Surviving as a Con Artist at the Academy

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51 Chapter. Shower (3)

There was a reason why the main characters remained unscathed after brushing against the magical waves emitted by the Nine-Tailed Fox. They either had resistance or means to block it.

Like Crona and Mary, who had the luck to devour magic, or Jenny, who possessed the ultimate ability to freeze even magic.

Riplain, who had a peculiar sacred artifact to counter magic, or Baimon, who always carried a magical device that automatically blocked magic.

Or perhaps… like Luska, the genetic makeup of the Thousand-Year Fox residing within her automatically protected her.

At first, I was at a loss, but I managed to resolve it by absorbing Muto.

In the case of other students from the Academy, if they were from the spirit or cleric lineages, they might maintain their consciousness but would find it impossible to stand.

Even if they stood, it would be impossible to subdue the Nine-Tailed Fox.

One fortunate aspect is that the Nine-Tailed Fox is currently incomplete. Compared to the original divine beast power that rivals a dragon, its level was pathetic but not something mere students could withstand.

The five Lycanthropes from last time seemed like mere cute critters in comparison.

As time passes, the Nine-Tailed Fox is charging up its power.

Enviel is supplying volcanic energy from the peak of Purgatory Mountain, and if that gets fully charged, it will truly transform into the worst divine beast.

Enviel’s efforts researching Purgatory Mountain during his time at the Academy were all for this purpose. He was scheming to overthrow the nation under the guise of researching energy extracted from the volcano.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t a way to stop the plan.

As I mentioned earlier, the Nine-Tailed Fox is still incompletely awakened. If the students who can still move unite their strength, they may be able to restrain it.

And if we revert the Nine-Tailed Fox back to Angela, everything will come to an end. The only being capable of doing that is Luska Mad Eye, who shares the same bloodline.

“Stop it, you fool!”

Jenny brandished a sword enveloped in a ferocious aura.

With just a slight swing, she could tear through raindrops and air. She was about to unleash her powerful skill on Luska without restraint.

I swung Leviathan, firing a fishing line to bind her arm. Interrupted in her rage, Jenny turned to glare at me even more fiercely, but once she realized it was me, her surprise was evident.

“Radon! How are you here… and how are you unscathed? You weren’t knocked out like the others?”

“Well, you see, I have a resistance.”

Upon realizing it was me who interrupted her, she seemed relieved, knowing there was still a friend standing.

But then, her fierce expression returned, and like a tiger, she said, “Radon, you need to untie this immediately. I can’t forgive this guy.”

“I know you two have a bad relationship. But still, is it really okay to draw swords against each other among classmates in a situation like this?”

“A classmate? Radon, you seem to be unaware. This guy is one of the main culprits behind this incident. It wouldn’t be a problem at all to take him out legally.”

Jenny’s words couldn’t be entirely dismissed. Since there were traces of him collaborating with Enviel, he wouldn’t escape punishment.

Leorio and Baimon, who were listening nearby, nodded in agreement.

Mary quietly leaned against the alley wall, silently observing the situation. She tended to remain very calm during such matters.

They must have heard all the facts from Enviel. From the reasons why Luska entered the Academy… to the relationship between Luska and Angela.

However, Luska participating in this incident could certainly not be forgiven.

“Think carefully, Jenny. Right now, to stop the fox monster, we need every bit of strength we can gather. Luska is also a lucky student who remained standing, not knocked out.”

“Are you telling me to team up with this guy? After he used Angela as a tool for his revenge… and put Crona in danger?”

Of course, Jenny wasn’t going to back down easily. She was still staring as if she would slice Luska at any moment.

Luska, being a warrior race with the lineage of the Thousand-Year Fox, had the blessed physique to endure a skill hit, but… at least, it would guarantee serious injury.

Then, she would no longer be able to participate in the hunt against the Nine-Tailed Fox, and we would lose the only beastman capable of stopping it, leading to a bad ending where Aligieri Town is completely destroyed.

“If it’s Crona, she will be safe.”

“What?”

It was essential to lessen Jenny’s rage in this tense moment. Normally, I prefer lies over the truth, but now wasn’t the time for selfishness.

“If you head east from Aligieri Tower, you’ll come across a cabin. That’s where Crona is.”

“Is that true? How can you guarantee that?”

“Remember when the race started, I left the tower before you?”

(Smack!)

