Chapter: 517
I don’t know much about the fairies that exist in the Soul Academy.
By the time the player enrolled in the academy, the name of the fairy had already turned into a mere fantasy.
They don’t show up as monsters or allies in the game, and even when they occasionally make an appearance in recollections, they only reveal limited information. So, I hardly had any info about them.
All I knew was that the ending they faced was far from happy, right?
So when I saw a quest window that directly mentioned the word fairy, my eyes widened.
If it’s about the fairy’s dream, then it must be talking about the Fairy Forest!
Those fairies that fell into an eternal slumber long ago, buried in darkness.
The place where the Fairy Queen, who I encountered during the trial with that Hikikomori brat, lies asleep. It was a place I couldn’t access when this world was a game, and now I can go there!?
Are we really talking about a dungeon I had absolutely no prior knowledge of? A new event!
New skills! New NPCs! A new dungeon! New monsters and patterns! The resolution of all the breadcrumbs I was left with!
Is the DLC that I could never access while staring at the monitor finally coming out in this form!?
Filled with anticipation, I lowered my gaze and stared intensely at the blue window that displayed the text.
[Long ago, the Fairy Queen fell into a trap prepared by the Evil God. While heroes attempted to rescue her, they were forced to acknowledge their failure after countless sacrifices. The wizard, who thought he could never accomplish this, sealed the Fairy Forest in eternal slumber, carrying the bitter taste of failure in his heart. Even now, the fairies are dreaming—dreaming of flying through the green forest, joyfully laughing in happiness. Until when will these fairies continue to dream? Is the only ending left for them to fade away while dreaming of happiness? Is there no way for them to awaken from their slumber?]
[Please share your conclusion.]
[The rewards for this quest will change based on your achievements.]
…My conclusion?
What conclusion?
After reading the meaningful phrases that seemed hastily jumbled together a couple of times, I furrowed my brow and leaned back.
Wait, isn’t this just asking me to go to the Fairy Forest and solve this problem?
But why does it sound like I have the liberty to choose?
So far, I’ve been forced into super dangerous situations and disgusting scenarios, and now they’re pretending to be considerate?
Thinking about it, this isn’t really different from usual, but for some reason, it’s infuriating.
It’s like a warning label under a toy. No matter what happens, we’re not responsible, right? A phrase twisted into submission just like those words.
What annoys me more is that whether I like this statement or not, I have no choice.
The stinking residue of desperate hunger for new content wouldn’t just leave an unexplored area alone!
Damn it! Pathetic God! You knew this all along!
You knew I had no choice but to go, making it sound like it’s not your fault, right!? That’s how it is, isn’t it!?
As I let out my pent-up frustration by pounding the bed, Erin, who had been sleeping at the head of the bed, slowly lifted her head.
She caught sight of my flailing movements, and in no time, she was up on her feet.
“Ah. Young Lady! You’re awake!?”
“Couldn’t you tell?”
“How is your body? Is there anything strange? Are you thirsty or hungry?”
“Pathetic Erin. Do you really think it’s okay for a maid to nag her master? Stop yowling like a riled-up cat and keep your mouth shut.”
“…I’m sorry.”
Calming Erin down, I dismissed the blue window and switched on the light in the room.
It was still quite early, but that didn’t mean I could fall asleep again. Let’s hear what happened after I collapsed.
“Um, Young Lady.”
“Meow? Meow meow meow?”
“…Yes?”
“The cat was meowing, so I answered in cat language. Now, meow, kitty. Answer me.”
“Uh. Uhm. Meow?”
“Pffft. You really did that because I ordered you to? My cat at home is a lazy cutie?”
“No… no. I mean, Young Lady, have you grown a bit taller?”
“Hey, um, lazy cat. Even you should know that there are some things you shouldn’t touch. It’s true that I’m kind, merciful, and a cute girl, but I won’t let you play around with me!”
I indeed like Erin, but using my height to torment me is something I can’t overlook.
With that pathetic God dwelling in the skies, there’s no way my height could change.
That pedo is the kind of creep that would enjoy being stepped on by a girl.
There’s no way he would allow my height to increase.
“No. This time, your maid is right.”
The clumsy fox sleeping under the window stretched at the sound of my voice and leaped out.
“Lucy, you have indeed grown a bit taller. I can guarantee that I’ve been watching you closer than anyone else.”
Despite the chills running down my spine at the sight of the clumsy fox saying something that sounds like a sexual predator, I believed what she said.
There’s no way this pervert, who loves pretty things so much that they’d even sell their own soul, would make a wrong judgment about my appearance.
With a bit of hope rising in my heart, I quickly jumped off the bed and stood in front of the dressing table.
