“Wolfram! We did it!”
“Hm.”
Ayla, who had returned via Phitia’s magic, smiled brightly and approached me, and soon our palms met with a light *slap*.
It hurts.
My right arm, my right armmm!!
[Imperial Bloodline activates. Can only take actions befitting the bloodline.]
Just shut up!!
“We did it!”
“…Hm.”
“Why are you looking at me with such burning intensity? …Ah.”
“……”
When I looked at her without saying anything, Ayla tilted her head, looked around, and then stiffened her expression.
“Phitia big sis…”
No, why are you looking at Phitia crying on the floor—my arm hurts!
“I see… For us to win means someone else loses.”
What are you even talking about?
“Yes. If we only celebrate our victory, we might not feel the pain of the one who lost. That’s… just like how even if a rebellion succeeds, only ruins remain.”
No, my arm hurts.
Hey.
“Wolfram taught me that. Raise a toast to celebrate victory, but remember the loser’s tears in a corner of your mind. That’s a good saying, Wolfram. I’ve learned another thing from you.”
Stop spouting nonsense and do something about my arm!
Ugh, ughhh. Ayla Triasta…!
“I’ll fight with that mindset too. Thank you, Wolfram.”
Saying that, Ayla lightly placed her hand on my shoulder.
Ah, it hurts. It hurts I said. Why does it hurt when you only pressed lightly?
“Ayla. Don’t tell me you have physical enhancement active right now.”
“…Ah. I forgot to release it.”
Wolfram will remember this day.
Without fail.
—
After that, we picked up Phitia, who had collapsed from crying.
It’s unfortunate, but we have things we need to receive as well.
The basic reward for the Dragon’s Trial is Phitia’s own scale.
This item, smaller than a palm, is just an ordinary dragon scale—but when infused with the dragon’s trust, it becomes a kind of conduit symbolizing the bond with the dragon.
“So, what do you two want?”
“I have to fight a rival with Magic Power 21.”
“I see. So?”
“I heard that breaking through the Dragon’s Trial can increase magic power, big sis.”
“Hmm. I see. Your magic power is… 19, right?”
“Yes. So I want an item of rebellion that can help me surpass myself.”
At Ayla’s request, Phitia nodded and summoned a scale onto her palm.
“This is…”
“My scale. A token of trust. Once a day, for one hour, you can obtain magic power that surpasses your limits.”
“I’ll use it well, thank you, big sis.”
“Go ahead. Now then, a scale for our little brother too?”
That’s a pretty good buff item, but it’s too magic-specialized.
It doesn’t make anyone reach Magic Power 21—it just lets them surpass their limits, so with my Magic Power 3, I’d only get Magic Power 4.
“I’m thinking of receiving something else.”
“Uh, huh?”
“Surely, when you pass the Dragon’s Trial, instead of a bond, you can also obtain one treasure from the dragon?”
“…Little brother, you knew that too…?”
“Hm.”
Do you even know how many times I’ve cleared your route?
“Th-then what do you plan to take?”
“I’ll think about it slowly.”
“Th-then? But you can’t take anything too amazing, okay?”
“Isn’t that better than having two passers of the Dragon’s Trial?”
“…That’s true, but big sis has to guard the Demon Realm Gates, so if you take too much of my power, it’ll be a problem.”
“That’s true too.”
In other words, demon swords that would reduce her combat power—that is, from my standard, anything below Tier 4 equipment—is off-limits.
“Considering that, I’ll allow it.”
“Understood.”
“And there’s one more condition.”
“Tell me.”
“Once you enter the treasure vault, that’s it. No second chances to choose. Got it?”
“Of course.”
“Hehe. Then I can also see how well my little brother’s eye for treasure is, can’t I? Good. Under that condition, big sis will allow it.”
Phitia smiled victoriously, but I just shrugged.
Unfortunately, this Super Young-jin has memorized exactly what’s in your lair’s treasure vault too.
—
Escorted by Phitia, we returned to the convenience store.
As we entered the evening convenience store, Ayla stretched her arms wide.
