*****
NOVELASIUS
- TL: the guild
- Discord: https://discord.gg/GBKEa55867
- Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/topasius
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ENJOY~ PYUUN~
*****
The Perfect Plan (1)
Three weeks remained until the Harvest Festival. Finals were just a week away, and two weeks after that, the festival would begin.
Under normal circumstances, this meant students only had about two weeks to prepare for the festival, but…
“I’m going to skip the finals.”
“…Are you out of your mind?”
“Korin, that’s… really not a good idea.”
In the sunroom of the dormitory, where Korin had gathered everyone for a strategy meeting, Ren and Ron stared at him in disbelief.
“There’s no other way. I don’t want to let anyone down.”
“…You do realize this is your own mess, right?”
“Ugh…”
Korin had no choice but to admit the truth of Ron’s pointed remark, though it clearly irritated him.
“Hey! I know what’s going on, okay?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“You! You’re super popular with the first-year girls lately!”
Ron, with his naturally charming looks and boyish demeanor, was indeed popular among the first-year girls. Some even approached Korin just to get closer to Ron.
“I’m not a player like you, though.”
“Where did you even learn to say things like that?!”
“Enough about that. Korin, you called us here for a reason, right?”
Ren, always the more mature and composed of the two, looked up at Korin with an expectant gaze. Despite his young appearance, Ren often displayed more maturity than Ron.
It puzzled Korin why Ren didn’t seem to age. Knowing what lay in Ren’s future, it was a constant mystery.
“In short, I need to secure five golden ribbons at the Harvest Festival, which means I have to win five competitions.”
“You get a ribbon even if you place third, right?”
“Those are just bronze ribbons. It’s the same with silver. If I give one of them a different ribbon, the others will be disappointed…”
“Your management skills are really something else, you know that?”
“Ugh…”
So, Korin’s plan was to win all the competitions and give out five identical golden ribbons to everyone.
“But Korin, are there really only five people you need to give ribbons to?”
“…For now.”
Just to be sure, Korin had asked Lunia if she had any plans to participate in the Harvest Festival.
“I have things I need to do during the festival. Besides, I don’t want to put any more pressure on my fiancé.”
“Lunia… No, Lunia-sama…!”
“I’m looking forward to seeing how you handle this, my dear fiancé.”
“…Lunia?”
Despite sensing her mischievous intent, Korin confirmed that Lunia would not be participating.
“What about that snake princess?”
“Miruam is occupied with events at the royal capital, so she’s out! Princesses typically have obligations in their own territories during festivals.”
So, Korin was left with Marie, Alicia, Hua, Estelle, and his teacher. The fact that he thought of it as “only” five was ridiculous in itself.
He spread out the festival pamphlets, schedules, and event details on the table.
“These are the events scheduled to take place. Registrations open right after finals, and some events even allow same-day registration.”
“There are some events that only offer prizes and no ribbons.”
“The tournament is a prime example. There are also some interesting ones, though. Oh, and you two should consider entering the design contest. There’s a third-year senior, Elsa, who’s really into making clothes. She said she’d love to use you two as models.”
“Could you stop hanging out with so many girls?”
“…We’re just friends.”
Everyone seemed to misunderstand Korin. He and that senior were just close friends who occasionally went out for coffee, meals, and shopping.
“Ahem… Anyway, I’ve narrowed down the five events I’ll be entering.”
Korin pointed to the events circled in colored pencil. Ren and Ron studied them closely.
“The Hunting Tournament, the Cooking Sales Competition… the Auction?”
“The auction is basically a popularity contest where the winner is almost guaranteed, so it’s a must-enter.”
“Okay, then the mock trial… Well, you’re a judicial officer, so that makes sense. But the Magic Exhibition? I don’t get it.”
“Yeah, you’re not even a magician, Korin.”
“I’ve got it all figured out. I called you guys here to help with the Hunting Tournament.”
“The Hunting Tournament?”
Both Ren and Ron tilted their heads in confusion. In this tournament, Ren and Ron could perform incredibly well.
“The Hunting Tournament is exactly what it sounds like. They’ll release special monsters into a hunting ground, and participants will compete to see who can score the most points by hunting them.”
“But it’s a solo event, isn’t it?”
