Chapter 30

"Excuse me?"

What did you just say?

Who, and how am I supposed to take responsibility?

"I’m talking about my daughter. Because of you, her photos in a dogeza pose have spread nationwide, and now she can’t even get married. You need to take responsibility. Ideally, it would be best if you became a son-in-law to the Shinazaki family."

You must be kidding.

My back is tingling.

It was going well, but then suddenly I got dragged into this.

It feels like when a sudden humanitarian spirit appears in chapter 101 of a web novel after 100 chapters.

Yeah, I was wrong to let my guard down because the conversation was going smoothly.

I should have been more cautious, like checking a fire that’s already out.

"No, thank you."

There’s no need to think about it.

I’ll refuse outright.

Just thinking about Shinazaki Rin’s outrageous behavior still makes me angry.

But I don’t want to form any attachments in this world.

Considering my sick mother and our declining family fortune, I have to return to my original world at all costs.

I can’t afford to take responsibility for anyone.

I’m just passing through, after all.

A mutually beneficial relationship. That’s all.

And Shinazaki Rin, like the childhood friend heroines in light novels, has the设定 that she has unconsciously developed a liking for the protagonist since childhood.

Of course, the inevitable traits of a childhood friend, such as being a loser, having a minor role, and being unpopular, are also attached.

'Why should I get involved in building the Great Wall with her?'

And a son-in-law? If it’s just about using me, I can understand, but being tied to the Shinazaki family and having to deal with that perverted uncle in a master-servant relationship is something I absolutely detest.

I won’t do it even if you give it to me.

"Ho? To refuse the glorious position of being a son-in-law to the Shinazaki family? Why?"

Shinazaki Ichiro’s eyes narrow.

The atmosphere becomes heavy again.

Ah, why is this happening again? It was going well.

Is he obsessed with me like an EX-rank hero?

"Just because I don’t like him. Give me the item instead."

"Ha, hahaha, hahahaha! To dare say such things in front of me, Shinazaki Ichiro! Your gall is impressive. I like it."

Shinazaki Ichiro, starting his own misinterpretation.

I still can’t understand his way of thinking, but if it’s a good thing, then so be it.

"Give me the item."

"Fine. I don’t know why you want this useless thing, but I’ll give it to you."

Shinazaki Ichiro, saying the same line as Shinazaki Rin, hands over the gift box.

Opening the box, I find a smooth black stone, like a pebble.

It’s the Black Stone.

It matches exactly with the image I saw in the light novel color illustrations.

'Finally, I’ve got it.'

It really took a long time.

The Black Stone could compensate for my low combat endurance.

No more premature exhaustion after battles.

'Good.'

Feeling one step closer to my goal.

It was worth enduring Shinazaki Ichiro’s nonsense.

"Then I’ll be going. Have a good night, Chairman."

I stand up.

I thought it would be a boring meeting.

My business is done.

It’s time to leave.

"Sure. See you again if the opportunity arises."

I leave the sushi restaurant, hearing Ichiro’s farewell.

Now it’s time to consume the Black Stone.

*

After Kim Deok-sung left.

Shinazaki Ichiro sat alone in the tatami room, putting sushi in his mouth.

The high-end sushi, made by a Michelin three-star chef, melts in his mouth.

"Did you hear that, Rin?"

Ichiro speaks in a low voice.

Creak.

The sliding door behind Ichiro, which looked like a mere decoration, opens.

There, sitting on a cushion with a serious expression, is a blue ponytailed girl, Shinazaki Rin.

Shinazaki Ichiro.

He had her waiting in the back room from the beginning.

"..., Yes, Head of the Family."

"I like him."

Shinazaki Ichiro pours sake into a cup.

Although spreading the dogeza photos is despicable and has disgraced the family, he can overlook it for the sake of recruitment.

Wouldn’t it be easier to pursue him once he becomes a part of the family?

"Recruit him. Use any means necessary."

There’s no one else suitable for his daughter.

His orphan status from a minor country is a bit off-putting, but if he becomes a son-in-law to the Shinazaki family, he’ll automatically gain Japanese citizenship, so it’s not a problem.

