Sniff, sniff—
“Hmm, it definitely smells like an elixir. It has a nice scent.”
Luna said this while taking another whiff of the elixir’s scent.
I agreed with her assessment, though with a slight caveat.
‘Only the elixirs given by Rodelin and Yuridia, though.’
The one Victoria gave? That one could hardly be called an elixir. It looked and smelled like literal feces. In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to just call it that.
“Haha, this one’s terrible, though.”
“Huh? No, I think it smells nice, too.”
Did she just say the foul stench of feces smells nice?
Could it be that her sense of smell was damaged due to her severe injuries?
Or maybe I’m the one who’s mistaken. It wouldn’t hurt to verify.
“Rezé, it seems Luna’s nose has been damaged.”
“N-no, Luna is right! It smells… fragrant?”
“What?”
“L-Luna can’t be wrong. Whatever Luna says is the truth!”
Hoh… is that so?
I brought Victoria’s… no, the “poop” elixir closer to Rezé’s nose. As soon as she got a whiff of it, she collapsed to the floor.
The Pufferfish Rabbit met its end, falling victim to the deadly stench of Victoria’s elixir. I gently placed Rezé’s hands over her chest and offered a moment of silence.
“To die from a poop smell… what a tragic fate.”
“Hey! My friend’s not dead yet! And stop bothering her already!”
“Keke, I wasn’t bothering her. I was just proving a point—that something is definitely wrong with Luna’s sense of smell.”
Clearly, it wasn’t Rezé or me who had a faulty sense of smell; it was Luna. Rezé’s fainting was proof enough.
Realizing the situation, Luna took another sniff of the elixir. But…
“That’s strange… it still smells warm to me.”
“Warm?”
“Yeah, there’s such a thing. Anyway, it might look weird, but I’m sure it’s not poisoned.”
Luna turned her head away with a pout. As she did, a subtle floral fragrance emanated from her body.
It was the power of the elixir Caron had given her, the ‘Sun and Moon’s Harmony.’
‘The description did mention that the user would always have a pleasant scent.’
Maybe that fragrance was masking any foul odors.
It’s not an important issue, so I decided to let it go.
The important thing right now was deciding what to do with the three elixirs we had received as gifts.
“So… are you going to take one now?”
“…No, I should thank them first. I don’t think I’ve done anything that warrants receiving such gifts.”
“Keke, so does that mean I get to have one as a gift…?”
“Think about it. Senior Rodelin is responsible, so that’s fine… but the other two? No way. I’m sure there’ll be some sort of price to pay.”
Luna closed the lids of the elixir boxes one by one, clearly unaware of how much Yuridia and Victoria cared for her.
‘Of course, it’s an elixir, so it wouldn’t come easy.’
Given that elixirs are rare and valuable in the game, it’s no wonder they wouldn’t just give them away without expecting something in return.
In the worst-case scenario, we might have to return them. But I’ll do everything I can to prevent that.
“We have three days left of free time, right?”
“Keke, yes. We have permission to go anywhere we want within the city, as long as we don’t leave the castle.”
“Then how about sightseeing? I bet you haven’t been able to go out much because of me…”
Sightseeing is as important to me as clearing the game.
This is probably the only chance I’ll have to explore the world I’ve always dreamed of.
Under normal circumstances, I would have gladly accepted Luna’s offer to go sightseeing.
‘If it weren’t for this quest.’
[Sub Quest #1]
— Find the Escaped Black Mages.
The black mages we captured as sacrifices have escaped.
The demon Marbelga wants to tell them to take a page out of your book of self-sacrifice.
Reward: 100 EXP, 10 Gold, Demon Contract x1
Penalty: None
- The reward will be granted automatically even if Marbelga is no longer present.
This was likely the beginning of a series of linked quests from Marbelga.
That’s right, I had to find those runaway black mages within the remaining time.
Given that we wouldn’t be able to leave the academy once the final exams started, this was probably my only chance.
And after losing four days while waiting for Luna to recover, I needed to move more quickly than ever.
But before that, there was something else I had to address.
“Rezé has figured out the secret.”
“Huh?”
“She’s fully realized that you’re the last survivor of the Lester family. There’s no way to explain it away anymore.”
Luna’s eyes widened. It was only natural for her to be shocked; she had been keeping that secret to avoid losing a friend.
The Lester family, labeled as traitors, and Luna, the last surviving member.
Now that Rezé knew the truth, it was only natural for Luna to be alarmed.
“What? How did that happen?”
“It came up during a brief conversation with Professor Caron. I didn’t realize Rezé’s stealth was that good… it was my mistake. I’m sorry.”
“…No, it’s not your fault. It’s my fault for keeping it a secret.”
Luna had insisted on bringing Rezé into the party, even when I opposed it, claiming she would get stronger and protect her.
But after this incident, she would have realized that she was currently too weak to even protect herself, let alone Rezé.
“But it’s strange… Why didn’t she run away? With Rezé’s personality, it wouldn’t have been surprising if she had run off by now.”
“She must consider you a very dear friend, Luna.”
“I see… Rezé sees me as…”
Luna looked down at Rezé, who was still lying unconscious. She seemed slightly touched.
For someone like Rezé, who faints at the slightest thing, to stay by her side despite knowing her secret—it must have moved Luna deeply.
“She believed I was lying. That’s not a good sign.”
“…No, it’s not.”
“What do you think… Should I handle it?”
“No, I’ll do it. That’s… something I should do as a friend.”
“Then make sure it’s clear.”
“Huh?”
“I mean, don’t let things stay vague like last time. Both your goal and mine require a level of determination that can’t allow for half-measures.”
Luna’s goal wasn’t just to clear her family’s name.
