Deadline Is Raining in the Status Window - Chapter 12

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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At that very moment, Duke Neftis sat with his head wrapped in bandages, waiting only for reports from his subordinates. His one and only daughter—the child who would become a mage and bring honor to the family—had left home two months ago without a word.
He was well aware that she had laid hands on the nation’s sole Crown Prince, resulting in a death sentence for lèse-majesté and the stripping of her noble status by imperial decree. But that was all it amounted to. If Mitchell Neftis lived, there were countless ways to welcome her back as a member of the Neftis family.
He could create a new identity and adopt her as a foster daughter, or he could bow before His Majesty the Emperor and offer some pillar of the family’s foundation as a bribe to restore the child’s status.
From the start, he thought the Emperor had been excessive in punishing her merely for touching that Crown Prince with such a weak foundation. Mitchell Neftis was the next head of the Neftis family and a talent destined to become a great mage.
A spirited girl might throw herself at a boy she fancied. Besides, if that powerless Crown Prince with no real authority formed a connection with Neftis, wouldn’t that be beneficial to him as well?
To reject such a golden opportunity and even issue a death sentence—there was no greater tyranny. It was clear the Emperor had looked down upon Neftis for no longer enjoying the glory of old. Our daughter might be inexperienced in matters of love, but was that really so shameful?
“Your Grace! We have discovered the whereabouts of Miss Mitchell!”
“Where?! Where is my daughter right now?!”
At the welcome news his subordinate brought, Duke Neftis kicked back his chair and rose to greet her. The woman who headed Neftis’s exclusive intelligence agency handed over several photographs and informed the Duke of his daughter’s current circumstances.
“It is Ilam, Your Grace! The young lady is hiding in Ilam, the Nanny’s hometown!”
“The Nanny! You mean Eleanor? Yes, that woman was very fond of my daughter!”
Mitchell had relied far more on the Nanny than on the Duchess, who showed little interest in her daughter. When both had disappeared along with the family heirlooms that day, it seemed they had been lying low in the Nanny’s hometown.
The Duke finally felt his chest open up. He took a deep breath and examined the photographs. In the images his subordinate had brought, there was a rustic little girl with grayish-blue hair and freckles scattered across her face. Just looking at her, one could almost smell the countryside. What on earth was this?
“So. Where is my daughter?”
“Right there, sir.”
“All I see is some rustic little girl?”
Was the Duke truly serious? The head of Neftis’s exclusive intelligence bureau was taken aback and added an explanation.
“Look carefully, sir. This rustic little girl is Miss Mitchell.”
“What? That’s impossible. My graceful, beautiful, and lovely daughter—why is she dressed like this in a burlap sack?!”
“It appears she deliberately adopted this appearance to conceal her identity.”
“Gasp! My daughter is a master of disguise!”
At that moment, the head of Neftis’s exclusive intelligence bureau thought to herself: This is why transformation girl stories exist—because of people like the Duke.
“The young lady is active in Ilam and is apparently gathering funds for admission to Imperial Crowell Academy. This information was obtained from the Guild Master of the Ilam branch of the Adventurer’s Guild.”
“Yes, if she can only graduate safely from Crowell Academy, obtaining a noble title is no mere dream.”
Imperial Crowell Academy has three colleges. There is the Academic College, where scholars endlessly pursue knowledge; the Combat Arts College, through which elites pass to obtain higher Adventurer’s Guild ranks; and the Magic College, which cultivates mages of every type.
Those who rank first and second in each of these three colleges are unconditionally granted a noble title. Mitchell Neftis, the Duke’s brilliant and exceptional daughter, must have decided to enroll in the Academy with the determination to return as a member of the nobility.
“My daughter is—oh my, how can she be—sob. So intelligent, such an opportunist, and so remarkably talented.”
The Duke clutched the photograph and wept bitterly. Why must his daughter suffer so because of that worthless Crown Prince? How could she endure such hardship in the countryside, even marring that beautiful face?
“Even if Mitchell handles her magical training on her own, gathering the admission fee will be quite difficult. Arrange to support Mitchell through that Adventurer’s Guild.”
“Well, about that…”
“Is there a problem?”
“The young lady has apparently already gathered half the admission fee.”
“…”
“…”
“Is my daughter truly a genius?”
“I cannot deny that claim, sir.”
Beautiful, capable, and skilled at earning money. No one could be this excellent, and no genius was ever quite like this. For that Seian Crown Prince to cast aside such a remarkable woman—his eyes must truly be in his backside.
“Mitchell has her own thoughts, so Neftis will only provide support when truly necessary. Achievements earned by one’s own hands in youth hold far greater value.”
“Yes, well… she does seem like she’d manage fine on her own.”
“And we shall prepare Seian Crown Prince as a gift for when Mitchell returns triumphantly to her homeland.”
“But he’s already rejected the young lady. How could that possibly work?”
“Brainwash him if necessary. There are plenty of methods.”
Like father, like daughter—truly garbage. The intelligence chief swallowed his words, desperate to live a long life, and left with only a single “understood.”
The Duchess Neftis had no interest in Mitchell anyway, so there was no point telling her. Duke Neftis shared the news that Mitchell was safe only with Rael, who had always followed Mitchell most closely, and they rejoiced together.
Upon hearing that Mitchell would be enrolling at the Academy, Rael burned with enthusiasm, vowing that in two years’ time he would absolutely enroll at the Academy as well and spend a wonderful school life with his sister.
For fifteen years his sister hadn’t even remembered his name, but what did it matter? With so many siblings, it was only natural to get confused. Besides, his sister was incredibly strong and incredibly cool, so forgetting people’s names was a flaw she could afford to have. Wasn’t that more human? His sister was truly the best.
Unable to fight and unable to use magic, Rael resolved to enter the Academic Division no matter what and asked his father to increase his tutors.