Veins popped on Jenny’s forehead. She was probably recalling my “Goodbye, everyone~” moment. Honestly, I’d be pretty ticked off if I were in her shoes.

“I arrived at the tower before you guys and captured the spirit. While trying to chase down a fleeing spirit, I headed east and ran into Crona and Luska. And I got to hear all of Luska’s intentions.”

Since I had been tracking a spirit, the erosion rate didn’t decrease.

I explained to her how Crona had been doing before the exam. Including how Luska… saved Crona from nearly falling into the hands of Enviel.

“Is that really true? No matter how I think about it, it’s hard to believe. I mean… what even is going on?”

From Jenny’s perspective, it was understandably complicated. The one who had kidnapped Angela was now the very person who saved Crona for his own revenge?

Without knowing the ins and outs of Luska’s situation, she wouldn’t be able to understand even if she wracked her brain.

“For the details, ask Crona later. She should still be inside the cabin. Right, Luska?”

“….”

Luska was still sitting there, dumbfounded. Even though the damp ground was her cushion, she felt none of it.

The lack of response even when threatened hinted at how much she had lost.

“What are you going to do now? Are you just going to wait here and die in the rain?”

Only after hearing those words did Luska finally lift her head, creakingly. There, she saw the face of a boy named Radon Crawler.

The moment she saw him… all the pent-up frustration erupted.

Now, there was no one left to listen to her words. The one who was the main culprit behind the birth of the Nine-Tailed Fox and her own sibling remained an unrecognized sinner. Who would treat her as a person after that?

But the boy standing there, despite everything, seemed different. For some reason, he was the one who had been helping her regardless of the reason.

“Hey… what am I supposed to do now?”

With red eyes, Luska asked me. She looked like a lost little fox, or perhaps a candle left in the rain.

A suicide bomb created to destroy her target of revenge. The fact that it turned out to be her sibling was enough to render her powerless.

Losing a family member had been the starting point of her revenge, yet now she was also losing her new family with her own hands.

“Answer me.”

She asked again what she should do.

In the main story, Jenny’s rage was less than it is now, so I could understand her feelings. After all, I also had lost my mother in a similar situation.

But right now, it would be impossible to force Jenny to be persuaded. I had to step in to do it for her.

“I’ll answer you. But first….”

“…??”

I held Luska’s chin.

Smack!—

…And I slammed my head into hers with all my might.

“Ugh!”

When our heads collided, a ringing sound echoed. Even if it was just a groan, Luska finally made a human-like sound.

I thought this would be much better than swinging a fist at a lady.

But it hurt more than I expected.

“Ow ow ow…!”

“Radon, are you okay?”

“I’m fine… ow ow.”

In fact, I was the one who ended up taking more damage. It was no wonder Jenny was concerned.

It felt like I had headed a chunk of metal. You might wonder how a girl’s head could be so hard, but Luska belonged to the ‘Yoho tribe’, so she had a naturally tough physique.

“Isn’t this a bit like a cosmic monkey race or something?”

I decided to act all impressive in front of her.

“Are you coming to your senses now? Luska.”

“No, it’s you who has a bump on your forehead….”

“A bump? I’m fine!”

“….”

[Erosion rate decreased: -10%]

[+1000 Credits]

Hmm…. Indeed, my persuasive power seems weak.

Eventually, Riplain reached to heal my bump with divine power while I continued speaking.

“Anyway, you should have a good idea of what to do.”

“….”

“Why did you yearn for revenge?”

The despair of losing those you should protect. The grievances from that gave rise to her present self.

It was all about family. She must already know what she truly desired.

“It’s already too late. And now I can’t be with you guys….”

“Too late? Ah, you did something anger-inducing, but what you want to do isn’t to hinder us right now, is it? If you just stand still, you’ll only accumulate more regrets.”

Regrets, an ongoing feeling of remorse over everything that had happened. The greatest of them all was wanting to apologize to Angela. Nothing would compare to the regret of disappearing without ever getting to act as an older sister, even just once.

“Listen carefully to me.”

I grabbed Luska’s shoulders and faced her directly.

Her tear-filled face looked incredibly innocent compared to the usual expression filled with spite.

“What is it that you truly wanted? Beyond wandering about in anger for revenge, what is it that you sincerely long for? Think back on what you truly miss.”

Luska gazed blankly at the boy’s face.

