Episode 128
"Haa..."
After arriving at the dormitory and sitting on the bed, all my energy drains away.
After all, I had been tense throughout today's classes, and my physical condition wasn't good to begin with, so in a way, this was an expected result.
"...Up we go."
But I don't have time to lie around like this.
I need to finally review the operation to successfully complete the slave market quest that will open soon.
"Young master, please lie down for a moment. Checking is fine, but you should rest your body too."
I, who was about to get up with that thought in mind, ended up collapsing helplessly as Kania pushed me over onto the bed.
"...Alright."
I wanted to say something to this brazen secretary who dared to push her master, but my body had no strength, so I decided to just endure it.
"...Mmm."
Staring blankly at the ceiling with a dazed expression, I saw Kania lying limp beside me with an equally dazed expression, and I chuckled as I asked.
"Are you copying me right now? Kania?"
"...S-sorry."
At that, Kania hurriedly got up from the bed and started staring wide-eyed.
"Kania... you've been a bit strange lately."
"What do you mean? If you tell me, I will correct it."
Looking at her through half-closed eyes and asking, Kania posed a question with a calm expression.
"It's like, I feel like you can see right through me?"
When I asked in a low voice, Kania smiled and said.
"As I mentioned before, that much is nothing for someone who has always served you, young master."
"But still, something feels a bit different... like this."
I, who was about to raise a question to her, irritably pushed away the information window that had suddenly appeared before my eyes, blocking my view.
"Damn it, I said I wouldn't do it, so why does it keep..."
"...Did you see a system window?"
"Yeah."
"Then, why are you so annoyed?"
Looking at her asking that, I sighed and spoke with irritation in my voice.
"Sudden quests keep popping up."
"Sudden quests?"
Beside Kania, who had a puzzled expression at the words 'sudden quest,' the sudden quest window I had pushed away was still blinking.
Glaring at that sudden quest window, I quietly reached out to the quest window.
"Will you accept it?"
"No, I'm going to refuse."
When I said that with a determined expression, Kania asked with a curious expression.
"Is there a separate reason for refusing? From what I heard from you before, I understand that if you clear a quest, you can obtain rewards or points of considerable value."
"Yeah, that's right. And sudden quests give quite diverse rewards, unlike main quests."
"Then, why did you refuse?"
Hearing that, I answered with a sigh.
"Sudden quests at this point in time all have something wrong with them."
[Sudden Quest: Stress Relief]
- Select one woman who doesn't know your true identity and play roughly with her, breaking her, to lower your stress level!
[Reward: Random Item]
[Accept/Reject]
As I pressed reject after finishing those words, the quest window that had been continuously blinking before my eyes instantly disappeared.
"Come to think of it, ever since you woke up a few days ago, you've been severely irritated and the frequency of you waving your hand in the air has increased."
"Yeah, sudden quests are affected by accumulated stacks."
Staring for a while at the place where the system window had been blinking, I started talking while responding to Kania's sharp question.
"I said before that theoretically I could clear up to 5 stacks, right? That's because of these sudden quests."
"Is that so?"
"When stacks are low, sudden quests give light missions and trash rewards. As stacks accumulate, sudden quests become progressively more stimulating, violent, or explicit."
"Ah..."
"Or they demand high-intensity self-sacrifice. Of course, the rewards increase accordingly too."
Kania's expression stiffened at those words.
Feeling grateful to her for empathizing with my troubled feelings, I spoke with a dark expression.
"My ancestor said that the anonymous clear records recorded in the 'leaderboard' system likely made maximum use of these sudden quests."
"...I see."
"When 5 stacks are accumulated, only a few months remain... No matter how many points are accumulated, it's impossible to awaken the artifact within that time, so that was the conjecture."
"Then, how about young master also try using 'sudden quests'? Couldn't you just select the least stimulating contents?"
At Kania's cautious suggestion, I answered while quietly nodding.
