The Demon Prince goes to the Academy
chapter-32

The only one who naturally awakened was Number B-3, Liana de Grantz. The rest of the supernatural power users awakened unintentionally after experiencing something traumatic.

Natural awakenings were extremely rare and shouldn’t be taken as the norm. I didn’t know how long it would take my power to just awaken naturally.

Then, it looked like there was no other way than going through a psychologically pressuring situation to forcefully awaken my ability….

I experienced something like that while I was escaping from the Demon King’s Castle and I really didn’t want to be thrown into such a situation again.

Couldn’t that experience be counted as a form of traumatic prepayment and just awaken me already?

Of course, it couldn’t. I thought I could maybe artificially awaken myself with achievement points, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

Damn it, I wasn’t expecting to be able to use it right away because it was still at a low level, but for it to not even be activated.

What was even the use of this dog-like supernatural power, if I couldn’t even use it yet?

Okay, let’s just think about the future first.

I didn’t intend to just settle with one talent. I had to think of a way to awaken my supernatural ability and what talent I should acquire next. I wished I had a talent that could be of help right away.

When I confirmed the performance of Ludwig’s talent today, I felt like it was incredible.

[Swordsmanship – 2000 Points]

[Archery – 2000 Points]

.

.

.

The prices doubled. That was what I pretty much expected. I thought it might just multiply by 10, completely shattering my hope, but it, at least, left me with some hope, huh?

However, I currently had 0 achievement points. I had invested all of them into buying this inactive supernatural power. At this rate one wouldn’t even be able to detect that I had a supernatural ability.

If they could do that, the Empire would sweep all of them up.

There are two things I had to do from now on.

One, I have to put extreme psychological pressure onto myself to awaken my supernatural ability.

Two, I needed to earn achievement points to buy an additional talent.

If I were to earn 2000 achievement points through events and challenges that would usually give me about 100 points, I would be able to get a second talent unless the prices changed.

Right now, I wasn’t exactly sure what to do, so the only thing I could try now were the challenges.

However, there were only those strange actions, crimes and things juvenile delinquents would do among them.

However.

[Write a love letter to one of your classmates and get dumped– 200 Points]

“…….”

It was very easy to achieve, but it was also very easy to see that this challenge wanted me to trample all over my dignity.

I mean, that kind of corssed the line.

Wouldn’t that mean I had to confess to a highschool kid and then get dumped?

But why did this give me twice as much points while other challenges just give me 100?

Ah.

What if….

Did they want me to humiliate myself?

200 Points.

Twice as much as usual.

If I were just to suffer for a bit, I would receive 200 points.

Apparently, that filthy bastard named Reinhardt, some bully who beat up his classmate on the first day, suddenly wrote a love letter to someone?

If rumors like that were to spread about me, my image as a jerk with a bad personality doing pervy things would be cemented in everyone’s mind. The risk of that was just too great. These were my classmates whom I had to see for the next 6 years after all.

There was even that restriction “classmate”. So if I sent it to the wrong person everything would be meaningless. Did classmate include Class B or only Class A?

No.

No wait.

Let’s see.

Let’s think about this differently.

Let’s look at this from a different angle.

Rather, I found a much better method.

[Receive a love confession from a classmate – 1000 Points]

This, I think, this might be possible?

* * *

Of course, Temple, which was a huge educational complex, didn’t only have schools. There was no reason for there to not be a commercial district where children of wealthy families gathered endlessly.

There weren’t only high-class restaurants, but also cafes, clothing stores and entertainment facilities.

So, the kids who liked to play spend most of their time wandering around Main Street, it was also known as an area in which students came to the most.

“Isn’t it great?”

“Ah, yeah.”

“This is where I’ve been going to for the past 3 years, and almost everything there tastes good. I can assure you of that.”

“I know, I’ve been here a few times.”

Erich nodded at Kono Lint making a fuss. Cayer had his arms crossed and wasn’t even touching the dessert in front of him.

On the table the three sat at, were cakes, pretzels and other desserts spread out in front of them. They just bought some hot dogs Kono Lint recommended at a nearby restaurant and came here for desserts.

“Hey. Just eat and relax.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Just take a bite. It’s sweet, you know?”

Kono Lint smiled and pushed the plate towards Cayer. All of them, except Erich, were commoners, but it wasn’t hard for Erich to get along with them, because the Lafaeli family were rural lords.

Originally, those three didn’t get along so quickly. However, they united on the first day because of one reason.

“Yeah, we have to pay attention to that madman.”

It was Number A-11 Reinhardt.

He didn’t have any talent, but had a bad temper, so that madman threw punches and swore like a sailor starting the first day of the semester.

Because of Reinhardt becoming their common enemy, the three of them became close on the first day. Cayer even got hit by that man without any talent, and got punished by the teacher even though it was he who got wronged.

