episode_0036

This was something that happened to Hilde and I when we were first graders one early summer day.

As you walk further away from the grounds surrounding each school, you pass a rapidly diminishing number of buildings. In order to attack the dungeon gate, a wilderness appears with only a few groups of students sleeping on the streets and a few hideouts for delinquent students.

Hilde and I met by chance in the wilderness and were walking together.

“Hello―☆ Brünnhild―♪ Did you earn anything♪”

“Not really. It was hard to find a dungeon that suited my level.”

“Hey☆ A first-year freshman is already pushing through advanced dungeons―☆”

“Anyway, I was looking for a high-level dungeon with new terrain and structure.”

“Hmm♪ All of the dungeons created around here-☆ have a structure that is only advantageous to girls with magic skills, but you ignore that and take on the challenge-☆ After all, Brünnhild is amazing-♪”

Hilde looked at me with puzzled eyes and said,

“That’s not something Clara would say if she tied with me.”

“Well, that’s thanks to a girl’s intuition―☆ I haven’t yet become a strong cute girl who can win everything on my own―♪”

“Why are Strong and Cute together?”

“Because cuteness equals strength―☆”

“… ”

Hilde shook her head.

Hilde, who was very harsh every time I approached her, eventually raised her back against me, who had been acting friendly for several months. So, when we met appropriately, our relationship developed into companionship.

Hilde suddenly sighed and said.

“Really… The reason that comes to a guy like me who neglects his family’s mission, leaves school behind, and just wanders around… I don’t know even if I know it.”

“Ahaha―☆ Just a girl’s intuition♪”

“If you truly want to become stronger. It would be a good idea to ask for guidance from third-year or second-year seniors at each school, or to go to a school that trains practical martial arts fighters, such as where Eir is located.”

“Yeah~ How about that~♪ Even if you don’t have to meet Eir, he always comes to pick a fight―☆”

“That’s right.”

I gave an appropriate answer to that question.

I still didn’t have any special feelings about , but for some reason, I felt reluctant to leave Senior Frieda and her group behind and go to another school.

‘If the world is similar to a game in the first place, the only ones I really want to win are you guys… ‘

I secretly glanced at Hilde from the corner of my eye.

“… ”

“What’s going on?”

But Hilde had already noticed my gaze and turned around.

‘oh… ‘

The silver-white eyes that looked straight were very beautiful.

The nobility that one can involuntarily gaze at with fascination.

Even though their faces were stained with dust, those two jewel-like eyes never lost their shine. Perhaps, if I were still a man, just looking into those eyes would have made my face turn bright red and run away.

‘Somehow, when I’m nearby, it seems like it smells good… ‘

ah.

This seemed a bit perverted.

Are you conscious of the other person’s body odor?

‘No matter how much you wear Clara’s mask, it won’t work… ‘

I was somehow embarrassed by that and turned my gaze forward again.

“… ?”

“Ugh―♪”

You are destined to one day become the strongest in Academy City’s history, and I want to challenge you directly and win. It was clear that if I said that, I would be treated like a crazy person and my permission to accompany him would be revoked.

‘Traveling with the strongest of the future… ‘Because it was more fun than I thought.’

Hilde and I both preferred being outside rather than staying at school, so it became a routine for us to meet once every three days and walk together.

We were walking side by side through the windy wilderness and the outskirts of the city center.

plod

plod

Because of the weight of the lance that Hilde carried, she could not ride on the red tornado horse. So, as I slowly move the red bicycle by hand, I feel drawn to the pretty filter.

Come on girls talk!

This is an invaluable opportunity!

We need to gather information to become friends quickly!

This is roughly what my intuition feels like.

However, Pretty Filter did not always give advice in this way.

Passing by a doll store, someone tells you to collect plush dolls.

They say that if you put a sweet dessert in front of you, you should eat it all.

There were times when he gave strange instructions and made people act impulsively.

As I gained satisfaction from my impulsive actions and tendencies, there were times when I would act like Clara on my own without the guidance of the Pretty Filter.

It’s as if me and Clara are coming together little by little…

‘Often at times like this, I feel like Pretty Filter is my alter ego, but no matter how much I talk to myself, there’s no response.’

There were many times when I was scared and thought that my soul was a remnant of ‘Clara’ who was trying to make me disappear from this body. But now that the discomfort has largely disappeared, I don’t think it’s a bad thing to have more things I like thanks to Pretty Filter.

