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156. You Know Everything

“Hah!”

“Yaaah!”

Sounds of a struggle echoed in the gymnasium of Libel Hall. Such shouts might typically be heard in a training area, generally coming from the boys in the Combat Department.

Even now, students wielding wooden swords let out brief sounds, but they were drowned out by the fierce yells of the girls.

“Yahhh!”

“Kraaaah!”

The voices of the two girls bursting forth simultaneously heightened. Even the neighboring students who were sparring turned their heads for a moment, caught by their intensity.

How can their shouts be louder than ours? What kind of training are they doing that requires such desperation? Are they enemies?

Curious, I looked in their direction, and the students were startled. It was the girls known as the Saints of this continent.

They were pouring bright mana through their interlocked hands, initially sending it like a gentle stream, but suddenly, with a cry, they began to unleash it like a waterfall.

Is this mana training? Are they practicing Sacred Magic? But do they really need to go that hard?

“Hah… I can’t stand anymore.”

“Ugh… I’m hungry…”

The fierce surge of Sacred Magic came to a halt. The two Saints, having exhausted their strength, dropped to their knees.

It seemed like they were locked in a fateful battle, shouting at each other. There were even rumors about them being rivals, suggesting they were in some mental tussle.

“Can you help me up?”

“Stay away, it’s gross! Do you think it’s only hard for you?”

“I’m telling you I’m hungry…”

“I’m hungry too!”

Yet unexpectedly, they clung to each other casually. Though one with green hair was a bit irritable, there was no trace of real violence.

There was a reason for their vigorous training.

“So, how about it, Radon? Did you get good results?”

Angela asked me in a drained voice. Her animal ears and nine tails drooped down.

“If you make me go through this much suffering and then say you’re not satisfied, I won’t forgive you.”

Nebia spoke with a hint of hope, meaning, ‘After all this effort, please let there be some reward.’

“Alright, calm down.”

This training was, after all, something I had ordered. I was looking for the great advantages hidden in the mana they released.

It was possible because we shared a casual relationship where I could briefly use the Saints.

“How much has it diminished, Radon?”

Jenny asked, watching the training with me. Everyone else looked confused about what had diminished.

“Exactly 1 percent.”

I sighed deeply and mentioned it, expressing my disappointment that the results weren’t as expected.

Yet, this was still a confirmation.

“Still, it’s not bad overall. For the first time without lying, the curse’s rate of erosion has decreased.”

The curse that had never reacted to any sacred relic responded to the two Saints. It was clear that they were essential to lift this curse.

‘But it doesn’t seem like we can lift the sound-muffling like before.’

In the past, when Nebia and Angela clashed, the sound-muffling temporarily lifted.

I had thought it would be the same this time, but with just a 1 percent reduction in power, nothing happened.

It seemed we needed a stronger force.

“I think it’s best to experiment with Eternal Flame in hand now.”

“Shall we ask the Principal to get a spark then?”

Jenny tentatively suggested, but I waved my hand in denial.

“We can’t. If it were that easy to get just by asking, I would’ve tried that long ago.”

“True.”

Since it wasn’t a sincere proposal, Jenny quickly conceded.

Besides, I didn’t know where that flame was being kept either. That storage location wasn’t distinctly described in the main storyline.

It was highly likely located in the core of the Archive, but we couldn’t just sneak in there.

What if we acted like spies and ended up getting caught in a trap? The moment we were expelled, all our efforts would be in vain.

“I’m not a moth to a flame after all.”

The ‘two Saints’ who could forcefully reduce the erosion rate without lying.

The ‘Eternal Flame’ that clears the sound-muffling just by holding it.

These two beings, which uniquely affected my curse, would be absolutely necessary to lift it.

For now, let’s just endure until graduation.

“What are you two whispering about?”

Luska, who had been watching from the side, interjected. She wore an annoyed expression at Jenny and me whispering to each other.

“Don’t cheat and talk only between yourselves. Tell me too.”

She seemed curious about our conversation but also felt isolated.

How sad must it be to be in a ‘friend’ group where many separate to enjoy themselves? Sharing a glance with Jenny, she rambled on.

“We’re just discussing during Radon’s ■■ event. You get it?”

“What?”

“Sorry, Luska. I think it’s going to be hard to ■ for ■.”

“No… just explain it in a way I can understand!”

With all the words being so vague, no communication was getting through. In the end, we could see Luska’s frustration boiling over.

This cursed sound-muffling. It drained the life out of both the speaker and the listener.

Jenny scratched her head, trying to argue persistently, but it was all for naught.

