Ch.53Midterm Exam (3)

Mathers Byteling was born and raised in the borderlands.

A planetary system beyond the protection of the Aether Belt. A place constantly invaded by foreign entities.

People went mad at every opportunity, and children disappeared every other day.

The frontier was essentially a battlefield. Expecting support from the federal government was foolish.

That’s why Mathers had clawed his way up.

During the day, he read books.

At night, he learned how to shoot (with real practice).

He also figured out how to handle Aether, though not very well.

Later, he entered the Gold Zone with his two younger siblings—his parents’ legacy—after proving they weren’t insane and completing immigration screening. This happened four years before Mathers enrolled at Stellarium.

So much had happened since then.

Like how he couldn’t find even a part-time job because he was from the borderlands.

Or how he fought with merchants who slashed food, housing, and clothing prices because he was from the borderlands, only to be expelled from the planetary system.

Or how he took his sick sibling to the hospital, only to receive an unwarranted mental illness diagnosis and get hit with astronomical medical bills—all because he was from the borderlands.

Those privileged bastards.

He wanted to overthrow everything.

The Rheinland young master before him was no different. Even after entering Stellarium, Mathers hadn’t abandoned his hatred for high-ranking families.

Of course, since Eidel hadn’t directly harmed him, Mathers didn’t pick fights carelessly. He maintained a minimum level of courtesy.

But what time was it now?

Under the pretext of a midterm evaluation, this was the perfect opportunity to bash the arrogant noble heads he’d always despised.

Since it was happening in virtual reality, even if they felt pain, there would be no actual injuries.

Therefore, there was no need to worry about consequences!

Mathers charged forward, half in anger, half in excitement.

Just as he was about to bring his machete down on Eidel’s head—

“Ugh!”

Snake-like movements wrapped around Mathers instead.

He couldn’t move his body, as if paralyzed. His entire body stiffened like he’d been injected with neurotoxin by a viper.

This feeling—he’d experienced it somewhere before.

But he couldn’t remember.

“Sorry, friend. I can’t give up first place.”

“Wh-what…?”

Eidel’s left hand moved busily.

The blade of the calipers pierced deep into Mathers’ crown, pressing down hard.

“Arghhhh!”

By the time Mathers screamed, he had already warped through space-time.

“Huff, huff.”

Clutching his heart, he slowly shifted his gaze.

He had just woken up in a hospital bed with an IV drip attached to his right hand. Cool air circulated through the white patient gown marked with light blue lines.

“Where am I…?”

“Hey, are you okay?”

In the bed right next to him lay a girl with dark green hair. It was Mezulen Hueritia, a classmate.

Mezulen was over 20cm shorter than others her age, which might explain why the polka-dotted patient gown she wore looked rather unusual. (It was actually a children’s patient gown.)

“Where is this place?”

“The infirmary.”

“Why am I here?”

“You got beaten up by the top student.”

Mezulen explained step by step what Eidel had done.

‘What’s this? What happened? How interesting!’

Mezulen, who had been watching Mathers’ unconsciousness with physiological interest, offered herself as an experimental subject and fainted—

‘Eek! Mezulen! How dare you do that to my friend—!’

Kristin, enraged by this, tried to retaliate but similarly fainted—

‘That’s no ordinary skill. Let me challenge you.’

James, another classmate, saw this and jumped in, only to faint as well.

Several others tried afterward, but all ended up joining the fainting party. They each lost consciousness after being struck once by the Plasma Sword called Calipers or whatever.

Looking around, Mathers and Mezulen weren’t the only ones there. The six-bed ward was completely full.

“What are you looking at?”

Kristin responded curtly while reading a book.

“Kuk, what a blunder.”

James clenched his fist and trembled.

“Why did everyone faint?”

“The teachers think it’s hologram shock.”

“Hologram shock?”

“Yes. Apparently, it’s a phenomenon where the brain thinks it’s dead and sends a fainting signal when receiving too strong a shock in virtual reality.”

