Chapter 56 - I Became the Daughter of the Academy’s Villain

Chapter 56 - Advanced Class Common Lecture Unlike Oknodie, who remained indifferent to temptation, Hestia eventually succumbed to it. 2 A.M. Awakening abruptly from her sleep, Hestia ventured out into the dormitory hallway. And there she was promptly caught by a female instructor patrolling the dorms. "If you leave the dormitory during curfew, you'll be penalized 500 points. Alternatively, if you don't want to pay points, you can choose to be confined to the punishment room for one day." "...I'm sorry." "Since you haven't stepped out yet, I'll let this go. The dawn at the academy is dangerous for first-year students like you, so go back and get some sleep." Despite being barred from going out, her curiosity about the hidden room did not fade. 'How did Oknodie know about that? More importantly, why did she tell me?' Could it be that Oknodie wanted to convey a message outside the dormitory at 2:22 a.m.? If the academy's dawn is as perilous as the instructor mentioned, wouldn't Oknodie be exposing herself to danger every morning by waiting in that hidden room? 'That can't happen!' While she could tolerate her own danger, the thought of Oknodie in peril was unbearable. Hestia, sneaking out through the window, stepped outside the dormitory, only for a bright white light to suddenly illuminate her from the guard post in front of the dormitory. "I had a feeling you'd come out." The instructor asked, extending a device. "Do you want to pay the points or spend a day in the punishment room?" "I'll pay the points..." Hestia's attempt at a dawn outing ended in failure. * * Negeedingdingding. Negeedingdingding. Negeeding... Click. "Ugh." Turning off the alarm set on her magical clock, sleep instantly fled. Tuesday is relatively a lazy day compared to Monday. The schedule has some slack, but getting too comfortable could reduce growth rates and increase the likelihood of falling victim to the "rigged event" while still at the academy. 'Lecture content is basic. Club content is advanced. The real deal, though, is the academy's regular events.' Gift Academy hosts special events every week targeting both players and NPCs. This week is for newcomers, so no special event has been activated yet, but it's essential to prepare in advance for the random events starting next week. "Morning, Oknodie! Out for your dawn training?" "Just warming up." Having completed a refreshing light 10km dawn jog with the dolphin shorts sisters, she stopped by the cafeteria. [Tuesday Breakfast Menu] - Black bean rice - Beef soup - Spinach - Cucumber salad "Is this prison food...?" This was too much. She couldn't bring herself to eat it. "Where's the meat side dish?!" "This is a points scam!" "Ah, I should've skipped breakfast!" The cries of naive students who had paid upfront filled the cafeteria. Poor souls. They should've had a Plan B for such occasions. "So, you want me to cook first thing in the morning?" "Isabel's cooking is the best!" "...I did scout the nearby woods in advance. Just give me a moment." Isabel, having called over Giselle and Son Ocheon from the male dormitory, momentarily harbored some resentment due to the increased number of mouths to feed. Thanks to Giselle's campfire kit, they easily started a fire, allowing for a comfortable breakfast. "Huh? Uncle Giselle, where'd you get that kit?" "There are ways. You don't need to know, kid." Attracted by the smell of cooking mushrooms, students gathered around, only to be met with Son Ocheon flexing his muscles in a threatening manner. "Want to get hit or just leave?" The male students backed off, intimidated by his brute size, but the girls stepped forward instead. "We wanna eat too..." "Just a little bit, please~" Brandishing a stick mindlessly at the girls who pleaded like they were tongue-tied, Son Ocheon scoffed. "Argh!" "Ouch!" "Hahaha. Did you really think that kind of cheap flattery would work on me? Get lost." "What a eunuch." "So petty." Regardless of the moral debates, thanks to him, they enjoyed a meal without being hassled by other students asking for food. "Today there's one advanced class common lecture in the morning and another in the afternoon." Tuesday 1st period (9 am–11 am) - Professor Plato (Scholar, Ego-item) - Lecture Name: Advanced Class Physical Enhancement - Lecture Category: Common, Advanced Class Tuesday 3rd period (2 pm–4 pm) - Principal (All-class, Dragon) - Lecture Name: Principal's Teaching - Lecture Category: Common, Advanced Class Even the usually cheerful Giselle couldn't help but frown upon seeing the schedule. "That lecture by the principal. It gives you a stomachache just thinking about it." "Hahaha. I agree. That monster, truly unprecedented in ferocity. I finally understood why the drakes in my homeland were called forest monsters and not just dragons." What they should be more concerned about wasn't the topic of conversation. Having previously attended all these lectures during their player days, though most were easy to pass, the mandatory Tuesday first-period lecture was particularly daunting. "A lecture in front of the mountain? That's odd." "Perhaps it involves breathing exercises in the fresh mountain air?" "Mr. Giselle, even if things go well, don't you think it's a bit optimistic to expect the lecture to be that favorable?" "Haha. Just wishful thinking on my part. Given my lax physical training, I'd prefer if the lecture were a bit easier." At the foot of Mount Omine where the lecture was set to take place, muscular statue-like professors were obviously joined by all the ace