Healing at the Academy convenience store

Chapter 3

Academy City Jephryn.

I loved this game, which I had cleared to the point of being a veteran.

There were various reasons I enjoyed it.

First of all, the vast story.

The story of 12 acts and 45 chapters covers from the first grade of protagonist Kelters to his graduation at the seventh grade. During this period, you choose your own route to reach the ending and graduate from this school.

And the multiple branching points. The positional changes of the characters that follow can’t be ignored.

For example, Wolfram’s younger sister, Eve Von Roengreen.

The lady who kicked me out is the heroine in the royal route, but in other routes, she’s an ally. In some routes, she even becomes the final boss.

The changing positions of characters based on the protagonist’s choices give the impression that the characters are alive.

However, the biggest reason I was crazy about this game is that the rewards are proportionate to the effort.

The story of 12 acts and 45 chapters may seem long, but when you play it, it really flies by.

The time given to the protagonist Kelters is not very long.

Each ending has a final boss, and in order to defeat the final boss, you have to gather comrades. To do this, Kelters himself must become stronger, build friendships, and earn money whether he goes hunting or does other work.

As you build friendships with friends, there are times when they give you equipment as gifts, or awaken skills. If you don’t match your friendships well, you can end up with a bad ending.

The given time of 5 years is not abundant but not leisurely, and in order to see the ending, you have to do your best in everything.

And if you do your best, you receive a reward.

I cheered with my heart pounding at the sight of the countless ‘rewards of effort’ along with the ending where everyone becomes happy.

It was fun.

In this hopeful world, where effort receives just rewards and comrades are made, facing adversity. I loved this unique medieval fantasy academy world so much.

Now I am in this world full of dreams and hopes.

Even if I am Wolfram, who doesn’t even qualify to stand on the edge of this world, Jephryn is in front of me. I will survive here.

In this world that I loved so much!

“I’m sorry, I can’t hire you.”

“···I’m sorry. There’s no disqualification, but, you know?”

“Adventurer’s Guild. There are no vacancies for explorers either. I’m sorry.”

“······.”

I want to survive.

***

Sitting on a park bench, I stare blankly at the sky.

Clouds flow in the blue sky, and when I take a breath, the smell of soil, trees, and pleasant fragrances brush through my lungs.

Jephryn is no longer a game, it’s my reality.

And reality is brutally harsh.

“Who asked for much?”

Precisely, it’s not that there are no jobs. There are no jobs for me.

In my bag, I have a sword and clothes worth 80 million Rin to sell, but nobody will buy them.

Furthermore, I was refused from the Blacksmith Guild, the Wizard Guild, even from the Adventurer’s Guild.

Naturally, the jobs under them were also refused.

Isn’t it a bit too much to be ostracized from the entire Academy Island of Jephryn···?

“Is that it? Is it because in the system, my presence in this game is considered a bug so no one will hire me?”

If that’s the case, there’s really no answer.

No, no. That’s not it.

I shook my head.

The pressure and pain I feel from my clenched fist. The smell of the park entering deep into my lungs is giving me a sickening sense of reality.

“Status.”

Then I must survive on my own, if need be.

Even if I were to be stuck in a forest with just one axe, I would strive to survive by building a cabin.

I open and check my own status window.

【Wolfram von Roengreen】

【?T】

【Status:

Strength: 4

Dexterity: 6

Stamina: 2

Magic: 3

Will: 4】

【Skills Owned:

Royal Bloodline.】

After checking my stats, I gave a bitter laugh.

“Building a cabin is nonsense.”

I’d be lucky if I don’t get my throat slit by a goblin the moment I step into the forest. I’d love to leisurely chop wood with an axe, build a cabin, and make jerky, but that’s a completely impossible task for me.

“This is truly a lowly status.”

I tried to check my skills next, but this also elicited a sigh. Royal Bloodline. If this is a skill, it’s a bluffing skill that can only use overwhelming words against others. It can be an advantage in negotiations, but if Wolfram tries it, it’s likely to get him killed.

“What can I do.”

The sky is clear, the clouds are flowing, the trees are green, and I am jobless.

“Really, what can I do.”

***

I’m not despairing or frustrated by reality. My love for Jephryn is not broken by just this.

It’s just, I felt like I might faint.

The reason?

Nothing special. I’m hungry.

“Darn it.”

The education of Jephryn is generous. Uniforms, stationery, textbooks, meals are all free.

But at the same time, it’s strict so if you’re not affiliated with the academy, all those benefits disappear.

So where does Wolfram belong?

Regrettably, at this moment, he belongs nowhere.

He was driven out of the magic department, where he used to go with the authority of the student council president, and his next admission office will likely be Cyprus, where the commoners are mixed.

Right now, he’s stuck somewhere between expulsion and admission, and since he’s not officially affiliated with any department during processing, he had to find a way to survive on his own, while being outcast by the entire academy.

“Phew.”

The D/Z SAGA doesn’t lack hidden pieces, but this is also a headache. The game claims a simple principle.

‘Effort is rewarded.’

‘Rewards are given according to the effort’

In other words, if you want to suck up the hidden super sweet elements, even if you are a veteran, you need to be prepared.

Of course, it doesn’t have to be combat power. It can be eloquence.

