LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 61
It feels like it’s been ages, but in reality, it’s only been a few days since we were at the Student Council Building.
As we arrived, someone opened the door and came out.
Like someone who seemed to know we were coming, it was Grain, the senior who treats us to meals.
“Oh, Grain senior.”
“Long time no see?”
It had indeed been a while. Our meetings had become almost nonexistent since the disappearance of the former student vice president.
“Seria, you seem to have gotten pretty close in the meantime.”
“Does it show?”
“To me, yes.”
But having met Seria from time to time, the atmosphere wasn’t too awkward.
As we exchanged light banter, Sudden realization struck as Grain’s eyes landed on my outfit.
She stared at my clothes for a moment before asking in a slightly flustered tone,
“Hey, where did you get that outfit?”
“I received it as a gift.”
More precisely, I asked for it, and they brought it to me.
“Who gave it to you?”
Hmm… I got it from the servants, so I’m not sure who prepared it. The Emperor? The Empress? Who knows.
But why the obsession with my clothes?
“You didn’t know what you were wearing, did you?”
“Uh, I guess.”
I may know about the performance of equipment based on tiers, but I had no idea about outfits like this.
I thought it wouldn’t be just any outfit since it was prepared by the Royal Palace.
But considering the fuss Grain was making, it seemed like it was something more impressive than I anticipated.
I decided to avoid wearing it after today to prevent any unwanted attention.
Grain eventually shifted her gaze away from my outfit and said,
“If you ask me to treat you to a meal again, I’ll kill you. Seriously.”
“Uh… okay.”
I wasn’t even in a pinch, so I hadn’t planned on asking her.
“Anyway, enough about that…”
Did she think we were wasting time with unnecessary chatter? As soon as our conversation ended, Grain quickly got to the point.
“You came to help, right?”
“Yeah. Professor Reina told me to come to the Student Council. Is anyone inside?”
“No one. It was just me here.”
Wait, she was all alone in the Student Council Building?
Before I could ponder that thought, Grain cleared it up immediately.
“I got careless and ended up getting hurt. I just came back after receiving treatment and was taking it easy. The others went back through the Rift.”
Hearing this, it seemed like she tried to follow them but was told to rest instead.
If the person who got treated by Reina was told to rest, just how badly was she injured?
“It wasn’t that serious of an injury. My upper and lower body almost separated, but…”
“Senior… We’ve decided to call that a serious injury…”
“Right? I almost died.”
As Seria and I firmly shot down her nonsense, she chuckled sheepishly.
“Ahaha, that’s kind of embarrassing.”
“This isn’t something to laugh about… Seriously.”
She was laughing like nothing had happened, but it was almost a death sentence without Professor Reina around.
If her wound had been a bit deeper, even finding Professor Reina could have been dangerous.
That was close; we almost lost a major character.
“Could you not look at me like I’m dead? I’m alive, you know?”
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
“Rudion, your gaze is way too obvious. But thank you for worrying, so don’t take it the wrong way.”
“Uh, yeah… But why are you defending her?”
We had momentarily digressed, but the conclusion was this:
The Rift was currently open, and all the other Student Council members were exploring it.
Because of this, our next destination was naturally determined.
“Then we should go straight to the Rift. Seria.”
“Yes, let’s go.”
“Wait, are you two planning to go together?”
“Of course. Why?”
Grain seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then realized something and returned to her calm demeanor.
“Um… well, I guess it’s not a bad idea.”
She was one of the few who knew I had taken down some demons in the past.
If she remembered that, it wouldn’t be hard for her to understand.
Wouldn’t it make me look more reliable, actually?
“Hey, can I ask for a favor? Can I come with you?”
…Was I too trusting?
“Shouldn’t you be resting?”
“I’m really fine. For real. So… remember how I treated you to a meal? Write it off as repayment and take me with you.”
Well… I couldn’t just outright refuse after she went that far…
Yeah, considering she’s begging to tag along, she might not need to rest that much.
“Okay. Let’s go together.”
“Really?”
“Would I fake it?”
“Thank you so much. I’ll take back what I said about killing you if you ask for a meal.”
