"Makes one girl become interested in you…"
Baston stared at the second quest for a long time. His fingers were tapping lightly against the edge of the old book. The words
themselves were simple. It was too simple. They reminded him uncomfortably of the first quest which was short, vague, and deliberately incomplete. Back then, the old book had not told him how he must act well either. It had merely demanded performance.
At first, he had thought that staying alive was enough. That escaping danger, avoiding injury, and lasting until the end would satisfy
whatever judgment waited inside those pages. Only after everything was over did
he realize the truth. Survival had been the baseline and not the goal. The book had measured how he performed his choices, restraint, and timing. It had rewarded him not for doing the bare minimum but for exceeding an invisible standard. That memory made his stomach tightened. This quest eventually felt the same.
The old book did not say which girl. It did not say how much interest was enough. And it certainly did not explain what qualified as better performance. It meant the evaluation would come later. He could do any
performance but the judgment would always come from the old book. He was only a
participant here.
"If I mess this up once…" Baston thought, "There won't be a second attempt…"
If he was being honest, the easiest way to make a girl interested was money. Wealth changed how people looked at you. It always had been, especially in this world. For poor girls, commoners, even those from
merchant families, money alone could open doors. A decent dinner, small luxuries, and confidence backed by gold could seduce several inexperienced girls. It didn't require skill or courage but just resources. That kind of approach would work.
But then again, what he had worked before produced an excellent result. He only blabbered nonsense but thankfully, Panto believed him. The fear the boy created by his own imagination must be striking his heart
hardly. Such coincidence finally rewarded him with ice magic. Then, the realization sent a chill through him.
"For the old book…" Baston murmured, "Completion and excellence aren't the same thing. To achieve better result, you must go the hard way. Then, does it mean I have to go for noble girls. That's almost impossible. I will be just shoved away…."
For noble girls, money alone meant almost nothing. Among nobles, wealth was only one variable among many. Bloodline, authority, military strength, and political alliances. A rich commoner was still a commoner, no
matter how much gold he carried. But a noble family with money and power could
bend rules, silence rumors, and rewrite futures.
That was why so many successful merchants desperately chased noble titles. Money could buy comfort but only status could buy power. The old book had rewarded his performance before. Now, it was likely measuring weight. Baston exhaled quietly, leaning back in his chair.
If he wanted to complete the quest as quickly and safely as possible, he could approach a poor or commoner girl. A small display of ice
magic would be enough to attract attention, perhaps even admiration. Talent had a way of overshadowing flaws that even his fat body wouldn't matter much. That path was easy. It was indeed predictable and almost certainly mediocre in the end. Strangely, he could foresee the result of his performance if he did it that way.
"If I choose the safest option…" Baston thought, "The boob will treat it as the lowest acceptable performance…"
The first quest had already taught him that lies alone wasn't enough. The book favored decisions that carried consequence and choices that risked something even if they succeeded quietly. If he wanted a higher
evaluation, he had to consider status.
A merchant girl was possible even though it couldn't be guaranteed. It would require more effort, more exposure, and more risk. Still, compared to a noble, it was within reach. A noble girl, however, it was nearly
impossible. He didn't know any personally. Worse, the academy itself enforced
division. Nobles lived and socialized in their own spaces. Their paths rarely crossed with commoners unless it was intentional and rarely equal. Baston frowned toward his current situation.
"Truly…" he thought slowly, "The old book never cared about what was fair…"
"I guess the best option for now is a girl from the merchant side," he muttered, more to steady himself than out of confidence.
His thoughts drifted naturally to Panto. The merchant boy had connections. Not noble ones but merchant ties, acquaintances, and names. People who existed just beyond his reach.
"I wonder if Panto knows any merchant girls," Baston said quietly, "If he does, maybe he could introduce us."
Even as the thought formed, his doubt followed immediately. If the girl compared the two of them, she would almost certainly favor Panto. The boy had successful father plus a clear future. He would easily gain a social approval. Unfortunately, Baston had none of that.
All he had was the power he was hiding and an old book that watched without speaking. However, standing still wouldn't change anything. The first quest had been done and the reward had been very useful to him. Now, he wondered about the next reward. Despite still there, he had already imagined the best. Baston then straightened his body, resolved to complete the quest even though it was truly hard for him.
"I'll observe everyone," he decided, "Gather information first and I will look for an opening."
The quest wasn't easy. He needed more time since he understood the rules were written after the move was made. Although hesitation occurred inside his heart, the mysterious old book kept pushing him forward.
*****
Baston left his room and wandered through the academy grounds. The sky had darkened after a long day of lessons yet the academy remained lively. Students walked in groups, laughing, and chatting. The night was still young and the curfew was far off. Naturally, Baston headed toward the
cafeteria. Dinner time meant crowds. And the crowds would surely have girls.
"Ah, Student Baston. Here's your dinner."
The waiter placed a plate in front of him. A warm steak that was cooked just right, accompanied by a glass of apple juice.
"I didn't order this," Baston said, startled.
"Someone already paid for it. Please enjoy your meal."
The waiter left without another word. Baston stared at the food, feeling confused. It might be a coincidence for the first time but for a
second time, he believed someone had worked behind him. That person had been
treating him repeatedly yet he had no idea who it was. He frowned slightly but decided not to overthink it. Wasting food was a sin. Whoever it was, he would thank them properly someday. What Baston didn't know was that Panto had paid for every meal.
