<12 - 0.1% Event>
“Are you kidding me?”
“I’m serious. The candidates for hero are all men the higher you go. There’s no fun in watching or training them. Women are rare just by existing.”
In other words, this means that if it were a man, he would have to pass after using wand magic, but a woman like Oknodie can get a passing grade with this level of strength.
“Do you understand now?”
“Not at all.”
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand. The sword sometimes needs to see blood to get better. You can try your luck if you want, but your lady will be sad.”
Butler Jonnas glared at Michael.
Then he turned his back.
“…I give up. It was foolish of me to expect a proper answer from a weirdo.”
The butler relaxed his grip and entered the inn. Michael couldn’t pull his hands out of his pockets, feeling regret.
“What a shame. It was a rare opponent that I could actually have fun with.”
The double number is a ticket permitted only to the next generation of heroes.
However, the one evaluating it is the examiner.
Michael’s real criteria for evaluation was simple.
‘Can they grow into a talent that brings joy to cut within ten years, or not?’
There was a ‘lady.’
That was all.
“Another boring day is about to begin.”
After Michael left, following Butler Jonnas, the insects in the yard finally began to chirp again.
We got a strange ticket.
“Hmm. Hmm? Hmmm.”
“Miss. Are you worried about the ticket?”
“No, um. That’s a lie. I’m actually worried.”
In the game, tickets had no color.
A ticket is just a ticket.
Triple numbers, double numbers, I didn’t know about any of that.
‘Is it because this is reality and not a game?’
I stuck to a whimsical method, holding out for the hidden reward of reputation [Recognized Talent by Michael].
Examinees with this reputation strangely have better evaluation in the entrance exam and receive multiple positive boosts after becoming students.
Surely, being acknowledged by someone as incredible as Michael?
That’s amazing.
I have to keep an eye on it.
Many professors likely think so.
It’s good for Michael’s assessment to go up too.
In the future, when he shows up as a guest lecturer at the Academy, having him like you would surely be a great help in securing grades.
However, when I took the hidden route with the muscular male character, I didn’t get such a favorable reaction from Michael.
‘Is it because I’m a woman?’
I promptly shook my head at that nonsensical thought.
That noble Michael?
No way.
With that face, he could pick anyone to spend the night with in the streets.
Later, Michael, who reappears as a guest lecturer at the Academy, is renowned for being fair among the lecturers seen at the Academy.
At that time, even if the class had only men,
Regardless, I couldn’t think of him as a sweet, patriarchal guy who discriminates between genders.
“Jonnas.”
“You called?”
“What did you talk about with the examiner?”
Jonnas calmly said, “I didn’t discuss anything important,” feigning innocence.
Looking at the butler, I suddenly realized.
Isn’t the start of these different events due to that butler’s whistle?
Given that the hidden route worked in this ticket test, I suspect there might be significant differences in detailed parts.
Even so, this is a huge clue.
‘With veteran techniques, I can cut through luck, exhibit physical and brain skills, and aim for the best rewards; this alone is quite amazing, right?’
However, there is one question I can’t shake off.
Michael’s hidden route.
The difficulty depends on the time spent in preparation.
Starting from the 6th, veterans can’t break it at all.
But on the 5th, it’s possible in some way.
If I use swordsmanship and wand magic.
I prepared in secret, ready to bear the butler’s spite, but the wand magic evaluation ended before I could even use it.
The acceptance lines changed from the game too.
‘Why? If I were a man, wouldn’t this level of strength be basic, yet I’ve never received compliments for strength?’
Thoughts of confusion arose for a moment.
Stretching, I held the ticket in my hand.
“The real test is the entrance exam. I’m not accepted yet.”
“You have the right mindset.”
“Prepare the transport!”
It was time to leave the inn.
The next destination is the Entrance Examination Hall.
The final hurdle to enter the coveted Academy.
While the butler went to arrange transport, merchant Jezel approached.
“I really didn’t think you would pass.”
“I won the bet, right?”
“I’ll acknowledge it.”
Seeing the platinum ticket, Jezel honestly praised it.
“Do you know the difference in tickets?”
“Roughly.”
Oknodie was originally a player.
She enjoyed the game [Graduating from the Academy with Luck].
Now, it has become her actual reality.
The difference between games and reality carries a sense of disconnection.
