Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Exclusive Skill
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A memory surfaces, belatedly.
Before becoming a delinquent, Jace had visited the Dwarf Tribe.
While it couldn't compare to the Holy Sword, a god-tier weapon.
A custom-made weapon from the dwarves was practically an ultimate piece of gear.
Just as Chloe had said, it was surely complete by now.
Technically, he was no longer qualified, but perhaps things could work out.
They wouldn't let a finely crafted weapon go to waste, would they?
I will get my hands on Jace’s personal weapon, no matter what.
“Hmm, I'll check on that matter and let you know.”
Chloe stepped up once again.
She always knew just how to scratch an itch.
I felt like I was working her too hard, but since she volunteered, I couldn't really refuse.
“……”
The karmic debt keeps piling up.
Even if it causes trouble later, I should enjoy this convenience for now.
* * *
The next morning.
Chloe relayed the information she had gathered.
“It might work out, and it might not.”
“—??”
“The dwarven master craftsman says he wants to see you in person and judge for himself.”
I knew what she meant.
The one who forged the weapon intended to determine my eligibility himself.
Normally, he would have adhered to the rules.
But in my case, the situation was ambiguous, so it seemed they were giving me a chance.
“Anyway, you've been included in the itinerary.”
I had cleared the first hurdle.
But I couldn't relax just yet.
Dwarven artisans are ridiculously picky.
If I didn’t meet his standards, he would surely turn me away.
A flicker of anxiety arose.
He would undoubtedly gauge my condition with his sharp eyes.
*You are not worthy to wield the weapon I have forged!*
There was a very real possibility he would roar something like that.
Hmm, should I buy him a gift?
If we drank beer all night together, would he look upon me more favorably?
I racked my brain.
From what Jace remembered, he had been highly regarded at the time.
I should just act as I always do.
I had no choice but to trust in this body’s dignity.
“What are you guys talking about? Tell me too!”
A girl with twitching fox ears.
Our little cutie. You want to come along?
“Yeah! I think it would be fine to join in for once.”
She nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
In truth, Aruru was hardly affected by the power of her gear.
For a Spirit Master, affinity was more important than anything else.
That’s why I had let it slide until now.
But it seemed she wanted to accompany me just to be by my side.
How could I refuse such a sweet gesture?
A short trip, or perhaps a long walk, was in our future.
That aside…
How do I win over the dwarven artisan?
Now, I even had to raise the affection of a bushy-bearded male character.
“……”
It would be great if he just handed over the weapon.
But he might give me a quest or something to test me.
Well, I’d just have to pass with flying colors. I had an ace up my sleeve, after all.
[Current Points: 923,000]
I was on the verge of a million.
Learning my exclusive skill, then acquiring my exclusive weapon—it would be an impeccably smooth progression.
* * *
Three days passed.
At last, the long-awaited moment arrived.
[Utter Perfection]
[Required Achievement Points: 1,000,000]
[Current Points: 1,005,000]
How could I possibly resist?
I didn't hesitate for a second.
I’d have to see for myself, but as an exclusive skill, it was bound to be incredible.
Contempt for the Weak, Mind’s Eye, Unity of Sword and Self…
It would surely be more powerful than all of them combined.
And just as I expected.
The moment I acquired Utter Perfection, power overflowed within me.
[Utter Perfection]
[A state that has reached the limits of humanity]
[Prevents any and all mistakes]
[Always maintains peak condition, optimized for combat]
[Lv 1/10 All stats +10% & All skill levels +1]
My eyes widened in spite of myself.
An EX-rank skill that far surpassed my expectations…
It was enough to eclipse the exclusive passives of the Hero candidates.
This explained Jace’s true strength.
A structure where, as the level of Utter Perfection increased, other skills grew stronger along with it.
No matter how I looked at it, this was a cheat skill, wasn't it?
It was so overpowered it felt almost unfair.
Somehow, I had become a being incapable of even making a mistake.
In other words, every action, whether offense or defense, would be executed perfectly.
And always maintaining peak condition was also incredible.
Simply put, it meant I would always be in top form.
The condition system in the main story worked like this:
It was divided into Poor (80%), Normal (100%), and Good (120%).