“No, but why did you end up getting scolded?”

Kono Lint didn’t seem to understand.

“Yeah. What happened?”

“No idea. I don’t even know what that bastard meant with what he said. Anyway, something about me insulting Temple.”

Unfortunately, Cayer couldn’t remember all the words Reinhardt kept on babbling out. But when Mr. Epinhauser heard Reinhardt’s words, he rebuked Cayer with a serious expression.

“What are you talking about? Insulting Temple?”

“I don’t know. That fucking bastard, I’ll get him later and when I do I’m going to kill him.”

At Erich’s words, Cayer quickly turned his gaze out the window with an irritated expression on his face. Every group needed to have a common enemy in order to form solidarity.

Those three made Reinhardt their common enemy.

“Hey, but aren’t all the girls in our class really pretty?”

Kono Lint suddenly lowered his voice. Erich nodded his head.

“That’s true. Still I wouldn’t tell them that face to face. We are classmates in Temple, but they wouldn’t even give me a glance if we were outside.”

“But, hey, aren’t we all in the same class now?”

“There aren’t only good-natured people like the prince among them. You have to be careful. Not to mention the Imperial Princess, there’s the Princess of the Saint-Owan Grand Duchy and the Duke of Grantz is also a high lord. They have more prestige than the Emperor.”

Erich was clearly drawing a line. They mingled in temple, but outside, they were people of completely different standing. No matter how young they were, they weren’t the type of people he could touch even a single hair of.

“But how about now? Wouldn’t you be able to talk to them?”

Kono Lint poked at them as if he was really interested in this topic.

“Who do you think is the prettiest? Huh?”

“Me?”

“Ah, I personally think it’s the Imperial Princess.”

As Kono Lint said so, Erich frowned as if he was unwilling to share. Erich and Cayer refused to speak, but after continuous prying on Kono Lint’s part they eventually confessed.

“I think…. Number 2.”

At Erich’s words, Kono Lint tilted his head.

“Her? What….? I mean, sure, but isn’t she a little scary? I’m speechless.”

“You asked me who I think looks best.”

“Ah, well. What about you?”

“If I had to say….”

Cayer thought about it and then finally spat it out.

“Duke Grantz’ esteemed daughter….”

“Oh, I can get behind that.”

This was what kids and adults alike liked to talk about when they got together. Just when they were in the middle of talking about beauties.

“Erm…. Excuse me, but….”

Suddenly, all of them turned their heads hearing the voice of a girl coming from somewhere.

“Cou, could you give me a minute…. Would it be okay to talk for a bit?”

There, a beautiful girl was shyly talking to Kono Lint. He nearly doubted his eyes.

“Well, here.”

Kono Lint, who got dragged out of the dessert shop as if possessed, nearly had his head explode at this unknown girl shyly giving him an envelope.

“Thi, this. Erm…. What… Might this be?”

He started speaking formally without realizing it.

“Please read it….”

The girl’s face was flushed and she wriggled her body, trying not to make eye contact. When he opened the envelope as if possessed by something, there was a single sentence written on a piece of paper.

[I fell in love with you at first sight. Please go out with me.]

“Thi, this…. This is….”

Male, 17 years old.

He just experienced a miracle he had never even dreamed of in his life.

“Ehm…. What do you think…?”

To the girl’s quiet question.

“I fell in love at first sight with you too!”

Kono Lint nearly stumbled over his words.

What the boy, however, didn’t see was the corners of the girl’s mouth slowly creeping up.

* * *

I sold my soul for points.

[Achievement points: 1000 Points]

“…….”

I thought about it, but when I actually put it to praxis I felt my heart break.

Scared of confirming if the confession challenge was completed, I pretended I was busy and ran off.

Then, I changed my clothes in a dark alleyway as to not get found out, turned back into Reinhardt and returned to the dormitory.

It didn’t say I had to ‘Get the confession in the form of Reinhardt’ in the challenge information after all.

I noticed that blind spot and tried to exploit it right away, and it worked. It seemed like a good idea in my head, but when I actually did it, I felt like dying during every single second of it.

I had preserved my dignity as Reinhardt, but I seriously tarnished my dignity as a human being and played with an innocent 17-year-old boy’s heart, no matter how much I set him up to be a playboy.

Kono Lint was a bit lacking, but by no means a bad guy.

And here I trampled all over his heart.

I feel like I’ve become less then human feces….

[Challenge list has been updated.]

A message appeared in front of me. The remaining ones stayed the same, but there were some changes.

[From now on, unless stated otherwise, the condition that all challenges have to be completed as ‘Reinhardt’ has been added.]

[Receive a love confession from a classmate – 1000 Points](Clear)

[Write a love letter to a classmate and get dumped – 200 Points]

[Get punished by your teacher – 100 Points]

[Leave some graffiti on Temple’s Main Street after curfew – 100 Points]

Look at this bastard.

