I got into school for nothing - Chapter 253
I got into school for nothing (253)
Lesson 49. Casanova's Holiday - 3
Sunday, before the special activity departure.
Ban Yuwon was receiving what amounted to meddling disguised as advice from Yumina regarding the special activity.
“Solo special activities are inherently difficult to get protection from the Academy for. From the start, only talents with firmly established power who have no worries venturing outside operate alone. That’s why I was going to go with you as your protector, but that damned old geezer... no, I mean, the Principal suddenly said I couldn’t.”
Listening to the Chancellor being demoted to the level of ‘damned old geezer’ in Yumina’s curses, Ban Yuwon offered an awkward, “Ahaha” smile.
“Anneri is trustworthy, but always lock your door when you sleep at night. And don’t access the Union Net during your activities. When operating externally, concealing your dimension coordinates is a golden rule. Make sure you learn those tricks from Anneri. And though it rarely happens, if your coordinates suddenly vanish and you become isolated within a dimensional wall――.”
“It’s fine. I have a reliable captain.”
[Exactly!]
[As long as I, Lilyth—a Relic imbued with the power of a Constellation, capable of devouring meteors and organizing fleets—am with you, there is absolutely no need to worry about any harm befalling my master in outer space!]
“Hmm....”
“Lilyth, stop creating a new persona every time you appear, and just give me the spaceship.”
[Master, really, always having the same appearance would easily lead to mannerism, wouldn’t it? The only one who can make constant excuses and still not be forgotten is Sister Eve, who holds the honor of being Master’s first familiar...!]
She certainly didn’t have this personality when she was first born.
Is it an SF? Was her personality patched to be so flighty by incorporating SF specifications?
Perhaps transforming into a human was a mistake.
Ban Yuwon covered Lilyth’s mouth, who was chattering loudly and pointlessly appealing to her persona, but it was already too late; Yumina’s worried gaze was fixed on her.
“Are you really going to be okay? Wouldn’t it be better to take the spaceship prepared by the school?”
“Lilyth is more convenient for personal travel. I hear there are quite a few other students who use their privately owned spaceships for special activities.”
“But those spaceships don’t chatter, nor do they transform into pretty girls.”
[Pretty girl, you say? Sister Mina certainly knows a thing or two.]
“Oh, Sister? Sister... that’s not bad at all.”
“Stop trying to shrewdly earn points and give me the spaceship already.”
Lilyth clicked her tongue and generated the spaceship.
Lilyth, in her human form, remained by his side, but Ban Yuwon could feel that the majority of the psychokinetic power forming her concentrated into the spaceship the moment she created it.
The spaceship’s form was an upgrade, synthesized from scratch using only the best parts Lilyth had observed and devoured so far, further enhanced with her unique concepts. Yumina, recognizing its performance at a glance, was utterly dumbfounded.
“Isn’t that a craft not even Union possesses...?”
[But it still can’t catch up to a dimensional ship.]
“A dimensional ship is, in any case, a craft that cannot be operated without the Principal’s backup.”
Yumina casually revealed classified information, but Ban Yuwon had, in fact, anticipated that much.
“Well then, I’ll be off, sis.”
“You’re really leaving me behind, aren’t you....”
If anyone else had heard that, another misunderstanding would have surely arisen.
As Ban Yuwon felt relieved that the Rebellion members weren’t present, Yumina, who had been showing great hesitation, suddenly threw her arms around him.
“Woobub.”
“Take care of yourself, don’t get hurt. If it’s dangerous, contact me immediately. I will absolutely come to save you, no matter what. Absolutely...!”
Ban Yuwon, barely freed from her embrace, managed to pry himself away from the teary-eyed Yumina and boarded the spaceship.
Lilyth, who had waved goodbye to Yumina and closed the spaceship’s hatch, turned around with a serious expression and said.
[That woman is dangerous, Master.]
“I think you’re more dangerous, changing your tune so quickly after fawning over Sister Mina just moments ago.”
[Listen, typically, a woman who grows old as an unmarried maiden without ever experiencing proper love tends to harbor unnecessary fantasies about it, entering a vicious cycle where mediocre men in reality don’t even catch her eye. By the way, the same applies to old bachelors.]
“...So?”
For a moment, Ban Yuwon thought, ‘She has a point?’ and, while silently apologizing to Yumina, Lilyth’s words continued.
[Now, imagine such an unmarried maiden miraculously meeting her ideal type and falling in love. Would that love be heavy or not? That woman looked like she wanted to kidnap you, Master, right away and lock you up somewhere safe!]
“Ha.”
To think she went through all that just to say something like that.
Ban Yuwon snorted in response.
“I’m about to go meet someone who had a crush on my actual sister.”
[My apologies, Master.]
It was fortunate that she wasn’t actually his biological sister, but the fact that she couldn't give up her feelings, even while firmly believing he was her biological sister, made him feel more fear than awkwardness or hesitation.
“Ah, I really don’t want to go....”
“Shishishit.”
Remembering that naturally made Ban Yuwon’s steps heavy, but Eve moved up and down his arm, soothing his mind.
While he was drinking tea to calm his mind, the spaceship left Union, swiftly broke through the atmosphere, and entered the dimensional wall.
The speed seemed at least three times faster than the spaceship he had boarded during the last club competition.
[Master, this is what breaking through the atmosphere feels like.]
“Yes, yes.”
The rendezvous point was the C-rank Dimension Third Terminal, which had been mentioned before. Surprisingly, the Rebel Force mercenary group often secured lodging there to rest when they had no commissions.
It was a place most dimensional mercenary groups used, as many dimensional commissions originated from C-rank dimensions, and the Third Terminal was a place with excellent resting facilities, making it the terminal with the highest population flow.
While a large crowd could draw attention, conversely, a large crowd also meant that one wouldn’t easily stand out.
What would the Prominence family think if they learned that Ban Yumi, the rightful successor of the Prominence family, was part of a nascent mercenary group and staying in a place like a C-rank Dimension Terminal....
‘Well, it should be fine.’
The Prominence family was currently in the midst of reducing their external activities.
Their designated heir had, not once but twice, expended a sponsoring Constellation’s holy artifact, so of course they’d want to be cautious.
The other Ten Great Families were not allies of Prominence either.
Rather, as they were rivals constantly vying for power, they were fully prepared to strike at Prominence the moment a weakness appeared now that they had fallen into decline.
‘If, by any chance, the Prominence family’s succession situation were exposed now, one of the Ten Great Families might appear, ready to support my sister, swallow Prominence whole, and then use my sister, once she became the family head, as a puppet to expand their own influence.’
It wasn’t that the Ten Great Families were soft.
It was simply that the unique ability, Unquenchable Flame, was that formidable.
Of course, Ban Yuwon had no intention of involving the other Ten Great Families in this matter.
If he could set the stage properly, he could seize an entire Ten Great Family. Why take unnecessary risks?
In that sense, the fact that people’s attention was focused on Ban Yuwon during the last Orc Wave on Earth was fortunate not only for Prominence but also for Ban Yuwon himself.
[Dimensional wall breakthrough complete, arrived at C-rank Dimension Third Terminal. I’ll go invisible and head towards the coordinates.]
Lilyth moved, rapidly cutting through space, her hull completely hidden by Gwoeyeonggong, searching for the coordinates.
From inside, Ban Yuwon observed the terminal’s appearance through a monitor, seeing countless satellites orbiting a single colossal planet.
[Quite a few artificial satellites are mixed in. It seems like they’re even manipulating their orbital paths.]
“Why don’t they just make a sun too?”
[If it’s a system that controls day and night by drawing light from a star using light magic, then I see it. With Master’s Starlight Magic, it would be perfectly possible without crudely pouring in so much mana like that.]
“Thanks for the compliment, but I don’t even want to think about it right now.”
The terminal was probably that colossal planet, but the coordinates were reacting to a smaller satellite with a smaller diameter.
Soon, Lilyth entered the atmosphere, made the spaceship vanish at Ban Yuwon’s command, and reverted her main body to her original bike form, letting him ride.
A state-of-the-art spaceship found nowhere else might draw attention, but a new model hoverbike wouldn’t garner much notice.
[It’s over there.]
“Indeed... this is a residential district.”
The technological prowess of the space dwellers, who had converted an entire satellite into a hotel district, was simply jaw-dropping.
Even more astonishing was the fact that, if he could secure enough concepts, Ban Yuwon felt he could do it himself without much difficulty.
Riding Lilyth through the hotel district, Ban Yuwon, who had been focused on discovering and memorizing new concepts, soon arrived at the designated coordinates. It wasn't a hotel, but a mansion with a garden.
“A mercenary group, you say? They seem to be living exceptionally well.”
[It seems the Rebel Force also holds ownership.]
The mansion even had a barrier set up.
He entered the barrier after inputting the code he had received from Anneri, but at that moment, an alarm activated, and everyone inside came out.
“Master Yuwon! Kehek!”
“How dare you try to pull something with my brother.”
Anneri rushed towards him, intending to hug him, but was kicked by Ban Yumi, who had sprung out from the side.
He’d thought this during their video calls, but now, with her vibrant red hair and crimson eyes, characteristic of the Prominence family, fully revealed, it was impressive. However, regrettably, her ‘contents’ seemed to be much the same as before.
“Huhu, our Yumi is certainly healthy...”
“So you want to go, huh? Bring it on.”
“No, Sis!”
The two began to bicker and fight, but the other members were surprisingly uninterested in them.
No, only Seldon, the sole male member of the mercenary group who considered himself Anneri’s confidant, seemed to be looking for an opportunity to intervene, but unfortunately, his skill level was inferior to the other two, making intervention impossible.