‘If I were to be honest, it felt like I had a friend who had strong opinions… ‘

It’s hard work.

A recent runner.

If it were Jojo Filter instead of Pretty Filter, would I also have an average ability score of 90 and share that dangerous and shady taste in women?

Maybe that’s Jojo’s taste too.

Thinking about that, I once again feel grateful to Pretty Filter for its healthy taste.

‘Thank you for not having special tastes… Clara!’

I also preferred spending time getting to know the future best rather than an awkward atmosphere filled with silence. So, following the guidance of Pretty Filter, I spoke to Hilde step by step.

“Phew―♪ It’s hot, hot―☆ Now that I think about it, my seniors this time, I got along well with the people in the shopping district, and well☆ I received some very fragrant tea leaves and drank it, and well☆ Wow♪ The scent was like regular compressed tea leaves tightly wrapped in a can. Isn’t there something fragrant on a different level?”

“Canned food? Clara, why are the tea leaves in the can?”

Hilde tilted her head as if she really didn’t know.

‘Hey, it’s a bit weird that you, an original resident of the game world, don’t know that… ‘

I was confused and answered that obvious question.

“Uh, yeah… ? Of course, with the exception of , which has the largest agricultural district in Academy City, there are few places where tea leaves can be grown on their own―♪ Most of them are long-term storage items sent from the outside world―☆◦# ◦

“I see. I had never seen canned compressed tea leaves before, so I didn’t know. Generally, the tea provided in the private rooms of the dormitory at is prepared by students who claim to be servants.”

“… ”

“I didn’t know much because I didn’t follow my predecessors in enjoying luxuries, but… It was a great study. I remember once throwing away the boxes of things I had given out in the name of maintaining dignity.”

“… ”

“Next time, I’ll have to taste it instead of discarding it. For some reason, the attendants were so upset… ”

“… ”

I quietly trembled.

Tea time was a common and popular pastime in Academy City, where there were no major entertainment options except for Mutuje. So, in the case of tea leaves rather than canned goods, the price differed by at least 20 times, and it was very difficult to obtain the product in the first place.

‘I even ate that 10 or 20 times with my seniors… ‘

What’s there? Private room? Sijong Station? Maintain your dignity?

What kind of world does Hilde live in?

I glanced again and saw Hilde’s face. She was nodding and muttering that she had gained good knowledge.

‘Well, even in the game, they said he came from a historic warlord family. is a prestigious high school that practically rules Academy City… ‘

Even though we are walking side by side like this right now, dripping with soup.

In the end, Hilde and I are characters who live in different worlds.

She lives in a noble world, and the only world she shares with me is fighting.

I suddenly realized that fact and sighed.

“Ugh―☆”

“… ?”

It was then.

Hilde and I both sensed a presence and looked in the same direction. There were dozens of elegant spear blades made of red ether floating in the air, pointing at us.

Shoo shoo shoo shoo ――

Magic projectile.

Fired by swinging a staff from afar.

The magic skill launcher used by furry beasts.

Among them, the ones who used the five types of weapons left behind by the [Golden Witch] were students from Academy City’s prestigious .

‘The furry beasts from have such unnecessarily high pride that they attack me like this.’

Of course, there were sweet and friendly characters like the main character ‘Rota’…

‘That child probably hasn’t even entered school yet at this point.’

The magic of this world cannot be used unless you are a student with magic skills.

Moreover, due to the nature of magic skills, ether operation requires mental calculation rather than instinct. It was even rarer to find someone who could use it freely in a combat situation like this.

‘A person who uses a spear blade like this is a level 3 powerhouse… There is no way the student president level or executives would come here… The only ones who are free at this time are first year students who don’t have any special positions.’

I was looking through the list of numerous fur beasts that popped into my head.

I thought of floppy purple cat ears.

“… !”

There was one person.

A guy who has been getting stronger as fast as us since he was in first grade.

That guy was one of the five strong men of the future.

Paaa!!

A timid voice was heard through the spear blades that began to approach with a menacing force, narrowing the surrounding area. In the distance, a female student wearing the uniform of a was walking.

“Woman, here… that… I am… Found it first… There’s a dungeon gate… Well, that… therefore… ”

Limp purple curls.

