chapter_0222

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
222

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
222

As the ominous aura that the
necromancer had conjured dispersed, the moon and stars reappeared in
the night sky.

Since Armadi said everything
was over, I could rest for a while. Leaning against my shield, I let
out a long sigh.

Maybe it was because I had
used so much energy to purify the forest. My body was tired.

There were various reasons why
I had to exert so much strength to purify the corruption. Of course,
I could still move without any issues.

This isn’t the time to
complain about being tired. When I trained with the Allen Family, I
had to keep moving even in worse conditions than this. I could
certainly handle another battle like this if needed.

Despite having an advantage, I
have grown quite strong. Initially, I thought merely surviving would
be difficult, but who would have thought I’d succeed in purifying the
forest?

I should ask one of the
professors for a sparring session later. I need to find out how far I
can go when there’s no advantageous match-up.

After taking a deep breath and
stretching, I checked the message sent by Armadi.

If they’re promising a fitting
reward for completing one trial, this Quest must be structured with
rewards given intermittently and a final reward at the end.

Hmm. How many trials must I
pass before the Quest is over? If I plan it well, I might be able to
get a lot out of Armadi.

I’ll need to test various
things.

Based on the difficulty level
of the trials, the rewards might change. I wonder if the number of
rewards is predetermined or if there’s a specific criterion for
defining a trial.

Ah, my brain feels filled with
the circuits of a veteran!

First, let’s check the rewards
given to me. I can deduce various things from that.

[You have purified the Dead
Forest, which was corrupted by a necromancer from the distant past!]

[Rewards will be given!]

[The skill [No More Regrets]
has evolved into [All Grudges Will Be Gone]!]

This is exactly as I saw in
the game.

This skill upgrade is a reward
given for completing Adri’s quest beforehand.

Originally, the skill was
specialised for battles against undead spirits, but it evolved into a
passive skill that’s almost conclusive for those battles. But that
wasn’t what I was mostly interested in.

I was focusing on another
aspect.

Curse Defense Specialization.

I heard that this skill can
nullify most curses and weaken even high-level curses. If I can get
it, I should.

Great. Now I don’t have to
worry about curses. Unless it’s from an Evil God, there’s no chance
of an incident…

Oh, right. In the end, what I
have to face is the Evil God. Let me correct myself. I don’t need to
worry too much unless it’s something extreme.

Anyway, it’s a good skill,
isn’t it? Smiling, I shifted my gaze to the next reward.

[You have overcome alone what
everyone else disregarded!]

[Great Achievement!]

[People will seek out the one
who restored This Forest!]

This seems to be related to a
reputation boost.

It’s a bit abstract. Can’t
they just increase the reputation points like they did in the game?

I can’t really feel the
difference. I can’t.

And, Armadi, can you even call
this a reward? It’s just the result of what I did.

Trying to make it sound grand,
but you did nothing, right? Why always…

No, calm down.

Don’t you remember what
happened the last time I ran my mouth?

Now is the time to shut up.
Get a clue.

Alright! Let’s check out the
next reward!

I’m really looking forward to
seeing what great reward the mighty Armadi has given us?!

[You have resolved what the
Paladins of the past could not.]

[Divine energy proficiency
increases.]

[Reputation within the Church
rises.]

[A mark is left on the cross.
Show this to someone of Bishop rank or higher, and they will
recognize your achievement.]

…Huh.

Huh?

Huh?!

What?! A mark is left?!

After seeing those words, I
hastily took off the cross hanging around my neck to check.

On the back of the cross, a
tiny symbol was engraved.

Is this it? It feels divine,
but I can’t tell what it means.

As I tilted my head in
confusion, Grandpa suddenly raised his voice in my mind.

‘Grandpa. Do you know what
this is?’

‘Can you read it?’

As expected of Grandpa! Like
the Paladin who once saved the world, he could interpret it right
away!

Could you perhaps explain what
it says? I want to make sure I understand correctly!

Our dear Armadi has quite a
mischievous streak, so who knows what kind of tricks he might have
left!

Grandpa’s immediate response
left me momentarily dazed.

‘What does that mean?’

‘…So, this mark is proof
that I’ve purified This Forest, right?’

This was something I’ve never
seen in any game before.

There was never a need to
leave a mark proving an accomplishment.

When this was just a game,
whenever I accomplished something, rumours would spread naturally.

Just after finishing a task
and returning to the village, I’d hear lines like; Hey! Did you
solve that? You’re the best!

But not anymore. No matter
what I achieve, the world doesn’t acknowledge it.

Just now, I managed the
tremendous feat of sealing the Evil God who had resurrected in
Menestail.

If it were still a game, this
would have instantly elevated me to the status of a hero, but reality
is different.

No one knows what happened
there, so people don’t even realise that the city of Menestail
almost disappeared and a great disaster could have struck the Magic
Empire.

Of course, the way people look
at me hasn’t changed either.

