Chapter 224 – Conception (3)
IU8fI finished showering first.0SaH
JCR“So, among all the messages that came in, you’re saying one was from the former academy director?”pBv
DffjfI asked while drying my still-wet hair. It seemed Vixbig had organized what it wanted to say while I was in the shower, because it suddenly started speaking all at once.k2yG
Zz0Yhit[Yes. I checked it several times and it’s confirmed. It was a missed call registered from the former director’s number.]wAujR
Sbj“I see who the sender was. But who exactly is this former director?”uBeiJBl
ULh2c[You don’t know who the former director is…? That famous figure? Have you been living in another world? Vixbig is deeply shocked!]V70E
dAXIts disbelief showed in every word. Though, in this situation, I was the one most confused.WVHyC
zQ9aGp‘How famous could they be to treat me like an alien just for not knowing them?’FcAga
XHTOWell, technically, I had come from another world, so I couldn’t really complain.QAg8
w1phT0o‘But if they were so famous, why were they never mentioned in the game?’cmZWIb3
CPniSIt was strange. When I was a player, there was plenty of information about the current director, Media.xvV
vWdaqRAfter the war began, Media was remembered as the greatest director for her sacrifice in protecting the students.IHd11M
JVbkThere were even times when communities were flooded with topics about her. Ridiculous posts like “Even at over seventy, Media is still incredible.”K5PWz9
KJT‘Though that was really over-the-top.’LKE1
91EQNdAnyway, a popular figure like Media was at least known. But about the former director, there wasn’t a single reference in the game.kMfx2
AUOoFrom a player’s perspective like mine, that could only mean they weren’t relevant.DVOs5D
wqrh[Vixbig can’t believe you don’t know. I even joined her fan club!]Pf6upop
8BySo it wasn’t that I lacked knowledge. It was just that Vixbig was an over-the-top fan of the former director.3QGqH
FNGNow that I thought about it, it was suspicious.wxOh5
eZ8pNot even an AI can instantly recognize a phone number unless it already has it saved.7XMTQ
wxGsWaIt all fit. I gave a bitter smile.A16G
Obzkxx‘I should’ve noticed sooner.’M6uJM
idObmc2I sat on the window ledge, feeling the night wind move through my hair.o7xXHR
5rx8There’s definitely no better hairdryer than natural wind.w4T2
9Uf75d“Setting aside why the former director contacted me, explain who she is.”RfPR098
WMY8The fact that she contacted me was surprising, but not that shocking.pP5jwX5
eS0OMy call logs included politicians and famous entrepreneurs. It made sense, since I was now a Seven Stars hero.AJQS
KLArEven the President of the United States sent me greetings three times a day. So a message from the former academy director wasn’t a big deal.XgUX
LhjbU‘Though it was unexpected.’y2wmlM2
bcnlfThen Vixbig suddenly laid it all out, like a broken record.w22
nYidz[The name of the former director is Meain Poison. Her nickname is “Meain of the Strength of Ten Thousand.” She earned that name because it was said she possessed the strength of ten thousand heroes. Among current heroes, there’s no one who can surpass her in power.]MkfO
cdB8P9“Poison…? Is she related to the current director?”aT5B
2uJ[That’s right. They’re twin sisters. Meain is the older sister.]aAO
bHuz9Twins — that was surprising. The Poison family was something else, producing two academy directors.809IQ3U
ebJcEAnd as I thought that, Vixbig continued, excited.6Oz
3EU4[And not only was she physically strong! She was also tremendously intelligent! She was director of Joaquin Academy, which proves her intellectual capacity. She was, in short, an almost perfect heroine.]LYr6YU2
IIe8“I’ve got a question. If she was so strong, why isn’t she one of the Seven Stars? From what you’re saying, she seems even stronger than the Sword Master.”Wl5
zMt2HiG[First, answering the latter — yes, Meain is stronger than the Sword Master. Even if it’s just a rumor, he himself acknowledged it. It’s not that the difference in power is huge — maybe just a single blow’s worth.]Xww9b
kXA“How can that be? The Sword Master was considered the strongest of humanity.”jDk
Ivt5kvVixbig smiled — or at least, it seemed like that to me.Ktq2
