This changes the story!
Until now, I thought I wouldn’t be able to enter the Secret Archive.
To be honest, it felt a bit vague to say my ability was a talent that showed up once every thousand years.
Sure, the Crafting skill is somewhat rare…
[Contractor, are you going in? It’s begging you to come in level!]
“…I’m not sure.”
Honestly, compared to the dungeons I’ve gone through so far, this one seems like a walk in the park. If I made up my mind to clear it, I could probably breeze through it in a couple of hours.
But the fact that I can’t take the rewards out with me is a bit disappointing. More precisely, the issue is that I can only take “my” rewards out. Ignoring my power-up, focusing on training someone like Elisa or Shuri is much more appealing, making it feel like a double-edged sword.
I have no idea what kind of reward I’m actually getting.
Well, it’s not like they’re going to give me something like “The Fundamental of Digging,” right?
“…Rue. Is there any magic device set up nearby?”
[There’s something sitting on the shelf next to the one with the purple book.]
At that, I checked the shelf Rue mentioned. Upon closer inspection, I spotted something shimmering in purple. It looked to be about the size of a glass marble, something I wouldn’t have found if Rue hadn’t detected it. I picked it up.
“Rue, is this working?”
[It’s working perfectly.]
“Rue. Can you digest it?”
[Something like this is a piece of cake.]
As expected, a Magic Book.
Her confident response suited the member of the ultimate magic device.
Rue’s tentacle, which had been hanging from my waist, wrapped around the marble. In an instant, when the encased marble reappeared before my eyes, it was now a marble scattering red light.
With Rue’s magic now infused, I should be able to manipulate it at will.
I placed the magic device back where it originally belonged. I’m not sure if it’s awake or not, but if I inject the odd magic embedded within it, control should pass back to Rue, enabling me to implant incorrect information.
“Rue. Delete all my information.”
[You’re really pushing it…]
“I’m showing you the sights of the world as you wanted, right? I even promised to let you go freely if I die.”
[Alright, alright.]
“First off, I won’t be able to watch…”
Now that the authority had forcibly shifted to Rue, this was mine. Although I could just splurge, or rather, collect it later, that can wait until this whole incident has come to a close. I glanced over at Rue, who was manipulating the device using the meager bit of magic I had, then I flipped open the purple book.
Hmm.
What page was it again?
Page 231? Since the door wouldn’t open at this time, it felt like a pointless affair, but hey, since I was here at that spot from the original, shouldn’t I at least take a look at something?
As expected, the page was blank, so it didn’t hold much meaning. I returned the book to its original place and turned my body.
To head out tomorrow, I needed to ensure I got enough sleep.
“I need to gather everyone soon and send them off.”
When people’s curiosity wanes a bit, that’s when it will be our time to act.
I leaped into the tunnel.
—————
“Is everyone gathered?”
Right after all the classes ended, I pulled everyone participating in this affair together.
“It feels like it’s been a while since we all gathered like this!”
“Johann, it’s been a long time since we’ve talked like this.”
Lewis greeted me warmly as if addressing an elder. Shuri, who was standing next to him, nervously glanced around.
Don’t do that.
So I seem old now, huh?
If we consider just my mental age, I might as well be.
“Uncle, why did you gather us?”
“Y-Yo, it’s Johann, so he must’ve called us here to talk about something important, right?”
“Correct. Elisa.”
“Hehe…”
Elisa, who had been grinning due to my compliment, covered her face with her palm when everyone’s attention turned to her. Her ears, which she couldn’t hide fast enough, turned red.
Is she shy?
I turned my gaze from Elisa and scanned the faces of the gathered friends.
Karina, Elisa, Viola, Lewis, Shuri, and…
“…What do you want with me?”
Even Martina was here.
“I have something to discuss. It’ll be a very sweet offer for you all.”
“A sweet offer… you say?”
Martina looked as if she didn’t grasp what I meant. When I glanced beside me, the other members seemed to get what I was saying.
Is this the difference between those who’ve experienced me and those who haven’t? I spoke to Martina, who was staring at me as if needing an explanation.