“It’s useless, Jenny. Just give up.”

“Guess it’s really not working.”

“What’s not working!”

The one directly involved didn’t understand a thing and yelled, while we couldn’t speak, leaving us in an awkward situation.

“F-food…!”

“Why are you looking for that from me! Let go of that!”

The two Saints complained of hunger. The other students had stopped their training, their eyes glued to the scene.

*

To satisfy our hunger, we entered the student cafeteria. Delicious aromas wafted from various corners, stimulating our appetites.

Even ordinary students could enjoy the flavors sufficiently, but we sat in a place where even better food was offered.

The table reserved for distinguished students like Class A. On the table I sat at was a steak infused with a blend of sauce and juices.

As I sliced into it and forked a piece, I was greeted with a new world.

“Wow… This is amazing.”

The taste was so good it almost made me curse. Is it really okay to eat something this delicious freely?

I worried that if I kept eating, the other food would start tasting like plain rice without side dishes.

Now I understood why those who enjoy the gold standard become cocky.

But the girl sitting next to me was a bit different.

“Thank you so much, Radon. Mmm…”

Angela, sitting at the distinguished student table, wasn’t consuming the finest dishes. Instead, she was earnestly enjoying a simple rice ball that wouldn’t even be able to fit in the standard seating.

It was a pitiful sight for a Saint’s table, and her hands became sticky as she ate without utensils.

If the Empire’s devotees held ideals of saints, they would probably clutch their necks in disbelief… but what could you do when it was her own choice?

I could understand Angela doing this. However…

“It’s not inedible. Compared to the rotten apples I had as a kid…”

Nebia added…

“How about sprinkling sugar instead of salt on the rice next time? It might taste pretty good, right?”

Jenny chimed in…

“Then how about putting cream and pudding inside the rice instead of tuna or ham! It’ll surely please the Principal!”

Mary suggested…

“Ugh! That sounds disgusting. You idiots!”

Luska joined in…

All the familiar faces were chattering away while munching on the same rice balls.

A strange atmosphere hung in the air. Isn’t this a place that serves only top-tier cuisine? Yet, aren’t distinguished students picking rice balls?

Oh, by the way, we weren’t the only ones there.

“Though it goes against my principles, if Jenny is eating it, then what…”

Crona, who had followed Jenny…

“What are you trying to say by being picky about food? For those living in the slums, this alone is a gourmet dish. Don’t leave any behind.”

Kent, urging them to just eat without whining…

“Just something mediocre….”

Baimon, who often appeared out of nowhere…

All these familiar faces had come together, enjoying the rice balls I had made. It painted a portrait of nobles dining on commoner food.

In contrast, the general tables were filled with even more delicious offerings, making them seem like the distinguished seating.

What kind of situation is this?

Should I be happy about this, or should I dislike it?

For now, the positive aspect is that everyone enjoys the food I made. It’s truly heartwarming, not just because of my connections.

And the negative side is… it’s incredibly burdensome. Just looking at the rice balls served at this table is enough to tell me that.

The distinguished student table is handled by a chef and his staff with high skills. Each has a strong sense of pride, yet Angela casually ordered the creation of such simple food.

‘Maybe that’s why she asked for the recipe recently…’

Their hands were meant to create exquisite dishes. It’s possible they were offended by being asked to make such basic food.

I wondered if it was my role to apologize for being the main culprit.

Moreover, praising them for liking the food doesn’t bring unending joy.

Think about it. This isn’t a world exclusively filled with ‘people beneath me’, and fussing over just rice balls is ridiculous.

If those kind of people elevated my rice balls, feelings of self-doubt couldn’t be helped.

‘Ah… this is just a rice ball. Don’t you all know that?’ It was utterly impossible to pull off such a mad stunt.

“Right! During the upcoming Magical Banquet, they’re hosting a magical cooking competition. We can have the judges try it!”

The biggest issue was Mary. How could she always come up with the most ridiculous ideas?

“But it can’t be ordinary. Instead of ham and tuna, let’s put pudding and mint chocolate… Ugh!”

“Stop talking nonsense and just eat the rice!”

At that moment, Luska slapped Mary’s forehead with a spoon. It felt like a mom scolding her daughter.

As if to say, ‘Is there a need to assassinate the judges?’, I felt a swell of pride in Luska’s expression. It reflected my own feelings.

“Uugh… my friend hit me.”

“Why are you suddenly coming to me!”

Mary, about to cry, ran over to Nebia. Naturally, it was annoying for Nebia.

What was she, some kind of mother?

