Chapter 46

The 3-day, 2-night field trip came to an end.

‘Though, in terms of how it felt, it seemed like not even a day had passed.’

I had spent two whole days trapped inside Rekorox’s nightmare.

There were plenty of cadets who felt regretful that it ended just like that, without even having had the chance to properly enjoy their leisure time.

“We will now announce the results of this training retreat.”

It was when we boarded the Grand Galphal headed for Yggdrasil.

Professor Peria spread out a large parchment with magic, revealing the score sheet.

Most cadets were close to the lowest marks, and about a hundred managed to earn average scores.

The 15 names at the very top proudly had perfect scores.

The cadets whispered as if there was a name on that list that shouldn’t have been there.

“……Does that really say Villed?”

“Lapin, Karin……. They were in the same group as Villed. That’s not a combination that should’ve been able to survive……. Did he bribe someone or something?”

The majority stared with suspicious eyes.

“Why are you taking it so seriously? It must be a mistake. Let’s tell the professor.”

Some cadets even went as far as to ask the professor directly whether it was really my name.

But after hearing from the professor that there was no error in the score sheet, they returned with faces as if their souls had left their bodies.

“Nixie, how was the final trial? Come on, spill the story!”

Crowds swarmed the cadets who had received perfect scores.

They were curious about what lay at the end of that mysterious space.

However, Nixie and the other top scorers only made vague expressions.

“We were following the plan…… and after that, I don’t remember anything.”

“Didn’t you take down that ghost, Nixie?”

Arowell, who stood nearby, answered instead, but Nixie shook her head.

“No. I did slash it once, but I didn’t defeat it.”

“Then…… who was it that dealt with the ghost?”

The most attention gathered around the sociable Keirin.

“Hmm, I don’t know either? I can’t really remember!”

Even Keirin couldn’t give a clear answer.

Who had defeated Rekorox’s ghost remained shrouded in mystery.

Since everyone except me had fainted in the middle of it, it was the natural outcome.

‘All the better, honestly.’

If word got out that I had handled it, I would be the center of attention, which would only cause trouble.

Luckily, the matter passed by unnoticed.

“No one knows who defeated the ghost, but in the end it was your plan that worked, wasn’t it? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Karin asked, sounding dissatisfied that suspicion had fallen on me.

I quietly opened my mouth.

“It wasn’t anything great. Doesn’t matter.”

There was no need to earn good evaluations from the cadets.

Getting a high score in the retreat.

That was the result I had aimed for.

‘Now…… the real problem will be the final exam and the thesis.’

One mountain after another.

I hadn’t fully escaped the risk of failing just yet.

‘There’s also the issue of tuition for next semester, but since I already know the method, I’m not particularly worried.’

I calmly looked out the window, deciding to enjoy the little bit of vacation time I had left.

“Villed.”

Lapin approached me before I knew it and tapped my shoulder.

She puffed her cheeks as she handed something over.

It was a small pouch with the famous chocolate coins inside.

She must’ve gotten it from somewhere.

“There’s no place to throw this away.”

An empty wrapper, huh.

Was she asking me to take care of it?

“……Alright.”

I took the wrapper from Lapin and put it into my pocket.

---

This place was Yggdrasil’s livestock shed, under a perfectly clear sky without a single cloud.

Pak! Pak! Pak! The sound of a mop being pushed vigorously echoed.

“Ugh, seriously.”

Rupina was sweating profusely as she pushed the mop.

Her reddish half-tied hair gave off an air of neatness and purity, but……

Her face was worn with anger and fatigue.

As she lowered her gaze to take a break, her shabby attire caught her eye.

A sigh escaped her lips.

“Totally rustic-looking…….”

Rupina furrowed her brows as sweat dripped down.

Overalls meant for farmwork and waterproof boots.

It was completely different from what she normally wore.

Ordinarily, her outfit would have been a black jacket with a white round blouse underneath.

Her lower half should have been a black skirt suit.

And her shoes should have been black dress shoes……

“Arghhh! Why do I have to be doing this?!”

Rupina clutched at her hair, recalling what had happened a few days ago.

That day had been just like any other.

She had been on her way to deliver some documents to another department.

Up until last year, she had been a student of Yggdrasil. After graduating, she got a job as a staff member.

Though she was just a low-ranking employee who was only given menial tasks, it was fine.

If she kept taking on these chores, someday her chance would come.

Encouraging herself with that thought, she had been walking down the corridor.

Step, step.

Rupina instinctively held her breath when she saw a student walking in her direction.

Normally, she wouldn’t have been afraid of a student.

But things were different if it was that notoriously infamous one.

‘Vi, Villed? I’m in trouble.’

The usually lively Rupina broke into a nervous sweat.

He was infamous even among the staff.

One time, he had even grabbed a staff member’s hair and wouldn’t let go.

If a nearby professor hadn’t intervened, something terrible might have happened.

‘Is he…… coming this way?’

As she recalled those rumors and overlapped them with Villed, her heart pounded loudly.

She tried to quickly walk away and pretend not to notice him.

Grab!

Suddenly, he caught her by the shoulder.

She squeezed her eyes shut tightly at that moment.

“You do it.”

“……Excuse me?”

Rupina cautiously opened her eyes and asked in confusion.

And that was how……

She ended up stuck doing all the shed chores for three days and two nights while Villed was away on the field trip.

“Villed, you bastard…… you son of a bitch!”

Rupina irritably shoved the mop forward.

Thinking of it as shoving his face somehow relieved her stress.

“Die! Just drop dead already!”

“Who’s supposed to die?”

“Vil……! Kehek! Kehhh! Cough! Keck!”

