For several days, we worked diligently.
While the external Violets were busy earning money and securing bases, the school’s Violets weren’t just idling around either.
-Today, it’s just another weird lecture.-
-Just wing it!-
Most of the classes, except for a few, involved unmotivated professors giving lackluster lectures or rambling about topics unrelated to the syllabus.
“…Creatures that emerge from dimensions or are corroded by ether possess tenacious vitality. And where does this vitality come from? Perseverance! Mental strength, that’s what I’m saying. Therefore, you all need thorough mental fortification! Got it?”
I decided to ignore this biology lecture entirely.
As long as I didn’t get an F, it was fine.
If you glanced at the clone attending the class, it might seem like she was focused on the lecture, but in reality, it was different.
-There are lots of fun games here. Though the subculture content seems a bit weak.-
-Hey! Don’t do it like that! Control it better.-
Spending time like this, the lecture ended in no time.
“Professor! Is it true that dimensions with monsters may have intelligent lifeforms similar to humans?”
As the lecture was about to end, a student raised their hand and asked a question.
That question provoked an intense emotional reaction from the professor.
“What? Where did you hear such nonsense? The intelligence of monsters is, at best, slightly above that of monkeys. That’s the kind of fake news those Federation folks would spread!”
“Uh… Professor, I didn’t mean to suggest it myself. It’s just that some scholars were saying that on the news…”
“Scholars? I’m a scholar, and I’m not spouting conspiracy theories! Hey! What’s your name? Points deducted!”
Watching the professor rant reminded me of something.
Just as the student mentioned, there were intelligent beings in other dimensions with appearances and intellects similar to humans.
It’d be nice if they were just friendly neighbors, but this guy was more like a demon lord and hinted at being hostile to humanity.
There were even theories that they were the hidden masterminds behind the first invasion.
It seemed like their existence wasn’t revealed yet in this timeline.
Maybe some high-ranking officials in the Federation or the clans knew about them.
-If I explained this to anyone now, they’d all call it a conspiracy theory anyway.-
-True, no point in bringing it up.-
Next up was the tactical studies class with an instructor who loved sharing his stories.
“Alright, cadets. Gather around. Let me tell you about a time I conquered a dimensionalized region… Do you know where it was? During that mission, I was with three comrades… Do you know what academy those comrades attended? When I first met that friend, I realized the importance of physical training…”
It was fascinating how he could fill an entire multi-hour lecture with just his anecdotes. Still, this instructor seemed to treat students decently, which was an improvement.
“Cadets, what do you think is the tactical lesson to take from this story?”
“…Teamwork?”
“Courage?”
“Good. You all seem to have grasped it. Now, write a report summarizing the tactical lessons from today’s lecture. Five pages, handwritten, due next session!”
I take back what I said. In this day and age, who writes reports by hand?
-Damn it! How are we supposed to find tactics in that story?-
-Just wing it!-
Tonight, I’ll summon five clones to each write one page.
That should wrap it up in an hour.
The afternoon was better with an elective history class and a weaponry class with a strict instructor.
Despite the difficulties, I learned something in those classes.
The elective class, “Understanding Post-War World History,” was led by a gentle-looking elderly professor.
I paid close attention to this lecture.
I was also borrowing history books from the library because this content seemed crucial.
After all, I didn’t have a complete grasp of this world’s lore.
“…Humanity barely repelled the first invasion, but the crisis didn’t end. Monsters swarmed, nations collapsed, refugees emerged due to gates and dimensional erosion, and some awakened individuals empowered by ether turned to crime. Humanity was thrown into chaos for decades. These problems were beyond the capacity of individual nations. Recognizing the need for unity, existing international organizations and nations came together to form a single entity. What is it called, students?”
When the professor gently posed the question to a student in the front row, an immediate answer followed.
“The Federation!”
“Correct, the Federation. From that year onward, we adopted the new calendar era called ‘Federation Era.’ Back in my youth, we didn’t have this… Oh dear, I’m showing my age, aren’t I?”
As the professor chuckled self-deprecatingly, the students smiled faintly.
The lecture continued with questions and answers.
I nodded quietly, absorbing the class.
“…The tensions between the Federation and the clans surrounding Academy City almost escalated, but thanks to this pivotal event, they acknowledged each other’s unique circumstances. What is this event called?”
The students’ gazes turned to me.
Huh? Why were they looking at me?
“The female student sitting at the back? Yes, you. I mean you.”
It seemed it was my turn.
Wait, I knew this bit of lore.
It was a very simple term.
“Tea Time?”
I blurted the first thing that came to mind.
“Correct! Student. Let’s continue. Thanks to the Tea Time Accord, the clans were able to reach agreements on the ownership of Rustlum and various territories…”
Thank goodness.
That unexpected question turned out okay.
I think I’ll enjoy this history class quite a bit in the future.
-Because it’s an elective!-
-At least this professor knows how to teach.-
The final class of the day was weaponry.
