chapter_0027

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
27

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
27

Possell easily accepted that I
had received Ruel’s Mace by coincidence during Ruel’s Trial.

Even though I thought it was
too big an event to be brushed off as a coincidence, Possell didn’t
say much.

“I suspected that the statue
wasn’t there for no reason, it was waiting for its owner,” he
nodded, as if he had come to some realisation.

He seemed to be under some
significant misunderstanding, but I chose not to correct him.

It was better for him to be
mistaken than to come up with more questions through my explanations.

I was glad to meet Possell in
good condition.

If he had seen me in the
miserable state I was in at the end of the trial, I’m not sure how
he would have reacted.

Though I’m pretty sure it
wouldn’t have been a calm response.

After that, nothing
particularly noteworthy happened.

Just as I planned on the first
day, I spent my days training with the knights and repeatedly
entering dungeons.

Although it was truly tough,
perhaps because I had faced a near-death experience, I found it
somewhat bearable.

One day passed, then another,
until it was finally the last day of the knights’ training, and I
managed to reach Level 10.

Enduring all that hardship to
obtain Ruel’s Mace was definitely worth it.

Without Ruel’s Mace, I would
probably still be stuck at Level 7 or 8.

However, aside from the
level-up effect, it was difficult to notice any other benefits.

Stuff like the quicker mastery
of maces or additional skill corrections were hard to feel.

You could argue that it’s
natural since I can’t see my status window, but isn’t it strange
not to feel anything at all?

Maybe something changed when
this became a reality.

Well, even if those secondary
effects had disappeared, it wasn’t a big problem anyway. That could
easily be filled with something else. As long as the experience point
gain boost was attached, it was enough.

After achieving my goal and
finishing the last dungeon attack, I came outside. Possell approached
and told me to take a break, commending me for my efforts.

That was certainly not
something Possell would usually say.

This guy. Is he something else
disguised as Possell?

Tell me honestly!

Where have you hidden our real
Possell?!

When I asked in an
interrogative manner, Possell, flustered, waved his hands in denial.

“Miss, I merely wish to
offer you some respite.”

‘Don’t talk nonsense! You’d
never tell me to take a break!’

“Foolish Possell. Do you
take me for an idiot who would believe everything you say? How dare
you spout such nonsense to your Lady?”

Who are you lying to? I
haven’t known you for long, but I’ve figured you out.

You are the kind of person who
isn’t satisfied unless you’ve pushed someone to their absolute limit!

It’s better you explain your
true intentions.

And more importantly! I don’t
want to go to Evans!

If I go to the village, the
residents of Evans will tremble at the sight of me, and I have no
desire to witness that scene!

“Even if you command me
to be honest.”

‘I’m ordering you now.’

“I’m ordering you now.
Answer me.”

“No, really. Miss?!”

This guy. How shameless can he
get? How dare he try to lie to a Count’s daughter!

Must I truly torture you for
you to speak the truth?!

But if I do torture Possell,
is it really him who’s going to scream? I suppose it’ll have to be
the wooden stick between his thighs to make him talk.

“Miss, the leader just wants
us all to have a comfortable rest.”

“Yes, on the last day,
everyone usually rests. We can’t predict what might happen on our way
back.”

“Wouldn’t it be better for
you to bathe and sleep in a proper bed, Miss?”

Unable to let me keep up my
interrogation, the knights approached me and pleaded that Possell was
telling the truth.

Hey, you guys! I’m doing this
to save you all.

Can’t you understand the
profound intentions of a Lady? I’m thinking he’ll work you even
harder once I’m gone!

Initially, I ignored the
knights’ opinions, but when they all said the same thing, my mind
began to change.

If everyone is claiming the
same thing, maybe they genuinely plan to rest?

Are they avoiding comfort
because I’m around?

Am I the one being stubborn
and missing the point here?

“Miss, let’s rest in the
village.”

The moment Karl spoke to me, I
was convinced.

I’m sorry. It seems I’ve
been stubborn, insisting I don’t want to go to Evans.

This time, for your comfort,
I’ll sacrifice mine, so rest easy.

But be careful not to gossip
about me behind my back, or you’ll regret it if I find out.

As I left the campsite and
returned to the village with Karl and the maid, the sight of the
terrified villagers made me sigh once again.

Every time I see this, I dread
the day I’ll enter the Academy.

I can’t afford a game-over, so
I’ll go, but I wonder how much criticism I’ll face. If I experience
anything like the visions from the Trial of Endurance, I might
actually cry.

If I keep looking at this
scene, my heart will only grow heavier, so let’s head to the inn
quickly.

I haven’t slept properly
because of Possell’s training, so let’s spend today lying in bed.

For once, I’ll be a lazy
Lady.

Instead of wandering around
and scaring the villagers needlessly, it’s better for everyone if I
rest in my room, right?

“Miss Lucy!”

As I was lost in these
thoughts, someone called my name and ran towards me.

The woman’s face seemed
familiar.

Where have I seen her before?

Oh, she’s the one I bought the
potion for.

The woman didn’t reach me.

Before she could, Karl had
drawn his sword and aimed it at her.

Normally, one would stop in
front of such a menacing blade, but this woman was different.

She moved towards the sword,
as if daring him to stab her. The moment I saw the woman’s face
filled with determination, I realised she wasn’t insane.