Mathers mentally replayed his battle with Eidel.

Just one exchange. Everything collapsed in a single exchange. Despite fighting like a starving wolf roaming the slums, his wild combat instincts were easily countered.

So in the end, was it impossible to defeat rich kids who received systematic training?

Was family ability and money power really everything?

“Anyway, you know what? The top student got these nicknames…”

***

“Crazy Eidel. Psycho Eidel. Axe Maniac Eidel.”

Welton giggled as he told me about the nicknames I’d acquired in just a few hours.

“That’s ridiculous.”

Mistaking the Calipers for an axe—what a sad commentary on the current state of education.

[— The God of Wisdom and Curiosity tilts his head.]

Anyway, after knocking down each challenging student one by one and using my cards to increase my score, I reached a secure first place.

I have one card left.

I plan to use it at the end depending on the situation.

Or I could use it now.

“Yusoford. Want to have a go with me?”

“Haha. Good joke.”

Well, after seeing several people being dragged to the infirmary, Welton had no reason to challenge me.

“Smart guy. Have you considered graduate school?”

Shashashak. Welton quickly distanced himself.

“Eek, s-stay away! You monster!”

It’s unfair to be called a monster just for suggesting graduate school.

“I should have known when you said you don’t hit girls but then thrashed Mezulen and Kristin. You’re insane. Really, I can’t handle this. Goodness, I never knew there were so many supreme masters in this world. Kuk!”

It’s unfair.

If I hadn’t entered this world, or hadn’t been forced into a contract with Cartesia, or hadn’t become the body of a maniac named Eidel, I wouldn’t have had to live being called a madman like this.

Anyway, the important thing is that my grand plan to make Welton study solid-state physics must be postponed for now.

How sad.

After Welton left almost running away, Seti arrived.

“Brother, how was it?”

“How was what?”

“I heard you chopped down all our classmates with that weird-looking axe.”

“…Not all of them.”

“That’s strange. How did your sword end up looking like that? Did you secretly buy it from somewhere?”

“I had it magnificently modified at the customization shop.”

After all, who would use a tool as a weapon? I made up something for Seti, who knew nothing.

“So, how about you? Did you use all your cards?”

“I used them all.”

Seti showed me the score she had earned. It was just over 1,000 points. I couldn’t help but be surprised.

“This score, how did you manage it? You’re terrible at swordsmanship.”

“It’s simple. First, I went down to the lower classes and fought just barely enough to lose. Then those who thought I was weak would rush at me. That’s when I gradually controlled my strength and won one by one.”

“That’s a long way of saying you sandbagged.”

“Anyway, no one knows my true ability except me. I just used an information gap to win.”

It was a trick, but Stellarium doesn’t prohibit this. Being strong against the weak and hiding yourself from the strong is just as important as wielding a good sword.

“Good job, sister.”

I patted Seti’s shoulder. Unlike before, she didn’t resist or frown with suspicion.

Seti wore what I would call a somewhat sad smile.

Wondering if something was wrong, I used the SAN parameter.

[Seti von Adelbein Rheinland: 10/1000]

[Psychological state: She acknowledges you as her brother. She feels familial affection toward you. She is willing to be your strength. She understands the weight of pain you carry.]

All burdensome thoughts. But also grateful ones.

If Seti is willing to help me, I should help my sister too. That must be what true family bonds are about.

Suddenly, a girl came to mind.

“What about Rustila?”

“Sister? She said she was going to fight and beat that Zernya.”

“…It’s getting quite late now.”

The fact that Rustila hasn’t been seen until now clearly means things didn’t go well. Though this scene doesn’t appear in the original work, indirect narration later supports my inference.

After frantically looking around, I was able to find Rustila crouched on a bench at the back of the exam hall.

[Rustila Kersil: 310/1500]

[Traits: Depression, Suppression – Symptoms arising from experiencing traumatic events. Decreased motivation in everything and constant self-doubt. Questions everything, and if this flows in a negative direction, can completely lose the meaning of life.]