"I was thinking that too. Up to 2 stacks, it can be barely managed with just main quests, but from 3 stacks onward, time is tight so sudden quests become essential."
"I see, then..."
"So, I plan to only accept sudden quests that demand self-sacrifice from now on."
"What!?"
When I said that, Kania started to show a flustered expression.
"Ancestor said it. Even though sudden quests may somehow make it possible to clear the game when stacks are accumulated... the story will become that much darker."
"Th-that means..."
"Yeah, orders to commit unforgivable crimes will come out in droves. And that doesn't match my purpose."
"So... you mean to say you'll only select and do quests among those that demand self-sacrifice?"
As I quietly nodded to Kania who was asking with an absurd expression, she, who had been unable to sit still, suddenly started rummaging through her clothes.
"R-right now, exactly how much time does young master have left? Is it really a situation where you must proceed with sudden quests?"
"It's 3 stacks so about a year and a few months would be left. So, I need to start sorting them from today..."
"H-huh?"
While I was answering with a bitter smile to her, suddenly Kania said with her eyes rounded.
"Young master, look at this!"
"...Hm?"
Feeling puzzled for a moment at Kania's somehow awkward behavior, I froze when I saw the lifespan measurement device she had taken out and held out.
"...What, the lifespan hasn't decreased?"
Because the date floating on the device was the same as the date I had checked before collapsing.
"T-this is strange...? This can't be..."
Staring blankly at the date for a moment, I tapped the device and rubbed my eyes, but.
The date remained the same as expected.
[Stack: 3 Special Stack: 1]
"What on earth...?"
Wondering if I had seen the stack wrong, I opened the system window, but indeed, exactly three stacks that reduce lifespan were accumulated.
But then, why on earth hasn't the lifespan decreased?
"I-I don't know what's going on, but... anyway, since the lifespan hasn't decreased, does that mean there's no need to rely on sudden quests?"
"...Y-yeah?"
My mind was becoming hazy as I couldn't gauge what was happening at all, and Kania, who was watching me, casually threw a question.
"Oh, um. If an appropriate quest comes up, of course I'll have to do it... but for now, there's no need to rely on them, right?"
"...That's a relief."
Upon hearing my answer, Kania immediately changed her expression to a calm one and nodded.
'Something's felt strange since earlier...'
"How difficult are sudden quests?"
Looking at her slightly suspiciously, I started answering the question she suddenly asked while reading my mood.
"As stacks accumulate, they become extremely difficult. That's why the ancestor also said it's only theoretically possible to clear. Honestly, even now, my lifespan is barely hanging on and my life force is at rock bottom, so it's a dangerous situation with a very low clear rate."
"But, didn't you say there are 'clear records'?"
"...As I mentioned earlier, the few clear records are all anonymous with detailed information kept private. And excluding those records, my ancestor was the person closest to clearing."
Saying that, I asked Kania in a low voice as she quietly nodded.
"But Kania."
"Yes?"
"Is there something you're hiding from me?"
At those words, Kania started shrugging her shoulders.
"Me?"
Looking at her, I quietly fell into thought.
'...As expected, it seems Kania did something.'
Kania's increased affection toward me lately and the way she matches my heart well.
The point where she subtly informed me a few nights ago that the system I have is related to the Demon God.
And above all, the suspicious attitude she showed just now when she revealed my lifespan hadn't decreased.
'Could it be, did that magic from back then succeed?'
I thought for a moment and was startled when I suddenly recalled the soul-swapping magic, but soon shook off the thought.
The magic circle from back then was definitely torn in half by me.
And if the souls had been swapped, I should be in Kania's body right now, not my own.
Then, what exactly did Kania do?
"Kania, what exactly did..."
- Knock knock knock!
I, who was about to question Kania again since no sharp thoughts came to mind no matter how much I thought, stopped speaking at the sound of knocking and got up from my seat.
"Frey."
"Hello."
When I opened the door, what came into my view were Irina and Klana.
"What brings you here?"