The same goes for what
happened in This Forest.

There are visible changes, so
people will be searching for the person who made this miracle happen,
but they won’t think I was the one behind it.

Even if I shout out that I
resolved this, no one would believe me.

And why’s that?

I’ve got a bad reputation.
I’m young. I’m rumoured to be blasphemous. Taking all of this
into account, it would be foolish to believe me, wouldn’t it?

But with this Sacred Mark,
things are different. This mark is left by the great, holy, and just
Armadi. How could anyone deny it?

Yes! Armadi! This is what I
wanted!

Kyaah! With this alone, my
reputation will skyrocket.

I could receive gratitude from
the Church, and maybe even a bard’s song could be made about this
achievement.

As I was grinning at the
thought, Grandpa spoke up.

‘Why? Can’t I?’

…Oh. In my excitement about
boosting my reputation, I momentarily forgot.

What the Church has become
nowadays.

The Church of Armadi doesn’t
seek those who truly follow God’s will, they want puppets who will
follow their orders.

What would happen if I
declared my love from God in such a place?

The outcome is obvious.
Because of my [Mesugaki] skill, my rebellious nature will emerge, and
surely, I would go from Lucy to Lu/cy*. I’m not strong enough yet to
defy the Church. (*Cut in half.)

Sigh.
I finally had a chance to improve my reputation for the first time in
nearly a year. Armadi finally presented something plausible! And I
can’t boast about it? Do I have to forcibly act meek yet powerful?!

It’s so unfair! It really is!

I fumed inwardly, but venting
wouldn’t change reality.

That damn Church. It needs to
be destroyed soon.

[Necromancer’s Diary has been
awarded.]

The settlement, which gave
various rewards with some difference from the original, ended with
the same rewards as in the game.

Necromancer’s Diary. A memento
left behind by Adri’s mother.

It’s something I don’t need.
This is related to necromancy.

Let’s just hand it over to
Adri.

“It’s amazing. I can’t
deny it.”

I turned my head at the voice
that came from behind the moment I closed the settlement window.

Luca. Has he been following me
around, watching all this time?

He must have been waiting for
the right moment to come out and talk.

‘Probably.’

Being a versatile rogue by
nature, it’s clear he’s equipped with items to cover his tracks.

That’s why he’s more
troublesome than a mediocre boss. You have to defeat him using
straightforward methods, no tricks.

Even as I recalled the
strategy methods from the game, Luca continued speaking.

“To purify the forest in
less than half a day! Wow, I’m absolutely amazed. Are you receiving
divine revelations? Even the Paladins of the Church of Armadi
couldn’t achieve such a feat!”

Luca maintained an overly
submissive demeanour.

Why is he acting like this?
This isn’t his character.

Whether he’s confident or not,
he should be pretending to be arrogant and annoying.

Is this another variable? What
kind of variable has come up again?

“Lady Allen, there’s a
confidence that accompanies your dignified demeanour. From the
perspective of this ignorant person, I have nothing to offer but my
sincerest apologies.”

My confusion reached its peak
as Luca bowed his head and apologised.

What the hell is this crazy
guy doing? What is he plotting? Is he trying to catch me off guard?

“And there’s one more
thing I must apologise for. Today’s events are quite sensitive in
many ways. If things go wrong, my life could be in danger.”

Luca channelled his magic into
his bracelet. It’s one of the Magic Tools he obtained in the past,
containing magic that interferes with a person’s mind.

He’s going to erase my
memory.

Ha. I expected as much.

There’s no problem at all.

As a blue light emanated from
the bracelet, I felt something being etched into my mind.

This really doesn’t feel
great. The sensation is very similar to the penalty that comes with
the [Mesugaki] Skill when consciousness flickers.

I feel my consciousness
gradually fading.

My eyelids are closing.

The intervals between my
thoughts are getting longer.

Even Grandpa’s voice is
becoming faint…

With a loud crashing sound, my
consciousness resurfaces.

The moment I open my eyes
again, I see Luca in front of me, so flustered that he can’t even
adjust his slipping glasses.

Huh?

Did I just resist!?

Damn it. I screwed up.

It would have been better to
let him erase my memory. I could always undo the magic later.

By resisting, I’ve complicated
things.

Luca is definitely going to
try silencing me now.

Watching Luca approach, I
gripped my mace tighter.

Can I really win against this
guy?

Ha. What a foolish thought.

It’s not about whether I can
or can’t.

I have to. Because that’s the
only way to survive.

So, Luca, what’s your first
move?

Are you going to start casting
spells to wear me down like you did in the game?

Or are you going to swing that
dagger right from the start to kill me?

Whatever it is, bring it on.

I’ll counter it.

As I circulated the divine
energy through my body, I closely watched Luca’s movements.

He stopped in his tracks.

And then he kneeled on the
ground.

Huh?

“Please, spare my life,
Lady Allen!”

What?!

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