004 – Try to Surprise Me.
—
[What is this thing? Looks kinda like a safety pin, lol]
(Picture)
Ah, crap…
It *was* a safety pin…
[Comments]
– LMAO
– LMFAO WTF
– At least the kid didn’t die lol, Cheers.
ㄴ (OP): Seriously though, how does C4? Grenades? Whatever this crap is, even exist in a world with magic?
ㄴ ‘Magic’ only one in a thousand can use it. ‘Technology’ a thousand out of a thousand can use it. Duh, just advance the tech ㅋ
– A lesson from the game company: Don’t pick up random objects in the street that might belong to someone else~
– What IS that?? I have 2000 hours on Arcane Campus and I’ve never seen anything like it?
ㄴ There are quite a few people who don’t know about it. I guess that’s normal, who would pick up a random box off the street out of curiosity? Aside from OP, of course.
—
I had a dream.
That the Bishop was actually a doppelganger…
A dream where I was stabbed in the stomach by a doppelganger disguised as the Bishop…
“We will devour humanity.”
Then… in an instant, my vision shifted, and I saw the doppelganger in the alleyway caught in an explosion and obliterated.
And along with it…
“Never turn away from someone in need…”
He imparted those words.
‘Divine retribution, then.’
The doppelganger was destroyed by divine retribution.
I could be sure, as I saw it clearly with my own two eyes.
The evil doppelganger impersonating the Bishop received God’s judgment.
If someone were to ask how I could be so sure it was divine retribution, I could answer with confidence.
‘Explosion magic’ doesn’t even exist.
It wasn’t a fireball, nor was it even fire-related magic…
The explosion simply occurred where the doppelganger was standing.
‘Divine retribution… it was definitely… divine retribution.’
There was no doubt that it was divine retribution.
Also, to reward my faith… God watched over me through the Saint.
“…”
“Lumia? Are you awake…!”
“Abbot…”
“Thank goodness… thank goodness…”
The moment she regained consciousness, Lumía knew in her bones that the dream she’d had wasn’t a dream at all.
So, the instant her eyes fluttered open, the first thought that struck her was this:
“I have to go to the Pope… right now.”
“Your recovery isn’t complete, Lumía. The fact that the Bishop you followed was a doppelganger is already known by the Order—.”
“The Saint has appeared.”
“…Lumía?”
“I heard it with my own two ears… plain as day. That gracious voice… that commanded all to love…”
The thought was to alert the Demon Kingdom of the Saint’s birth, and at the same time, drive out the monsters that had taken root deep within humanity, with the Saint as the focal point.
*
“I’ll eat well.”
Beaming, he briefly savored the warm potato soup, feeling a touch of grace in its flavor.
Then, he replayed the events of the dawn in his mind.
‘Did she survive?’
He remembered scooping the injured woman into a princess carry and sprinting until he saw a church. He’d gently set her down there.
After hammering on the church door roughly forty times, he heard signs of life from within. Leaving the woman, Lumía, he’d fled without a backward glance.
‘It’s a church, they must have saved her.’
His own situation wasn’t good enough to expect any further kindness, so he had no choice, he rationalized.
“How’d your son do this time around?”
“The exam’s tomorrow, how would I know the results?”
He subtly perked up his ears, listening to the conversation from the neighboring table.
“Money’s all good?”
“Sure is. For my son, I’d sell my soul.”
Parents, no matter where, are all the same, it seems.
Ready to give up their heart and liver for their children…
‘…Ah, I really miss Mom.’
His mother was the same.
Willing to give even her life for her children…
“The Academy’s tuition isn’t cheap, you know.”
‘…Academy?’
He whipped his head around to stare at the two men conversing.
The topic of their conversation was definitely the Academy.
Boasting about their son going to take the test for Arcane Academy was the main topic of conversation…
“He’ll pass. The kid’s sharp as a tack, isn’t he?”
“Hahaha! Today, the meal’s on me! Eat whatever you want!”
They clearly said… the Academy entrance exam was ‘tomorrow.’
‘…! My scholarship plans…!’
The entrance exam was tomorrow?
He immediately realized he didn’t have time to be savoring potato soup.
He gulped down the soup as if it were water, leapt from his seat, and dashed toward the carriage.
…
“Departing in ten minutes! For those heading to the Academy, please board here~.”
Thankfully, it seemed I hadn’t arrived too late.
At the coachman’s announcement of departing for the Academy in ten minutes, I approached the carriage.
“Is this the carriage to the Arcane Academy?”
“Aye~. The Magic Kingdom only has one academy, after all – the Arcane Academy~.”
“How much is the fare?”
Just barely managing to scrape together the correct amount, I paid the coachman and climbed aboard.
—
Adelric Vane (23)
[Kidnapped] – Active
—
Alfredo Damir (25)
[Kidnapped] – Active
—
Valentian Lucio (28)
[Kidnapped] – Active
—
The carriage interior already housed several passengers.
While pretending not to, I busied myself observing the others.
