NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6
<6 - No-Skip Carriage Journey>
[The training period has ended.]
[All increased training efficiency reverts to normal.]
A month of training has come to an end.
It was a tough time, but I spent it diligently, as it was an opportunity to earn a lot of experience points with little effort.
Using the know-how I knew as a player, my experience points skyrocketed, and my swordsmanship and archery skills really improved.
Am I, perhaps, a bit strong?
Before entering the academy, I wouldn’t be considered lacking in swordsmanship or archery.
“You may not know, Miss Oknodie, but the Gift Academy is a facility that nurtures the finest talents in the world. Anyone under 20 years old can apply.”
“Well, I know that much.”
“Then you also know about the qualification test that determines eligibility to take the entrance exam due to the overwhelming number of applicants.”
Of course, I do.
The qualification test is the first round of exams for entering the academy.
[Entrance Exam Qualification Test Event]
You, who aspire to enter the continent’s best academy.
To prove the minimum qualification to challenge the academy, you must pass the entrance exam’s qualification test.
Go find an examiner who distributes entrance exam tickets, take the tests required by each examiner, and receive a ticket as proof of passing.
If you’re alone, collecting information will drain your wallet, and you’ll spend more money just getting there.
That’s why people do things like blood donation jobs, live lab jobs, or clinical trial jobs in dark alleys.
To gather the money needed for these expenses, I can’t afford to be picky about safe or unsafe jobs.
Of course, for the wealthy well-being starter Oknodie with a support fund of 100 gold coins, working part-time is a tale from another world.
I just focused on training hard.
“There are three examiners you can find in this area. Two are junior examiners with multiple tickets, and one is a senior examiner with dozens of tickets.”
“Then, of course, it’s the senior examiner!”
“Your confidence is quite bold, without questioning the difficulty of the test. Are you sure you won’t regret it?”
Hah, junior? Intermediate?
Those examiners with maybe a ticket or two each cater to beginners or intermediate players.
For veterans like me, those places where you can just ‘get any ticket’ are inefficient.
“Where can I find the senior examiner?”
“At one of the world’s ten famous spots—[Garden of the Gods] at an altitude of 12,500m, said to be a must-visit place for travelers who love to roam the world before they die.”
“Heh.”
“You’re brimming with confidence.”
“Don’t worry. I’m Oknodie.”
“Considering your confidence, passing seems like a sure thing.”
Fortunately, Shinjung Mountain wasn’t too far from the starting point.
The exam venues are limited to a physically close distance.
If money was overflowing, one could fly around in an airship looking for easy venues, but even that is a burden for a noble start-up route with only 100 gold coins.
Well, maybe for a grand noble route where you gain about 1,000 gold coins.
‘There are alternative methods, though.’
Flexibly throwing gold coins to buy tickets is one option, but come on, it’s just the entrance exam.
The market value of a ticket is 10 gold coins.
It’s too painful to risk getting a fake ticket just to spend a fortune.
The price to guarantee a safe ticket is 100 gold coins.
I’d have to cough up all my support funds.
With my veteran status, that’s not happening.
‘This time, the training has paid off.”
With the butler’s care, I was able to concentrate on training, significantly improving my swordsmanship and archery.
Thanks to using the maid in my training, my stealth and hiding skills also skyrocketed.
“I’m reiterating, wand arts are sealed until you enter the academy. Do you understand?”
“Yes~”
Instead of the long name like the entrance exam qualification test, players and NPCs refer to it as the ticket test.
This test, where luck elements go wild, has, of course, luck elements determined by probability.
‘Surprisingly, the examiners aren’t random.’
Instead, the tests given by the examiners are random.
What kind of test they’ll give won’t be known until you get to the exam venue where the examiner presents it.
‘If it’s the Shinjung examiner… it won’t be boring.’
The ticket test, I started to feel a bit excited about.
*
“Are you sure this is all you want to take?”
“This is enough.”
The butler looked at my backpack with a baffled expression.
It was a classic adventurer set, loaded with preserved food, adventure tools, first aid potions, and more.
Along with it, I had a weapon to protect myself.
This was all I had.
He probably thinks it’s not fitting for a ‘young lady.’
But there are certain lines I can’t compromise on.
“I don’t need a teddy bear pillow or cumbersome ribbon hairbands. Those silly exclusive ‘young lady’ items are just annoying and heavy, you know?”
“The lady will be sad.”
“Hmph. I can train hard, but I’m not interested in anything girly.”
Even though my body has turned into a girl, my heart is still a man.
I’ve been trapped in this game world overnight, but I have no intention of living like a girl.
Before being a girl, I’m a player.
That identity is far more important to me.
The only way to remember who I was as a man is by holding onto it now.
As a result, I’m the ultimate efficiency freak.
With not a thought to looking cute, I stick to the harsh basics of an adventurer’s outfit.