Revenge. To find and punish those who framed her family—that was also one of Luna’s goals.
Conflict was inevitable, and if Rezé stayed with us, she would undoubtedly get caught up in it.
“If Rezé stays with us, she could be in danger. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”
“…No, I wouldn’t want Rezé to be in danger because of me…”
Luna’s expression darkened.
It wasn’t that I wanted to push Rezé away.
With her near-perfect aim, high attack power, and a magic gun that would evolve into an incredibly powerful weapon in the future, not to mention her role as Luna’s emotional support animal (?), I wanted her to stay with us.
However…
‘The fact that she might run away at any moment is too dangerous.’
Investing more time and resources in someone like Rezé would be foolish.
Leaving room for positive outcomes while cutting off negative possibilities early—that’s the essence of being a veteran player.
Letting Rezé go now was the right decision.
“Rezé, wake up.”
“Mmm… L-Luna?”
“Yes, it’s me. Let’s go out for a bit. I’d like to get some fresh air, just the two of us.”
“H-Hehe… Okay.”
Luna’s shoulders drooped slightly as she led Rezé out.
‘Was I too harsh?’
The thought crossed my mind, but I quickly shook it off.
It wasn’t just about combat. I also had to consider the possibility that Rezé might “betray” us.
‘No matter how much Rezé likes Luna, I doubt she could withstand severe torture.’
Treason is one of the gravest crimes in this world.
They’ll capture everyone involved, and there’s no way a frail person like Rezé could endure such torment.
Knowing this, Luna must have agreed with me.
For our sake and for Rezé’s sake.
Parting ways here was the best option.
“Hah… This is frustrating.”
If I hadn’t accepted her as a companion in the first place, it wouldn’t have been so difficult to let her go now.
I was lying on the bed, trying to suppress my irritation when…
Ding—
A clear notification sound echoed in my ears. As I opened my eyes, numerous holographic windows popped up before me.
[All conditions met.]
[You have cleared the Hidden Quest ‘Defeat the Wrathful Benius.’]
[You will receive 300 EXP and 5 items suitable for your user profile as rewards.]
[Determining items suitable for your user profile…]
[Determination complete. You will receive 5 pieces of the ‘Legendary Phantom Thief Set’ as your reward.]
[You have achieved a great feat and will receive an additional reward.]
[Title ‘Guardian of Carpathia’ granted.]
[Title ‘Master of Lightning’ granted.]
Perhaps because I had defeated a high-ranking demon, in addition to the experience points and original rewards, I received two bonus titles.
Two of them, no less.
With nothing else to do until Luna returned, I decided to check them out one by one.
[Legendary Phantom Thief Set: S]
A mask and outfit that can transform into any appearance.
These items were once used by a legendary phantom thief.
Once you’ve set a form, it cannot be changed.
※ When worn as a set, no one will recognize you as ‘Zero.’ (Excludes those you’ve directly revealed your identity to)
The Legendary Phantom Thief Set. It’s a disguise item.
Typically, these items come with recognition-dampening effects and voice-altering features.
Unless you reveal your identity or get caught, even Caron wouldn’t recognize me with this on.
‘Honestly, it’s a bit underwhelming for defeating a high-ranking demon…’
My face, with its half-closed eyes, tends to draw attention wherever I go.
For someone like me, having the ability to conceal my identity could be a significant advantage.
I didn’t expect them to give me five of the same item, but it’s better than nothing. I’ll let it slide this time.
[Guardian of Carpathia]
Final damage +15%
Next was the title reward. As I mentioned at the start of the Carpathia episode, the “final damage increase” option is an overpowered feature.
It may not be as strong as the 40% increase you get when gathering the four elemental attributes, but the key point is that this 15% increase applies everywhere, not just in Carpathia.
And this title’s power will only become more broken as I grow stronger and progress further in the game.
I’m 100% satisfied with this title. Now, for the final reward…
[Master of Lightning]
You can evolve lightning-related skills.
To evolve a skill, it must reach A-rank.
Even after evolution, you can still use the lower-tier skill.
Currently available for evolution: None
This title allows you to evolve your skills.
There are titles for swordsmanship, spearmanship, magic, and other skills, but the one I received allows for the evolution of “lightning” skills.
Considering that this is something you’d usually only get around Chapter 5 if you were lucky, it’s safe to say I obtained this quite early.
There’s a lot to explain about this kind of title, but to sum it up briefly:
‘If White Lightning reaches A-rank, it can evolve into Heavenly Lightning. If Heavenly Lightning reaches A-rank, it can evolve into Divine Lightning.’
In this early part of Chapter 2, I still have plenty of time to grow my skills.
That’s right—I’ve earned the right.
The right to use an area-wide, instant-kill skill: [Divine Lightning].
‘Of course, that’s far in the future…’
Even reaching A-rank with [White Lightning] will take a considerable amount of time, not to mention [Heavenly Lightning].
But I’m not complaining. After all, I know a few ways to speed up the process of leveling up skills.
The rewards this time were definitely worth defeating Benius. That’s my summary.
“Keke, I’m amazing.”
I wonder how Luna and Rezé would react if they found out I could use Benius’s magic?
Luna would probably bite me, calling it “demon magic!” while Rezé might faint on the spot.
They’re troublesome companions, both the cat and the rabbit. I should probably inform them beforehand…
“…”
A little later, I left the room.
In my hand was the “Cloak of the Silent Storm.”
–TL Notes–
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at patreon.com/MattReading
Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/BWaP3AHHpt
Finally Zero is building up power!!! Perhaps his final built will be a Lightning mage? His swordsmanship skill are neglected lately
With Zero’s luck he’ll end up getting Black Lightning and Demonic Lightning instead.