Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: Demon Sword Forte (7) - Efficiency and Inefficiency
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Though he had retired now, the old bureaucrat who had worked at the Golden Cloud Palace in the empire just a few years ago, teaching administrative duties to the Crown Prince, said:
"Even if someone is good at their job, the finer details can be broken down in various ways."
"Quick with calculations to handle paperwork efficiently, strong stamina to endure long tasks, sharp observation to catch even minor issues, high focus to avoid wasting time. Any of these make for an excellent bureaucrat."
"Your Highness the Crown Prince was born with the qualities of an outstanding bureaucrat in all those areas. If not for his bloodline and position, he could have overseen administrative duties as prime minister without issue. Ah, keep this between us. The sword instructors or magic tutors who call themselves his masters will grumble that he's one of theirs."
"I got sidetracked. As I said, the Crown Prince excelled as a bureaucrat. But what he truly specialized in wasn't calculation speed, stamina, observation, or focus. He was exceptional in all those, but his greatest strength was his knack for getting things done."
"For example, suppose you need to obtain a pair of leather shoes, some mountain berries, and a flute. One man goes to the market for the shoes, picks berries in the forest, and works at a music shop to earn the flute."
"Another man hunts a single beast, gives the bones to an instrument maker, the hide to a shoemaker, and asks a village child nearby to gather the berries. He covers the costs by selling the meat."
"The first man spends a lot of time, money, and effort. The second spends little of either. That's the difference in knack."
"When handling tasks, His Highness didn't just tackle them head-on. He first grasped the overall workload. He figured out which tasks aided others, which could be done simultaneously, and then completed them in the most efficient order. Even for the same tasks, he continually found and refined slightly more efficient methods each time."
"Well... once efficiency reached a certain point, there were no further gains, and people said he'd maxed it out. But I see it differently."
"He realized that pushing efficiency further would just create more work. The other so-called masters should realize that too. Tsk tsk."
"Still, I'm curious. If he ignored others' opinions and consequences and went all out, just how far could he go?"
《The first rewards to secure should be those boosting stamina, endurance, vitality—anything that extends action time. In the same number of days, more activity means more opportunities.》
Aerobic exercise was added to Pina's daily routine every morning.
《Handle subjugation quests and gathering quests together whenever possible. For example, take a hide quest when hunting horned rabbits, or a mucus collection quest when slaying slimes. It's even better to take multiple types at once, but watch the stacking limits.》
She frequented the dungeon inside the academy grounds day after day, her bag always stuffed full.
《Normally, growing stronger without real combat experience isn't ideal, but luckily, Contractor, you're already beyond basics in swordsmanship and physical techniques. Skip the lower levels and target the ones above. Your stats will rise faster, and you'll accumulate points quicker.》
She charged straight into high-risk zones that even upperclassmen hesitated to enter, swinging her demon sword wildly amid screams.
Thud.
Pina collapsed face-first onto her bed upon returning to her room.
Forte's advice was undeniably effective.
Even without seeing the quests directly, just from Pina roughly reading them aloud, Forte devised optimal routes to clear them. Sometimes, he even predicted what quests would unlock next before the current ones finished.
It had been a week since she enrolled.
While others considered 300 points a lot, she had already amassed over 5,000 alone, and her point accumulation speed was accelerating.
At this rate, graduating in half a year as Forte promised might actually be possible.
However, if asked whether Pina was satisfied with this, the answer was a resounding no.
'I... have to keep this up... for half a year?'
She preferred quiet solitude over rowdy socializing, holing up in her room over wandering outside.
For such a Pina, this grueling schedule was something she desperately wanted to avoid.
Originally, she'd aimed to pass the Skypiercing Academy entrance exam to dodge 24/7 sweaty close-contact training with her dad if she failed. Yet the demon sword's regimen seemed even more intense, if anything.
Still face-down on the bed, she lifted her head just slightly and said:
"D-Demon Sword, sir?"
《What's wrong?》
"D-Do you think half a year might be pushing it?"
《No, it's entirely feasible.》
The demon sword firmly denied her words.
