Chapter 7 – A Promising Talent Right From Enrollment

– Flutter, flutter!

“….”

A pure white document fluttering before his eyes.

Deus stared at it for a moment before lowering his gaze.

A blonde girl, no, a woman, barely reaching his chest.

Yoram’s physical education instructor, Tiamat-sensei, was smiling.

“A recommendation, you say? Tiamat-sensei.”

“Yep! A recommendation. A whopping one at that! A Dispatch Unit recommendation!!”

So, what exactly *is* this Dispatch Unit? You should explain that first.

Not receiving any reaction to her enthusiasm, Tiamat-sensei seemed to realize something was off.

“Eh? No way! Deus-student. You don’t mean you don’t know what the Dispatch Unit is?!”

“I do not.”

“Liar! You can’t tease your teacher!”

“I really don’t know.”

He’s stuck in the wrong genre, of course he wouldn’t know.

“Heavens. Good heavens. Then how on earth did you get into Yoram?!”

“Someone I passed by said, ‘You must enter Yoram.'”

A place where those with unique abilities gathered. There, he could use the covenant.

It just so happened that Yoram’s graduates were dealing with the monsters from the Gates.

That’s why he applied without a second thought, and was accepted right away.

That was the story of how a genre-confused transmigrator ended up at Yoram.

“Really. Unbelievable! This teacher will explain, so listen carefully! The Dispatch Unit is…”

…A rather disjointed and bizarre explanation followed.

Explaining about the Dispatch Unit, then suddenly jumping to something else entirely.

Even the fellow himself had forgotten how much he’d said, and kept asking about it.

Deus, having patiently listened to it all, began with a, “So.”

“So, if I understand Teacher correctly. The Expeditionary Force is for students of the Cradle, who, along with Cradle graduates who are Awakened, obtain the right to deal with monsters emerging from the Gate. Am I right?”

“That’s it! Exactly!”

Did it really take a full fifteen minutes to explain something so simple?

They say if you’re strong, you don’t need to use your head, but this is a bit much, Teacher.

“That Expeditionary Force is qualified for the valedictorian and salutatorian of every year except the first, and those who receive recommendations from more than half of the teachers at the Cradle.”

“Yeah! Wow, Deus, aren’t you the Combat type?! You summed that up so neatly?!”

That’s not a talent, that’s basic literacy. Is this person’s brain made of muscle too, perhaps?

Looks like an adorable golden retriever, this Teacher. Truly bizarre.

‘Wait a minute. So, it’s not like you get in just because Tiamat Teacher writes you a recommendation?’

More than half of the Cradle’s teachers need to write a recommendation.

There are over a hundred Awakened instructors stationed here, so at least fifty are needed.

“Hee? Heehee. Seeing the look in your eyes, I can tell what you’re thinking! Right now you’re thinking, what good is just one person, right?!”

“…I never said anything like that.”

She’s supposed to be a Combat type Awakened. That’s a Mental type, mind-reading thing she’s doing.

“The beginning is the most important thing! And I have quite a bit of influence, even if I don’t look like it?! If I, who’s never written a recommendation before, am the very first to write one, the other teachers’ reactions will be quite something!”

What is this. Her actions make one tilt their head in confusion like a child.

Turns out her skills are among the top class, even amongst the teachers? Is that it?

Even while upping his assessment of Tiamat Teacher, Deus shook his head.

“Thank you for your words, but I still have no intention of joining the Expeditionary Force.”

“Eeeh?! Why?! The credentials you could gain from joining the Expeditionary Force are incredible!”

Only after graduating from the Cradle are they officially treated as Awakened.

Only they possess the right, with the Empire’s permission, to subjugate the monsters of the Gate.

The only exception to that rule is the Cradle’s Expeditionary Force.

It’s clear evidence of possessing genius-level talent.

Thus, anyone who’s been in the Expeditionary Force, even for a short time, receives love calls from all directions after graduation.

They receive favorable treatment, even among the Empire’s Awakened. Or they may even enter a great family.

If luck is on their side, they could even belong to the Imperial Household and act as the Emperor’s personal guard in the future.

Thus, all the students of the Cradle, regardless of status, devote themselves to strenuous effort.

For the valedictorian, and the salutatorian. To obtain the qualifications to enter the Expeditionary Force.

Because they can gain practical experience as precious as life itself and get to know the upperclassmen!

“It’s alright. Really.”

‘And yet. He’s refusing that Expeditionary Force recommendation?’

Tiamat Teacher. Tiamat, couldn’t help but tilt her head.

Perhaps he believes he can do it without something as trivial as a recommendation?

It’s entirely possible. Looking at Deus’s abilities, he’s capable of not only salutatorian, but valedictorian.

He could likely seize the highest position the moment he becomes a sophomore.

