Chapter 5

Chapter 4 - 4. Aftermath

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Ironically, it seems that when people see something too shocking, they can't react properly.

Even as Elijah, who had been slammed into the wall, was being carried away by the emergency medical team, a heavy silence settled over the entire building, so thick that even a slight deep breath could be heard.

It felt as if the souls had been sucked out of everyone's eyes.

"Victor, Daud Campbell."

But at the same moment, the judge's declaration, delivered with a look of utter bewilderment, echoed through the air.

"…What the hell was that?!"

"What the hell is that guy?!"

Deafening roars erupted from all around.

Who is Daud Campbell? What kind of place is the Campbell family, and this is not the time to ask; we need to gather information about that guy as quickly as possible...

Amidst the chaos that erupted around me, I stood alone, staring blankly up at the sky.

Myself.

Allset F.

A bottom-of-the-barrel freshman with two unknown skills as my entire spec.

Currently, on my first day at the academy.

I had taken down the protagonist with a single blow right at the start of my school life.

"…Damn it."

How am I going to clean this up?

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The Helphant Academy is one of the top educational institutions among those across the continent. The only places that can compare are perhaps the [Grand Temple] of the Holy Kingdom or the [Furnace of Struggle] built by the tribal alliance.

And if it's an institution of that caliber, it goes without saying that the faculty is composed of nothing but illustrious individuals.

"..."

"..."

So, the current situation is undoubtedly out of place.

Even these people couldn't hide their perplexity.

In the center of the table, a mana crystal embedded in the table was replaying the video of Elijah Krisanak being knocked out with a single punch.

"The first possibility is—"

The head of the Knight Department spoke in a heavy voice.

"He seems to be an excellent con artist. This student named Daud."

"…Your evaluation is quite harsh all of a sudden, Conrad?"

"Anyway, it doesn't make sense."

The middle-aged man with a cross-shaped scar on his face ran his hand through his hair as he replied to the principal's amused response.

"Anyone with a bit of discernment would have immediately realized this. This Daud Campbell, he was clearly nothing before the sparring match. He had no combat skills, no abilities, nothing. But—"

He then manipulated the video to show the moment Elijah was hit.

"This one blow is undoubtedly 'real.'"

"Real in what sense?"

"No one in this academy could withstand a direct hit from that. I couldn't, for one."

The silence in the room deepened even further at his words.

After all, the person who said this is a former member of the royal guard, the pinnacle of all knights on the continent. Given his background, it's hard to imagine him praising a mere student.

Especially considering that the people in this room are among the top talents in the continent, forming the faculty.

"Whether it's illegal drugs or an unknown magical artifact... he used some 'means' to temporarily generate strong firepower. That's the most likely scenario. I think everyone will agree."

Because.

If not, the existence of this Daud Campbell would be even more troublesome.

"And the other possibility is—"

He paused for a moment and chuckled.

As if even he found it absurd to say such a thing.

"He's a genius, a prodigy that can be counted on one hand throughout history."

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say so.

After all, from anyone's perspective, the chances of Daud Campbell winning were virtually zero.

His opponent was 'that' Elijah Krisanak, a candidate for the next [Hero] under the watchful eye of the royal family.

Combat skills that reach a realm unattainable by ordinary people, an ocean of abilities, and a mental fortitude that never breaks in any situation.

None of these were talents that Daud possessed. At least, on paper, this man was at the level of a mere insect.

"..."

The problem is that such a devastating gap was bridged with a single punch.

By a being whose method is so incomprehensible that it can only be called 'talent.'

And indeed.

If it's not a con artist but a genuine talent.

'He'll be the eye of the storm.'

He will be a figure who brings about a great upheaval.

Conrad stroked his chin as he thought this.

"But it's also difficult to simply acknowledge the student's victory. The Duke of Kendridge won't sit idly by."

Conrad nodded in agreement with the principal's soft-spoken words.

The Duke of Kendridge, one of the ancient noble families of the empire, known for its hostile relationship with the Tristan Dukedom.

As a patron who enthusiastically supports Elijah Krisanak, the Duke of Kendridge would certainly not want to damage Elijah's 'market value' in any way.

"..."

Conrad's expression hardened.

Clearly, when did this place, established to teach students, become a place where one has to worry about politics?

If a talented student is discovered, they should be treated accordingly.

"But it would also be a significant loss for the academy to ignore a student who stands out. Whether he's a con artist or not, it will be revealed soon enough, so let's wait and see."

And as if reading Conrad's thoughts, the principal continued with a light smile.

To Conrad, it was a startling statement.

"Wait and see?"

"This year, we have particularly interesting freshmen. There are many students with such strong personalities that they need to be managed separately."

His tone remained light, but—

"If this student is so outstanding that the principal would say such a thing... there will certainly be a role for them to take on. For their sake."

It was undoubtedly a statement with a significant undertone.

●

So.

I thought about how to clean up the mess after taking down the protagonist.

But it's a problem for my future self to solve.

"..."

Actually, that's true.

Right now, outside my dormitory, there were plenty of people clamoring to meet me just once, but there's no way I can deal with them right now.

