<259 - Desirable Outcome>
Third-Year Velvet.
Noble Seoguyeon of Class 979.
The current top dog of Seoguyeon.
Senior of Class 981 Seoguyeon.
A heavyweight of the Western Noble Union.
Might just be the future of Duke Andersen.
A noblewoman with both strength and beauty.
The families of Andersen and Seoguyeon were captivated by her name, beauty, and kind demeanor.
Wow. How can such a terrifying character exist?
To a veteran like me, only the most significant keywords stand out.
Class 979.
And third-year.
On top of that, the number one upperclassman of the current Seoguyeon.
“Ah, so you’re a cherished child of Arcadia. You only had a good impression on me, yet why do you look at me like that?”
“You’ve never once been held back in advancing and became a third-year student, right?”
“I was fortunate enough, it seems.”
“Is it really just luck, in an academy where there are those who take years off to accumulate points to become second-years or third-years?”
“I don’t quite understand what you mean. Are you saying my luck should have been worse?”
“In an academy where seniors take years off to gather points, it’s not usual!”
Seemingly, even the previously relaxed Duke Andersen and the nobles of Seoguyeon began to feel the tension.
“If Oknodie is saying that much, then isn’t it usually impossible?”
“Come on. Senior Velvet might just be that talented. What a wonderful senior she is.”
“Don’t be fooled by appearances, you fool. There are plenty of professors who use looks to drag students down.”
Suddenly, a few people remembered someone with a very guilty expression.
“At the start of the semester, if I could sleep next to Professor Coco of ‘Sleeping Well Anywhere’, I thought that would be a sweet deal…”
“I remember my older married brother’s advice, saying that just because you like a face, living together could end up being the worst…”
“So, is she pretty?”
“Her face is…”
“But seeing her face would lift your spirits, right?”
“You should never get married. I feel like you’ll regret it just like my older brother.”
… These people really have no sense of tension.
Because they are so relaxed, they only choose the hardest lectures to attend.
There is a clear difference in tension between those on this side coming to save.
Is it because we’re both from Seoguyeon that I’ve let my guard down a bit?
Even if I raised my vigilance, there’s still a lingering sense of “Nah, it’s not like that.”
“Looks like our juniors have a heightened sense of wariness towards us. How about this? If I tell you what you’ll be doing in advance, you’ll feel at ease, right?”
“Truly a model senior of Seoguyeon. If you do that, we will feel at ease.”
“Now, this is a Mining Entry Permit that guarantees your identity under my authority.”
“Student Council…?”
“That’s right. I didn’t want to brag, but I’ve taken a position by request of the Student Council. To be precise, I’m the head of the Resource Management Bureau.”
Oh no.
The eyes of Andersen and the nobles of Seoguyeon began to gleam delightfully.
They seem to be mesmerized by that impressive title, like moths to a flame.
“How outrageous! Using a delay chance violates the fairness of society!”
“Be quiet, Xenia. Making enemies of the nobles will make your academy life three times harder.”
Hearing the envious voices from outside the coat made the Seoguyeon crew puff their chests with pride!
“If you want, I can give you this Mining Entry Permit. Of course, in exchange for some minor labor and there will be a record stating that, but you know how administrative procedures always are. You know? The strictness of those who aren’t nobles.”
“Haha. That’s right.”
“Wow, Senior Velvet! Does that mean we can enter the mines and snatch the miners’ profits or steal rare metals? What an incredible benefit you’re offering!”
“Huh? Well, there are all sorts of enjoyable things waiting for you. Uh-huh.”
She’s definitely dodging the point here!
“Stop being fooled, you fools! You’re the ones who are going into the mines to work!”
“What? Oknodie, are you saying that just because we’re treating Arcadia kindly, we shouldn’t get over ourselves?”
“Exactly. Senior Velvet has been caring for us so much, don’t push her away.”
These kids are annoying.
I’m beginning to dislike them more than the Masugaki Princess.
Thinking back, I should have known from the start what sort of little pests they were.
Their circumstances were poor, so it didn’t show.
When their spirits lift, they behave rather arrogantly for nobility.
I had temporarily forgotten how friendly Arcadia was.
“You guys better not be too rude to Oknodie. While Senior Velvet might have made a mistake, she’s still genuinely kind-hearted.”
The Duke Andersen displayed a warm temperament and charm as he comforted the nobles, but… with that comment, he took one step closer to signing the contract.
