Chapter 15

The following day, a car resembling a charging bull sped along the streets of Middle Town. Inside sat only Edu and Riana.

Unlike Riana, whose attire remained almost unchanged, Edu now wore a neat, military-style uniform with a large black coat.

On her head, she wore a cap with a brim, resembling an old army officer or commander.

“Are you sure that outfit is alright, Edu?”

“Yes, this is fine.”

“Umm, I think even cuter clothes would suit you well.”

Riana muttered to herself, sounding somewhat regretful, but Edu, lost in thought, didn’t hear her.

“Hmmph, things are going better than expected.”

Yesterday evening, while shopping for clothes at Riana’s suggestion, Edu fortuitously formed a connection with one of the representatives of Fangju’s commerce guild—an unexpected gain that turned out to be a huge benefit.

The commerce guild plays a key role in Fangju’s economy; forming a relationship with them could only be beneficial, both in the short term and the long term—well, except for a few bad apples.

Yeah, except for a few bad apples.

Anyway, after forming a contract with Recess yesterday and receiving a promise of extraordinary support, it seemed like everything was progressing smoothly, and it might be time to move up the planned academy entrance exam.

And, conveniently, a great stage was prepared, too.

Of course, there is a price, but that’s something my future self can handle—thank you, future me!

“Edu, would you like a milkshake?”

“Ah, yes, thank you.”

“Here.”

Riana, firmly holding the steering wheel with her left hand, extended her right to hand me the milkshake.

Bringing the straw to my mouth, I sipped it. The soft, sweet flavor made my mouth happy.

“Does it taste good?”

“Yes, it’s delicious.”

Speaking while eating caused a slight mispronunciation, but Riana didn’t seem to mind.

“Are you feeling alright?”

“Yes, it seems drinking is okay.”

Last night, Riana threw us a welcome party, and she bought so much food that the table groaned under its weight. The result? Indigestion.

Thanks to that, a thought popped into my mind while futilely sucking my fingers. It was the realization in AOE that food items are categorized in detail and that beverages, even in the game, don’t cause indigestion buffs.

So, taking a chance, I asked Riana for a health juice this morning and drank it. The result was a great success.

“You’ve worked hard too, Edu.”

“Haha…”

“How about visiting a hospital someday?”

“When I have the time.”

Considering it was a self-imposed negative attribute during character creation, I doubted it could be cured, but it wouldn’t hurt to confirm.

Most importantly, ever since seeing Riana not destroy but – rather eliminate two Iron Armors in the Valley of the Whistling Winds, I decided not to judge everything solely by game knowledge anymore.

Also, researching resolutions or ways to alleviate characteristic-related issues could ultimately be beneficial to me.

“Still, despite everything, that outfit suits your cute face, Edu.”

“Hehe, really?”

Responding while tidying up the clothes, I continued.

Similar to most games, AOE also has a few easy-to-obtain and quite capable sets of armor called school uniforms. The one I’m currently wearing is the Fangju Commander Set, which functions as a lower-tier version of the ancient commander set but is still an affordable set for INT-specialized characters.

Young Fangju Commander’s Coat – INT +10

Young Fangju Commander’s Cap – INT +10

Young Fangju Commander’s Top – INT +10

Young Fangju Commander’s Bottoms – INT +10

Young Commander Set Bonus – INT +30 / MP +50

Hmm, these bonus stats are sweet, aren’t they?

Though not perfectly tailored to my build, the clothes were still more convenient than those billowing ones, both physically and mentally.

Anyway, while satisfied with those thoughts, I suddenly remembered I hadn’t recently checked my stat window.

With the gear change, I thought it might be worthwhile to check now.

“ID, show me the stat window.”

[Confirmation initiated, visualizing status.]

——————————————————–

Lv. 10 Edu Numbursday *(■)

[HP 23 / 23] *(■)

[MP 725 / 725(+50)] *(■)

[ST 25 / 25]

ATK 25 *(■) / DEF 40 / RES 50

STR 1 *(■)

DEX 8 *(■)

INT 247(+70) *(Growth Bonus x2 / Growth Restriction 1)

CHA 80 *(Growth Bonus x2 / Growth Restriction 1)

CON 16 *(■)

LUK 45 *(Growth Bonus x2 / Growth Restriction 1)

SP 0 /SK 14 / EXP 5792

Appearance Trait *(■)

Character Trait *(■)

Bonus *(■)

——————————————————–

Wow! So this is what stats and growth look like.

