I Was the Strongest Sword God in My Past Life

part 21

The principal’s immediate response. Jian had already finished taming Selfis.

“Wow, the school’s really…”

What exactly is this guy’s identity? Rising from the bottom to become the top number like a comet, and manipulating the principal at will.

“You see, Chris? There’s no time. You need to get stronger quickly.”

‘When did he ever call me strong…’

“Ah, take some potions tomorrow too. I’ll give you the diet plan as well.”

“Potions? Pfft, I’m not even surprised anymore.”

Chris, resigned, checked the schedule. A packed content with no rest until night. Somehow, this schedule made it understandable how that guy got stronger.

“So who’s the other party member?”

“There’s no one decided yet, but considering the party’s combination…”

A trio combination.

If it were a real gate, it wouldn’t matter what quest was given, as the combat combination isn’t crucial. But the off-campus event, ＜Battle Survival＞, is different. With 99 people, a total of 33 teams in the virtual gate eliminating each other, combat is the main event.

Jian, whose magical tool is a sword, took the close-range position, and Chris, whose eyes are magical tools, took the support role. Then the remaining spot is…

Jian finished his brief contemplation.

“A ranged dealer would be good.”

* * *

Commonly known as the club building.

It refers to the building beyond the main building, consisting only of club rooms.

The building had doors that opened only upon fingerprint recognition, and cramped rooms of 30 square meters were tightly packed together.

On the first floor of such a building.

A sunny, prime spot was the personal space that Selfis had prepared for Gian.

Initially assigned to the less desirable third floor, Gian’s lament of “Ah, to win, I need the first floor…” quickly resulted in a change of location.

[Private Room]

From that privileged space, a man’s desperate cry echoed.

“No, I don’t want to! Hey, don’t come any closer?”

“Chris, everything is hard at first.”

A short man runs away, followed by another man a head taller.

“Do I have to do this crazy stuff to get stronger? No, I have to run away.”

“It’s too late. Open your mouth quickly.”

The story goes back to last night.

* * *

Gian lay in bed in the A1 dormitory, looking at his phone and smiling contentedly.

“This is quite satisfying.”

It was because the payment for catching snails had been deposited.

「Deposit: 6,300,000 coins

Current Balance: 6,482,100 coins」

6.3 million coins is about two months’ salary for a working adult. An excessive amount for a student’s daily wage. Of course, it’s a bargain compared to the 4,000 cosmetics that companies and guilds will produce from 40 garden snails.

“The money has also been gathered.”

Gian turned on the computer and accessed a website.

Cuzone.

The largest site for communication sales. From second-hand deals to corporate products, Cuzone’s slogan is “Everything in the world!” indicating the variety of products available for purchase.

“Mooncat fur. Nepenthes seeds. Land turtle shell… Tendons of the pond whale, ah, I’m short on money for this.”

Mooncat fur is for luxury coats.

Nepenthes seeds and land turtle shells are materials for workshop equipment production, but Gian’s purpose for buying these ingredients was entirely for consumption.

‘This amount should make about 300 potions. That should last me a while.’

Gian’s gaze turned towards the window.

The balcony view of the A1 dormitory was luxurious. A beautifully manicured artificial garden and the city’s nightscape unfolded beyond the school.

‘Store the seeds here…’

Though the balcony boasted a view rivaling that of a sky lounge, in Jian’s hands, obsessed with training, it turned into an outdoor drying yard.

‘I should ask them to crush the turtle shells before sending.’

It might incur an additional fee, but trying to save a few coins could mean spending all day crushing shells with a hammer.

[Your order has been completed.]

[Moon Cat Fur 149,500 coins]

[10g 11 bundles 1,644,500 coins]

[Nepenthes Seeds 47,000 coins]

[46 pieces 2,162,000 coins]

[Tortoise Shell 800,000 coins]

[3 pieces 2,400,000 coins]

[Balance – 275,600 coins]

“I won’t have to worry about potions for a while.”

* * *

“I won’t eat it. No, I can’t eat it!”

After slimming down his wallet, and having boiled for a long time to make it, the potion still didn’t suit Chris’s taste.

“Chris, picky eating at your age, you should be ashamed. It’s not about the taste of the potion.”

As Jian, holding a flask, took a step forward, Chris, cornered, waved his hands frantically.

“Hey! Do you think I’m fussing for strawberry-flavored syrup?”

Chris tried to escape with agile movements, but Jian’s hand was quicker. Eventually caught by the nape, Chris struggled.

“The taste of that potion is just… bizarre.”

The thought of the potion’s taste turned Chris’s complexion pale. Considering the ingredients were seeds, fur, and shells, it would be strange if it tasted good.

“Fine! I’d rather drink diarrhea!”

“I don’t want to know about your diet. To become stronger, the potion is…”

Chris showed a violent reaction, thrashing against the green flask Jian held.

“Arghhh! Just kill me! If you want to feed me that potion, kill me first and feed it to my corpse!”

Normally, potions include ingredients to neutralize the foul taste, but Jian, focused solely on efficiency, didn’t bother with such ingredients. After all, including them would cost at least 3 million more coins.

‘To upgrade Chris’s magic device, an increase in internal mana is urgent.’