What is this guy? He’s suddenly helping and worrying for her. Even now, he was the only one who understood her while trying to dissuade the angry others.

From him, she felt an inexplicable sense of warmth.

The feeling she had never experienced when her mother was taken away by soldiers and scolded by them.

A helping hand extended from another. Though she might have forgotten it while living in loneliness, her body didn’t forget its memory.

Even upon entering this land of learning, she had to remain solitary due to the twisted personality and intent. There wasn’t a single student who tried to understand her amidst the barrage of curses and slanders.

Except for Radon Crawler.

Perhaps for that reason, she had involuntarily helped Radon in the past.

“Can you… hold my hand?”

“….”

“Can you really believe in and rely on someone like me?”

Could it truly come to this? Could someone as tainted as her, whose hands were stained with blood, find some acceptance?

So, I turned my back and asked, “What do you all think?”

The idea to consider punishing Luska after we survived spread among us.

Riplain said it was fine as long as it meant stopping this crisis, and Baimon said he didn’t care as long as it aided his research.

“This is the only time.”

Mary firmly declared, turning her head away. And the last person was….

“Grab her.”

“…?”

I reached out my hand to Luska. Gradually, Jenny’s rage lessened. Although it wasn’t completely gone, conditions arose that would allow her to broaden her thoughts.

She too had gone through a time of despair after losing her mother. Back then, she had the heirlooms her mother left behind and the support of a harmonious family, which made it bearable.

Though Luska had likely gone through something similar… there was no guarantee that she would have turned out well like herself.

‘A flower raised in a greenhouse.’

The reason Luska viewed herself as such might serve as a proof of her not having grown up in a harsh environment.

Thanks to the calm brought on by her earlier anger being quelled, these various thoughts drifted through my mind. Other than their different backgrounds, were they really that different from each other?

Before we knew it, the rain had stopped.

Light beams started to glimmer through the gaps in the dark clouds. One of them began to illuminate them.

The blue pendant hanging around Jenny’s neck shone brightly. The direct light reflected upon the scarf that Luska wore.

Even though it didn’t shine, it looked as though it welcomed the warmth of others that had been longed for.

Luska looked at it. Although still holding an unresolved expression, she gazed at Jenny’s face, who extended her hand toward her.

Alright, just for this time. Even if everything she had done until now crumbled to dust… it really didn’t matter, did it?

If she could just sever this hellish regret….

With a firm grip—

There was no reason not to grab this hand.

*

The mind of the Nine-Tailed Fox was filled entirely with hatred.

Recalling the forgotten original memories, she was no longer Angela Whitegreen but merely the monster known as the Nine-Tailed Fox.

Having been tormented through human experimentation since birth and losing her parents, the grievance was unbearable.

There was nothing left for her anymore. With nothing left to lose, she felt no fear.

If so, why was she born in the first place? She loathed the humans who had created her.

The only thing left was revenge. If she could create a butterfly effect to annihilate humans, even if her body became collateral, it would be beyond beneficial.

For instance, resurrecting a demon.

To do that, she would stop at nothing.

Even the benefactor who had raised her would be torn apart mercilessly if they stood in her way.

Her life would come to an end soon anyway—payback for her parents’ grievances was of no concern.

But then….

“I… want to eat…!”

The extremities of the Nine-Tailed Fox trembled. What she craved in her monster form could only be humans. But that was merely a narrow understanding.

‘Blood? Liver? Meat? Ugh… no. Not at all.’

What she truly desired wasn’t those things. It was something a bit different. It contained meat, yet the primary ingredient was something else entirely.

Had her memories from her time as Angela faded away due to becoming a Nine-Tailed Fox? The name eluded her.

It was definitely rice. Round rice filled with something meat-like.

‘But why… why do I keep thinking of food?’

An obsession that made her forget her true purpose for a moment.

The fact that it was withdrawal symptoms… was something this child had difficulty understanding.

She needed to regain her composure. Either way, her lifespan was running out. Once all this was over, it would simply become a contaminant that she no longer needed.

There was no need to be fixated on something she couldn’t grasp.

Sluur— She could sense a presence. Someone was slowly walking toward her.

Not just one but several. Among them, one approached with a cynical attitude.

“Hey, kid. You’ve grown a lot since we last met?”

A boy with a fishing rod… the one she could never forget, was approaching.

Survival as the Academy Scammer.