Chapter 49
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Status Window Wealth Gap
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Academy infirmary.
Two white beds were placed side by side, and two patients lay there.
"Ungh..."
The one who opened her eyes was Dain. The familiar smell of disinfectant, the white ceiling, and the feel of the soft mattress washed over her.
It wasn't a dirt floor.
'I... survived.'
She had finally returned to civilized society from that damp, stench-filled wilderness. With a sigh of relief, she turned her head. In the next bed, Yuria was sleeping obliviously.
"Awake, are you?"
A voice came from the window side. It was Kasian, peeling an apple. The moment she saw his face, Dain's body flinched reflexively.
"Se-Senior..."
"Congratulations. You're the first graduate. You did splendidly. To show that much growth from a mere student's level... As expected of a hero's bloodline."
Kasian placed a piece of peeled apple into Dain's mouth.
"Mmph... Did I... graduate? For real?"
"Of course you graduated."
"Waa..."
Tears streamed down Dain's cheeks.
She was finally free from this hellish school. Now she could go home, recuperate, eat delicious food, sleep in late... Her dreamed-of freeloading life...
That was when it happened.
Thud.
Kasian pulled a stiff sheet of paper from his pocket and placed it on the bed.
"And this."
"What's this?"
"Your enlistment notice."
Dain's tears stopped dead, like a faucet turned off.
"We had a deal. Graduate, and I'd appoint you as my aide. First, head to your family and share this glorious news, then pack your things. Say hello to your parents while you're at it."
"Senior... hold on. This doesn't add up."
Dain waved her hands frantically.
"Graduation ceremony's next year! Semester isn't over! I'm still a student!"
"The moment your graduation was confirmed, you became part of society. Salaried workers are basically graduates, right? It's the same as landing a job offer before even finishing school."
"No, that's voluntary! This is forced conscription!"
"What ungrateful nonsense. This is the path to becoming a hero who saves the nation—where's the force in that? The Pendragon Duke will be over the moon when he hears. He'll probably shed tears of joy."
"No! Absolutely not! My dad's a total daughter fool—he'd never allow it! If he hears his frail girl is being dragged to the army for two whole years, the ducal house will turn upside down!"
She pulled out her last lifeline: the dignity of the ducal house. Please, Dad's scary—don't mess with us.
"Is that so? The Pendragon Duke cherishes his daughter that much?"
"Of course! By the setting, he can't live without her!"
"Perfect. Then I'll go persuade him myself."
"Pardon?"
Kasian rose from his seat and slipped on his coat.
"Seems like we'll get along just fine. I'll tell him, 'I'm a comrade of your ancestors, and your daughter's talent is too precious to waste—let me raise her.' What do you think the duke will say?"
"......"
"Oppose it? Or be so moved he grabs my hand and shakes it?"
"....."
What house would refuse a legendary hero's comrade offering to mentor their daughter personally? It was a family blessing.
A funeral for her alone.
"Fuc... fucking hell... This is a scam..."
Dain buried her face in the bed.
The birth of the most unfortunate first-place finisher among the 46 passers.
Silence hung over the infirmary.
A chill winter wind whistled outside the window, and in the next bed, Yuria slept soundly, oblivious to the world.
"So... what should I do now? Write a will?"
Dain mumbled, her face buried in the pillow.
"What else? Rest up for now. It'll take a few days of solid rest for those arm bones to knit properly. We used an expensive potion, so no scars."
He popped another piece of prepared apple into his mouth and continued.
"And eat properly. Can't have my aide looking scrawny—ruins my image."
"Evil boss..."
"I'll take that as a compliment. Good bosses always get cursed."
I sat back down, glanced at Yuria sleeping peacefully beside Dain, then turned my gaze back to Dain.
"And... something that's been bugging me for a while. One more question."
"What is it?"
"No, not that. You... back in that forest."
"Yes."
"How did you know Belial was ranked 30th in the demon world hierarchy?"
"....?"
Dain's eyes went wide.
"That guy's only listed in imperial records as the dark knight captain, at best. His rank from the war 500 years ago? Only our party members who fought him directly would know that."
Even scouring the academy library turned up no specific records on demon rankings.
"Obviously from the status window."
"Sta... tus what?"
The apple peel snapped under my knife. Was I hearing things?
"Status window. It's a transmigrator perk, right? Don't you have one, Senior? It's like the national rule in all those transmigration stories."
Dain rubbed her face against the pillow like it was no big deal.
"Ah, the inventory space is a bit small... but it's convenient not carrying around junk. You could store your demon sword in there too—no more heavy weight on your waist. Why not use it?"
"......"
The knife in my hand trembled.