The timid boy still remembered the moment Baston revealed his ice magic. For the first time, Panto felt like he had a protector in the
academy. He had wanted to apologize for his past bullying but Baston never brought it up. Panto feared reopening the old wounds if he said something he must not. So instead, he chose this silent way of repayment.
After finishing the meal, Baston felt both full and drowsy. His original plan about searching for a suitable target had completely slipped his mind. Shaking his head, he decided to postpone the task until tomorrow. He wandered away from the crowd and eventually found a quiet corner of the academy grounds. A stone bench sat beneath a tree, away from lantern light.
"Such a cool wind…" Baston stretched lazily.
"Indeed…"
Baston stiffened. He hadn't sensed anyone nearby. The area was deserted and the figure beside him was cloaked. Her face was hidden by shadows but the voice was unmistakable. It was a voice of a girl.
"Are you following me?" she asked.
"I don't even know you. Why would I follow you?" Baston thought but he replied calmly, "No... This place is quiet. It's perfect to enjoy such night. That's all."
"What a glib of tongue. You must be speaking like that to other girls."
Her tone was sharp and distrustful. Baston frowned, pondering why she clearly assumed he was trying to flirt. Perhaps, she had dealt with many suitors before. In situations like this, the best move was
usually to leave. However, Baston chose a different approach.
"The password is correct," he said suddenly, "So, what do you know about the cult?"
"The cult?"
The girl froze. The abrupt shift in conversation caught her completely off guard. Her mind raced as she tried to make sense of it.
"There's no recent news... Not at present…" she answered hesitantly.
"Really?" Baston said, feigning surprise. "I'm certain they're here. I just can't identify all of them. There are too many people in this academy."
"What exactly does this cult do?" she asked, curiosity overtaking caution.
"As an informant, shouldn't you already know?" Baston replied coolly, "Everything should have been written in your briefing."
"I… I'm new," she lied, "I don't know much yet."
Baston glanced at her, "Then it's better that way. Their crimes are unthinkable. The less you know, the less your family will be
implicated."
"My family can handle any cult in this kingdom."
She stood up, removing her hood. Baston's breath was caught behind his words. Only then did he realize the girl beside him wasn't just any ordinary girl. Within the academy, she was someone many noticed and someone many boys pursued. Baston had never been among them. He had been too busy surviving in this world to even consider chasing after a girl. Besides, the gap in their
status was something he had never needed to think about.
He could just shove away any girl but he never expected the person behind him was Alicia. The beauty of his class. Talented, noble-born, and from a great noble family that strong enough to crush most opposition. For a brief moment, Baston forgot how to breathe.
Of all the possibilities he had calculated, this was never one of them. This noble girl was standing alone in the commoner area, speaking to him in the dark as if it were natural. It was absurd and dangerous. The
worst of all, it felt like the old book was laughing silently at him.
Just a moments ago, he had been convincing himself that approaching a noble was impossible. That even thinking about it was foolish. And yet, without realizing it, he had done exactly the one thing that he deemed as the most impossible. Not intentionally and not even wisely.
"If this were the quest…" Baston thought bitterly, "This would be the hardest possible route…"
Alicia wasn't merely a noble. She was the kind of noble whose name carried weight even outside the academy. Someone who didn't need to raise her voice to command attention. Someone who had never needed to wonder whether her words mattered. Standing before her now, Baston became acutely aware of every difference between them.
She won in status, background, and authority. It seemed kneeling and bowing down in front of her had already gave him the most fortunate moment. After all, she only mingled with nobles around here. Even if
he explained himself perfectly, even if every word he spoke was true, she could still ruin him with a single accusation. That was the power nobles held over people like him.
Despite the threat she represented, she was here alone. He was quite curious. Why she was engaging with his nonsense instead of dismissing him outright? If she truly saw him as insignificant, she would have already left. Then, the realization of second quest unsettled him.
"This moment…" Baston thought, his gaze was flickering briefly away, "This is my chance. Even though it's very slim, I have to try it..."
If she reported him, he was finished. If she believed him, even partially, then it would be his victory. It would also acquiesce toward
what the old book had ordered him before.
"Explain!" Alicia demanded, "What cult? Where are they? And who are you?"
"It's pointless," Baston said, stepping past her, "You're not ready."
"Stop!"
She blocked his path, "If you don't explain, I'll call the guards. If you're lying, you'll take responsibility."
Before she could turn away, Baston grabbed her wrist and pressed her against the wall. Ice formed in his free hand. This simple action made Alicia's eyes widened.
"Ice magic…"
The pressure was undeniable. It was stronger than hers. This supposedly wasn't a commoner's strength. Such doubt flickered across her face.
"Are you really the informant?" Baston asked coldly, "Or are you a spy from the cult?"
Her teeth clenched. She couldn't answer since she didn't know anything. Her curiosity pushed her forward yet her hesitation took place inside her heart.
"Fine," Baston said, releasing her, "Keep silent. You'll only scare them away."
Without waiting for her response, he disappeared into the darkness. That night, Baston locked his door and stared at the old book beside his bed. His plan had spiraled far beyond control. He started to curse such
quest but thinking of the reward he already accepted, he must not do it. His action would be deemed as shameless. Even though he was a poor at the moment, he knew how to make sense on everything. He sighed and when he opened the final page, his eyes widened. The quest had progressed silently and unexpectedly.
"My performance is good?"