Compared to before, the much-improved INT values and main stats make me smile. Especially the MP already breaking 700 gives a truly solid feeling.

To think I made this just in less than a week after taking over this character. Praising my resolute past self, I indulged in the joy of these impressive stats when my eyes caught something unusual at the bottom corner of the stat window.

“Hmm? What’s that?”

Bonus *(■)

I’ve never seen this stat in AOE before. Out of curiosity, I opened the abbreviated information and found something hidden inside.

Additional Element – Collection.

“Collection?”

Now that I think of it, a notification popped up shortly after clearing the Valley of the Whistling Winds.

Collection? What does it do?

“Edu, is something wrong?”

Startled by Riana’s sudden question, I unconsciously replied.

“No, no.”

“Really? You looked deep in thought, so I thought maybe I could help.”

Riana smiled at me.

Hmm, I seem to have been immersed in my thoughts for too long. Anyway, I don’t even know what this feature does yet, so I can check it later.

Having organized my thoughts, I asked Riana.

“So, did the guild master invite me too?”

“Yeah, though it’s not a very interesting story… They probably want to seize more control this time.”

Riana’s face darkened as she spoke.

I don’t know whether it was because she hesitated to tell me, or maybe due to her youthful appearance that she received some consideration, but she remained silent after that.

Unfortunately, I already knew exactly what she implied.

It referred to the discord between the Adventurer’s Guild and the Academy, one of the main events in AOE.

The background and reasons are quite complex, but put simply, it is a conflict triggered by power and interest disputes that puts Fangju in trouble.

The problem, as the cause suggests, is that all the incidents, accidents, and damages caused by this event amount to internal strife within Fangju.

Therefore, how successfully this event is handled with minimal damage determines the difficulty level afterward, making it one of the key main events in AOE.

“Seems like they were making moves long before the event even began.”

Judging by the thoughtful expression on Riana’s usually cheerful face, it appears that the top brass or some recommendation may have been directed to the guild’s power players.

One might wonder why people would engage in self-destructive behavior in a time of crisis, but in reality, humans aren’t as rational as they seem.

However, with the main storyline yet to begin, there is still a chance to manage the situation since the relationship between the Adventurer’s Guild and the Academy isn’t yet strained.

Actually, this decision to join the Adventurer’s Guild first was made with that in mind.

“…Edu, are you curious?”

“No, if it’s difficult for you to talk about, you don’t have to tell me, Riana.”

“…Okay, sorry.”

“Really, don’t worry about it.”

After all, that’s not Riana’s fault. In fact, Riana and the members of the Adventurer’s Guild, as well as the Academy students, are bound to endure various hardships because of it.

The root of all evil is the upper management of the Adventurer’s Guild and the corrupt elite of Fangju.

Based on my experience going through this event countless times, most people other than them are merely innocent victims.

“Tut.”

Thinking of those foul deeds made me unintentionally click my tongue in irritation.

“Edu?”

“Just something unpleasant came to mind.”

“Is that so? You definitely look upset. Want some more milkshake?”

“Yes.”

Grasping the straw she handed me, I sipped it. The sweetness and satisfaction helped calm my annoyance.

While enjoying the milkshake, I noticed a familiar building from yesterday in the distance—a building with a Gothic appearance reminiscent of a medieval castle.

The Adventurer’s Guild.

“We’ve arrived, Edu. Shall we finish the milkshake and go in?”

“…Yes.”

Though a little embarrassed, with STR 1, I couldn’t satisfactorily carry anything, so I silently agreed.

Chug chug chug.

Mm, delicious.

Taking a short rest while finishing the milkshake, I noticed the familiar building we saw yesterday from afar—a grand structure with an antique facade and an atmosphere reminiscent of a medieval fortress.

The Adventurer’s Guild.

“We’ve arrived, Edu. Shall we go in after finishing the milkshake?”

“…Yes.”

With slightly embarrassing circumstances since my STR is at 1, making it challenging to carry anything satisfactorily, I quietly nodded in agreement.

Chug, chug, chug.

Ah, delicious.

