Be it the game or the real world, there are countless people who are annoying to just watch.
For me, Mason Kent was one of those.
A worm that needs to be stepped on, a bastard whose head needs to be cut and fed to dogs.
For me, he was such an existence.
However, even though seeing those characters is annoying, there are times when we don’t have any choice.
In the game, you wouldn’t be able to touch Mason Kent without enough preparation and a good location since he was an NPC of the future quests; the developers put quite a lot of effort into protecting him.
But do I have the same restrictions in the real world?
The answer is no. I can kill him right here, right now.
Just an overcharged bullet into his head would be enough.
But that doesn’t mean it is something I should do. In the end, killing someone is not something that can easily be done in front of people’s eyes unless you have an influential surname at the end of your identity card.
And only killing him also doesn’t benefit me.
Thus, the only thing I can do right now is wait and prepare myself when everything aligns itself.
Then, it will be my time.
With those thoughts, I stood up from the table I was sitting at and walked to the exit.
“You guys are all going to the banquet, right.”
When I was putting the plates I was using, I heard a familiar voice.
“Yeah…..Father said I needed to attend it.”
The group of four individuals entered the cafeteria at the same time. It wasn’t something that I would usually pay attention to, but the word banquet got my attention.
‘Is it that banquet?’
I asked myself and started listening to them talking.
“Same here. Mine also said I needed to work on my social standing.”
“Sigh….It will be the same boring talk all over again.”
“Right, I know. At least, last time, something interesting happened.”
“Well, since Victor is here, it will probably be interesting.”
“That guy could just invite us all. Why did he send formal invitations anyway?”
“Well, he is like that. He probably doesn’t want to show favoritism.”
“Yeah…..Of course, he is not showing any favoritism by only inviting Julia.”
“Tch.”
Hearing Victor’s name was enough.
Those from renowned families or people with high standing continuously gathered and talked business; thus, it wasn’t a surprise that the main characters of the game also went on such banquets.
However, the one that the Blackthorn Family gave was a special event in the game where the first serious interaction with demons was made.
Which was basically the first main event of the game.
‘I shouldn’t miss this. He will also come, after all.’
In the end, wherever a demon appeared, I would be there; this one was given.
Just like that, I left the grounds of the cafeteria and reached my room.
********
RUSTLE RUSTLE
“Huuuuh….”
Walking on the fallen leaves of the academy’s forest, I breathed the slightly chilly air into my lungs. The smell of nature and autumn entered my nose.
‘It is getting cold.’
As we progressed with the days of the semester, the winter approached. And now it was just the season interchange times.
“Oh, Junior, you are here.”
Just as I was walking, I heard a loud voice.
Standing before me was the purple-haired girl with a wide smile.
“Good afternoon.”
Maya immediately appeared before me with her usual cheerfulness.
“Good afternoon, Senior Maya.”
I respectfully bowed my head. For me, this person is kind of a master who made me improve so much in that short amount of time, so she deserves respect.
“Hmm….Hmm…..Good…..” She nodded her head, humming. I didn’t understand why she was looking at me like that, but I decided to brush it off. I had already gotten used to attracting all those gazes from around, and one another wouldn’t hurt.
“You are always the first one to come here, junior.” She gestured for me to follow as she walked to the meeting place.
“I dislike being late.” This was one of my habits. Changing locations and entering a different place always takes time to adapt, and by coming a little early, I am spending my free time adapting if it makes sense.
“It is a good habit.”
“Thank you.”
“Do you want snacks? Today, I have some rare ones.”
Of course, whenever Maya Evergreen enters the equation, the snacks also come with her. And, if I had learned one thing from all these times, refusing her snacks would be pointless.
She never accepts any refusal and forces her way over every time.
“I can take a little.”
With my acceptance, she grabbed a bunch of things from her bag. Two balls that had a spectrum of colors. They certainly looked outstanding and different.
‘Hmm?’
However, it wasn’t only the looks. The smell coming from them was also different a lot.
“Senior, this…..”
It reminded me of an incredibly rare item from the game. Even though its taste and smell were something I had never felt, at the very least, I knew how it looked.
“Yeah, you are correct. They are Feywild Dreamplum.”
Feywild Dreamplum. It is a special fruit that is very rare to find, not only because it tastes incredibly well but also because it has an incredibly good effect on the mana of the person eating.
Therefore, they are highly sought after and very hard to find.