Chris’s magic device is his eyes.

Although classified as auxiliary, magic devices related to the body are so rare that they defy classification.

‘Eyes…….’

Jien looked at Chris.

The only magical device Chris currently possesses is one.

Thousand-League Eye (千里眼).

Its performance is impeccable, offering a wide field of vision and even the ability to see through things. But what if it could be integrated with the body’s mana to acquire other magical devices? What if Jien’s know-how could even teach combat?

Like the joker in a deck of wild cards, Chris could become a versatile saber, capable of filling any position.

‘The biggest variable in our party.’

If potential were a gemstone, Chris’s would be a diamond. Jien is the master craftsman who can refine the raw stone.

“I hate being looked at with those eyes. It’s not just unpleasant.”

The problem is that the gemstone is wildly uncontrolled. Jien wanted to force-feed a potion through a funnel if possible, but instead, she put the flask away.

“Hey, what? You’re giving up?”

Chris’s eyes widened in surprise.

“If you’d rather die than eat it, what can I do? I’ll make it again. Just keep up with your training schedule.”

“…Really?”

Chris looked at Jien, moving his mouth hesitantly, as if feeling sorry.

“I’m, I’m sorry! I have no excuse!”

Chris bowed at a 90-degree angle. Jien chuckled and gently stroked Chris’s head.

“That’s right. Take good care of the room.”

* * *

SPEE-OH! MEM—

SPEE-OH! MAEM—

The cicadas’ noise filled the hot midday of summer. Jien sighed.

‘Should I have just accepted that blank check?’

She never imagined she’d be running errands for money again so soon. Extracurricular activities, test rewards, the schedule was too busy.

‘Still… this extracurricular activity should be simple.’

In front of the endless Twin Towers, even on a weekday, there were six students, including Jien, who had come out with a pass.

“Welcome, students. I am Arman, overseeing the security of the Mage Tower.”

Mage Tower.

From household goods to saber-related equipment, new material development, defense weapon manufacturing, and more… The Mage Tower has its roots spread in almost every business.

The Twin Towers before them are just a part of the Mage Tower. The wealth of the Mage Tower rivals that of national institutions, like stealth banks.

“Ha-ha, I see some of you are nervous. No need for that. Only ten active members are participating in this event. Among them, there’s even a 4th class Saber.”

Arman, with his muscular build, joked in a manner that seemed out of character.

“If a villain appears, feel free to run away. Of course, it will be an active Saber who takes care of it!”

A student chuckled, finding humor in the code. Pleased with the reaction, Arman wore a satisfied smile.

“Don’t worry, there are no insane villains daring to challenge the Tower, rest assured. You all have been recruited for the VIP’s safety.”

Arman continued with a playful tone, as if performing stand-up comedy.

“Trouble loves crowded places, and it never misses attending such events. Imagine that troublemaker entangling a VIP?”

Arman let out a grunt.

“If that happens, I’ll be reassigned. Not as security, but as head of cleaning.”

At Arman’s words, Zien smiled triumphantly.

‘As expected. The security task was the right answer.’

As anticipated, the students’ task was simple. They were to be bodyguards, referred to by Arman as VIPs. If a VIP got into a dispute, they were to intervene.

Just for performing this task well, 2.5 million coins would be deposited. Considering the average security task reward is 500,000 coins, it was a generous sum befitting the Tower.

“Alright! Enough chit-chat! Let’s get ready for deployment.”

Arman patted the students’ backs in a friendly manner as he offered his encouragement. As Zien unconsciously avoided Arman, he scratched his head and extended his left hand.

‘A lefty?’

As Zien accepted the handshake, Arman spoke heartily.

“Don’t get hurt! Good luck!”

“Yes.”

“The manager will guide you to the changing room, so please change into your uniforms. And make sure to wear your earpieces. If you don’t respond in an emergency, we’ll consider it slacking and dock your pay. You get the feeling, right?”

* * *

True to an event hosted by the Tower, the interior of the venue was luxurious. The invited guests were dressed extravagantly, making the event seem more like a social party than a presentation.

“Looks familiar.”

Even among the glamorous venue, the VIP Zien was to escort stood out. It wasn’t just because of the red hair.

“Indeed.”

“Let’s skip the introductions.”

Ranked 5th in the school year.

Isabel Blitz.

She was wearing a black velvet dress. Its plain design, devoid of decorations, was rather characteristic of her.

“Rumors said you were busy, but an extracurricular activity? How leisurely.”

“For securing funds.”

I didn’t know at school, but Isabelle seemed quite famous. Various celebrities kept talking to her.

“Isabelle! Do you like the salad bar?”

“You are beautiful. Miss Isabelle, would you accompany me until the end of the ceremony?”

“In charge of military supplies…!”

“Miss Isabelle, how is your father?”

The age groups and occupations were quite diverse. Isabelle was called upon every three minutes. They treated Jian, the bodyguard, like a screen, continuously flirting with Isabelle. People changed, but Jian could always tell that Isabelle was in a position of power.

“You’re famous?”

“Me?”

“At the tower, you’re treated like a VIP. Politicians, businessmen, celebrities, everyone tries to impress you, right?”