1-Second Invincible Player in the Game

61. Daily Life (3)

“What are you doing? It’s not turning off.”

“Me? Why should I, when I’m a guest?”

With a sharp retort, she looked at me as if I were some strange creature.

“…Look at this guy. Doesn’t it seem a bit off to talk to a senior like that?”

“The attitude towards someone who came to invest is completely messed up.”

“Good grief. Now even freshmen are trying to pull scams.”

She stepped into the shop, emerging with a hefty cl+ub in her hands.

At that moment, a man’s eyes widened in surprise as he reached for the club, as if to snatch it away.

Wasn’t he the representative of the [Nille’s Workshop] alchemy club?

“Hey, wait a minute. What are you doing?”

“Ah, let go. Senior. These beggar-like brats need to be taught a lesson so they won’t dare show their faces again.”

“Hey, come on. Even so, you can’t treat a customer like that!”

“Get out of the way! This brat is a first-year from Shulafe Hall! You think I’m going to let myself get scammed like last year?”

It seemed she had some deep-seated grudge against the Shulafe Hall kids.

Considering the things our proud Shulafe Hall seniors had done, her reaction was only natural.

They never paid back debts, always trying to pull a fast one at the drop of a hat.

She must have thought that as a freshman, I wouldn’t have any money, so to her, I was just another new parasite appearing on the scene.

After all, there’s always a reason for being hated.

“Still… if you’re a freshman, there’s still a chance. You could soon go to Bürger Hall. Then you’d become a potential customer, you know?”

Yet, the club representative spat out optimistic words.

With a one in ten chance, would that mean nine losses?

Normally, I would have scoffed, but since I was the one involved, I nodded along.

All the while, she glared at me with a face full of rage.

“Ugh, that annoying brat… Learning all the bad habits from beggars. Ah, senior, could you step aside? Isn’t this all because you’ve got a reputation for being a pushover?”

Regardless of the commotion, I turned to the representative with my questions.

“Hey, about that ice-soaked leather. Did that little maid sell it?”

“Huh? Oh, right. She bought up everything, even the insides and all. The person she serves has bought a lot of stuff here.”

He pointed at the leather with a proud expression, boasting.

“How’s this leather? I did say I’d pass it on to the sewing department, but when I hung it up for decoration, it looked a bit too good, so I didn’t want to sell it.”

The day before the defense, it seemed this was the place where I had sold to Selly without being swindled, at a fair price.

“Actually, I didn’t come to buy anything. I was thinking of making an investment, if I could come in and talk?”

“Investment?”

The representative scratched his head.

“No, I don’t recognize your face, and you’re talking about investment. Do you have that much coin?”

He didn’t seem completely gullible, as he didn’t let go of his suspicion.

Instead of words, I answered with the contents of my wallet.

I placed five gleaming black metal coins on my palm.

Each was worth a thousand.

As I presented them, the woman who had been glaring at me like she wanted to kill me just moments ago broke into a smile.

“Oh, look at me. I’ll bring out the most expensive car, so come in and have a seat.”

Her attitude flipped like a hand turning over.

Indeed, having money was the best charm.

But the representative, foolishly kind, offered this advice.

“Oh, no. I see you have plenty of coins, but are you really sure? If you’re going to invest, wouldn’t it be better to play it a bit safer? Think it over again and decide.”

Hearing this, the woman charged at the representative with a furious face.

“Senpai! After the third years graduate, all the investment money will be gone!! They say a sum like this could come in from the new semester, and you want to just let this opportunity slip away?”

Her reaction was understandable.

For the clubs, this time of year was a period of hardship.

The coins held at graduation could be exchanged for currency used in the Empire, so graduates would have pulled out all their investment funds.

But could they really expect to receive investments from freshly admitted newcomers?

“Still…”

“Ugh, you frustrating man. Five thousand coins is like the allowance for those Adel kids for sixteen months. We need to tighten our capital now to stay ahead of other alchemy clubs, you know?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

The combination of the two was quite reassuring as investors.

One was gentle to a fault but had an exceptional talent for crafting.

Not a single defective product had come from the last defense.

