Chapter 2
Ranne Kihano.
The eldest daughter of the Count Family of Kihano, a historic knight family.
A girl who had already earned a knighthood despite her young age.
She was currently in a cold sweat.
'What exactly is going on....'
Today was the day of the entrance exam.
Thus, she had left her main estate and was on her way to the academy.
-Help me!
While riding her horse, she heard a cry for help from somewhere.
Revering chivalry and taking altruism as a virtue, it was a situation she could not ignore.
Ranne turned her horse around without a hint of hesitation.
At the end of her horse's path, a colossal death awaited her.
A monster mumbling an incantation while gripping hundreds of grimoires.
-Guhhh, guh....
It was clearly an apostle serving an evil god.
Ranne gripped her spear and stood against it.
But she lacked the strength.
A gap so vast it felt insurmountable.
The girl's spear couldn't even leave a scratch on the apostle.
Eventually battered and bruised, Ranne prepared for death.
"I am just a passing traveler."
"...."
It was then.
That the man appeared before her eyes.
'Just now... to take down an apostle of an evil god, and with just a tree branch....'
He suddenly popped out and dealt with the apostle in the blink of an eye.
It was a situation Ranne couldn't comprehend.
She was also considered one of the strongest among her peers.
Yet he defeated an enemy she couldn't even scratch.
'It's strange.'
An attack that seemed like it could crush the entire world.
But what was even more bizarre was....
'I couldn't feel any energy at all....'
A strike so overwhelming it was almost grotesque.
From such a strike, no energy whatsoever could be felt.
Mana, aura, holy power... she should have felt at least a hint of demonic energy.
'Nothing....'
It was peaceful.
She could feel absolutely nothing from the man's attack.
It was as if he was saying nothing had happened at all.
A situation that made her doubt her own perception.
At that moment, words inadvertently crossed Ranne's mind.
-A difference in skill... When there is an overwhelming gap that cannot be explained by such words.
-They say there are times when even the opponent's presence feels blurry.
-Remember this, Ranne.
When she was young.
The advice she heard from her father, the best knight in the North.
-If what just happened feels like a dream, and everything seems like an illusion....
-Never antagonize the opponent in front of you.
Her mouth went completely dry.
The situation was exactly as her father had described.
"...."
She couldn't even gauge it.
Just how immense of a gap existed between him and her?
The boy was wearing a meaningful smile.
A relaxed demeanor, as if this level of effort wasn't even considered play.
For the first time in her life, Ranne felt unease from someone's smile.
'Please.'
Let the opponent before me not be an enemy.
Ranne prayed inwardly.
***
Jangboongi, who had been annihilated without a trace.
I greeted her afterward, but there was no reply from Ranne.
"...."
"Hmm."
The kid is a bit frozen.
Was she that scared?
'Well... Jangboongi did look a bit terrifying.'
It was a spine-chilling visual, after all.
Even if she was the indomitable protagonist, her true nature was still a girl who hadn't even reached adulthood.
Having seen something like that, it was only natural for her to be mentally exhausted.
"Are you okay?"
"...Ah."
As I asked once more, the girl came to her senses.
She bowed her head stiffly.
Her purple eyes wavered.
"Th-thank you for saving me...."
"Don't mention it. I merely helped since we happened to cross paths."
A politely returned response.
I reach out my hand with the most harmless smile in the world.
"I am Victor."
"Ah... I am Ranne Kihano."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Kihano."
We share a light handshake.
Her reaction was strange.
Despite speaking so softly, Ranne couldn't meet my eyes.
I suddenly think about how suspicious I must look.
A man who repelled an apostle of an evil god with nothing but a tree branch.
'Huh.'
Could she be terrified not because of Jangboongi, but because of me?
Only then do I notice Ranne's shoulders trembling in tension.
Alarms go off in my head.
'She doesn't think I'm a suspicious person, does she?'
It made sense.
Even I would be scared if someone suddenly appeared and beat an elephant to death with wooden chopsticks.
'...Or would I?'
It might actually be kind of cool.
Anyway, this wasn't the time for that.
Proving that I wasn't hostile had to come first.
I had saved her from danger, but I was also an unidentified stranger.
Especially now, driven into a corner in terms of stamina, Ranne's response would be sharper than usual.
'I'll die...!'
No matter how exhausted she is, the protagonist is the protagonist.
On the other hand, I am a weakling whose every stat is fixed at E-rank.
I would die even if she just lightly tapped me with the back of her sword.
I can only manipulate bugs; I'm frail in every other aspect.
"Umm... excuse me, Sir Victor."
"Yes, Lady Kihano."
First, I needed to show my harmlessness.
Otherwise, I might die!
I ready my silver tongue to win her favor.
The girl hesitates for a long while before opening her mouth.
"Sir Victor, why did you help us...?"
"You ask a strange question."
"I-I suppose so...."
"Does a person need a reason to help another person?"
If there's a saving grace, it's that I'm a veteran.
I knew about Ranne better than anyone else.
