1 Second Invincibility in the Game Chapter 61

“What are you doing? Get lost.”

“? Why should I do that as a custor?”

When I retorted sharply, she looked at as if she were seeing sothing strange.

“…Look at this? Talking to a senior like that?”

“Your attitude towards an investor is quite flawed.”

“Hah, seriously. Now even freshn are trying to deceive.”

As she stepped inside the store, she appeared holding a large club.

At that mont, a man grabbed the club, his eyes wide with surprise, as if to take it away from her.

He must be the representative of the [Nille Workshop] alchemy club.

“Hey, wait a minute, what are you doing?”

“Oh, let go, senior. These beggar bastards need to be taught a lesson so they don’t co back.”

“You punk. Still, you can’t treat a custor like that!”

“Move aside? This guy, he’s a first-year from Schlaphe Hall! Do you want to get ripped off like last year?”

She seems to have so grudge against the Schlaphe Hall guys.

Well, considering the notorious behavior of our proud Schlaphe Hall seniors, it’s understandable. They often don’t pay their debts, scam others frequently, and probably thought I wouldn’t have money as a freshman. To her, I must have appeared like a new parasite.

There’s always a reason for being disliked.

“Even so… he’s still a freshman and has a chance. He might move to Buerger Hall soon. He could beco a potential custor then.”

Despite that, the club representative spoke optimistically.

It’s rare for one in ten to make it, so why risk losing nine tis? Normally, I would have laughed it off, but since I was the subject, I nodded.

This only made her glare at more angrily.

“Oh, you annoying bastard… picking up bad habits from beggars, ah, senior, move aside. This all happened because you’re known as a pushover!”

Ignoring the commotion, I asked the representative sothing I was curious about.

“By the way, was the ice cowhide sold by that small maid?”

“Huh? Oh, yes. We bought all the innards and everything from her. The person she serves bought a lot of stuff from us too.”

He proudly pointed to the hide.

“Do you like this hide? I actually promised to pass it to the embroidery club, but it looked so good as a decoration that I didn’t want to sell it.”

This place must have been where they sold to at a fair price the day before the defense battle, without trying to scam .

“Actually, I didn’t co to buy anything. I was thinking of investing. Can we talk inside?”

“Invest?”

The representative scratched his head.

“I haven’t seen you before. Do you really have that much coin?”

He wasn’t so naive as to be completely trusting.

Instead of words, I answered with the contents of my wallet.

I placed five black, glossy tal coins in my palm. Each was worth 1,000 coins.

When I showed them, the woman who had been glaring at as if to kill suddenly smiled.

“Oh, my goodness. I’ll bring out our best tea. Please co in and have a seat.”

Her attitude changed in an instant, like flipping a hand. Having money certainly makes things easier.

However, the representative, being too kind-hearted, gave so foolish advice.

“I see you have a lot of coins, but are you sure about this? Wouldn’t it be safer to invest a bit more cautiously? Think it over before you decide.”

Hearing this, the woman rushed at the representative with an angry face.

“Senior! After the third-years graduated, all our investnt funds dried up! We can’t just miss this chance to get such a large sum at the start of the new term!” ř

Her reaction was normal. For clubs, this ti of year is like a tough march.

Graduating students can exchange their coins for currency used in the Empire, so they would have withdrawn all their investnts. Freshn wouldn’t have enough to invest.

“But still…”

“Oh, you frustrating man. 5,000 coins is enough for 16 months’ worth of allowances for the guys in Adelle Hall. We need to gather capital now to get ahead of other alchemy clubs!”

I couldn’t help but smile. Their combination was reassuring for an investor.

One had a gentle nature but exceptional skills in crafting. There wasn’t a single defective product in the last defense battle. The other, though ill-tempered, prevented the representative from being too naive, thus ensuring solid profits.

Regarding money, she was practical.

The representative sighed, as if he had given up, and nodded.

“Alright, alright. By the way, what’s your na?”

“Hersel Ben Tenest.”

“Wait a mont. The contract… hold on, Hersel?”

…Why is he acting like this suddenly?

“If you’re Hersel, are you the one that little maid serves?”

“Did she ntion my na?”

“No, I was just curious. You spent a whole 600 coins here at once.”

The man kept rambling excitedly, like he had found sothing interesting.

After hearing stories about capturing the ice cow leader and defeating the Bidon, he finally brought out the contract, and I could sign it.

After setting a cup of tea before , he ran towards a bubbling pot.

“Oh, almost burned it.”

I sipped the tea and looked around the store. The display cases were full of various kinds of potions.

There were potions for dyeing hair or pills to change your voice, suitable for a bit of fun.

Another shelf displayed the potions I had bought, mainly used during the magical training courses and selling like hotcakes during practice periods.

Though the variety was limited now, during practice periods, they sold out quickly, making for substantial dividends.

The best part of investing here was this:

“If I bring materials, could you make sothing custom?”

“Of course. If you invest that much, I’ll even use my personal ti to make it.”

Normally, only near-mass-produced items are made, but not here.

Rare items not made due to low demand can also be custom-made.

It will be greatly helpful later on.

***

Leana stroked her armor. The surface was rough, with deep dents and scratches from blade impacts.

It looked too worn to be usable. But she didn’t throw it away.

It wasn’t anything special, just an ordinary piece of armor easily obtainable.

However, it was sothing she had kept since being told to lay down her sword by her family.

It was precious because of that.

With no support from her family, the armor had beco imbued with her own convictions.

