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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“This is getting complicated.”
The Saintess’s enrollment date, changed due to the deserted island incident.
The protagonist’s drastically altered relationships.
A story twisting and turning in unexpected directions.
I stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought.
I had a bad feeling about this ever since Karina washed ashore on the deserted island, but seeing how much the relationships had changed left a bitter taste in my mouth.
There was no guarantee that the events of the original story would unfold as planned. Even the incidents that occurred during the first semester had played out differently.
While the overall plot might remain the same, the smaller events would likely be altered.
For example, the perpetrators of certain incidents could change.
Unexpected characters could die.
The timing of events could shift.
The last one was the most problematic.
What if the library incident, scheduled to occur in a month, happened sooner? Or later?
Or what if the perpetrator of that incident was already dead?
The hellhound incident, which occurred before our arrival, was the biggest unknown.
Several people had died, so I needed to check whether the perpetrator was among them.
If they were dead, the library incident wouldn’t happen.
And that meant a crucial opportunity for the protagonist’s growth would be lost. I needed to find a way to compensate for that.
“…More dungeon grinding, I suppose.”
It would be difficult during the semester, but perhaps I could plan something for winter break. And I should consider assigning Lewis as Karina’s knight escort.
While their initial connection was gone, he was one of the few male students who wasn’t romantically interested in Karina, and he would be easier to manage… or rather, train.
I also wanted Shuri to be able to use second-tier magic by the time she was a second-year.
Having two second-tier mages would significantly increase our party’s strength. They could even combine their magic to cast first-tier magic.
The problem was that I couldn’t teach magic.
Shuri’s growth depended entirely on her own efforts.
I could provide her with practical experience, but she had to acquire the knowledge and theory herself.
There were ways to accelerate her growth, but they weren’t easy…
…I would have to try, though.
It was something I had to do.
I closed my eyes.
I needed to get as much sleep as possible, I had a busy day ahead of me.
“…Hopefully, tomorrow’s lectures will be less boring.”
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“…Status Window.”
I quietly opened my status window in the lecture hall, the professor’s monotonous voice the only sound breaking the silence. It was time to decide how to allocate my trait points.
It had cost three points to raise Dexterity from B+ to A, so it would cost even more to raise it from A to A+.
Assuming it was double the cost, I would need eighteen points to reach S rank.
But reaching S rank wasn’t necessarily the best strategy.
I wasn’t even sure what the effects of my current S-rank trait, Survival, were.
This damn status window was incredibly unhelpful, I had to experience the effects firsthand to understand them.
What I did know was that Survival was the foundation of all my other traits and skills.
My ten years on the deserted island had been a constant struggle for survival.
My S rank in Survival was a testament to my endurance. And my Crafting skill was probably developed from having to make everything myself.
…Should I invest everything in Crafting?
Raising Crafting to S rank seemed like the most important goal.
It was a logical conclusion.
I relied on Crafting for everything, from combat to daily life. Improving my Crafting skill was synonymous with increasing my combat power.
I wasn’t sure how it would be enhanced, but I was certain that it was the top priority.
I clicked on the Crafting skill.
[Do you wish to invest trait points in Crafting?]
[YES / NO]
Should I do it?
Now that the window was open, doubts filled my mind. With my limited points, I could probably only raise one trait to the next rank.
Should I focus on raising a high-rank skill, or should I distribute the points among several lower-rank skills?
I could ignore Anatomy and Pharmacy, but Metallurgy and Dexterity were both useful.
If my guess was correct, raising crafting-related traits would also enhance my Crafting skill.
So the question was whether to directly upgrade the Crafting skill or to raise the related traits, indirectly enhancing Crafting.
…This seemed like the better option.
After careful consideration, I pressed YES.
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“Miss Martina, do you have a moment?”
“Miss Perinne, of course.”
The other students looked at the two noble ladies with curiosity.
Perinne of the Nereid family, a prominent family in the southern part of the empire.
Martina of the Raymond family, a prominent family in the western part of the empire.
A meeting between these two influential first-years was bound to attract attention.
Aware of the stares, they exchanged glances and quietly left the lecture hall.
They often had to discuss sensitive matters that weren’t meant for other ears. It was the burden of being heirs to prominent families.
They walked in silence, heading towards a secluded garden at the edge of the academy. It was the ideal location for a private conversation.
They settled into chairs at a small tea table tucked away in a corner of the garden.
“It’s been a while.”
“Since the summer break, yes. So what did you want to talk about?”
Martina looked at her childhood friend, a girl with flowing blue hair. She had always looked more like a fairy than a human.
The blue hair and eyes, the hallmark of the Nereid family, gave her an ethereal aura.
“I wanted to catch up. And I have something to tell you.”
Martina narrowed her eyes, trying to discern Perinne’s intentions.
‘Something to tell me? What could it be?’
Family matters would have been communicated directly between the heads of their families through the communication device.
Martina tapped her fingers on the table, waiting for Perinne to elaborate. But Perinne hesitated.
She seemed to be debating whether to speak. Martina, unable to bear the suspense, pressed her.
“We’re not strangers, Perinne. There’s no need to hesitate.”
“…The Halphas Cult has appeared in the east.”
“…The Halphas Cult? Those blasphemous heretics… in the Nereid territory…?”
“…You didn’t know. Apostates have been appearing among the eastern nobles.”
Apostates.
The word, too heavy for mere students to utter, darkened Martina’s expression.
She was aware of the Halphas Cult’s recent activities, but she hadn’t expected them to infiltrate the eastern territories.
If Perinne’s words were true, it was a situation that warranted the mobilization of the eastern defense forces.
But Martina, puzzled by the lack of information, looked at Perinne questioningly.
“Why haven’t we heard anything…”
“We only recently discovered it. We stumbled upon them by chance, so we don’t know the extent of their influence. Please inform your father, Martina.”
“Yes, I’ll contact him immediately. But why didn’t the Nereid family contact us directly through the communication device? Why go through me…?”
Perinne shook her head at the reasonable question.
“We couldn’t risk sending a message through the communication device. We don’t know how many apostates there are, and the message might not reach its intended recipient. It was safer to deliver the information in person.”
“…This is serious.”
A cancer was spreading through the empire.
The future leaders of the empire, still mere students, were burdened by the news.
They exchanged grim looks.
“…Perhaps… another war is coming.”
“I hope not.”
The political landscape of the continent was shifting at an alarming rate. They felt a sense of unease.
This ominous atmosphere, creeping up on them like a rising tide, threatened to engulf their families, and perhaps even Kalon Academy.
“…We’ve been talking about such dark topics. Let’s talk about something lighter.”
Perinne forced a smile.
“Alright.”
Martina agreed, eager to dispel the gloom.
Perinne, relieved, brought up the first thing that came to mind.
“Have you heard the rumors going around the academy? About the ‘wish-granting grimoire’ in the library… or the rumor that a ‘witch’ is hiding in the academy…”
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