“Ugh, so much happened today. I moved my body so much I’m tired.”
I see.
I’m in so much pain because of you.
“So, what are you going to do, Wolfram?”
“First, I need to treat my injury.”
“W-where are you hurt? Are you okay, Wolfram!?”
Who could it be, I wonder. Truly curious.
If I were to analyze Ayla’s magic attributes, they’d be roughly 【Physical】 and 【Ore】, so she has no particular expertise in healing magic.
“I-I’m really… are you okay…?”
Ayla looked at me with genuine concern. If I said it hurt, she’d probably cry.
Ah, really.
When you look at me like that, it’s hard to complain, isn’t it?
Phew.
What can I do. It’s my Health 2 that’s the problem.
“I’m fine. A day of rest should be enough.”
“Then I’ll be going, Wolfram. See you tomorrow. Get some rest.”
“…Hm.”
After seeing Ayla off, I sat down on the convenience store chair and shrugged.
“This is going to be muscle soreness tomorrow.”
Well, considering I’ll take about a day to rest, I should think about what treasure to receive.
“Most equipment has equipping restrictions after all.”
Especially around Tier 4, they require Strength 17, or Tier 1 prohibits equipping below Magic Power 20. Things like that.
“Then the Elixir of Health.”
When Health is below 10, there’s an elixir that raises Health by about 1-2 points in Phitia’s vault.
If I take that… I might be able to live a bit more like a human.
But…
“The story is already heading toward Act 4.”
Act 4 is summer vacation. And from Act 5 onward… the story gradually deepens.
In Act 5, the Black Flag leads undead from the Plains of the Dead or the Grave of Lamentation to invade Zefflin. For some reason, Wolfram’s corpse was among them, and Eve saw it and despaired.
[Eve! Your brother would want a peaceful rest too!]
[Yes. Kelter… I won’t hesitate anymore.]
[Grrr… E-eve!]
[Goodbye. Brother Wolfram. Starlight Cannon. Load.]
…
Come to think of it, if I weren’t here now and Wolfram had stayed as he was and gotten stabbed—
I would have had my head blown off by Eve, who was flirting with Kelter.
You filthy couple…
I can’t have that. I’ll extend Eve’s period as Phitia’s toy by another two months.
Anyway.
Even without Kelter, I know it can be solved with just the heroines and allies—but that’s no reason for me to be weak.
But what direction that strength takes—that’s quite important.
“Just providing items and potions isn’t enough.”
But is raising Health really the right move at this point?
I start to have a tiny doubt about that.
As I was pondering this…
“Wolfram, are you there? Rudika is here!”
The assassin came in the middle of the night.
—
Rudika entered the convenience store casually with a bright smile.
“Rudika. What brings you here?”
“Hmm. I came for a change of pace! Hehe. A nice gift came in today.”
Saying that, Rudika slid a bottle containing a pink liquid in front of me.
“This is…”
“A southern specialty drink. They say it’s sweet, but I can’t taste it.”
“…I see.”
Appraising the item, it’s a southern specialty drink.
Probably a beverage made by preserving fruit in honey, then taking the honey infused with fruit and diluting it with water.
Very sweet.
“A gift. Will you accept it, Wolfram?”
“Hm. I’ll gratefully accept.”
I welcome such gifts anytime.
Rudika sat down and swung her feet.
“You seem to be in a good mood. Did something good happen?”
“Hmm? I’m just normal, though? I just decided to think positively.”
“…I see.”
“Yes. No—let me rephrase. I’m sorry, Wolfram.”
“I can’t follow your train of thought. Why the sudden apology?”
“…I feel good right now. Because I met you, Wolfram, and because I came to this pleasant convenience store.”
“I see.”
If the convenience store is truly a pleasant place for you, I’m happy too.
“Aren’t you going to drink it?”
“I’ll savor it slowly. It’s a gift from a precious friend, after all.”
“Wolfram always says exactly what Rudika wants to hear. Rudika is happy.”
“……”
Rudika and I enjoyed a brief silence.
This assassin is kind at heart.
