Chapter: 31
The maid’s touch as she styled my hair today felt particularly powerful.
Usually, she creates a hairstyle that’s easy for me to move around with, but today, it seems like she’s crafting an ‘exhibition’ style meant to show off.
It felt like she was making a work of art with my hair.
Maid…
“How pitiful, maid. Why are you showcasing your mediocre skills with my hair?”
“I’m sorry if I offended you, Young Lady! But isn’t this an academy?”
Why’s that?
“What does that even mean?”
“We can’t afford to seem inferior here, where countless nobles gather.”
So, if it’s not flashy enough, I’ll get the cold shoulder from other nobles?
Now that I think about it, there was a comment in the game about nobles who couldn’t keep up with the trends being disregarded.
Is that really the only reason?
“Is that all there is to this nonsense?”
“How dare you call it ‘nonsense’, Young Lady. This is serious business.”
Just do it the usual way, please.
“Just do it as usual. Meddlesome maid.”
No matter how annoying the task is, Lucy’s opinion of me won’t change.
Glitz and glam might help maintain my standing, but they can’t undo a shattered reputation.
Dressing simply could earn me comments about being rustic, and dressing flamboyantly might lead to whispers of extravagance.
Better to stay comfy and face criticism than end up suffering for nothing after putting on a show.
Honestly, if it means going through this hassle each morning, I might as well use that time for a jog.
“However, Young Lady.”
She used to shake like a leaf every time I spoke, but these days, she’s voicing her thoughts more.
I sighed, removing the hairpin from my head and placing it on the vanity.
It’s an order. I don’t need these trinkets.
“It’s an order. Put it back how it was. You think I’d fall behind just because I don’t wear this trash?”
The maid paused for a moment after hearing my words, then bowed from behind me.
It might be a bit twisted, but at least the meaning was clear, right?
*
Over the past few months, I’ve poured my efforts into leveling up.
I’ve been running, sparring, and honing my skills day in and day out.
I pride myself on doing everything I can.
Thanks to that effort, I’ve achieved what I aimed for.
Raising my skills to the maximum allowed at level ten.
Stamina. Bludgeoning proficiency. Shield proficiency.
Having maxed out these three stats, I found myself much stronger than before.
By the standards of the academy entrance exam—before the Soul Academy tutorial—I was completely over-leveled.
Breaking the record for the dungeon in the entrance exam is as easy as provoking a goblin.
So, I know I shouldn’t worry, yet I can’t shake off this feeling of tension.
Sword…
“Pathetic knight. Is it really okay for you to be wandering around like this? Just strolling about?”
“Young Lady, you know it’s important to manage your condition before an important task.”
[The knight is right. Resting before a big event is the best preparation.]
I recognize that what a single knight and a mace said holds truth.
After all, what good is moving my body now when it won’t change anything?
But if I relax too much, my anxiety starts creeping back in—I can’t help it.
This world is a game, yet it’s not just a game.
Things I took for granted in the game could change in an instant in this world.
How many times have I been caught off guard trusting my in-game knowledge?
I’d considered all the possible variables in the dungeons for the academy exam, but each time I think back, I fear I might have overlooked something.
This won’t do.
I need to go back to my lodgings and double-check everything.
“Young Lady! Look, an airship is flying!”
I lifted my head at the maid’s flustered voice.
An airship was cutting through the clouds in the sky.
Looking at it, her reaction was reminiscent of a child seeing something new for the first time—it must be her first time seeing it.
Riding that isn’t really anything special.
Airships have the worst efficiency as transportation in the game.
They cost about the same as teleportation magic, but while you arrive at your destination in the blink of an eye with teleportation, you’ll be flying around for days on an airship.
It’s the epitome of a costly waste of both time and money.
So when playing the game, I never gave airships a second glance.
Now that Soul Academy has become reality, I have no intention of riding such trash that only looks good.
As I absentmindedly stared at the sky, I suddenly lifted my gaze and took in the sights of the city.
Soul Academy isn’t just a school; it’s an elaborate hub of affluent noble children.
Wealthy folks toss their money around like it’s nothing.
Traders, drawn by the scent of easy gold, gather in droves around this area.
Commoners hoping to find work also knock on the door of Soul Academy.
Consequently, it has turned into a sprawling city built around the academy.
The visual spectacle I beheld was, in a word, a symphony formed from the lives of countless people.
The sound of footsteps all around.
Merchants yelling to sell their goods.
Women chatting animatedly from one corner.
The sweet chirping of birds layered above the laughter and shouts drifting in from somewhere.
In the midst of all these sounds, my breath blended in.
At that moment, reality hit home.
I realized I had arrived at the place I’d only seen on a monitor before.
