Rather than scaling the cliff directly, I walked along its side.
Amy silently followed right behind me.
We walked like this for about 20 minutes.
'Hmm, it should be somewhere around here.'
I examined every corner of the cliffside with my enhanced [Observer's Eye].
And there it was.
A somewhat flat surface, contrasting the jagged surroundings.
'I've found it.'
A way to acquire the box containing the divine beast without climbing the cliff.
I stood before it and lightly tapped the smooth wall with my fist.
"Young Master, what are you trying to do?"
Amy asked, clearly puzzled.
Without responding, I put on my gloves and then—
Bang!
Punched the smooth surface.
"What...?"
Ignoring Amy's startled voice from behind, I kept striking that flat surface.
My punches were moderate, not too forceful, to avoid hurting my hand.
Thump.
Crunch.
.
.
.
Craaack.
After hitting it with roughly the same force seven times, the smooth surface began to wobble.
I didn't break it with pure strength.
It was a trick I'd learned from the original game, used to save time when cliff-climbing.
'It still works.'
A moment later, the surface split in half, revealing a box.
Calmly, I grabbed and inspected it.
'It looks exactly like it did in the game.'
A small box wrapped in mysterious, beautiful cloth.
Not a speck of dirt marred the fabric, which shone brilliantly.
This cloth was an artifact, enchanted to stay perpetually clean.
There's no need to infuse it with mana, making it the ideal handkerchief.
I showed the box to Amy and asked,
"Amy, is this the box you saw?"
"Yes, Young Master, it looks just like the one I saw from the top... How did you do that?"
"It's something I learned from someone."
I replied, averting my gaze from Amy.
She seemed to understand that I wasn't planning on saying any more than that.
I finally had it.
The reason I came to this remote Fosspatil Pass was for this divine beast.
'What kind of divine beast will show up... A wolf? Fox? Cat? Raccoon?'
I'm a bit excited.
The main goal is to ward off spirits and replenish stamina, but... I'm honestly quite curious.
Sure I'm not exactly known to be emotional or anything... but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate something cute.
I couldn't help but chuckle to myself.
I then turned to Amy.
"Let's go back now. You worked hard, Amy. Let me know if you need anything."
"······ Need anything, you say."
Amy looked at me, her eyes wide and trembling.
I nodded calmly.
"Yes, if it's something I can help with, I'll do my best. You've done your mission brilliantly, so you should receive your well-deserved reward."
"······"
Amy stayed silent for a moment, moistening her lips before she responded.
"······No, Young Master. I've only done what I was supposed to do. I only have one wish. To see you climb to greater heights."
"······I see."
I nodded calmly.
But I know why Amy is saying this.
Selena Watson.
Amy's younger sister, a hostage of Equilibrium.
Amy's hopes were pinned on me growing stronger and rescuing Selena.
It was a long storyline in the original game.
Neike, during his academy days, struck a deal with Equilibrium and managed to save Selena.
Such an outcome would be beneficial to me as well.
Allies as competent as Amy are rare, and I need the strength of Equilibrium to counterbalance 'Turning White'.
With that in mind, I patted Amy, who had bowed her head, on her shoulder.
"I understand, Amy. As of now, without the influence of my family, I'm merely an ordinary student at the academy. But even if just for you, I'll strive to reach the top."
Amy looked up at me, her cheeks faintly flushed.
A fiery determination burned in her eyes.
"······Thank you very much, Young Master. I will give my all to be of assistance to you."
There's no need to go that far.
I nodded calmly once more.
"Let's head back then. It might take some time, so if you want to return to the academy first, feel free. I won't need you until the weekend, so consider it a vacation. Think of it as your reward."
"······No, Young Master. I've arranged for a carriage. I'll ensure your safety until you return."
"Very well."
Well······ If she's going to go that far, it wouldn't be right to refuse.
Regardless of her true intentions, I appreciate it.
After Noctar, it feels like I've found another person I can genuinely rely on.
A sense of responsibility can be a good motivator.
Let's give it my all.
After parting ways with Amy, I returned to where my teammates were.
Though darkness enveloped the surroundings, it was just past 9 p.m., still too early for most to sleep.
My teammates welcomed me back.
"Oh, Theo. You came back quicker than expected?"
"Right, right. I thought you'd come back tomorrow. Have you had dinner? We still have a lot of canned food left."
Monica offered me a can.
It was canned tuna.
Unlike the modern canned tuna that merely serves as a side dish, this one was packed with a hefty amount, enough to make a full meal.
"Thanks."
I accepted the can Monica handed me.
Andrew turned to me with a question in his eyes.
"...Did it go well, Theo?"
"Hmm. It was somewhat fruitful. How's everyone feeling?"
The [Blind] spell used by the boss monster 'Ghost' was remarkably strong.
Being frequently exposed to debuffs can leave after-effects.
For instance, someone under the [Confusion] spell for a long time might still experience hallucinations even after it wears off.
"I think we're all okay."
They nodded in agreement.
We spent the rest of the evening having light conversation and sharing canned food when Piel returned.
Monica greeted Piel and handed her a can, saying,
"Oh! Piel, you're back too. Have you eaten? Theo just got back a little while ago."
"… I see. Thanks, Monica."
Piel accepted the canned food from Monica, giving me a brief glance in the process.
I could sense a mix of emotions from her - regret, sadness...
It was expected.
She had wrongfully accused me and I ended up with the label of a pervert.
The mere thought of it still made me cringe.
But strategically speaking, having Piel on my side is a solid advantage.
Though she hasn’t genuinely apologized yet, given her character, I believe she will.
However, I realize the list of people that owe me is growing.
Among the students who are main characters alone, there's Neike, Piel, Jang Woohee, Aisha, Andrew, Eshild...
Excluding Andrew, they are all upright individuals that never became corrupted.
They are inherently good people, and they owe me, so they're more likely to listen to what I have to say.
I need to maintain these relationships to prevent the academy from falling into ruin.
But I couldn't help but wonder why there was a hint of anxiety in Piel's eyes.
Does she think I'm going to spread rumors or exploit this situation to make unreasonable demands?
Well, I do plan to make a significant demand.
That which is sealed deep within the Chalon family.
A divine artifact that incinerates all manifestations of evil, one of the few myth-grade artifacts that appeared in the original game.
I need 'that item' - an item deemed more valuable than an entire nation.
In the original game, this item only appeared during the academy's destruction.
But if I can acquire 'that item' earlier, I could potentially prevent a lot of damage.
In the original game, Neike used the power of this divine artifact to defeat the main executives of 'Turning White'.
The main executives of 'Turning White' are so formidable, they match the might of the highest-ranking heroes.
No matter how much of a genius Neike is, they aren't opponents he should confront during his student days.
That's just how powerful 'that thing' is.
The future has changed, so it might be needed even sooner.
With that thought, I gazed intently at Piel.
"······!"
She seemed about to say something, but then her face turned red, and she quickly bowed her head.
After Piel and I finished our meal, our team decided to head to where the other students had gathered.
I felt both at ease and uneasy at the same time.
I wondered how far the teams of Jang Woohee & Noctar and Aisha & Siena had progressed.
Shortly after, we arrived where the students were gathered—
"Oh, it's Theo! I heard he's the team leader this time!"
"It's Andrew too! Amazing!"
"They even took down the dungeon boss!"
Students began to flock around our team.
Well, more specifically, they crowded around Andrew and me.
