Chapter 10: “The Ultimate Grand Prize”
With a trembling hand and an excited heart, Will opened the letter-style admission notice. The envelope was thick, sealed with a deep blue rose emblem, its six petals exquisitely beautiful. Entak First Academy primarily focused on advanced magical studies, having produced numerous top-tier mages for dungeon adventures. The deep blue rose also signified the backing of the Entak Royal Family, offering opportunities for royal recognition during one’s studies.
“Hmm… the entrance practical exam is in a week? Aunt Susan mentioned that Father arranged for me to pack my belongings and head to the capital the day after tomorrow. If there are no accidents, everything will proceed as planned, and those picking me up are already prepared.”
—And so, an accident is about to happen!
As the wealthy Hysterm Family, they owned a private residence in the capital of VII<②三零飼玖旗陕寺羣W, where their young masters and ladies could stay while studying, preventing Will from having to endure dormitory life. But… it was on the way to this private residence that an ambush awaited! Will had hoped to find a way to avoid the attack by timing his departure differently, but his father's instructions seemed rather firm and difficult to refuse. Perhaps this was also a part of fate; some events were bound to happen. He would proceed according to the mission he had set for himself. In the original work, Young Master Will, deeming Iaar useless, had left her behind at home when he went to school. Therefore, the description of the attack was limited to Iaar's "Young Master was severely injured." He was not the foolish and incompetent "Will" from the original work; this time, he would bring Iaar along. And Iaar was no longer the timid and weak "Iaar" from the original work; this time, she had the ability to block that Extreme Flame Meteor. Hmph, little witch, let's see if I can make you surrender. As Will thought about it, a smile spread across his lips. "Young Master… although, although the admission notice is exciting, but but but… you shouldn't be smiling like a villain!?" Oh, Iaar, who had handed him the letter, was still waiting for his instructions. "Speaking of which, Iaar, did you know? The Hysterm Family has a private residence in the capital, specifically for young masters to use while studying." Will said it casually. "Oh, that's not surprising," Iaar replied. "But, there are no servants there from the main house, so usually, one has to bring a personal attendant," Will continued. "Bring, bring, bring a personal attendant?! Then then then then then, wouldn't that mean two, two people… co, co, co, co… cohabitation!?" "Oh dear, what a dilemma, who should I bring along?" "Ngh!?" Will built up the suspense with each sentence, casually placed the notice back into the envelope, and turned to look at Iaar. "So… Iaar, will you come with me." "Eh, eh, eh, eh… me?" "That's right, without you, it's completely impossible." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Iaar lay on her bed, and as soon as she closed her eyes, her mind was filled with her young master's words, "Without you, it's completely impossible." Her heart pounded. She opened her eyes. "The thought of going to the capital with Young Master… I can't sleep at all…" Iaar didn't understand why. Just thinking about it made her heart race. This was supposed to be a normal event; in fact, a personal maid raised from childhood was meant for such duties – to provide support when traveling. But the more Iaar thought about it, the faster her heart beat. The house in the capital wasn't as grand as the Hysterm main residence; it was small, with one living room and three bedrooms, and it would be just Young Master and one maid… Ngh! What was she thinking?! She spotted the "Blackening 300 Questions" notebook on her headboard. Usually, when she couldn't sleep, reading a book that required some mental effort would quickly help her fall asleep. She randomly flipped open a page. "Ngh… Question… two hundred and thirty-three… What to do if the other party is very independent and has their own ideas, and seems to not need you at all?" Upon reading this question, Iaar's ears perked up, and she became flustered. "When they are at their loneliest, stand by their side…" "When they are in the most danger, stand in front of them…" "When they are at their weakest, caress their face…" "People only seek support when they are most lonely, most afraid, and most vulnerable…" "Therefore, let them know that without you, they cannot survive." Iaar remembered today, when her young master, exhausted from overusing his magic, collapsed into her arms like a bird with broken wings… It was the first time she had seen the usually strong, intelligent, and independent young master show a soft, pretending, and dependent side. This was the first time, he had shown vulnerability to her. And it was also the first time he had depended on Iaar. She recalled holding Will's body, how soft he was in that moment, seeming to be at her mercy… In that instant, the only person he could trust seemed to be herself. Iaar's previously racing heart slowly calmed down, and a sense of peace and happiness spread within her. Before this, she had only treated "Blackening 300 Questions" as a book to memorize, never truly understanding its meaning. Now, she felt as if she had grasped something. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, in Will's room. 【To S: Success! I successfully cast Extreme Flame Meteor. Although my physical condition only allowed me to use it twice, the effect was excellent. In terms of power, one cast of Extreme Flame Meteor by me is 7920 Xi, which is considered upper-middle level among fire magic. In terms of consumption, the one bottle of Catalyst you gave me is only enough for two uses, but I can use small coins as a magic medium, which is very cost-effective. I also used Ice Armor Infusion to block one attack. The specific details and calculations are in the draft paper accompanying this letter. Thank you very much! I've also included a small gift with this letter to commemorate our three years of friendship. Please accept it. 】 After finishing the letter, Will picked up the custom-made metal bookmark he had specially ordered. The bookmark resembled a square card, with a hollowed-out carving of a "galaxy" made of many stars in the center. The stars had holes drilled through them, and against the white page background, they seemed to be shining. "Phew, I hope he likes the custom metal bookmark. Someone who loves reading as much as he does will surely find it useful." Will glanced at the clock on the wall. It wasn't too late, but for the important matters tomorrow, he needed to sleep. After tidying up the letters and writing the address, he opened his "Quest System." He flipped to the "Witch Liya Arc," where a mission was listed. That's right, it was "Mission 38," which Iaar successfully blocking the Extreme Flame Meteor would trigger— 【Mission 38: Block one attack, intimidate the witch, find an opportunity, negotiate with her, use threats and inducements, gain her trust, and enter the Witch Liya Arc.】 Will looked at the blank reward section below and picked up a pen, writing: 【Reward: Get a good night's sleep.】 As he slammed the notebook shut, the last page remained open, revealing everything. All the nurturing. All the missions. All the threads. After everything concluded, at the very end of this system notebook, was the "Ultimate Grand Prize" Will had prepared for himself. This page was illuminated by the pale moonlight, like a distant, unattainable hope, ready to disappear into the clouds with the moonlight at any moment. He was extravagant, using an entire page to write that reward— 【Reward: Find your own "Heroine."】 The smile on Will's face disappeared. He quickly closed the notebook, no longer wanting to see that topic. When he died in his past life, he had never been in love. His entire life, he had never felt a heartbeat for anyone, nor had anyone liked him. His life wasn't lonely, but it wasn't lively either. Perhaps feeling a heartbeat for someone was an ability only "protagonists" possessed. Perhaps being liked was a qualification only "protagonists" had. Living alone was perhaps a sentimental affliction only "protagonists" experienced. Living a lively life was perhaps an experience only "protagonists" had. In short, it had nothing to do with him, who was born bound by the threads of fate to become a great villain destined to die by a slime. He was an "observer" from outside the work. He could be the "entertainer" who watched the show, but also the "comedian" who went with the flow without being able to change his own fate. But… he had a selfish desire. He couldn't remember how he died in his previous life. Perhaps it was from working too much overtime, and on his way to work the next day, he was hit by a truck because he wasn't awake. Ninety percent of the reasons for transmigration were related to trucks. However, he remembered the words he had murmured before he died— "Heroine"… "Heroine." "Heroine!" As his last words… perhaps he hoped that after reincarnation, he could find his own heroine in this world filled with protagonist's harems? Aha, then he would consider it the "Ultimate Grand Prize" for now. After all, it was the most difficult to obtain, yet the most desired thing, right?
