-Omnomnomnom…….
-……Dean Noah, are you there?
Vernon called out, talking to Noah over the comms.
“Yes, sir,” Noah said back to Vernon, who was overly nonchalant.
However, Noah on the other end of the line didn’t seem to mind.
-You shouldn’t be too worried, though I’d be if it were any other rider….
-Eh?
-I’m saying that the new jockeys will be OK! So don’t worry too much, as long as they’re in the middle or lower ranks, there’s no reason to worry.
-…….
“I’m tired.”Vernon’s misery was echoed by none other than the asshole Lars. The Dean’s eccentricities are well known.
I can’t tell anyone else.
-I… But, Dean, can’t you at least do something for the kids…….
-Toot… toot… …….
“You hung up.”
“You hung up.”
Vernon and Lars said it as if they were singing a jingle, and then shook their heads.
It suddenly occurred to them that they shouldn’t even expect support. Vernon sighed in self-deprecation.
He turned to Lars, who was running alongside him.
“I’m surprised, by the way. I didn’t think you’d come out to save a student… I thought you’d be holed up doing research again…….”
“There’s a student I care about.”
“…? You already have a student in the freshman class?”
“No. Not yet.”
Lars von Celestia smiled meaningfully and thought of a boy. The one he would have to draw in to cultivate.
Nox von Reinhafer.
He could put his research on hold to save him.
‘I’ll make him my assistant somehow…!’
He pulled on his horse’s reins with enthusiasm.
“You, you bastard…! Come with me!”
Vernon watched, convinced.
‘That’s him…! He’s planning to save the students single-handedly and collect his bonus later!’
Sadly, the two men had very different interests.
The only good thing was that they were now aligned in purpose.
* * *
__________________
[Basic Info]
Name: Nox Von Reinhafer
Gender: Male
Age: 15
Race: Human
Primary Element: Darkness
Achievements: None
[Traits].
Positives: [Genius with Swords and Martial Arts] / [Genius with Mana Sensitivity] / [Insightful] / [Master of Memorization] / [Steel Mentality] / [Master of Acting]]
Neutral: [Manifestation of Darkness]
Negative: [Time Limit] / [Weakling] / [Crippling Chill] / [Possession]
[Stats].
Physique: 6.2 (+1)
MP: 9.2(+1)
Luck: 10
Willpower: 11.3
Charm: 26.2
[Hidden Stats]
Dexterity (Uncultivated): 7
[Skills] – Active Skills: [Genius’s Time] / [Supreme Ruler’s Awe] / [Dark House Lower Level Swordsmanship] / [Southern Swordsmanship] / [Ignite] / [Type Change]]
*With the [Time Limit] trait, the remaining player lifespan is 153 days.
*The [Character Viewing System] has been updated. Please utilize it actively!
__________________
‘That’s quite a bit of life for a low-level beast. I’m satisfied, and besides… there are still a few more left.’
I nodded lightly, so lightly that it was invisible to the others.
The flying beast that was supposed to appear was a hummingbird-like creature. It didn’t have a name, which meant it wasn’t a particularly difficult opponent.
Whirr-!
(kwaleuleu-!)
Though still small, the thunderclouds gathered and struck with lightning.
This is the work of Princess Penelope.
She’s a Mind Attribute Mage, and she uses a passive called Heavenly Punishment. This spell works well against flying demons and shadows. It is highly effective against demons of the evil element.
This is because it gives all of her spells the additional attribute of ‘punishment’.
The situation was quickly resolved without me having to do anything.
[Lifespan increased by 4 hours].
[Lifespan increased by 1 hour].
[Lifespan increased by …….]
‘Well, this isn’t so bad.’
My health is steadily building up.
The good news is that I scattered the glass shards I had brought with me on the flying beasts. I’d actually brought it with me to use to distract them….
One by one, they’re stomping around and eating up experience points.
‘…Good?’
No matter how close they are. Especially the sword is said to be a man’s weapon, but the broadsword is on a different level.
I’ve used the skill [Retribution] on other characters, but….
“Bullshit.
I don’t know what else to say about the passive since it has such ridiculous destructive power.
One, I swung my sword as brazenly as I could without showing it. If I startled any of them, I’d scream the name of the Reinharbor bastard.
It is up to me and Paracelsus to slay the low-flying enemies. Parakelsus glared at me, his eyes burning with pride.
“Are there still only three of you?”
“……?”
I’m speechless with disbelief.
I don’t know why he’s provoking me like this.
Wasn’t it because of my work in the Fourth District that I felt a difference in status?
Moreover, what is this bastard doing without protecting the Empress?
He even added another word that sent a chill down my spine.
“I took what you said back then to heart. When we fight again, I won’t lose to you. So you’ll have to tell me a story about your master then.”
“……?”
The hook gathers with a question in your head.
What is it?
Did I hear him wrong?
Why do I have to fight Parakelsus again?
‘When Knox and Paracelsus met in the Jungle, they didn’t clash this much….’
Clearly, there are a myriad of branches in the Inner Lunatic that drive the story forward. Different choices will have different outcomes.
But I never expected to have to fight Parakelsus again. I’m not sure where things went wrong.
Something about him just didn’t sit right with me, though, and I don’t think his characterization of Nox was very good. Especially with so many enemies ahead.
Even with Penelope’s [Divine Punishment] in play, I can’t do much about the situation without swinging my sword.
It’s also an opportunity to level up my stats.
Let’s take what we can get and think about it later.
I’ll take what I can get later… whatever.
Scoop!
[Increases Strength stat by 0.1].
Sword in hand, I slaughter the low-flying demons in one fell swoop.
Things were going very well. Paracelsus is frowning. Talia, who has heard the rumors from District 4, is standing beside me, glaring at Paracelsus.
She now fully regards me as an ally.
That’s a problem as it is.
“Cheer up, everyone! If you return safely this time, I’ll invite you all to a banquet in the name of House Rivalin!”
-Wow!
-A banquet in the name of Rivalin with all sorts of assorted delicacies?
-I can’t stand this!
Eleanor is also showing off her vast wealth.
It seems that money is good for her.
By the way…
When I get back, I’m going to get a lot of flack from Zitri.
She thinks it’s all my fault that I’m getting into trouble these days. She doesn’t believe me when I point out that she’s wrong.
Well, maybe I’m half to blame…….
Anyway, it’s a story, and it’s not like I can do anything about it.
Damn.
“Well, it looks like we’ve taken care of the swarm, so we’ll stop.”
I take a moment to catch my breath, looking at the devastation around me.
Paracelsus asked, puzzled.
“Why aren’t we going further? At this rate, we should be able to reach the outskirts within a day.”
“Ha, you’re the one with the rotting stamina, the others are not. Get in the habit of looking around a bit. Scumbag.”
There’s a bit of sincerity in what I just said.
This asshole has put me through so much trouble.
Giddy memories flashing through my mind like a strobe light….
Goddamn.
I couldn’t help but swear.
“This is it. You think that’s all there is to it.”
Paracelsus was about to say something more, but he let out a harsh breath, looked at the cadets cowering before him, and then dropped to the floor himself, as if to acknowledge that I was right.
I leaned lightly on the sword I’d summoned. Talia joined me. She glanced around, then asked in a low voice.
“Nox, are you… are you okay?”
Oh, right.
As it turns out, Talia was the only unit that witnessed my bloodletting. At the time, I had a weird misunderstanding and let it slide.
Anyway, she’s probably well aware that I’m sick, even if I’m on a time limit. And that I shouldn’t be pushing myself as hard as I am.
That’s why she’s asking nicely.
Shit, if I’m too nice, it’ll be a hassle later when I push her away.
“I’m fine.”
But I can’t help it.
I’m worried about her, and if I push her away, I’d be a psychopath.
I slowly distance myself from her without feeling like I’m pushing her away. That’s what I need to do in my relationship with her now.
“‘That was brilliant workmanship. Nox von Reinhafer. Apparently, from what I’ve seen of you in the past, you’ve been hiding some of your power.”
It was none other than Leon, the man who had been handling the skeleton soldiers.
A frail, yet powerful unit that would later become known as ‘Leon the Black Lion’.
In magic, at least, there is no unit that surpasses him.
Even Princess Penelope is unsure if she can defeat him one-on-one.
His vast mana reserves and skillful command of a large army are his strengths.
That’s why he’s entrusted the cadets with their protection.
“Think what you will.”
I replied nonchalantly. But Leon was persistent.
He sat down next to me when I refused to give in.
“The rank of the demon I sense inside is at least mid to high level. Do you think you can handle it while protecting all the students?”
A precise question that pierced my heart.
Hagiya, he probably doesn’t know much about my [Genius Hour+].
So he’s only going by what I’ve shown him now.
Even during the original entrance exams, I was told that Leon von Marvas and Lana von Sader of the Underworld left early to find the jewels.
So they have never heard of my exploits.
“Do it, or die anyway. And I know of your power. The dead become your property again. That’s what it means to deal with the undead.”
“But it’s not infinite.”
“Lack of magic. I can fix that.”
Leon’s expression hardened for a moment at my words.
I know it’s a bit of a surprise to hear that you’ve so quickly identified a weakness, a lack of magic, and have a solution for it.
But it is true.
I know the Marvas family and how to deal with the undead.
I’ve even played a character based on the same family as Leon von Marvas.
For the record, that was the first time I successfully cleared the Inner Lunatic. I think I died at least a couple hundred times, so it was quite a struggle….
I don’t even remember the exact number of deaths.
Anyway, dealing with the dead is a great weapon if you know a few tricks.
‘First and foremost. It is also horsepower. An absolute amount of magic. Without it, you’re limited in what you can call the undead. It’s also difficult to keep them alive for long.’
Running out of hp can be troublesome in many ways.
The same can be said for lack of health, but in Rion’s case, the health stat isn’t as important. It’s completely different from other mages.
He’s not used to fighting from the front.
All you need to do is send your minions in front of you, and your control will take care of most of the rest.
Sure, you’ll have gaps against top-tier demons, but they’ll be filled by your other allies.
That’s why Leon is such a bullshit unit.
But that’s not to say that having a lot of horsepower solves all of our problems.
There’s one more problem, the most important one.
‘There’s only so many undead you can store.’
Thirty at most.
But that’s not enough to live up to the hype of being the strongest in Inner Lunatic, where large-scale battles are common. When other units are using AoE, they’re fighting with weaker summons.
In a way, you could say they’re weaker.
But…….
‘Marvas’ true power came when he used the Book of the Dead to summon the demon Leon Berger. He can temporarily keep an unlimited number of dead beasts on the battlefield for up to tens of hours.’
This is the true power of Marvas, to resurrect the dead and use them, and then return them to the land of the dead.
I’m just giving off the nuance that I know about it now.
After a moment of silence, Leon drew on his magic, blocking out all sound except for his own.
“……Somehow. I understand now why you can keep an Obsidian horse of undead nature with you. Haaa. You’re going to have to tell me how you know about the secrets of House Marvas.”
“I will. If I make it back alive.”
“Very well, I’ll take care of you for a while anyway.”
Leon said, releasing the spell.
He’s a gentleman after all.
The one in the game was soft-spoken and polite, but he had a stern tongue.
If you can’t be trusted, you’ll be dealt with.
That’s who Leon was, so I’m not too worried about the sweet potato.
Before I knew it, Leon was on his feet, and he began to call upon the spirits of those who had died earlier.
A relic of his father’s, an object that can control ghosts.
He’s going to use the Book of the Dead – the Necronomicon.
A blue glow emanated from the book he held out, before the color was replaced by darkness and the book fell to the floor.
“Would you all please step back for a moment?”
Leon says quietly, and watches the dark shadows slowly rise. I watch with interest as well.
I never thought I’d actually see the Marvas family’s surplus unleash the undead.
Earlier, he had summoned a skeleton soldier that had been stored away.
But what Leon is about to do is an overwhelming talent that matches the materials of a master. It was a quality.
I carry a sword myself, but there’s something about seeing real black magic in action, right in front of you.
It was a bit of a double-edged sword.
A dark magic force forcibly binds the souls of the dead to this world, reborn as lifeless dolls.
It’s only for a short time, but how precarious and beautiful.
I realized that I needed to get along with Leon in moderation.
Even if I don’t, Paracelsus is about to fight me with his eyes lit up. I wonder if I’ll be in less danger with him around.
……Well, he’s not the kind of guy to care about that.
With that thought, I stood up from my position.
Paracelsus crossed his arms and asked.
“Hey. How are you going to solve the food problem, by the way? I don’t know about anything else, but if we don’t feed them properly, they won’t be able to use their magic.”
It was an accurate point.
In the first place, most of the students here are nobles who have never gone hungry.
Is that all?
There are also students who come here to admire knights and mages, and their base metabolisms are at least several times higher than everyone else’s.
Growll…!
(kkoleuleug…!)
Thalia’s belly clock is also ticking.
Hehe, she laughs and scratches her head.
I blurted out.
“Don’t worry, that’s already solved, they’re coming this way.”
“What? What kind of bullshit is that, you think the meat is going to run this way on its own?”
Paracelsus sneered, but a calm voice came from Leon’s side.
He was already preparing for battle.
“Something is coming. It’s not strong, just a low-level demon.”
I smirked and shot a glance at Paracelsus, who hadn’t gotten the picture.
“You’re right. Commoner. Food is coming this way.”
Paracelsus’s face flushed with shame.
I continued sarcastically.
“They say a broken clock is right twice. I guess this is the time.”
“That’s… Hey, shut up!”
Paracelsus shouted, thrusting his sword at me.
Suddenly, the students were surrounded by boars snorting angrily.
Probably quite predatory.
I thought to myself and sheathed my sword.
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