Chapter 11 – The Activities of an F-Grade Troublemaker 4
by fnovelpia
No matter how old, a dragon is still a dragon.
There’s no way for mere first-year cadets at the academy, even four of them, to defeat it.
However, that’s just a pure difference in power.
I have a way to kill the dragon.
It’s a strategy that’s possible because this world is not a game, but reality.
“So, you don’t need any preparation time?”
“What do you take me for? Of course, it’s all a bluff.”
“Then why did you tell those two that there was a preparation period?”
“If I said let’s go without any preparation, do you think they’d believe me? I wouldn’t go myself.”
If I were them, even if it were a real way to obtain the byproduct, I’d treat it as a scam if someone said we could go without any preparation.
It’s the businesses, not the investors, that are desperate for investment.
Trust must be built by the businesses.
“That’s why you get called a scammer.”
“Technically, it’s not the same thing as being a scammer, right?”
“It’s like saying accounting fraud isn’t a crime if you hit the jackpot by chance later on.”
“Exactly. If you don’t get caught, it’s not a problem. The problem is that nobody will suspect it.”
While having such a casual conversation, I continued to create the plan.
It was a harsh schedule, more so than any military operation, planned down to the minute and marked with colors for importance.
“So, the schedule you’re making now is all fake?”
“Yeah.”
The image a person has plays a significant role in judgment.
Gaming equipment, flashy with rainbow lights, doesn’t actually enhance performance, only adds to the cost, yet such equipment sells better.
‘It’s like how in Korea, phones that aren’t the best in performance or convenience still sell well because they look good.’
So, I’m making an utterly useless, yet visually appealing schedule.
It’s like a diet plan, a game company’s roadmap, or military operational plans that exist only in theory and are never actually executed.
“Aren’t you making it too strict? Didn’t you say before that it’s better to make loose plans because operations always go awry?”
“This one is just for show. The real plan is just using your identity to get there, and then fight the dragon face-to-face.”
“So, you’re not going to tell how you plan to defeat the dragon?”
“It’s pointless. You’d call it nonsense anyway.”
If someone understands dragons, they might think my plan is plausible.
But it’s harder to deduce the outcome from the cause and process than just observing the result and guessing the cause.
“Now that the schedule is done, have your servant deliver it. They’ll be in the girls’ dormitory, so your servant should be able to enter.”
“Is it really just about showing up? Then why did you gather those two? Lucas and I, along with you. Shouldn’t the three of us be enough?”
“We might not be enough with just Lucas and me. We need to make sure we have people with talent. You’re there for your status, I’m the initiator of the plan, and those two will be the promising talents.”
To others, my talent will seem greater than those of the top and second-ranked cadets.
After all, I reached the level of an Aura Master without any training.
But I cannot be certain about this.
Ever since the day of my reincarnation, I knew all the hints about every level.
‘Is it because of talent that I’ve already reached the status of an Aura Master? Or is it that, despite knowing the game, I have only achieved this much?’
Hypotheticals are meaningless.
I cannot return to the time when I was ignorant.
Nor do I wish to.
Therefore, I will definitely bring in two people with real talent.
That way, we will all survive.
Our target to kill, the ancient dragon, is such a being.
“I would like to apply for a field study.”
I am in the faculty office.
The paper in my hand is the field study application form.
The academies in the Helium Empire guarantee freedom for field studys, allowing cadets to miss school for a few days a year under the guise of field learning.
This system was created because there are many mysterious places in this world that can only be experienced and felt in their respective regions.
“So the place you’re going to is… the Magic Realm? It’s known to be safe, but still…”
The Moon’s Magic Realm.
The weakest among all Magic Realms.
The first observed since humans began keeping records and the safest.
It’s also a suitable place to explain what a Magic Realm is, so the academy sometimes takes cadets there for field studies.
Starting from the third year.
Therefore, if I don’t use Theseus’s status, I might be asked to come back when I’m in the third year.
‘I think it’s possible with my status, but it’s better to be certain.’
The academy is responsible for the trips during the third year.
But if we encounter any trouble there, it becomes the responsibility of the official in charge of that place.
Therefore, risk-averse officials often refuse to give permission.
“Still, you need to be careful, right? Even if the Moon’s Magic Realm is the safest, it’s still a Magic Realm. You understand?”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Then go ahead. Make sure to time your flight correctly. Oh, and… like last time, don’t cause trouble for the professors. No matter how much you like pranks, asking a professor to expel you is not okay.”
“…Eh.”
I’m not sure how the chancellor managed public relations, but he made it seem like I was playing a prank on Professor Rachel by asking her to expel me.
As a result, the rumor spread that I’m a cool person who doesn’t sweat the small stuff, but once you get to know me, I’m sociable like a duke’s second son.
