Chapter 8: I Have a Commission for You "Senior, is this right?"
"Uh… that's strange. The theory is sound, and the magic definitely activated… but you don't feel any change?"
I stared at the upperclassman, who wore a look of utter embarrassment.
Unable to meet my suspicious gaze, the faint-hearted senior feigned preoccupation, leafing through the papers covered in magic circles as if he couldn't understand what went wrong.
Right now, I was in the middle of a private tutoring session with a senior.
The phrase 'private tutoring' might trigger a specific reaction in you gentlemen, but in a departure from typical eroge tropes, this was actually an early-game event to obtain a skill.
Normally, the standard route is to end up in the losers' bracket during the Entrance Ceremony Siege—the tutorial—and then receive personal instruction from a senior under the guise of 'supplementary education.'
In reality, the seniors who volunteer to teach are usually those with poor grades trying to scrape together some extra credit, so it's hard to expect any high-tier magic from them.
Besides, no matter how many points they're offered, no mage easily gives away a spell they've worked hard to create. To a mage, magic is their most vital asset.
Since it's the beginning of the game, I expected to receive a low-tier spell, but seeing it play out in reality makes it feel strangely convincing.
Anyway, I wasn't some pathetic scrub loser like Akito's team, but I'd asked a teacher for permission to learn this anyway.
I love how flexible reality is. Plus, since few students from the winners' bracket bother to seek extra learning on their own, it actually boosts my evaluation with the faculty.
"No, I mean, it activates, but nothing changes. The gauge isn't even showing a reading."
"That's so weird. The theory is definitely solid."
Watching this senior spout nonsense while obsessing over theory, I started to worry if I'd come to the wrong person.
You gentlemen know how it is after playing games for a long time, right? No matter how low-tier a skill is, it can become a staple 'bread-and-butter' ability depending on the meta or the build.
In the build I had in mind—or rather, the one from the community strategy guides—the skill this senior teaches is actually quite good.
Is it not this guy? No, the name of the magic is definitely correct.
After flipping through his papers for a long while, the senior's face brightened as if he'd just had an epiphany.
"Maybe it's because you haven't been attacked yet. This is for combat, after all."
"Then… do you want to try attacking me once?"
"Are you sure?"
"It's not like you're actually going to hurt me. I have my Mana Barrier, so it won't even be painful."
Nodding at my words, the senior pulled a wand from his sleeve.
"…Here I go?"
I have a Mana Barrier, which functions like HP, so a light tap wouldn't even register as damage. I didn't get why he was being so cautious.
The timid senior glanced at me tentatively, then raised his wand and brought it down on my head.
Whack!
"… …"
"… …"
"…Did it… not activate?"
"If it had, would I have felt that?"
"I'm so sorry! The theory says this is right! Why isn't it working? I'm really sorry!"
The sound was louder than the actual impact, but the senior immediately dropped into a dogeza and began apologizing profusely.
He kept babbling on, but honestly, I wasn't listening.
Why isn't it working? Is it only possible for the protagonist? No, that can't be it. That would mean none of the other students getting tutored could use it either, which makes no sense.
The magic this senior teaches, 'Insight,' is a passive skill that provides a 10% boost to your permanent evasion rate—a very handy skill for the early game. As your proficiency increases, it can go up to 50%.
You might think, '50% evasion? That's insane!' but since the calculation is Accuracy minus Evasion equals Hit Probability, and there are passives later on that boost stats by the hundreds, its utility becomes a bit ambiguous in the long run.
Technically, the math shouldn't even work that way if it's a percentage-based system.
It's not a top-tier skill, but in this game, passives determine everything more than ultimate moves do. It's best to stack passive-type skills whenever possible to start the snowball rolling.
I wasn't sure why it wasn't working, but since it technically 'activated,' I suppose I'd learned it.
No matter how much a magic newbie like me agonized over it, I wouldn't find an answer, so I decided to ask an expert later.