As I entered the gymnasium, Instructor Frederick approached me and immediately started working me hard.
“You brat! Did you practice properly over the weekend?”
“I did!”
I demonstrated the sword energy I had trained in combat.
I showed a slightly thicker and brighter energy compared to last time, but the instructor wasn’t impressed.
“Did you? Really? Look at your chubby cheeks. You just slept and stuffed yourself! This weak sword energy? Even a kindergarten kid’s pee stream is stronger! More! Adjust it!”
“Ugh…”
Hearing my whimper, Frederick’s frown deepened.
“What’s with the whimpering? Ugh… Pathetic brat…”
The other students snickered nearby.
“Hey, you guys over there! Why are you laughing? Were you flying from the start? Lazy punks. In the field, you’ll all be D-rank at best, maybe early C-rank if you’re lucky. Everyone! Fifty push-ups!”
As the instructor’s shout echoed, everyone dropped to the ground and began doing push-ups. What a sudden disaster.
“One! Two! Three! …”
As I matched the cadence, I glanced sideways.
The other students didn’t seem to be struggling.
Streams of magical energy glowed faintly along their limbs.
They were using physical reinforcement.
But Frederick wouldn’t let anyone off easy.
He and his assistant instructors roamed around, closely monitoring everyone.
“What are you doing! Aren’t you draining the mana from your arms? Stand up! Start again. This time, 70 reps! If you get caught using body enhancement, you’ll die!”
Soon, the auditorium was filled with the screams of students.
I also found it a bit difficult.
But I had one advantage.
[The pain experienced by the entity is distributed and slowed down by the number of clones – Reduction rate: 5%]
Using the power of my unique ability, I distributed the pain to my other selves.
Although the fatigue itself didn’t disappear, the reduced muscle ache made it a bit more bearable than before.
The other versions of me in different locations protested at the unexpected pain.
-Oh, come on! I’m hunting beasts over here, why am I suddenly running?-
-Sorry!-
The instructor had us running enthusiastically for 30 minutes.
“Aaahhh!”
“Ugh… my arms…”
“Is that all you’ve got for something this trivial? Next, 70 jumping jacks! I’ll skip the final chant!”
“Ughhh!”
Unfortunately, some students couldn’t resist shouting out chants like in a military training camp.
When all the exercises were over, the students were gasping for breath, and Frederick instructed us to release sword energy.
Everyone’s sword aura had noticeably weakened.
“Look at yourselves! Just because your breathing’s a little rough, your sword aura output has become this pathetic. If you lose your composure like this in real combat, you’ll have an appointment with an undertaker. Therefore, today, we’ll not only cover basic stances and ether control but also learn proper breathing techniques.”
Wow, we’re learning something new.
After a while of more instruction, Frederick approached me again.
“You brat, your… hmm? Your output hasn’t dropped as much as I expected. Do you exercise regularly?”
Now that I think about it, my sword aura output doesn’t seem to have weakened much.
Why is that? I don’t know. Is it the effect of pain distribution?
Come to think of it, when I used to run around in dungeons, my breathing would become rough, and my sword energy output would decrease a few times.
However, those instances had become less frequent in recent days.
Probably because every time my sword energy weakened and I died to beasts, I desperately tried to maintain it.
After class ended, Frederick gave us an announcement.
“Repetition is survival! Practice and practice again. The gym has been refurbished and will be open starting this week. Whether you come alone or not is up to you.”
Oh, I might drop by later.
When class was over, it was still afternoon.
My clones in the southwest were still hunting, while the version of me in the central region had finished chatting with Kalia and was now lounging on a sofa.
Kalia’s flustered reaction when she saw us was pretty funny. I was a bit surprised when she ruffled my hair, though.
-It’s snack time!-
Although the clones generally ate well within the limits of my budget, we agreed to grab a snack at designated times. Maintaining a clone requires a minimum of 1,500 calories, but ever since becoming a beautiful girl, my cravings for delicious food had increased.
I recently discovered one of the perks of a beautiful girl’s body.
Unlike before possession, I could now eat to my heart’s content without my stomach feeling unsettled.
I could stuff myself with sweet, salty, sour, and greasy foods until I was about to burst, and the next day, I’d have no trouble eating something new and exciting.
It was amazing.
This time, I headed to the convenience store on the first floor of the Student Union Building to buy a cream spaghetti set I’d been eyeing.
The Student Union Building was a five-story structure built in a neoclassical style.
It was strange to see a convenience store stuck in such an elegant building.
Still, perhaps because of the school’s size, the convenience store was spacious and had a wide variety of goods.
I saw a crowd gathered in front of the store.
“What’s going on?”
Pushing through the crowd, I found a signboard in front of the convenience store.
<Notice from the Freshman Management Committee>
Starting today, all 25th-grade freshmen are prohibited from using stores/restaurants inside and around Polaris Comprehensive Academy.