"Tomorrow is the big operation, so we need to review the plan."
"Is Serena not here?"
"Serena's memories are sealed right now, so she's holed up alone in her room."
"...Understood."
Kania, who had been looking at the two with guarded eyes for a moment, smiled upon hearing Serena wasn't here and straightened her posture.
"Then, let's all check together what's happened..."
"...Talk to me later, Kania."
Interrupting Kania's words as she tried to continue speaking with a composed expression, I whispered in a low voice.
"Alright, I briefly explained before, but the plan I've devised is quite simple."
Leaving Kania with her wavering eyes behind, I got up from my seat and raised my voice.
"In this slave market quest where numerous figures and various groups are intertwined..."
Gathering starlight in my fingers, I drew a rough map of the slave market in the air.
"...I will become the villain, and my fake identity and you all will become heroes."
The review that started thus continued until deep into the night.
.
A deep night where even the moon and stars seemed faint.
"Hum-hmm~♪ Hmm-hmm~♪"
Peruche Astellaid, walking briskly through a back alley street, was humming while reading the letter in her hand.
- Considering your past actions and attitude, it is a foregone conclusion that Frey is plotting something at the slave market opening this time. Therefore, I, Isollet, his professor in charge, wish to entrust a significant role to you, his partner and Saintess...
"Don't worry, Isollet! I'll stop Frey's evil plans!"
Muttering to herself with a confident voice, she put the letter in her pocket and entered an old shop with a smile.
"Hello! Is this the scroll shop, right?"
"...Yaaawn."
As she called out brightly, the owner sitting at the counter yawned and got up from his seat.
"What brings you here?"
"I'm going to carry out a big operation soon! So please give me something that will be helpful!"
Approaching the owner, Peruche said with shining eyes.
"I don't know what kind of operation you're carrying out, but if it's attack scrolls, they're over here, and if it's defense scrolls, they're over there..."
"I said I'm carrying out a big operation!"
"Seeing as you won't tell me exactly what's going on... it must be something hard to talk about? Fine, then here are the forbidden scrolls..."
"I said I'm carrying out a big operation!?"
As Peruche's smile, which had started out bright, gradually faded, the owner frowned and started rummaging through the storage.
"Right, right. Sometimes there are customers who look for this kind of thing. This scroll bestows a perfect death that cannot be magically traced, and it's been aged for a thousand years..."
The owner took out an old and musty scroll and started explaining with an air of importance, but.
- BOOOOM!!!
At that moment, Peruche completely dropped her smile and threw a punch at him with full power.
- KABOOOM...!
From the aftermath, the shop was completely destroyed.
"...I said I'm carrying out a big operation?"
Peruche, still extending her hand amidst that devastation, spoke in a cold voice to the cloud of dust rising before her eyes.
- Whoosh...
"...My."
Then, as the dust cloud cleared, the owner was revealed.
"Really?"
He, who had always worn a leisurely and listless expression, had his eyes rounded wide and was wearing a thoroughly flustered expression.
- Crackling...
Blocking Peruche's punch containing the Sun God's blessing with one hand, he scattered brilliant starlight radiance.
"There's only one chance. If you fail, it's completely over."
"...Unhelpful observer God."
"My goodness, I'm going crazy. It's not like I want to observe, I'm forced to..."
- CRACKLE!!!
He, who had been speaking to Peruche with a flustered voice, sighed as she put strength in her hand and said.
"Fine, so you're finally revealing the truth. I do feel satisfied inside, but... I wonder if you and those girls can bear that sin..."
- CRACKLE!!
"Alright."
As Peruche put strength in her hand once more to him, the owner wore a solemn expression and handed her the scroll.
"Keep this in mind. You must activate it when the trial begins..."
"Thank you! Goodbye!"
As Peruche, who had returned to a bright expression at some point, bowed to him and stepped outside the shop.
"Do your best..."
The owner quietly took out a liquor bottle from his pocket and murmured.
"...Peruche Astellite."