“I TOLD Enzo that I’ll tell the Vice-chairman about the tip that you gave me, then Enzo told me that he’d tell Sir Jesse to quietly summon the students who received a parcel that day.”
[I knew it.]
Zirkus could now picture how Enzo Fenton managed to escape the inspection.
Since the villain already knew that there would be an inspection, Enzon Fenton probably got rid of his parcels of Sea Monsters first. Then the future Disaster probably grabbed random boxes that he brought to the inspection.
[Moreover, we weren’t summoned right away. The effect of the shell-changing capsule that I took that day already wore off when we were asked to go to the training hall with our parcels. Enzo Fenton had plenty of time to get rid of the Sea Monsters in his possession.]
Zirkus could also picture Enzo Fenton hiring “suspicious men” to bring the boxes of Sea Monsters to the kitchen where they could easily get caught.
What an easy trick.
[Enzo Fenton pulled it off because Rivo Creswell and the teachers trusted him.]
“Senior, I was actually on my way to The Inkman’s office when you saw me earlier,” Zirkus said, acting shy and all. “I wanted to know what happened to the culprits after they were caught.”
Rivo Creswell’s face suddenly turned grim. “Blob, this is actually confidential information. I’m only sharing this with you because you have the right to know. But please promise me you won’t leak this information to other people. Even the executives of The Inkman have received the hush-hush order.”
“Of course, Senior,” Zirkus said, smiling as if he was innocent and trust-worthy. “I promise to keep it a secret. I’ll even carry it to the grave.”
“No need to go that far, kid,” the hero said while laughing and shaking his head. But he instantly turned serious. “The culprits got away.”
Zirkus pretended to be shocked even though he already expected that Enzo Fenton’s people had already gotten away. After all, the Journalism Club didn’t have a follow-up report about the incident. “How did they get away, Senior? Some of our instructors here are Swordmasters.”
“I know,” Rivo Creswell agreed while shaking his head. “The academy is already investigating about the incident quietly. But they’re having a hard time because there was no witness.”
Ah, right.
[CCTVs don’t exist in this world.]
But, as far as Zirkus knew, there were Holy Artifacts here that could serve as a camera or video camera. Even the Holy Artifacts that served as a communication device could be compared to an old phone that could only be used to make video calls.
Those things were expensive, but Zirkus Huxford was rich.
[I should rummage through his belongings later.]
“Don’t worry, Senior,” Zirkus said in an attempt to root for the hero. “I’m sure the teachers and the authority will catch the culprits soon. And we have you, Senior. You’re the top student in the academy. Even if something like that happens again, I’m certain you’ll protect us.”
“You’re giving me too much credit, Blob,” Rivo Creswell said, but he was smiling as if he was shy but flattered. “Thank you.”
“It’s nothing, Senior.”
“I can’t take all the credit here,” the hero said in a serious tone. “Blob, let’s go. The academy needs to know that it was you who gave the tip.”
Zirkus waved his hands while shaking his head, all the while acting as if he would die from embarrassment. “No, it’s really alright, Senior. I don’t need the credit since I already did what I have to for the sake of the academy.”
<“Aw, too bad you can’t show-off since both your handsome face and “goodwill” are fake, Shittyhead. Kekeke!”>
As usual, he just ignored the real Blob.
“Are you sure you don’t want anyone else to find out about your goodwill?”
“Yes, Senior,” Zirkus said, smiling brightly. “I’m already happy that we saved the school from a potential tragedy.”
Rivo Creswell smiled as if he was proud of him. “Then, as the only person who knows about your heroism, let me give you a present. After all, I’m really grateful to you, Blob.”
Oho?
Zirkus was thrilled to receive a present from the hero of the original novel. But, of course, he needed to act modestly first by declining politely. “Senior, you don’t have to give me a present,” he said while shaking his head. He was already doing a victory dance in his head, though. “I’ll just take your gratitude, Senior.”
<“Your modesty is as fake as your handsome face. Tsk, tsk, tsk.”>
Why was there no option to turn off the System???
“I insist, Blob,” Rivo Creswell said, then he stood up and sat beside Zirkus. “Give me your hand.”
Zirkus acted like he was hesitating before he gave his hand to the hero. “I’m already grateful, Senior.”
The hero just laughed, then he put a small badge in Zirkus’ hand.
And the badge was shaped like an umbrella– a white parasol, to be precise.
[Hence, the name ‘White Parasol.’]
Zirkus’ pupils hook when he recognized the item in his hand. He wasn’t acting this time. The shock and awe that he was feeling at the moment were very real. “Senior, is this a Holy Artifact?”
He already knew what the item was, of course.
But he needed to act dumb to hide his excitement.