“Senior….If you know what they are, then why are you giving them to me?” I asked. It was an action that I couldn’t quite grasp.
“Why am I giving them to you? Because I am your teacher.”
“Teacher?”
“Yep. I am your teacher.”
“I don’t understand. Even though you are my teacher, isn’t it better if you consume them or sell them?”
“Ah, you meant this…..” Maya chuckled, twirling a strand of her violet hair. “You are right. As a mage, I would certainly benefit from these fruits.” She replied as she held the two balls.
“Then.”
“But you see, I have an abundant supply of these Dreamplums back home. I’ve grown quite resistant to their effects, so they don’t offer much to me anymore. But for someone like you, they could be truly beneficial.” She replied with a playful grin.
I knew how one could simply grow some resistance to those fruits. After all, in the game, there were those who played the game by making themselves rich and buying every bit of small resources in the game and consuming them. But, of course, the more you consumed the same thing, the less effective it would be.
That was also the reason why naturally developing one’s own stats at the early game is more beneficial in the long run.
“So, you can take them without any resistance.”
As she said that, she put the fruit on my hand. I didn’t know why she was going to this many lengths for me, but she didn’t have any ulterior motives. I could read her body and assume that easily. My special trait [Perceptive Insight] wasn’t there only for decoration.
“I see. Then, I won’t refuse.”
Without saying anything more, I simply started munching the fruit. The moment my teeth pierced the peel of it, an incredible taste entered my mouth.
‘This is incredible.’
The taste, the way it poured from my throat, everything was picture perfect.
It was by far the best thing I had eaten in this world. And that wasn’t all. I could feel the mana inside my body reacting to the fruit. As I consumed the contents, I started feeling my mana sensitivity increasing. It wasn’t too much of an increase, but it was still a noticeable change.
I could also feel my mana capacity expanding, and this one was also one of the desired effects.
“How is it?”
I heard Senior Maya’s voice coming from the side.
“It was incredible.”
“Then, I am glad.”
I finished the Dreamplum, still savoring the lingering taste. “Thank you, Senior. I’m really grateful.” 𝑜𝓥𝐿xt.𝗰𝒪
“You’re welcome, Junior,” Maya said, her eyes gleaming with a mix of pride and excitement. “Consider it an investment for the future.”
“Investment for the future, you say.”
In the game, even though Maya was a named character, we, as the player, didn’t know much about her past or her family. So, it was hard for me to understand her intentions.
“Yes, investment for the future.”
RUSTLE RUSLTE RUSTLE
Just as I was about to ask what she meant, suddenly, I heard the sound of leaves being crushed.
‘Three people.’
Three people were approaching, and from the sounds, I could say that two of them were women while one of them was a male.
“Welcome, Juniors.”
Maya also seemed to realize that fact as she immediately jumped from where she was standing while throwing me a wink.
“Hello, Senior.”
“Hello.”
Two girls greeted her while the boy simply lowered his gaze. He was one of those who tried to ask her out at that time, and it seemed he was still embarrassed about his actions.
“Hello, you too, junior.” However, Maya wasn’t the one to let that slide, and in the end, the poor guy was dragged with her antics.
****
“Hello, everyone,” Maya greeted the newcomers cheerfully. “We’re just in time for our meeting. Let’s gather and get started.”
The club members assembled, each finding a spot around a cluster of logs that served as makeshift seating.
“As you all know, today we were going to start with presentations. Anyone wants to start?”
With Amelia’s instructions, a girl with good make-up and clothes raised her hand. She seemed eager to start.
“You may go, junior.”
“Thank you.”
With those words, she stood up and took her position.
“Hello, I-I am Hermione Kline.” she began, her voice initially hesitant and trembling slightly. Her hands clutched a notebook, her lifeline to the prepared words she had carefully written.
It was clear that even though she carefully prepared herself, it was her first time giving a presentation. Her voice was a little awkward as she stuttered.
“I wanted to talk about… about the influence of Mana and Otherworldly arts on modern… uh, art.” She stumbled over her words, her eyes darting nervously across the faces of the club members.
However, with each of her words, she got better and better.
“In conclusion,” she continued, “the presence of otherworldlers and their own culture was a factor that shaped the course of art, influencing artists across centuries. It taught us to appreciate the beauty of our own past form, the wonders of the natural world, and the power of mana on aesthetics.”
And in the end, she was able to finish her words with a smile.
CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!
With everyone clapping.
Just like that, everyone kept going with their presentations until it was my turn.