“We’re going to raid the Secret Archive.”
“What?”
“Excuse me?”
“Wait, what?”
“Johann, what do you mean raid?”
Everyone stared at me in shock. Is raiding the Secret Archive really that surprising? I thought they’d have gotten used to my actions by now; guess we still have a long way to go.
“Raiding the Secret Archive… does that even make sense? For starters, the Secret Archive was just a rumor…”
“The Secret Archive exists. I’m sure of its location and how to enter.”
It was just me recalling knowledge I had from ten years ago, but no need to dwell on that.
“But to enter the Secret Archive…”
“Right. We need to meet the conditions. Only those with talents that appear once every thousand years can enter.”
“Does that mean we can’t go in?”
At Martina’s observation, I locked eyes with her. She had a look that wanted definitive proof. I confidently presented the evidence she wanted.
“We can enter if we go in with the one who has that talent.”
“That kind of loophole won’t work…”
It worked in the game, though? Of course, I couldn’t say that, so I came up with a slightly different answer.
“The secret of the Secret Archive has been kept for a very long time. Only a handful know its full details: Principal Merlin, myself, and perhaps a few professors.”
“Principal Merlin… knows about this?”
“I’m not sure if he has heard rumors, but I’m close with Principal Merlin. I’ve received his details about the Secret Archive.”
Of course, that was a lie. Even though I know it from the game, he never actually told me.
“Then again, you seemed close enough that you could just rush up to him asking to participate in development,”
Viola, who had also worked with Principal Merlin on the prosthetic arms, swiftly added weight to my statement.
“He’s more impressive than I thought.”
…Looking back, I’ve indeed done all sorts of things.
Anyway, it seems like the atmosphere has shifted to the point where they’re willing to listen to me, so shall I get into the details?
“So, I plan to take all of you into the Secret Archive.”
“Why me?”
“It’s a reward for taking good care of Elisa.”
“That seems a bit too big for a small favor, don’t you think?”
Martina wore a puzzled expression. Given the rumors surrounding the Secret Archive, it wouldn’t seem rational to hand an enormous reward just for looking after one child. However, having a more capable group is undoubtedly not a bad thing for me.
After all, the ‘Survival Academy’ isn’t a solo game where you can run wild!
The game’s structure is designed for you to team up and challenge! So, I was planning to form a party here, one stronger than in the original.
…It also served as a means of revenge against Bella’s dark schemes.
To mess with my people wouldn’t end well for her.
“The decision on the reward for a favor is solely mine.”
It’s immensely appreciated to have someone care for Elisa. Being a guy means I can’t care for her in certain aspects, and due to my shortcomings in the Magic Department, it’s really a blessing. After my remarks, Martina nodded her head, still looking a bit reluctant.
“Is that so…”
“Johann, when are we going in?”
At Lewis’s question, I answered shortly.
“Tomorrow evening.”
“Saturday evening, huh… sounds just right.”
“Exactly.”
“But I’m an inspector… does it even have a point? I heard the Secret Archive is for wizards…”
“Don’t worry. The founding principal didn’t only care about wizards.”
Since this event could be held regardless of the department, even if you weren’t a wizard, you could still gain significant rewards.
“So tomorrow evening… where should we gather?”
“Let’s meet here again.”
“I-it’s really amazing to be going into the Secret Archive!”
I heard a voice filled with excitement from Rue, the beastkin magician with the unique ability.
Yeah, of course, you should be happy.
It’s not every day you get a chance to experience something worth millions of gold coins. Without needing to say it, the faces of Martina, Lewis, and Viola all showed signs of excitement.
It’s just that Elisa’s reaction was strange.
“Elisa, is something bothering you?”
“Well… I heard that there’s a wish-granting item inside the Secret Archive…”
“There is one, but don’t touch it. It’s highly dangerous—”
There’s no way there would be an item with no catch to it! Elisa nodded with a glum expression at my words.
I’m not sure what’s got her down, but I gently patted her head in a comforting gesture and spoke to everyone.
“Then let’s all disperse for now.”
The date of execution is tomorrow evening.
We silently scattered, as if nothing had happened.
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