Ch.22 – I’m Not a Pitiful Child

# 2 – I’m Not a Poor Child

There’s a pre-admission training system for graduating from Gift Academy through luck.

This isn’t the developers’ consideration to help you improve your specs before entering and make the early stages more convenient.

It’s a time to grit your teeth and prepare because if you don’t, you’ll be kicked out before even being admitted, like failing at the entrance.

‘I was amazing as a beginner.’

Training means practical experience, adventurer means growth.

Players who were deceived by slogans that tempt novice players, joining adventurer guilds as if following quest guidelines, and heading off to forests and caves.

More than 90% of them got completely destroyed in their first mission, either dying or returning in tatters.

‘How is it possible that in a party of five, you all betray each other?’

A luck-based disaster party where party members betray each other at a certain probability (9.9%).

Memories of that playthrough when I was dumbfounded by the miraculous probability event where all party members betrayed each other came flooding back.

Thinking about it again, compared to that truly legendary disaster of a party, grinding in the training grounds is really pleasant.

“The facilities are nice.”

“These are facilities prepared by the master. Every year before the entrance exam, people are sent to manage them.”

“Every year?”

The butler made a face like he was annoyed.

It’s exactly the expression killers make when they create an unnecessary witness during an assassination contract, lamenting having to spill more blood than necessary.

“The mirror is in this room.”

It’s an obvious attempt to change the subject, but I actually welcome it.

I was curious about how Oknodie’s body looked, different from the appearance I had directly set up.

“Oh.”

A full-length mirror set up in one corner of the training ground.

Looking back at me in the mirror meant for posture correction is a small girl with blonde hair.

A skinny thing who looks like she’d roll across the floor like a bowling pin if kicked.

Her face can be covered with just one palm.

She has a pretty face that would appear if you searched for “middle school beauty” on TikTok.

Yes, middle school.

Not high school.

That’s how young her physical age appears.

This is completely a child.

“Sigh.”

When I look up, the butler is looking down at me with a face that says, “What a pitiful creature.”

“You’ve never looked in a mirror in your life, have you?”

“That’s not true. I’ve seen mirrors plenty of times.”

“You don’t need to pretend to be strong. That reaction was clearly that of someone seeing themselves in a mirror for the first time, not knowing what they looked like.”

No, damn it.

That’s only because this is my first time with this character.

I want to explain this misunderstanding, but the butler doesn’t even pretend to listen and strides ahead.

“I can roughly guess how you’ve lived until now. Let’s have a meal before training.”

I don’t like being treated like some unfortunate neighbor, but I quietly closed my mouth at the mention of food.

This game has a collection feature.

When you collect all sorts of items, collection effects increase stats, function levels, or rare item acquisition probabilities.

‘The cooking collection is always worth working on.’

Bored sitting at the dining table, I looked around and discovered a shadow cast under the spacious table.

Time is precious until admission.

To avoid all kinds of bad luck, I need to raise function levels whenever possible.

[You have hidden under the table for more than 1 minute.]

[Hiding experience +1]

Poking just my head out from under the table, I see a large grandfather clock big enough for a person to fit inside with room to spare.

[You have hidden inside the grandfather clock for more than 1 minute.]

[Hiding experience +1]

Hiding experience increases by 1 each time you hide in a new place for more than a minute.

When probabilities go crazy and elite boss monsters prowl where normal mobs should be, the only function you can rely on is hiding.

If you don’t raise this in advance, you never know when you’ll suffer bad luck in the game “Graduating from Gift Academy Through Luck.”

[You have hidden under a chair for more than 1 minute.]

[Hiding experience +1]

[You have hidden behind a curtain for more than 1 minute.]

[Hiding experience +1]

[You have hidden inside a wardrobe for more than 1 minute.]

[Hiding experience +1]

Where should I go next?

Just as I was thinking about an empty barrel, the wardrobe door opened with a creak.

“What are you doing in there?”

“Just looking for good hiding places…”

“……”

The gaze is piercing.

I belatedly realized how my behavior must have appeared to the butler.

Can’t sleep in bed, seeing a mirror for the first time in my life, hiding in a wardrobe when offered food.

“I’m not a weird person.”

“I didn’t say anything. Please sit at the table.”

This is seriously unfair.

Grumbling internally about this being worse than bad luck, I sat in the chair and saw beef stew that tickled my nose and delicious-looking baguette bread.

Unfortunately, it’s not rare food that increases stats just by eating it.

It’s common-grade food that gives collection bonuses every time you eat 10 different dishes.

*munch munch*

Whether you eat quickly or slowly, the number collected is the same.

But you have to eat all of a given dish completely for it to be added to the collection.

So rather than savoring the taste slowly, it’s better to eat as quickly as possible to save time.

“You eat very hurriedly.”

“…Don’t look at me like that. I just naturally eat a bit fast.”

“You can eat slowly. No one here will steal your food, miss.”

“Really?”

It’s troublesome if someone says that but then takes even one bite.