Minor conflicts are inevitable, but they’ll eventually grow fond of each other through battles.

When he was younger, Ichiro fought with his wife so much that he eventually fell in love and got married.

Ichiro says in a low voice, having thought this far.

"Make him your man, Rin. You must."

"..., Understood, Head of the Family."

Shinazaki Rin, gripping her school skirt, answers with a trembling voice.

A twisted smile appears on Ichiro’s lips as he hears her response.

The clear sound of the bamboo water wheel in the sushi restaurant’s garden echoes in their ears.

Swallow this?

I returned to the academy at 9 PM after ending the meeting.

A neither too early nor too late awkward time.

But it’s an appropriate time to use the Black Stone.

Beep.

Swiping my student card, the heavy iron automatic door opens with a thud.

The interior, while not as good as Olivia’s top-class personal training room, still looks pretty decent.

I can see the skill practice dummies and the training system in one corner of the metal walls.

A typical training room setting that would fit more in a Korean academy battle story than a Japanese one.

But I didn’t come here to practice skills.

'Finally, time to open it.'

Sitting on the floor of the training room, I open the gift box.

Why did he have to put it in a beautifully wrapped Christmas gift box?

There’s no worse taste than this.

The Black Stone reveals itself.

Its official name is the Incomplete Philosopher’s Stone.

Messiah sought the Philosopher’s Stone to obtain infinite mana and infinite possibilities for the New World Plan, and he acquired the Black Stone in Volume 16.

'But the Black Stone is, as the name suggests, an incomplete item. It’s a defective product, so an enormous amount of energy was needed to transform it into a complete Philosopher’s Stone.'

This energy includes all forms of power, including mana stones and life force.

In the story, this is the reason why the New World League’s terrorist activities, aimed at energy collection, became more frequent after Volume 16.

'Of course, it’s mine now.'

But I can’t be complacent.

Messiah won’t give up on the New World Plan, and he’s a madman who has a Plan B in case he can’t get the Black Stone.

Plan B isn’t specifically mentioned in the story or the setting book; it’s just a MacGuffin to highlight the final boss.

But this is a mad world where the novel has become reality.

'If I’ve preempted the Black Stone, it’s only a matter of time before Messiah activates Plan B once he realizes it.'

It’s still early in the story, so the final boss’s influence hasn’t surfaced yet.

Messiah probably doesn’t even know about the Black Stone’s existence.

'I need to prepare, but not now.'

Becoming stronger is what matters.

Winning the Great Game as an extra character like Kim Deok-sung is impossible without a cheat item like the Philosopher’s Stone.

That’s what it means to beat the protagonist, the center of this world.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

"Good."

I hold the Black Stone in my hand.

In the original story, Messiah ate the Black Stone, which then absorbed into his body and acted as a second mana source.

In simpler terms, it’s like having a dual-core computer or two hearts for a soccer player.

It’s something I desperately needed due to my mana exhaustion.

'But I have to swallow this?'

Just looking at it, I can tell it will get stuck in my throat and make me choke.

In web novels, the protagonists always manage to swallow these things, which makes me admire them even more.

I sigh.

But there’s no choice.

I close my eyes tightly and put the Black Stone in my mouth.

"Ugh! Choke!"

I thought it would go down smoothly, but my throat suddenly closes.

I can’t breathe.

It hurts. It hurts again.

It hurts so much I feel like I’m going to go insane.

Tears well up in my eyes.

Rumble.

I reflexively activate my mana.

Thump, thump.

My heart beats as the mana pathways activate. Mana flows through my body.

Rumble!

The Black Stone, stuck in my esophagus, vibrates in response to the mana.

"Ugh! Ugh! Choke!"

A vibrating stone in my throat.

Lying on the ground, I thrash around grotesquely, twisting my body.

Suddenly, it’s Philosopher’s Time.

Why do I have to become stronger in such pain?

In web novels, the protagonist never seems to suffer when they get lucky breaks.

Is it because it’s painful that it’s a lucky break?

"Choke! Choke! Ugh!"

Beast-like roars escape my mouth.

I scratch the floor.

