Chapter 156. Grade Report (3)
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『Side Quest Received.』
[The Man Who Took First in the Practical Exam!]
You already had theory first place in the bag!
Now take first in the practical exam too, and become a man of both brains and brawn!
- Reward: All heroines' affection +1
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This was the only quest I hadn't cleared yet.
No wonder no new quests had been popping up lately. It seemed this one was still being judged.
But if it just cleared now... Wait a minute.
Rattle—!
"Hey! Grades are out! They're posted in the central hall!"
"Aah! Grades!"
"Jisoo, let's go check the grades!"
Whoosh—
Most of the cadets rushed out, and a wave of anxiety washed over me.
"I'm really sorry... and... sniffle."
But I couldn't leave Lucy, who was crying and apologizing.
Lucy was an important heroine too.
So I stayed a few minutes, listening until she calmed down a bit, then left to check the grades.
"Whoa, Hoyeon took first in three categories. Is this for real?"
"That's insane. Isn't this a first in academy history?"
"The student council president had all-subject firsts, but three firsts in the first freshman exams? That's all Hoyeon."
Where did things go wrong?
How did this happen?
No matter how much I denied it, reality was cruel.
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[Theory Exam]
1. Lee Hoyeon
2. Elise
.
.
.
[Practical Exam]
1. Lee Hoyeon
2. Nam Daeun
.
.
.
[Special Exam]
1. Lee Hoyeon
2. Elise
.
.
.
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I had no idea where it went wrong.
But the results were out.
Wait a second—where's Nam Daeun?
I scanned everywhere from the classroom to the corridor but couldn't spot her.
Thump. Thump.
My heart pounded from nervousness.
"See? I told you, you made history."
Then a familiar voice came from beside me.
"Hey. Did you see Nam Daeun anywhere?"
I'd been focused on Lucy, but maybe Kim Younghan knew something.
"Nam Daeun? She looked at the grades earlier, packed her bag, and went somewhere."
"...."
"Anyway, with three first-place finishes, your value in guilds must be skyrocketing..."
Kim Younghan kept talking, but I wasn't listening anymore.
I kept picturing Daeun's innocent smile when she received the wallet yesterday.
She said she'd go show it off to her sister.
Earlier she was wondering where to go with her reward pass if she got first place.
That innocent face overlapped with the image of Bad Ending Daeun, who massacred her guildmates and killed herself to protect her purity.
"Ah, fuck."
This is bad.
I immediately turned back and ran to the classroom.
No time to be at the academy right now.
"L-Lumi... did I mess up really badly?"
Lucy, watching me run off, buried her face in Lumi's chest with a grim look.
"It's okay, Lucy... you know how Hoyeon is. I doubt he holds any grudges."
Pat pat.
Thankfully, Lumi was calm and comforted Lucy.
She knew Lucy was at fault, but this wasn't the time to point that out.
Knowing Hoyeon could be cheeky but was kind and gentle, Lucy slowly began to settle down.
A moment later, I burst into the classroom.
I threw my books into my bag and started packing up.
"H-Hoyeon? What are you doing?"
"Something urgent came up. I have to go."
"...Right now?"
"Yeah. I won't be able to make the afternoon class."
Lucy had been about to ask if I wanted to go to the cafe after class, but now she was flustered by my sudden rush.
"T-Then... how about tomorrow after class? The academy cafe just got some really good cake..."
"...Sorry. Things are going to be hectic for a while. I'll let you know if I get free time."
I left the classroom immediately after that.
Lucy turned to Lumi.
"Lumi..."
"I-It's okay, Lucy. He really doesn't hate you... probably."
Even Lumi had never seen Hoyeon so panicked.
Not even during the survival test.
Something serious must've happened.
'Still... he'll do our secret friend activity, right?'
While comforting Lucy, Lumi made sure her own interests were secure.
*
"Sigh..."
Untangling this twisted knot was going to be a pain.
I ditched the afternoon class and ran to the dorm.
I was a bit worried about Lucy, but it couldn't be helped.
Harsh as it sounds, Lucy's life wasn't in danger.
I could always fix her mental state later.
But Nam Daeun? That was different. No telling what might happen.
It was the middle of class time, so no one else was around the academy.
Beep—
I reached the dorm and opened the door.
"Eh? What the heck."
