Chapter 14: The Flower Bookstore

Having stopped chewing on his jerky, Rohan stared blankly at his smartphone.

His eyes landed on the photo included in the post.

A small bookstore located in a small alley, away from the bustling downtown area filled with shops.

Compared to the large bookstores run by corporations in Academy City, its modesty stood out.

The address is District 2.

The photo captured a familiar scene, a location not too far from Orion Academy.

Everything confirmed his suspicion that it was the same store from his memories.

“Hmm…”

He resumed moving his jaw and chewed on the jerky.

The salty taste in his mouth, however slightly, suppressed his excitement and helped him regain his composure.

It’s worth a shot.

The Flower Bookstore, which Rohan had found in the job postings.

It might have been a small, unknown store in Academy City Elysium, but to Abyss City players, it was a familiar and heartwarming name.

Because it was part of the part-time job system in the game.

The purpose of part-time jobs in Abyss City was simple.

Working part-time at specific stores within Academy City and interacting with the characters who visited them.

It was a means to increase affinity and was also related to various achievements.

They also had a chance of triggering special quests.

There were quite a few complaints because many special quests only occurred during part-time jobs.

However, contrary to such users, Rohan especially enjoyed this aspect of the game.

Just watching the peaceful everyday life made him feel relaxed.

Should I look for other stores?

He decided, just in case.

Recalling the names of other stores that were linked to the part-time job system besides The Flower Bookstore, he continued his search.

However, aside from The Flower Bookstore, no other stores were looking for employees.

Even The Flower Bookstore’s posting was the only one among the hundreds that piled up in the job postings section in an instant.

It felt as if coming across that post was fate.

Okay. Let’s do it.

Rohan began filling out the application form on the app without hesitation.

The minimum wage listed didn’t even catch his eye.

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Afternoon classes began after lunch break.

Class 1, led by Juyeon, gathered at the gymnasium where they had taken their Practical Exam.

In the middle of the gymnasium was a huge iron cage packed with Monsters with eyeballs the size of a human head and wings the size of a fist, seemingly prepared at some point.

The sight was rather grotesque, causing some cadets to frown.

“These are F-Rank Monsters, Gero Eye, captured by the Elysium Security Bureau and provided as teaching materials. They’re commonly encountered even in Urban Areas.”

Along with the explanation, Juyeon grabbed the cage and shook it, rattling it.

Overwhelmed by her aura, the Monsters stirred from their slumber.

─ Gerok! Gerorok!

─ Gerruk! Gerruk!

Despite not having any mouths, they let out crying sounds and flew around frantically inside the cage.

“Today, each of you is going to catch one of these.”

An act that would be as easy as yawning for someone skilled enough to enter Orion Academy.

Nevertheless, there were some cadets who looked troubled. And Juyeon knew well what their expressions meant.

“I’ll explain the characteristics of Gero Eye shortly. First, I’ll explain the reason we’re conducting this class.”

Removing her hand from the cage, Juyeon stood in front of the cadets.

She looked around, checking the cadets who were bewildered by the class content.

“I don’t know when each of you in Class 1 started preparing for the Academy. However, as your Instructor, it is my responsibility to maximize Class 1’s combat prowess and train you into combat-ready individuals.”

“…”

“Even though Orion Academy was established for that very purpose, there are quite a few cadets among those who passed the entrance exam who still have no experience fighting actual Monsters.”

Even if they had followed an elite course without any shortcomings, less than half of the cadets would have experienced actual life-or-death combat.

They might have swung their weapons countless times while preparing to enter Orion Academy,

But they had never extinguished the flame of life.

“I’m not blaming you for that. But keep in mind that by taking the exam voluntarily and stepping into this Academy is like declaring your intention to live by force.”

Rohan heard a gulping sound behind him.

The source was presumed to be Wikitree.

“The career paths each of you will take after graduating from Orion Academy will vary.”

Juyeon unfolded the documents she was holding at her side and quickly scanned the still-sealed evaluation sheets.

“Cadets who have graduated from the Flight School of the Sepia Archipelago will receive extra points for joining the Celestial Knights as officers… Those who graduated from the Three Kingdoms Union Martial Arts Academy and entered the Academy can strive to become generals of the Three Kingdoms Union.”

“…”

There was no need to add ‘however.’

Juyeon’s fierce gaze vividly conveyed a fact contrary to her previous sentences.

“The positions and ranks each of you hold will be different. But the fact that what you do will not be very different is something you all should be aware of.”