Droopy purple cat ears.

What appears in those fearless eyes is timidity.

But the guy was arrogant.

“That… As for you guys… Turn it off, turn it off… Isn’t it possible… ?”

“… ”

“… ”

I told Hilde.

“Left? right? I like anywhere―♪”

“I take the right side.”

“Yes―☆”

“Well, what are you saying… You rude bitches… Doesn’t it turn off… ”

Hilde and I got up from our seats and started cutting off all the spear blades in our respective areas.

Ta-ta-ta-ta-tang-!!

Dozens of spear blades disappearing with the repeated blows of fists.

Kugugugugugung-!!

A lance that swings like a club and bounces off numerous spear blades.

“Uh… Huh?!”

In an instant, the projectiles that had taken over the space were being nullified.

The female student, who was confused for a moment, made up for the vanishing spear blades in an instant, but as a magic skill launcher, her quickness was extremely poor. Before we knew it, she was cornered and trembling in front of us.

“Ahaha―☆ Brünnhild♪ You can’t talk to that kid if you look at him with those scary eyes―☆”

“Whoa, Clara. First of all, the person who speaks with an open fist would be more persuasive when making that point.”

“Hehehe… ! buy… Please save me.”

“Hmm♪ Shall we try the tickling type first―☆”

“Hiit… ?!”

That day I learned for the first time that people can urinate if they laugh too much. But even after that, I showed no mercy to the arrogant fur beasts.

I often called her ‘Pissing Cat’ whenever I saw her again.

That was the genius that would later be called the [Purple Spinning Wheel].

It was my first meeting with Freya, a researcher of the Vana School of Magic.

＊

A passage through which countless memories pass.

The process of waking up from a deep dream was like emerging from an abyss after diving.

Hands facing each other like mirror images.

Starlight pouring down under the dark sky.

The girls’ story ended with strong hand clapping.

I was lost in thought, reflecting on the sense of reality slowly coming from the darkness.

‘Unexpectedly, Clara from the original… No, I succeeded in talking to Urd, but things about this game possession situation and the changed world are still unknown.’

A prophecy spoken by the priest of .

The unstable situation of .

Now important things were still shrouded in mystery.

What I received from Urd was only…

-cheer up!

“… ”

But somehow that’s enough.

I felt like I could get through the journey ahead.

She was like ‘Clara’ who was incompetent, but had strength just by being there.

‘But things got a bit difficult.’

I checked the condition of my entire body as my consciousness slowly emerged.

The impurities and fate of others accepted in order to gain more than 300% power. The condition of my body and my body, which were at risk of being broken due to them, became stable. However, the total amount of ether that existed in the body also flew away.

A car that was miraculously repaired.

An empty fuel tank.

If I were to compare it, it was like that.

“… ”

In fact, it would have been really shameless to regret this, since he almost got maimed with Urud’s help. It was painful to see that all the dungeon buffs I had collected during my year-long journey were gone.

‘All I could do was increase the total amount of ether.’

The total amount increased to the point that natural recovery could not handle it, so it took too long to just sit still.

‘It will take 3 months to recover naturally… ‘

Although it is a hassle.

There were many ways to quickly restore the total amount of ether.

And the realm and cognitive ability still remained.

but…

But I couldn’t help but be excited about a fact that was more important than such things.

‘Weapon aptitude… It happened.’

Although we are now barely at the level of [Basic Ether].

Although it would be faster to recover in the original way.

Clearly, ‘Clara’ had an aptitude for weapons that did not exist before.

“… !”

When I realized that fact, I felt like crying even though it was a dream.

‘self… You can become stronger… !!’

It’s only one step, though.

I have finally walked a path that is not a shortcut.

‘My path is not over yet… !!’

Exciting

Exciting

I held onto my chest that felt like it was about to explode.

Thinking about what I have to do from now on.

As I emerged from the passage of unconsciousness, I began to see light.

I opened my eyes.

And what I saw before my eyes…

Silver-white hair flowing like waves into the field of view.

A girl with a doll-like appearance was burying her face in my hair as I lay there.

“… Suuu.”

“Hilde?”

“Lara… ?”

“What… Should I do it?☆”

“… ”

“… ”

I thought I had timed something wrong.

“ku, kuul―☆”

“… ”

So I went back to sleep.