Did you not expect me to take advantage of this weak spot? You added that condition immediately after I finished the challenge, didn’t you?

How annoying, fixing it right away, pah.

The challenges were definitely only there to fuck me over. You didn’t expect me to make use of an exploit, but I did, so you added that condition.

You want me to write a love letter and get dumped so bad?

Then,

An unexpected challenge had been added.

[Date Kono Lint as a pretty girl (Idiot) – 1000 Points]

Ah.

Ah.

Ah!

That guy’s watching me in real time! I don’t really know how he’s doing it but I bet he laughed his guts out while he watched me talk!

My desire to disappear from the surface of this world grew ten times stronger.

Even if the world were to collapse, I won’t ever do that.

* * *

I sold my soul for 1000 points.

I never thought I’d manage to get that much in a single day. I wasn’t sure, but I believe this wasn’t the direction that voyeuristic ass wanted this to go.

If I collect 1000 more points, I would be able to buy another talent. I wasn’t even considering going on a date with Kono Lint.

I returned to the dormitory thinking about how I should get the remaining 1000 points. Naturally, I threw the sweatshirt I wore while I met Kono Lint outside the shop, away and returned in another outfit. I didn’t plan on leaving any traces behind.

Evening.

-Hehe…. Hehehe….

The sight of Kono Lint and the other two fiddling with their food looking at him with envious eyes made my stomach ache.

I felt like I was about to throw up all my food because of this complex mix of guilt, shame and humiliation I felt.

I felt so nauseous I couldn’t get myself to eat the dinner. In the end, I wasn’t even able to eat half of the prepared menu. I could certainly feel that the chef was really skilled though.

However, I didn’t think I could appreciate those skills today.

Kono Lint seemed to be living in his happy delusions for a while. However, what will happen after that condition fades?

Would he get depressed?

No.

Let’s not care about him.

As soon as I start to caring, I’ll lose.

Even though my supernatural ability hadn’t even awakened yet.

I left the restaurant while continuing to self-suggest myself.

One might say this was a type of extreme psychological pressure in its own way.

It had no effect though.

* * *

I’d say I did a pretty impressive job for my first day. Although it was still inactive, I managed to get the supernatural ability I was aiming for and got a great amount of achievement points.

If I somehow got 1000 more points, I would be able to get my second talent or I could use it for other purposes.

It seemed I could, not only buy talents, but also randomly raise my stats, but I hadn’t put that under consideration yet. My stats rose just by training normally. If I were to receive physical training similar to the one I had today, my stats would continue to rise.

Unless it was a special case like the magic stat.

And there was something I was worried about.

If one saw profit once, one would crave for more. I earned 1000 points, but I was still hungry for more.

You could never know when those challenges would disappear. I had no idea when that mysterious bastard changed his mind, right?

The newly updated challenges probably wouldn’t have any more weak spots and it seemed likely that their content would be more difficult or humiliating than before.

Things, including skipping class, would lead to disciplinary actions. I didn’t get into much trouble, but Epinhauser seemed to already have a certain picture of me because of the fight, and if I caused any more problems, I, of course, wouldn’t get away with it.

[Write a love letter to a classmate and get dumped – 200 Points]

It seemed to encourage me to write a love letter. I wrote a love letter earlier but I didn’t get dumped, so I wasn’t able to finish it.

The condition was to get dumped after all.

It was rather sad knowing that fulfilling that condition was just too easy. Under my current circumstances the probability of getting dumped was 100%..

If I just endured that humiliation for a bit, I would be able to get 200 points, but then I still had to get 800 more.

Actually, if that idea of using the Dreadfiend’s ring to get a confession didn’t cross my mind, I wanted to try something else. The problem of all this was that I might get bullied after rumors about this came out, however what would happen if the person I gave the letter to would not gossip about it? They would just treat me as werido.

So it had to be a person that wouldn’t start gossiping about me and also wouldn’t care that much about me after the act.

Ellen Artorius.

“…….”

Should I or shouldn’t I?

Should I or shouldn’t I?

Ah.

First I sold my soul for points.

Was I now going to trample all over my dignity for points this time?

* * *

There wasn’t any need for us to talk for long.

Class A dormitory’s gym.

It was obvious where I would be able to find her, so I headed to the gym after everyone was gone.

Ellen Artorius, who received my letter stating my desire to date her, looked at the plain text, then looked at me and spoke briefly.

“No.”

“Ah, oh…. Okay.”

I knew she would answer like that.

[Challenge ‘Write a love letter to a classmate and get dumped’ completed]

[You have earned 200 achievement points.]

…I wanted to cry.

Knowing that you’ll get dumped and actually getting dumped were two completely different things.

Leaving behind Ellen, who continued swinging her practice sword, not paying any more attention to me, I left the gym.