We had spent a whopping 14,000 hours together.
I had seen the ending of this world 1,000 times alongside her.
Through the monitor, we cried, laughed, started, and finished together.
"Chivalry."
Ranne Kihano.
Alias, Don Quixote de la Mancha.
"Fight for those who cannot fight, and do not retreat even knowing fear."
What she reveres.
The seven virtues.
Among them, I mention mercy and courage.
"That is what I learned. Therefore, I could not pass by someone in trouble."
"...."
A knight trainee.
Ranne grew up listening to the heroic tales of the knights of the North since childhood, naturally admiring them.
To her, chivalry was the guiding principle of life, and those who followed it were colleagues walking the same path.
Even in the original work, whenever the conversation flowed in this direction, her affection would skyrocket.
In other words, with just these few words, I had....
"Noble sir...!"
Solidly stamped myself as a good person in her eyes.
Grab-.
Ranne's hands grab mine.
Without a hint of tension, her purple eyes sparkle brightly.
That gaze was filled with enough goodwill to be burdensome.
"I am moved by your spirit of sacrifice! Please forgive me for being wary of you even for a moment!"
"Haha, it's quite alright. It must have been sudden for you too, Lady Kihano."
"You truly are a good person, Sir Victor!"
"You're making me blush."
"Please, feel free to call me Ranne! I am also one who admires knights! If we harbor the same admiration, are we not disciples under the same master?!"
"Shall I do that then, Lady Ranne."
I smile good-naturedly.
This is our protagonist.
'A knight of the North... Honestly, rather than a knight, she feels more like a naive country girl.'
She's exactly the type to get swindled by a con artist right after moving to the Capital.
To put it nicely, she's pure; to put it bluntly, she's ignorant of the world.
This was a huge plus for me.
Because it meant she would be easy to manipulate.
"I was surprised! To think there would be an expert with skills like yours among my peers, Sir Victor!"
"I am still lacking."
"The words my father told me were true. The world truly is vast!"
Has her tension completely vanished now?
Her once cowering shoulders were now straightened.
'Yes, please don't antagonize me.'
I only managed because I used a bug; with my base stats, I'm a weakling.
My body could get knocked out by a casual flick to the forehead.
These are stats that would lose a Yaksha brawl against a passing farmer.
I smiled at Ranne while inwardly begging for mercy like a coward.
"Ah... then I will go check on the people in the carriage."
Even while chatting for a moment, Ranne looked back in concern.
As expected of the protagonist, she was diligent in this regard.
I wasn't particularly worried.
Thanks to her and my intervention, there shouldn't be any casualties.
Taking advantage of the quiet surroundings, I examined the items that had entered my coat.
"Hmm."
At my fingertips were a few items.
It was the reward I obtained from defeating Jangboongi.
Ding-!
[You have obtained a reward.]
-Mask of the Evil God×1
-Robe of the Evil God×1
-Grimoire That Should Not Exist×1
A mask, a robe, and a grimoire.
All of them were items that could only be obtained through the route of hunting Jangboongi.
Normally, these were items that could only be obtained in the latter half of the original work, when Jangboongi reappeared in the story.
'Though I got them through a loophole.'
My intended goal.
Aside from saving Ranne, it was to obtain these guys.
Because with just these, the future difficulty level would change drastically.
[Mask of the Evil God]
-Category:???
-Rank:???
-Description:Throw it away. Throw it away. Throw it away. Throw it away. Throw it away. Throw it away. Throw it. Throw it. Throw it. Thr.
"Oh my."
A rather disturbing description.
The other two items were similar.
Well, even though they look like this, their effects are outstanding.
[Mask of the Evil God]
-Effect:Nullifies attacks directed at the wearer three times. Only activates while worn.
-Current remaining uses:3
[Robe of the Evil God]
-Effect:Items can be stored inside the robe. Only functions while worn.
-Number of stored items:0/100
Attack nullification, and an inventory.
Both had incredible performance.
'Especially the mask.'
It didn't matter if the attack directed at me was an archmage's meteor or a sword saint's slash.
An item that unconditionally nullifies any attack three times.
With all my stats fixed at E-rank, there was no item more necessary for me, who could die a dog's death anywhere.
To put it bluntly, my body would die even if I just got stabbed once while passing by.
'I should consider this as gaining three extra lives.'
And the robe.
In the game, there was a personal inventory, so I only wore things like a backpack for storage expansion, but this was reality.
'There's no way a separate inventory would exist.'
As such, I had to use items that served as a backpack in the original work.
The Robe of the Evil God was easily tier 1 among those types of items.
It was the lightest, and its storage space was also the largest.
Therefore, I needed to wear the mask and robe at all times.
[Grimoire That Should Not Exist]
-Effect:???
As for the grimoire... there will be a use for it later.
Until then, I will keep it safely stored.
First, I pulled out the ones I needed to equip right away.
'Let's see.'
The mask's appearance strangely resembled a clown.
Two eyes and a mouth smiling broadly.
'It's kinda cute, isn't it?'
