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124th Episode. Princess, Please Have Mercy… (1)

A week had passed since the new school year began.

Monday of the second week. Finally, it was the long-awaited day for club activities to resume.

Clubs tend to be disbanded if a certain number of members are not gathered. Regardless of the reason, if a significant number of members drop out, the club inevitably fades away.

Especially on the day when a new year begins and the new semester arrives, members tend to quit without any explanation.

“Damn it, a lot of people left because of graduation.”

Trisha Marlin, the head of the Newspaper Department, was gazing at the Archive screen reflected in her student ID’s mirror.

The screen displayed a list of students who had been part of the Newspaper Department until last year, and she was looking through the names of the graduating seniors.

With half of the members having been seniors in their third year, everyone had left upon graduating. It was crucial to gather new members to prevent disbandment.

“Radon, you know what we need to do from now on, right?”

“….”

There was no need to elaborate.

Fewer members mean disbandment. But how many members were considered “fewer” had not been officially announced.

Moreover, it was a time when a new student council president needed to be elected, so there wasn’t any significant movement within the student council. It was only natural there wasn’t a detailed announcement.

We needed to gather a sufficient number of members inside.

“But don’t worry. We have you in our club.”

“….”

“Well then, shall we get started?”

A sigh escaped involuntarily. I even yawned.

It was 6:30 in the morning. I was standing in the student plaza with a large picket sign.

Not just me, but Trisha and the other club members were also shaking their picket signs in the same manner.

“Radon! Can’t you shake it harder!”

“Ah… yes~”

My body felt heavy from lack of sleep. Maybe it was the rice balls I had for breakfast that made something in my stomach churn.

I feared I might have eaten something past its expiration date. I hoped it wasn’t that bad. Being late because of constipation on a sunny morning before school was unacceptable.

‘Yeah, that’s right. I’m not the only one suffering.’

I held back those thoughts. Because not only the Newspaper Department… other clubs were also holding up picket signs.

-Welcome, new students!

-Please join our club!

-If you join our department, you can receive feedback on Alchemy in the first semester!

-You can learn the basics of academia much more easily!

-Our medical department is recognized directly by the vice-principal!

-We look forward to many applications!

Cheers echoed from here and there. It was practically a competition to see who could shout the loudest.

Their voices needed to be heard to attract attention.

Holding their signs and shouting to be noticed resembled a concert… or perhaps a protest rally.

‘It wouldn’t seem out of place if the security team arrived and sprayed them with water bombs.’

Some students had already stopped people passing by to encourage them to join. They looked like cultists you’d encounter on the street.

“Radon! Louder!”

“Okay, okay.”

Trisha, our head, urged from behind. Seeing such enthusiasm was evidence of their commitment to the club.

Furthermore, when viewed comprehensively, our activities were far from being a protest group or a cult. It was just that my body was stiff and unwilling to move.

Plus, it was something unfamiliar to me.

“Did you have breakfast properly? Radon Crawler.”

I turned at the voice that addressed me… something sparkled.

It dazzled intensely enough to temporarily blind me— a very familiar head.

“Nice to see you! Have this while you’re at it.”

Riplain Halo, the head of the Art Department, approached me, offering a sports drink. She still looked like someone who could cause blindness if I got too close.

“I’ll pass. I already ate.”

“Is that so? But why do you look so weak?”

“Who knows?”

I hadn’t eaten too little or too much, yet my body felt quite heavy. It felt as if I had swallowed a metal lump disguised as a rice ball.

“But is it okay to help a rival department? It’s like providing supplies to the enemy.”

“Enemy? Your request from first year did us a favor. I can trust you to help, unlike any other.”

There was a reason why she treated me so boldly. After all, it seemed like she was friendly with our head.

“I really appreciated it during the last break, Trisha. The words you wrote helped my painting shine.”

“Don’t mention it. I was greatly moved by your effort too!”

Their conversation flowed with laughter. Though I didn’t know the details, it seemed the two were familiar with each other.

Was it because they were both from the Magic Department? Yet it felt like their bond was more than just ordinary friendship.

And cherry blossom petals were gently falling from above.

‘Wow… thinking back, that season has already arrived.’

Though not in full bloom yet, the time for the spring breeze to scatter cherry blossoms was nigh. By next month, I would see the beautifully adorned, pink scenery of Aligieri.

“Huh?”

“…!”

At that moment, a student passing by glanced back at me. The moment I recognized him, I inhaled sharply.

“Lyman…?”

“What’s up. Scammer, what are you doing here?”

“Wha… as you can see.”

As if I didn’t know? I wanted to act cheeky, but I didn’t have the guts.

