chapter_0099

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
99

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
99

Have I mentioned that there
are many unfortunate characters in Soul Academy?

To be more precise, there are
fewer main characters who aren’t unhappy.

Each one, in large or small
ways, carries a misfortune, and overcoming or resolving that is the
essence of their character quests in the game.

Just look at the characters
I’ve met so far.

The Pitiful Prince, Arthur
Soladin, is a man haunted by an obsession with perfection after
losing his mother.

Frey Kent is an emotionally
numb maniac obsessed with life-and-death battles.

Phoebe is a ticking time bomb
of various unknown misfortunes.

The reason I consider Joy my
favourite character is because she is the least related to misfortune
among all these characters.

Her family is intact, her
personality is fine, and her biggest concern is something as trivial
as making real friends. Plus, her goofy antics are adorable.

I couldn’t stop laughing this
morning when she collapsed from exhaustion while desperately trying
to keep pace with Frey and me.

Despite her silly actions, she
still manages to rise and transform into the cold Villainous Lady in
everyday life, which is also entertaining.

Anyway, given the
circumstances, it’s only natural that the Inferior Duke has his share
of misfortune as well.

Even though his abilities
might be mediocre, he’s still one of the main NPCs.

There are even achievements
related to him.

Jack Burrow’s misfortune is
his inferiority complex towards his brother.

His brother, who was
overwhelmingly superior to him.

The brother believed to one
day elevate the Burrow Family to greatness.

The brother whose
extraordinary brilliance cast a long shadow over him. By coincidence,
his brother sacrificed himself to save people during an accident.

Even after his brother’s
death, Jack Burrow could not escape from his shadow.

His parents were still trapped
in the grief of his brother’s death.

The family continuously
belittled Jack by comparing him to his deceased brother.

Even Jack compared himself to
his brother and pushed himself into despair.

Originally, Jack was a playful
child, but there’s a reason he now desperately strives to be the
best.

“How do you know about
that?”

And now, the necklace I’m
holding out belongs to Jack Burrow’s brother, Kyle Burrow.

It was a necklace Kyle Burrow
always wore.

It was supposed to be given to
Jack according to Kyle’s will.

The reason I have this thing
is simple.

Someone stole it and sold it
as loot when Kyle died saving others.

The dead don’t speak, after
all.

‘By coincidence…’

“I found it by chance. The
Burrow Family’s seal caught my eye.”

There’s no way Jack wouldn’t
recognize it.

Jack, who followed his brother
everywhere as a child and still lives in his shadow.

The items his brother had
would still be vivid in his memory, right?

According to the game’s
story, Jack would ask for this item.

Then, as his hand touched the
necklace, the magic embedded in the necklace would activate, and a
quest would appear.

Once we tackle that challenge
together, Jack’s heart would open up!

After that, I simply look
forward to seeing what Armadi might give me! While envisioning a
happy future and waiting for Jack’s response, I noticed something was
off in his expression.

“So, what am I supposed
to do with this?”

Jack, gazing steadily at the
necklace, slowly lifted his head.

His eyes were filled with a
hatred as deep red as his hair.

“I’m asking again. What
am I supposed to do with this?”

In the game Soul Academy, Jack
doesn’t say such things.

In the game, Jack demands the
necklace, saying it’s not something I should be holding.

“Were you planning to
trade with me using that necklace? Too bad. I’m not interested in
it.”

‘Lie.’

“Inferior Duke, are you
trying to deceive yourself? How sloppy of you.”

The words that slipped out
were translated into Mesugaki language and reached Jack’s ears.

He didn’t frown.

He didn’t get angry.

He simply stood up without a
word.

Taking his book, he left. His
departing figure was so heavy I couldn’t possibly stop him.

It took me a long time to come
to my senses after Jack left the library.

What is this… What just
happened?

Why did Jack leave without
taking his necklace?

Why on earth?

Jack Burrow remembered his
older brother.

A person who seemed not to
know the meaning of the word lacking.

His brother, who was expected
to one day lead the Burrow Family to prosperity.

And that fool who recklessly
sacrificed himself for others before fulfilling those expectations.

It was inevitable.

The Burrow Family’s clock lost
its hour hand, Kyle, and hasn’t moved a single step forward since
that day.

Jack despised it.

His mother, who cried daily
while searching for his brother.

His father, who drowned his
days in alcohol and constantly vented his anger on him.

The family members who fell
into silence.

There wasn’t a single thing
Jack liked about any of it.

So, Jack tried to escape from
that day.

He worked hard to become a
proud son.

He started training instead of
playing his beloved games.

He embraced the books he once
complained about having to read.

He clenched his teeth to
embody the elegance befitting a noble.

To replace Kyle’s position
himself.

To become the cog of the
Burrow Family.

To move the clock’s hour hand
forward.

Yet, no matter how frantically
he struggled, nothing changed. No matter how outstanding Jack’s
grades were, his parents never looked at him.

The family members only
praised him on the surface but criticised him behind his back, always
comparing him to his brother.