“You didn’t really need to take that back.”
She’s so happy. How miserable would she be if I left her behind?
Even if something dangerous happened, I’ve got Seria with me, so it should be fine.
“…You’re being so kind again…”
“Don’t worry, Seria. I have no feelings for her, not even a bit of interest.”
“Wh-What are you talking about? That’s not it!”
“Isn’t it? I can’t be fooled by your eyes.”
“Ugh.”
So, as I played along, they started whispering to each other.
What the heck is Grain finding so entertaining?
Just then, Seria suddenly shot forward.
“Let’s hurry and set off!”
“Right, yeah. But that’s not the way; it’s this way.”
We corrected our direction according to Seria and began heading towards the Rift.
As we walked toward it, Grain cautiously spoke up.
“I think I’ve been too arrogant.”
That was a sudden moment of self-reflection.
But honestly, I think her confidence is justifiable. It’s just that her skills are more specialized in non-combat situations, which led to this happening.
Of course, she could utilize them in combat, but applying that logic could undermine anything.
When most people are wandering around aimlessly without any information, she’s like the only one with a mini-map actively exploring.
It’s actually a bit more complicated than that… but even in simplistic terms, there’s a huge difference.
So, to be honest, I respected the Student Council for continuing the exploration without her.
They could have made it easier by just bringing her along when she was done with treatment, yet they left her behind for the sake of her recovery.
It was likely strongly influenced by Alkiné and the opinions of the two men following her, but regardless, it felt commendable that they prioritized her well-being.
“At this level, even my skills would just be a hindrance.”
Despite her good intentions, it sounded like she interpreted it negatively.
You can’t say you’re weak while having a buff skill like that. You’re a part of the Student Council! People would call that a loser move!
But mentioning that wouldn’t mean much.
Being human, she wouldn’t be able to accept any praise when her self-esteem is low.
So the only choice left is to demonstrate directly how insane her ability is.
Sure, she’s probably using it effectively on her own already, but who am I? I’m definitely a seasoned player, even if the surrounding characters are getting stronger and overshadowing me.
I might not know the mechanics, but I’ve memorized the utilization of her skills to a tee.
If I could leverage her abilities to tackle the Rift, at least a part of her self-esteem would be revived.
‘Let’s make some ridiculous calls and make it big!’
Of course, it wasn’t solely for her. That mindset was floating around too.
Whether leveraging Grain’s skills accumulates credit for me is uncertain but worth a try. It’s better than not trying at all, right?
So, lost in my thoughts, before I knew it, we arrived at the Rift.
However… the Rift was much larger than I had anticipated.
“I forgot to mention, this Rift is a ‘Composite Rift.’”
“There’s such a thing?”
I’ve genuinely never heard that term before. Is there some lore I didn’t know?
That didn’t seem to be the case, as Grain shook her head and denied it.
“No, this is the first time. The term ‘Composite Rift’ was made up by the President after hearing me mention it.”
A Composite Rift. It implies a Rift that combines multiple Rifts, doesn’t it?
They just named it as straightforward as that. Classic Alkiné naming sense.
While I pondered this, Grain continued with her explanation.
“Honestly, when I first saw it, I was pretty freaked out, but once I got inside, it was not much different from a regular Rift. Just a bit wider.”
“How many Rifts are combined?”
“Probably three.”
Three, huh…
“Then does that mean there are three Rift stones inside?”
“How did you know? I think that’s likely, but I haven’t found a single one yet.”
The moment I heard that, I immediately thought of my inventory.
[THIS FUNCTION IS CURRENTLY LOCKED.]
[Unlock Conditions: Contribute 40% or more to a total of 5 Rifts (2/5)]
If there’s one Rift stone for each Rift and I can handle all three myself, then unlocking my inventory is a piece of cake!
“Let’s go in right away.”
“Wha-wha? Why the sudden rush?”
The Student Council was diligently exploring, and I was thinking of barging in and unlocking my inventory all alone?
That might make me stand out way too much and come off suspicious, but… how could I endure this?
‘No way I’ll hold back on this!’
Let’s unlock that inventory!