The color and grade of the tickets fell into this category.
10 gold coins – Ticket (30% chance of being a defective ticket)
100 gold coins – Guaranteed ticket
If you spend less money, you might hit the dud ticket.
That’s actually the iron ticket, which won’t let you enter the exam hall, or the bronze ticket, meaning you can’t participate depending on the number of examinees; she now understands these facts.
On the other hand, the platinum ticket is somehow considered a lucky ticket when obtained.
The color and grade non-existent in the game’s tickets render it an incomprehensible lucky ticket.
Even the benefits of triple numbers or double numbers are tales she doesn’t know.
‘This kid has been raised by a noble family, after all.’
Yet, she has a general understanding of the ticket.
This is why Jezel thought.
This knowledge comes from the education of noble families.
Gift Academy.
Many noble families aim to enroll in the continent’s top Academy.
To do this, they often endure training close to abuse and sometimes tormenting sufferings just to block entry.
“Little lady, may I ask what your family name is?”
“I don’t know.”
“Don’t worry. The butler who was troubling you has gone to find transport, and the maid can’t eavesdrop on our conversation since she’s busy at the table.”
“I really don’t know.”
“……You really don’t know the name of the family you were born into?”
Oknodie looked troubled.
“Please don’t speak badly of my servants. They’re not bad people. They take good care of my meals and let me train in good facilities.”
“What about debuting in society?”
“I don’t need events like that.”
“What about tea parties with girls of your age?”
“Will there be a lot of food if I go?”
This isn’t good.
No way is this child normal for someone raised in a noble family.
She’s clearly been raised solely for the entrance exam, a child who sacrificed her life for the glory of the family, unaware of joy or feminine pleasures.
It’s a truly pitiable existence that evokes feelings of sympathy and guilt.
If she enters the Academy like this, she can never escape becoming a marionette controlled by her family’s wishes.
“I’ve made up my mind.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll take the entrance exam too.”
Oknodie’s eyes widened in shock.
What is this guy talking about?
Only those under 20 can take the entrance exam.
“But you’re old.”
“Haha. Age can be forged, no problem.”
“Even if you could lie about your age, it’d be tough to adapt if you force yourself to enroll, right?”
The grueling schedule of the Academy isn’t something a person can withstand.
Jezel isn’t an ordinary man either, but with age, endurance naturally decreases.
If you lack the strength to pull all-nighters for assignments and exams, no matter how sharp your wit or dazzling your talent, you won’t graduate from the Academy.
“Plus, you passed the ticket test with money, didn’t you? The entrance exam won’t be that easy.”
“Oh, how naïve. Unlike what our little lady knows, the world is ugly. The vile deeds of disgusting adults can turn impossibilities into possibilities.”
Is he planning to bribe?
I don’t care about my own job, but I can respect that fearless boldness.
‘Can a merchant go to take an exam instead of selling tickets?’
This is an event that never happened in the game.
I wonder if it’s okay, but I can’t really tell someone who wants to take the exam to stay in the back corner and just sell tickets.
Most importantly, the fact that this event never happened in the game carries special meaning.
The 600, 300, 99, and 1 rules.
Common branches are 600 and 300.
Rare branches are 99.
Unique branches are 1.
It signifies that to trigger an event happening once in 0.1% probability, you must avoid the odds of 60%, 30%, and 9.9%.
That’s a considerable probability.
I don’t know if this is great luck or terrible misfortune.
Jezel took the challenge seriously.
She accepted the outcome without complaint.
Contrary to the identity of a ticket merchant, he is not a bad person at heart.
“Is it like a middle-aged dream? I hope it goes well.”
“…Middle-aged what? It’s not that,”
“I’ll cheer for you. You got this!”
Jezel, without selling the ticket, climbed up to Michael’s room.
A moment later, he came down waving a platinum ticket proudly.
His enthusiasm to achieve academic success in his old age is impressive indeed.
“They say there’s no age too late for studying. Good luck!”
“Damn brat. I really want to give you a flick.”
“Why?!”
I got showered with insults despite trying to encourage him.
Muttering about how I am the reason for this, Jezel fell silent upon seeing the maid.
“Do you like that guy, Roe?”
“……..”
“I can introduce you… Ow!”
I got flicked on the forehead.