Rupina suddenly broke into a fit of coughs, as if something had gone down the wrong pipe, then turned toward the voice with a big, forced smile.

Villed was standing there.

His chilling presence felt like it was threatening her very life, and Rupina desperately improvised.

“Ah! You’re back! How was the field trip?”

Villed said nothing.

It was obvious he had heard her earlier muttering.

“Th-that just now was me talking to germs! Exciting germ extermination~!”

Rupina forced a wink, trying to play it off.

“…….”

Villed still said nothing, only responding with a disdainful look.

Then he touched several spots in the shed, checking them.

“No dust anywhere. Well done.”

“Ah, ahaha……! Yes! Thank you!”

Rupina showed her trademark big smile, while thinking to herself:

‘You bastard…… freeloading off others like this…… fall into a cesspit already……!’

As she cursed him inwardly with a smile, Villed suddenly strode toward her.

Startled by his sudden movement, Rupina flinched.

D-did he notice what I was thinking……?

While she was on edge, Villed pulled something out of his pocket and placed it in her hand.

“You did well.”

The reward for three days of slaving away in the shed.

It was…… a small pouch of chocolates.

“…….”

They were the famous coin chocolates from a luxury brand.

If that was the payment for three days of labor……

Wow. Truly. She was so endlessly grateful.

‘Villed, you insane bastard. Among all the psychos I’ve ever met, none of them beats you.’

Rupina wanted nothing more than to crush those chocolates into powder right there.

“You may go now.”

“Ah, yes! Yessir! ……Thank you very much for the chocolates! I’ll leave the work clothes here! Have a good day!”

Rupina bowed and immediately rushed off like she was fleeing.

On her way back to her workplace at the Academic Administration Department, she pulled out the pouch Villed had given her.

“Wow…… isn’t this guy completely insane?”

She didn’t even have the strength left to let out a hollow laugh.

He could’ve just not given her anything at all.

What was he trying to do, make fun of people?

‘……But it feels kind of heavy?’

Were luxury chocolates supposed to weigh this much?

Puzzled, Rupina carelessly tore open the pouch and checked its contents.

It was ordinary coin chocolate……

‘……N-no. Wait a second.’

Rupina’s mouth fell open.

“Eh? Hhhuk……!”

She exhaled sharply, then looked around.

Seeing that no one was nearby, she poured the contents from her pocket into her palm.

What glittered there were…… three shining gold coins.

‘Not coin chocolates, but real coins! 300 gold!’

That was about the same as her monthly salary.

Was it really okay to receive this much pay for just three days of work?

Of course, the amount itself was shocking, but what was even more shocking was……

‘That thug actually gave me proper payment? What kind of scheme is this?’

She glanced around again.

Maybe he was just playing a prank, waiting to see her shocked reaction……

But there was no sign of Villed at all.

Feeling relieved, she looked back at the coins.

‘There’s a rumor that his family abandoned him, but if he’s spending money like this……. That rumor must be fake.’

As expected, he was filthy rich, squandering money like nothing.

……Well, she was grateful enough that the target of his squandering happened to be her.

‘……Hmm, if he asks me again next time, maybe I could say yes?’

Sweeter than any chocolate.

She had hated shed work so much, but if it came with this much money, she could do it gladly.

Alright, first things first……

What should she spend it on?

There was that dessert café she had wanted to visit. Should she stop by after work?

Having received such an unexpected reward, Rupina was now in high spirits.

---

The sun had set, and night had come with a sharp temperature drop.

I lit a campfire and sat in front of it.

I counted the coins from my wallet, then put them back into my pocket.

‘Now I don’t have much gold left.’

Naturally, since I had generously paid Rupina for her work.

There was a system where you could assign chores to specific staff and pay them sufficiently.

‘And among the staff, Rupina is the most efficient all-around problem solver.’

In the future, there would be times I would have to be away from the shed.

Instead of going through the trouble of finding someone to substitute each time, I could just rely on Rupina.

‘For the protagonist, good reputation is enough if you give appropriate pay.’

But I wasn’t the protagonist—I was Villed.

I knew well enough that most of the staff and school personnel spoke ill of me.

No one would want to form ties with me.

‘That’s why I had to give her a reward far more generous than usual.’

In the game, the minimum required amount to improve Rupina’s distrustful relationship was 300 gold.

Money wasn’t an absolute value, but.

In the end, people liked money most of all.

If you offered unexpected, substantial payment as a reward, it could create a chance for a favorable relationship.

‘Even if it did leave me broke.’

Not that I regretted the money I gave to Rupina.

I already had a way in mind to earn more.

I opened <✿Animal✿Farm✿> and looked inside.

Woof! Woof!

Shurk already looked completely adjusted.

……Hwayo looked annoyed, and Boogie was hiding inside his shell, maybe scared of Shurk.

Shurk alone was joyfully running around.

Watching him play reminded me.

‘In <✿Animal✿Farm✿>, there was also a dog wearing a flower crown like Shurk.’

A faint childhood memory lingered.

A large white dog resembling a Samoyed, wearing a white flower crown.

And, coincidentally, Shurk—the boss of Rekorox in —had the exact same design.

Could that really just be coincidence?

‘It might be coincidence…… but the chance that <✿Animal✿Farm✿> and share overlapping lore is high.’

I didn’t yet know what kind of effect such a connection between the two games might have.

‘And I still haven’t checked Shurk’s abilities.’

I’d been too busy to spare any attention before.

Now that I had time, I intended to examine them.

I exhaled and thought inwardly.

‘Shurk.’

I grasped at the air.

The card that appeared in my hand held a darkness like obsidian.

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