Chapter: 118
“Principal asked me to deliver this to the Young Lady.”
The day after I chased Naklad away, Karl came to me early in the morning and handed me a box from his coat.
If it’s a gift from the Academy at this time, there’s only one thing it could be.
A reward given to the top achievers of Soul Academy.
“I heard there’s an elixir inside.”
The reward for being first in class is indeed an elixir.
The type changes based on the listener’s class, so for someone like me, it would surely be a potion for strength and stamina.
Under normal circumstances, this would give a solid foundation for rapid growth at the beginning of the academy, but for me now, it’s practically useless.
It hasn’t even been a year since I downed three potions.
But hey, it is a precious item, so I have no reason to refuse the reward.
I might as well stash it in my inventory for now.
I’d surely find a use for it somehow.
And if all else fails, I can just drink it a few months later.
Now that the reward has been delivered, I should jump back to my stuff, but Karl was lingering around, trying to gauge my mood.
What’s up with him?
[What’s going on? Did something happen? ]
“Hey, what’s the deal?”
“That’s… about yesterday. It’s eating at me. Because I was lacking, I messed up. If I were just a bit stronger, I wouldn’t have let that guy slip away.”
[So, you’re saying you’re not bothered by it? ]
“How about cleaning your ears? You dirty fool. Didn’t you say you weren’t worried?”
We were the ones hounding Naklad yesterday, but ultimately, we failed to hunt him down.
It was bound to happen.
If a guy with powers of darkness decided to run, I had no means to pursue him.
Even in the game, I couldn’t take him down until I got a staff that could capture the darkness.
And now that it’s real life, obviously I can’t kill him either.
I was originally just planning to annoy him enough to chase him off.
I was quite satisfied with how it all played out yesterday.
Seeing that punk yell out of frustration before awkwardly bolting away with a red face was enough to blow away all my stress.
So there’s no reason to apologize, but it seems like that’s weighing heavily on Karl’s mind.
“Ah, indeed, my Lady. You are truly merciful!”
No, I’m actually totally fine with it.
It’s good that this knight is filled with a sense of duty, but couldn’t he at least pretend to listen to his master?
My friend’s chihuahua behaved better than this.
This damn knight!
If I left him be, he’d just keep digging his own grave, so let’s change the subject to something more suitable.
Lucky for me, there was a perfect topic at hand.
“By the way…”
“Hey, why didn’t you bring the sword I gave you yesterday?”
“That sword? I have it hanging at my place.”
…What?
“You think I would dare to use a gift from you? What if it gets damaged?”
No way.
“I just bought a glass case to keep it safe for now, but later I’ll put a preservation spell on it…”
[Why the heck are you decorating it?! ]
“You hopeless mutt! I gave it to you to use!”
“However, my Lady…”
However or whatever!
That’s a pretty good item, you know!
Even in the game, it was useful up until around the mid-late game!
It’s light years better than the sword you’re using now!
So why aren’t you using it?!
Just because it was given to you by someone you like, are you gonna keep it until you die?
Why are you fanboying over your own master, you little shit!
I had so much to say, but I held back, knowing if I spoke, there would be no going back, and I just sighed instead.
After a deep breath, I spoke to Karl.
“Later… I’ll put a collar on you, so keep that and use the sword.”
“Really?! Thank you so much!”
Seeing Karl’s bright smile, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
Was he always like this?
Or did he just become strange after meeting me?
It must be the former.
Otherwise, there’s no way he would brag about such lunacy.
Watching Karl skip away with excitement, I plopped down on a nearby bench and let out a long sigh.
So tired.
I haven’t done much, but I felt even more exhausted than when I spent the whole night raiding dungeons.
Is this how it feels to raise a big, misbehaving dog?
“Lady Alrn?”
While I was lamenting, a voice caught my attention. It was Phoebe.
She stood there with an awkward smile, making it painfully clear that something awkward was up.
She had never approached me first before. What could this be about?
[What’s going on? ]
“What’s up? Hopeless Saintess?”
“Oh, um, it’s about something related to the field trip party.”
Would Phoebe actually have an issue regarding the field trip?
Anyone who plays RPGs knows that healer and buff characters rarely struggle to form a party.
Every party needs at least one, and since there aren’t a ton of priests around, whenever they see one, they beg them to join.
This truth holds just as strong within the Academy.
There aren’t many priests in the Academy, but everyone wants one in their party.
It’s just common sense.
How desperate would you be for someone to heal you when you get injured?
Even a mediocre priest would get all sorts of leverage used just to reel them in, and Phoebe, with her special skills, is no exception.
You can’t even call her a noble; she’s more like a monarch. No, a deity!
