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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“The privileges of being the top student. I’d like to receive the single dorm room and maintenance stipend in advance.”
“State your reason. It’s not possible without a valid reason.”
“I have no place to stay and no money.”
“……”
Was I too straightforward?
Ludwig’s mouth closed tightly and seemed unable to open.
But Ludwig should naturally accept it.
Ludwig von Wermannstein.
Although he has a somewhat unpleasant personality, he is undoubtedly a good person.
In the original story, he helped Hertlocker bring the Council of Elders in the magic community to their side.
So as the head professor, he would naturally grant this kind of request.
“It goes against the rules, but…… Alright. I’ll grant it.”
“Thank y-”
“But there’s a condition.”
“What is it?”
“You must maintain your position as the top student until the end of the first semester. If you lose the top spot even once, you will be expelled.”
“……”
“I’m breaking the rules to show you a kindness. Isn’t it only right that you display the appropriate performance in return?”
Only after seeing Ludwig’s greasy smile did I remember.
The fact that Ludwig wasn’t a good person from the beginning.
Even in the original work, he did all sorts of things to try to kick out Hertlocker early on……
I had completely forgotten about the early atmosphere of the story since I had been immersed in the latter part until recently.
When he lit the fireplace, I thought he did it for my sake, but he just didn’t want his carpet to get wet.
‘What do I do about this?’
Getting expelled from the Imperial University is definitely the worst-case scenario.
It would mean losing all the opportunities to recruit the talented people gathering at the Imperial University.
Since I already lost the protagonist Hertlocker, I can’t afford to lose any more opportunities.
Maintaining the top rank for the entire first semester…… is honestly impossible.
For the theory portion, I could probably get good grades using tricks.
But for the practical portion, that won’t work.
How could I beat people who have devoted their entire lives to honing magic?
So I can’t accept that condition.
Looks like I’ll be spending tonight in the stables.
That fucking bastard.
[Quest: Accept Professor Ludwig’s condition and maintain the top rank for the first semester.]
[Difficulty: ★★★★☆]
[Reward: Addition of body extremity hardening function to internal circuit.]
Just as I was about to refuse, subtitles appeared on my retina again.
What’s this now? A quest?
This wasn’t a setting in my novel, so the reader must have added it.
He seems to think he can manipulate me with some quests. But that’s a huge miscalculation.
I won’t dance to your tune.
“Alright then.”
“Good. I thought you would say that…… Wait, what did you just say?”
“Your proposal. I accept it. Please show me to the dormitory. And provide this month’s maintenance stipend right away.”
The reward was too great to refuse.
If it had been those damn store coins again, I would have just ignored it.
But adding a function to the internal circuit?
Given that internal circuit characteristics are innate, a permanent buff is worth trading for even 100 variable stats.
Of course, even if I add up all my stats now, it wouldn’t reach 100.
Maintaining the top rank for the entire first semester?
I’ll fucking do it.
In life, it’s all or nothing anyway.
*
“Hehe……”
The thick envelope of money in my hand.
Just looking at it makes me want to laugh.
The monthly maintenance stipend for the top student of the 1st year. In other words, 10,000 terions.
That’s about 1 million won, more than enough for living expenses.
I should invest the leftover money and make it grow a bit.
As the author, I know best which merchant guilds or knight orders will do well, so it will increase quickly.
“Is this the place?”
Walking a bit from the dormitory led to a garden.
Beyond it, a two-story mansion appeared.
That entire mansion was the privilege of the top student, the single dorm room.
Isn’t this setting too much?
It feels unfair considering other nobles have to share double rooms.
“Hello there.”
“Ah, yes……”
As I opened the front door and entered, a middle-aged lady greeted me.
Who is she?
“I’m the caretaker of the single dorm room.”
“Caretaker? Then what duties do you have?”
“I’m only in charge of cleaning. Starting next week after the semester begins, my contract will be terminated, so if you want to assign other miscellaneous tasks, please hire a separate attendant. I’m sure by then, people will voluntarily apply, so you can choose from among them.”
