Perseverance Wins

A small girl was buried in a chair much larger than her own body.

Her name was Mabel.

The headmaster of Rubellion Academy.

Mabel was staring at a single piece of paper on her desk.

『Rian Marque.』

The student she had personally summoned to the entrance ceremony just moments ago.

His academic performance was average. Other evaluations also didn't stand out.

He had been the new student representative, but the practical exam was a different story.

[999,999,999]

Mabel stared at the number on the document for a long time. Even after looking again, it was an absurdly high ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠score.

First place in the practical exam.

Of course, it wasn't the overall first.

But it didn't seem right to pass on a student who had achieved such a record without any reward.

- Knock.

Mabel's eyes sparkled.

"Enter!"

- Creak.

The door slowly opened and a black-haired boy appeared.

"Sorry to interrupt."

Mabel looked at Rian with expectant eyes.

However.

"......"

He was oddly plain. Except for the fact that his face was quite handsome.

He didn't feel like he had an unusually large amount of mana, nor did he exude an extraordinary aura.

"Sit for now."

Rian sat on the sofa in front of the desk, and Mabel jumped down from the large chair.

"What would you like to drink? If it's tea, there are some good ones."

"Is there hot chocolate?"

- Start.

Mabel's movement stopped.

"......Hot chocolate?"

"Yes."

The corner of Mabel's mouth lifted just a little.

"Hmm! If you want that, then there's no helping it!"

It was a drink she rarely took out in front of other people.

To avoid being called childish.

But if the customer wanted it, the story was different. It wasn't something she made because she wanted to eat it herself.

"Wait a moment!"

Her steps became a little lighter.

A short while later.

Mabel returned holding two glasses with steam rising from them.

"Here, take it!"

"Thank you."

Rian took the glass and took a sip.

"Mmm."

Mabel's ears perked up.

"It tastes good."

"Does it?"

Her face brightened instantly.

"It's my own secret recipe that I've perfected by adjusting the ratio of milk and chocolate dozens of times!"

"Did you make it yourself?"

"Of course!"

Mabel puffed out her chest proudly. Then she wrapped both hands around her own glass.

- Slurp.

'Umm!'

Hot chocolate was the best after all.

Mabel glanced at Rian. He was a student she liked more than she thought.

Even though they had just met, he hadn't treated her like a child, and most importantly, he had recognized the taste of hot chocolate.

'There are no bad people among those who like hot chocolate!'

After enjoying the hot chocolate for a while, Mabel set the glass down.

"Then, let's move on to the main topic."

Rian set his glass down ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and looked at Mabel.

"You know that you're not the overall first, right?"

"Yes."

"But you were first in the practical exam. With an incredible record, no less."

Mabel pushed the document towards Rian and tapped it with her finger twice.

[999,999,999]

"I don't know how you did it, but results are results. It's a bit unsightly to just send off a student who has achieved such a record."

"Right."

The answer came a bit too quickly.

Mabel narrowed her eyes.

"......You answered as if it was obvious."

"You have to receive what you can receive."

"Hoho, I like that answer."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Mabel smiled widely.

"Good! Then, let's give you a reward for being the practical exam first."

Mabel opened the desk drawer and took out a small silver badge.

- Tap.

"What is this?"

"It's a Special Training Ground access pass."

Rian picked up the silver badge.

"The usage period is until the end of this semester! Be careful not to lose it."

"Yes, thank you."

After finishing the conversation, Rian stood up and headed for the door.

"Ah, and!"

"If you want hot chocolate, come find me anytime!"

"......Yes."

- Creak.

The door closed.

Mabel hugged the remaining hot chocolate with both hands.

- Slurp.

"Mmm, he's a good student after all."

Mabel's hot chocolate.

I knew she liked it, but after actually trying it, it was too sweet. Still, thanks to that, my first impression seemed to be properly captured.

I left the headmaster's office and turned the silver badge in my hand this way and that.

Special Training Ground access pass.

I received something quite good, better than I thought.

Originally, to use the facility, you needed a professor's permission or to have achieved a certain level of performance.

'Until the end of this semester.'

The period was a bit disappointing, but since it was free, there was no reason to complain.

I put the access pass in my pocket and walked down the corridor.

Since the entrance ceremony had just ended, new students like me were wandering around in various places.

"That way is the cafeteria."

"Where's the dormitory?"

"Hey, did you see the new student representative earlier?"

It was noisy.

I avoided the people and checked the class assignment chart in the central hall.

『1st Year B Class』

I found my name a bit below.

Most of the protagonists and main characters in the game were in A class, so it wasn't bad.

I didn't want to get involved in any incidents by sticking close to them.

And right now, there was something else to check besides the class assignment.

I immediately entered the assigned dormitory, roughly unpacked my luggage, and sat on the bed.

"Then......"

Now it was time to check.

"First, this."

[Quest reward has been issued.]

[Reward: Random A-grade skill]

"Seriously, I wasn't expecting anything big, so give me at least one thing that can fulfill a person's purpose!"

[Skill with high affinity to Third-Rate (Lv.3) detected.]

[Third-Rate Liberation (A) acquired.]

"......?"

Random, huh.

I immediately checked the skill information.

"Owh shit!"

