<137 - Don't be fooled. I know better.>
The stupid hat informed the precious trash so zealously that the classroom was a total mess.
“What’s wrong with everyone?”
“Haha. I guess everyone is surprised by the little lady’s exceptional talent.”
“What’s the use of having a lot of talent if she doesn’t want to do it?”
“Is that so? I’ve heard that there are 24 deities vying for the status of the gods who have promised the Apostle Class, and several Legendary Classes are also being challenged for a great mission.”
“I’m going to be a Magic Swordsman!”
Isabel said with an expression of utter regret.
“Are you serious? Explorers would switch to a class with such a ominous name without a second thought if it appeared in a ruin.”
“Does that mean Isabel didn’t like being an Explorer?”
“It’s not that I hated it; it’s just a job to make a living. Just like a treasure hunter wants to make a big score finding treasure, most Explorers want to find secret ancient legendary classes for a big score.”
“Is that so?”
“Ancient. Legendary. Just one of those would smell like a huge turning point in life.”
Well, newbies do love that stuff.
Hidden classes, unique classes.
Things like the one-of-a-kind, awesome, fraud jobs.
If only there weren’t hidden traps, I might have jumped on it too.
The hidden risks are too great, and as a veteran player, I have absolutely no desire to risk my soul on such dangerous classes.
“I like being a Magic Swordsman!”
“Hah… What’s so great about that Magic Swordsman? It’s a class that’s mediocre at both swordsmanship and magic.”
“If you master both, it’s twice as fraudulent!”
High physical resistance monsters can be hit with magic, and magic-resistant monsters can be hit with physical attacks.
And that’s even if it’s an Adventure Department student?
With this, there’s no need for guides or trapsmiths or lockpick rogues.
You can be a versatile character handling at least three roles solo.
“More importantly, why am I the only one being publicly humiliated while everyone else gets to skip the test?”
Feeling disgruntled, I puffed my cheeks and turned around, only to find Professor Bronze looking dumbfounded.
“I’m truly impressed by the audacity of a first-year Oknodie. You’ll grow up to be quite a big shot.”
“Of course! I’ll be 2.3 meters tall!”
“…I wasn’t hoping for that kind of big shot, but I’ll proceed with the tests only for those students who agree among those who haven’t worn their hats yet.”
Students wishing to participate raised their hands.
Aside from Isabel, Jezel, and Titosso, the classroom was practically wiped out.
The only other student standing out was Sing.
“Heroes gather around the big shot. That brave attitude is impressive.”
Fortunately, the professor regarded the behaviors of my friends as courage rather than foolishness.
“Behave yourself.”
The hat guy was trembling from the professor’s dagger-like pokes.
“Administration Department. You have the qualities to rise as a dark merchant. Being cold-hearted and ruthless would also suit a war merchant.”
“Production Department. You’re a born chef. With that skill, you could easily become a dark chef who could mask even a drop of poison.”
“Ahaha, what’s with this coward? Weak spirit, clumsy talent, always worrying about others’ opinions, perfect for a maid. Why don’t you take off the school uniform and put on a maid outfit?”
The hat guy rambled on, but ended up silencing himself when he saw Titosso, who was quietly on the verge of tears.
The already chilly atmosphere turned colder, but thanks to Titosso being called a maid, it lightened a bit.
“Sigh. That hat must have done it on purpose, right? Being called a dark chef, I’m bound to be remembered as someone suspicious who puts poison in food.”
“Haha. In this world, everything is a matter of perspective, right? In the future, there will be fewer people lingering around trying to eat Isabel’s cooking, so my mind will be at ease.”
“A cheerful outlook is good. ‘Dark Merchant,’ huh.”
The already current dark merchant, Jezel, didn’t face any damage.
Instead, they realized that the hat guy had a keen insight by matching with their occupations that actually had realistic possibilities.
From then on, odd expectations, worries, excitement, and enthusiasm crossed in the looks they gave me.
“Uncle Jezel, just in case, if someone suddenly shows up with a legendary class transfer stone, I really will get angry.”
“Haha. No way. Such things are a dime a dozen; where would I find one? Unless I go looking with Isabel, I wouldn’t get one.”
I see, they did have plans to search along with Isabel.
It’s a good thing I gave a warning beforehand.
“Hmph. Oknodie-. They said I should just be a maid. What if from tomorrow on, everyone calls me a maid and treats me like one?”
“Come to me if that happens. I’ll teach any student bothering Titosso a lesson!”
Trying to act like I was hitting them with chopsticks, I accidentally missed the chopsticks, which spun around and smashed the ceiling lamp.
The shattered light fixture hit the classroom floor with a crash, followed by a chorus of screams.