Even if she’s numbed her senses, even if she was called ‘Professor’ in the original, I can see it now.
“Wolfram. Rudika has one proposal.”
“Go ahead.”
“Last time, you told me to try my best from this final practical exam onward.”
“…I did.”
“I thought deeply. I like Wolfram, and I like this convenience store. So…”
“……”
What is she trying to say?
Rudika let out a deep sigh, and with serious eyes that she only shows occasionally, she spoke quietly.
“Wolfram. I want either you to forfeit, or for me to forfeit.”
“What do you mean?”
Suddenly?
I was already planning strategies assuming I’d spar with you.
“‘Wolfram is weak,’ aren’t you?”
“?”
“I’m afraid that ‘if I even poke you with a dagger, you’ll die right there.’”
“…?”
“My Health, my Dexterity, my Strength… all ‘overwhelmingly surpass Wolfram’s.’ If I, with that, hit Wolfram’s head with a wooden dagger and he dies—what am I supposed to do?”
“……?”
“There’s no reason for us to fight. Wolfram. Rudika doesn’t want to kill Wolfram. ‘I can’t point my blade at a frail Wolfram.’”
“………?”
“So ‘I can forfeit.’ ‘You can forfeit too.’ There’s no reason for us to fight. ‘Pointing hostility at a Wolfram so frail he’d die if you poked him with a finger’—I can’t do that.”
“…………?”
Excuse me.
Isn’t that
a bit harsh?
“So I’d rather not have this fight. What do you think, Wolfram?”
“…No. I’d like to do it.”
“Why…? Does Wolfram want to fight me?”
“I hold no hostility.”
“Then…”
“And besides, you never know. There might be an interesting result.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Of course.”
“…Understood. I’ll at least test the waters. Then I’ll see you on the day of the sparring match, Wolfram.”
“Hm.”
“Just so you know, you can give up anytime. You can ask me to forfeit too. …Wolfram.”
I nodded, and Rudika left the convenience store.
Left alone, I fell into thought for a moment, then scratched the back of my head.
Ah.
I’m crazy.
Why did I make that choice.
“I could still ask her to forfeit even now.”
But that would put a scratch on a veteran’s pride, you see.
She’s treating me so pitifully.
Even though I’ve rotted to the core in this game.
“Stat differences are absolute. But…”
If you don’t overcome what’s absolute, you’re not a veteran, are you?
—
The next day, muscle soreness came, but I gritted my teeth and went to see Phitia.
Phitia blinked at me, then nodded with an “Ah-ha.”
“Have you made up your mind?”
“Mm. I’ve decided on the treasure I’ll take.”
“…Yeah. I’ll move us to the vault.”
Saying that, I headed toward the dragon’s lair. Beyond the storm-ravaged desert end—her treasure vault.
“Here it is. Papa’s legacy and the treasures big sis has collected. Little brother, take your time and choose!”
“……”
It was a mountain of treasure.
The student council storage room was nothing in comparison.
Naturally—this is where a ‘dragon’ who faces real ‘battlefields’ has stored practical combat treasures.
Not the weakened reality, but treasures that would work even in the real main story.
Mountains of gold coins. Meaningless.
Dozens of demon swords. Unnecessary.
Staves that aid magic circulation and strengthen magic. Useless.
“Now, choose anything you like.”
“Not here.”
“Huh?”
“Somewhere else. I want you to open a different vault, Phitia big sis.”
“………What do you mean by somewhere else?”
“Why are you playing dumb? I’m talking about that place. The treasure vault where the greatest legacies slumber.”
“Uh, huh…? Ah, no. I really don’t know? What are you talking about…?”
Do you really think I wouldn’t know?
“The treasure vault where the legacy of the First Emperor Hark von Lohengrin is buried. I want to see inside.”
“…Th-that’s between Papa and big sis…”
“It’s the request of your little brother who passed the Dragon’s Trial. You’ll grant it, won’t you, Phitia big sis?”
“U-ugh… You little…”
Phitia sobbed.
I opened the treasure vault.
