Healing at the Academy convenience store

Chapter 34

D/Z Saga

Through fact-checking alone, I, someone deeply engrossed in this game, am well-versed in the intricacies of Kelters’ adventure. I find myself replaying these events in my mind multiple times a day.

Regardless of my attempts to minimize interference, certain episodes invariably demand my intervention. Be it Eve, Aila, the entire academy, or the eruptions within the 8th Magic Division, I must navigate diligently to prevent any catastrophic outcomes.

To steer clear of such disastrous consequences, I must dodge with unwavering determination while capitalizing on any possible advantages. By doing so, I hope to graduate next year, acquire specialized skills, and perhaps even remain at Jephryn, forever managing a convenience store.

Consequently, I’ve acquired an in-depth understanding of the main characters, antagonists, and heroines. Thankfully, Wolfram possesses an excellent memory, ensuring that once he’s seen something, it remains etched in his mind. At least my mental faculties are sound, providing some relief.

Let’s momentarily set aside discussions about future preparations and focus on the Jephryn Student Competition.

This competition comprises five primary categories.

The Knight Division engages in duels within the Musinje, while the Magic Division battles in the Mashinje. Beyond these, the Maestro and Yggdrasil assess the weapons and attire they create.

There’s also a somewhat unconventional category known as Magic Craft. It entails crafting magically-enhanced accessories or artifacts for evaluation, and to be frank, securing second place is relatively straightforward. Magic Craft represents a high-level skill, yet the first place is so dominant that most contestants eventually concede defeat.

Enter Regina Ciel, the illustrious merchant mage and the top third-grade student. Her magical prowess boasts a rating of 21, surpassing Aila but falling short of Eve’s. A prodigy among prodigies.

Additionally, there are alternative paths related to knights and magic, akin to sub-heroines. Graduating alongside her leads to a magic division conclusion.

My present challenge involves dealing with both a genius and a sorceress simultaneously. However, there’s a glimmer of hope.

‘If this game incorporates Jephryn’s system as is, there’s a chance for a dramatic turnaround.’

My task is to transform that last-minute reversal opportunity into reality.

Achieving this goal might prove arduous for Wolfram alone, but with friendship, we can attempt it. If our efforts converge, victory becomes attainable.

‘Fortunately, I’m not alone. I have comrades with whom I’ve shared friendship.’

I clenched my fist and gazed at the heavens.

Wolfram is not alone.

***

“I’d rather not.”

Eve declined.

“I apologize. Rudika is currently on a mission.”

Rudika vanished.

“Of course, I’ll assist! As for payment—”

“Hey, you, shut up and work!”

Nephti was preoccupied.

“…I’ll also participate in the Mashinje. Farewell.”

Aila made her escape.

“……”

Wolfram von Roengreen found himself standing alone.

***

Seated at the table in front of the convenience store, I looked up at the sky.

What is friendship? What are beliefs?

The world had left me isolated.

Though the stars in the night sky may seem close from Earth, their distances are measured in light-years.

“Is this solitude…”

I was overwhelmed by a profound sense of loneliness.

***

However, that doesn’t imply I can simply give in.

When one chooses to keep living, there’s no rationale for giving in to death.

I once survived a construction accident while moving an H-beam, which resulted in a disc injury. I remained in a studio apartment for three to four days without water and still pulled through.

‘There’s a solution. There must be. You’ve got to make it happen.’

Lost in contemplation while frying doughnuts, the place began to fill up with regular customers around lunchtime.

I appreciate Eve’s considerate gesture, which brought many regular students to the cart, but, to be honest, it feels more like a burden now.

Who is this Wolfram von Roengreen, or rather, Lee Young-jin? I’ve tackled all sorts of jobs, from manual labor to working as a part-timer at an amusement park during peak season, and even taking on various emergency jobs to earn a decent daily wage.

During times like these, priorities must be crystal clear.

We only sell a specific quantity of doughnuts, all freshly fried in the morning. No more than that.

“Hey, senior. Are you out of cream?”

“We’re out. None left.”

“Okay, then strawberry, please!”

“Sure thing.”

I’ve also worked at a bustling restaurant in Gangnam with a daily revenue of 300 million won. A senior coworker who had been there for three years once advised me:

[If you run out, just say you’re out. And never compromise on quality.]

[What do you mean?]

[Sometimes we might run out of radish kimchi, right? But when serving regular kimchi, don’t appear rushed. Moreover, since customers will remember the absence of radish kimchi, offer them an extra 30 minutes of free parking.]

That senior got fired for getting into a fight with a customer the following month, but the lesson still holds.

So, we only fry a specific quantity of doughnuts. If we run out of cream, the quality of what we offer won’t decline. In fact, we add even more.

“The strawberry cream is abundant today.”

“We ran out of regular cream, so consider it a bonus. My apologies.”

“Oh… Alright.”

“Enjoy.”

“Thank you!”

A freshman in their first year departs.

Their cheeks seem oddly flushed. Is it because of the cold?

“What’s the next order?”

“Um, one cheese cream for me, please.”

“Got it. Just a moment.”

“Sure!”

While taking the next order, a loud voice emanates from the side.

“Senior! Take our order too! Cheese and strawberry, not too much!”

“I understand you’re in a hurry, but I can’t do that.”

“Um… I’m sorry…”

“It’s not about that. I might make a mistake.”

“Huh?”

“You should savor what you eat, even if it’s just one. My apologies.”

“Yes, yes.”

Moreover, no matter how brisk the turnover is, only accept as many orders as you can handle. When I worked at an exceptionally popular ramen shop in Hongdae, the Japanese owner once told me:

[In this business, turnover is crucial. But there should be a noticeable warmth inside compared to the outside.]

[What do you mean?]

[While customers outside endure the cold, the staff shouldn’t rush just to boost turnover. When those customers finally get their ramen, they should feel the warmth and courtesy from the staff and the cozy ambiance of the ramen shop. That’s the warmth they should experience.]

Certainly, the boss who conveyed this ended up facing issues with his business ethics and received a poor rating during an unexpected health inspection before returning to Japan.

Nevertheless, that lesson remains ingrained in my soul.

Yes, the external customers may be in a hurry, but the priority is to serve the customers who ordered first. I’m sorry, but they should feel that warmth.

And that’s how all the doughnuts were neatly sold out.

Now that today’s business is concluded, I need to contemplate how to prepare for the competition after dinner.

As I was pondering about tidying up the shop…

“Senior, are you a player?”

“Royalty. Despair. Yet, someone ambitious who has risen once more. A hero who rescued the first-year students. But also a villain… A formidable senior.”

“Um, hello, senior…”

Three vibrant newcomers approached.

****

Vanilla Yogurt Mille-feuille.

Among the colorful chicks, the yellow one, Vanilla, seemed excited when she spotted me.

“Senior, senior.”

“What’s up?”

“We can also offer free tastings today. Would you like to try?”

What does ‘can also offer’ mean? Are they in some kind of trouble?

“I’m all sold out. Sorry, but you’ll have to go.”

“Are you being mean to us too?”

Yogurt then joined in.

“What are you guys talking about?”

“No need to hide it. We’ve heard plenty of rumors about you even before we entered school. They say you were a shady student council president.”

“I won’t deny that.”

“So, what do you think the first-year students will think of you after they join? You’ve been selling desserts and doing business in front of the freshman dorm since the welcome party, and you even recently dealt with the ghost situation in the dorm. Now, you’re showing a kinder side…”

“Yeah, definitely giving off that bad guy vibe. Plus, he talks like royalty. So, do you have any donuts? We’d love to try them.”

Did Vanilla Yogurt get a bit carried away? Annoying.

“Don’t pester the senior. He’s uncomfortable, okay?”

“Oh! Mille-feuille has fallen for a bad guy!”

“Watch out, Mille-feuille. Men are wolves, as the elders say.”

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

The chicks continued their chatter.

Typically, you’d quiet down kids like these by giving them a treat.

But to give them something right now…

Ah, I have an idea.

“Colorful chicks, you’re being quite noisy. Here, take this.”

“Chicks? What’s this?”

“We’re freshmen, show some respect. A snack? It’s a snack we’ve never seen before?”

Their conversation topic shifts swiftly. These lively little chicks.

“It’s a snack made by layering sheets of pastry dough. It’s a prototype and a new product. I put a lot of effort into it…”

“We’ll enjoy it!”

“We’ll enjoy it.”

“Alright, we’ll enjoy it.”

“Listen to the whole explanation.”

The chicks immediately dug into my ‘new product.’

“Wow, it’s so crispy! Delicious!”

“But be careful, if you sneakily eat this during class, crumbs might end up all over the place.”

“···Um, yes, delicious.”

Well, of course, it’s delicious because I made sure it was tasty.

Anyway, the crucial thing isn’t that…

“Do you notice anything special after eating it?”

“Um, yes? Yes, we do!”

“What is it?”

“Give us more!”

Yellow chick is out of the running.

“Nothing particularly different. I might need to eat more to tell…”

Green chick also fails.

I turned my attention to the last pink chick, who was engrossed in munching the new snack.

“How about you?”

“Um… Senior, this, um, I might be imagining it, but…”

“Go ahead, speak your mind.”

“My vision seems sharper, and I feel more focused.”

And then, Mille-feuille mumbled something very softly, but it caught my ear.

“Magical effect? No… Enhancement?”

“Hah.”

My eyes lit up, and a smile formed on my lips. This kid had perfectly grasped the effect of the ‘Magical Patissier’ prototype I had created.

“Yellow chick, green chick, you’re free to go. Pink chick, do you have a moment? It won’t take long.”

“Y-Yes?”

“No, the corrupting influence of the senior has reached Mille-feuille… We must protect her!”

“No, Mille-feuille is our buddy.”

“Come back around this time tomorrow for a couple of sets of donuts.”

“Mille-feuille, be happy!”

“The senior is an ambitious royal. It’ll be good for Mille-feuille too.”

With those words, the other two left the table. It was a fleeting friendship.

Mille-feuille observed her friends as they walked away with the look of a freedom fighter who had just lost his comrades.

“Pink chick, or should I say, Mille-feuille Phonsabre. I won’t take up much of your time. I have a few questions.”

“Y-Yes?!”

“This is a snack I created, and as you mentioned, it’s a buff-type snack crafted using my skills.”

“A buff-type snack. Magical Sweet?”

“Call it whatever you like. My question is, since it’s a prototype, the buff effect would be relatively weak. How did you discern it so quickly?”

In response to my question, Mille-feuille lowered her head, her face turning red with embarrassment before finally speaking.

“Um, it’s a bit embarrassing.”

“Go on.”

“I have an inherent sensitivity to mana. So, I’m highly susceptible to magical influences.”

“Easily susceptible?”

“Yes. So, if I’m hit by an attack spell, it hurts a lot… and my stamina is low, even though I aspire to be a knight…”

Mille-feuille suddenly appeared dejected.

Come to think of it, this trait has been with her since birth, or rather, it’s part of her ‘character design.’ Wasn’t she originally a character meant to be expelled from Jephryn after just one defeat against Kelters?

She’s been given talents that were never intended to make her strong.

The magic craft capable of capturing Regina Ciel.

A buff-type snack that provides various buffs, including health recovery, as soon as you consume it on the battlefield.

To make this a reality, someone needs to eat it and test the buffs in practice.

In this regard, Mille-feuille, who identified the buff effects immediately upon trying the prototype, could be the ideal partner.

So, how can I win this chick over?

“The professor mentioned that as the first-year valedictorian, he should be given another chance. He suggested a duel with Kelters after the suspension is lifted in two weeks. What should I do…”

From Mille-feuille’s continuous muttering, I gleaned a clue.

“Mille-feuille Phonsabre.”

“Y-Yes?”

“Do you want to defeat Kelters?”

“Y-Yes…?”

“As I mentioned, this buff-type snack.”

“The Magical Sweet?”

“Yes. This Magical Sweet is a prototype. There’s room for improvement.”

“…..Yes.”

“So, wouldn’t there be a possibility if you consume it in its enhanced form and take the test?”

“But wouldn’t that violate the exam rules?”

“Don’t most people use artifacts or two?”