I never expected to encounter the main character while recruiting club members. Thinking about it, if you played as him, you would see a lot of NPCs handing out pickets and flyers like this.

‘The main character must have been hiding in a crowded place to shake off a female student.’

Wait, it’s around the time that female student will show up.

“Excuse me!”

Sure enough, a girl was pushing through the crowd and heading toward the club members.

Usually, one would offer a flyer to a new student approaching on their own. However, the club members turned pale and froze the moment they saw her face.

Her flowing hair was as red as a rose.

Her delicate, innocent face stimulated protective instincts, yet like thorns, everyone drew away from her.

“That person is definitely….”

“Princess Mirona. Radon, stay sharp.”

Both Riplain and Trisha recognized her and became tense. No matter what her situation was, she was still a princess.

“Wait! Please listen to me!”

Mirona was able to approach smoothly due to the path that had opened up. The one she persistently chased was Lyman.

Finally grabbing at our main character’s collar… the event scenes from the game I’d seen multiple times were unfolding before me.

“Why do you keep following me!”

“Just for a moment… please talk to me. Okay?”

“….”

Lyman, unable to shake off the girl clinging to his arm, would usually throw her off without a second thought.

But this time, he couldn’t. Not only because she was a princess, but for Lyman, Mirona was someone special.

“I’m sorry, but I have nothing to say.”

“No! It’s really important!”

Currently, Lyman was quite irritated. He wanted to shake her off, but the soldiers meant to escort her didn’t seem to be anywhere in sight.

He could only wish they would appear and take her away, but that scene never came.

And finally, one of the top comedic scenes in the game unfolded.

“I didn’t see anything at that time! I didn’t see a single thing about your nakedness!”

“….”

A tremendous silence fell. The desperate cry of the young girl felt like the impact of a few nuclear bombs exploding.

With the following silence… I couldn’t help but smile absentmindedly.

“Remember when we first met in the hot spring? Please don’t misunderstand! I’m not a girl who spies on naked men…”

“Stop….”

“I swear on the name of the royal family! No, I swear on my royal status! I absolutely…”

“I told you to stop!”

If you play as Lyman during winter break, there’s an event where Mirona is first encountered… revealing herself while bathing.

Mirona, wanting to clear up the misunderstanding from that moment, had lost all sense of reasoning.

‘I’d want to ask why she’s saying all this in a public place… but it can’t be helped that she lacks discernment.’

Mirona went beyond being pure; she seemed clumsy and dim-witted. It made one wonder if she really was a princess of an empire.

It was evident that she had received not a smidgeon of the Emperor’s love. Her upbringing must have led to such a tumultuous situation.

‘That’s why this shouldn’t be a laughing matter…’

But the ridiculous execution of the main story kept flashing before my eyes.

Just thinking about it made me want to lose it from laughter. And now, the final blow was about to be struck.

“I absolutely…”

It’s coming… it’s coming…!

“I’ve never once bled from my nose after seeing that important part!!”

A screeching voice echoed as if begging for attention. The murmuring chatter that had been gradually increasing fell silent in an instant.

It was as if the whole world had died, leaving behind a chilling stillness.

“Fuhuh…”

Amidst it all, I couldn’t help but laugh. My voice stood out in this quiet atmosphere.

“Fuhuhuhuhup…!”

I couldn’t contain my laughter. Even when I tried to cover my mouth, it was futile. My laughter burst forth like a dam breaking.

“Ahahaha! Damn it…!”

In the end, I succumbed to my instincts. As a Devil Arc user, I couldn’t hold back from this moment.

If I witnessed something like this before my very eyes, no amount of superhuman patience could withstand it.

“Haha… I’m losing it… huh?”

Just as I managed to regather my composure and lifted my head, a chilling aura surrounded me.

“Hey.”

A voice that didn’t sound unfamiliar yet still sent shivers down my spine. I saw Lyman’s face, his eyes aflame.

“Is this amusing to you?”

Something surged down my spine, stimulating my nerves. There was no need to explain what kind of aura it was.

Just the look on his face made it clear what kind of situation I was in.

“I’ll see you later.”

Lyman, wearing a rotten smile, spat those words as he casually walked past me.

“Wait… Ouch!”

Once again, Mirona hurriedly chased after Lyman, falling flat on her face before getting to her feet and stumbling after him just like in the main story.

“Ohhhh…! This will make for a great article!”

Trisha, seizing the scoop, promptly pulled out her notebook and pen to jot down notes.

“Ohhhh…! This inspires some great material for a piece!”

Inspired by something, Riplain too took out her notebook and began to draw.