It wasn’t usable in its current state, but…

‘I need new equipnt.’

Leana gently set the armor aside and picked up her wallet from the desk.

She paused in front of a full-length mirror.

The reflection showed a figure completely stripped of any remaining girlishness.

“…It was getting tight anyway.”

She needed slightly larger armor.

After finishing her tea, she was on her way back, looking for a new investnt opportunity, when she made eye contact with a woman with long red hair.

***

“Hersel…”

Leana looked at with a nonchalant expression.

It was clear this was a coincidental encounter, and it would be best not to get involved.

I tried to pass by indifferently.

While others might approach cautiously to avoid ruining the narrative, Leana was different.

As a swordswoman, her biggest obstacle was .

Keeping our relationship distant was the right thing to do, and she probably wanted that too.

However, she blocked my way.

“Do you have any business?”

When I asked calmly, Leana nodded.

“I want to talk for a mont.”

Her usually indifferent eyes seed sowhat softened.

Well, she might only be trying not to show it.

She had a soft side despite her exterior, so expressing emotions wasn’t strange.

But if her target was Hersel, shouldn’t she be showing so hostility?

It was odd indeed.

“I’m busy, so keep it short.”

Leana’s gaze turned calm.

“You said you don’t rember. Is it the sa now?”

It seed to be about her previous question.

– Why did you arrange our engagent without my consent? Why?

I had answered that I didn’t know.

Well, if it were Hersel, it would be roughly guessable.

As soone obsessed with won, he enjoyed ssing with lives, so it seed he had picked Leana as his victim. That was my conclusion.

“I don’t rember.”

When I repeated the sa answer, Leana gave a look that reminded of Selly’s peculiar gaze.

It felt like being treated as a madman.

“I see.”

This was the second ti for the sa question.

Naturally, curiosity arose.

Why was she so obsessed with Hersel’s motive?

Since she had cut ties with her family, there was no obligation to marry.

With her entry into Frostheart, she was guaranteed the ans for self-reliance.

‘Then why?’

“Why are you so fixated on this? You and I are practically strangers now.”

When I hinted at my question, Leana coldly replied and turned away.

“My father didn’t tell anything. So I asked.”

The cause seed to be her father, the head of the Derevian family.

Maybe Leana was holding onto hope.

She probably wished her father wasn’t the kind of man who would sell his daughter for the benefits of the Tenest family.

In her mory, her father was a loving man who cherished her before Hersel appeared.

“Hmm.”

Understanding this, Leana’s obsession with the sa question made sense.

When soone involved in arranging her engagent appeared, she naturally wanted to ask about it in detail.

Knowing the background made Leana’s seemingly light question feel heavier.

– Why did you arrange our engagent without my consent? Why?

But wasn’t her question slightly off?

She probably wanted to know the conversation that led to this, trying to steer it towards her father’s reasoning after hearing Hersel’s motive.

Instead of going in circles, if she had directly asked, ‘Do you know why my father did that?’ she might have gotten a higher chance of a helpful answer.

Of course, even then, I wouldn’t have answered.

After the encounter with Leana, I reunited with the two guys.

Since they only ca for the request, they were dressed the sa.

My main purpose here was investnt, so I took them around various places.

Currently, we were at a skewer club, chewing on at.

There was no special sauce, just the taste of smoked at and so salt.

I asked them.

“What do you think?”

Limberton, a gourt, closed his eyes to savor the taste, while Aslay, satisfied with everything, devoured whatever was in his hand.

“Hmm, 80 points.”

“Delicious.”

There seed to be many regulars; should I invest 1,000 coins here?

I invested the entire 10,000 coins I extorted from the guy in various clubs.

Word must have spread because people offered free samples or explained the benefits of their products everywhere we went.

Even a Schlaphe Hall student gets respect if he has money.

As we made our way out of the crowd and left the citadel, Limberton muttered.

“But, where do they get these materials from? Like clothes or food supplies?”

“Well, you order, and the logistics wagon delivers.”

Despite being a closed-off place, you could still order basic necessities and various tools.

Of course, it had to pass strict inspection by the faculty.

I think the rchant group contracted here was from Orbella…

“Why? Are you thinking of starting a business?”

I asked, just in case, and Limberton’s eyes glead.

His words revealed his sticky desires.

“Right. How about opening a won’s lingerie shop or an adult store?”

“Main items would be garter belts! We could hang sensual drawings on the stands. For that, we’ll need the right tools.”

His expression was serious as he envisioned the business.

At that mont, the clouds parted, and the intense red sunset made squint.

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Not for any significant reason.

Just because, after a hearty al, chatting about random things while heading ho under the evening glow felt nostalgic, like being back in school days.

For now, enjoying this peaceful daily life seed fine.

Just as I was about to say sothing to Limberton walking ahead, laughter stopped us in our tracks.

“Give it up. If you don’t want to be arrested for public indecency.”

Hearing the commotion from passersby, my laughter vanished.

“Another second-year from Buerger Hall has gone missing.”

“Again? Ugh, will we even survive until graduation?”

Seeing them shiver, Limberton asked curiously.

“Huh? Did they break the rules or sothing?”

“No way.”

I acted nonchalantly and walked on.

“It’s late. Let’s head back.”

Yeah, peace isn’t in my cards.

I should stay sharp.

Soone must have untied the golden thread; I can’t let my guard down.

Restless spirits are still wandering the academy, gnawing at the cracks in one’s sanity.