I Became a Lucky Guy!

The next day arrived.

The throbbing pain in my face still nagged at me, but I pushed through with a soft groan and got my legs moving.

"Honestly, it's a good thing Lady Chloe explained how to get to the grand hall. I nearly would have gotten lost otherwise."

Raindrops pattered against the window outside.

I was headed not to a classroom but to the grand hall, where every student was gathering to hear the schedule for the coming semester.

Of course, I had already heard that tedious rundown countless times and had every date memorized. The explanation itself held no interest for me. What I cared about was the event that came after.

I wonder who gets chosen this time.

It was the blessing event of Merquin, the spirit who watched over Luin Academy. Every semester, Merquin bestowed a blessing on the students who had shown the most outstanding growth.

Three recipients in total.

With roughly three hundred students per year across four years, Luin Academy held about twelve hundred students in all. In other words, you had to place in the top 0.25 percent for growth rate to earn Merquin's recognition and receive a blessing.

Yeah, that bar was pretty brutal.

Even as a veteran player, I had failed to receive the blessing more than once. The growth rates of the named NPCs were simply too high.

Hmm… this time it's probably Charlotte and Jeremy… ah, right. Jeremy isn't here.

After getting thrashed by Elys yesterday, I had wandered every faculty office I could find searching for any trace of Jeremy Dreamore—the character I had last played. The answers I got were bitterly disappointing.

— Oh, that blond kid? He was a real piece of work. Don't know why you're looking for him, but you'd better give up. He's the only student in Luin Academy history who dropped out right after the opening ceremony.

Jeremy Dreamore had withdrawn from Luin Academy about half a year ago. And I had more or less expected that.

Well, of course. I made him drop out myself.

To raise him as an assassin, I had no choice but to get him out of Luin Academy. I pulled him off the main storyline and sent him straight into the underworld to clear the assassin class-change quests.

Looks like this world is the one from the last playthrough I was on.

Which meant the Jeremy of this world was diligently walking the assassin's path.

He's got to be ridiculously strong by now.

Just imagining that Jeremy—stacked with every achievement and quest reward imaginable—swinging a blade at me sent a chill down my spine.

"Please, spare me from having those daggers pointed my way…"

"Is talking to yourself that much fun?"

Chloe's voice cut in.

"Oh? If it isn't the noble Lady Chloe herself. Good morning."

"Hearing that from someone in the same house doesn't make me happy in the slightest, so don't waste your energy."

"Whatever do you mean? I was simply conveying the pure sincerity that wells up from the depths of my heart."

Unable to endure my shamelessness, Chloe shook her head—then caught sight of my face and paused.

"I can't even… wait. Your face—what happened to it?"

"Haha. Compared to the radiant Lady Chloe, my face is rather pitiful, yes."

"That's not what I meant! Why do you have bruises all over your face? It's not just one or two spots."

"Are you worried about me? How touching. May I shed a tear or two?"

"Shut up. You're a scion of House Frelia. How do you think people will look at you walking around like that?"

"That does pose a problem. But fear not—I simply tripped while walking yesterday. The bruises will fade soon enough."

Chloe gave a small nod at my answer.

"Once today's schedule is over, at least stop by the infirmary."

"If Lady Chloe insists, I shall gladly do so."

"…Can you please stop talking like that? Ever since you lost your memories it's only gotten worse."

"That may prove difficult. It's stuck to my tongue, and breaking the habit is no easy task. Haha."

Chloe let out a heavy sigh. She seemed to have half given up on fixing my speech.

"Whatever. You remember the way to the grand hall, right? I taught you yesterday."

Of course I knew the way. Chloe had shown me, and after clearing the game more times than I could count, there was no chance I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wouldn't know where the grand hall was.

But I never could resist a little fun.

"Naturally! We just take the left corridor from here, correct?"

"Haa…"

Chloe looked at me as if I were something scraped off a shoe, then muttered under her breath.

"If I hit him hard enough in the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠head, maybe his memories would come back… might be worth a try…"

"Lady Chloe…? I can hear you."

"Oh, can you? It was just me talking to myself, so ignore it. Anyway, you don't know the way, right? Follow me. I'll guide you this once."

"As expected of Lady Chloe! Your grace overflows until it can no longer be contained!"

"It's noisy, so shut up and follow. Before I leave you behind for real."

Mm. As enjoyable as ever.

Savoring Chloe's distinctive reactions, I trailed cheerfully after her.

"…and that concludes the schedule overview. Now comes the moment everyone has been waiting for—the bestowal of Lady Merquin's blessings. Please maintain silence."

I had been half-asleep, but the three syllables of Merquin's name snapped me wide awake.

Who received Merquin's blessing could shift my future plans, however slightly.

Preferably someone with a good alignment.

If an evil-aligned NPC—or worse, an outright villain—got the blessing, things would get extremely messy.