Yes, the Hunting Tournament was a solo event. Solo, but for one person.
“You can bring professional hunting dogs to the tournament.”
“…”
“…”
The two exchanged glances before turning back to Korin, their expressions hardening. Korin delivered the final blow.
“You guys will be my hunting dogs.”
“Oh my God.”
“Korin, are you really going to make us do this…?”
“Look, I know it’s a bit much! I’m sorry, but this is the best option we have!”
Ren and Ron were born hunters. In their beast forms, no hunting dog could match them!
“Of course, I’m not asking you to do this for free. I’ll do whatever you want in return! Just this once! Help me out this one time!”
“…Why not ask Doggo to help?”
“Don’t even mention him.”
Korin had asked Doggo first. That guy…! Lately, he’s been busy flaunting his designer clothes and chasing after the neighborhood girls, forgetting all about helping out his family!
“…Ren, what do you think?”
Ron seemed to defer to Ren’s judgment, watching her carefully. Ren thought for a moment before making her decision.
“Fine, I’ll help.”
“Oh, Ren…! My little angel!”
“We owe you a lot, Korin.”
Perfect! With this, the Hunting Tournament was as good as won!
“Do you have plans for the other competitions?”
“Of course. I’ve got a perfect plan.”
“…Your plans usually go wrong in the weirdest ways, though.”
“Yeah, well…”
Ren was always a bit too negative. She needed to be more positive.
“By the way, doesn’t Hua have two personalities? Shouldn’t you give her two ribbons?”
“…”
“…”
A horrifying thought struck Korin. Could it be…?
“No way. That’s not going to happen. She’ll… understand.”
She’ll… understand, right?
Stay positive, stay positive.
After the recent Mount Raid incident, the magicians had been somewhat categorized.
For one, there were now magicians stationed at the Guardians’ office.
The seven factions of the Tower each sent their best criminals on a rotating basis.
Five from each faction, totaling 35 in all. Less than a tenth of all the Tower’s slaves enjoyed this privilege.
Though the conditions were far from what they had once been accustomed to, everything is relative.
Having escaped the harsh labor of the salt mines, these magicians had no intention of giving up their current lives.
“So, you’re all going to create the exhibit for the Magic Exhibition.”
They had no choice but to follow Korin’s orders.
“The… exhibition?”
Professor Zholin of the Red Faction looked puzzled as Korin suddenly gathered the resident magicians.
“There isn’t enough time. Only three weeks remain until the Harvest Festival…”
“You’re saying you can’t do it? Fine. That’s understandable.”
Korin’s easy acceptance of Zholin’s refusal made the professor uneasy. He’d seen firsthand just how twisted this man’s mind was after being forced to drink broth made from the hearts of traitors.
“There are plenty of other candidates eager for your spot. Let’s see, I’ll just have to check the list of other applicants for the resident magician role—”
“We’ll do it!”
“We can do it. Three weeks? No, we’ll manage in two!”
“I haven’t even told you the theme yet. But still, I’m glad to see you’re so eager.”
Korin patted the shoulder of the middle-aged magician, who had likely lived twice as long as him. Though Zholin’s blood boiled, he knew better than to show it. After all the effort he’d put into securing this position, he had no desire to return to the grueling life of a salt miner.
“Our goal is simple: to win the grand prize at the Magic Exhibition. We need that golden ribbon, no matter what.”
“Well… To win the grand prize, we’ll need something truly extraordinary.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got just the idea.”
Korin unfurled his plans.
“Wow… This is incredible.”
“Amazing. Who would’ve thought of this?”
The magicians were impressed. Korin’s idea, inspired by modern Earth technology but realized through magic, was sure to turn heads at the exhibition.
Moreover, the theory and structure behind it were not beyond the understanding of these magicians.
Though they had fallen to the status of slaves, these were once the brightest minds of this world.
With a collection of Ph.D.-level brains like this, interpreting even the most basic modern Earth concepts wasn’t too difficult.
“But this design… It’s impressive, but how are we supposed to build it?”
“I’m not sure our metallurgy techniques can handle it. The theoretical speed of the pumps alone is thousands of cycles per minute.”
The idea was revolutionary. There had even been a similar item before, but this was a refined, miniaturized version.