“You look great, young lady.”
“Thanks, Reap.”
Maid Reap, unlike my butler who only says polite things, offers me sweet compliments.
Because of that, I tend to rely on her more often, but it’s no loss since I can sneak treats from her.
Ah, today’s candy has a little pop in my mouth.
Is it a sugar candy concept?
“Anyway, once I enter the academy, I’ll get a uniform.”
“I need a picture to report to my master.”
“…That sounds really expensive.”
In a world where the existence of magic has slowed down scientific progress.
The magical item
To use such an expensive item just to check on a girl’s clothing, I thought my father was quite the doting father.
‘Well, considering he could afford to hire someone as amazing as Jonnas, he must not be your average noble father.’
For a noble who casually splurges 100 gold coins, what’s there to it?
“Just this once.”
At the carriage’s rest stop.
Really, because of the butler who brought a teddy bear and ribbon hairband, the passengers accompanying us burst into snickers.
“This is so cute, young lady.”
“Hey, aren’t you hitting on a child, old man?”
“Bard, I’ll give you three silver coins, so just sing a song instead of flirting around.”
Even the scruffy hunter quietly admiring from the corner and the cute kid from the tourist couple hiking makes me feel pressured.
The bard, who kept winking at me after our eyes met, started playing.
“Then, the song I will play now is… the girl with the white skin.”
Oh please.
Stop the cringe play!
*
At the exam venue where everyone under 20 years old congregates.
The inn at the entrance of Shinjung Mountain was bustling with people hoping to meet the examiners.
“I think every year about how popular the ticket test is. Exploring adventurers and strong rookie adventurers are all gathered here.”
“Why are you here, old man? Aren’t you over twenty?”
“Haha. What else would people my age do here, young lady? Of course, just watching. I’m here to cheer for the most beautiful participant, which is you!”
Unlike the other guests who got off early on the way to Shinjung Mountain, the bard, who spent the entire tedious carriage journey with me, brought his hand to his mouth and blew me a kiss.
At first, I thought he might be some kind of pedophile, making me feel uncomfortable, but after realizing his value during the long boring trip, my perspective changed.
In a world without
Without the bard’s entertainment to ease the monotony of the long carriage ride, the uncomfortable silence with my butler and maid would have driven everyone crazy.
‘Still, well, the bard’s flirty nonsense made things awkward for him when he got caught with a slap.’
But even so, I won’t let that slide; he tried to throw a drunken arm around me.
Because of Jonnas’s quick hand, even now one of the bard’s eyes looks like a panda with a black eye.
The other guests quickly recognized the butler’s ferocity and left the area from the entrance, creating a tense atmosphere.
“You shouldn’t open your heart to a wandering bard who sells stories and songs, young lady.”
“What’s wrong with that? It kept me entertained and made the journey enjoyable.”
We shared a casual farewell with the bard, and Reap quietly moved on.
“Where are you going?”
“I have something to take care of.”
“Can’t I come with you?”
Feeling an inexplicable unease, I clutched the maid’s skirt, and Reap silently let out a sigh.
“That lucky bastard…”
“What?”
“Nothing. Then let’s go together.”
Reap is cheerful and lively, but her words are few.
Sometimes, when she mumbles quietly, she seems socially withdrawn.
She’s the type of maid that makes me a bit uneasy when left alone.
“There are a lot of people.”
“If you’d like, I can stand in line for you. Since this is a rare trip, why not enjoy some sightseeing for a bit?”
It’s buzzing.
A line like a snake formed from eager foodies stretches for miles.
Just seeing the long line makes me dizzy.
Reap’s resolution to improve her social skills crumbles at the sight of the line, bringing overwhelming stress.
It’s clear that we won’t get in within a day or two.
Whenever people cluster, there are always those who mindlessly line up, only to find themselves at a street vendor selling skewered food, angering them for no reason.
In the end, my purchase of skewered food had the street vendor’s skills surprisingly causing awe among some.
“Don’t even think about it.”
The butler sensed my gaze and warned me.
“That could be meat from a filthy rat scurrying around in mud on the street. As long as I’m here, I won’t let any substandard food touch your lips.”
“Dear Jonnas, you’re being too picky. If you keep nitpicking like this, there’s nothing edible to buy outside.”
“Then it looks like you’ll only eat the food I prepare for you from now on.”
“Tch. It’s not like I’ll be with you forever.”
Jonnas’s expression darkened slightly.
If I were to compare it, it would be like the face of a father realizing his daughter is growing up and will one day marry a stranger.
Feeling a bit guilty, I gently took his hand, but he frowned deeply.
Clutching
He acts like he hates it, but when I apply just a bit of pressure, he cautiously holds my hand like a fragile sugar sculpture.
They say male Tsundere is repulsive, but maybe my butler is a bit adorable.