Because of this, I advised the other two, excluding Theseus, to apply for different destinations.
I didn’t want to go together and end up in some cheesy rom-com scenario.
After completing the application, I headed to the airship docking station where we agreed to meet.
On the way to the airship dock, Sylvia Renen opened her mouth, seemingly satisfied with my plan.
“You did come well-prepared, though. I didn’t expect it to be so detailed.”
“Wouldn’t it be too hard if it’s that rigorous, Sylvia?”
“It’s better than losing our lives due to lack of preparation, Elia.”
From beginning to end, it’s all nonsense.
The strategy I’ve written down is not for dealing with the ancient dragon but for hunting a Red Dragon.
I wrote the strategy guide based on when the beast had about 10% of its strength left, and they were fooled by it.
Seeing the two women who were duped, Theseus whispered to me.
“I will never invest in any of your proposals.”
Honestly, I have no response.
It’s true that I deceived them.
Even if the outcome is good, it’s an act that diminishes trust.
But my credibility is already at rock bottom.
Like the saying ‘all roads lead to Seoul,’ as long as I can assure them we’ll get to ‘Seoul,’ they will use me when they decide to go there.
“The automated carriage is ready, so let’s use that.”
“Oh, thank you.”
The automated carriage was something I had previously requested from Theseus.
I still don’t understand why the developers of WFS call it an automated carriage instead of an initial form of a car, but it is what it is.
‘Perhaps because it looks more like a carriage than a car? Although, it’s as fast as a modern car.’
We boarded the automated carriage prepared by Theseus and headed to the airship docking station.
The airship is a means of material transportation created by the empire.
There are fewer giant predators in the sky compared to the land.
Thus, humans, having conquered the skies, developed technology to travel safely around the empire.
“I never thought I’d be riding this again before graduation.”
“Huh? Most territories are usually on the outskirts, so during holidays, typically—”
Elia Adonis’s muttering raised questions in Theseus, who was about to ask but I quickly stopped him.
Theseus doesn’t know.
He doesn’t know the situation of those two.
Being from a noble family, he probably thinks they have at least more capital than commoners.
I quickly whispered to Theseus.
“Hey. Those two. Their family situations are barely better than commoners, so they had no choice but to participate here.
Apart from the rewards they’ll receive, they saw this as an opportunity to gain honor. They couldn’t pass up the opportunity because their family situations are extremely bad.”
“Their families are in that bad of a state?”
The Adonis Count’s family is currently in chaos due to the absence of the head of the family and unable to recover from the turmoil.
The Renen Baron’s family has always been weak.
And both families did not want to miss the chance of having outstanding talents, born by luck.
‘If their families were in good condition, they wouldn’t have been so desperate to join this expedition. The fact that they were respectively the top and second in their cohort is also because the other talented cadets in this batch weren’t as desperate as them, according to the professors’ analysis.’
I decided to explain all this to Theseus later.
After completing various procedures needed to board the airship, we were able to board.
During the brief rest period given to us,
Sylvia Renen opened her mouth.
“So, there’s a dragon in the Moon’s Magic Realm?”
The Moon’s Magic Realm.
The weakest among all Magic Realms observed by humans.
And within it resides a dragon, said to be the strongest of all species.
Naturally, it’s hard to believe.
But with the features of the Moon’s Magic Realm, I can easily explain it to them.
“Before I explain about the Moon’s Magic Realm, you know why Magic Realms are formed, right?”
“It’s due to a very strong aura that changes the surroundings, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s correct. Magic Realms are formed when a powerful aura transforms the surrounding environment in a way harmful to humans. Therefore, if we remove the source of the Magic Realm, it will eventually disappear. You’re familiar with this concept, right?”
“But of the currently known Magic Realms, aside from the Earth Magic Realm, none of their sources have been identified… Wait a second.”
Sylvia Renen kept asking herself endless questions.
Combining my words with common knowledge, she arrived at a logical conclusion.
“Does that mean the source of the Moon’s Magic Realm is that dragon?”
“Exactly.”
“Is it possible for a living being to be the source of a Magic Realm?”
“It’s possible. Especially if it influences an area over a very long time.”
The ancient dragon we’re about to face is both the mid-game boss and the final boss of the Moon’s Magic Realm in WFS.
‘I remember the ancient dragon was the last one in the Moon’s Magic Realm’s bestiary. It stirred curiosity because it hadn’t been discovered for a while.’
Of course, being a mid-game boss, it’s highly inappropriate for us to face it.
But we’re not planning to confront it in a conventional manner.
“So, an aged dragon settled there, and as it grows older and weaker, the Moon’s Magic Realm is weakening. It’s been easy to explore, but the source of its power remained undiscovered because it’s a living creature.”