[After all, this Holy Artifact is the very thing that saved Rivo Creswell and the others from the bombing incident during their graduation ceremony. The White Parasol is named that way because the shield that comes out of it is like a giant umbrella.]
“Yes, it’s a Holy Artifact,” Rivo Creswell said. “Since you’re already a Freshman, I’m sure you know what a Holy Artifact is.”
Zirkus nodded and used his knowledge as a reader of the original novel to respond to the hero’s question. “When the gods who used to oversee our world abandoned us, they apparently left their remaining power sealed in unique items that we now call ‘Holy Artifacts.’”
“That’s right,” Rivo Creswell said while nodding his head. “Holy Artifacts are hard to find because not everyone can determine whether an item is embedded with divine power or not.”
[And that’s also why Holy Artifacts cost a fortune.]
“I was told that Holy Artifact has the attribute of a shield,” Rivo Creswell said, smiling encouragingly at him. “I thought you’d need it more than I do, Blob.”
[Do I look THAT feeble because of my fake innocent face? Well, whatever.]
“Are you sure you want to give this to me, Senior?”
Zirkus was only asking that to be polite, but he really had no intention of returning the White Parasol to the hero.
The effectiveness of the Holy Artifacts would fade depending on the amount of divine power embedded in them. If the divine power was only a small amount, then the item would quickly lose its power.
[But Rivo Creswell was still using the White Parasol in the original novel.]
That meant the Holy Artifact in his hand had tremendous divine power inside.
[There’s no way I’m going to return this precious item to the hero. But let’s continue pretending that I have a conscience.]
“Thank you, Senior. I mean it,” Zirkus said. “Aside from the fact that a shield is useful, this Holy Artifact must have been expensive, Senior. So, I’m really grateful for this gift.”
“Don’t worry, Blob,” Rivo Creswell assured him, smiling. “I didn’t spend a single crescent for that Holy Artifact. I got it as a prize last quarter.”
“Did you join a contest, Senior?”
“Ah, you must not know because you’re a Freshman,” the hero said, then he explained. “Klaus Irvin, a close friend of mine, would organize a Treasure Hunting Game in his family’s territory once every quarter. All the items that you’d find during the treasure hunt would be yours, no questions asked.”
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“Huh?” Zirkus uttered stupidly. Well, he was seriously shocked. “You can get Holy Artifacts in the treasure hunt as prizes? NO QUESTIONS ASKED?!”
Rivo Creswell laughed awkwardly while shrugging. “Klaus’ family is very, very wealthy.”
***
[OF COURSE, dragons are very wealthy since they accumulated wealth during their long lives.]
Plus, Zirkus remembered some lines from the original novel that talked about dragons.
[“The dragons were said to be the Guardian Knights of the gods when the gods still roamed the human world.”]
That would explain why Klaus Irvin’s family had Holy Artifacts they could give away as prizes for a silly Treasure Hunting Game.
[“The dragons should have been the human race’s last line of defense. They were supposed to protect humans in place of the gods who abandoned this world. But the death of Rivo Creswell’s dragon friend caused a great rift between the dragons and the humans.”]
If Enzo Fenton didn’t kill Klaus Irvin in the original novel, then the dragons would have protected the humans from the dungeons and Sea Monsters that invaded the world.
[That’s why that scary punk is a Disaster.]
Speak of the devil…
[What is he doing in front of my room?!]
Zirkus, who returned to his original face after an hour, went back to the dormitory to find Enzo Fenton waiting for him…
… with Klaus Irvin.
[The golden dude!]
“Enzo, come on,” Klaus said while literally clinging to Enzo Fenton’s arm. “Come and join my Treasure Hunt Game next weekend. Rivo and Nixie can’t join this time, so I hope you could at least come and play with me that day~”
Zirkus’ eyes opened wide.
[It’s the Treasure Hunt Game where you can get free Holy Artifacts!]
“Rivo and Nixie can’t come because the three of us already made plans for that weekend,” Enzo Fenton said indifferently. “And I don’t want to play with you.”
Zirkus gasped when Enzo Fenton declined the dragon dude’s invitation.
[This crazy bastard…!]
“There you are, Zirkus Huxford,” Enzo Fenton, who noticed Zirkus because the latter gasped earlier, said while looking at Zirkus as if he was a predator silently observing his prey. “I’ve been looking for you all morning–”
“I know,” Zirkus said, cutting Enzo Fenton off. He also purposely ignored Klaus Irvin who covered his eyes with his hands as if he didn’t want to see Zirkus’ ugly face. “Let’s talk, Classmate.”
***
OF COURSE, Zirkus was forced to serve instant ramen for Enzo Fenton again.
[I bet he’s only looking for me all day because he wanted to eat ramen.]
“Were you hiding from me all day?”
