1-Second Invincible Player in the Game

105. Henderson Aola (1)

Artura flinched, one eye twitching.

A first-year student, grinning widely, devoured the lavish spread before him.

A total of 136 souls.

None had died; all had returned alive.

This was indeed a remarkable feat, but what was even more shocking lay elsewhere.

“Hm, I guess Frost Heart is rather poor.”

“Right? I thought it would be better since it’s a place for nobles, but what is this? The furniture is all worn out, too.”

“That fortress over there looks somewhat decent, but…”

Even the little ones, whom Artura had never seen before, were scurrying about like hamsters beside the first-years.

‘Did they just raid an orphanage or something?’

Artura approached Hessel.

Though it hadn’t been confirmed that Hessel was the instigator of this mess, the odds were high that he was indeed the culprit.

“Hessel? Care to explain what the hell is going on?”

“Oh, these are the wretched strays. We captured them as prisoners.”

Had the other second and third-years been eavesdropping on their conversation?

Voices of confusion erupted from various corners.

“P-prisoners?”

“Wait, are these little strays?”

Atara felt her mind go blank in that moment.

How it was even possible, she could not fathom, yet the result lay stark before her.

But this posed a significant problem.

Would the second and third years welcome the presence of these children?

“Many have perished at the hands of the little strays; how can you decide this on a whim?”

“Did they kill anyone? And if you seek revenge, do it after graduation. The ones who killed your senior friends have likely been promoted to strays by now.”

“Well, that may be true, but…”

As Atara trailed off, Hershel shouted towards the group.

“I know these little brats don’t look good to you. But they haven’t wronged you. They’ve wronged us. And in a most terrible way.”

At that moment, the seniors murmured, “Huh?”

Ignoring them, Hershel continued, his expression darkening as he pinched Melin’s cheek hard.

“Setting aside the trouble they’ve caused, these damned little ones tried to burn our food and starve us to death. So remember this: the right to take revenge belongs solely to us first-years.”

“Ahh… I-I’m so sorry.”

“Of course, this has been agreed upon with the professors. If you’re truly dissatisfied, go find Rockefeller. Though I doubt you have the guts to do that.”

There was no room left for objections.

When it came down to it, it wasn’t even their fault; they had no justification.

They were merely raised by those dark-hearted b*stards.

Moreover, the professors’ words were law, and to speak against them could lead to dire consequences.

Yet, as a representative, Atara had to address this matter.

“Hmm, I understand that well.”

Atara scanned the entire lobby, roughly counting the number of children.

…Indeed, even upon a second glance, there were many.

It seemed there were at least 150 of them.

“Tell me, you’re not saying all of them are just dumped on our dormitory, right?”

“Of course not. There are highly confidential materials within the fortress. There’s no way we’d let outsiders in.”

In the end, it meant the Schlaphe quarters were the easiest target.

After all, the only building outside the fortress was this one, so there was hardly any space to accommodate them.

“But how do you plan to manage all these kids? Food? Do you even know how to raise children?”

As Atara pressed with her questions, Hershel pulled out a bag that clinked with a metallic sound.

“There’s no need to worry about that part.”

“What, what do you mean by that…?”

“It’s a donation from the Adel and Burger families. They’re giving us this in exchange for taking care of the kids, so why wouldn’t they?”

As Hershel displayed a pile of coins that could easily number over ten thousand, Atra thought to himself.

‘…He’s extorting them.’

But what of it?

Such a sum had entered the dormitory.

Atra swallowed hard, just as he was about to snatch the bag.

Hershel suddenly turned his back and shouted across the entire lobby.

“The kids will leave in five days. Until then, we’ll pay fifty coins to those who feed and shelter them.”

The monthly allowance for students at Shulafe Academy was a mere thirty coins.

The students’ eyes gleamed with greed.

Then, they began to glance at one another, their gazes fixated on the children who were too preoccupied with eating.