‘But… he’s a freshman right now! A newly enrolled freshman at that! This incredible privilege is something no one. Not even our Saber Senior, who’s said to be the greatest Awakened in Cradle history. Only received the offer for the first time in the second semester of his freshman year!’

What all Awakened ultimately dream of is one thing. To become the best.

Most possessed desires like these, though only a scant few would admit to other reasons.

Even those driven by a sense of obligation harbored such yearnings!

The opponent was a freshly enrolled freshman. An eaglet, to put it bluntly.

Faced with such a tremendous opportunity, wavering was simply impossible.

‘…I see. Yes, I understand. Why you’re like this. Hehehe. Amazing. Truly, truly amazing! Deus. You, you are truly something else! Not just a remarkably talented junior!!’

Smiling, Tiamat retracted the recommendation letter she had been waving about.

Then, as if to flaunt it before Deus’s eyes, she tore it, *ripping sound* clean in half!

“Right. Sorry, Deus. This teacher completely misjudged you.”

“…?”

“If you’re a true empowered one. If you’re a real man, then you have to be like this. Hee-ya, you’re incredible! What a pity you didn’t arrive five years earlier. I would’ve shamelessly requested a date as the top student of the fourth year!!”

Hee-hit! Tiamat giggled, then spun around.

“Forget what happened today. Let’s pretend it never happened! Recommendation letter? A-ah. This teacher was a fool! Work hard! Then, I’ll see you in PE, a-ah!!”

With those words, Tiamat became a golden flash, vanishing in an instant.

“….”

Deus blankly stared at the scene before sighing.

“Haa.”

As if *I* wasn’t tempted too. Frankly, it was quite appealing.

Beyond the career experience, there was the chance to formally battle those Monsters.

How far could I go with this body of mine, right now? I wanted to find out.

However, even so. The reason he refused the offer was.

“I shall not receive any assistance in battles that confront me.”

The Covenant. Because he believed the world was about to end. Because he mistook the genre.

And so, the curse-like oath he etched upon himself bound him.

When the moment to fulfill it arrived. When the time to avoid it came, his body reacted on its own.

Just like right now.

—Ssshhh

The Covenant, which had been causing a tingling pain in his left arm, soon fell silent.

Announcing moments where the Covenant could be broken, warning against them.

Even receiving a recommendation letter in this situation was, in a way, an extension of assistance.

Since eligibility supposedly started from the second-year runner-up, it was undeniably ‘assistance’.

Receiving assistance would break the Covenant. And breaking it would cause something terrible to happen.

Paying the corresponding price. Losing power. Or, in the worst case. Dying.

‘…Thinking about it, it’s ridiculous?’

He was told to set a Covenant. Just like in the apocalypse genre he was reading.

So he did. He carved the Covenant into his body, making it both a duty and a curse, and the source of his power.

But in reality, this world wasn’t like the one Deus imagined.

Then why did they tell him to set a Covenant at all? They use empowerments, not covenants.

“Aah!”

While walking and pondering such thoughts, he heard someone’s urgent cry.

He glanced up and saw a baby kitten perched high on a treetop.

“—Myaaang! Myaang!”

The wail was quite urgent. It seemed to have climbed up but couldn’t come back down.

And below, two female students were at a complete loss.

“Little one! It’s alright! Oh, what to do? Should we go and get the others, quick?”

“I think we should… Ah! The wind! What do we do! It’s going to fall!!”

Of all things, a strong gust was blowing. The branches swayed wildly.

Thanks to that, the kitten looked as if it would fall any second.

‘Hmm.’

They’re Awakened too. They’ll handle it themselves.

Or so he thought, about to pass by. But strangely, his feet wouldn’t move.

Probably, that blasted covenant. Yes. It seemed to have a hold on him again.

Now it’s interfering even with things like this? Truly amazing.

Shaking his head, Deus lightly bounded off the earth.

—Myaang?!

In a single leap, he soared to the height of the fifth floor, then snatched the cat.

And then, just like that, he dropped in front of the students who were trying to rescue it.

—Kwaang!!

The romance of a man. A superhero landing. Doing it like this, huh.

While having that somewhat foolish thought, he was about to say, ‘Here’s your cat.’

“We, we’re so sorryyyy!!”

“aaah!!”

“…?”

Hey. Listen up. Weren’t you trying to save the cat?

If you all run away like that, what does that make me…?

Deus, perplexed, was stared at by the cat dangling from his grasp by the scruff of its neck.

—…Myaaang!!

If only it could speak human words, it would have cried out like this:

‘What is this monster!? Let me go! Save me! Don’t eat me! Cats don’t taste good at all!!’

Here was one unfortunate truth.

Deus didn’t exactly have the talent to understand the hearts of animals.

He gazed for a moment at the cat screaming in his hand.

“Alright. I shall become your butler.”

—Myaaang!!!

And so began the cohabitation of a monster and a cat.