“The oldest Magic Realm, the Moon’s Magic Realm, is the weakest because of… aging. Surely, if a real dragon ages, the possibility is high. A living creature being the source of a Magic Realm…”
Being capable cadets of the academy, they quickly caught on to the hints I threw.
“Well, other Magic Realms might also have living creatures as their sources. It’s hard to find them if they are living beings.”
The Sun Magic Realm has a living creature as its source, and though it’s a bit ambiguous, the Wood Magic Realm, which has a sentient being as its source, exists on this land.
Even if the truth is known, finding the source in such treacherous places will take a while.
“Let’s take a break then. It will be quite some time until we arrive.”
The break time passed quickly.
And we were able to reach the Moon’s Magic Realm.
As we disembarked from the airship, the scenery that greeted us was a plain, ordinary meadow.
But its true nature was a Magic Realm.
‘In the game, it was hard to differentiate between Magic Realms and other areas, but seeing it in reality, the difference is clear.’
In the game, places to wander around other than dungeons or Magic Realms are just villages, which is why it was hard to tell.
After becoming a resident of this world and exploring, it became clear to me that Magic Realms are indeed what they’re purported to be.
A landscape where the meadow clearly spreads out.
If someone were to take a picture and send it to someone else, they would think it’s just a peaceful meadow.
The scene we were looking at was no different.
It was just like a picture.
Yes.
Just like a picture.
Like in a photograph, all movement was frozen.
No living creatures were visible, and there was no wind blowing.
The leaves, grass, and the wind, nothing moved in the meadow, and despite being one, no sound could be heard, nothing stirred.
Just like in a photograph.
Everything was frozen.
“Hey… is this normal?”
“Don’t expect common sense in a Magic Realm. Have you already forgotten that adage? Just let it be and move on, Theseus.”
A place where literally everything is frozen like in a photograph – the Moon’s Magic Realm.
Here, we have arrived to hunt the dragon.
“Have you arrived?”
At the boundary of the Moon’s Magic Realm, there was a fairly large facility.
And at either end, a fence stretched out.
Upon our arrival, the official in charge of the Moon’s Magic Realm came to our side.
He detailed what we should be cautious about while exploring.
“First of all… since you’re entering without a guide, I’ll briefly explain here. Please refrain from dangerous actions. If you find yourself in a crisis, shoot the flare I’ll give you upwards, and a rescue team will be dispatched to your location. And if anything goes wrong, the Magic Realm Management Bureau will not be held responsible.
Do you agree?”
“We agree.”
“Then, please sign this document, all four of you.”
We decided not to bring a guide as they might intervene.
Of course, if there’s a problem, the families involved will naturally pressure the officials.
What can we do?
Unreasonable things happen a lot in front of the powerful, even in South Korea, and this is the early modern period.
Such things are commonplace.
“Then, have a pleasant visit…”
Leaving behind the officer with a somber expression, we immediately entered the Magic Realm through a door inside the management office.
In the game, it was a place I frequently visited.
But entering a Magic Realm in reality was a first.
A mix of fear and excitement.
With such complex emotions, I took my first step into the Magic Realm.
As we slowly walked, perhaps wondering why I wasn’t doing anything,
Theseus asked me.
“Hey, so what are we supposed to do here…?”
But in Theseus’ eyes.
He saw me walking around, sprinkling flammable oil everywhere through magic.
“What are you doing?”
I used silent casting, so others only understood the situation after Theseus finished speaking.
“Elia, I’m not seeing things, right?”
“No…”
Theseus was focused on my actions, knowing well that I could even use aura awakening.
The other two seemed surprised to learn that I could silent cast.
“No way? silent cast…? So in the battle with Professor Maximilian, it wasn’t that we didn’t hear you chant, but you actually silent casted?”
“Isn’t silent cast something only someone of your level can use, Sylvia?”
“That’s true, but what are you doing?”
Before answering their questions, I stretched out my index finger as if pointing at something and then clenched it into a fist.
Then, using magic, I created a faint spark of fire at the tip of my fist.
“What am I doing?”
I asked back, seeing their curiosity about the whole series of events.
I immediately slammed my hand down and said,
“A fire show.”
And the flame from my fingertips fell onto the oil spread evenly across the land.
For the first time since its creation, the Moon’s Magic Realm experienced a massive wildfire.
The flames, burning along a single line like the back of an Eastern dragon, quickly surpassed a level that could be easily contained.
The Magic Realm began to be painted red.
Theseus, staring at the scene, opened his mouth.
“Congratulations. You’ve evolved from a scammer to an arsonist.”
That’s fortunate.
In terms of credibility, an arsonist ranks higher than a scammer.
It should be somewhat better for doing business.
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