Without hesitation, I wore it on my face.
The fit wasn't bad.
It didn't block my vision, nor did it feel cumbersome.
It felt no different than when I wasn't wearing it.
As expected of an overpowered item, its comfort level was in a league of its own.
[You equip the item Mask of the Evil God.]
[You equip the item Robe of the Evil God.]
The robe was just a black cloak, so I wrapped it around my body without a second thought.
Perhaps because they were a set item, they looked quite stylish.
"I am still lacking."
"The words my father told me were right. The world truly is vast!"
Has her tension completely vanished now? Her once cowering shoulders were now straightened.
'Yes, please do not antagonize me.'
I might be using bugs, but in terms of base stats, I'm a weakling.
My body could be knocked out even by a casual flick to the forehead.
These are stats that would lose a brawl against a passing Farmer or a Yaksha.
Smiling toward Ranne, I inwardly begged for mercy like a coward.
"Ah... then I will go check on the people in the carriage."
Even after chatting for a moment, Ranne looked back in concern.
As expected of the Protagonist, she was diligent in this aspect.
I wasn't particularly worried.
Thanks to her and my intervention, there wouldn't be any casualties.
Taking advantage of the quiet surroundings, I examined the items that had entered my coat.
Ding-!
[Equipping set items generates an additional synergy.]
-Your Intimidation greatly increases.
-When others gaze at you, they are engulfed in an inexplicable ominousness.
-The seal of ■■■ is lifted exclusively during the solar eclipse "Night for the Clown".
The flaw in the gem was the Intimidation and ominousness.
Thanks to that, once I put these two on, it becomes difficult to raise the affection of other characters.
'Well, I have to endure this much.'
I finished my setup.
Seeing how it was, Ranne's side seemed to be done organizing as well.
It was time to leave. 'I need to go take the exam,' the Academy entrance exam.
***
After the situation was sorted out.
"I was surprised, by the way. To think Sir Victor was also on his way to take the entrance exam."
"It is a fascinating connection."
"You don't know how relieved I am. Honestly, it's my first time leaving The North, so I was nervous in many ways. It is truly reassuring to be accompanied by someone."
"Thanks to you, Lady Ranne, I wasn't bored on the way either."
We didn't suffer the mishap of being late for the entrance exam because the people we saved gave us a ride in their Carriage, saying they would drop us off on the way since it was nearby.
Is this the reward for living kindly?
They bowed their heads numerous times, conveying their gratitude.
"But, Sir Victor. What is the Mask you are wearing on your face...?"
"It is a fashion item. A piece I often enjoy wearing."
"So it is a trend these days! The world outside The North is always full of new things."
Running like that for a few hours.
We had arrived at our destination.
'Grandia Academy,' the educational institution hailed as the continent's finest, a title it wore without shame.
They said it was practically the size of a small city.
To put it simply, the entire Academy was about half the size of Seoul.
"It's incredibly vast...!"
"I suppose it has to be this large to be the best on the continent. I heard the cadets usually stay in the cadet-exclusive sector located right in the center. Outside that sector, various elements like a shopping district, residential areas, and workshop streets are situated."
"It truly is a place befitting the name Academy City."
We stood in line waiting for the entrance exam.
The noise of the surrounding students lingered in my ears.
Murmur murmur-.
I was gently lost in thought.
My reason for coming to the Academy was simple.
To prevent the destruction of the world, I needed to follow the original flow.
'Besides... there are far more bugs I can use on the Academy side.'
Neugeume (Ranne & Grandia Academy: The Marchen).
As you can tell from the title, the Academy is the main stage of the game.
As it is the most frequently appearing stage, it also has the highest number of discovered bugs.
Naturally, it was more advantageous to operate inside the Academy than outside.
-Next applicant, please enter.
As I was distracted for a moment, my turn had arrived before I knew it.
"Then, I will go first."
"Yes! Sir Victor, you will surely pass without a problem. I will see you inside the Academy."
"I also wish you the best of luck, Lady Ranne."
Ranne and I parted ways for a moment since the buildings we were testing in were different.
It shouldn't matter since we'd meet again in Class A anyway.
Entering the testing center, I saw the Teaching Assistant acting as the proctor standing inside.
The man scowled fiercely the moment he saw me.
"What an unpleasant guy. Wearing a clown-like mask and all."
"Haha, I look forward to working with you."
It was a rude remark, likely an act to pressure the applicants.
Like a true Veteran, I brushed it off with a gentle response.
"Stop slacking. Step forward. Just as I instruct, go through the given tests one by one...."
The exam content was mundane—a light capability measurement, the kind you'd expect in any fantasy world Academy.
It was conducted using various devices based on Strength, Stamina, Mana Sensitivity, etc...
It took barely 10 minutes until I was notified of the test results.
"Applicant number 3720. True name Victor."
I confidently finished the exam, and the measurement results were, as expected....
"Theory A+. In all other sectors, E-rank. Failed due to falling short of the standard."
"What." Thus, I ended up getting rejected for admission.
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