And suddenly, all the worries that had gripped me moments ago felt utterly pointless.
Returning to my lodgings? What for?
I’d only just come to the main stage of Soul Academy, and now I’m supposed to turn back without taking a proper look?
How can you even call yourself a veteran of the Soul Academy?!
Hmph!
Muttering the familiar BGM of this bustling street, I started moving my feet.
There were so many places I wanted to see.
So many that I could swear I wouldn’t be able to hit them all in one day.
I had to visit that restaurant the stoic heroine gushed about.
And that bakery the goofy young lady loved.
I needed to check out the bridge where many iconic scenes from the story unfolded.
Oh, and I couldn’t forget the alley where the protagonist and their friend had a heart-wrenching farewell.
The more I thought, the longer the list of places I had to visit grew.
I should also go find any hidden pieces I can grab along the way.
Time is running short.
Had I known I’d be this pressed for time, I would have cut down on my sleep to roam around.
I regretted throwing myself onto the bed last night, saying I was tired after riding in a carriage.
Now I should come up with a plan.
Where do I start?
First off, since we skipped breakfast, should we go to a restaurant and eat first?
“Young Lady?”
Maid. Sword…
“Listen up, you two pathetic ones. We’re heading for a meal now. I’ll find something delicious for you, so get ready for a treat.”
The restaurant does have a steep price, but that’s hardly an issue for me.
After all, I have plenty of gold coins given to me by Benedict!
Smiling at the weight of the gold in my pocket, I recalled Benedict, who had escorted me to the academy.
Honestly, it was quite ridiculous how the troll fussed over me, dabbing his eyes and telling me to be careful.
Had he entered menopause already?
Reflecting on that gesture, it seemed like an overreaction.
After taking the entrance exam, I would just return to the territory and wait for the acceptance notification.
So why cry like you wouldn’t see me for years?
If I really do get admitted into Soul Academy, I’m afraid I might sob uncontrollably.
“Oh my! Lady Alrn.”
As I was imagining Benedict fainting from tears, a woman called my name.
Blocking my path, she looked down at me with piercing blue eyes and smiled.
Uh…
Who are you?
“What kind of pathetic being are you to approach me?”
Her bratty tone hardened her smile.
What’s with this attitude today?
Feeling perplexed, I glanced around.
Behind her were two other women.
They all seemed to be dressed well—so they must be noble young ladies, but what business do they have here?
“We saw each other at the social gathering the other day, didn’t we?”
“Yes, Meryl. With that tiny head of Lady Alrn, it’s hard to remember a face.”
“Oh, so that’s it.”
Their blatant disdain helped me guess their intentions.
They were here to pick a fight.
Why bother? I didn’t even need to ask; the reason was painfully obvious.
The scenery I had seen from Lucy’s nightmares was evidently grounded in some truth.
But I didn’t expect Lucy, as a count’s daughter, to be so openly targeted.
Aren’t they scared of Benedict?
Do they think they have something on him?
They don’t seem that impressive anyway.
If they were significant characters, I surely would have remembered their faces.
“Lady Alrn. You’re here for the academy exam, right?”
So what if I am?
“But why?”
“Why are you taking the exam when you’ll probably fail?”
The blue-eyed girl said this with a smile, and her friends laughed beside her.
Hmm. They think I’ll fail the exam.
To be fair, if I only knew Lucy as she was before I possessed her, I might think the same.
If I were to perform excellently during the entrance exam’s sparring and dungeon exploration, their reactions would be quite entertaining.
Just like how a bad person stands out when they do something good, if someone known for incompetence suddenly performed well, it would capture everyone’s attention.
Well, this works out.
Let’s turn the tables on their insults.
Is that all you have to say?
“Is that really all you want to say? Then I’m off. I don’t have time to waste on you lesser beings.”
I have way too much to do to waste time with some extra side characters.
As I turned on my heel, the girl snarled, her voice dripping with fury.
“Are you running away?!”
Yes, I’m running away. I’m a coward who doesn’t want to fight.
“Isn’t it embarrassing not to know the trends, Young Lady?”
Sure, I’m clueless about trends. Couldn’t care less, either.
“How humiliating for the House Alrn!”
Hearing that made me freeze.
I never thought I would hear such a thing thrown in my face.
Fueled by indignation at my master being insulted, Karl moved to intervene, but I turned to face the woman again.
“What? What the hell?!”
“Isn’t it you who’s afraid? ♡ Pathetic Young Lady ♡ Just stay crumpled up like the loser you are! ♡ You thinking you can make me scared won’t make you look cute! ♡”
This bitch.
There is a time and a place for everything.
I could overlook damaging Lucy’s reputation, but I won’t stand for this.
Screw that! Let’s throw down!
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