Reasons for this restriction are as follows:
1. Eating out wastes your precious money.
2. Eating out or snacking increases trash.
3. More trash worsens environmental pollution.
4. Severe environmental pollution leads to anger, disrupting harmony between juniors and seniors, and breaking school order.
5. The destruction of school order weakens the combat power of Awakened individuals, potentially leading to the end of the world.
Violators caught by patrolling committee seniors will face disciplinary action.
-Freshman Management Committee-
…
“What kind of nonsense is this?”
Even the military doesn’t enforce such absurd rules. To top it off, the notice was riddled with typos.
What’s “destruction” or “will be collected”?
Ignoring the notice, I approached the convenience store door.
“Huh?”
The door swung open.
Startled, I stepped aside.
-BOOM!-
“Ahhhh!”
“Eek!”
“Argh!”
A loud crash followed, and three or four students were thrown out of the doorway.
The culprits who had sent the students flying—a male and a female student—stood in front and shouted.
“Did you see the notice? From now on, dining at any stores or restaurants inside and outside the school is restricted!”
The fact that they wore armbands made the situation even more ridiculous.
Some freshmen tried to protest, but when the seniors drew swords and activated magic circles, everyone fell silent.
Violence was terrifying.
As they babbled, I quietly tried to slip through a gap.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Ugh!”
Caught sneaking in, I tried to bluff my way out.
“Hey, what year are you!”
“I’m from the 24th batch!”
Feigning confidence, the female student asked another question.
“Really? Then tell me the name of the professor who taught <Introduction to Dimensional Physics> last year.”
“Uh…”
Crap!
They caught me!
When I tried to run, the male student grabbed my hair and threw me back.
“Ahhh! My hair! Let go of my hair! Ugh!”
“Stay still!”
As I got up while brushing off my knees, I saw the female student forming multiple glowing magic circles in her hand.
“Wow… Look at this one, pretending to be a senior?”
“Pulling someone’s hair is too much… Wha… What?”
“Unleash and strike them down. Air Blast!”
-KWAAANG!
“KYAAAAARGH!”
I was hit by the compressed gust and flung far into the distance.
-THUD!
After hitting the ground, I rolled several times before crashing into the roadside shrubs.
The first-year students who saw me get beaten cowered and stepped back.
“This hurts too much…”
[The pain felt by the entity is dispersed and mitigated across the clones – Mitigation Rate: 5%.]
The pain was dulled, so I casually brushed off the dirt and tried to stand.
But then, I felt a liquid trickling down from under my chin.
When I wiped it with my hand, thick blood from a nosebleed smeared onto my palm.
I couldn’t hold back any longer.
“You… You little… I won’t forgive you!”
I was about to charge with my hammer when I calmed myself.
I remembered the girl had used magic.
The spell she cast was Air Blast, a magic skill typically used for suppression or interference.
It wasn’t lethal, but at my current level, I couldn’t approach her.
It’s a skill designed for taking down small fry.
Since I still had spare mana, I created two clones, gave them masks, and had them take a roundabout path to the student council building.
“No. 17 and 18, get to the rooftop and wait there. Be mindful of the CCTV!”
“Understood.”
I passed on my predicament to my other selves and made a request.
-You’re still inside the Novastia Dungeon, right? Can you grab me a rock?-
-Got it! There’s a suitable one nearby; I’ll send it over.-
One of the clones from the central area objected.
-No, stuff from inside the dungeon will look suspicious. Luckily, there’s something better nearby.-
I spotted two of those lazy senior trash bags still loitering at the convenience store entrance.
They were fiddling with their smartphones, laughing over something trivial.
-The rooftop door is locked. I’ll break it open with sword energy!-
Soon, No. 17 and 18 reached the rooftop and pulled out a pot that had been sent to them.
It was an appropriately heavy, old, and yellowed ceramic pot.
-They’re awakened, so this much won’t kill them, right?-
When the timing felt right, I signaled the clones.
The two pots dropped simultaneously.
The hefty pots accelerated rapidly.
Newtonian mechanics at 9.8 m/s² delivered a decisive blow to the trash seniors’ heads.
-CRASH!
“Ugh!”
“AAAGH!”
Success! Physics never lies!
When the pots struck their heads, the two couldn’t even scream and collapsed instantly.
The loud crashing noise drew the attention of passersby, creating a commotion.
“Ahhh!”
“Someone’s down! Call rescue! Get the nurse!”
“They got hit by a pot!”
“What’s going on with maintenance here?”
No. 17 and 18, who had been on the rooftop, were immediately desummoned.
Watching from a distance, I saw the two get carried away in an ambulance shortly after.
From what I overheard, it seemed they had just fainted.
“Hehehe.”
As I approached, I noticed a toppled sign.
I tossed it into a nearby flower bed and walked into the convenience store to buy some food.
-We won’t get caught, will we?-
-It wasn’t me. Gravity did it.-
Some of us voiced concerns, but no one came looking for us afterward.
It was a perfect crime.
That evening’s cream spaghetti set was rich and delicious.