Deadline Is Raining in the Status Window - Chapter 25

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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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In the serialized version, there was a part where Seian Crowell got embarrassed arguing with the Third Princess about succession law, so maybe that’s where he picked up incorrect knowledge.
Given that law and political science make up the bulk of his studies, it seems the Royal Family doesn’t teach him imperial studies, so he’s trying to educate himself instead. How admirable—Seian Crowell striving so desperately to climb a tree he can’t reach. That’s what I fell for about him.
“There might be revised editions of other materials too. I’ll ask the Librarian and bring them. Wait here.”
“…Aren’t you going to laugh?”
“There’s nothing funny about it.”
“…Even stupidity helps sometimes.”
Seian Crowell waved his hand for me to hurry back, so I dashed to the Library, grabbed the Librarian, and thrust a note at him. The Librarian assumed I was looking for books because of my Magic Department lectures, so he smiled kindly and said, “The Magic Department is tough, isn’t it?” and helped me find the books.
To avoid saying anything foolish, I simply thanked him concisely and checked out the books under my name.
I harbored a faint hope that Seian Crowell might have at least one comeback ready for his next verbal sparring with the Third Princess, so I also checked out “38 Ways to Win an Argument” as a bonus, then carried the stack of books in both arms. When I set them down beside Seian Crowell, who was sitting with his legs crossed elegantly, worry washed over me first.
“Can you carry all of that? It’s heavy.”
“….”
“Like I explained before, first-year Magic Department students still can’t access other departments.”
“What exactly do you take me for?”
“A sickly weakling with a bloated ego and lofty ideals but no ability to match them—someone who’s accumulated over a decade of self-loathing and inferiority complex, never maturing because of a stunted sense of self and composure so suffocatingly crushed that you can only relieve this humiliation and mental exhaustion by tearing down others. Garbage.”
Seian Crowell picked up the criminal law textbook. He gripped it with both hands. Gripped it hard. And hit me with it.
“That’s slander against the Royal Family! This time I’ll have you charged with defamation!”
“Stop it! I know you don’t have the strength for that, which only makes you look pathetic!”
“Shut up!”
Since Seian Crowell was hitting me repeatedly with the book, I wrapped my head in my arms and curled into a ball to minimize damage. Everyone glanced over with concern as a tall, able-bodied man at 180 centimeters beat me with a textbook, but since it didn’t hurt at all, there was no need to rush off and find security.
My superhuman skills helped, certainly, but since I protected my vital points and only took hits on my back, there was no pain. If I had to describe the intensity, it felt like receiving a somewhat vigorous massage.
“Huff, huff, huff!”
As expected, Seian Crowell—severely lacking in exercise—exhausted himself and gasped for breath. I uncurled my body and patted his shoulders gently where his movements had stopped.
“Running improves your lung capacity.”
“You…!”
“If you don’t like running on the Academic Department grounds, come to the Magic Department Training Ground. I’ll get the professor’s protection approval for you.”
Muscle is a lifelong friend. Let’s go, us. Fighting.
Since I’d heard the same criticism about lacking strength from the Department Head Professor, I encouraged Seian Crowell enthusiastically and jogged back to the Dormitory. Then, from somewhere far up in the sky, an unexpected sound suddenly reached my ears.

The progression has changed very, very slightly. You have been awarded 100 experience points.

The points awarded are incredibly meager, but I suppose something is better than nothing. Besides, this time it was clear why the points were given, which put my mind at ease. I dumped all the points into poison resistance and skimmed through my two status windows and over ten skills.
The Department Head Professor said that my tendency to collapse constantly was due to insufficient physical specs, so there was nothing for it but to build my stamina and consume more calories. If I had to describe my current state, he said it was like trying to turn a windmill with a fan’s breeze. Indeed, I needed to eat more and gain weight.