Juyeon’s following words were firmly imprinted in their ears.

“In order to survive, to protect what’s precious, we must not hesitate to take the lives of Monsters and heinous criminals.”

Juyeon moved towards the cage. Her red hair fluttered and danced like flames.

The clicking of her boots echoed throughout the gymnasium.

“But do not become indifferent to losing comrades. Even if it seems shameless, that’s how you survive on the battlefield.”

“…”

“Do you understand your Instructor’s unreasonable values?”

“““Yes!”””

Creak! The cage opened.

Unable to move due to the pressure emanating from Juyeon, the Monsters remained frozen inside the cage.

A sight hard to believe considering the restless movements of Gero Eyes encountered in the wild.

“The Gero Eye is a F-Rank Monster. According to the textbook, an average adult male with a weapon can sufficiently subdue them. That’s the kind of Monster they are.”

─ Kek, Gerok!

A Gero Eye, its wing caught in Juyeon’s hand, started to struggle.

“If you make eye contact with these head-sized eyeballs, it will cause dizziness and vomiting. That’s all.”

They were, in fact, weak Monsters.

They couldn’t even affect those with a certain level of Mana with their dizziness.

“But if we see these Monsters, we can’t leave them alone.”

The problem was ordinary people. They were especially dangerous to drivers in Urban Areas.

There had been many cases where Gero Eye perched on traffic lights caused dizziness and led to major traffic accidents.

“Their weakness is their entire body. You can hit them anywhere. The shell covering their eyeballs isn’t that hard either, so it won’t be difficult to kill them even without using Mana.”

The explanation about the Monsters and the instructions for what they were about to do were finished.

And what they would do next was obvious.

“Inside this cage, there’s exactly one Gero Eye for each Cadet in Class 1. This class will end with each of you hunting one.”

Rohan was quite pleased with Juyeon’s teaching method.

Killing Monsters was a lower psychological hurdle to overcome than killing humans.

Even so, it was a necessary class as it could cause considerable stress for cadets without experience in killing.

“Go and choose a weapon from the ones hanging on the wall.”

Rohan stood up immediately, grabbed a Long Sword, and sat back down.

Noa, just like during the Placement Exam, was barehanded. Ichinose, also like the Placement Exam, took a Sword.

“We’ll start with the cadets in the front row, one by one.”

And so the class began.

With a swift draw, Ichinose sliced the Gero Eye without hesitation.

With a big smile on her face, Noa grabbed a Gero Eye,

Froze it solid, and then crushed it with her bare hands, putting on quite a performance.

“Monster… Rest in peace!!!”

Gilbert swung a blunt weapon, accompanied by a unique roar.

Dick Wikitree, lacking experience in killing, trembled with his glasses and spear in hand, and was pushed back to last.

Rohan kept it simple.

He just swung his Long Sword down and cleanly cut the Monster in half. He had no qualms about killing Monsters.

Rather, what he felt was anticipation.

The first achievement you earn when you start hunting Monsters.

It was the reward he expected.

In addition, there was one reward Rohan hadn’t anticipated.

In an abandoned building with no electricity, dark figures were seated at a round table.

“The Yard-Pound Brothers. Have we lost contact with them?”

“This is why I said we should use the more expensive ones.”

“We’ve used them satisfactorily so far. They were bound to hit rock bottom eventually.”

Their voices all sounded like they were scraping their dry throats.

The figures sitting at this table were old men of indeterminate age.

The only notable feature about their appearance was their pointed ears.

Another clue was their ornate clothing, a stark contrast to the dusty building.

“Tsk, do we have to find another puppet again?”

An old Elf muttered, wrinkling his face.

The Elf next to him moved his parched lips.

“That’s nothing. As you all know, the really important thing is to ensure the Princess doesn’t hear about it.”

“Huh, how truly frustrating…”

“Indeed. The Princess won’t be able to accept this kind of thing yet.”

Voices expressing frustration at how long it would take for the Princess to face reality.

As the digressions about this lengthened, the elder with the most ornate staff tapped the floor, gathering everyone’s attention.

Then he made a guarantee.

“There’s no need to rush.”

“…”

“The path to reclaiming the glory stolen by the Grand Emperor of Snow will entail minor sacrifices. The Princess will soon accept this truth.”

They told the Princess every day.

That an Elf inheriting a noble lineage had the duty to lead the revival of the fallen Elves.