《This academy has all sorts of facilities. Beyond basic training grounds and sparring arenas, there are labyrinths teeming with artificial monsters and shops selling special gear. It's optimized for cycles of combat, power-ups, and rest. Plus, you're no total novice with solid skills, so gathering the target points won't take long.》
"Agh."
Pina could only groan in response.
If she could just toss the demon sword aside here and say she couldn't handle the hardship, her life might have turned out differently. But Pina couldn't bring herself to do it.
If she could have, she wouldn't have ended up in this mess to begin with.
《Hmm.》
Forte gazed steadily at Pina as she groaned in dejection.
No matter how powerful Forte’s own abilities were, at its core, it was a sword.
To unleash true power, its wielder Pina had to grow stronger. Only then could it decisively counter demonic interference.
Besides, if she graduated and left the academy entirely, the demons couldn't scheme anymore, right?
So, even if it was tough now, effort was the way forward. It was for Pina's own good, too.
《Contractor, tomorrow, forget quests and act freely for the day.》
Forte contradicted its own rationale.
"Huh?"
Pina's eyes widened round.
She hadn't imagined such words coming from Forte.
《You've followed my advice without complaint so far. Effort is vital, of course, but repeating it without proper rest leads to poor outcomes.》
"S-So, I can just laze around all day tomorrow?"
《A demon sword does not lie.》
"Kyaaaa!"
Pina cheered.
She hugged Forte and rolled wildly on the bed. From within her embrace, Forte pointed out:
《Contractor, even sheathed, clutching a sword and moving so violently is dangerous.》
"Kyaaa."
《And as I said when you tried bringing me to the bathhouse last time, I may look like this now, but I'm male. Excessive contact isn't proper.》
"Kyaaa."
《Hey, are you listening?》
"Kyaaa."
《Fine, no day off then—》
"I am listening!!"
Pina snapped to a proper seiza position. Forte let out a small sigh.
It was around then, as the two—or one girl and one sword—chatted away.
Knock knock.
-Excuse me, I have something to discuss. Got a moment? No rush, take your time.
At the voice from beyond the door, Pina glanced at Forte.
Forte offered no particular response.
Meaning the choice was hers.
Pina straightened her disheveled clothes and cautiously opened the door.
A blond, blue-eyed young man of striking appearance greeted her with a pleased smile.
"Thanks for making time. I tried catching you during breaks or lunch, but timing never lined up."
"Ah."
Pina nodded in understanding.
She herself avoided chatting with others due to awkwardness, and following Forte's schedule left no room to mingle with peers.
"Sorry, I've been a bit out of it."
As Pina bowed slightly in apology, the young man waved his hands flusteredly.
"No, it's fine. Plenty of students here focus solely on their own tasks over socializing."
In a normal academy, shared classes would build familiarity and friendships.
But at Skypiercing Academy, many minimized interactions to focus purely on quests.
Each cleared quest boosted their stats, letting them feel tangible growth, which hooked them into a frenzy.
"I heard upperclassmen even waste points at the cafeteria or shops to delay graduation—maxing stats via quests first."
"I see. But what brings you here...?"
"Um, do you need a party by any chance?"
"A party?"
As Pina tilted her head, the young man stepped aside to reveal those behind him.
Assuming appearances matched roles, they looked like a mage, priest, and warrior.
He continued:
"Points are everything here. Not just for graduation—food, sleep, clothes, all cost points."
Food from the cafeteria or clothes from shops varied wildly in quality by points spent.
Dorms were free for basic sleeping, but upgrading bedding or moving to larger rooms cost points.
"Repeating basics like scarecrow drills or spell target practice sustains life, but it's just maintenance. For graduation, you need dungeon dives—and solo is risky without backup."
Instructors wouldn't rescue you mid-dungeon mishaps outside class.
The reason: constant supervision prevented true 'skill' building.
"Even if you're strong enough solo, unknowns happen—better with allies. Solo players exist, but even they gradually form parties. How about joining us? Not permanent—just try hanging out, and continue if it clicks."
Pina's eyes darted about.
Troubled on how to respond, she heard Forte's advice:
《Trying it out wouldn't hurt, Contractor.》