I Was the Strongest Sword God in My Past Life

part 16

[Appearance Offer – 1st Year Gien Russel]

[Applicant – Brodo]

[Affiliation – G Channel]

‘So that was his purpose.’

Coincidentally, it was the very extracurricular event that Selfis had scoffed at Gien as being insane.

“Principal, isn’t this event meant for One Numbers to participate in?”

Gien’s sarcastic reference to the past made Selfis clear his throat.

“Hmm, did I not mention? Your unofficial ranking is 9th, practically a One Number.”

“But for someone without the qualities to become an active Saber to participate in such an event…”

Selfis’s hand, holding the cup, trembled slightly.

The tea rippled gently.

‘That guy…’

Selfis reflected on the past.

How had he, surpassing those more capable than himself, become the principal of a prestigious school?

‘I won’t fall for this blood bag’s provocation.’

Selfis patted Zien’s shoulder, wearing a kindly smile.

“Haha, don’t take it too hard. I misspoke back then, didn’t I? Phew, as an educator, to lack such discernment in students, I must reflect on this.”

‘To come out with such a low stance.’

Selfis seemed eager to participate in the G Channel event. Zien examined the paper he was handed.

“Are the detailed rules of the event not written here?”

Selfis reacted with a loud ‘Oh-.’

“Got interested? But I also heard that it’s a three-person participation, nothing more.”

“Are you saying it’s a team event?”

“Yes. That’s all I know too.”

It was unlikely that Selfis, over fifty years old, had ever played a virtual reality game.

“I will participate.”

“That’s right, good decision!”

Selfis hurriedly gathered the documents. But he had already shown too many weaknesses to me.

“Haha, considering the prize money, you made a good decision!”

The desperate reason for Selfis.

This broadcast planned by G Channel would air during prime time. The predicted viewership alone was 10%.

If Zien refused and Arcana couldn’t join?

Not only the rival Celia Academy but also other schools would become a laughingstock.

Selfis, who valued the school’s image as if it were his life, had no choice but to become desperate.

At least Selfis, having avoided the worst episode, breathed a sigh of relief.

‘Thanks to you, a weight has been lifted…’

“But there’s a condition.”

“A condition… you say?”

“I want a room for participating in the off-campus event. About thirty pyeong in size.”

At Zien’s proposal, Selfis frowned.

“A room? Are you talking about starting a club?”

“No. I plan to use it personally.”

“30 pyeong for personal space? Do you know the value of 30 pyeong of Arcana land!”

Selfis, losing his temper, coughed ‘hem!’ in feigned calm.

‘One shouldn’t get angry before the deal is sealed. But this is too much. Even so, 30 pyeong…’

The 30 pyeong room of prestigious Arcana is different in value from 30 pyeong of rural farmland. Still…

“Isn’t it cheap for the school’s promotional expenses, Principal?”

At Jian’s calm voice, Selfis, cooled down, groaned in frustration.

“Still… If we give such a large space to an individual, there will be objections…”

“I’ll say it was acquired to prepare for an off-campus event. For training purposes.”

Jian wasn’t entirely wrong.

He had indeed planned to train there as well.

“Still…”

“Whenever you’re ready. Just send me a message when you’ve made up your mind.”

It was a space Jian desperately needed. A place to stay with colleagues for advanced courses or the upcoming assignment tests would be very helpful.

‘Especially once I’m in the second year.’

With gate clearing and party activities becoming the main focus, personal space would shine even more.

“I’ll take my leave now, Principal.”

As Jian rose from his seat without hesitation, Selfis shouted.

“Wait! How about this? Rent it! Let’s do it on a rental basis.”

“Do you mean to reclaim it after the event is over?”

“More than that… There has to be a result, for me to save face… Hmm? Think about it, like… winning first place…”

Selfis hastily straightened his index finger as he spoke.

“Yes, first place! If you win first place in the off-campus event, you can use the room as you wish until graduation!”

A transparent offer.

Whether Jian fails or wins first place, Selfis has nothing to lose.

‘He probably thinks first place will be tough.’

But for Jian, it’s an offer with no downside.

Competing with stronger students and gaining fame is a good experience.

‘The prize money is just a bonus…’

The 9th-grade gate known as ‘Miji’ and the ‘Wish of Stigmata’, the eradication of villains.

