[Shia Krongard: Preliminary conquest completed. Ambiguous relationship established.][Player receives first reward: 1000 points.][Final relationship not yet formed. Player is advised to continue efforts to achieve complete conquest and earn the second reward.][New side mission "Ten People Killed" has been triggered. Please check your task bar in the lower right corner.]
Aisaka Noya groaned softly and ruffled his hair, looking completely bewildered.
He had clearly rejected Shia's confession—flat-out, no hesitation, no loopholes. So why on earth did the system still label their connection as an "ambiguous relationship"?
Could one-sided love even count?
He mentally replayed the events from two hours ago: Shia's trembling voice under the dim training ground lights, his blunt refusal, the subsequent sparring match, and finally, her silent tears as she watched him walk away.
Sure, on the surface, it might have looked like the stuff of a romantic drama—moody lighting, emotional tension, heartfelt words—but come on. That wasn't "building a relationship." Not even close.
Maybe the system's definition of "preliminary conquest" had a lower threshold than he expected.
"Well… maybe that's a good thing," he muttered.
At least the one thousand points were real. He checked his panel—yep, right there. Though, to be honest, it was only a quarter of what he'd earned from Berumere.
Apparently, as the system rules said, rewards varied depending on the target's "difficulty level." The stronger or more exceptional the person, the greater the points.
Shia was one of the elite cadets—brilliant, beautiful, and destined for great things in the Navy. And yet, even a girl like her only gave him a thousand points for reaching the "ambiguous" stage.
So for ordinary girls… the reward would probably be laughably low.
That thought only reinforced his resolve. He wasn't going to turn into some playboy chasing after every girl in sight just to grind points. No way.
But still… what the hell was up with that new mission?
He eyed the system window suspiciously. The name "Ten People Killed" didn't sound good. Trying to suppress a sense of dread, Noya reluctantly opened the mission tab.
Side Mission: Kill Ten People"Congratulations, player! Two successful preliminary conquests in one day—amazing! Falling in love doesn't seem too hard for you. Ready for a bigger challenge?"Objective: Within ten days, establish ambiguous relationships with ten naval soldiers.Reward: 10 points + S-rank Gift Box ×1.
Noya's face darkened.
"…You're insane."
He rolled his eyes, shut off the system panel, and decided to ignore it. A shower sounded far more appealing.
Ten people in ten days? All colleagues, no less? Yeah, right.
Better to sleep early—maybe he could dream about the points instead.
He knew he stood out among the elite camp trainees; girls his age did tend to find him attractive. But that kind of admiration usually stopped at mild affection, not love.
It wasn't like every girl would fall for him at first sight like Shia had—and definitely not with enough courage to confess outright.
So expecting points to just fall from the sky? Yeah, not happening.
And as for him taking the initiative? Forget it. Just dealing with Shia had been enough of a headache. The idea of trying to charm ten of his colleagues in ten days was… absurd.
He could already imagine the drama and the metaphorical hatchets flying around.
Nope. The days were long, and he was a patient man. He could wait for a better mission—one that didn't turn his life into a rom-com horror show.
The next morning, at precisely 5:30 a.m., the round alarm clock on his bedside table quivered, ready to spring into its daily cheerful ring.
Before it could even make a sound, a hand shot out from under the blanket and silenced it with pinpoint precision.
Aisaka Noya sat up immediately, sharp-eyed and alert.
He glanced around—the room was still dim, and his roommates, Shiryu and Rosin, were fast asleep. Good.
Noya exhaled quietly, slipped out of bed, and headed for the bathroom.
The camp's morning assembly wasn't until seven, and most trainees didn't wake until half past six. But Noya preferred it this way—an extra hour meant more training time. His internal clock had been conditioned through months of habit; he didn't even need the alarm anymore. It was just practice for hand speed.
"Good morning, me," he greeted his reflection in the mirror with a lopsided grin.
A cheerful, athletic-looking young man grinned back. His eyes were bright, and his short hair was slightly tousled in a way that made him look effortlessly cool.
After brushing his teeth and washing up, he stretched, feeling refreshed from head to toe. Yesterday's exhaustion had vanished completely, as if it had never existed.
It was one of his gifts—his body recovered freakishly fast. No matter how hard he trained, a good meal or a night's sleep could fix anything.
And if it didn't, well—he'd just eat before sleeping.
Fifteen minutes later, he was at the training grounds, ready to begin. The morning air was cool and damp, the harbor fog still clinging to the ground in soft, swirling patches.
Only two or three others were there—familiar faces from the elite camp. He waved to them casually, hung his coat on the wall, and started jogging laps to warm up.
After stretching and shaking off the stiffness, he found his usual corner and prepared to begin sword training—starting with the most basic form, Su Zhen.
Swordsmanship in the morning, physical training in the evening—it was the routine he'd perfected over the past year, the ideal balance between skill and strength.
Shing—
Well, it should have been the sound of a blade being drawn. But since they trained with bamboo swords to prevent injury—an idea Gabu-sensei had enforced—the sound was just Noya making one with his mouth.
Hey, a guy needed his rituals.
Every man, no matter how old, sometimes indulged in a bit of dramatic flair when no one was watching.
Not that he'd ever admit it. He told himself it was just part of his mental warm-up.
He gripped the bamboo swords, ready to start—
"Yo-hoo~ Nice form there, little brother."
A lazy voice drifted from above.
Noya froze and looked up, startled.
Through the fog, he saw a tall figure lounging on top of the training field wall, one leg dangling casually, a lazy yawn escaping his lips.