“Are you seriously asking me to scold you?”

Nebia casually turned her gaze to Luska. There, she met the sharp red eyes.

“Hik!”

She had the expression of a ferocious beast. It was as if to say, ‘If you have complaints, bring it!’; Nebia shrank back right away.

“What.”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

With Luska’s gaze making her freeze, Nebia averted her eyes. At that moment, Mary puffed up her cheeks and huffed.

“What! You coward.”

“Then why don’t you try it? You little…”

What did you just say?

The fork that was about to stab the steak halted in my hand. Along with it, Jenny, Luska, and Crona became stiff in place.

“What did you just say?”

“Hmph! Did I say anything wrong? You’re short but your mouth is ridiculously large.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah?”

Mary’s tone became strange. The sweet voice of a girl was overrun by a witch’s voice lurking in a dark forest.

With her acute hearing, Nebia felt a chill run down her spine.

“Don’t tell me… it can’t be true?”

Denying this would mean a massive surge of mana was detected, exuding a terrifying aura.

Nebia broke out in a cold sweat as she locked eyes with Mary. If Mary was like a ferocious beast before, this felt like facing a gigantic monster—a ‘Dragon’.

“Hey, you idiot! Why did you poke at that part!”

“Calm down, Mary! This is a restaurant!”

Both Jenny and I screamed as we jumped in, but it was already too late. The magic circle had already been generated.

But…

Thwack!—

“Grogh!”

Before she could unleash her magic, someone hit Mary’s forehead with a spoon, knocking her out. The magic circle dissipated along with the ominous mana.

“How will she fix this?”

Appearing like a savior was Lyman, the main character of the story. He had cut her mana with just a spoon.

– He handled a time bomb with a single utensil!

“Thank you so much, Lyman! You saved me.”

“Tsk, someone made a slip of the tongue again.”

While Jenny genuinely thanked him, Lyman had something in his mouth. Surprisingly, he was eating the same rice ball.

“What, is it wrong to eat?”

“…No.”

That’s not it… it’s just absurd. Even the protagonist has developed a taste for this now.

And that wasn’t all. Next to Lyman was Princess Mirona, also munching on the same rice ball.

“Hello, everyone.”

Now even the princess walks around with one of those in her mouth. Isn’t the imperial authority going to take a hit because of this?

And why is the embarrassment all mine?

“Princess Mirona…!”

“Can I sit next to you?”

“Of course!”

With the appearance of the highest-ranking person, most of us tensed up. Especially Kent, hailing from a military family, knelt to greet her, but Mirona insisted there was no need to feel burdened.

Mirona simply came to enjoy her meal with a light heart that resembled a fairy tale. Hence, she managed to bond with everyone present.

Soon, Mary, revived and joining in, was an added bonus.

Tap tap-

As I quietly observed this, Lyman poked my shoulder with his finger.

“Come follow me for a sec.”

And just like that, he led me outside.

*

The place Lyman brought me to was the lake where we often fished. And it was also the spot where the Shadow Brigade had been defeated.

Lyman stopped right in front of the lake. For some reason, he didn’t turn back.

“Why did you bring me here all of a sudden?”

Naturally, I had to be curious. I used my ‘Mana Eye’ to check, but… I didn’t sense any hints of hostility. So why did he bring me to such an empty place?

“…?!!”

At that moment, my nerves went on end… and I screamed.

There was an immense pressure emanating from the back of Lyman, which I could only sense through my “Mana Eye.”

Killing intent. Without needing weapons, the aura alone pressed down on the feeble opponent. Given the disparity, my knees buckled to the ground.

But I forced myself to act casual, asking coolly.

“Just spit it out already. I left steak behind and came here.”

“….”

There was no reply.

Just in case, I maxed out my ‘Mana Eye’ and scrutinized him… and I was stunned.

– Emotion towards the user: Neutral

“Then let’s cut to the chase.”

Initially, Lyman spoke with a polite tone. But I doubted my eyes.

– Emotion towards the user: [emailprotected]#[emailprotected]!

Suddenly, the display of my Mana Eye began malfunctioning.

Lyman spoke once more.

“Don’t play innocent.”

His voice changed. It didn’t just deepen; it sounded like a completely different person… or rather, a different ‘existence.’

The worst predictions flashed through my mind. Then I saw the twisted manifestation of Mana Eye and felt my blood run cold.

– Emotion towards the user: Hostile (D)

At last, Lyman turned to face me. But as the mana was unleashed, the ‘human’ Lyman had vanished.

And the Demon spoke.

Surviving as an Academy Scammer.

 

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