[Psychological state: Dejected from consecutive defeats.]

This is even more serious than when she was oppressed by her parents.

Rustila was now broken because of Zernya.

I carefully sat down beside her.

“Rustila.”

Noticing my presence, she slowly raised her head. Her jewel-like turquoise eyes were tinged with sadness and grief.

“…Eidel.”

A tearful voice.

She’s always been a girl prone to tears.

Sometimes she displays superhuman spirit and becomes cold-headed, but she’s still mostly a fragile child with many vulnerable aspects.

Nurturing that would be the best I could do to raise the Sword Saint Rustila.

“It’s okay.”

No more, no less, I launched the conversation boat with just one phrase.

“My talent…”

“…You have plenty.”

Geniuses are lonely.

When they hit a slump, they can’t get empathy even if they open up to others. They have to live their whole lives being distinguished as people from a different world than ordinary folks.

What Rustila is experiencing now is also ostracism.

Ostracism through praise.

[— The God of Wisdom and Curiosity observes your thought process closely.]

I moved my body close to Rustila. It was to pick up the Plasma Sword she had put down.

I could feel Rustila’s breath close by.

It was unstable breathing. Irregular as if she might have a panic attack at any moment, and eerie as if she had lost all interest in the world.

“About wielding a sword.”

I asked while placing the sword back in her hand.

“Do you enjoy it?”

“…”

Rustila shyly nodded.

“If you enjoy it, just keep doing it. That’s where you find fulfillment. Not as a lawyer, but you want to be a soldier. You’ve always wanted to be a hero protecting the federation’s citizens and assets.”

“…Yes, I did.”

“Don’t listen to what Zernya says.”

“But I lost even with a constellation…”

I smiled bitterly.

“Losing isn’t what matters. What’s important is that you have a constellation and she doesn’t.”

What is a constellation?

No, what exactly is a star with a constellation?

Stars are everyone’s dreams and hopes. People measure their path by looking at stars.

So constellations, these divine entities, only shine when they embrace the path humans must take.

Whether that star is a blazing main sequence star. Or a giant star beginning to expand. Or a variable star fluttering like dandelion seeds. Or a dwarf star that has burned out with only remnants left.

Because there are stars, people can move forward without losing direction.

‘If you have good dreams, a bright star will come to you. If you have bad dreams, a god of darkness will come. If you covet too much, you’ll be surrounded by evil gods.’

There must be a reason such stories exist in Eastern oral traditions.

In any case, people with dreams must set their course by looking at constellations, now as in the past.

[— The God of Wisdom and Curiosity falls silent, entranced.]

“Ask your constellation. Ask what you should do.”

“I…”

After a long silence, Rustila nodded.

She looked at me and said:

“Is it okay if I keep holding the sword?”

“You don’t need a reason to be the best.”

“I want to be the best.”

“Then you should start wielding it now.”

“Can I surpass that girl by endlessly wielding it?”

She had been defeated by Zernya more than 50 times since last month. Even a single defeat would be humiliating enough to ruminate over for days, but she had suffered it dozens of times.

It’s understandable to be afraid.

But.

“You can surpass her if you wield it without thinking about that.”

“…”

“Nothing in life is certain. Anyone who says ‘if you do this, this will definitely happen, so you must do this’—such people are frauds. What matters is whether you want it or not, that’s all.”

Just look at how masters in any field succeeded. Not everyone who worked hard succeeded, but everyone who succeeded worked hard.

If that uncertainty hadn’t appealed to me, I would have long abandoned my trivial dream of pursuing particle theory.

[— The God of Wisdom and Curiosity applauds.]

[— You have received a donation of 50000 fron.]

After thinking for a while, Rustila finally stood up.

“…I’ll come back victorious.”

Though she omitted the subject, it was clear who she meant.

Rustila left to challenge her weak self.