If she wanted, she could pretty much join any party and gather any members.
The Goddess of School Field Trips who can deal more damage than a dealer while also being a tank? Is that not amazing?
Sure is amazing.
If this were a game, my priority would be higher than the Saintess herself.
But this isn’t a game.
People’s reputations matter a lot here.
You have to stick with your party members for three nights and four days; who would willingly hang out with someone whose reputation is in the dumps?
I wouldn’t want to either.
But Phoebe is different.
Loved by everyone, regardless of gender, her presence is practically a free pass through any issue.
Awash with good will, she’s basically a reputation multiplier.
So, there’s no way she could have issues forming a party.
But why was she talking to me?
“Have you struggled to assemble your party, Young Lady?”
[Um, sort of. ]
“I have a rough idea.”
Since Joy and I decided to team up from the start, and since Frey, who has no other friends, naturally joined my party too, I was left with only one slot open.
Initially, I had planned to ask Arthur.
Someone who can handle both the front and back lines is hard to come by.
But the moment I brought it up, I was outright rejected.
Apparently if he teams up with me, he couldn’t beat me or whatever.
I couldn’t help but tilt my head at Arthur’s eagerness to declare that he would beat me this time during the field trip.
He wasn’t that intense back when this was just a game.
Good, bad, it’s a positive change, but it also makes me worry a bit.
If he takes me as a rival, he might eventually get disheartened.
No matter how competent he is, he can’t beat me.
How would he even hope to surpass me, a veteran who has poured thousands of hours into this game?
If signs of his dark transformation show up later, I guess I could just throw a match on purpose.
But would he just get angrier if he found out I threw the match?
Well, after getting rejected by Arthur, I picked Bisi as my replacement.
She seems to have decided to party up with her friends already, but that’s not really my problem.
Given that I’m her benefactor and have her weak points under my thumb, I’m practically her master.
If a slave says jump, you jump, right?
As for Avery?
Hmm.
I don’t mind giving her tasks, but it feels like it would be a little awkward to spend 3 nights and 4 days together with someone who badmouths me.
I might be the kindest and most benevolent person ever, but I can’t just have someone beside me who talks trash about me behind my back.
“Just to ask, would it be okay if I joined Young Lady Alrn’s party?”
[…Huh? ]
“Yes?”
When I doubted whether I had heard that right, Phoebe flinched and then spoke up again.
“I wish to be a party member of Lady Alrn.”
Phoebe?
Why?
She could join whatever party she wants if she wanted to.
Plus, she’s not someone obsessed with competition, so she could easily have a comfortable time in a party with decent performance and a relaxed atmosphere.
So why would she ask me?
Ah, could it be because of Joy?
That makes sense.
Since Phoebe and Joy are best buddies.
If she requested to join just to be with Joy, I would understand it.
“Is that okay?”
[Of course! ]
“Of course, if you’re asking, there’s no way I would say no, Hopeless Saintess.”
There’s no reason to refuse having a top-tier healer in the party!
You’re totally welcome here!
Bisi, who would just be dead weight, could step aside for Phoebe anytime!
And besides, it won’t break the chemistry among members.
Joy would be thrilled to have Phoebe join and Phoebe is the kind of person who wouldn’t mind if I or Frey did something crazy.
Hey, unexpectedly this crazy Young Lady of mine was useful!
I should seize this opportunity to work on making a good impression on Phoebe during the field trip.
Since we both handle the divine, I might be able to empathize and get close to her.
Phoebe is relatively easy to charm, so if I play my cards right, achieving a rapport of 70 before the trip ends doesn’t seem impossible.
If I do become besties, not only will I clear Hopeless God’s quest, but I’ll also be able to add a professional healer to the party!
Great! My plan was to take it easy and just go for first place, but now it’s time for a change.
I’ll need to buckle down and give this a shot.
Maybe it’s time to break the academy record!
“Then I’ll rely on you.”
[My pleasure! ]
“Yep, Hopeless Saintess. I hope you won’t be a burden.”
“Haha, I’ll do my best!”
As I shared a joyful exchange with Phoebe, one thought flitted through my mind.
Now that I can use the Saintess as a party member…
Does that mean I can use the same tricks I employed back in the Soul Academy’s dungeon?
“Hey, Phoebe.”
“Yes, Hopeless Saintess? Do you have time this Saturday?”
“Huh? I have no important plans. I can free up time.”
That works perfectly!
I had been meaning to finish up the dungeon raid for Soul Academy.
Maybe I’ll wrap it all up this week.
As I plotted my plans in my head and smiled, Phoebe flinched and took a step back.
What’s with that reaction?
Did my expression look odd?
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