Chapter 17
Lately, I couldn’t stop thinking about Martin no matter what I did!
Gilbert and my other friends told me it was fine and not to worry, but I was going crazy with how much it bothered me!
“How did he get first place?! Sure, I’m not freaking out because I didn’t even make second place, but how does someone ranked 242nd in the entire school jump to first in one go?! And how did he figure out the time distortion rate of the Time Chaos Dungeon so quickly?! Even the artisans of our ducal family can’t do it that fast!”
While washing up, eating, studying, or doing anything at all, that guy Martin suddenly popped into my head out of nowhere.
A whirlwind of curiosity, interest, wariness, and anxiety churned inside me, making me feel suffocated.
“Ugh, so annoying!”
“…Are you okay?”
I whipped my head around. Martin was looking down at me, having appeared out of nowhere.
The way he stared, as if wondering what was wrong with me, was incredibly irritating.
“Ah, uh… ugh…”
My face burned. I wished someone, anyone, would tell me this was just a dream!
***
The underground sewers connected to every part of the imperial capital. The damp, shadowy depths were perfect for trash like me to carry a noble lady without being seen.
“…This is the Harmadun ducal estate.”
I gently set Elisha down at the sewer entrance.
Her sprained ankle seemed to have improved over time, as she stood on both feet without issue.
Elisha hesitated and took a step back.
“What are you looking at?”
“Just checking if the first aid worked.”
“…Sorry about earlier.”
“It’s fine.”
We weren’t the type to get involved unless it was to face the apocalypse. As long as she stayed safe until then, that was enough.
I turned to head deeper into the sewer without lingering, but then—
“Hey, you!”
I looked back. Despite her sprained ankle, the haughty noble lady stood with her arms crossed, not leaning on the wall, staring at me. The morning sunlight streaming through the entrance obscured her face.
“I’m the honorable daughter of a ducal family. I owe you a debt, so I’ll repay it. Tell me what you want.”
“….”
Beyond her, the ducal estate gleamed brilliantly in the morning light.
I silently hurried on my way.
“Hey! You! Martin, cadet! Wait!”
She didn’t dare chase after me with her injured leg, and no footsteps followed.
Only when I reached a depth where her annoying voice could no longer reach did I slow my pace.
You have prevented one future disaster from invading the imperial capital, humanity’s last safe haven, from within! Though the details are unclear, Elisha von Tresha Harmadun, a key figure, will remember this day.
You have earned 2,000 points.
“Hm.”
The reward was as impressive as I’d hoped. Saving points was a good idea, but with the academy’s practical classes in full swing, it might be better to raise my skill levels now.
You have cleared the Time Chaos Dungeon for the first time! ‘Extra Perk Items’ are now unlocked!
“What’s this?”
Most of the Extra Perk Item list was locked and invisible. Why bother showing it if it was going to be like this?
But one item, at the very top of the list, marked ‘Exclusive to Martin von Targon Ulvhadin,’ was available for purchase.
[Cosmos Empire’s Finest Sacred Adamantine Bullet (500 points): The best bullet in this world. It boasts unparalleled performance, especially in anti-demon combat. A perk prepared exclusively for the extra villain Martin von Targon Ulvhadin.]
500 points… I just earned enough points, but was it worth buying? …I’ll hold off for now. Points are a precious resource, and I don’t know when or where I might need them. I’ll only spend them when I’m certain.
For now, I needed to check the items that didn’t cost points.
Specifically, the reward from clearing the Time Chaos Dungeon in the sewers.
I pulled out a filthy, grime-covered necklace. It was a cross necklace that had protected a knight for ages in the dungeon’s boss room, but it was so badly tainted it was barely recognizable.
Time Chaos Dungeons always had a catalyst item that formed the dungeon, and clearing it granted that item as loot.
Most were in poor condition like this, but since the originals were powerful artifacts, restoration was essential despite their damage.
Of course, with as little money as I had points, I needed to choose carefully.
Know-It-All (Lv 1) attempted analysis but failed.
Maybe the level was too low? I decided to use points to level it up, as I’d been planning to anyway.
Know-It-All (Lv 2) provides Absolute Memory, Information Access (Level 2, Expert Knowledge), and Focus Enhancement.
Focus Enhancement, a new feature, appeared. It didn’t seem immediately useful, but with enhanced Information Access, I analyzed the necklace again.
Know-It-All (Lv 2) attempted analysis but failed.
Another failure. I couldn’t tell if the necklace was an exceptional item or just too damaged.
Besides the necklace, I’d also obtained a pair of unidentified boots as loot. They were identical to the ones the knight wore, equally filthy.
“What do I do with these…”
After a brief moment of thought, I found the perfect person for the job. I headed to the seediest, filthiest slum in the city, where the dirtiest water from the sewers flowed.
“The problem is finding the place.”
Know-It-All (Lv 2) analyzes the streets.
Wild Instinct (Lv 1) finds the path.
Without a map or anything, I relied on Wild Instinct and Know-It-All to guide me, and eventually, I found it.
<Nerjin Alchemy Workshop>
‘This must be it, right…?’
It was a more dilapidated building than described in the novel.
This was the shop the protagonist Gilbert Offer Cosmos used in the story, one of the few trustworthy places. The owner was someone who restored treasures from ancient empires obtained in dungeons without getting greedy.
“Excuse me.”
As I went inside, an old man wearing a monocle was in the middle of alchemy work with his young granddaughter.