I jumped up from my seat without realizing it.

It was it.

What I had longed for for three years was right here.

Third-Rate.

Anything could be learned quickly. Swordsmanship, magic. The problem was that it had always been the same.

Exactly third-rate.

It never went beyond that. No matter how many times I swung a sword or repeated magic.

I was stuck at third-rate like a picture pinned to the wall.

But now I could break through that damned growth limit.

"Release......"

It was a really cool word.

It felt like I finally understood why the crazy guy with chains on his arms was so obsessed.

Even though it was only 3 minutes.

And only once every 24 hours.

But it didn't matter.

For three years, even 3 seconds hadn't been allowed.

"Khehehe......"

A laugh came out on its own.

[Swordsmanship]

[Current proficiency: 4500%]

At first, it would rise by tens of percent every day, but later even swinging the sword all day only gained a few percent.

Still, I didn't stop. I kept stacking it because it might be useful someday.

And if I released this?

"KHAHAHAHAHA!"

4500%.

The proficiency that had been rotting stuck behind the third-rate wall would all be released.

How far it would go, I didn't know.

Second-rate? First-rate? Or something beyond?

"Crazy."

Shit.

Perseverance wins.

"Huu......"

I barely calmed my excitement and sat back on the bed again.

One thing was still left.

[Shop has opened.]

[Points owned: 10,000P]

The items scrolled down below the window.

[Skills]

[Items]

[Consumables]

[Special]

It was better than I thought.

I clicked on the skills first.

[Random C-grade skill - 5,000P]

[Random B-grade skill - 10,000P]

[Random A-grade skill - 30,000P]

[Random S-grade skill - 100,000P]

"......"

The thing I just got was a 30,000-point one.

"Expensive."

I felt the true value of the quest reward anew.

The items and consumables were familiar. Potions and enhancement stones, things I had seen in the game.

"Hmm."

I didn't need anything right away.

Within the academy, most things could be bought with money, so using rare points on them would be stupid.

It was 10,000 points I got from my relationship with Lucia, and I had no intention of wasting it.

I checked the last remaining category.

[Special]

[Skill, reset Third-Rate Liberation released field - 500P]

[Skill, directly select Third-Rate Liberation released field - 3,000P]

"This, huh?"

Expensive or appropriate?

Well, thinking about being able to definitively choose the field in a life-or-death situation made it understandable.

"For now, I'll just use the random one."

If I didn't like it, 500 points. If I really needed it, 3,000 points.

Not bad.

I closed the window with satisfaction. Now I had seen everything.

"Then......"

Let's try it out.

I took the silver badge from my pocket.

『Special Training Ground access pass』

Special Training Ground was not far away.

- Click.

When I tapped the silver badge I received from the headmaster, the closed door opened.

The training ground inside was quiet.

"Good."

Once a day.

If I used it now, today would be the end.

"Whatever."

I needed to know how it worked to decide whether to use it in real combat or not.

"Third-Rate Liberation."

[Third-Rate Liberation (A) is being used.]

[Random field selected for release.]

Countless fields I had mastered flashed by in front of my eyes.

[Swordsmanship]

[Magic]

[Mana Sensitivity]

[Toughness]

[Riding]

.

.

.

"Wait, riding is out, fuck!"

[Selection completed.]

[Released field: Swordsmanship]

"......!"

[Swordsmanship growth limit has been released.]

[Accumulated proficiency reflected.]

[4500%]

"......"

I didn't quite understand what had changed.

Was it just that my body felt lighter?

This could even be in my head.

"Hmm."

I lightly clenched and unclenched my fist. And when I grabbed the sword.

- Swaa.

A strange sensation spread throughout my body.

The weight of the sword, the center of gravity, and even the fine vibrations at the fingertips were all felt clearly.

"......"

Right then, there was a training dummy set up on one side of the training ground, similar to the one seen in the practical exam.

"Let's try once."

I lightly lifted the sword.

No special technique.

Just.

Swung.

- Swish.

[184,217]

"......?"

Again.

- Swish.

[372,840]

One more time.

- Swish!

[611,503]

Every time I swung the sword, the score skyrocketed.

I didn't stop.

- Swish! Swish! Swish!

[803,991]

[1,024,577]

[1,318,440]

It wasn't over yet. The more I swung the sword, the lighter my body became.

- Boom!

With the final strike, the number jumped greatly.

And.

[Record updated.]

"Whoa?"

[Previous best record: 1,842,771]

[Current record: 2,137,506]

"......I surpassed it."

This time, no trickery or anything. I looked at the sword in my hand.

The number on the record board had changed by just one, but it felt like the frustration that had been blocked for three years had been pierced all at once.

"Hmm......"

This feeling is really good?

At that moment.

"......What?"

A small voice came from behind.

"Huh?"

When I turned my head, a girl was staring blankly at the record board.

"Is that you who did that just now?"

"Ah...... No?"

The girl frowned and approached.

"Don't lie. I saw you swinging the sword."

"You saw?"

"From the beginning."

"Ah."

The girl was still looking at the record board with disbelief.

"How did you get that score......"

"......?"

[Character who has satisfied the condition of King of Unorthodox / King of Sapha has been discovered.]