Chapter 4

003. Who am I? "Third-rate Convenience Store Owner" (1)

The Academy of Jefrin.

I loved this game, which I had cleared to the point of becoming a veteran player.

There were many reasons why I enjoyed it.

First, the vast story.

The 12 acts and 45 chapters of the story cover the protagonist Kelters' journey from his first year to his graduation in the seventh year, during which he chooses his path and graduates from the school.

And the numerous branching points, along with the changes in character positions that come with them, cannot be overlooked.

A representative example is Ev von Loen格林, the younger sister of Ulfram, who expelled me. In the royal route, she is the heroine, but in other routes, she is a supporter, and in some routes, she even becomes the final boss.

The fact that a character's position changes based on the protagonist's choices gives a sense of realism, as if the characters are truly alive.

However, the biggest reason I was obsessed with this game is that effort is rewarded.

The 12 acts and 45 chapters of the story may seem long, but they feel like a blink of an eye as you play.

The time given to the protagonist Kelters is not long.

There is a final boss for each ending, and to defeat them, you need to gather allies. To do this, Kelters must become stronger, build friendships, and earn money through hunting or other means.

As you build friendships, friends may give you equipment or awaken new skills. If you fail to build these friendships, you might end up with a bad ending.

The five years given are neither too harsh nor too relaxed; to see the ending, you must give your all in everything.

And if you give your all, you will be rewarded.

I cheered with a heart full of joy at the countless 'rewards for effort' that led to a happy ending for everyone.

That was what I enjoyed.

A world full of hope where effort is rewarded, allies are made, and adversity is overcome.

I loved this unique medieval fantasy academy world.

Now, I am in this world filled with dreams and hope.

Even if I am Ulfram, who does not even have the right to stand at the periphery of this world, Jefrin is right in front of me. I will survive here.

In this world that I loved so much!

"I'm sorry, I can't hire you."

"......I'm sorry. I don't have any disqualifying factors, but... you know, right?"

"Adventurer's Guild. There are no vacancies for explorers either. I'm sorry."

"......"

I want to survive.

***

I sit on a park bench and gaze blankly at the sky.

The blue sky is filled with clouds, and when I breathe in, the smell of earth, trees, and pleasant fragrances fill my lungs.

Jefrin is no longer a game; it is my reality.

And reality is cruel to the extreme.

"Who asked for too much?"

It's not that there are no jobs; they simply don't exist for me.

I have a sword and clothes worth 50 million rin in my bag, but no one will buy them.

Moreover, I was rejected from the blacksmith guild, the mage guild, and even the adventurer's guild.

Naturally, any job under their jurisdiction was also rejected.

Is it really too much to be ostracized from the entire Academy Island of Jefrin...?

"Or is it that the system treats my existence in this game as a bug, so no one will hire me?"

If that's the case, there really is no solution.

No, no. That's not it. I shook my head.

The pressure and pain I feel from my tightly clenched fist, and the scent of the park that penetrates deep into my lungs, give me a sense of reality that is almost overwhelming.

"Status."

Then I must survive on my own.

I will survive, even if it means living in a hut in the forest with just an axe.

I open my status window to check.

【Ulfram von Loen格林】

【?T】

【Status:

Strength: 4

Dexterity: 6

Health: 2

Magic: 3

Will: 4】

【Skills:

Royal Bloodline.】

I laughed bitterly after checking my stats.

"Hut, my ass."

Just stepping into the forest, I might get my head cut off by a goblin in one hit.

I want to leisurely chop wood and build a hut, and even make jerky, but that's completely impossible for me.

"Really, a pathetic status."

Next, I tried to check my skills, but that also made me sigh. Royal Bloodline. This skill only allows me to use forced intimidation and pretentious words when dealing with others, which can be useful in negotiations, but if Ulfram uses it, she will likely be beaten to death.

"What to do."

The sky is clear, the clouds are flowing, the trees are green, and I am unemployed.

"Really, what to do."

***

I am not despairing or feeling defeated. My love for Jefrin is not so easily broken.

I just feel like I might faint.

The reason?

Nothing much. I'm hungry.

"Ah, damn."

Jefrin's education is benevolent. Uniforms, stationery, textbooks, and even meals are all free.

But it is also strict; if you are not affiliated with the academy, all these benefits disappear.

So, where is Ulfram affiliated?

Unfortunately, at this moment, I am not affiliated with anything.

I was expelled from the magic department where I used to go as the student council president,

and my next enrollment will likely be at Kipros, which has a mix of commoners.

Right now, I am stuck between expulsion and enrollment, and since I am not officially affiliated with any academy during this period, I must find a way to survive, but I am being ostracized by the entire academy.

"Phew."

It's not that there are no hidden features in D/Z SAGA, but they are frustrating. The game's message is simple.

"Effort is rewarded."

"Effort is rewarded according to the effort put in."

In other words, to access the hidden features, even as a veteran player, you need to be prepared.

Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean combat strength. Good communication skills also work.

