Surviving as a Con Artist at the Academy

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118. Punishment Game (3)

“Uh…?”

I hadn’t really done anything. I didn’t even move my mouth to hide, nor did I take any action.

I hadn’t lied or scammed anyone yet, but the erosion rate was decreasing on its own. I swallowed hard at this astonishing situation.

Fortunately, my breathing was quiet enough that I hadn’t been caught. But that wasn’t my current concern.

‘Why is this suddenly happening?’

There were no apparent causes. I hadn’t written a false article in the Newspaper Department yet.

I hadn’t opened up club activities, so I couldn’t join the Newspaper Department.

So, the only reasonable explanation left was that strange wave I had just seen.

Some kind of power resulting from the collision of the two Saints’ abilities.

‘Could it be because of that?’

Their powers were still clashing, continuously emitting the same wave.

The more it radiated, the lower the erosion rate became. It certainly felt like this damned curse was being eliminated continuously.

I didn’t know why the two were fighting, but I couldn’t just remain idle during this crucial opportunity.

With a glimmer of hope, I decided to run a little experiment. The chances were slim, but it seemed worth a shot.

“Liar’s… Liar’s curse… huh?”

And that feeling hit the mark. Remarkably, it hadn’t been silenced!

When that wave touched my body, it felt both familiar and strange. It was similar to the sensation when I had touched Eternal Flame before.

I murmured again in a small voice.

“L■■’s c■rse…”

Damn. It was going well, but then it stopped.

But hope started to emerge. Even if just this once, it had been fortuitously applied, it certainly wasn’t without merit.

Maybe I wouldn’t need to receive the burning Eternal Flame on my diploma after all.

Eternal Flame is said to be a fire created by the God of Light.

The Great Sage Dantia had recklessly stepped into the realm of the gods and figured out how to create it, making it a blazing existence on the diploma.

And the Saints also received power from the God of Light.

There was a possibility that they could exert powers similar to Eternal Flame.

Right now, we were in an era where not one but two Saints had been born.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say it was a miraculous age.

For the residents… and for me as well.

Paf!-

“L■■’s b■■… It’s not working again.”

Even with the flash and wave still lingering, it had been silenced.

So, it seemed the previous one was just a temporary stroke of luck.

For now, I wanted to watch the situation. I was curious about why they had started fighting so suddenly.

“How about stopping here? You’re physically not as capable as I am.”

Angela, who was shaking off the silvery light in her hand, said. Despite the fierce battle, she didn’t seem out of breath.

Since there was no one around, she had long abandoned her polite speech.

“Ugh… ugh… Shut up. I don’t need a sermon from you!”

Meanwhile, Nebia was on her knees, exhausted, trying to catch her breath. With a face full of inferiority complex, she continued to glare at Angela.

“What are you waiting for! Get ready again. We’re not done yet!”

“Not done? It’s already over, you fool! What are you going to do if you collapse like that?”

“Still… I haven’t achieved the results I wanted yet. Until then…”

“Foolish. Don’t overexert yourself and confuse the clerics. You better prepare for the election seriously, or I will overtake you.”

Angela, scolding Nebia, leaped with a nimble motion.

In the blink of an eye, she had jumped across to the other side of the dense trees.

Probably due to her lineage as a warrior race, she seemed unfazed despite just having fought.

“Damn girl… still jumping so high… I don’t like it.”

Aside from other matters, Nebia’s personality remained unchanged.

Her anxious desire to be remembered and not overshadowed by Angela was her true nature.

Eventually, she ended up getting kicked out by real villains and met her demise.

At her first reveal, her sweet appearance had led many to believe she was a new character.

However, when the lid was lifted, it turned out she was a villain, leaving most players in shock.

At the very least, I had expected her to have a gloomy past or some psychological depth, but that didn’t even show up.

Thus, a strong perception arose that she was a disposable character.

“It really is the worst. I can’t do anything…”

All strength fled from Nebia’s legs as she slumped onto the grass.

Her head hung low, conveying a deep sense of despair.

It was practically the same as having been defeated by the Angela she so despised.

She was a woman with an inferiority complex that could reach the heavens.

Yet, there were many strange points.

No matter how angry she was at Angela, she wouldn’t attack out of frustration. She knew very well that she was at a disadvantage in strength.

So, she was more the type to act sneaky and underhanded.

That meant she shouldn’t be here sulking but should be plotting to win the election.

Which made her behavior here seem unnatural.

‘Is she really challenging me directly? That would break her character.’

For now, it was clear that the main plot had gone awry.

Before that, we had met several times, and Nebia had shown a proper demeanor, so there was no discord.

Given that, it didn’t seem like there was anything to derail…

“No. I can’t get the Holy Sword like this…”

She said as she sat down. The Holy Sword referred to ‘Rozaria,’ which Doomsday promised as a reward.

“If I just hadn’t been injected with that…!”

That? At her puzzled tone, I tilted my head.

I needed to ascertain what it was.

-Maan Level 3

Recently, my skill level had suddenly increased. Thanks to training with the Master White Tower during the vacation, my proficiency seemed to have greatly improved.

Naturally, the skill’s performance had upgraded.

~~~~~~~~

[Nebia Chromag]

Race: Human

Occupation: Saint

Magic Rank: 5th Circle

Mana: 85/85

Strength: 12

Disposition: Self-Centered/Pessimistic

Feelings Toward User: Favorable (Medium)

[Special Notes]

-Blood Parasite Erosion State.