◇ ◆ ◇

“Hmm…”
After Gerth left, I stared intently at my status window, lost in thought.

Evan Laef
Status: Limited Lifespan, Blessing of Ursh
Experience: 10,000
N) Taming Lv.8 – 800 EXP until next level
N) Horsemanship Lv.8 – 800 EXP until next level
N) Mining Lv.2 – 200 EXP until next level
N) Detection Lv.5 – 500 EXP until next level
N) Cold Resistance Lv.1 – 100 EXP until next level
L) Shirking
EX) Jack of All Trades

Mitchell Neftis
Status: Limited Lifespan, Blessing of Ursh
Experience: 10,001
N) Freezing Lv.7 – 300 EXP until next level
N) Throwing Lv.6 – 600 EXP until next level
N) Vitality Lv.7 – 699 EXP until next level
R) Noble’s Grace
UR) Fusion

That said… what do I do about this? I’d been planning to gradually earn experience points by altering the story’s progression, but I never imagined I’d gain such a massive amount all at once.
From Rare skills onward, leveling up requires thousands of experience points, which could be considered sparse. But for someone like me, still clinging to Normal skills, it was an overwhelming abundance.
“Well then…”
I had no choice but to invest. Thinking it was better to use it than waste it, I rapidly upgraded my skill levels, and the biotech chip’s system screamed with a piercing beep as my vision blurred.

N) Throwing has evolved into the superior skill R) Accuracy lv.1.
N) Vitality lv.10 and N) Detection lv.10 have fused. R) Superhuman lv.1 skill has been created.
N) Freezing lv.10 and N) Throwing lv.10 have fused. R) Ice Projectile Magic skill has been created.
N) Horsemanship skill has been mastered.
N) Horsemanship has no superior skill.
R) Noble’s Grace and N) Taming lv.10 have fused. You may choose between R) Noble’s Charisma lv.1 and R) Beast’s Charisma lv.1.

I’m going insane—leveling up too many skills at once seems to strain the body. A severe headache struck, my mind grew hazy, and I coughed up blood. My mental stamina was depleted. This is a complete knockout.
“Miss!”
I eventually lost consciousness and collapsed. Mother screamed and shouted for Thomas to come quickly.

When I came to, I was on the bed in my room. Despite the chaos, a doctor must have visited—the nightstand held a bundle of medicine packets, and I could see Mother’s worried face, Uncle Thomas, and Titi.
“Miss, Miss, are you awake?!”
“Chirp! Chirp chirp!”
“Hey! You fell into the sea in the dead of winter and were fine, so why are you suddenly coughing up blood!”
That was because… I’d suffered a complete knockout…
As I muttered “knockout, knockout” through my foggy mind, Mother wailed that it was all that widower’s fault, that he’d shocked her dear girl.
“Widower? What widower?”
“Well, some widower over twenty with children came barging in saying he wanted to court our young lady!”
“You should’ve called me then! What kind of crazy bastard does that!”
Uncle Thomas thoroughly cursed Gerth for coming to someone else’s house in this weather without his wits about him, then loudly declared that next time that bastard showed up, I should call for him. Gerth was the Serpent King, someone the village people couldn’t defeat even if they swarmed him, but I decided to graciously accept Uncle Thomas’s goodwill.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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