“H-Hey, Grandpa.”
[You’ve grown. About a centimeter or two, right?]
“Right?! Am I seeing things? I actually grew taller, right?!”
My height reflected in the mirror was indeed larger.
Some may say it’s just the length of a finger joint, but this growth meant something special to me.
I thought there was absolutely no way I could grow taller, at least as long as I had that Mesugaki skill.
As long as that pathetic God holds onto his ways, I thought there is no way I would grow!
But I’ve grown!
I’ve gotten taller!
What’s this?
Why?
Why did my height grow when nothing changed during the ascent of my divine rank!?
It must have some reason!
Now, with my intelligence rising and freeing me from the title of idiot, my mind offered me a singular answer.
A miracle.
The miracle of purification!
That’s what allowed my height to grow!
There can be no other factor to heighten it!
…Oh? But if I think like this, isn’t it a bit strange?
The reason my height hadn’t grown was due to the penalty of the Mesugaki skill, right?
And I, meaning Lucy, had that skill granted by that pathetic God.
The miracle of purification is ultimately a power that vanquishes evil, so why would this affect the penalty of the Mesugaki skill?
Because it’s a miracle? Is it such an overpowered skill that it negates penalties regardless of friend or foe?
But if that’s true, shouldn’t my speech change to normal too?
Why hasn’t my way of speaking changed at all?
Is it possible that, with my current power, I can’t completely heal the penalties of the Mesugaki skill?
…
Ugh. My head hurts.
Being in a position where I can’t accurately theorize the mechanisms of the skills leaves me confused.
Still, there are a few things that are certain.
The miracle of purification is the means by which I will be rescued from the Mesugaki skill!
And to achieve complete salvation, I need even more noble divinity than I currently possess!
Finally, I have achievements to elevate my divinity!
[How long will the fairies continue dreaming?]
My answer to the pathetic God’s question is simple.
The night is over.
Now all that’s left is to snatch the blankets away from the sleepyheads who were curled up in the darkness.
Hoo.
Hoohoo.
Pathetic God. You mentioned you’d reward me based on the achievements I accomplish, right?
Got it. I’ll prepare an astounding sight for you.
A view so stunning even that pathetic Agra wouldn’t be able to help but be amazed at it.
I’m going to have a busy time ahead. Things I need to prepare, steps I need to surpass, and the various people I need to gather to wrap this up nicely.
There’s plenty to do.
Ah, of course, I have to deal with the midterm exams first, but that’s no problem.
I’ve been studying with Joy all this time, and with my greatly increased intelligence, what do I have to worry about?
All right! Come at me, midterms! I’m about to show you I can smash you to bits without the help of Dice God!
*
After staying up all night drafting various plans on paper, I saw the morning sun rising and left my room.
While my ideas aren’t fully formed yet, seeing the faces of my friends is more important right now.
I heard from the clumsy fox, Karl, and Erin that my friends were fine, but I needed to see them with my own eyes to feel reassured.
Most importantly, I need to tell them that I’ve grown a whole 1.3 centimeters!
As I felt my perfectly tailored school uniform tightening just a bit, I couldn’t help but raise my chin with a grin.
[You’re not going to outgrow your clothes just because you grew a little bit.]
“Shut up! What do you know about my clothes, old man? Don’t ruin my mood by talking too much!”
[Oh, have you hit puberty just because you grew a bit taller? ]
I ignored Grandpa’s babble and moved towards the academy’s square, where many students had gathered and were buzzing excitedly.
What’s going on? Why are so many students gathering and chattering so early? It seems like some announcement was made.
Ugh, I still can’t see in front of me even if I stand on my tiptoes. Why do I have to deal with such an inconvenience being this tall?
“Hey.”
I said in a tone full of irritation, and the person standing in front of me frowned, turning their head. Then, upon making eye contact with me, they freaked out and stepped back.
“Damn lanky idiot.”
“Yes! Yes!”
“Get lost. You stink.”
“Yes! I’ll be leaving!”
Lucy’s hidden skill of scaring people is still effective.
Following the natural path that appeared, I arrived in front of the announcement board and took in today’s newly posted notice.
Hmmm. Maybe because I’ve grown, I don’t need to tilt my head as much anymore.
[Notice regarding Academy Leave of Absence]
…A leave of absence?
[In response to the recent incident, we deeply acknowledge our significant responsibility…]
[We will be renovating the internal facilities and replenishing personnel…]
[The midterms will be postponed until next semester…]
Wait. Wait. Hold on. They just said the midterms are postponed?!
Then what about everything I’ve been studying up till now!?
What’s going to happen to all my efforts dedicated to the midterms!?
You may also like Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy
