SWNOVELXO Chapter 133
TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 133
Under the dim lighting.
Sitting at the desk, I was organizing my thoughts under the soft moonlight.
‘What should I do to live without doing anything?’
Since the moment I possessed this novel, my goal had been clear: to enjoy a peaceful and happy life as an unemployed person. I wanted to fully indulge in the things I couldn’t enjoy in my previous life.
That’s just how humans are.
They want to avoid conflicts.
But they also want to watch fights from the sidelines.
They want to earn lots of money and enjoy luxury because that’s human nature.
And.
As the novel progressed toward its latter half, there were more and more incidents that couldn’t simply be laughed off, so I didn’t want to get involved.
The events surrounding Yuria became incomparably more brutal, and the bullying she experienced at the Academy intensified.
Watching the events of the novel unfold from the sidelines might be entertaining, but I had no intention of giving up my happy unemployed life just for that.
The protagonists’ growth would only accelerate with time, and it was doubtful whether a mere possessor like me could even keep up with them.
To observe the protagonists’ story up close, I would need defensive capabilities to avoid sudden death. That was another concern.
Of course, while I currently had an overwhelming power gap compared to the sub male leads, it was still within a range where they could potentially catch up.
So, my dream was to be unemployed.
I didn’t want to do anything.
But, this wasn’t an easy task either.
The slow growth of the sub male leads and the time when the heretics would stretch their influence from the shadows meant that, as a possessor, I had to maintain at least a minimum level of courtesy.
Offering a bit of help without hindering their growth was the least I could do to repay the fortuitous encounters I had benefited from, so I couldn’t just turn a blind eye like an unemployed person.
Since the protagonists’ growth in the story wasn’t heavily reliant on fortuitous encounters but focused on enlightenment, it wasn’t a big issue, but I still had to show a minimum level of respect for the snowballing events.
And.
I had to protect the Young Lady.
Hans’ matter made me realize.
I had to become strong enough that no one could dare to threaten my people.
So, what should I do from now on?
It was time to revisit the things I had been gradually forgetting.
About the events that would occur when the heretics hiding in the underbelly finally revealed themselves in earnest.
And about my stagnant combat power—I thought it was time to reflect on that as well.
At this point, I could classify myself as a fairly strong individual. If I were to assign a fantasy-like grade, I’d be around A+.
While I wasn’t on the level of S+ like Rowen or Darbav, I had enough power to face an Archbishop of the Heretics alone. Ruin and Mikhail were far below at B-grade, and Yuria was probably around C-grade.
The Archbishop was roughly on par with me at A-grade.
The heretics had various ranks.
Broadly speaking, there were five categories.
The most numerous were the “Fanatics.”
Those who gained recognition for their faith and power and learned dark magic were called “Inquisitors,” and then there were the elite few with exceptional combat power known as “Archbishops” and the monsters referred to as “Apostles.”
Lastly, their leader—the “Pope.”
That’s how it could be summarized.
If I were to pick opponents I could handle…
I cautiously opened my notebook and began scribbling.
I circled each opponent I could reasonably face with a red pen.
“Fanatics.”
“Inquisitors.”
“Archbishops.”
And…
“This one is impossible.”
“Apostles.”
If I were to sum up the Apostles in one line, they were nothing short of monsters.
With overwhelming combat power.
Embedded in the Empire’s leadership.
Sometimes spreading the heretical faith within the Goddess Cult.
Hiding in the mountains.
Or becoming famous persons known to all.
The Apostles’ combat power was considered on par with Rowen or slightly below, each possessing unique abilities suited to their characteristics. If I had to assign a grade, they’d be around S-grade.
“I still have a long way to go.”
I thought I had become strong enough, but I was once again reminded of how arrogant that thought had been.
Lost in deep thought, I scribbled with my pen once more.
This time, I decided to write about the antagonists.
○ Archbishop of Madness: Pascal
● Ability: Body Manipulation · Swordsmanship (C)
● Personality: Crazy Bastard
● Compatibility: Moderate
“Hmm…”
Drenching my notebook in ink, I fell into contemplation.
Pascal.
A creature resembling an insect, he was an antagonist who left a strong impression in the novel and was known as Mikhail’s nemesis.
He was a lunatic who manipulated innocent civilians and children to commit massacres.
● Location: Prison
Of course, for now, he was in prison, bringing joy to many people, so he wasn’t someone I needed to worry about.
“Next… Hans, perhaps.”
○ Archbishop of Greed: Hans
● Ability: Plunder · Disguise · Magic (B)
● Personality: Gentle · Inferiority Complex · Hates Comparisons · Greedy
● Compatibility: Can overwhelmingly crush.
A friend of Ruin and a disciple of the Tower Master.
If I only considered his ability to steal the powers of those he fully understood, he wasn’t someone to be overly concerned about, but it wasn’t as easy as it sounded.
Over time, he had enough potential to create countless variables, and in the original work, he was the second most troublesome Archbishop to deal with after the Apostles. Moreover, true to his name “Greed,” he was a tricky opponent with no growth limits, stealing abilities indiscriminately.
He could even steal the abilities of the fanatics he was affiliated with, and as shown in the novel, he had taken the Tower Master’s unique ability.
Considering he had previously visited the estate disguised as Ruin, it seemed his ability hunting had begun in earnest…
“Should I have killed him back then…”
Trusting the Magic Tower was my mistake.
So far, I had identified three of Hans’ abilities.
First, the magic he studied before his darkening.
Second, the dark magic that allowed him to steal unique abilities.
Third, the magic that let him copy someone’s appearance.
Honestly, Hans was manageable.
From the moment I obtained Tirbing, Hans couldn’t defeat me, and even if the late-stage Hans from the novel appeared, I could crush him. My compatibility with Hans was extremely unfavorable for him.
However.
For our protagonists, he would be nothing short of a catastrophe. Especially for Ruin, Hans would become a monster capable of leaving him with the worst memories.
By the time I had filled the notebook with more notes, I wrote in bold letters about the upcoming events.
-Next Story: [The Man Who Lost His Face]
Subtitle: Frog Prince
“This is going to be a disaster.”
I don’t know.
I decided not to care anymore, but as a possessor, it was hard not to be concerned about the novel’s story—it was an occupational habit.
As someone who loved the novel, it was a shame to miss out on the interesting parts.
Well, they’ll figure it out on their own.
I believe in you. Vermin.
With a faint smile, I began jotting down step-by-step plans to increase my combat power.
First, let’s start by learning magic.
***
Another peaceful day in the Young Lady’s room.
The Young Lady, wearing glasses without lenses, furrowed her brows and maintained a serious expression. Adjusting her glasses with an air of dignity, she let out a deep sigh and spoke.
“Idiot.”
“…”
“Fool.”
“…”
“Mutt.”
“Isn’t that going too far? How can you compare a person to an animal?”
At my indignant reaction, the Young Lady covered her mouth and let out a small chuckle.
“But it’s true that Ricardo is an idiot.”
“I’m not an idiot, it’s just difficult.”
“That’s what makes you an idiot.”
The Young Lady’s judgment was merciless.
Today was the day I was to receive magic lessons from the Young Lady.
After considering various methods to improve my stagnant combat power, I concluded that learning magic would yield the fastest results in the shortest time. So, I had earnestly asked the Young Lady for help.
To teach me magic.
-No.
-Just this once, please.
-How can I teach you when I can’t even use magic?
-Young Lady, your very existence is magic itself.
-Hehe… Well, that’s true.
The Young Lady, swayed by flattery.
Of course, I also handed over a large quantity of chocolate, but fortunately, I was able to hire a competent magic instructor.
Learning magic from the Young Lady, who was officially recognized by the author as having the Greatest Magical Talent in the Story, would be incomparable to learning from any other teacher.
I approached the lessons with excitement, but the outcome was this mess.
The Young Lady, looking at a sheet of paper on the desk, began a lengthy explanation.
“Alright, I’ll explain it again.”
“Yes.”
“Magic is divided into five main attributes. Fire, water, wind, earth, and nature. These five can be used immediately once learned.”
Suddenly, the Young Lady looked intellectual.
As expected… Is she a genius?
I had thought she was just a fool who loved chocolate, but seeing her speak intelligently in her area of expertise made her seem different.
Impressed by the Young Lady’s eloquence, I raised my hand to ask a question I had been holding back. After all, I had poured out a large amount of chocolate to hire this teacher, so I could at least ask this much.
“What about Sparkling Lightning Magic? I want to use something like that.”
“That’s something you can’t use, Ricardo.”
“Is magic discriminating against nobles too? What a filthy world.”
“Hmm… Not exactly. It’s called a Rare Attribute. Things like the ‘Lightning’ attribute you mentioned, as well as white, spatial, summoning, and light magic, only appear in special individuals. My specialty is Summoning Magic.”
“Oh… Was that headless knight you showed at the Academy a summoned creature? I thought it was a devil and got scared.”
“…Yes.”
“I knew it.”
“What do you mean, you knew it!”
“Nothing. Just talking to myself.”
She was an arrogant wizard, embarrassed about her summoned creature.
Of course, I had known about the Young Lady’s Rare Attribute for a while, but I brought it up just to tease her.
That aside, it’s possible I might have a Hidden Magical Talent. It stung a little to hear her dismiss it so easily.
Feeling indignant, I raised my hand again to ask the Young Lady another question.
“Isn’t there a chance I might have an amazing attribute? Like White Magic or Spatial Magic?”
“Hmm…”
The Young Lady pursed her lips and, after a deep sigh, shook her head.
“You’re too ugly for that.”
“…?”
“Yep.”
“Do you realize that’s discrimination?”
“No, it’s Ricardo discrimination.”
“That hurts even more.”
“Hehe…”
Annoyed by the Young Lady trying to brush it off with laughter, I wanted to pinch her cheek, but as a student, I decided not to overstep and violate her authority.
Instead, I resolved to torment her mercilessly once the lesson was over.
Clearing her throat, the Young Lady adjusted her tone to focus on the lesson. She seemed unwilling to justify her butler discrimination any further.
Feeling wronged, I openly displayed my sulky mood, pouting my lips.
“Don’t sulk.”
“I’m not sulking.”
“Liar.”
“There’s no reason for a butler with no special traits to sulk.”
“That’s not true. Ricardo, you…”
The Young Lady, seemingly embarrassed, fidgeted with the pen in her hand and blushed.
“You’re good at cooking.”
“…Pfft. How is that a special trait?”
“Ricardo’s cooking is delicious, so it’s fine if you don’t have anything flashy.”
“Well… Ahem! Thank you. Hearing that does make me feel better.”
The Young Lady, shy when giving compliments, shook her head and tapped the desk.
-Clap!
“So… Next, we’ll try the easiest magic to learn.”
The Young Lady pointed to the sheet of paper on the desk.
A Red Magic Circle was drawn on the paper.
It was a magic circle I had seen often.
The most basic magic.
A magic that 98% of the Empire’s citizens could use—Fireball.
I scoffed at the sheet of paper lying on the desk.
Did she think I was an idiot, making me practice with something as basic as Fireball?
Even if I lacked magical talent, I wasn’t so incompetent that I couldn’t manage a Fireball.
“Come on, what do you take me for? I can handle this much.”
The Young Lady stared at me intently.
-Broadly…
“You can probably do it. Maybe.”
“So you’re saying I can’t.”
“…”
As a student, it was my duty to follow the teacher’s instructions, so I swallowed the retort that was about to escape and focused on the Young Lady’s guidance.
“Alright… Visualize the drawing on this paper in your mind…”
“And then?”
“Yes. Like this.”
“No, you say ‘like this,’ but you’re not showing me anything. How am I supposed to know what to do?”
The Young Lady furrowed her brows and pressed her fingers to her temples. She looked as if she were sending telepathic signals to aliens, her movements so peculiar that I almost burst out laughing.
“Eeeek… Hiiiik! Imagine it like this…!”
Even though there was a notebook and pen on the desk, she was pressing her temples and performing the magic circle as if it were some mystical ritual. Pfft… It was really hard to hold back my laughter.
“Follow me!”
“Pfft… Yes.”
“Put your hands on your head and go eeeek…!”
“Eeeek…”
“That’s right! And bam!”
“Bam!”
With a resounding shout of spirit, a red magic circle began to form in the empty space, and flames started bursting out.
Flames as red and radiant as the sun.
-Fwoosh…
They fizzled out in less than a second.
I looked at the Young Lady with a proud expression. Even though it was just a tiny spark, I stared at her with the confidence of someone who had achieved success.
“Pfft…”
“…”
“Pfft…”
The Young Lady was trying hard to suppress a bursting smile.
Her cheeks puffed up, and her shoulders trembled as she struggled to hold it in.
My burning passion for learning was completely extinguished.
“Please don’t laugh. To me, that was my version of Meteor.”
“Meteors aren’t that small.”
“…”
“And a Meteor is…”
“Please stop.”
“Alright.”
Hmm. I was sure I had thought it through perfectly, so what went wrong? Simple magic like a Fireball doesn’t require constructing a spell formula, so there shouldn’t have been any need to rack my brain. I just couldn’t figure out where it went wrong.
The Young Lady, now acting as my teacher, seemed to find it just as difficult to pinpoint the problem of her foolish student. She stared at my face with a perplexed expression.
“Ricardo.”
“Yes.”
“Are you an idiot?”
“…?”
“Ricardo, you lack imagination.”
“When it comes to imagination, I could rival a Meteor.”
“…Then.”
The Young Lady furrowed her brows and asked with a serious expression.
“What’s the problem?”
“I don’t know either.”
“I don’t know either. This is the first time I’ve met someone this dumb.”
“Didn’t you also have a time when you couldn’t do it, Young Lady?”
“Me?”
The Young Lady smirked arrogantly and scoffed.
“I never had such a time.”
“Ugh. How annoying.”
“I know.”
As expected, learning from someone so talented was a foolish endeavor.