—
Lilian Isolde (15)
[Kidnapped] – Active
—
I spotted a familiar face boarding the carriage.
‘Huh? Lilian Isolde.’
Lilian Isolde.
Back when I was playing Arcane Campus, she was the youngest genius mage one would encounter upon entering the Academy.
A prodigy who, at the tender age of fifteen, possessed the incredible talent to freely manipulate water.
Simultaneously, she was a divinely gifted genius amongst geniuses, having completed her elementary, middle, and high school studies at a young age.
‘Oho.. so she’s also enrolling this year.’
Judging by her age, Lilian Isolde was undoubtedly on her way to take the entrance exam as well.
‘One scholarship is definitely going to Isolde.’
Slyly… slyly…
Lost in these thoughts, I feigned disinterest, pretended not to know her.
Yet, through sidelong glances, I surreptitiously observed Lilian Isolde.
“We shall be departing.”
Even after the carriage finally started its journey.
Slyly… slyly…
I continued to steal glances at Lilian, my eyes darting sideways.
—
Lillian Isolde (15)
[Kidnap] – Active
[Spy] – Designate a target. (Maximum 1)
—
From a certain moment onward, she could see the magic of ‘Spy’ newly created beneath the magic of ‘Kidnap.’
‘…Huh?’
What in the world is this now.
No, not that.
‘…Spy?’
Just like the kidnapper Mikhail he is.
Even the name of the magic…
‘What does *this* even do?’
The name of the magic aside.
A sudden urge to use the new magic bubbled up within her.
However…
If she were to plainly say “Spy” in a place where people were so cozily gathered, her neck would likely be twisted a full 180 degrees.
‘I’ll have to use it later when no one’s around.’
When she was completely alone.
She decided to try out the Spy magic then.
‘That aside, though… how did I learn this magic?’
Come to think of it…
How did she suddenly become able to use the Spy magic?
All she did was just…
Secretly observe Lillian Isolde…
‘…I’ve been spying.’
Unable to think of an excuse, she turned her head and began to gaze out of the carriage window.
Because a pang of guilt washed over her at the sudden realization that she had been spying on a 15-year-old girl.
…
“Do you have a letter of recommendation?”
“No… I don’t.”
To take the Arcane Academy entrance exam, one first had to pass an interview.
During the interview, they would inquire whether the student had a recommender.
And after a simple check on whether the student could use magic or not.
If the student satisfied a certain level of requirements, most were allowed to take the entrance exam.
“Do you know any magic?”
To receive even one more talented individual, the Arcane Academy accepted interviews up to the day before the entrance exam.
That was why interviews were still possible today, the day before the entrance exam…
But not giving any thought to whether she could satisfy the interviewer was her miscalculation.
“I.. wish I did.”
“Nothing, then?”
“…No.”
I couldn’t exactly say I knew abduction magic.
Not even magic, they say…
The interviewer’s gaze had begun to treat me like a lowly insect.
“Haa… I don’t even know how many times it’s been today.”
“…”
“People like you are a dime a dozen here. Coming all the way here with only the will to take the Academy entrance exam, stubbornly persisting without any real basis.”
It was true. I had nothing to say.
“Do you know how many people like you we’ve seen while conducting interviews these past three months?”
Can’t even use magic, no letter of recommendation either…
Just a person who came with the idea that if I became a scholarship student, I could receive support for food, clothing, and shelter.
I felt as though the interviewer’s sharp questions were gouging at my heart.
“…I apologize.”
It was clearly my mistake.
Without considering that a place like the Academy would have no reason to accept me from the start…
I came, barging in like some thoughtless player.
I was speechless.
In the end…
“…”
Hesitantly, I rose from my seat and, with my head bowed, attempted to leave the interview room.
‘I wonder if there are any part-time jobs around here…’
“Try to fluster me.”
“…Pardon?”
The interviewer’s words, telling me to suddenly try to fluster him, rang in my ears.
“I said, try to fluster me.”
“…Why?”
“If you do, I’ll let you take the Academy entrance exam.”
“??… Is… is that alright?”
“What wouldn’t be alright?”
Listening to his words…
I realized that the interviewer must hold a fairly high position at the Academy.
“…How should I fluster you?”
“However you like. Any method is fine. You could suddenly launch an attack against me in this very spot.”
“Uh…”
Even if it was a rotten rope that had been lowered.
If that was the only rope I could grasp right now, shouldn’t I seize it by any means necessary?
Therefore… from now on, I would do my best to fluster the interviewer.
—
Layton Isolde (38)
[Kidnap] – Activated
[Espionage] – Designate target. (Maximum 1)
—
‘Layton Isolde… If it’s the Isolde family, is that Lillian Isolde’s father?’
“Ahem, ahem… Interviewer-nim…”
“Yes, please speak.”
“You have a daughter, don’t you?”
“..Huh?”
“She’s still quite young, too.”
“..Uh?”
And so, I began to fluster the interviewer-nim to the best of my abilities.