After telling the still-apologizing senior it was fine, I stepped outside.
Sigh… Now I have to go to work again.
It's hard enough keeping up with classes, but doing personal training and a part-time job on top of that makes me feel like my body is breaking down.
Why does it feel like I'm working harder than I did in my previous life? And in an eroge world, of all places.
It felt a bit off, but I had no choice.
There are many part-time jobs and commissions that only open up if you maintain high grades, so I had to grit my teeth and push through.
By the way, how long has it been since that person accepted the request? Why hasn't she shown up yet?
"Thank you! Please come again~"
I resumed my shift at the convenience store, waiting anxiously for the one person who hadn't even sent a message.
The perverted woman I'd railed so hard last time must have had her own schedule, as she hadn't shown her face since that day.
She left with a happy face, so it's probably not because she disliked me.
Thanks to that, the night shift at the convenience store was quiet and dull. I'd finished restocking, so I figured I'd study some magic.
Ding-dong—
"Welcome."
I cleared my books away and gave a bright greeting, only to find the customer who walked in staring intently at me.
She had long red hair, a slender physique, and a beautiful face, but the sharp, intense look in her eyes carried an oppressive weight that made her difficult to approach.
Finally, she's here.
When I did nothing but offer a beaming smile, the woman furrowed her brows and marched toward the counter.
Yeah, even if I don't know much about combat, I could tell she was strong.
To the naked eye, she was just a slender beauty walking sexily toward me, but my sixth sense—or whatever it was—was screaming at me.
Contrary to the visual information, it felt as if a massive wall was closing in to crush me. I was a weakling who could neither resist nor flee.
"Are you Seo Yeon-woo?"
"Yes. Please, feel free to call me by my name."
I managed to maintain my smile, but that seemed to irritate her. She scowled, then sighed as if she found the whole situation absurd.
"If you called me here as a joke, you'd better be prepared for the consequences."
Whoa… So this is what they call 'killing intent' in games and manga.
It felt like a thousand needles pricking at my throat—a sensation far more horrific than I'd imagined. I forced myself to stay composed and spoke as naturally as possible.
"How could I possibly call Ms. Frey, the world's greatest mercenary, as a joke?"
"… …"
"And even if it were a joke, it would mean I have the capability to summon you for such a prank."
The needles at the back of my neck seemed to turn into a sharp scythe, slowly flaying my skin.
In this game, aside from the companions you gain through the story, there are mercenaries you can deploy in battle.
For the most part, they're just there to fill out the numbers and are usually nameless, like 'Mercenary from X Group.' However, there are unique characters among them who have names.
Frey Bratwurdin.
Lore-wise, she's one of the world's top mercenaries, but because she can only be recruited in the late game, she's a tragic character who usually gets tossed aside after the player collects her H-scenes, outclassed by heroines who have been leveled up and equipped with end-game gear.
True to her setting, she becomes highly efficient if you match her level and gear, but the problem is she appears far too late.
At this point in time, however, she's a monster who could snap Akito like a twig and go toe-to-toe with the principal, Erin.
Frey glanced around the store before locking eyes with me.
"Is this some prank to test me?"
"The convenience store? No, I really work here for 900G an hour."
"…So. What is the commission?"
As expected of the world's best mercenary, just getting her here was a feat.
Even with plenty of money, establishing a connection with her was difficult. Usually, one would send the details of the request first; summoning a mercenary out of the blue like this was impossible without significant influence.
Perhaps that's why Frey, despite the absurd situation of being in a convenience store, seemed willing to hear me out for now.
"The commission has two parts… or should I say, it's more of a two-fold proposal. First, I'll be sending you requests periodically. You just need to handle those jobs for me."
"You summoned me just to see what level I'm at? I've certainly been underestimated."
Misunderstanding my intent, Frey let out a subtle, prideful smirk.
Uh, excuse me… I feel like my throat is about to start bleeding, so could you stop with the killing intent?