“Aigoo,” Zirkus complained when he sat on the chair across from Enzo Fenton. “Why would I hide from the person I wanted to be friends with?”
“You’re full of bullshit.”
“Don’t curse in front of the food.”
Enzo Fenton just ignored him as he began eating his bowl of instant ramen.
[Yep, he’s only here to eat.]
Just when Zirkus began eating, Enzo Fenton suddenly dropped a bomb on him.
“That was the trashiest first three chapters of a fiction I’ve read in my entire life.”
Aigoo.
“Instead of giving a harsh review without context, why don’t you give some constructive criticisms first?” Zirkus complained. “Why are you calling it trash?”
“First, the name of the three main characters suck,” Enzo Fenton complained. “The female lead is ‘Pink,’ the other male lead is ‘Black,’ and the hero is ‘Garuto.’ His name sounds weird, but at least he’s not named after his blond hair.”
“In my opinion, ‘Pink’ and ‘Black’ are brilliant names because they’re easy to remember.”
“The author gave the hero a decent name, then named the other two main characters after their hair color– that’s lazy writing.”
Zirkus just lifted the bowl and slurped the soup loudly while ignoring the villain’s criticism.
“Garuto is the hero, and he has feelings for Pink ever since they were kids,” Enzo Fenton continued with his rant. “But why did Garuto easily give up on Pink just because he found out that his other friend, Black, also has feelings for her?”
[Because I want you to give up on Nixie Winslet before it’s too late.]
“Classmate, Garuto confessed properly and Pink rejected him respectfully,” Zirkus said patiently. “Garuto may act like the village idiot, but he knows how to handle rejection well. You should learn a thing or two from him.”
“I have neither confessed nor got rejected.”
“Did I say anything?”
Enzo Fenton ignored his last remark and proceeded to criticize Park Suho’s ‘Garuto and the Hidden Soul Village.’ “The setting of the story is messy. Garuto, Pink, and Black are attending a school to become ninjas.”
The future Disaster knew what a ‘ninja’ was because Zirkus described it well in the story that he wrote.
“But in the third chapter, the author suddenly killed off Garuto,’ Enzo Fenton said, obviously annoyed. “This is the first time I’ve read a story where the main character died so early in the story.”
Zirkus grinned, proud of himself for that twist. “Park Suho is a genius, isn’t he?”
“What ‘genius?’” Enzo Fenton asked, scoffing. “After Garuto died, a death reaper appeared and suddenly revealed that Garuto is actually half-death reaper. How is that possible?”
He shrugged. “Well, you have to continue reading the story to find out.”
“The death reaper said he’d bring Garuto to the Hidden Soul Village and make him fight evil ghosts called ‘Shallows,’” Enzo Fenton continued in a frustrated voice. “But it was also hinted that Garuto could still be revived. Will Pink and Black look for a necromancer to bring Garuto back to life?”
[Not a necromancer. Pink and Black will search for seven crystal balls and summon an Asian dragon, then wish for Garuto to be revived.]
Probably.
“Do you want me to give you spoilers?”
“No,” Enzo Fenton said firmly while shaking his head. “Just give me the next three chapters as soon as possible.”
“Heh,” Zirkus said, smirking. “I thought the story was trash?”
“It is– but I need to know what happens next for the sake of my peace of mind.”
“Let’s make a deal this time, Enzo.”
Zirkus called the villain by his first name instead of his full name to test the waters. Fortunately, he didn’t react.
[Whew.]
“What deal?”
“I heard Klaus Irvin invite you to his Treasure Hunting Game,” Zirkus said as calmly as he could. “If you take me with you, I’ll give you FIVE new chapters.”
“As I said earlier, Rivo, Nixie, and I already made plans that weekend,” Enzo said indifferently. “If you want to join the treasure hunt, why don’t you just ask Klaus Irvin for an invitation? He’s pretty generous.”
“Klaus Irvin is only generous to good-looking people like you, dude. Didn’t you see how your friend ran away as soon as he saw me earlier?” Zirkus clicked his tongue, then he pointed at his face. “This face won’t get me an invitation from Klaus Irvin.”
Enzo nodded in agreement. “Understandable, have a good day.”
***
[WOW.]
Zirkus knew that the original Zirkus Huxford wasn’t a brilliant student, but he didn’t expect him to be at the bottom of the barrel.
He just received the result of his practical exam that took place last month after the class.
[So, it’s the original Zirkus Huxford’s fault that he got a failing mark and not mine.]
“Pfft.”
Zirkus quickly folded the piece of paper that showed his results, then put it in the inside pocket of his blazer before turning to Enzo.
Yep, the villain laughed at him discreetly while passing by behind him.
[He definitely saw my score.]