Status window? Inventory? National rule? Basic passive? What bullshit.
Right, I did have one. That goddamn blue window or whatever.
When I first dropped into this world, there was that square, floating box—the most unfriendly text in existence.
[Quest: Lead the Empire to Victory.]
[Failure: Death]
[Reward: Return]
The problem was it was utterly useless—just a sign saying 'you're fucked.'
But... what was she saying?
"Hey."
"Yes?"
"That inventory of yours... it really holds actual items? No weight? Doesn't spoil?"
"Of course? It's a subspace. The mana potion I gave Yuria in the forest came from there... Why? Your face looks rotten..."
"Haa..."
I let out a hollow laugh and rubbed my forehead. My blood pressure spiked, neck stiffening.
Did she know how much a subspace pouch with that performance cost in this world?
Even Erendel couldn't make one without materials—an artifact.
'This world... isn't the discrimination too severe?'
I'd been grinding normal-person hardcore mode, while she came with hero bloodline plus convenience mode?
If there was a god, I'd grab him by the collar.
"Fucking unfair, really."
"....?"
"So what does that status window show?"
"Uh... it's a romance fantasy, so obviously people's mental states or favorability. Monsters show info."
Dain explained, folding her fingers one by one.
"When I saw that Belial demon earlier, it showed former demon world rank 30, threatened into forced abduction... stuff like that."
"....."
What, mind-reading now? Other people's inner thoughts?
If I'd had that, I wouldn't have fallen for those demon bastards' lies and traps back then, or spent three days getting beaten by the saintess for not knowing why she was sulking over 'woman's heart' BS.
Twenty years flashed by like a montage. Was this the generational gap between old-school transmigrators and the latest trend?
Injustice boiled my blood in reverse.
If I'd just had that inventory—no, even just the status window—half my suffering would've vanished.
"What? You really had none of that? Bare-ground headbutting for real?"
"Why would you assume I had it?"
I gritted my teeth.
"I marched carrying gear, gauged enemies' eyes, and fought. You cheat-sucking bastard."
"Wow... how'd you survive? You're a real monster."
"Discharge today. Sparring grounds. Let's see if that status window dodges my fists."
"No, joke! Joke!! Mercy!!"
Dain freaked out and pulled the blanket over her head. I fumed, crunching the rest of the apple viciously.
Anger wouldn't subside. The world was unfair, but this was too much.
"Hey, come out."
"You'll spare me?"
"Then can you see mine?"
"Pardon? Yours, Senior?"
"Yeah. Check my status right now."
I was curious. How did this so-called system define me?
Dain narrowed her eyes and stared into empty space. Her pupils darted as if reading something. But soon she nodded, as if she'd expected it.
"Can't see yours, Senior."
"Can't see it?"
"Yeah, hasn't shown since first time. If I had to say..."
She picked up the quill from the nightstand with her left hand and scribbled something crookedly.
"It shows like this."
"......"
Discriminating against a fellow transmigrator? Or was I outside this world's specs, so the system refused to recognize me?
Well, better than having my inner thoughts exposed, but the alienated feeling was still prickly.
But think differently. Now a cheat-key status window user had rolled right into my lap.
"You're a walking radar."
I reached out and gripped Dain's shoulder tightly.
"Cancel that."
"Pardon? The enlistment notice?"
Color returned to Dain's face.
"No—canceling your appointment as a mere aide."
"Then...?"
"From today, you're my aide and human radar."
"......"
"Wow, just imagining it is thrilling. Twenty years of suffering, and now I get to live with cheats. You can't escape now. I'll tie you with rope if I have to."
Dain's face turned ashen.
And that was the moment.
Click.
The door opened, and Erendel entered.
"How's Yuria?"
"Ate and fell back asleep. Her recovery's impressive."
I answered indifferently. Erendel clicked her tongue and approached Yuria's bed.
"You know I'll bury you with magic someday. I said train the kid, not turn her half-dead."
Erendel fumed as she meticulously tucked in Yuria's disheveled blanket. She grumbled on the surface, but her care for her disciple was utterly devoted.
Sudden curiosity struck.
"Hey, Dain."
"...Yes?"
I whispered low.
"Can you see hers?"
"Who? Erendel?"
"Yeah. Let's see how pissed she is at me."
From that snapping tone, her favorability might be negative.
"Uh... hold on."
Dain craned her neck and stared at Erendel's back.
"Gasp...!"
She swallowed a sharp breath and clapped a hand over her mouth.
"Why? What does it say? 'Kill him' or something?"
"Th-that's..."
She gulped.
"Hey, why aren't you saying? Some harsh insult?"
"....."
How was I supposed to explain this...