Episode 18
I returned to my nostalgic home after three years. Or rather, I was here when I came to.
It seems I’ve looped again.
“Haa…”
I went through so much pain with the relationship reset in the first loop, and yet I’ve done it again.
I should have learned the hard way that I mustn’t build relationships that will disappear.
Just doing mock battles would have been fine, but then there were training camps, exercises, and even trips abroad… The five second-year students had become even closer to me than the maids in the first loop. And Claire, even more so.
I realized things were getting bad halfway through, but by then it was too late. Since it was going to end sadly anyway, I figured I’d at least enjoy it until the end, and the result is this mess.
I had given up on fitting in with the class early on and let my guard down. But there was a circle of friends in the Swordsmanship Club at school…
However, as long as I don’t see them, there won’t be any more damage. The maids are especially tough because seeing them forces me to directly confront the relationship reset.
“Alright. Time to switch gears.”
I kept up the cool senior mode for too long. I have to go back to being a cheeky fifteen-year-old. Even so, I’m still a much better person than the original Geld, but a caring and lively Geld is no longer Geld, but something else entirely. If my personality changes that much all of a sudden, it would be too unnatural.
Anyway, in exchange for my sanity, I’ve confirmed that the protagonist isn’t at Royal Ukyak Academy. Which means he must be at the other… what was it called… the other academy. If I can’t find him there, I give up. I’ll become a hermit who repeats loops in the Southern Forest for hundreds of years.
After that, I just need to somehow find the Harem Bastard and personally slaughter him with my own hands. I’ll make him regret being born with all my hatred… No, no, I mustn’t. I’m the one who’s supposed to be slaughtered.
It’s also wrong to vent my anger on the protagonist. After repeating this so many times, even I can understand. It’s all my fault.
The incident that Geld is supposed to cause is some kind of trigger, and I’m neglecting it every time, so the kingdom suffers a devastating blow and loops in the same way every time. That’s it, right?
“So, what are you going to do? If you don’t decide soon, you won’t make it in time for this year’s enrollment.”
“Don’t worry, Father. This Geld has already decided on his School of Choice.”
The usual career consultation the next morning. I don’t remember much, but I’m used to it by now.
“Oh? Where are you going?”
“Um… what was it called? De, De-something… Anyway, I’m going to the one in the Royal Capital that isn’t Royal Ukyak Academy.”
“…I see. Are you sure you’ll pass the entrance exam?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t neglect entrance exam preparations when going to school.”
“Even though you don’t know the name of the school?”
“Well, if there’s a question asking for the name of the school, I’ll get that wrong, but I can just make up for it with other questions.”
Who does Father think I am? I’m the one who somehow graduated from Royal Ukyak Academy, the best school in the country. The De… the other school’s entrance exam is a piece of cake.
After finishing the career consultation with Father, I returned to my room to check the inheritance items that I had left unattended last night due to my heartbreak.
However, even though it’s called inheritance, I basically just focused on club activities, so there aren’t many new items. The money has increased slightly to a total of about 10,000 En. And then there are the shoes and gloves with slight magical effects…
“Ugh.”
A brand-new, high-quality Sword, a graduation gift from the Swordsmanship Club, is leaning against the corner of the room. My juniors, who couldn’t stand seeing me continue to use the Sword I stole from Waslein’s training grounds, pooled their money together to buy it for me.
They said it didn’t have any special effects, but that’s not true. It has a tremendous effect that only works on me.
“It’s a Cursed Sword…”
I’m going to be reminded of them every time I see this. What am I going to do with it?
I should hide it somewhere out of sight… but I can’t bring myself to do that. But using it is also… no, would using it be a memorial service for them? They’re still alive, so a memorial service might not be the right word, but the people I spent time with are no longer here, so it’s as if they’re dead.
“Haa… should I test it out?”
There might be times when I need something as I get involved with the original story. 10,000 En isn’t enough, so I’ll try cutting something to earn some pocket money. And I’ll get revenge on the crayfish while I’m at it.
It would be troublesome to go out the front door, so I left a note saying, “I’m going for a walk. Don’t worry,” and slipped out of the mansion silently through the window.
Right now, I have the outstanding physical abilities of someone around level 50, and the stealth skills I’ve cultivated through living in the Forest and Training with Gouketu. It’s easy for me to move around without being seen by the maids.
I left the town and headed to the place where my torso was chopped off. It was there. A giant crayfish.
I thought it was a fixed spawn since it was there before, but when I thought about it, the time was about the same. So that means it’s the same crayfish that brutally murdered me.
“Hoo… let’s do this. ‘Thousand Sword Dance’.”
Ten reddish-black, translucent phantom Swords appear around me.
This is the ultimate technique of the Sword Skill that cuts up all enemies approaching me in every direction. It’s missing nine hundred and ninety Swords, but that’s okay.
It’s the coolest technique among the “cool Sword Skills,” and when Gouketu and I clashed with this technique, my juniors were excited.
By the way, I’m firmly determined not to use the “uncool technique.” I absolutely refuse to acknowledge that thing called “Spinning Slash,” which is just spinning around with a Sword, as a technique.
I walked closer with the Swords floating around me, and the crayfish braced itself, noticing my fighting spirit.
But I didn’t care and cut off its tail with the first strike, its pincers with the second, and its head with the third, completing the subjugation. It was an easy revenge that only required three of the ten Swords.
The money on the ground is three 100 En coins, six 10 En coins, and eight 1 En coins. An income of 368 En. So it’s still pretty late in the game.
I was a delusional idiot for picking a fight with this thing at level one.
After that, I entered a nearby Forest and earned a total of about 4,000 En in about three hours. This is an incredibly lucrative hunting ground. It would take a month to earn 4,000 En in the Forest south of the Royal Capital.
I continued to sneak out of the mansion and enter the Forest in this way for several days, and when my savings exceeded 30,000 En, I set off for the Royal Capital. I was originally planning to go a little later, but after persistent negotiations with Father, my appeal was accepted and I was allowed to leave earlier. It’s not because I became a nuisance and was kicked out.
I could go alone, but then there would be the question of how I became so strong, and more importantly, I can’t waste the time I can spend with Shino. The image of a bob-haired girl with brown hair saying, “Let’s go alone, okay?” flashed through my mind, but it must have been my imagination.
And the purpose of moving up the departure date is to increase the time I spend alone with Shino… but the real purpose is to buy kidnapping supplies.
I don’t know who I’m going to kidnap, when, where, or how, but it’s necessary to plan and prepare in advance.
For now, I bought the standard items such as a burlap sack large enough to hold one person, rope for tying, and clean cloth for blindfolds and gags. And I also bought a powder that instantly induces powerful sleep when thrown, which was sold normally at a general store. It’s a relatively common item in RPGs, but it seems a bit too dangerous to exist in reality.
As I bought things as they came to mind, I ended up with an incredibly suspicious set. I wonder if I can bring these things to school…