“Zirkus Huxford, if you fail to enter the Internship Program, let me know,” Enzo said. His face and voice were void of emotions, but the glint of evilness in his gold eyes was very clear. “I’ll hire you as my personal chef.”
Aigoo.
To graduate from the Holy Sword Academy, the students must first enter and complete the Internship Program for a year.
[It’s like OJT back in my previous world.]
If the students failed to be accepted in the Internship Program, then they’d get held back for a year.
“I’ll cook for you for free if you bring me to Klaus Irvin’s Treasure–”
And Enzo was gone.
The brat turned his back on him as soon as he mentioned the dragon.
[Tsk.]
Zirkus noticed that Rivo Creswell and Nixie Winslet were both looking at him weirdly.
[Look at Rivo Creswell gaze at me with contempt when he was so fond of the handsome ‘Blob.’]
Zirkus left the classroom when he noticed that his other classmates were already giving him weird looks just because he interacted with Enzo for a moment.
[It can’t be helped since Zirkus Huxford used to bully Enzo.]
Anyway, he headed to the Auditorium Hall where students with failing marks were supposed to go after class. Apparently, a teacher would come and give them some advice.
He wasn’t interested in any consultation.
[I just want to know how to drop out.]
Zirkus possessed a body that had no talent in swordsmanship.
[I’m just wasting my time here in the academy.]
Even if the apocalypse hadn’t started yet, he should find a way to survive IF he failed to stop the Disasters from summoning the Cataclysm into the world.
“I love raw fish~ raw~ raw~ raw~”
Huh?
Zirkus flinched and covered his ears with his hands. After all, he could hear a girl singing in a voice that was so tone deaf his eardrums almost exploded.
[I’m no singer, but god. You don't have an ounce of talent in singing, ma’am.]
Zirkus followed where the awful singing voice was coming from until his feet brought him to an empty classroom. Of course, he didn’t dare to remove his hands from his ears. After all, the nearer he got to the source, the louder the NOISE got.
[It’s here.]
The door was a little ajar, so he took a peek inside.
And he regretted doing so.
Zirkus just witnessed a seriously pretty girl with ombre hair– green and blue– put a whole mackerel in her mouth.
But it wasn’t sushi.
THE FISH WAS FRESH.
Zirkus was flabbergasted.
The pretty girl’s eyes opened wide when she noticed him…
… and SWALLOWED the entire fresh fish in one big gulp out of surprise.
[IS SHE OKAY?!]
“Huxford?”
Huh?
[Her speaking voice sounds so sweet and gentle! So, why is her singing voice so awful?]
“You know me?”
“We attend the same Elective Class,” the pretty girl said, smiling calmly at Zirkus as if he didn’t catch her swallowing an entire fresh fish just now. “I’m Yelena Dover.”
Once again, Zirkus’ jaw dropped when he finally realized who the girl was.
Yelena Dover.
Rivo Creswell’s ex-girlfriend in the original novel (and the one the hero was probably dating at the moment).
But Zirkus knew Yelena Dover’s other identity.
[The hidden Mermaid Princess– Rivo’s ‘the one that got away.’]
Yelena Dover died in the original novel by the hands of a Disaster.
But before the Mermaid Princess died, she contributed a lot in helping the world get back on its feet after the Cataclysm descended into the world.
[She solved the hunger crisis by discovering Sea Monsters that are safe for humans to eat.]
“Huxford,” Yelena Dover said, tilting her head to one side. “You saw nothing, didn't you?”
He heard the Mermaid Princess, but his mind was already busy with something else.
<“The skill
Zirkus remembered Yelena Dover’s last words as she slowly died in Rivo Creswell’s arms in the original novel.
[“Victory favors the prepared… If only we knew the Cataclysm was coming, then we could have prepared for it by raising Fishers in advance… But it’s not yet too late, Rivo… Please build an institution that would raise Fishers with the purpose of ending the era of Sea Monsters…”]
He let out a gasp when the realization hit him.
[That’s it.]
An institution that would raise Fishers in advance– that was exactly what Zirkus needed as Plan B, in case his plan to “collect” the Disasters failed.
Yelena Dover waved her hand in front of Zirkus’ face. “Huxford?”
Zirkus couldn’t respond to the Mermaid Princess because the Window suddenly popped up right in front of his face.
<“Congratulations, Shittyhead!”>
For what?
<“Took you long enough, but at least you finally passed the Hidden Quest called ‘Find Your Purpose in This World, Transmigrator.’”>
Huh? There was a Hidden Quest?
<“The System accepts your powerful will to build a SCHOOL that would raise the Fishers in advance– whether the Cataclysm would descend or not.”>
Wait, no!
Zirkus pulled his hair in frustration.
[I don’t have a POWERFUL WILL to build a school!]
Goddammit!