chapter_0100

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
100

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
100

“Do you think Jack
dislikes you?”

Not wanting to miss the
opportunity, I decided to talk to Arthur to understand the situation
better.

Arthur was, after all, the one
person who had contact with Jack and might answer my questions.

“I’m not really sure
what’s on his mind either. We haven’t spoken since we last went into
the dungeon together. He’s been avoiding me openly, so it’s been
hard to approach him.”

My inquiry, made with some
hope, came back with just a shrug of his shoulders.

Since my last duel with
Arthur, Jack had been avoiding him.

“Others probably feel the
same way. That guy seems to be shutting himself in his room more and
more.”

What?

He wasn’t like this before
we went into the dungeon.

Could his near-death
experience have traumatised him?

But why does he hate me then?

I saved his life.

What’s the problem?

I really don’t understand
anything.

What could have triggered
Jack’s sense of inferiority?

Is it me? Am I the reason?

Initially, the only person
more talented than him was Arthur, but did another variable appear
crushing his spirit?

Other than that, there’s no
other variable, so why wouldn’t he take the necklace?

In the game, even when the
protagonist achieved outstanding results and Jack was jealous, he
still took the necklace!

My head hurts, and I can’t
make any sense of this.

Hoping that things might
change over time, I tried talking to Jack again, but the result was
the same.

He disliked me and was even
more hostile when I mentioned Kyle’s necklace.

As a result, Jack consistently
ignored anything I said.

I went through all that
trouble to get the necklace, and now it’s useless and has to be
discarded.

If it’s not with a member of
the Burrow Family, it really has no significance.

More precisely, if Jack
doesn’t have it, it loses all meaning.

I went out of my way to trade
information with Alsatine to get this necklace, and now it’s just
going to waste. I never could have imagined it would end up like
this.

The only silver lining is that
because Alsatine made the mistake, I can hold him accountable.

I sat in his usual spot,
crossed my legs, and looked up.

There I saw Alsatine with his
head hanging low.

‘Alsatine. You know why I’m
here, right?’

“Sloppy Information Seller.
Do you know why I’m here? Oh, that’s right. You’re such an idiot
who can’t do a single job right, so maybe you don’t.”

Alsatine’s shoulders
trembled, but he couldn’t refute anything.

This incident was clearly his
mistake.

Honestly speaking, what did
Alsatine even do to help me get the necklace? All he achieved was
being tracked by the Newman Family and losing the item.

Obtaining the necklace was
solely my accomplishment.

‘It doesn’t matter to me if
we end our relationship here.’

“I don’t want to talk to a
sloppy information seller like you anymore. You’re too incompetent.”

Originally, the deal between
Alsatine and me was that I’d provide information, and he would obtain
the necklace.

But here, if Alsatine’s credit
for acquiring the necklace has vanished?

Then I have no reason to give
Alsatine any information.

If the information I possessed
hadn’t been what Alsatine wanted, he wouldn’t have clung to me.

He would have just forgotten
about this transaction.

But the information I had was
more valuable to Alsatine than anything else.

How could he possibly give it
up?

In his heart, he probably
wanted to threaten me to get it.

If I weren’t from the Allen
Family, he might have resorted to violence.

But what can he do?

I’m someone he can’t
touch.

‘So let me ask you. What can
you offer me?’

“So tell me. Why should I
deal with a useless idiot like you? You’re an information seller,
aren’t you? Can you manage even that much? Hm?”

The art of suggesting terms, a
technique that troubled many in past RPG games.

As a buyer, it made you
tremble, short of breath, and heat up with anger. But as a seller, it
was different.

If it interests me, I’ll make
the deal; if not, I’ll just get up and leave.

Of course, handling business
this way can sour relations, but it doesn’t matter to me right now.

After all, I’m going to
receive the Raven’s Seal soon.

That means the Newman Family
can provide all the assistance Alsatine can offer.

Who cares if Alsatine likes me
or not?

I’m not interested in him
anymore anyway.

It’s a case of ‘if he stays,
fine; if he doesn’t, oh well.’

“Is there something you
desire?”

‘Why are you asking me that?’

“Why are you asking me?
Do I have to explain every little thing to you like I’m your mother?
Hmm. Okay. Call me ‘Mommy’ and cry your heart out, and I’ll think
about it. Do it. Come on. That would be hilarious.”

“…No, I’ll consider it
myself.”

I was worried he might
actually call me Mommy. Thankfully, he didn’t.

Still, if I just demand
something decent, he might bring me something entirely useless.
Should I set some boundaries?

Since I can get ordinary
things through the Newman Family, it should be something they can’t
obtain.

What comes to mind right now
is definitely…

‘I want information related
to the Church of Armadi.’

“No. I’m too worried to
leave it to an incompetent information seller, so I’ll set some
boundaries. I want information related to the Church of Armadi.”

“What kind of information
exactly?”

‘I hope it’s valuable enough
to make me open my mouth.’

“I’ll give you a special
hint, for a sloppy, incompetent, and clueless information seller.
Bring me information worth opening my mouth for. Though I’m not sure
if an incompetent schmuck like you can manage that.”

The Newman Family can hardly
gather any information related to the Church of Armadi.

They’ve clashed countless
times with the Church as they moved into the underworld. They weren’t
even aware that I exorcised Agra’s Curse until they saw my necklace.
Their information network can’t be worth much in that area.

But Alsatine is different.

He’s definitely from the
underworld, but he’s not on bad terms with the Church of Armadi.

“I mean… No. I
understand. I’ll do my best.”

Alsatine was about to say
something but closed his mouth.

He must know that whatever he
says, I won’t give him a straight answer.

Don’t worry. As you dig deep
into the Church of Armadi, you’ll naturally find out what kind of
information I want.

In the end, I think Phoebe
won’t falter, but there might be moments of wavering, right?

I want to be there to help
when that happens.

And hopefully raise our
affection levels naturally.

If I can ultimately place
Phoebe as my party’s healer, there couldn’t be a more perfect plan.

I already have a tank for the
front line and someone to deal damage from the back line, so now I
just need a healer. After that, anyone can take the last spot.

Just as I was smiling
contentedly at Alsatine bowing his head, there came a knock at the
door.

“Lady Allen. Sir
Alsatine. May I come in for a moment?”

Alsatine looked at me
questioningly with his eyes, asking if it was okay to let them in.

I nodded, signalling him to do
as he pleased. Alsatine then called in his subordinate.

“Come in.”

Alsatine’s subordinate looked
at me sitting in the middle and Alsatine bowing his head like he was
being punished, and then respectfully bowed his head.

“Excuse me.”

‘What is it?’

“What’s up, you sloppy
small fry?”

“We got a message from
the Newman Family. They said they’ve procured the item.”

Already? That’s fast.

I thought it would take at
least a few more days.

Gus Newman must have pulled a
lot of strings to heal his son.

So, it won’t be long before
Gus Newman gives me the Raven’s Seal to fulfil the Oath.

Hmm. Once I receive it, what
should I ask for first?

So many things I want to
request… A happy dilemma, indeed. Alsatine’s subordinate
cautiously continued.

“The Newman Family says
they want you to visit them for the sake of their son’s treatment.”

‘I see.’

“Is that so?”

I understood immediately upon
hearing that.

That’s why they included that
clause on purpose. I need to go in person to exorcise Agra’s Curse.