Many have been called legends among Sabers up to this point.

Gien’s past life was one of them.

But the goal of this life aimed for a higher realm.

The pinnacle of perfection.

Winning the suburban event was fitting as the second step on that path.

“Very well. Principal, I will participate.”

“Ho-ho-ho, wise decision! The event is a month away, so let me know the other two participants by then.”

Selfis, beaming with a smile.

The sight of him shaking hands with Gien seemed quite pleasing.

“Do the other participants also need to be number one?”

“You’re as good as a number one, so the rest doesn’t matter. But to win, we should bring strong students.”

‘…Strong students.’

Selfis’s criteria must be combat power, but Gien’s were different. After all, it’s a team play of three.

It’s meaningless if it’s not someone you can trust to have your back. For instance…

‘Rank 144. Dormitory D2, is it?’

Someone who wouldn’t hesitate to drown for the team.

* * *

A leisurely weekend should be.

Under the blazing sun.

＜ Suburban Activity Request List ＞

1 – Cleanse the Monster Zone

[Reward: Proportional to the amount cleared]

2 – Kindergarten Visit Assistant

[Reward: 200,000]

3 – Active Saber Gate Support

[Reward: 15,000,000]

4 – Client Escort

[Reward: 2,500,000]

(※ Client identity. Strict confidentiality)

5, 6, 7, ……166.

Jien checked her phone.

Among the list of extracurricular activity requests, there were 166 that a freshman could accept. Of these, Jien chose activity number one.

‘This is what they call an extracurricular activity, huh.’

In exchange for work, students received money and service points, and the school, for an educational institution, collected image and fees in a rather commercial system.

But she actually liked that aspect.

‘Because I need the money.’

[The Broom of Extermination]

The height of the skyscraper made her crane her neck. Even the building was adorned with a sign in the shape of a broom.

“I’ve been waiting~.”

The person who came out of the building was Irel. She slightly lowered her sunglasses and scanned Jien from head to toe.

“Heh, you look much better in person.”

Irel smirked with a displeased face.

Jien felt danger in a different sense.

“Hello.”

“Let’s skip the formalities. Everyone’s waiting, so let’s talk while we walk.”

The two began to walk into the building. Dozens of employees in the skyscraper. The size of The Broom of Extermination was comparable to a corporation.

If there was something unusual, it was the many artificially planted trees inside the company. All of them were Nyangdarrae trees.

“It’s quite different from what I imagined.”

Jien commented on the unexpected sight. It was the complete opposite of the rough image she had envisioned.

“Hmm, what kind of image did our little chick have in mind?”

‘This woman, a chick?’

Still, the arm she casually threw over his shoulder wasn’t too bad.

“I guess something more fitting for cleaning?”

“Monsters’ heads mounted on the walls, and burly people standing around?”

Irel stuck out her tongue with a ‘bleh.’

“Ugh, that’s a scene you’d see in an old-fashioned movie. Nowadays, cleaning is an intellectual profession.”

“I like it.”

“Oh, really?”

Despite the spacious elevator, Irel deliberately moved closer to Jien.

“Shall we make a contract then? I’ll talk to the guild leader about the signing bonus~ okay?”

“I still have no achievements to speak of. Extracurricular activities should suffice.”

“You’re too modest, you know? No one among the students wields a sword as well as you do.”

It was then that Irel poked at Zien’s forearm.

The elevator doors opened.

“If you only had eyes for one thing.”

The man who entered through the open doors was Jackson.

He swung his hand lightly.

Thwack!

Struck on the nape by the water pipe, Irel yelped and recoiled. Jackson scanned Irel with a look of contempt.

“Flirting with minors again, were you?”

“Ouch! That hurts! Are you crazy? Senior! Who hits someone on the neck like that?”

Irel screamed, but Jackson didn’t blink an eye.

“Enough! You, go get caught. Last time I left you to scout… you only picked the pretty ones.”

Jackson clicked his tongue in disdain.

“Why bring that up? I told you, it just so happened the strong ones were good-looking! Oh, come on! You’ve got it all mixed up!”

Zien thought of a feline animal as Irel growled in anger.

“Where do you get off talking back? That’s why you should stop pestering the kids. You were even rejected for guild membership. What are you doing, messing with a student who came to work part-time?”