Her trembling eyes and the
tears streaming down her face showed she was terrified.

She was well aware of my
notorious reputation.

She knew the sword in front of
her could cut her down.

Yet she still approached me.

My curiosity was piqued.

What could possibly make this
person risk her life?

Seeing her provocative
actions, Karl tightened his grip on his sword, his lips forming a
thin line.

It was clear blood would be
shed if this continued, so I stepped in front of Karl to stop him.

“Miss.”

‘Karl. I’ll handle this.’

“Sloppy. Don’t do anything I
didn’t tell you to.”

“…Sorry.”

As soon as Karl lowered his
sword, the woman came closer, fell to her knees in front of me, and
began to praise how merciful and kind-hearted I was.

But that wasn’t what I wanted
to hear.

I interrupted her and asked,

‘What business do you have
with me?’

“Worthless commoner. Do you
have something to say to me?”

“I know this is an
imposition, but…”

‘Please get to the point.’

“Do I look like I have a lot
of time? Just say what you need to.”

“I’m sorry! Lady! It’s
just.”

The woman wasn’t speaking to
me for her own personal gain. She had approached me, risking her
safety, solely for the sake of her child.

She said her son had been
frail since birth.

He often suffered from various
minor illnesses, and playing outside like other children was out of
the question.

However, it didn’t affect his
daily life. He was just a little weaker than others.

Then recently, she said, her
son’s condition had suddenly worsened.

From a certain day, he could
no longer walk properly.

He couldn’t eat or drink
anything. And for the past two days, he hadn’t even opened his eyes.

“If this continues, my son
will surely die! My Lady! Please, save my son!”

The woman, banging her
forehead against the ground as she yelled, resembled the image of a
mother I had imagined.

Maybe that’s why.

I wanted to help her.

After all, I had a way to
assist her.

The last time I overcame
Ruel’s Trial, I didn’t just gain Ruel’s Mace.

Along with it came a skill
called [Armadi’s Mercy].

The effect of this skill is
simple.

It cures status ailments and
restores health.

Originally, it was a function
that would require dependence on a healer, but this skill allows me
to perform it myself. It was a skill I found useful even in the game.

I’d used it a few times
while wandering around the dungeon with Possell, and its
effectiveness wasn’t too bad.

Whether it was due to my lack
of proficiency or insufficient mana, I couldn’t use it frequently.

At most, I could use it about
twice a day.

Since I had already used it
once in the dungeon, I still had one use left.

So, I could heal the boy.

That is, assuming [Armadi’s
Mercy] would work.

‘Please, lead the way.’

“Sloppy commoner. Lead us.”

When I said that, the woman
repeatedly bowed her head to the ground, expressing her gratitude.

Ugh, this is really
burdensome.

What if [Armadi’s Mercy]
doesn’t work?

She led me to an old house
made of worn wooden planks.

The house, with parts decayed
as if eaten by insects, looked like it could collapse any moment.

A sickly child lived in a
place that could barely keep out the cold winter winds?

“I’m sorry to bring you to
such a shabby place.”

The woman lowered her head as
if she had committed a crime by bringing me there.

I said nothing in response.

Whatever I said would probably
get mistranslated into some bizarre phrase by the [Mesugaki] skill.

Instead, I opened the door and
walked inside.

A child was lying on something
closer to a thin cloth than a blanket.

The small boy was gasping for
breath, just like Lucy’s mother in the recent dream I had.

Even without any knowledge of
medicine, I could tell the moment I saw him.

If left alone, this child
wouldn’t last much longer.

“Miss, will my child be
alright?”

‘Of course.’

“You think I can’t save a
little guy like him?”

I spoke confidently as I
walked towards the boy.

Using [Armadi’s Mercy] was
simple.

All I had to do was place my
hand on him and pray.

If I asked the Creator God or
whoever, the god would burn my mana to perform a miracle.

As the skill was activated,
the boy’s expression relaxed.

Color returned to his face,
and his breathing became easier, making it seem like his condition
had improved.

From the gasps of astonishment
behind me, it seemed others saw it the same way.

But I knew better.

It only appeared that way
because his stamina had recovered, not the actual disease afflicting
him.

How do I know? Because a
message window had appeared before me.

[Failed to exorcise the curse
due to insufficient proficiency.]

It was the first time seeing a
different message apart from the one that urged me every morning, but
it wasn’t welcomed at all.

Because it signalled my
failure. I had seen this message before in the game.

This message appears when the
target afflicted has a status ailment that exceeds the proficiency of
my skill.

To put it simply, I could heal
the poison of a regular snake but not the poison of a mythical beast
like a basilisk due to my lack of proficiency.

It’s the same now.

If this curse were cast by a
mediocre being, I might have been able to exorcise it.

However, the level of the one
who cast this curse is too high for me to heal.

A poor boy born in a small
village carrying a curse that [Armadi’s Mercy] couldn’t exorcise
was not a normal situation.

Do you think I’ve only seen a
few people cursed while playing Soul Academy?

Do you think I treated them
one by one?

Curses like this are never
common.

It’s clear.

This is a trigger for one of
the hidden quests I know about.

One of the lengthy side quests
in Soul Academy.

A quest that, if nothing else,
excels at boosting reputation.

Agra’s Curse.

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