The old man and his granddaughter were smiling. It looked less like alchemy work and more like a grandfather playing with his granddaughter.
I didn't want to interrupt their time, so I waited until the work was finished.
‘…I might be a little late.’
“Ah, a customer has arrived.”
Just then, the old man stood up and approached me. His gentle impression and eyes that seemed full of wisdom were impressive.
“I came to request artifact restoration.”
“Let’s see… now.”
The old man flinched when he saw my bare face.
Know-It-All (Lv 2) infers emotions by considering the opponent's tone, expression, gestures, etc.
[User Perception: Surprise, Wariness, Composure]
The old man… clearly knew about Martin.
Still, I had no other choice but this place. I took out the cross necklace and the knight's shoes and placed them down. Along with a hefty payment.
“It’s 1 gold coin. I’m not sure if it’s enough.”
A whopping one million won.
“You’re paying generously. I’ve received the items. …Customer Ulvhadin.”
“Martin is fine. When should I come back?”
“…Looking at their condition, I’m not sure when it will be finished. I will contact the Ulvhadin Family when the work is done.”
“No. I’ve left home, so I’d prefer if no news reached the family. Please send it to the residential area between the marketplace and the slums. I’ll write down the address.”
“Understood.”
Between the courtesy for a customer and the wariness towards a ruffian, I successfully completed the request. As expected, it seemed I wasn't welcomed anywhere I went.
After finishing the tiring schedule, I returned home. Fortunately, I wasn't late for the breakfast time Lilac had set.
“Master, it’s a letter from the Academy!”
“A letter?”
Again? I received the letter and checked; it was indeed from the Imperium Academy.
[To dear student, Martin von Targon Ulvhadin.]
Dear, my foot.
[The Academy administration could not contain their joy at the student's excellent grades.]
They probably couldn't contain their regret.
[However, as there is considerable suspicion regarding the student's grades, an observation test for verification has been prepared. The schedule is as follows. After next week's field trip….]
I knew it.
Suspicion? Why don't they just openly and confidently say, ‘We’re going to do whatever it takes to expel you, so look forward to it!’
No, in the first place, what about an apology regarding the disciplinary committee? Not a single line!
I wanted to quit immediately, but unfortunately, I couldn't give up on the Academy. The apocalypse happens in various places around the world. It's too much for an individual to handle due to the distances involved.
However, the Academy, where the protagonist was, was the closest place to the apocalypse in the story. If I stayed here, I'd face the apocalypse whether I liked it or not. Enemies should be kept close, as they say.
I was in a gloomy mood, but I ate the cake Lilac made and activated my happy-circuit.
Anyway, it was a golden weekend. I had to soothe my exhausted mind and body.
***
It was Monday. Strange. It had definitely been the weekend….
Looking around, everyone in first-year Class A had dead fish eyes. As if denying reality….
“Everyone, snap out of it. Today is dungeon practice again. We’re scheduled to conquer a Grade 2 dungeon, one level higher than last week’s.”
Everyone's minds snapped to attention. Going from Grade 1 to Grade 2 was a difficulty increase of almost five times.
“Consider it no different from a real battle. A Grade 2 Time Chaos Dungeon is a dungeon that, according to International Dungeon Law, requires five Bronze Knights to conquer safely. Your level, even giving you the benefit of the doubt, is merely at the tail end of Iron Knight to the very beginning of Bronze Knight. So, take this seriously. I hope I won't be disappointed in you.”
It was just as Instructor Hectia said. It was semi-real combat: calculating the time distortion rate of the dungeon we were to enter, estimating the difficulty, preparing, entering, and conquering it.
“I’ve calculated it.”
Bord von Ludin Tauforos, who had just stood in front of the meter, and Mary von Airi Deminiyan, who had just started writing a line of the formula, stared at me with wide eyes.
“R-Right. Student Martin was a genius at calculating distortion rates.”
While other teams were racking their brains calculating the time distortion rate, Team 14 entered the dungeon.
The battlefield of the artificially formed Time Chaos Dungeon was a ruined territory. It was a puzzle-style dungeon where we had to find and hide in an underground shelter faster than the approaching monster horde.
“This… We have to gather clues and deduce? I’ll do my best, but… I’m not confident.”
“Wh-What should we do…? Should we search through all the ruins…?!”
When Bord von Ludin Tauforos and Mary von Airi Deminiyan were panicking, I calmed them down with a single sentence.
“Imperium Imperial Year 2, the Battle of Poaner Plains.”
There was a tradition on the continent where the era name was unified under the strongest empire. Imperium Imperial Year 2, from another perspective, meant it was the second year since the fall of the Cosmos Empire.
Furthermore, Poaner Plains was an important strategic point for blocking the dregs emerging from the Cosmos Empire's Time Chaos Dungeons.
Bord von Ludin Tauforos and Mary von Airi Deminiyan stared blankly at Martin von Targon Ulvhadin, who was examining the corpses scattered across the plains and gathering information.
Know-It-All (Lv 2) analyzes the current situation information.
“This is a battle where the dregs that flowed out from the Time Chaos Dungeon that destroyed the Cosmos Empire invaded. If there’s a shelter below, it must be a shelter exclusively for a Margrave, so let’s go to the Count’s manor and gather clues.”
“L-Let’s do that!”
“Y-Yes!”
The two still found Martin von Targon Ulvhadin difficult to deal with, but that made it easier for me to lead.