And I…

“I’m screwed.”

No matter how much I contemplated, that was the only conclusion I could come to.

*

Monday of the second week. Today was the day of the new students’ class assignment exam. It would proceed in a manner not too different from the practical tests held once a month.

Previously, students were usually locked in a void space where they would battle it out. The usual method involved students getting eliminated upon losing their badges.

However, after the artificial golems were repurposed, a new method was added. Namely, they would be tasked with hunting combat golems.

They would still enter the void space wearing badges. From there, they would take on waves of golems one by one.

Initially, first-stage low-grade golems would emerge, but the more defeated, the higher stage golems would appear.

“Melody of Destruction.”

A beautiful song sung by a new student echoed throughout the void space.

In that recreated white square room, a saint with green hair played her instrument while sweetly singing.

Professor Manus Holonez, observing the exam with a calm demeanor, suddenly appeared captivated by the celestial melodies as his usual cold expression shifted.

Screech!-

Bang!-

But the lovely notes were nothing but destruction. Golems that came into contact with the sound waves emitted irregular noises before bursting apart.

A stage-four golem, massive enough to take down a building, formed from ultra-advanced armor followed closely by the final stage-five golem.

“Is this the last one….”

Three times larger than a stage-four, it exuded a pressure from a different dimension. The mana it emitted was beyond comprehension.

Ultimately, she chose to remove her badge. Thus, she returned to reality.

“Congratulations, Nebia Chromag, on being assigned to Class A.”

Manus’ voice echoed throughout the exam area like a wave. The watching students marveled, realizing she wasn’t chosen as the light for nothing.

Since she was a candidate for president, she deserved this much applause.

‘Yeah… I have talent. There was never a reason to be pessimistic from the start.’

She was the first to be assigned to Class A, which no one had managed to secure. That feeling of pride was unparalleled.

Although her heart was unsettled due to the Blood Parasite… as long as she followed Jason’s instructions, survival was attainable.

With her abilities, she could execute those tasks flawlessly. The fact that she got assigned to Class A was the same.

“Next, it’s Princess Mirona’s turn.”

As I was thinking this, the next student entered the void space. She was also someone quite famous, comparable to Nebia.

“Alright, nice to meet you.”

The situation in the void space was well visible through the mirrored screen. Observing the timid princess, the students felt disappointed.

They had expected a charismatic princess, yet what appeared was a coward.

– Is she really a member of the Divine Royal Family?

– I heard all the royalty entering Aligieri had overwhelming power.

– By the way, did you hear about what happened this morning?

– Oh right! They said she was seen naked in front of some second-year senior.

– Did you forget? She claimed not to have seen important parts, haha!

– Hehehee!

Since the person concerned was in the void space, she couldn’t hear them.

Despite being royalty, she had no protection. Additionally, her social skills were inferior to that of kindergarteners.

Regardless of class or status, it was inevitable that she would be mocked.

‘How pitiful.’

Nebia felt sorry for her. Despite having the power she could rely on by her side, she felt as if it didn’t belong to her.

“Silence!”

With Manus’ booming command, silence was finally established. Immediately, the magic circle signaling the start of the exam was unfolded.

First to emerge were the first-stage golems. Just defeating up to stage four would allow them to belong to Class A. From stage five on, even active mercenaries could hardly contend.

The levels of the golems shouldn’t be underestimated. Thus, the students had long since given up hope.

Currently, the timid appearance of Mirona made it unimaginable for her to defeat even a first-stage golem.

“Uh… um….”

Plus, as if she didn’t belong in the Combat Department… Mirona clenched a sword in her hand.

It was just a child playfully threatening with a toy sword.

“I will now begin!”

At her proclamation, the new students merely watched with indifference. However, they were unaware of the events that would unfold.

Crack!!-

A tremendous shockwave startled them awake.

The disturbance from the battle inside the void space even reached this side. Professor Manus instinctively conjured a protective spell for the students.

And what unfolded before the eyes of the students and Nebia was something unbelievable.

Corpses of first-stage… second-stage… and third-stage golems piled up like mountains.

Beneath them lay three dismantled bodies of stage-four golems, and even the final stage-five golem lay there, half its body torn apart.

“This… is absurd….”

Manus was aghast. The boundary between reality and the void space was completely torn asunder.

Even the stage-five golem, along with the distortion of space, made the previously mocking students tremble like reeds in the wind.

“T-there….”

Princess Mirona peeked her head through the crack in space. Despite her reckless behavior, she appeared incredibly intimidated.

“Do I have to compensate for this…?”

Surviving as an Academy Scammer.

 

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