For example, the Satlerus letter delivery event, which can earn you 10,000 rin, is almost a mandatory quest in the early stages. You receive a letter from Satlerus and deliver it to the second floor of the magic castle.

The reward is 10,000 rin! It's a great deal.

But I was expelled from the magic castle two days ago. Damn!

Phew. What's the point of cursing? I shook my head a couple of times.

This is the 8th district of the magic castle. I realized I couldn't complete the Satlerus letter delivery quest and sat down nearby.

The magic castle is always bustling, but there is a strangely deserted area.

"Phew."

That's the 8th district of the magic castle.

It's completely empty. It's a region that is too empty.

This is a development failure even acknowledged by Jefrin.

There was no need for the magic tower to have an 8th district. Magic is a place where one genius can replace ten thousand ordinary people.

A new city that failed in real estate development. Dormitories overflowing with vacancies. Empty shops. Desolate streets.

That is the 8th district of the magic castle.

But I liked this silence. I remember once completing a tycoon ending by buying the 8th research building cheaply in the merchant route.

Anyway, that's an old story, and what's important is now.

"There must still be a way."

I am a veteran player of this game.

I have a rough idea of how things will unfold.

The effort to think. The effort to survive somehow.

But I can think.

Even if I am abandoned by the academy, I can think.

Even if there are no jobs, no money, I can think.

If I give up on the effort to think, it's really the end.

"......Let's start by hunting monsters."

I put the notebook back in my carrier and made a decision.

Even if it's the last resort, with no chance of success, there is still something I can do.

I gripped the longsword in my carrier. Let's go outside the academy first.

I stood up from my seat.

"Huh?"

I feel weak.

But this is,

seriously weak.

My vision is blurry, and my body leans forward.

Why? I've only been hungry for a day. No matter how weak I am, I shouldn't collapse here.

"Ah......"

This guy, his health is 2......

In my blurry vision and dizzy head, I recalled my body.

I am not weak.

I am extremely weak.

"Wait, if I faint here......"

This is the 8th research building.

A failed redevelopment area where no one comes.

If I collapse here.

It's really, dangerous......

***

"......Ugh, ugh."

The smell woke me up from my dizziness.

"Are you feeling better?"

"......Eh, ugh. Who......"

"You seem to be alive."

The scent that led me by the nose.

Looking with blurry eyes, I saw a figure of a person.

A middle-aged man with a slightly tilted, friendly smile.

"Do you want to eat this?"

"......Eh, ugh."

What I saw was a piece of bread.

I grabbed the bread with both hands and stuffed it into my mouth. It was delicious. So delicious that I almost cried.

It was a hard piece of bread, but it didn't matter.

"Are you okay? I have some drinks, so drink this too."

I thought I didn't need a drink while eating a tear-soaked piece of bread, but the water he offered refreshed my throat.

"What happened that you were so hungry, young friend?"

"......That's......"

"Never mind. I have plenty of food, so eat."

All the food was the lowest-grade recovery items, 'black bread' and 'water', but it was enough. It was so sweet that I almost cried.

After eating for about thirty minutes, I bowed my head.

"I express my gratitude."

"What, why are you being so formal? What were you doing?"

"......"

I had to hide my identity as much as possible. From his reaction, he doesn't know I am Ulfram.

"Never mind. Even the student council president must have a reason."

"......Do you know me?"

"Of course. The president who was chased away by her sister, right?"

Ouch, hitting a sore spot.

He doesn't discriminate against me. The world is still livable.

"Knowing this, giving me food, I will repay this favor later."

"Haha, it's fine. Anyway, I'll soon be unable to eat, so I'm just getting rid of the waste."

Waste.

A familiar word.

"I see. ......So it was."

"Ah, so I just brought you some spoiled stock. They won't kill you for insulting the royal family, right?"

"......Haha. What are you talking about? Maybe I can repay the favor later."

I waved my hand, and the young man smiled.

"So, why was our president stuck there?"

"......I was chased away. No one would take me in."

"Ah......"

"Who are you?"

"I'm a man who runs a grocery store nearby. My name is Phil."

"......I see. Phil. Can I call you by your first name?"

"Of course."

Phil nodded, and I responded with a smile.

"Good. Phil. Do you have any plans to hire me?"

"......I'm sorry."

"Is that so. I can't help it."

"It's not that, but I'm about to close my business."

"......What?"

Phil smiled at me, but there was a shadow in his smile.

"Do you know what it means for the lowest-grade bread, black bread, to go bad? It usually takes about half a year for black bread to go bad?"

"Ah......"

"It seems this place has a bad location. Anyway, I'm planning to close the business and return to my hometown. So I can't hire you."

"......"

That's......

That's a truly unavoidable reason.

Don't stop thinking. What can I do here?

This failed convenience store. A failed real estate project. A location full of vacancies. A shopkeeper who is leaving.

And what do I have? What can I do?

No. What does Ulfram need the most right now?

I didn't stop thinking,

and the answer came,

and I reached a conclusion.

"Phil. ......Do you have any plans to transfer your grocery store to me?"

What I need now is a very small opportunity to start.

Just that one thing.