uQM50[That connects to the first question. Why isn’t such a powerful heroine part of the Seven Stars? Why doesn’t she claim the title of strongest? Well, the reason is simple…]RXj
jdyYTIt paused dramatically, like at the end of a speech.9Qf
CAz[Because she’s the embodiment of “I can’t be bothered”! ‘Everything’s a hassle, so I’ll just step away from the world.’ Ah, so romantic! After hearing that, Vixbig also tries to follow her example.]dDW1y
kpuXYOv“…….”S9ttAXj
ZOplMy neck hurt from sheer disbelief. So when the Corps Commanders attacked, and everyone was fighting, she just didn’t join in because she couldn’t be bothered?tpWJapc
Vq0cfc2A heroine stronger than the Sword Master?GzIeN4
c0Ztv9‘Now that I think about it, when Media told me why she became academy director…’UEPo
AgWnJFIt turns out it was because her sister, the former director, simply washed her hands of the matter.W1fbDS
baUeZI thought it was a joke. But it was real.DGJ
EtWOnce again, I was reminded that in this world, hardly anyone is “normal.”88n
m3GBYCEven the artificial intelligence was halfway twisted.5k5W
FXFqzThe fact that an AI like Vixbig idolized someone for their laziness was worrisome. I should consider getting it checked.GMpjGqK
yCSg9Maybe I should talk to Ryozo about formatting it.jt5U
b5lwlEApparently, Vixbig picked up on my thoughts, because it quickly said—r4BC748
w5F[N-no, no! When working for humanity, I’m a very diligent AI! My admiration for Meain isn’t for her laziness, but for her great legacy at the academy!]Ggkpzfw
qecsbmHow quick to sense danger. This AI definitely seemed even more dangerous now.6ik5VZr
wWlGV“In any case, without me saying anything, you sent a message to the former director, didn’t you?”EBuu
f3ooe5[S-sorry.]vhp
ZoUDLDPressing my temples, I asked.QkECa
V1c0Md“Don’t panic. What did you write?”nZmK
V9Uh[Something like… ‘It is an honor to receive a message from the honorable Meain Poison. It would be a pleasure to respond if you’re willing to continue the conversation.’]jvT
LQs“In summary.”Zty
hQXLsQJ[‘Please reply to this message.’]DSRJR0
Kuvs5“Did she respond?”QLI
o5BCeV[Until a moment ago, no…]adnQviF
IkvRing~atizW
SV6[…But she just now sent a reply.]KRim4
J8MWWhat ridiculous timing.ekBCmyV
QKJggwg“What did she say?”7SHwvC
sQEvkN[She wants to meet you in person to talk about the new special class. She says to wait — that she’ll come.]AcJdA
9fSLe“How the hell did she find out we’re creating a special class? Has the news already leaked?”oyoRaE
WUbvuW[Impossible. I have full control over recording devices and no leak has been detected. Besides, everyone involved is keeping it strictly confidential.]r4QJ
6SnJN“Then how the hell did someone that old find out?”yICIj6
qCjE1[She doesn’t say… but there’s a postscript.]lSOFwj
ght5ry“Read it.”u6Hl1qJ
20B[P.S.: Please, when we meet, don’t bring sashimi from Daiso.]3Xn
EJ1nsEvVixbig delivered the message in a solemn tone.EXDbe
xsf[Respectfully, Meain Poison.]QYtyHc
koVtNl***3Ky1hr
HwqIgHaA week passed.HHlPt7w
FzVCA chaotic week, to the point that what happened in Hawaii now felt like a midsummer night’s dream. There was no better expression than “not even having time to blink.”wGbg
rui1During the day I attended every class without fail. When the sun went down, I dedicated myself to resolving the official matters that had piled up.GQQY
dBRvw5IAnd besides, there were four days left until the creation of the new Special Class. Ah, right. Today’s almost over, so actually there are only three.fVx
6nCCx“I’m so busy I’ve even lost track of time.”HMA
ZxXFortunately, when it came to studies, official work, and the founding of the new class, I had assistants for each task.cpU66Fg
Cy34S9oFor my studies, I had Ryozo. After class, she gave me private tutoring.aqM
Xuf4v‘What if I take it a bit easier?’ttb
zmofJ8That thought was immediately rejected by Ryozo with cutting coldness. She said that the higher you climb, the more knowledge you must have.YZY
P26zNjWisdom is born of knowledge, she claimed.KQa
JiBqjQJI had no arguments to refute her. So, without complaining, I also dedicated myself to studying diligently.PGlB