~~~~~~~

I could now check not only the opponent’s stats but also their abnormal status.

I glared at that emerged status.

A Blood Parasite, once it infiltrated the body, wouldn’t stop draining blood until the person turned into a mummy. It was often used by sadistic villains for interrogations or torture.

Why had such a thing suddenly taken residence inside her body?

The only villains that might use something like that would be Jason Baikel, the psycho disguised as a knight, and the followers of Doomsday, including him.

‘But Nebia is allied with Jason… Could it be…!’

Had she already been discarded? If so, it would make sense why she was acting so recklessly. Thus, her will to win the election might also have dissipated.

Nebia and Jason had started off smoothly due to similar values.

But the reason she was shunned from the beginning might be that Nebia had shown some flaw.

In the main story, her misguided actions led to her demise.

‘Honestly, I didn’t care if she lived or died…’

That had been the case just a few minutes ago. Regardless of the circumstances, the fact remained she was a villain.

But seeing that wave a moment ago had changed my mind.

Perhaps it could be the key to breaking the curse, alongside the Eternal Flame.

Swish—

I cleared the branches blocking my way and approached her. As I sprang out from the forest, she was startled.

“…!!”

“Uh? How did Saint Nebia get here…?”

[Erosion Rate Decrease: -6%]

[+600 Credits]

“Radon Crawler…? How did you know to come here?”

“I didn’t know. This was originally my fishing spot. It seems odd that the Saint is here instead.”

Of course, I had to pretend I was seeing her for the first time.

If I revealed I had overheard their conversation, there was a risk she might act unpredictably.

Moreover…

~~~~~~~

Feelings Toward User: Favorable (Medium)

~~~~~~~

For some reason, she seemed to hold me in high regard. If I acted oblivious, she at least wouldn’t reject me.

“No need to worry. I just got lost; it’s my first time at the Academy.”

There were plenty of escort soldiers dispatched from the capital and clergymen, and she got lost?

What a boldly absurd lie.

Obviously, she had sneaked out of the 1st Star Hall without anyone noticing.

Since she had abilities related to sound, she could have hidden her presence.

“It was so quiet coming here, why are you walking alone?”

“No need to worry. I have a tracking magical device attached to me so that the clergymen can know my status from afar. By the way… is this like your secret base, Radon-senpai?”

Nebia asked, looking towards the lake as the sun was setting.

The lake, with the sun set on the horizon, was tinged with red, and the sky above was pastel-colored.

Such a beautiful view, yet a shame it had not been designated as a scenic spot.

“It’s not really a secret base… just a resting place. A lot has happened here. I broke Jenny’s wooden sword, and it’s where I first met Angela…”

“You first met that girl here?”

Nebia reacted like a ghost at the mention of Angela.

Calling her ‘that girl’ indicated she didn’t see her as an equal.

“It’s also where Angela first ate my rice balls. She was really a little kid back then. She chased after me to my dorm for rice balls and made it awkward for me.”

Crona must have heard about Angela’s Nine-Tailed Fox incident as well.

She might have realized I was one of the cadets who had taken care of her back then, but she seemed to have a rough understanding.

“So, that’s why she was clinging to your rice balls.”

“Did any good ideas pop into your head? Using my rice balls as bait to trap Saint Angela.”

“That is…”

Nebia showed interest in my suggestion.

If there was a way to expose Angela’s missteps and take her down, she would have jumped on it immediately.

In the past…

“I can’t do that. I’m now…”

With a gloomy expression, Nebia looked towards the setting sun over the lake.

As expected, she was just a puppet due to the Blood Parasite embedded within her.

I didn’t know when that had started, though.

“Can I help you, Saint?”

“Yes?”

I resolved to pull her in. The moment I said that, Nebia’s face appeared shocked.

Honestly, I felt awkward myself.

Not long ago, I said I couldn’t stand by her side, but now I was offering to help.

“Of course, it’ll be within what I can do. Like I emphasized before, a relationship without trust is fragile and can easily break.”

I didn’t want to fall into the position of her puppet.

Yet, for someone filled with the idea of manipulating others, my help would hardly hold any significance.

“I’ll think about it. Well then.”

Nebia didn’t outright decline.

She left the forest with slow steps, seemingly with complex thoughts.

*

Jason Baikel, who had recently started as a new professor, also resided in the Professors’ Building.

But perhaps because he was a confidant of the royal family, his office was distinctly different from that of the other professors.

Unlike others who each had their own space, Jason occupied an entire floor as his private research lab.

Complaints was rampant, but he brushed them off as irrelevant.

Sipping tea while enjoying the pleasure of power, he gazed out the window.

“Already hesitating even before it all begins. It seems you can’t be my partner after all, Nebia Chromag.”

The Saints, the Princess, the academy attendants, and soldiers wandering outside, as well as the clergymen from the sect… to him, they all looked like bugs.

The raucous cadets were no exception.

The second-years of the Combat Department he was about to teach passed by. If the others were ants, they looked like armored bugs to him.

And he could make those armored bugs fight each other… Jason smiled while holding a glass jar containing a red caterpillar. It was the worst parasite known as Blood Parasite.

“From now on, you will take her place.”

Then he spoke to the newcomer who had entered his splendid research lab.

A cadet with the name tag ‘Markray Layert’ stood behind the chair he was sitting on.

“Student Council President. Let’s take a careful look.”

And both of them at the same time wore greedy smiles, living on as academy scammers.