The problem was how to bring this groundbreaking idea to life.
“How exactly are we supposed to create this?”
“Why are you asking me?”
“Huh?”
“What?”
The magicians, who had been marveling at the concept, all turned to look at Korin in disbelief. But he just shrugged with a nonchalant grin.
“That’s for you guys to figure out.”
This bastard… The magicians barely managed to hold back their curses.
There are five competitions I’ll be entering at the Harvest Festival.
The first is the Hunting Tournament.
With Ren and Ron as my partners, victory in the Hunting Tournament is all but assured. Plus, I have the perfect weapon for beast hunting: Ge Deurg.
Second, the Magic Exhibition.
Though the entry name will be Korin Lork, the actual work will be done by the magicians from the Tower.
I’ve given them the idea and left them to figure out the rest, but even a basic version of the concept will guarantee a win.
Why? Because in the previous round, Park Sihoo won with this idea.
The Magic Exhibition is an event where the player can win to boost their stats. Without the player, most participants don’t bring anything too groundbreaking.
Professor Dana will probably win an excellence award and secure a sponsor.
Originally, when the Tower was still standing, they swept most of the awards. If not for the player’s involvement, the Tower would have taken the grand prize too.
The Magic Exhibition isn’t about presenting a perfect item but showcasing technological prowess and future potential, so there’s no need for a flawless product.
With the Hunting Tournament and Magic Exhibition sorted, that leaves the Auction, Sales Competition, and Mock Trial.
The Auction is a popularity contest where knights and magicians auction themselves off for a dinner date with the highest bidder.
The money raised goes to charity, so it’s all for a good cause. It’s not a huge auction, so with a little cash, winning is easy.
In other words, I’ll be bidding on myself at the auction. Through a proxy, of course.
Five gold coins should be more than enough. Who’d waste that much money on a simple dinner date?
“Maybe I should keep Marie from entering.”
If she gets involved, it’ll turn into a bidding war. I wouldn’t even be surprised by that anymore.
The last two events are the Sales Competition and Mock Trial. The Sales Competition is straightforward.
Students set up food stalls and compete to see who can make the most profit. If I follow the plan from the previous round, winning this should be a breeze.
Finally, the Mock Trial.
This is something I decided to enter after studying as a judicial officer.
Professor Edgar Linton presents difficult cases, and participants take turns as prosecutors and defense attorneys. It’s actually quite fun.
There wasn’t much else I could confidently win in, so this was the best choice.
Cross-Dressing Competition
I’m definitely not entering this one.
Sure, I did enter it in the previous round. Well, Park Sihoo did.
He won.
The player was always a pretty boy, though.
Even though the Cross-Dressing Competition is mostly a popularity contest among the “in-crowd,” with my experience from dressing up Park Sihoo, winning wasn’t too hard.
There weren’t many competitors, and the prizes were decent, but… I’m not entering! No way!
Are you crazy? You expect me to enter a cross-dressing competition? I’d never live it down!
“Sihoo, I’m telling you, you’d totally win. You’re pretty enough, right? Just close your eyes and trust me on this!”
…Why does thinking about this make me feel like garbage?
I mean, Park Sihoo really pulled it off. Even though he was a foul-mouthed brat, when he dressed up, he looked like an angel.
It’s tempting, but… why wouldn’t I enter? It’s practically a free win!
Then again, there’s no way I’d look good in a dress. Just look at me! With these well-toned biceps and triceps!
That kind of thing is for guys like Park Sihoo or Ron, who have a delicate appearance. It’d look ridiculous on me.
“Maybe I should ask Ron to do it.”
If Ron entered, he’d definitely win. He doesn’t even need makeup. He has the same face as Ren, just without the chest. Just put him in a dress and…
…
…
“Ugh, no way. Korin, is that what you really think of me?”
“Are you out of your mind, Korin? Why would you ask a kid to do that?!”
“…This makes me sound like trash! But the prize is really good. We could split it!”
“What do you mean, split it? If I enter, I should get the whole thing!”
Chet. Ren is way too sharp for her age.
Looks like I’ll have to pass on the Cross-Dressing Competition this time.
*****
NOVELASIUS
- TL: the guild
- Discord: https://discord.gg/GBKEa55867
- Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/topasius
*****
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