Nh3N5Kd‘For Blessing Specialization Theory and History, you only need to memorize the period between year 563 and 741. The questions will only come from that.’5F4
z5f78U‘You mean they’ll definitely be from there, not just probably?’PC2
YcVSRyozo would lightly tap her temple with the eraser of her pencil.acx48JD
Pa9K‘I memorized all the exam questions from the last twenty years. That’s how you spot the patterns what comes up and what doesn’t.’h4uP
wkCDamn it. That way she pointed out only the essentials and dismissed everything unnecessary. A thoughtful gesture, knowing I didn’t have time to spare.3AA
DCS3‘Studying just to pass isn’t ideal, but it’s still necessary. The questions are written by Joaquin Academy’s own professors. It’s not about guessing a multiple choice — you have to write. This will be useful when you fulfill your duties as one of the Seven Stars.’gYMlFj
FUdZ5As for the official work of the Seven Stars, I was helped by Vixbig.kzl
waGAn artificial intelligence that boasted about being lazy, but when given an order, carried it out diligently.cSwW63
dKQb77‘Beep beep– I, Vixbig, declare a strike for today!’ORk1
8lVxeVOn days when she complained particularly loudly, I’d simply swing a sword nearby.PGbrSbv
G47Then, without saying another word, she’d process document after document.q8fOu8
zzA‘Huff, my life…’o3lMOps
4tftGJEven if her ideology was questionable, thanks to her the paperwork didn’t pile up into an impossible mountain.zzrPng6
ROijD3The creation of the special class was Speedweapon’s responsibility.yUIGbb
4nwNot only did he do what was asked, he also added his own ideas to the reports he sent me. Speedweapon was especially motivated with this project.iMR
CUlzkc‘W-well… I mean, sir Heavenly Sword! Here’s the situation report!’In2crhU
PkdE‘Can’t you just keep calling me “President” like before? It’s really uncomfortable for me.’CJQ
cC1wmNY‘A-ah, okay… okay.’HFrnR
MArA5FGLike that, all I had to do was receive perfect reports and sign them.ZNz4dNP
WcVpMy only role was that of the approver.IuaTy
rwqLeeInside the file the academy director had assigned to me for handling these matters…yqzOfv
IqfZqnO“Haaah…”hYVg9Mp
GUM6T0nI collapsed, exhausted, on the desk. Once again, I felt deep gratitude toward Ryozo, Speedweapon, and Vixbig. Without them, I wouldn’t even be able to lie here like this.taZs
9wJ37BAfter lying around like a zombie, I picked up the pen again.ahJwAOu
K6785They could handle the process, but approving the decisions was still my responsibility.q7Zmq
ug7That’s why the workload was still immense.DKiNZm
mbgixTAnd it wasn’t a metaphor — there was literally a mountain of papers on the desk.ISfIw
SyqI let out a sarcastic laugh.RSw6
0xjgsDNow I understood why Media had wanted to resign from the director position so quickly.o5iPP
yzkfHer deep dark circles, impossible to hide even with makeup, now also reflected beneath my eyes.g7kdV
QK6IMy right hand, blistered, moved the feather pen gently.OVrZ
x0c8The pen fluttered softly.V8f
rxfDziL‘I always thought feather pens were just for show, but no. They’re actually practical and lightweight.’GiNw0F
m317LDarkness fell like black ink. Moonlight filtered in through the window. The stars dissolved like dust in the deep sky.hRg
HfYgZUOnly the scratchy sound of paper tearing through the silence of the night.rCVPn
mE3Knock, knock.h5zJ80
lFC6QiA knock was heard at the door.VEeOH
mLuWithout taking my eyes off the documents, I answered.nhHhjW
MamYg“Come in.”PEZr6Ra
qPrOThe only ones who could be coming to see me at this hour were Speedweapon or some staff from the association.Y2BxsG5
xicu6pAs if responding to my call, the door slowly opened.dDoa6C
3CmCreak.85hnk3A
mEsUI glanced sideways.j43o
6Abf7dPAt that moment, the pen spinning in my hand stopped.H2aZaMU
OMf7A completely unexpected person entered the room.M3V0XA
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Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaLooks like she’s here.
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaA AI is doing strike?
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaHow the hell she remembered all exam questions it’s just so absurd.
BlackLotus
Qi RefinementVixbig might be the AI i need