Their expressions gradually morphed into those of famished hyenas.

While they were sizing each other up, Atra was the first to take action.

He stealthily approached Melin, who was closest, and wrapped his arms around her tightly to prevent her from escaping.

“You’re my daughter from now on.”

“Gah!”

As a third-year student approached Melin, Atra growled and glared as if he would kill.

“She’s mine. Find another!”

Those words became a signal flare.

The students surged forward, each grabbing a child, and chaos erupted.

“Give her to me! She’s my kid!”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Hey, I’ll treat you better. Come here, okay?”

“I have cute dolls in my room! Oh, and I have candy too. Want some?”

The children, frightened by their greedy faces, fled in terror.

The students surrounded those fleeing kids, trapping them one by one.

“Hehe, you can’t escape.”

“W-why are you doing this to us…?”

Hershel, sweating coldly, approached Limberton, whose eyes were trembling.

—

“How is it? Solved easily, right? The method’s not bad, is it?”

“Well, it’s… acceptable. But look, the kids are running away, crying. What’s the difference between us and a band of vagabonds…?”

Hershel nodded, showing a degree of agreement.

The scene resembled nothing less than a child abduction.

* * *

After a long time, showering in warm water made me feel like a civilized person again.

“Ah, indeed, hot water is the best.”

As I shook my hair dry with a towel and stepped into the room, I found a fish, stripped of its bones, placed at the door.

Smoke began to seep through the crack of the door.

It soon transformed into a black cat, which dove headfirst into the plate.

Thud!

After collapsing onto the bed, I began to sort through the day’s events.

Just as in the lobby, managing the children was easier than I had expected.

Thanks to the points I had earned in the practical magic training, they quickly turned into cash.

With the hefty sum I had extorted from the other dorm kids, I could cover the living expenses of the captives.

Without spending a single coin of my own.

And I had sent a letter to the landlady.

I added a note that if she refused, I would spread rumors of her being a heartless woman who abandons children, claiming it was discrimination.

If she refused, that would be quite amusing in its own right.

Next was the matter of exam results, and of course, I had scored full marks in both written and practical tests.

Unless something goes awry, I would be promoted to the Bürger Hall as soon as the first semester ended.

In truth, it wouldn’t be strange to go to the Adel Hall either, but it’s best not to expect that much because of that Rockefeller fellow.

Lastly, there was the talk of rewards.

Professor Gomon came to me with a face full of conviction, saying I could expect something worthwhile.

Of course, the Pathfinder would send me a medal, and the royal family would present a token of gratitude, but those were merely cumbersome decorations to me.

What I desired were money and weapons.

Still, at least they would take care to select the weapons properly for me.

That wraps up the events of today.

“Well then, shall I finally take a proper rest?”

I relaxed my muscles and sprawled out.

—

The cat climbed onto my belly and curled up.

Donathan spoke, seemingly surprised.

“It seems the wariness has completely vanished now.”

“Indeed.”

I stroked the cat’s head with my hand.

It didn’t shy away, seeming to revel in the touch.

Yet, I wasn’t entirely pleased.

The fact that I had grown so close to the cat meant that the grand finale of Frost Heart was soon to begin.

“Well, for now, there won’t be any classes. I suppose I can live a little unburdened.”

That didn’t mean I was entirely without tasks, though.

The academy provided drinks for students who had just completed their magical practice.

They even held a banquet and awarded certificates, but that was an affair for a few days hence, so there was no need to worry about it just yet.

However, Donathan had something important to say.

“Ahem, shouldn’t we express our gratitude to that fellow Henderson? Without his teachings, we might not have returned alive.”

“Oh, Henderson? I was just thinking of seeing him.”

The hundreds of gold coins and techniques he had shared had truly become effective means of attack.

“I should pack a lot of food to take with me tomorrow. Hah, for now, let’s just get some sleep.”

With the cat resting on my belly, I closed my eyes.