students from the advanced classes. Some attendees had met in lectures the day before, while others had only seen faces in passing or heard rumors about who attended which session. Among them, Andersen Pretzel looked particularly pale. "You guys... never attend the <Using Sacred Arts without Faith> lecture from the Department of Magic." "Why not?" "Just don't." Choosing between suffering physically without the power of faith VS joining the Mark Warband to benefit from the power of faith and breeze through. It seemed the demonic religious zealots had revealed their true colors as early as the first class. A male student from Group B who seemed to be caught in the same net nodded in agreement, jumping on the bandwagon. "Ha? Degrading a lecture you attended yourself. Isn't that the worst?" However, a crisp, imposing voice filled the clearing, causing the male student to flinch. As Arcadia served as the spiritual pillar for the frontier female students, the Empire's Second Princess <Masugaki> stood as the mental cornerstone for the Empire's female students. "Wow, she openly criticized Prince Andersen to his face." "We, who attended the same lecture, have refrained from speaking ill in front of His Highness out of respect for his dignity." "Is it that those from the Empire simply do not care for the sensitivities of those from the frontier?" "But isn't she too short?" "Isn't she almost the same height as Oknodie?" "Ha? Who dares treat someone like a little kid! That's so disrespectful to the princess of the Empire!" Her height? 145 cm. "Hmph. Playing the grand role while being so tiny." She's a petite we're expecting to outgrow within a few years. Thanks to the developer's "Masugaki Quota," her character naturally exhibits the Masugaki personality - all the antics of a little princess indeed. "What? Listen here, runt. Remember this: our heights differ from the second digit." "I'm still in my growth phase, you know?" "So am I!" No, you're not. Her official profile is locked at 145 cm - growth phase over. "Don't get cocky, you midget! Acting all high and mighty at 130cm!" "It's 133cm, actually!" "Princess Masugaki, shouldn't you apologize before raising your voice?" "Ha? What do I have to apologize for?" "To think the princess of the Empire would so shamelessly disrespect a direct descendant of another nation's ducal family." "It's fine to criticize the professor of the lecture you chose, huh~? Lost for words? Dumb, aren't you? Case closed.♡" At 230cm, they thought a princess might be imposing, but at 133cm, she seems even more so. For the shortest student at the academy to be so smug about finding someone shorter...! "The nerve of you Empire folks, damaging my reputation with mere facts. This day’s grudge won't be forgotten..." "I agree. To be insulted by someone who’s ended their growth phase years ago and is shorter than me. One day, I'll teach you a lesson..." "Oknodie. When the time comes, I shall also grant you the chance to seek vengeance." "I'll call upon Prince Andersen if the opportunity to trick the princess arises." While Prince Andersen and I were seriously collaborating, murmurs of "how cute" floated around us. I thought it was the murmuring of Masugaki's followers, but the reaction from that side was entirely different. "Princess, it's unbecoming to argue with a child barely over ten..." "Don't stoop to a child's level; show the dignity of maturity!" "Exactly. You wouldn’t want people to start thinking of the princess as a child, too." "Presumptuous! To treat the princess of the Empire as a child!" "Well, it might seem that way. But we didn’t say that, did we?" Seeing the followers of the princess covering their eyes and denying it wasn't from their side. Focusing and discerning the source, from our Group A side, comments like "Didn't the statue move?", "I want kimbap.", "When will the professor arrive?", "How cute!" were heard. Found you. The culprit who dared call me cute, it’s you! Turning with vigor, I locked eyes with an unexpected figure. "Whoa. Why are your eyes like that?" "It's nothing..." The culprit was Hestia, with dark circles under her eyes. "Those are some serious dark circles." "Just couldn’t sleep well." How long did she converse with that wall? She might think she talked all that with me. What if she suddenly displays unprovoked intimacy because she thinks we're close? What now? Play along to avoid triggering a dark event! Seeing Hestia rubbing her eye corner with a finger, I sent her a wink. "Cute." It was indeed this person who made that comment. Half-minded, she looked somewhat scary. Guess a wink suffices for acknowledgment? "How mean." Arcadia grumbled upon seeing this. "Why? Why did you show that mercenary woman a wink that you never showed me?" "There was dust in my eye." "Ugh." "Ack! Stop it. Don’t suddenly kick up dust with your fan." "Hey, I’m getting caught up in this too." "Oh my, sorry Isabelle." As the atmosphere turned chaotic, the professor made his presence known just in time for the lecture. "Whoa!! Th-the statue moved!!" "The statue changed poses!" "It’s not a statue. I am Professor Plato, here to teach you Advanced Physical Training class! Don’t even think about being able to stand on your two legs by the end of this lecture!" The students were flabbergasted. "Why, why would you do that?" At Arcadia's terrified question, Professor Plato replied fiercely. "Just because. It’s amusing to see students crawling back, unable to walk." "The horror! He's definitely a demon!" Thus began one of the academy's most physically demanding lectures, notorious among the student body.