◇ ◆ ◇

As I forced down greasy, high-calorie food, Kanna quietly slipped into the seat beside me with her tray.
I needed to gain weight. The Department Head Professor had suggested that if I wanted high calories, I should just drink alcohol—he’d recommended downing a whole bottle before using skills extensively. When I said I couldn’t drink as a minor, he’d clicked his tongue in disapproval. What was that man scheming by trying to get me to break the law?
“E-Evan.”
“What?”
“T-tonight, in my room, th-there’s no one around.”
Of course there wouldn’t be—it was a single room. Thinking she was messing with me, I remarked, “That sounds peaceful.” But Kanna clarified that wasn’t what she meant, revealing instead that she could use poison combination magic.
“I-I think it might help you.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Y-you’ve been collecting poisonous plants, right? To build up your resistance.”
“Why would you want to help?”
“B-because we’re friends!”
I wasn’t sure what scheme she was cooking up, but her proposal was undeniably useful. In fact, I’d been planning to ask Kanna for help with this myself, so she’d saved me the trouble. That made it even more suspicious, though.
On impulse, I attempted to bow my head to her in gratitude, but when I found my head wouldn’t lower no matter what, I accepted her offer.
If things went south, I could always smash her head and run.
Kanna’s skill combination screamed elite assassin from some hidden mountain clan—in a one-on-one close fight, I’d be at a disadvantage, and even more so on her home turf. Still, I was confident I could escape even if things turned bloody. Besides, I was curious to experience what it felt like to go one-out after consuming massive amounts of high-calorie food.
“F-finish eating and come over! I-I’ll be preparing, so!”
“Don’t leave any food. It becomes waste.”
“Y-yes!”
It would be wrong to waste food the cafeteria staff had worked hard to prepare. If I wasn’t hungry, I should have taken smaller portions. When I launched into a lecture about how wasteful it was, Kanna hurriedly shoved the food from her tray into her mouth and waved at me.
I waved back, saying I’d see her later, and forced down more greasy food. I wanted to gain weight quickly. More weight meant a higher weight class, and a higher weight class meant more destructive power. I wanted to become so absurdly strong that I could never live a life where I couldn’t smash the Department Head Professor’s head in.

Despite having the stomach of a teenager who could chew and digest steel, my insides felt unsettled. I grabbed a digestive tablet from the Infirmary and headed to Kanna’s Room. After knocking and entering, I took in the space at a glance—it was slightly smaller than half of my own room, with Reina’s half.
So that girl Reina did have some conscience after all. They’d made the room incredibly spacious for two people to share.
“W-welcome, Evan!”
Kanna handed me a cup of red carbonated liquid, her hands trembling slightly. It looked incredibly suspicious, so I opened my status window and drank it down in one go—the required experience for poison resistance dropped by 10 in a single shot.
Serving your friend a welcoming poison the moment they enter your room—you really are quite the elite from an assassination clan. Though whether you’re actually from a real assassination clan remains unclear.
“I-it worked!”
“What worked?”
“O-oh, nothing.”
What kind of poison was it that made her react like that? Why was she giggling so much? Could it be a one-hit lethal poison? My poison resistance hadn’t reached that level yet.
“S-sit here. I’m your best friend.”
“…?”
“I-I need to know exactly what your purpose is so I can help you. I’m your only friend.”
“…?”
What was with all this talk about being best friends and my only friend? It was deeply suspicious, yet Kanna’s strange behavior continued. She suddenly lit a candle and held it right in front of my face, spinning it around while chanting something about best friends and close companions.
“Just answer one thing. Do you have poison resistance too?”
“U-um…”
“If you don’t want to say, I won’t force you. It’s not something that matters whether I have an accomplice or not.”
“A-accomplice!”
At the word “accomplice,” Kanna’s eyes lit up and she clasped her hands together, giggling with delight.
“S-so we’d be accomplices, right? We’d be, we’d be doing our first collaboration together!”
“Well, you could phrase it that way, I suppose…”
“L-let’s do it! A collaboration! I love it! Wow, I absolutely love it!”
Ugh… fine. I understand, so please step back a bit. Your breath is bothering me.
The moment I honestly admitted my discomfort, Kanna apologized and took a step away from me, then launched into another round of best-friend chanting. She revealed that while she didn’t possess a poison resistance skill, her body had been conditioned through training since childhood to withstand toxins—which I estimated would give her greater proficiency than my own poison resistance.
“…”
So she really is like the crown jewel of some assassination family, isn’t she? That’s definitely it, right? If her skill set included childhood training to endure poison, there’s only one logical conclusion—she belongs to something like the Hashashin, doesn’t she? That supreme assassination organization from the original work?
“Kanna.”
“H-huh?”
“Are you affiliated with the Hashashin?”
“N-no, I’m not!”
The vehemence of her denial suggested she really wasn’t part of an assassination unit. Besides, if she were, she wouldn’t need to worry about her future prospects or career path. There’d be no reason for her to attend the Academy’s Magic Department.
“N-no, really, I’m not!”
“I understand. You don’t need to say it twice.”
Then I’ll take it at face value. Honestly, it’s none of my business anyway. What matters is Kanna’s skills and abilities, not her identity.
“So I’ll assume you’re agreeing to become my accomplice, and I’ll lay bare my own scheme.”
As I spoke with gravity, Kanna swallowed hard and nodded.

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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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