Thanks to the grand spectacle I put on in front of so many people, my recognition is skyrocketing.

A trivial reality check.

Tabloids are the same in both the original world and the game world I've been transported to.

I smirk as I browse through the tabloids that have already churned out absurd information about me in just one day.

I'm the hidden child of the Imperial Knight Commander, 'they say.' Or, I'm a secret super-being cultivated by the academy, 'they say.'

Are you kidding me?

But, there are things to salvage even among such trashy media.

I've been holed up in my room for a day, gathering information about the current situation, and there's something that stands out.

The backlash from the sudden spike in recognition is that the public opinion isn't as favorable as I expected.

Elijah was a 'rising star' who had already piled up mountains of achievements before entering the academy, with a solid fan base.

It's not easy to get applause for taking down an A-list extra with a single blow.

'Well, that's unavoidable.'

I don't care what others say about me. My goal is to survive and reach the ending, period.

The butterfly effect from taking down the protagonist on the first day of enrollment will be handled by my future self.

I can recite the methods to become strong and navigate crises in this world with my eyes closed. It's just a matter of coming up with solutions based on the situation.

More importantly.

▼ Elnoir Arinarize la Tristan

▼ Baron Armut

▼ Viscount Lupen

▼ Viscount Gront

.

.

.

That's right.

Looking at the list of characters related to the Gift, a smile naturally forms on my face.

It must be the effect of the [Fatal Charm] skill, but my performance in knocking out Elijah must have been quite impressive, as many names are listed.

I organize the information by looking at the different words attached to each character.

It seems the affection status changes in the order of curiosity → interest → trust. There appear to be more states above, but for now, it only goes up to this point.

Within each state, there seem to be five levels in total.

The highest is Elnoir, at Trust Level 2.

'Somewhat strange.'

The 'important villains' in the story definitely saw me, but none of their names are listed. Only characters who are more like extras are written.

There are several reasons for this.

Some might be too full of ego to care about others, and some might have a different perspective on life because they are insane.

The problem is.

Why is the final boss, who should be the least interested in me, the one with the highest affection?

Compared to others who are only at Curiosity ~ Interest, he is at Trust Level 2.

Why?

"..."

I'm not sure, but.

Elnoir's related event is tomorrow. There's no reason to refuse if there's a reward.

I could take down the protagonist with just one of the two skills I received as a reward. I'm looking forward to what I'll get this time.

"…This is something else."

It's a big deal.

Indeed, the final boss's Gift reward. After giving me a skill that instantly reaches EX level, now he's giving me a high-performance trait in one go.

The Tristan Dukedom is one of the most renowned swordsmanship families in the entire empire. The power is already guaranteed.

"..."

The problem is that most of the abilities related to that family are connected to demons.

Even if it's just swordsmanship, the Tristan Dukedom is a place where more rumors emerge the more you dig.

There might be problems in the future if I learn abilities derived from that.

But, that's the case.

'Who cares.'

I'll use it because it's given to me.

I'm not in a position to be picky, and the performance is already verified.

I'll leave the cleanup to my future self.

With that thought, I accept the remaining rewards.

.

.

.

By the way.

Why are the Gift rewards from the other characters replaced with points?

What's this?

Ah, I see.

The extra villains are just given a blanket reward.

I know the system of the item shop. It's a helper that helps smooth out the game by allowing you to buy various consumable items and buffs.

But isn't this too much?

3,500 points is a number that can only be reached much later in the original story.

Even with the effect of the [Fatal Charm] skill, how many impressions did I make on the bad guys?

"…Well, it's a good thing."

I think as I scroll down the window.

It's a bit odd to think too deeply about it.

But just gathering this much is a significant achievement. At least, it means I have many more means available for the event tomorrow.

Just as I'm about to close the window, something strange catches my eye at the corner of my vision.

A phrase in black letters is embedded at the bottom of the window.

▼ Elijah Krisanak

"..."

Why are you here?

"Hmm."

I stroke my chin and ponder for a moment.

I thought the characters related to the Gift were only those who had 'affection' for me and were 'villains.'

"…Hmm."

No, why are you really here?

Both conditions are unrelated, so why are you here?

As I think about this in confusion, a knock on my door suddenly sounds.

"Ah, is this Daud Campbell's room?"

"..."

It's a familiar voice.

"It's Elijah Krisanak. Can I come in?"

"..."

I sigh and run my hand through my hair.

It seems I can't avoid this guy.

I don't know why he's here, but I'll hope that if I stay silent, he'll back off.

"Sir, I already know you're inside. If you don't answer, I'll break the door down."

This guy is a lunatic.

"…What the hell are you calling me 'sir' for?"

"Ah, so you are in there."

But even to my curt response, only a cheerful voice comes from the other side.

"Can you open the door? I have something to talk about."

"…What do you want to talk about?"

"Um, just to get to know each other a bit?"

"..."

A severe headache hits me.

I groan and clutch my head.

Daud Campbell. Day 2 of enrollment at the academy.

The original protagonist has started to stick to me.

This is insane.

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