Selecting an attendant……
Come to think of it, there was an event like this too.
The attendant hired at that time turns out to be quite an unexpected person.
In the setting, they accommodated the needs of the protagonist who became the top student after the midterms.
But that protagonist isn’t here.
“As the caretaker, I will guide you through the interior just for today.”
“Thank you. May I ask your name?”
“It’s Mary Ayle.”
Mary Ayle.
An unfamiliar name.
Of course. I never even mentioned a caretaker who managed the mansion before the attendant was hired.
Encountering a character I didn’t create in the novel I wrote feels strange.
“This is the living room. And this is the kitchen.”
I followed Ms. Mary down a long corridor.
While the exterior looked medieval, the interior was filled with my tastes as a modern person.
Aside from things like the fireplace, it looked like it could pass for an expensive apartment in Gangnam.
“If you go up to the second floor, there are two identical bedrooms and two slightly smaller guest rooms.”
Looking at it this way, it’s really absurd.
How is this a single dorm room? There are 4 rooms just for sleeping.
I really made the settings without much thought.
“And if you go out the back door, there’s a separate room.”
“Oh.”
“It has a barrier installed, so most people use it as a storage room or training room.”
And finally, the separate room.
Since it’s surrounded by the highest grade barrier, no one outside can know what you’re doing inside.
I have a feeling I’ll be spending most of my days in there……
“Because of the barrier, I can’t enter the training room. Please clean it yourself. That’s all. Then I’ll be heading home now.”
“Yes. Take care on your way back.”
After receiving the key from Ms. Mary, I watched her leave the mansion.
As soon as I realized I was alone, I immediately headed to the separate room.
“Ugh……”
The moment I entered the separate room, my head started throbbing with pain.
There was a setting that strong barriers emit powerful mana waves…… Could it be because of that?
But I never described anyone feeling this dizziness every time they passed through a barrier.
Could it be that Schlus has a body that’s particularly sensitive to mana waves?
I don’t know.
“It’s clean.”
As if the previous top student’s belongings had all been removed and cleaned thoroughly, the interior was spotless.
It was so ridiculously spacious that it seemed like you could play basketball in here.
The problem is that there’s no one here who knows how to play basketball.
“First, I need to figure out what abilities I have.”
[Ability: Translation]
[Ability: View]
[Ability: Selection and Concentration]
[Ability: Memory of True Self]
As expected.
Just thinking about the abilities made the list appear immediately.
I plan to test all these abilities today.
Starting with [Translation].
[Ability: Translation]
[Rank: Rare]
[Description: Allows you to understand and fluently use languages you hear for the first time.]
[Reader’s Note: I thought you should at least be able to communicate, no matter what.]
If I didn’t have this, I would have had to start by learning the language here.
Judging by the lack of any mention of a cooldown or usage limit, it seems this ability can be used indefinitely.
The only thing that catches my attention is that it says ‘languages you hear for the first time’ rather than ‘continental human language’.
Then in theory, it should be possible to converse with monsters and spirits as well.
According to my settings, they have their own language systems too.
It might turn out to be a more useful ability than I imagined.
[Ability: View]
[Rank: Legendary]
[Description: Allows you to view brief information about a target.]
[Reader’s Note: You’re a writer, after all. You shouldn’t die from eating poisonous mushrooms while walking around.]
Another ability without limitations, it seems.
Just reading the description, it’s hard to grasp what kind of ability it is.
I took out a 10 terion coin from my pocket, looked at it, and activated View.
[10 Terion Coin]
[Year Minted: Imperial Year 542]
[Description: It’s a bit rusty, but its value remains unchanged.]
“Wow.”
An ability like this has no usage limit?
As expected of a Legendary rank, it boasts an efficacy on a completely different level from a Rare rank.
As the reader said, at least I probably won’t die from poisoning.
“Could it be……?”
As soon as I saw the mirror in the corner of the training room, I approached it as if spellbound.
I met eyes with my reflection in the mirror and activated View.