And the other, though hot-tempered, prevented the representative from being taken advantage of, ensuring a decent profit.

In terms of money, they were quite realistic.

The representative sighed, as if he had thrown up his hands in defeat, and nodded.

“Ah, I see, I see. But what’s your name?”

“Hussel Ben Tenest.”

“Oh, just a moment. The contract… Wait, Hussel?”

…What’s with this guy all of a sudden?

“If it’s Hussel, then you’re the one that little page was talking about?”

“…Did he mention my name?”

“No, I was just curious. You came here and spent a whopping 600 coins all at once.”

The man continued to chatter away, his face lit up as if he were seeing something wondrous.

Only after hearing tales of capturing the Ice Bull and toppling Bidon did he finally hand over the contract, and I was at last able to sign.

With a cup of tea placed before me, he dashed toward the bubbling pot.

“Oops, almost burned it.”

I took a sip of tea and surveyed the shop.

The display case was filled with various kinds of potions.

There were elixirs that dyed your skin when consumed, and pills that altered your voice—trivial things suitable for passing the time.

On another shelf, the potions I had purchased were displayed, mostly sold like hotcakes during the practical classes of the alchemy course.

Now, during the off-season, the selection was limited, but when the time came, they would be in such demand that they’d be hard to come by, making the dividends quite sweet.

Above all, the best part about investing here was this.

“If you bring the materials, you’ll make what I want, right?”

“Having invested that much, of course. If it’s something I can make, I’ll even use my personal time to do it.”

Usually, they only create items close to mass production, but here it’s different.

Due to low demand, they also custom-make rare items that aren’t typically produced.

In time, it would prove to be a great help.

* * *

Leana donned her armor.

As expected from something well-used, its surface was rough.

The armor was riddled with dents and scars from the blade, a testament to its long service.

It was worn to the point where I wondered if it could even be repaired.

Yet, she did not discard it.

It was nothing special or remarkable.

Rather, it was an ordinary piece of armor, easily obtainable.

However, this was an object I had cherished since the day my family commanded me to lay down my sword.

Thus, it is precious.

The armor I had worn, lacking the support of my clan, had gradually absorbed my very convictions.

Now, it was too much to use in earnest…

‘I need to get new gear.’

Leana set the armor gently aside in a corner of the room and grasped the wallet resting on the table.

Then, she halted before the full-length mirror.

Reflected back was a version of herself where even the remnants of girlhood had completely vanished.

“…I’ve been a bit tight lately.”

A larger set of armor was needed.

* * *

I was on my way back after having a cup of tea.

While searching for new investment opportunities, my gaze met that of a woman with a long, flowing cloak.

“Hershel…”

Leana looked at me with an air of indifference.

It was clear we had crossed paths by mere chance, and entangling ourselves would bring no good.

I tried to pass by with a disinterested shrug.

Others might approach cautiously, careful not to disrupt the narrative too much, but Leana was different.

For her, I was the greatest obstacle on the path of the sword.

It was right to keep our relationship distant, and I was sure Leana wished for the same.

Yet, she blocked my way.

“Do you have something to discuss?”

As she asked casually, Leana nodded.

“I’d like to talk for a moment.”

The gaze that had seemed so indifferent now softened slightly.

Well, she was merely trying not to show it outwardly.

In truth, there was a tender side to her; expressing emotions was not strange at all.

But if the subject was Hershel, shouldn’t there at least be a hint of hostility?

It was certainly odd.

“I’m busy, so keep it brief.”

Leana’s gaze settled, heavy with unspoken weight.

“About that statement of yours, how you said you couldn’t remember. Is it still the same now?”

It seemed to echo the earlier question.

– Why was the engagement arranged without my consent? Why?

I had answered that I didn’t know.

Well, if it was Hessel, I could make a rough guess.

He was the kind of man who, driven mad by women, would toy with a beauty and revel in the destruction of others’ lives. It was a foregone conclusion in my mind that he had chosen Leana as his scapegoat.

“I don’t remember.”

Repeating the same answer again, I felt the peculiar sensation from Leana’s eyes, reminiscent of Selly’s strange gaze.

As if I were being treated like a madman…

“I see.”