Liliana, who'd been watching videos on my bed, shot up.
"Why are you back so early? Isn't it class time?"
"Yeah, but something urgent came up."
"Skipping class is bad. When I skipped class for games back in school, my mom used to beat me like crazy."
Not that it matters here. As long as we hit the minimum attendance post-midterms, it's fine.
Daeun also started skipping more around this time. But that's not important now.
"Don't worry. I'm fine."
I pulled a bead out from the pocket dimension hidden in my desk.
The commission orb Elise gave me.
It held a direct line to the Iris Guild Master.
But if I opened it and didn't call within an hour, the number would expire, so I'd waited.
Click—
Without hesitation, I opened the orb.
Inside was a phone number.
I dialed immediately, and the ringtone played.
"What are you doing?"
"Shh. Just give me a second."
"Hmph."
I held out my hand to keep the squirming Liliana quiet.
She playfully bit it while I waited for the call.
Beep—
The call connected.
But no one spoke, so I broke the silence.
"Hello. I'd like to make a request."
- ...We only take requests in person. I'll come find you at the academy tomorrow morning.
Beep.
A distorted voice, gender unclear, then the line went dead.
"What the actual fuck."
Every second counts, and they pull this?
I get the need for security, but this is too much.
Dammit. The plan's off track.
Originally I was going to gather info on Nam Daeun slowly using this commission orb. But me taking first place in the practical exam threw everything off.
Thinking about it, it's kinda nuts to expect the great Iris Guild Master to accept a job within a day.
"Now what... Ow. Stop biting!"
I shook off Liliana, who was gnawing my hand.
Should I try sneaking into the girls' dorm to look for Nam Daeun?
Whoosh—
While I seriously considered it, I sensed a familiar magical presence.
"Oh! Scout's here~"
Something darted in through the slightly open balcony window.
Thump—
Scarlet dropped from the ceiling and greeted me.
"Hello, Hoyeon. You're early today. Good timing, I had something to report. Sometimes breaking routine is a good thing."
Normally I'd scold her for crawling on the ceiling, but not today.
Seeing her gave me a glimmer of hope.
"Scarlet... you're my last hope."
"Huh?"
She tilted her head in confusion.
"I need you to sneak into the girls' dorm and check if a cadet named Nam Daeun is in her room."
"Right now? I had a report about Lady Elise, though..."
"...This is more important."
I really want to know if Elise watched my video and fingered herself, but priorities.
"Understood. I won't take long."
Thankfully, Scarlet obeyed and zipped out through the ceiling.
"What was that? I wanted to hang out with Scout."
"I'll hang out with you. Just wait a bit."
"Really? Yay~ Then let's get chicken!"
"...Order it."
I didn't get the connection between playing and eating chicken, but if she's happy, sure.
While Liliana hummed picking a flavor, Scarlet returned.
"That was quick."
"It was a simple task. There's only one Nam Daeun in the first-year dorm. No signs of anyone having entered her room since this morning."
"...I see."
This was serious.
That meant she was likely at the Buyer Guild.
Whether she went on her own or was summoned didn't matter.
What mattered was that she was in danger.
'I can't go myself.'
Charging in blindly wouldn't get me to her, and would only raise suspicion.
"She must be important to you."
"Yeah. Scarlet, do you know the Buyer Guild?"
"Hmm... I've heard the name. I don't think they're well known."
Exactly.
They only lucked out by recruiting Nam Daeun. They're a mid-tier guild.
But behind the scenes, they have powerful backers.
Money laundering, underworld dealings, assassinations, pillaging—they do what big guilds can't.
Unless you're deep into domestic intelligence, you wouldn't know.
"Scarlet. Check the Buyer Guild's interior. See if Nam Daeun is there. But your safety comes first. If it gets sketchy, pull back immediately. Got it?"
"Understood."
"No, I'm coming too. I'll wait outside the guild."
I couldn't just sit in the dorm and wait.
Even if I couldn't help directly, I might catch info faster.
Even a second sooner could make a difference.
"I'll head out first. I'll find you outside the guild building."
Scarlet nodded and disappeared.
"Spicy chicken okay?"
"Do whatever. Just wait a bit before ordering. I'll be back in a few hours."
Wearing cadet uniforms to a guild would draw attention.
I changed into casual clothes, cast a mild perception filter, and left the dorm.