“Mom.”
“My son.”
Meanwhile, he hugged his mother, who had approached, celebrating their reunion after two months.
His mother, too, retained her youthful appearance, but thankfully, her clothing was much more subdued than before, which eased Ban Yuwon’s mind.
Whether she knew what her son was thinking or not, she continued to touch various parts of his face while hugging him, wearing a worried expression.
“You didn’t get hurt anywhere, did you? I saw you fighting dimensional pirates last time.”
“If you saw it, you know I’m fine. How about you and sis, are you doing alright?”
“Of course. My son only ever stays in places swarming with monsters, so he might not know, but this level of power is top-tier among elite, small-scale dimensional mercenary groups.”
“Young Master, long time no see!”
“Ah, you.”
Just then, the last member of the five-person Rebel Force mercenary group, Kiira Esra Prominence, appeared and hugged him from behind.
“You... what’s with ‘Young Master’ now?”
“Huh? If Sis is a Young Lady, then her brother is a Young Master. Appropriate, isn’t it?”
Kiira closed her eyes, cheek-to-cheek with him, expounding a logic that sounded plausible at first glance.
To accept this by thinking, ‘All Westerners are aggressive in their greetings,’ was impossible, as everyone present wasn’t even from Earth.
“Right now, I think joining this mercenary group was the best decision ever――! To think I’d meet my ultimate bias again like this! ...Haaaaah, Ssssuuup.”
“...Do I smell?”
“Yes, a good smell ♡”
“Ah, that woman, right now!”
Ban Yumi, who had been bickering with Anneri, realized Kiira’s cut-in and rushed over.
“Oho, Young Lady, you’re in high spirits today!”
“Thanks to you!”
“Kiira, you’re far too casual with Master Yuwon! Can you even call yourself a Rebel Force Platinum member when you act like this?!”
Kiira, as expected, retreated from him and counterattacked, and Anneri even jumped in, and they all started squabbling again.
All this commotion unfolded within two minutes of his arrival at the mansion.
Ban Yuwon half-opened his eyes and asked his mother.
“Mom, are they always like this?”
“They’re perfectly fine as long as you’re not involved...”
“I want to go back.”
He wouldn’t be this anxious even if he were dropped into a cage full of ravenous beasts.
A ‘Crimson Trio’ composed of his sister and two Platinum members of the Rebel Force fan club, no less.
If he were caught by these three’s combined attack, Ban Yuwon wouldn’t even have his bones left.
“Please be generous. Aren’t they just excited after meeting you again after so long? If my son calmly accepts them, he’ll surely look even cooler.”
“Calm....”
That was what Ban Yuwon wanted to ask of *them*.
Assuming Anneri’s true age was unknown, Kiira, who had been active at the same time, was probably similar in age to his mother, so why was there such a difference in their mental ages?
However, if it wasn’t his imagination, there were times when his mother seemed to wish for Ban Yuwon and Ban Yumi to get along well.
If that were truly the case, then he had no allies here....
As he thought this, he inadvertently cast his gaze upon Seldon, the last one remaining by process of elimination, who then, without hesitation, raised his middle finger.
“You damned harem boy, die on this mission.”
“Rookie, what did you just say?”
“S-Sis, isn’t it just a joke between guys, kuhok!”
Anneri appeared behind Seldon with ghost-like timing and kicked him.
Ban Yuwon, sighing with an expression he couldn’t quite put into words as he watched the scene that had devolved into a three-on-one struggle against a single person, asked his mother.
“So, Mom, what’s the commission?”
“It’s a ruin excavation in the D-13 Dimension. It’s a commission that demands excessive secrecy, which worries me—but aren’t such commissions usually the ones with the sweetest rewards?”
“Right, the D-13 Dimension....”
――Yes, this was why he couldn’t refuse this special activity commission, which had been suspicious beyond belief.
This special activity, no, the very fact that the Rebel Force mercenary group took on this commission was all for Rebellion’s sake.
Even if it seemed like she only thought of Ban Yuwon, Yumina was working hard for all members of Rebellion, and Anneri, currently engaging in a pathetic brawl with his sister and Kiira over there, was also moving and sacrificing much to support him and Rebellion.
‘I have to repay them. ...Preferably not by physically serving them, but in other ways.’
His only worry was that those two would probably prefer repayment with his body the most.
In any case, now was neither the time to dwell on redefining his relationship with his sister, nor to ponder how to repay Yumina and Anneri’s kindness.
It was merely time to consider how close he could get to the truth through this special activity, disguised as a simple task to be solved through connections.
‘Let’s see just how serious the world is that it completely ruined a young daughter’s life.’
Ban Yuwon let out a ‘Hoo’ sigh, then tightly clenched his fist, raising his fighting spirit.
If Asha ever found out, she would be deeply moved, calling this true external support, but he intended to keep it a secret until he died, as the other members would surely not be pleased.
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