Please let a decent person take it.

I clasped my hands and prayed fervently. I only hoped Merquin's eyes hadn't gone bad.

In the middle of that prayer, a rising murmur around me made me open my eyes and look forward.

Mana from the surroundings gathered toward the stage, then flared with bright light and took the shape of a figure.

Androgynous features that made gender hard to pin down. White pajamas. A pillow clutched in the left hand. The right hand covering a yawn.

"Ahh… so annoying. Having to come out like this every half year is a pain. Can't you just handle it among yourselves from now on?"

Merquin looked far too slovenly to be the guardian spirit of Luin Academy.

"Haha, would that really work? We provide you a stable nest in exchange for watching over Luin Academy and granting these blessings every half year, do we not?"

Beside Merquin, Lucas—the headmaster of Luin Academy—spoke with a wry smile.

"Ugh, my own fault for signing the mana contract without reading it properly because I was too lazy. I should have been suspicious when the previous headmaster said he'd prepare a place for me to sleep comfortably…"

Merquin rubbed their eyes and swept a glance over the students.

"Hmm. This time it's crystal clear. Good. I can go back to sleep right away."

They enlarged the pillow in their left hand and climbed aboard. The pillow floated gently upward and drifted toward the third-year section.

It settled slowly, and Merquin stretched a hand toward one male student.

"You. This is your third time receiving my blessing, right? Lucky guy."

The first recipient Merquin pointed out was Pascal Frelia.

Oh for—why does it have to be that bastard.

The worst-case scenario had become reality. Life ahead was going to get even more miserable.

"…Truly me?"

"Yeah, you. I'm busy, so grab my hand already."

Pascal clasped Merquin's hand with tears of emotion welling up.

"Thank you. Someday I will repay this grace."

Repay it, my foot. He would just use it for his own selfish ends.

"If you want to repay it, you're still faaar from that level."

When their hands met, golden energy welled up from Merquin and was absorbed into Pascal.

"All right, next…"

Merquin climbed back onto the pillow and headed toward the second-years.

"Nobody here."

They passed right over them.

A collective aah of disappointment ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠rose from the second-years, but no one dared voice a complaint directly to Merquin.

The soft-looking pillow floated past the second-years and entered the first-year section.

Merquin looked around briefly, spotted their target, and closed the distance at once.

Straight to Class A of the first years.

"You. Grab my hand, quick."

The person Merquin pointed to was none other than Charlotte.

"Yes."

Charlotte rose from her seat without any particular reaction and took Merquin's hand.

"Hmm? Usually when people get chosen by me they cheer. You're not? Too shocked, or did you see this coming?"

"Who knows. Why don't you try guessing yourself?"

"Forget it, forget it. Too much work."

Once again, golden energy rose from Merquin's body and sank into Charlotte.

"…Nice."

Seeing Charlotte quietly rejoice, Merquin smiled faintly.

"Yeah. A little lady like you looks best when she's happy like that. And lastly…"

This time Merquin did not even climb onto the pillow. They simply walked five steps.

"You."

Merquin stopped in front of Shina Astorius. But according to my experience, Shina would not receive Merquin's blessing.

"Ordinarily the last blessing would be yours, but you—this is your first time at Luin Academy, right?"

"Yes. That is correct."

"Then that's too bad. You need to have attended for at least one semester to receive my blessing. That was the agreement with the founding headmaster."

Merquin always said something like that and told Shina they could not grant her the blessing.

So who would take the remaining one?

Merquin passed Shina and walked another five steps forward.

"Which means… the last blessing can go to you."

Merquin stopped in front of me and held out a hand.

Wait. Me?

My mind started spinning. Why had Merquin chosen me?

Ah. Of course.

After a moment's thought, Merquin's choice made perfect sense.

I picked up two Hero-grade traits plus a title. Yeah, that tracks.

Even the named NPCs wouldn't have newly acquired two Hero traits. Hero traits weren't some random dog's name you picked up off the street. That was just common sense.

And I had even obtained a title that only appeared after accomplishing a great feat.

Whether "making an enemy grab the back of his own neck with pure talk" counts as a great feat is debatable, but still.

Well, good things were good things.

"M-me?"

"Yeah. You with the tear mole on your cheek."

"Are you still half-asleep, by any chance? Is it truly me?"

"Urgh… yes, it's you. How many times do I have to say it? So are you taking it or not?"

A blessing, and a flood of points on top of it. My luck today was almost too good.

"Haha, no need to ask twice!"

I seized Merquin's hand and rose energetically from my seat.

Golden blessing light poured from Merquin and soaked into me.

What kind of blessing would it be? A permanent twenty-percent boost to attack power? Faster mana recovery? Or maybe a brand-new title or trait?

I quieted my racing heart and waited for the message like a child anticipating a present.

Then the letters appeared before my eyes.

Huh?

This wasn't right.