After a brief pause while leisurely finishing the milkshake, Riana approached and picked me up. Unlike Mili, whose soft, warm physique gave a cozy feeling, Riana, despite her outward appearance, carried a firm and steady muscle tone across her back, offering an unexpectedly pleasant comfort.

Hmm, judging by this, I’d rate her back as nothing short of an S—no, an A+.

“Shall we go?”

“Yes.”

Ting ting—

The doorbell chimed as we entered, and the adventurers gathered inside looked our way. They exchanged glances, quickly stood up, and approached us.

“Hey, isn’t that Riana!”

“It is!”

“Thank you, Riana! Thank you, Edu!”

We heard from the gathering explorers. Each one nodded in agreement or chimed in with expressions of gratitude.

“Edu! Is that the newbie?” asked one young explorer, Riana turning to glance at me, who then nodded slightly before answering.

“Yes, but… what’s going on?”

“Thank you, Riana! Thank you, Edu!” said the young explorer grasping Riana’s hand enthusiastically, his genuine smile evident.

“We heard from an automaton you cleaned up the Valley of the Whistling Winds and made it usable for us. Thank you!”

“Thank you, Riana! Thank you, Edu!”

“Both of you, thank you!”

After hearing these words of gratitude, voices from all quarters called out.

“Riana! Riana!”

“Edu! Edu!”

“Uh… uh…”

Riana, who looked surprised, hadn’t crossed my mind the adventurers would express their joy so directly like this, but it was somewhat unexpected.

Still, being surrounded by so many people and filled with goodwill towards us was a new experience, and honestly, it didn’t feel bad.

Of course, there were a few scattered adventurers who glared or scowled, but I didn’t need to worry about such things.

Just then, a calm voice, detached from the excitement, reached my ears.

“You’re quite the rival, aren’t you, Riana.”

The man’s voice, clear even amidst the applause, sounded familiar.

“Huh? Is that you, Kai?”

“Yeah, it’s me.”

As he said this, Kai, whose unique hairstyle resembled a bird’s beak, appeared as if emerging from the shadows.

He wore a mask covering up to his nose, and his body was armored with a bulletproof vest and various modern tools—looking like an ordinary explorer but exuding a strangely ninja-like vibe.

Wait, a ninja? Ah, that’s right.

Kai, Kai Rolland.

A powerful character, equal in skill to Riana, known for his stealth and speed-based combat style. Though there have been rumors of seeing Riana as a rival, his story has not much been explored within the game itself, as he lacked much screen time.

Initially, his character was mostly recognized through emoticons mimicking his ninja-like movements.

Regardless, judging by the real-life characters before my eyes, they didn’t seem to have any bad blood between them.

“Hold on, Kai, why is everyone making such a fuss?”

“Are you really that clueless, Riana?”

“No, it’s normal to help each other as business partners. And it benefits me too, so there’s no need to applaud this much—”

She was cut off firmly by Kai.

“That’s why you’re so kind-hearted, Riana.”

“Ugh…”

Unable to counter his commanding tone, Riana quietly accepted the applause in silence. Then Kai turned his eyes towards me.

“Hmm, this child is the new recruit, Edu?”

“Yeah, isn’t he adorable?”

Their two friendly gazes from both sides made my chest tickle somewhat.

“Indeed, combining supreme beauty with skill—what a promising talent. Alright, I’ve decided, Riana. Hand this child over to me.”

“Heck no.”

Teasingly sticking out her tongue, Riana replied humorously.

“Damn it! This is so unfair, Riana! I’ve been around the Adventurer’s Guild almost every day, missing only one day, and now I’ve lost such a recruit! And not only that, you’ve already gotten close to him…!”

“Oops, that’s unfortunate.”

“Ooooh, Lord! Why only me for this trial!”

Kai’s trembling hands… wait, was he this pitiful a character?

Due to the lack of dialogue events and mostly combat-oriented gameplay, his image seems completely different from what I know.

Then, amidst the gathered adventurers, a monotone voice was heard.

“Excuse me, everyone.”

As the explorers gradually dispersed, an automaton emerged through the crowd, wearing a single-colored suit with a badge on her chest reading WM1-OU/458024.

“Riana-sama, Edu-sama, welcome.”

After confirming our presence and greeting us, she bowed her head respectfully.

Then slowly raising her head, she motioned towards the inside of the guild with a composed gesture.

“The Guild master is waiting for us inside.”