[Schlus Hainkel]
[???]
[??????]
[??????]
“Tch.”
As expected.
Only question marks appeared, and I couldn’t find out any information about Schlus.
I thought if I used View on myself, I might be able to see something like a profile.
Looks like he anticipated this kind of trick and took countermeasures.
Reader. You’re thorough.
[Ability: Selection and Concentration]
[Rank: Legendary]
[Description: Once per day, instantly amplify a specific stat. Time limit: 3 seconds. Amplification amount: +99]
[Reader’s Note: I included this so that in this life, you would make the right choices and see the story through to the ending by concentrating.]
And now it’s the turn of the ‘problematic ability’.
The reason it’s Legendary rank despite having usage restrictions plastered all over it is clear.
The fact that it can raise a single stat to over 100.
That’s enough to rival the Mains and match the protagonist’s stats in the latter part of the story.
Of course, only for a single stat……
“…… It’s not working.”
I tried to use the ability, but no matter how much I chanted internally, it wouldn’t activate.
To begin with, only ‘Selection and Concentration’ wasn’t lit up.
It must be due to the restriction of only being usable once per day.
I’ll have to test this again tomorrow.
[Ability: Memory of True Self]
[Rank: Rare]
[Description: Once per day, awaken the memory of your true self related to a specific action. Time limit: 1 hour.]
[Reader’s Note: I thought there should be at least a scrap of consideration for the owner of the body you possessed.]
This description is really ambiguous.
It’s difficult to intuitively grasp what kind of ability it is just from reading the description.
Then I’ll have to try using it.
“Memory related to a specific action……”
As I muttered, I noticed a wooden sword leaning against one wall.
I wonder if Schlus has any memories related to swordsmanship.
There’s only one way to find out.
I immediately grabbed the wooden sword with both hands and activated the ability.
“……”
I waited for about 10 seconds.
Nothing’s happening?
Could it be that he had no connection to swords at all?
Just as I was thinking that and about to lower the sword, at that moment-
“That’s wrong.”
“……?!”
I whirled around at the voice that came from somewhere.
Looking around, there was only me in this training room.
“The way you’re holding the sword is incorrect from the start. Like this.”
The heavy voice rang out again.
And this time, the figures of two men appeared in the center of the training room like holograms.
A tall man holding a huge longsword and a young boy holding a wooden sword.
They were too blurry to make out their faces, but…… it was obvious.
It was Schlus Hainkel and his father.
“…… Huh.”
It was a strange sensation.
As the boy in the vision corrected his grip on the sword, my hands also moved naturally.
I don’t mean my hands moved on their own. It’s just that they gripped the sword naturally, as if I had always known the correct way to hold it.
“I’ll teach you the basic stances first. First, step forward with your left foot. No, not that much. Look at me and follow along. And hold the sword above your head……”
As if entranced, I watched Schlus’ memory and imitated the movements.
Each time I assumed a stance and swung the sword, the sensation of the swordsmanship becoming my own intensified.
I picked up a sword for the first time today, but it feels like I learned it long ago.
Even so, all I know now are a few basic stances and a single downward slash……
“You’re putting too much strength into it. Slash at eye level. Make the blade parallel to the ground. Like that……”
As I kept listening, it felt familiar yet made my heart ache. Even though it was definitely a voice I was hearing for the first time.
This was clearly my body reacting. Subconsciously.
Did Schlus also lose his father?
Perhaps Schlus and I are similar guys.
…… As that thought occurred to me, goosebumps rose all over my body.
“Damn it.”
I bit my lip.
I felt a warm liquid flowing down my pressed lips.
As I used Schlus’ body to speak Schlus’ language and accepted Schlus’ memories, I grasped my dulling mind.
I am Kim Jin-woo.
The author Kim Jin-woo, not a character in the novel.
Remember this. You must not become immersed. You must not waver.
You are living solely to bring about the ending of this novel. And to return to reality.
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last part what a dilemma?
Don’t think so
Thanks for the chapter 😁