The Black Stone, reacting to the mana, slowly begins to descend my esophagus.

"Ugh!"

Unbearable pain as the stone tears through my insides.

"Ugh!"

I gag involuntarily.

Blood spurts out.

Am I going to end up in the hospital again?

Hospital stays increase my review time.

That can’t happen.

"Damn... legs..."

Curses escape my mouth.

I decided 10 minutes ago to only use polite language, but it seems this mad world is to blame for my foul mouth.

Rumble!

The vibrating stone settles next to my mana pathways.

The Black Stone resonates with the mana pathways in my chest.

The Black Stone, which had been reacting to the mana, begins to produce mana gradually.

The transplant is successful.

"Ugh, ugh!"

I get up, retching.

My legs wobble.

A full, doubled mana flows through my body.

Thanks to the mana, I barely avoid fainting.

The pain gradually subsides.

Is it the effect of the Black Stone? My wounds are healing quickly.

But even with mana, I can’t shake off the exhaustion and weakness.

'I really need to rest.'

I stagger out of the practice room, which is a mess of blood.

I need to go to bed early tonight.

*

While Kim Deok-sung was writhing in the practice room.

Shinazaki Rin sat on her bed in her dorm room, lost in serious thought.

She, like Olivia, received a special single-occupancy dorm room due to her second-place admission.

Unlike Olivia, who had attendants, she was alone in the room.

'Capture him...’

Shinazaki Ichiro’s words to her, her adoptive father, echo in her mind.

'Turn him into a man... How am I supposed to...’

Shinazaki Rin’s face shows confusion.

To her, Ichiro’s command is absolute.

It’s a mission she must accomplish.

If he says to capture Kim Deok-sung, she must do it.

By any means necessary.

'But I’ve never been in love, and my womanly charm is low...'

For Shinazaki Rin, love is a story from another world.

She grew up in an orphanage and, after being adopted by the Shinazaki family due to her aptitude and talent, she has been training non-stop to secure the position of Crown Prince.

She had no time to cultivate womanly charm.

'Why am I worrying about this...!'

Shinazaki Rin’s face turns red.

Of course, during the time when the Kurosawa family was still strong, she often interacted with Kurosawa Yuki under the pretext of exchange.

But after the Kurosawa family was wiped out ten years ago, even that faded away.

'Why is Kurosawa’s face popping up now!'

Shinazaki Rin shakes her head to dispel Kurosawa Yuki’s face from her mind.

From childhood to now.

Shinazaki Rin has never won a single match against Kurosawa Yuki.

Continuous defeats.

Even the battle at Shuoh Hero Academy ended in her defeat.

To her, Kurosawa Yuki is an insurmountable wall and a childhood friend with mixed feelings.

On the other hand, Kim Deok-sung.

'I don’t know.'

Shinazaki Rin’s eyes waver.

All she knows about Kim Deok-sung is that he’s a Korean student with a C-rank aptitude and the protagonist of an unexpected victory over the Knight Princess.

She doesn’t know any more detailed background.

Kim Deok-sung’s image pops into her mind.

A ruffian-like face, contrasted with solid muscles.

'If you ask me if I like him or not, of course I don’t.'

I could bet on a dogeza.

But the idea of actually making him do it and spreading it nationwide is too extreme, even for her.

Normally, even if someone bets on a dogeza, it’s polite and proper to overlook it.

But Kim Deok-sung actually went through with it.

That’s not all.

He twisted a legitimate duel request into a deal, and consistently provoked her.

Of course, I can’t have a good impression of him.

'Of course, I acknowledge his skills...'

He defeated the Knight Princess and showed skills worthy of advising Kurosawa Yuki, as confirmed in our previous battle.

I, who was called the best talent in Japan.

But the extreme speed of his sword, which he displayed at the end, was a realm even I, the best sword talent in Japan, couldn’t reach.

Confident that I could defeat the famous French Knight Princess with my sword.

Yet his sword was a flash I couldn’t counter.

So Shinazaki Rin cleanly acknowledged her defeat.

But that’s all.

Thinking about how he called her by her name without proper respect, she can’t develop any fondness for him in other aspects.