This marked the second time the same question had been posed.

Naturally, curiosity began to stir within me.

Why was she so fixated on Hessel’s motives?

Having severed ties with her family, she bore no obligation to marry.

The moment she entered Frost Heart, she had secured her independence.

…Yet, why?

“Why are you so obsessed with it? You and I are strangers now, aren’t we?”

As I asked this indirectly, Leana turned away, her response cold.

“Because my father hasn’t told me anything. That’s why I asked.”

The root of it seemed to lie with her father, the head of the Derebian clan.

Perhaps Leana was clinging to a glimmer of hope.

She might have wished her father wasn’t the kind to sell his daughter for the sake of the Tenest family’s favor.

In her memories, her father had been a kind man, doting on his daughter long before Hessel had appeared.

“Hmm.”

As I organized my thoughts, it became clear why Leana was fixated on the same question.

Just then, another figure emerged before me—someone who had been leading the engagement, aside from her now-silent father. Naturally, I wanted to ask in detail what had transpired.

Considering the background, Leana’s seemingly light question now bore a heavy weight.

– Why was the engagement arranged without my consent? Why?

“……”

But wasn’t the question a bit off?

It seemed I was trying to steer the conversation toward what my father had said after hearing Hessel’s motives.

Instead of beating around the bush, I should have just asked directly, “Do you know why my father did that?”—that would have likely prompted a response.

Of course, I had no intention of doing so.

* * *

After my meeting with Leana, I joined up with the two of them.

Today, we were only here to take on a commission, so their attire remained unchanged.

Since the purpose of coming here was investment, I led them around to various places.

And now, we were at the chicken skewer club, gnawing on meat.

There was no special sauce, just the flavor of smoke and a sprinkle of salt.

I asked them, “How many pieces?”

Limberton savored it with his eyes closed like a connoisseur, while Asley simply devoured whatever he could grab.

“Hmm, 80 points.”

“Delicious.”

It seemed they had quite a few regulars, and I thought about investing just 1,000 coins here.

Thus, I poured all 10,000 coins I had extorted from that brat into the club.

Perhaps word had spread, as along the way, people were bustling about offering free samples and explaining the merits of the goods.

In any case, even a student from Shulafe gets treated well if they have money.

As we pushed through the crowd and exited the fortress, Limberton muttered, “But where do they get their clothes and these ingredients?”

“Well, if you place an order, the supply carts deliver them.”

No matter how isolated this place was from the outside world, it was still possible to order basic necessities and various tools.

Of course, one had to get past the strict scrutiny of the faculty.

Surely, the trading company contracted here was from Orbella…

“Why? Are you thinking of starting some kind of business?”

Just to be sure, I asked, and Limberton’s eyes sparkled.

What spilled from his lips was his sticky, insatiable desire.

“Exactly. Wouldn’t it be nice to open a women’s lingerie shop or something for adults?”

“……”

“The main item is garter belts! We’ll hang sensual paintings at the stall. For that, we’ll need some tools first.”

The expression of the one scheming the business was quite serious.

In that moment, the clouds parted, and I squinted against the fierce scarlet sunset.

A chuckle escaped me without my realizing it.

It wasn’t for any grand reason.

It was simply that after a hearty meal, walking home under the evening glow, chatting about trivial matters felt like a return to my school days.

For this moment, I could indulge in such a peaceful routine.

Just as I was about to scold Limberton, who walked ahead of me.

“Give it up. If you don’t want to get caught for public indecency—”

The laughter was abruptly cut off by the chatter of passersby.

“A second-year from Bürger Hall. They say she’s gone missing again.”

“Again? Ugh, I wonder if any of us will survive until graduation.”

Limberton looked puzzled at the trembling figures of the girls.

“Huh? She’s a second-year, did she break the rules or something?”

“No way, that can’t be it.”

I walked on, pretending it was no big deal.

“It’s late. We should head back.”

Right, what peace is written in my fate?

I need to keep my wits about me.

It seems someone has loosened the bonds of harmony, but I must not let my guard down.

Even now, restless spirits roam the academy.

A malevolent spirit gnawing at the cracks of the mind…

—