“Too bad, Oknodie. Our Seoguyeon bond is stronger than you think.”
“Ha. After thinking it through, even though I helped you… just keep one thing: use this opportunity to back off here.”
“Why should I?”
“I can turn a blind eye to you becoming a mining slave, but if I see the same grade getting exploited beyond this, I won’t let it slide.”
“The ‘Dark Princess’ known for her remarkable class is actually a rather kind person. Fine, let’s do it your way. I don’t want to be hated either.”
In the end, the nobles of Seoguyeon signed the contract and lined up to resign.
━━━
Currently, there are 2 remaining first-years.
━━━
The self-destruction of the male students of Class 981 Seoguyeon is pitiful, but at any rate, they seem satisfied.
Senior Velvet, having finalized the awful contract, is satisfied, and I, who achieved the goal of “Rescue the First-Years in Crisis,” am also satisfied, so in the end, everyone is happy.
Well, is that enough?
It was the contract they themselves wanted.
When vacation comes, they won’t even be able to return home and will end up as slaves for point mining, but that’s the mistake of making a contract frivolously.
There are also monsters pouring out of the mine, so they’ll gain practical experience too.
Just being able to accumulate experience faster than other first-years and experiencing the cold reality of trusting academic connections less will also serve as a great lesson.
Stay strong, Duke Andersen!
*
“We have branches all over the world. Even after graduating from the academy, we can interact with members in various places and get help in any country or region.”
“Hee. The Dark Cult surprisingly has a good reach. Amazing, senior ♡ The vitality of cults is incredibly tenacious ♡”
While Duke Andersen and his crew walked the path of ruin, the Masugaki Princess was engaged in a long discussion with a senior of the Dark Cult.
“What are you doing?”
“Ah, Oknodie. Just in time, wanna join?”
“The Dark Cult?”
“Long time no see, first-year.”
“Ah, Senior Farming!”
“Do you already know each other~? That’s even better ♡”
I thought they were also trying to self-destruct like Duke Andersen, but listening to their flowing conversation revealed it was quite the opposite.
“There are several closed facilities in the Empire that can be used as secret meeting places for the cult. If we rent those, what will you give us~?”
“There are many seniors in the cult who are skillful in curse magic. If you want, we can cast curses to make your rivals hate songs they often hear or make food taste awful no matter what they eat.”
“Huh~? Isn’t that a diet magic~? I actually think that could make money, so please cast it on my people ♡”
Instead of being drawn into a contract, they are negotiating on equal footing.
They are even mentioning activities of the Dark Cult Headquarters outside the academy!
This senior, I thought she was just some mediocre cult member growing common red mushrooms, but she has tremendous power within the cult to negotiate!
“Is it alright for a princess to make such a contract?”
“Worried~? That a powerful rival is born?”
“Just curious! The Empire hates dark mana.”
Originally, the Holy Central Empire adopts the unique god Sofemia as its state religion.
It’s surprising that an empire that even chased away the 24 deities, including the 12 benevolent deities and the 12 evil gods, would allow the influx of those using dark mana, which is even more severe.
“It’s your fault ♡”
“Me?”
“You’ve proven the efficacy of dark mana~? I’m even more convinced after facing it directly. Way better than that lousy divine power ♡”
Oh no… I see the connection now.
Where did the Princess’s love for dark mana come from?
The personality traits that construct one’s identity.
The core personality remains fixed as a key component, but some parts change randomly every round as variable components.
A character characterized by health retains its health-related core.
For instance, she likes fruit, but which fruit she likes can be random.
Depending on the random choice, she could become an ordinary apple girl or a villain girl who likes durians.
Masugaki Princess also has such variable components.
Her variable component is a preference for strong individuals.
Normally, she would develop a strong admiration for a certain senior or professor during her time at the academy, and that element would stick…
But inadvertently, due to often showing off her use of dark mana, she firmly latched onto dark mana.
“Why~? Afraid you’ll lose to the outstanding dark mana~?”
But for me, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
“Wow, that’s totally messed up!”
The veteran surely knows how to massively pump up mana in a short period.
Moreover, if Masugaki joins the Dark Cult and starts attracting followers who use dark mana, that means I’ll have even more NPCs following my orders.
It’s a win-win, where Masugaki does the work, and the veteran reaps the rewards.
Isn’t this the desired outcome?