* * *

Henderson strolled down the corridor, gazing out the window.

Normally, outings outside of class were not permitted.

Yet, he had managed to come out, having requested it in the hope of a chance, and the old professor had granted his indulgence.

This also meant that time was running short.

“Old man, today is the day that lad returns, isn’t it? But why hasn’t he shown his face?”

“He just finished his magical practice. He’s probably so sore that he fell asleep right away.”

Henderson clicked his tongue in disappointment.

Still, if that was the reason, there was little to be done.

As he continued to watch intently outside, a droplet slid down the glass.

It seemed the icicles on the upper balcony had begun to melt.

“Looks like spring does come here, and the snow melts after all.”

As Henderson spoke, the old professor replied with a hint of pity in his voice.

“Ah, yes, it has melted, indeed. The snow-capped mountains remain, but the greenery is visible now.”

“Really? Do you think it will all be gone in two days?”

The old professor said nothing in response.

Henderson chuckled softly.

“Come now, no need to be so serious. Lighten your expression.”

Henderson glanced around, searching for something to distract him, his eyes wandering out the window.

Then he spotted a group of little ones building a snowman with their classmates and pointed them out.

“…Did I see that wrong? It looks like those peanut-sized kids are playing over there.”

At that, the old professor burst into hearty laughter.

“No, that’s the truth. There’s quite an amusing tale behind it.”

The old professor recounted what he had heard from Gomon.

Once again, a band of young vagabonds had invaded, and instead of killing them, the students had captured them.

At the center of it all was Hershel, and he even shared the unbelievable news that the instructors had been taken down as well.

“Well, it seems he did just that. Who would have thought he’d go to the cursed lands and even bring back relics? Truly, he continues to write an unprecedented history. I doubt we’ll see another student like him again.”

Henderson, not being part of the Pathfinder, didn’t know the specifics, but the stories were entertaining enough to make him shrug in amusement.

“Well, of course, he’s someone’s disciple. It’s only natural.”

Then, suddenly, Henderson realized, though it wasn’t his own affair, he was genuinely pleased by his achievements.

His eyes widened in surprise.

Of course, there were many things to admire, but Hershel was a noble.

He had always kept a clear boundary when interacting with him.

‘But why…’

Henderson stifled a laugh, covering his mouth with his hand.

The old professor raised an eyebrow at his sudden reaction, but Henderson couldn’t hold back any longer and burst into laughter.

“Ahahahahaha!”

He hated to admit it, but he had grown fond of him.

The noble-hater that he was, finding joy in a noble.

“H-Henderson? Why are you laughing like a madman?”

“Well, those kids he saved. Hehe. They’re all the kind of beggars you’d expect to see in the slums. He saved something utterly worthless! And a noble did it! How can that not be funny?”

Wars had been frequent because of the nobles.

—

The price of their atrocities inevitably fell upon the innocent commoners, who had to bear the burden.

Losing parents, sending children to the battlefield, and dying under the weight of exorbitant taxes—this was the life of the common folk.

The birth of the sentinel from the shadows had its own reasons, after all.

Yet that one was different.

Perhaps it was precisely because of such aspects that he had unknowingly fallen headlong into the fray.

In his actions, there was a sincerity that stood apart from the glitzy charlatans.

“Haah.”

Henderson took a deep breath and finally calmed his body.

Then he spoke to the old professor.

“Tell that fellow to come here first thing in the morning.”

“That’s not difficult, but in the morning, you say?”

“Shouldn’t I at least say goodbye? There’s much I want to discuss.”

Henderson gazed thoughtfully at the Shulafe crown.

Having already given hundreds of gold, it seemed trivial now, this great discovery they sought to seize—an inventory.

At this moment, he felt he could just hand it over without a second thought.

Of course, it wouldn’t be that simple.

‘I will pose you one last question. If you are indeed the man I believe you to be, you should be able to solve it.’