer to the man himself.
"...That's a tough one. Why don't you ask Rak directly next time?"
"Got it!"
After their simple meal and grabbing dessert, Seria arrived at Liliane's place humming a tune as she plated sliced cake on cute dishes.
Watching Seria devour it the moment it was ready, Liliane felt a twinge of worry.
With the recent academy incident and all, if she wasn't around in the capital, no one could protect Seria.
Rak was in her party too, so he'd be away naturally.
"Seria."
"Yeah?"
"If something dangerous happens when I'm not there... like at the academy."
"I'll run without looking back! I know that much."
For nobles, duty and dignity mattered, but not more than life itself.
Liliane now fully embraced an adventurer's values.
She'd drilled it into Seria every meeting, so Seria got it.
"If you can't even run and things get chaotic, stick right by that adventurer instructor. Got it?"
"...Adventurers don't work for free, though. What if he ditches me? Or saves me and then demands money..."
"I'll handle that somehow. Promise? And no guy's gonna ignore a cutie like you."
"Jeez... But I haven't decided on classes yet anyway. Guess I should take it?"
She'd always said she wanted to be an adventurer someday.
Liliane knew the reality and wanted to dissuade her, but couldn't stop the girl who'd set her sights on following in her footsteps.
"You absolutely should! Begging teachings from a Platinum..."
Many had invited Roman—who soloed requests at breakneck speed—to join parties.
But he'd never partied up once.
Once word spread, droves sought to become his disciple.
Women offered to handle chores, even nights, no request fees needed.
Plenty claimed to be beauties.
Men naturally craved beauties, especially since Roman voiced it openly.
His occasional flirty behavior fueled it too.
Yet he'd rejected them all, surprisingly.
A 'Platinum' whose teachings even gold couldn't buy.
One of the elite few among hordes of adventurers.
The imperial family occasionally requested him, so his rep was solid.
A man with that resume, yet no disciple to casually boss around.
Skill aside, the chance might never come again.
Even if classes sucked, it'd build rapport.
The cadets didn't grasp the class's true value. After Liliane's monologue, Seria nodded.
"O-okay. That amazing, huh... Wait, do you know him, Sis? You know so much."
"...News travels fast among adventurers."
"Heehee—adventurers all get along great."
Unless Roman brought it up first, admitting she knew him would invite annoying favors.
Her own advice to rely on him in danger was borderline too.
But for her sister, she'd do anything—even if her eyes rolled back saying it, leaving a slight unease.
Haa—guess I gotta apologize when I see him...