And so another couple of weeks passed. I got closer to the girls and their abilities got stronger. I managed to get to the next level with Delania on the sword dance, and I nearly got to it with Gina, but Ilya seems to be hesitant to use a sword. I guess there might be more to her past than I thought. Or she just isn’t suitable to use a sword…

I also expected her to challenge me, but then again, she knows I am clearly stronger than her. Fighting would just be a waste, no matter the outcome. Because if I lost, then she would know I held back.

I never saw Gina’s parents again, but that was probably because they went back to the demon kingdom. Delania keeps giving me packages, but there are more good ones than bad ones. And if she happens to give me a girl’s underwear or personal belonging, I give them to Zack so he could try and reason with them.

In the end, he gets treated like a major pervert, but his handsomeness can’t be denied. The easy girls flock to him, wanting to be touched and whatnot. I guess he is not that mad at me anymore.

I am currently wearing the game logo, a rising sun over a horizon with a sword poking out of the ground.

Actually, it is a horizontal line with a large semicircle and a sword shape coming out of the middle.

But, for some reason, Abigail decided to help Bucco learn how to blacksmith. He uses his strength to swing the metal hammer every night, apparently, so we get even more discounts when it comes to forging stuff. Then Yidris comes along and enchants them, making them better.

All in all, we are a rising group and plan on attending a large meet to show off our abilities. I have seen the other players start heading towards the dungeon and coming out a little bit happier, but they are still behind in terms of combat ability.

Emeril and I are now even being targeted by the upperclassmen, so we just continue our normal daily spars in combat class. However, we have become famous really easily. I didn’t expect to be really bored, but I got by with trips to the dungeon, making new foods, and selling my magical carvings and sculptures, which were somehow really popular.

If they mention something like modern art, I will cry.

Even in the game, a monotonous routine would form, making it extremely difficult to focus. But, this was because it took a while for people to become close. I was really surprised when Ilya and Delania sought me out themselves.

As for their current thoughts towards me, Ilya sees me as a source to admire. I’m flattered, but she is selling herself short and I can’t figure out how to help her. I should probably wait for the first real event that she has to perform.

Gina has devoted herself to training, so she doesn’t really show up to free period in the library as often. I usually use this chance to go to the dungeon and get some much-needed income.

But what am I spending my money on?

Delania. I found that she likes gifts, too. I made it a game to always buy something good for her, even when she pranks me. I’m trying to guilt trip her whenever she tries to prank me. On one hand, she hates it when I show her up, and another, she actually really enjoys the presents I give her.

Truth be told, Delania is a normal girl. She just has a special ability. Kind of like Ophia’s story, I believe. However…according to all the flavor text from the game that I can remember, there was a line about an ancient race.

‘They can see the future and read the mind, their every action furthered the expansion of their domain. When they grew to be too powerful, they suddenly all vanished. To this day, none have ever been found, even though signs their civilization still exist.’

Sounds cryptic, but fantasy games always have that mythic race card that suddenly disappears but leaves behind special artifacts that are beyond the current technology. However, it says ‘read the mind’, not ‘hear thoughts’, so I am not too sure.

“Well, I always believed I was adopted.”

“AH!” Crap, don’t do that.

“Hehehe. Just writing in a diary?”

Well, since we may not be the only players in this world, I wanted to tell my kids my story so they can help themselves in the future.

“Kids? And whose kids are they going to be?”

Who do you think?

Aww, is that a little bit of blush? Hahaha, I like being completely honest. Ouch. Your punches are getting softer.

“Hmph. I wonder how the other girls will act when they see your perverseness. Will they look at you like they do Zack?”

…You wouldn’t.

“Of course not, I like having something of yours all to myself. Even though I don’t act when you are with the others, I can see you clearly hold affection towards us. Also, I want to know more about this world from you. Even though you…read a story about us, you know more than what we do.”

Of course. The story explains only the important details to set the world.

“Hmm, I guess you are right.”

Well, I know you wouldn’t understand the concept, but this world is completely cliché. This fantasy world is just like every other fantasy world, with the politics and magic and schools, but the most important aspect is the fact that all of the most cliché characters are somehow at this one school.

“Right, with the princesses, princes, nobles, foreign diplomats, and other such bigwigs.”

Oh, don’t forget the geniuses.

“True. There are other academies, but none seem to match up to ours in terms of the quality of enrolled students.”

That and everyone seems to be attractive.

“Haha! I understand that immensely!”

Yep…but now the next arc is about to begin…the festival events.

“They can’t be that bad. What is your club doing?”

…a haunted labyrinth.