If someone else eats even a bite of my food, the collection judgment fails.

My wariness increased, and I practically hugged the soup bowl as I inhaled the food, making the butler’s gaze even more piercing.

“Did you enjoy the meal?”

“It was delicious.”

“Then I’ll prepare the same dish tomorrow.”

Ah. That won’t work.

“Could I try different dishes?”

“…If that’s what you wish.”

Success.

With this, I can easily fill several cooking collection entries.

As I silently rejoiced, the butler cleared away the empty dishes with a face that said he was being lenient because I was pitiful.

* * *

The training began.

“This is basic physical training. The speed doesn’t matter, just run around the outside of the yellow line in the training ground as much as you can.”

After the butler finished speaking, my head suddenly throbbed.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. It was just a momentary headache.”

After the pain subsided, a familiar event window appeared before my eyes.

<First Training Event>

Unlike beginners who mindlessly rush into mountains, fields, and caves, you’ve decided to train diligently.

As they say, well begun is half done—the results of your first training will greatly help your future training.

Follow the instructor’s directions and proceed with the training program.

It’s here.

The training event that can overcome insufficient luck.

A growth opportunity allowed only to the wealthy.

Originally, to utilize this event, I would have had to start with part-time jobs or adventurer activities to save money.

But now?

Money is the one thing I have plenty of.

*jingle*

When I pulled out 1 gold coin from my pocket and held it out, the butler stared at my hand.

“What are you doing?”

“Training fee.”

“I am your butler, not a private training instructor. You don’t need to pay.”

“…Oh.”

“Put the gold coin away and start running.”

Hehe, saved some money.

I might have heard a mutter from behind saying, “It seems you’ve never received kindness without cost…” but that’s not important right now.

In a realistic isekai where status windows don’t open, the only way to discover your abilities is through hard work.

Oknodie’s body has surprisingly good stamina despite its frail appearance.

By my instinctive sense as an experienced player, it feels like I’ve inherited all the stats I invested in, even though my appearance has changed.

‘What a waste.’

That’s why I’m more upset.

The strength displayed by a muscular monster and that displayed by a delicate girl are different.

If I was going to invest in physical attributes, it would have been better to have a slightly larger body, but unfortunately, my initial stats seem to be heavily skewed toward strength and stamina.

“That should be enough. Your basic physical fitness is surprisingly excellent, unlike your appearance.”

“I’m actually quite confident in my stamina. It’s troublesome to be slow when chasing or being chased, right?”

As I boast proudly, the gaze becomes even more pitying than before.

I don’t know what kind of chasing or being chased they’re thinking of, but I can be certain it’s not the monster hunting and pickpocket catching quests I had in mind.

[You have run 30 laps around the track.]

[Physical training efficiency in the training ground increases by 300% for one month.]

“Please choose a weapon you know how to handle.”

After stamina comes weapon skills.

Without hesitation, I picked up a sword first.

Glancing at the butler, he was standing there with a face that said, “Let’s see what this greenhorn does.”

So I picked up a bow as well.

Still no sign of surprise.

At a first birthday party, adults would get excited no matter what the baby grabbed, saying “Wow, our child picked two items!”

Maybe because I’m not a baby, the reaction is disappointingly different from what I expected.

…Would he remain so calm if I picked up a wand as my last weapon?

“That’s not a club.”

“I know. It’s a wand.”

The butler’s face turned serious.

“Are you familiar with magical equipment?”

“Yes.”

“Are you saying you’ve held a wand before?”

“Of course.”

He clearly didn’t expect me to pick up a mage’s equipment.

Hehe, finally getting some reaction.

Could he be surprised by my talent?

“Have you ever performed blood extraction or drug administration tasks on the street?”

“No.”

“Please be honest.”

“Really, I haven’t.”

But his reaction isn’t “Wow! Amazing!”

He seems very angry about something.

“Miss. I strongly dislike lies.”

“But it’s true…”

Now that I think about it, there is something that might be catching me.

In my last playthrough, I did blood donation part-time jobs and clinical trial part-time jobs to gather initial funds because I was short on starting money.

“Ah. I did it before. A long time ago.”

“No matter how much you want to learn magic, learning from street magicians is dangerous.”

“I didn’t learn magic.”

“Then where did you learn to use a wand?”

“That’s…”

I learned it at the Academy.

But in this playthrough, I haven’t even enrolled yet.

As my answer was delayed, the butler’s expression grew more severe.

“I understand. I’ll step out for a moment, so please continue with self-training.”

The butler left with the air of someone who was going to crack someone’s skull before returning today.

“……”

Sorry, street magician.

It seems today might be your memorial day.

But you once messed me up with an addiction potion too.

Let’s call it even.

Okay?

* * *

[Sword training efficiency increases by 300% for one month.]

[Archery training efficiency increases by 250% for one month.]

[Wand training efficiency increases by 200% for one month.]

“You’ve been diligently training during self-study. Well done, miss.”

The butler’s expression was calm when he returned.

I should pretend not to notice the smell of blood.