He was a lonely soul left in a
world that had come to a halt.

All Jack could do was resent
and endlessly blame the brother who left him behind.

So, when Lucy Allen showed him
the necklace, Jack immediately recognized what it was.

He couldn’t help but remember
the necklace his brother Kyle was wearing the last time he bade him
farewell before his death.

‘Why does Lucy Allen have
that necklace?’

Unable to understand, Jack
questioned her, to which Lucy replied with her trademark annoying
smile,

“I got it by chance.”

‘By chance.

She got it luckily.’

To Jack, it was an
unbelievably perplexing coincidence.

The very necklace of the
brother he was desperately trying to surpass.

It was something Lucy Allen,
who now instilled inferiority in him, had ‘luckily’ obtained.

Jack disliked Lucy Allen.

There wasn’t a particularly
grand reason for it.

Simply put, Jack hated her
because she was better than him.

In academics, Lucy Allen was
an overwhelming presence.

The scores she achieved in the
Academy’s entrance exam were the highest in history.

It was a level Jack couldn’t
even dream of catching up with at present.

Combat? In a past tournament,
he was easily defeated by Frey Kent, who treated him as if he were a
mere toy.

The difference in their skills
was clear.

Was Lucy Allen lacking in
other areas?

Not at all.

There was only one thing Lucy
Allen lacked.

Her personality. Arrogant and
condescending, she looked down on everyone, regardless of whether
they were above or below her.

Because of that, Lucy Allen
was still avoided within the Academy.

In the past, she might not
have known better, but the current Lucy Allen was well aware of how
she was perceived.

She knew that if she acted
more humble, people might like her more.

A fool who couldn’t grasp such
a simple idea would never have topped the entrance exam.

Jack believed that her
arrogance was a declaration that she would bow to no one and stay
true to her path, no matter what others thought of her.

Jack envied that resolve.

He could never be so
steadfast.

Shaped by his surroundings and
forced to live according to others’ expectations, he could never be
like her.

Even if he desired to be
resolute, he would eventually be broken.

He hated the unwavering
resolve he could never achieve.

So, when he saw the necklace
and then looked up to see Lucy Allen’s infuriatingly smug smile, he
thought of his brother.

Even though he lived without
worrying about others’ opinions, he remembered the uprightness his
brother had that earned people’s love.

So he shouted that he wasn’t
interested in the necklace.

He said he didn’t care about
his brother at all.

If he admitted to needing the
necklace from Lucy Allen, it would mean acknowledging that he was
overshadowed by his brother, and he couldn’t bear that.

“Inferior Duke, are you
trying to deceive yourself? How sloppy of you.”

At that moment, Lucy Allen
smiled as if she sensed his inferiority.

Seeing that smile, Jack
abruptly stood up.

Rude? Impolite?

He didn’t care.

He felt he couldn’t bear
having any more conversation with Lucy Allen.

Leaving the library and
walking aimlessly for a long time, Jack finally exited the building.
Looking up at the cloudy sky, he struck the white wall of the
Academy.

‘Inferior? Me?

Lucy Allen.

That damn woman.’

I had never considered the
possibility that Jack would refuse the necklace, leaving me in
confusion.

What? Why did he just leave
the necklace behind? Seeing the necklace and being shocked must mean
he recognized what the necklace was.

Since this is an event that
never happened in the game, I can’t guess at all.

I have no idea what kind of
variable has emerged.

Ah, damn.

Now I’ll have to abandon my
plan to raise Jack’s Affection Level and clear the quest given by
Armadi another way.

If I knew the problem, I could
try to solve it, but I don’t know what went wrong, so I have no means
to address it.

I’ll have to try another
approach.

Let’s look for a way to raise
Arthur or Phoebe’s Affection Level, and if that’s a no-go, we’ll
consider other methods.

It’s not impossible. There are
countless ways to do it.

Still, it’s disappointing.
Something I thought would be easy has turned out to be difficult.

Why does nothing seem to go my
way since coming to this world?

Could Agra be involved in this
somehow?

As I furrowed my brow and
pondered repeatedly, I sensed someone’s presence nearby and looked
up.

There was today’s Academy
special dessert that I ordered.

A parfait.

It hasn’t been long since I
ordered it, but it came out quickly.

Scooping a spoonful of the ice
cream on top and putting it in my mouth, I waved my hand at the
sweet, soft, and cool taste.

Sweet things are definitely
the best remedy when you have a headache.

I’m glad this is a mediaeval
fantasy world. If this were the real Middle Ages, I couldn’t even
dream of such luxuries.

Smiling at the sweet taste
filling my mouth, I moved my spoon again and continued thinking.

It’s not difficult to change
the plan itself. Once I obtain the Raven’s Seal and gain the ability
to utilise the Newman Family, my options will increase.

For now, all I can do is wait
for Gus Newman to quickly find that elixir.

Yum.

Until then, I’ll have to grind
it out with Joy and Frey.

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