Still, because of the unreasonably sturdy walls of the classroom, the chopsticks made a ping sound as they ricocheted off the ceiling and walls before finally stopping after boring straight into a student’s desk.
“Hey, that one called me a maid earlier! Oknodie, were you listening? Did you just get your revenge?”
It was an already happened event.
There was no way to avoid deductions for property damage.
“…That’s right!”
After showing off at least once, it seems I scared the students into fear, as another notification popped up.
[Fear Induced Experience Points +15]
[Bad Kid Experience Points +2]
“Oknodie, as a first-year, get ready to humbly accept that the point bill for property damage in the classroom will come flying via magic watch soon.”
“Yess…”
Although there was an unintended expense, wasn’t it worth it as long as my friend Titosso could attend the academy without crying?
Having her cling to my side with starry-eyed chats wasn’t that bad.
Because, after all, Titosso is cute!
What do I have to hide?
I’m weak against beauties and cute creatures.
Just because I became a girl doesn’t mean my personal preferences change.
‘Still, with muscle memory, if the original owner of this body has favorites, I can react accordingly if those appear.’
What did Oknodie’s original owner like?
I’m curious, but I don’t want to know too much.
What would an 11-year-old kid even like?
Dolls?
Flowers?
Probably something like that.
“Administration Department. A natural supply officer as well.”
In the tumult, the hat was the last to announce the final student’s aptitudes and talents.
The last student being tested, Sing, grasped the brim of the hat with a look of disbelief.
“You should think carefully and then speak, hat. I’m a swordsman, a practitioner who has taken down over a hundred swordsmen.”
Honestly, I thought Sing would be better suited for the Knight Department and a class like an assassin, but it was a surprise for them to be placed into the Administration Department without a second thought.
The Administration Department was generally a place for those without talents for other departments to stay and work hard to achieve something, or for royalty and high nobility to gather.
In short, it was a department even talentless students could brandish as graduates or dropouts of the Gift Academy.
It’s just perfect for saving face in many countries.
So many imperial royals end up in the Administration Department.
Princess Masugaki is a special case since she has magic talent and plans to enter the Magic Department.
“That’s why it’s a better fit. Have you thought about it? An officer targeting supplies and a supply officer mowing down enemies.”
“It’s a trivial task. What’s the difference between guarding commercial supplies and guarding military supplies?”
“That would be true for an ordinary supply officer. But what suits you is ‘Dark Supply Officer.’”
“…‘Dark’?”
“When the morale of your army is plummeting, with deserters and casualties everywhere, a supply officer who departs even at the risk of being outed by betrayal from his own side. You might cut down more enemies than your own troops!”
“Oh.”
“By misusing power to hoard supplies or framing your own for feeding soldiers to the gallows, you have a perfect class for those who enjoy seeing blood!”
“Oh, really?”
Dude, what the heck.
He really seems to like that kind of thing.
But even I must admit if someone like that shows up as a supply officer along with a supply carriage, my first thought would be, “Hey, is this carriage really okay?”
Definitely not your ordinary supply officer.
“As a high-ranking position, there’s the ‘Dark Military Logistics Commander.’ As a top-tier class, there are shadowy figures within the military, influencing military governance directly, while you can throw around mere swordsmen as if they were a fly.”
“That’s interesting.”
Oh man, that’s insane.
It might be fun for the party involved, but just imagine the situation in the Administration Department where princes and princesses are happily chatting away in a little bubble.
Sorting out hierarchies based on country of origin and support factions, breezing through life in that corrupted paradise, while students in the lower ranks play the roles of underlings, basking in the luxury of doing tasks in their place.
Then suddenly, a crazy dude barges in and starts hacking away.
You can imagine bloody storms brewing every day, and they’d end up calling in assassins to engage in combat with Sing.
“Don’t be fooled. I know better. That’ll be super unfun.”
I generally want to avoid interfering, but for the sake of the academy’s peaceful daily life, I couldn’t just let that lunatic go wild.
With those psychopathic eyes staring at me as though I killed someone on the way to school this morning, Sing shot back,
“What do you know? Big shot brat.”
I needed some persuasion.
Something credible enough they’d believe me that wasn’t just my experience.
“…Papa.”
“What?”
“My papa told me! The military is boring in any country!”
Sing accepted this.
“I see. Guess it’s better to live as a swordsman.”
Sing took off their hat and placed it on the briefcase.
I was relieved they got it.
But unfortunately, someone else got it too.
Professor Bronze stared in shock as he muttered,
“The Foundation must have let their guard down too easily, huh? They must have been short-staffed in the military as well… for every military force worldwide?”
…Sorry, Papa.
I feel like I’ve caused some trouble, but I hope it’s all good.