Now, I could unconditionally exert +20% power.
Hmm…
I might have gotten just a little stronger, perhaps?
With these specs, I could dominate the A-rank and then some.
I probably wouldn’t even be pushed back in a duel against Largo, a top-tier ranker.
*Gulp.*
For a moment, I was overcome with emotion.
A thrill ran through me at the thought that my hardships were over and my happiness was just beginning.
It wasn't just a feeling; it was the plain truth.
I could get a rough idea just by looking at our little cutie's reaction.
“—??”
The girl’s eyes darted around frantically.
As if she found my appearance unfamiliar, she carefully parted her lips.
“You look so much bigger today, Jace. It's like you're back to your old self…”
The Prince of the Sword, the Rising Star, and so on.
It seemed she could feel the aura I had back in my prime.
“Did you have some kind of epiphany?”
“Something like that.”
“Woooow…”
She let out a long exclamation of awe.
I thought she would jump into my arms right away, but she seemed to be hesitating for some reason.
Was it because she was intimidated by this body's perfection?
Then again, the original Jace possessed an exceedingly high level of dignity.
A being who felt distant despite treating everyone with friendliness.
It was only after I possessed this body that Aruru and I had truly become close.
My little cutie.
Why are you being so uncharacteristically shy?
My mind hasn't changed one bit.
The way I cherish my pet is eternal.
When I gave her my usual faint smile, she finally began to wag her tail.
“Aah, I can feel the sincerity… That signature look in your eyes that says you don't know what to do with how adorable I am!”
“……”
Hmm, she’s a little too excited.
Since she wasn’t entirely wrong, I accepted all of Aruru’s affectionate gestures.
As we were sharing in our joy, the face of a certain girl came to mind.
I should go find Ceria right away.
A diligent lover must tell his soulmate everything.
“Okay, I’ll be waiting!”
As always, she tactfully made her exit.
In exchange, her eyes sparkled, as if she absolutely had to hear all about the lovers’ affections later.
Is this right?
Why is she so interested in that sort of thing?
Well, I suppose it just means she likes me that much.
I straightened my clothes and walked through the academy with a dignified stride.
Every student I passed seemed mesmerized by the noble aura emanating from me.
“He really doesn't seem human…”
“Doesn't he seem especially radiant today?”
“How could anyone call that a delinquent?”
“Don’t tell me he got even stronger in that short time?”
“Skill, looks, background… He’s so perfect I can’t even feel jealous.”
They muttered to each other, looking utterly envious.
I understood how they felt, but this body carried responsibilities that far outweighed its talents.
I had to unite the disparate Hero candidates.
And I was in a position where I had to take charge of defeating the Demon King’s Army.
After that, I would have to become the head of the Crodain family and lead a busy life.
There was no way to explain all those inner workings to them.
I just relaxed and enjoyed the looks of envy from those around me.
As I crossed the central plaza.
Two male students approached me as if they had been waiting.
“Jace Crodain, I challenge you to a ranking match— Huk!”
Well, look how this turned out.
Even the A-rank students, who didn't dwell on defeat, flinched.
*Huh? What is this feeling?*
*If I challenge him, I'll get completely crushed, won't I?*
That must have been the feeling that drained them of their motivation.
Simply put, they were scared.
But just backing down would look bad, so they held their ground.
“……”
An awkward atmosphere.
They looked extremely troubled, unable to move forward or retreat.
As it happened, my mood was at an all-time high.
High enough to be considerate and not shake down these tasty point dispensers.
“A ranking match, you say? My apologies. I have business with the Student Council.”
“Ah, well then, it can’t be helped.”
“We acted without thinking.”
They each let out a sigh of relief.
It felt a little anticlimactic to end it there, so I added one more thing.
“I don’t think you necessarily need to fight me… Right, you two can just fight each other.”
“—??”
Their confusion was brief.
They exchanged glances, then quickly nodded.
As if realizing that a duel should be between those of a similar level, they belatedly showed their fighting spirit.
I felt like I had needlessly instigated a fight, but what did it matter?
As long as I'm having fun, that's all that matters. Well, kids grow up fighting anyway.
Having stylishly resolved the problem, I continued on my way.
Before long, I arrived at the Student Council building where Ceria would be.
*Thump, thump.*
I was so excited to see my fiancée’s reaction.
Would she throw herself into my arms like our little cutie?
“—!!”
The members of the Student Council were also startled to see me.
*What, he got that much stronger already? He'll be a Hero candidate again in no time.*
They couldn't hide their astonishment.
Some of them turned their heads away as if embarrassed.
Huh? Why?
Ah, surely it couldn't be that?
Old memories came flooding back.
On my first day in this body.
I was put on trial by the Student Council and nearly expelled.
They were probably remembering that incident.
At the time, Jace's behavior had been so atrocious that they had no choice, but in the end, I had been reborn like this.
They must be feeling awkward and sheepish.
It’s fine. I’m a magnanimous person. I’ve already forgotten all about it!
In truth, it wasn't anyone's fault.
The spy from the Demon King's Army, presumed to have tampered with Jace, was the only one to blame…
Soon, I came face to face with Ceria.
As befitting our engagement, she immediately noticed the change in me.
“That look… could it be?”
“Yes. It really won’t be long now.”
You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?
From now on, I’ll remain your wonderful fiancé!
I gave her a relaxed smile with that sentiment.
“—!!”
As I’d hoped, her reaction was more than I could have asked for.
Heedless of the eyes around us, she threw her arms around me.
“You've rewarded my faith in you. Thank you so much…”
“……”
Ah, my heart is pounding.
The young woman's pure affection made my chest flutter.
There were still many mountains to climb.
But by becoming stronger, I was now capable enough to protect the woman I loved.
We immediately spent some time alone together.
We ate a meal and strolled through the academy, just as we always did, but it was more enjoyable than ever before.
As if to declare to the world that I was her man.
She no longer hesitated to show affection, even in front of everyone.
Holding hands was a given, and linking arms became second nature…
I love how proactive she is!
My affection for her grew deeper and deeper.
She was so lovely it was hard to control my emotions.
Before I knew it, night had fallen.
Under the soft glow of the moonlight, Ceria suddenly set the mood.
A provocative gaze.
She looked at me with an expression of earnest desire.
Aah, wait a minute! I’m not mentally prepared for this…
“I have a favor to ask.”
“……”
This seems a little different.
It seemed I had misread the situation.
The young woman leaned her head on my shoulder and continued to speak slowly.
“I've heard news that the Demon King's Army is making unusual movements.”
“Hmm…”
Humanity and the Demon King’s Army.
The two powers had been fighting for hundreds of years.
The setting established that large and small wars broke out frequently.
Humanity was always at a disadvantage, but the appearance of a Hero would restore the balance.
“A great war will break out soon.”
Even now, skirmishes were taking place all over, but.
As per the main story's flow, an all-out war was bound to occur.
Why did she bring this up?
It wasn't hard for me to discern Ceria's true intentions.
“I want to always be by your side. Will you allow it?”
She wanted to fight together.
To overcome the trials and tribulations that lay ahead.
The original Jace hadn't accepted that request.
*No need to decide yet.*
*We can think about it later.*
He had gently sidestepped the issue like that.
I would have done the same.
How could I send my precious fiancée onto the battlefield?
However…
Ceria seemed to have already made up her mind.
At this point, nothing I said would change it.
She would try to follow me no matter what.
And there wouldn't be a safe place anywhere, anyway.
If that was the case, I would rather keep her by my side and protect her myself.
“It will be incredibly dangerous.”
“It’s alright. I have you.”
“Worrying about you could become a burden to me.”
“Th-That’s…”
A pained look crossed the young woman's face.
The thought that she might be a burden to me made her hesitate for a long time.
Only then did I gently pull Ceria into an embrace and whisper my true feelings.
“Still, I want you by my side. Because I love you enough to gladly bear even that burden.”
“—!!”
I could feel her tremble against me.
Overcome with excitement, she couldn't seem to calm down.
Soon, I had a new story to tell our little cutie.
A passionate kiss between lovers…
Could anything be sweeter than this?
Our relationship was, in that way, becoming more and more complete.