For example, the settler’s letter delivery event, which can earn 10,000 Rin, is almost always a quest to do in the early stages. You receive a letter from the settler and deliver it to the 2nd floor of the magic castle.

The reward is 10,000! Super sweet.

But I was driven out of the magic castle two days ago. Darn it…

Sigh, why curse, I shook my head a few times.

This is the 8th district of the Magic Castle. Realizing I couldn’t even perform the Settler’s letter quest, I just sat down nearby.

The magic castle is always bustling, but oddly enough, there’s a place where people don’t gather.

“Sigh.”

That’s the 8th district of the Magic Castle.

Just no people. An area that is far too deserted.

This is actually an acknowledged development failure zone in Jephryn.

From the outset, the Magic Castle didn’t need eight districts. Magic Castle is a place where one genius can replace ten thousand mediocrities.

A thoroughly failed new city in real estate development. Dormitories filled only with vacancies. Empty shops. Streets with no people.

That is the 8th district of the Magic Castle.

But I liked this desolation. I also remember buying the 8th district Research Building on a merchant route and seeing the conglomerate ending.

Anyway, that’s a story of the past and the important thing is now.

“There’s still a way.”

I’m a veteran of this game.

I have a rough idea of how things will go.

The effort of thinking. The effort to survive somehow.

But I can think.

Even if I’m abandoned by the academy, I can think.

Even if I have no job, no money, I can think.

If I even give up the effort to think, it’s really over.

“…Let’s start by hunting monsters.”

I put the notes back into the carrier, reaching a conclusion.

This is really the end, there’s no chance of winning, but there’s still one thing I can do.

I grasped the long sword that was in the carrier. First, let’s go outside the academy.

And so, I stood up from my spot.

“Huh?”

I’m drained.

But this,

It’s seriously drained.

My vision is shaky. My body is leaning forward.

Why? I only starved for a day. No matter how much of a lowlife I am, I shouldn’t collapse here.

“Ah…”

This guy, only had 2 stamina…

Amidst the shaking view and dizziness, I remembered my condition.

I was not a lowlife.

I was a total lowlife.

“If I faint here…”

This place is the 8th district Research Building.

A failed redevelopment area where no people come.

If I collapse here.

Really, it’s dangerous…

***

“Uh, ugh…”

The thing that woke me up, grabbing my swaying head, was a smell.

“Are you back to your senses?”

“Um, uh, who…”

“You seem to be alive.”

A scent guiding my nose.

When I looked ahead with dazed eyes, I saw a human silhouette.

A young man with a kindly smiling face.

“Do you want to eat this?”

“Um, uh.”

What I saw in front of me was bread.

I took the bread with both hands and shoved it right into my mouth. It’s delicious. It was so good it brought tears to my eyes.

It was hard bread, but that didn’t matter at all.

“Are you okay? There’s something to drink here, so drink this too.”

Why would I need something to drink while eating tear-soaked bread, but the water he handed me wet my throat.

“How did a young chap like you end up starving?”

“That is…”

“Never mind. There’s a lot to eat here, so eat up.”

They were all low-grade recovery items, ‘black bread’ and ‘water’, but that was enough. It was sweet enough to bring tears.

After struggling to eat for about thirty minutes. I had completely satisfied my hunger and bowed my head.

“Thank you very much.”

“No no… It’s not such a big deal.”

“……”

I had to keep my identity a secret as much as possible. Judging by his reaction, he doesn’t know that I’m Wolfram.

“Never mind. Even a student council president must have a reason.”

“Do you know me?”

“Of course. You’re the president who was driven out by your sibling, aren’t you?”

That’s a punch to my wound.

He doesn’t discriminate against me, does he? The world is still livable.

“Knowing that, you still gave me food, I’ll repay this favor later.”

“Ha. It’s okay. I was going to throw these away because they’re going to go bad soon anyway.”

Disposed of.

A familiar resonance.

“I see. Is that so?”

“Yep. So, I just came with a bad stock and fed it to you. You’re not going to kill me for insulting royalty, are you?”

“Ha. What are you talking about? Maybe if I can, I want to repay you later.”

I extended my hand and the young man grinned.

“So why were you stuck there, Mr. President?”

“I was driven out, so they didn’t take me in.”

“Ah…”

“Who are you?”

“I’m a guy who runs a grocery store just ahead. My name is Phil.”

“I see, Phil. Can I call you casually?”

“Of course.”

Phil nodded and I responded with a smile.

“Good. Phil, do you have any plans to hire me?”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

“I see. Can’t be helped.”

“It’s not for any other reason, but I’m planning to close my business soon.”

“What?”

Phil smiled at me, but there was a shadow in his smile.

“Do you know what it means when black bread, the lowest-grade bread, goes bad? Normally, it takes about half a year for black bread to go bad, right?”

“Ah…”

“It seems the location here isn’t good. Anyway, I’m closing this and going back to my hometown. So, I can’t hire you.”

“……”

That is…

That is a truly unavoidable reason.

Don’t stop thinking. What should I do here?

This ruined convenience store. Broken real estate. Vacant location. The departing owner.

And what do I have? What can I do?

No. What does Wolfram need most right now?

I didn’t stop thinking,

I found the answer,

And I reached the conclusion.