"I'm well aware of your efficiency, Ms. Frey, and I trust your skills implicitly. There's no need for an evaluation. I called you because of the second proposal."
Frey simply stared at me, prompting me to continue. Enduring the stinging sensation in my throat, I forced a smile.
"Please help me with my training."
"… …"
As if she never imagined those words would come out of my mouth, Frey looked at me with an expression of pure disbelief.
But I needed this.
Whether I was raising my stats or not, this was reality.
This wasn't a turn-based game where we took turns hitting each other; this was a world where people actually swung swords and threw fireballs in front of your eyes.
I might consider myself an expert at fighting games, but I was a total amateur who didn't even know how to move my own body, let alone how to fight with magic.
No matter how hard I studied, I couldn't master magic through self-study alone, and my current skill level wasn't something I could just overcome with raw stats.
In that regard, Frey was the perfect master.
Not only was she a veteran with countless hours of real combat experience as a mercenary, but as a mercenary captain, she had personally trained her subordinates into elites.
She didn't have the [Training Instructor] trait for nothing. The fact that the game developers were stupid enough to place a character who gives bonus EXP to the party in the late game was just a bonus.
In fact, the reason I'd only acted as a delivery man for Angelica during the first day's test was largely because I didn't know how to fight. Before that, I'd been arrogant enough to think I could just overwhelm everyone with stats.
Frey searched my eyes for a long time to see if I was serious, then let out a hollow laugh.
"I see now. You're just some rich brat who called me for his own amusement."
The killing intent she'd shown until now had been child's play. The interior of the convenience store was suddenly filled with a horrific aura so thick it was hard to even remain standing.
I might actually get murdered at this rate…
Fighting through the suffocating pressure, I managed to open my mouth.
"No, this isn't for fun. And my parents aren't rich. I'm the one who's rich."
It was thanks to my game knowledge, but I was technically self-made.
"I am the one who paid 100 million G just for the request of 'having Frey Bratwurdin listen to Seo Yeon-woo's commission.'"
"… …"
"There are circumstances involved, but as long as it doesn't harm you, there's no need for details, right? Regardless, I need to get strong as quickly as possible, and I simply decided that being trained by someone with your wealth of combat experience was the most logical choice."
Perhaps my sincerity got through, as the heavy killing intent permeating the store lifted slightly.
After glaring at me for a moment, Frey turned around without a hint of lingering attachment.
"I'm not a nanny. I have no interest in babysitting brats."
Thud.
"This is the down payment."
"No matter how much money you pay—"
Frey turned back toward me with an annoyed expression, but her words died in her throat when she saw the object on the counter.
It was too much to refuse.
Well, it wasn't money, but an item.
Frey's eyes widened as she looked at the short sword on the counter.
"The Crimson Blossom of a Hundred Echoes. And for the record, it's the genuine article, not the fakes you keep running into. Check for yourself."
With a look of disbelief, Frey approached and gripped the sword I offered.
As she slowly unsheathed it, a sharp, keen aura emanated from the blade.
Frey's eyes, filled with a mix of suspicion and joy, slowly traced the blade as if caressing it.
Seeing a prickly beauty get that excited was quite a sight.
Noticing my amused gaze, Frey's expression quickly sharpened back into a glare.
"How on earth did you find… No, how did you even know I was looking for this?"
"Is there really a need to investigate? It's famous."
I shrugged.
The sword known as the Crimson Blossom of a Hundred Echoes was a family heirloom passed down through Frey's lineage, and she had been searching for it throughout her career as a mercenary.
Given her efforts, rumors of her search were common knowledge among mercenaries.
Incidentally, the game absurdly puts it up for sale in the Black Market, which only opens in the late game.
I was worried because it was an event that usually only triggered if you had Frey in your party, but in this reality, it was just sitting there on display, so I bought it for a hefty sum.
"Well? Is it insufficient as a commission fee?"
When I asked with a smirk, Frey scowled.
That meant she was in. I look forward to working with you.
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