9 First Hidden Piece (1)

The clock read 4:25 PM. In just five minutes, the week's lessons would finally come to an end.

Understandably, most students were restless. During each break, they excitedly discussed their plans for the weekend.

Of course, their plans had nothing to do with me.

"...and that's why, as a hero, earning the trust of your aides is extremely important. The hero is the head, and the aides are the arms and legs. You must form such an organic relationship. In dire situations where everyone's strength must be combined, chaos would ensue if the head, arms, and legs were to act independently, wouldn't it?"

The last lecture of the week was Professor Mari's Introduction to Hero Studies.

As expected, it was all familiar material. Eager for the class to end, I stared intently at the clock.

Once class was over, I planned to head straight to the eastern forest of the academy to find the first hidden piece. I had already packed food and tools like a flashlight in my bag.

At 5 PM, there was a carriage to the entrance of the eastern forest. However, the hidden piece was located deep within the forest, so it would take an entire day to travel there and back.

If I hurried, I could still have dinner at the academy tomorrow evening.

As I reviewed my plan in my head,

"Before we end today's lecture, let's test how well you've been listening. Hmmm... Theo, would you like to answer?"

Professor Mari called on me.

I had anticipated it.

At this point, I'd be disappointed if she didn't.

Although she was going to call on me anyway, I wondered why she pretended to ponder her decision.

"Yes."

Lately, all the professors had been calling on me during their lectures to ask questions.

The culprit was undoubtedly Mari.

She probably wanted to catch me off guard.

But there was no chance of that.

So far, I had answered every question correctly. As a result, my classmates' opinions of me had softened considerably.

"Alright then, umm—"

However, Mari posed a rather challenging question. It required insight and analysis, not something that could be answered through memorization alone.

The students' gazes locked onto me. They seemed to think, 'This time, even Theo won't know the answer.'

Though their views of me had softened, my previous reputation was abysmal. Negative glances still far outnumbered the positive ones.

Nonetheless,

"...I believe that by following a conventional approach, we can reduce the mission's duration from approximately one month to about one week. Ultimately, this would mean we wouldn't have to confront the monster waves head-on."

I confidently delivered my response. There was no doubt it was correct.

That's because the answer to the question was a strategy I had personally devised—an approach even the game's developer had acknowledged as a solution they hadn't considered.

The full explanation was far too long, so I provided a summarized version.

"..."

A heavy silence fell over the classroom following my response. The students' gazes were tinged with boredom.

Soon after, Professor Mari spoke, nodding her head.

"Well, that's an interesting approach. I must admit, I never considered the direction you've taken, Theo."

Mari seemed genuinely impressed by my answer, nodding her head several times as she hummed in agreement.

Wasn't she trying to embarrass me by singling me out?

Mari's eyes sparkled as if she'd discovered a high-level artifact in a dungeon.

"Theo, I'd love to hear more about your thoughts in detail if you have time after class. Would that be possible?"

"I'm afraid my schedule is quite packed, I'm sorry."

I politely declined.

Mari is a highly skilled active hero and the youngest professor at the Hero Academy. Building a connection with her could be helpful someday.

However, our conversation won't end quickly. She's quite thirsty for achievements, being a young professor.

"If that's the case, feel free to visit my office whenever you have free time. I'm always there when there are no classes."

But Mari didn't give up. Before I took over Theo's body, he had trouble with her several times.

He probably wouldn't even want to talk to her. It would be a blow to his pride.

Once again, the students' gazes were focused on me. Some even blushed, possibly imagining something impure.

"I'll visit when I have time."

I'm fine with that. But I'll never reveal anything without proper compensation.

Mari beamed at my answer.

"Alright, Theo. Make sure you visit. That's all for today's class, everyone. Enjoy your weekend!"

Mari left the classroom.

Finally, all the classes for the week were over.

Following Mari, students flocked out of the room. Some exchanged lingering glances, their relationships seem more than just friendly.

"See you next week, Theo!"

Noctar, who had been sitting next to me, said he would skip training today because he had something to do. He left the classroom with his orc friends.

Noctar was the leader of the orc pack. The other orcs also waved their thick, muscular hands at me in farewell.

"Yeah, take care."

I quickly gathered my things.

That's when...

"Theo."

A female student approached me.

She was the one who'd been giving me odd looks recently, her silver hair and red eyes matching mine.

It was Aisha. Aisha Waldeurk, to be exact. As her last name suggested, she was a distant relative of Theo, a girl his age.

Despite her seemingly innocent appearance, she's a named character with a cunning and scheming nature.

Aisha smiled at me.

"Would you like to join me for dinner? I've reserved a nice restaurant."

Today, Aisha declined her classmates' invitation to hang out. It was to observe her distant relative, Theo Lyn Waldeurk.

The Waldeurk family was a prestigious noble house, known throughout the continent and beyond the empire. Unlike Aisha, who came from a branch family, Theo was the direct heir of the main family.

However, despite his noble bloodline, Theo had been a lazy, incompetent disgrace to his family.

...Until now, that is. Lately, he seemed like an entirely different person.

In theory, he knew even more than Aisha, the top student of their year. Just a while ago, his response to a professor had even made her feel inferior.

Also, despite never having eaten in the school cafeteria before, deeming it food only fit for peasants, he had recently been eating there for both lunch and dinner. And he was doing so with an orc.

'...Something must have happened,' Aisha thought.

She had observed Theo since their childhood.

In every large gathering of both direct and branch family members, he unfailingly demonstrated his incompetence. While the offspring of the branch family did not show it openly, behind his back they all called him an idiot.

And now, he had suddenly changed? There were more than a few things that was suspicious.

'Surely he hasn't awakened...'

Awakening was extremely rare, even among active heroes. And Theo was still just sixteen years old.

Ryuk, hailed as the greatest genius of the continent and the founding headmaster of Elinia Academy, had only awakened at the age of eighteen.

'It's clear he gained a new trait.'

Otherwise, there was no explanation for how Theo had become a model student overnight. Although rare, there are cases where people gain traits late.

But even with her extensive knowledge, she couldn't figure out what trait he had gained. Unless his soul had changed.

'I need to find out as soon as possible.'

Aisha's goal was to become the next head of the Waldeurk family. So, she had been secretly interacting with other branch families for quite some time.

Graduating from Elinia Academy's Hero Department was the minimum requirement to become the head of the Waldeurk family.

If things went as expected, Theo would likely be expelled within two years. The children of the other branch families hadn't even managed to enter the Hero Department.

Then, naturally, the position of the next head of the family would be hers.

It was a perfect opportunity, the most ideal scenario.

...If only Theo hadn't suddenly changed.

That's why she approached him.

"Theo, would you like to have dinner together? I've reserved a table at a nice restaurant."

It was an offer he couldn't refuse.

Given his personality, it was clear that he had deliberately declined the professor's earlier offer. It was a common event for him to engage in a war of nerves with a professor from a peasant background.

So, he must have some free time. Furthermore, he was ostracized throughout the academy.

Though he never said it out loud, Theo desperately craved relationships with others. He was so starved for affection that he was even hanging out with orcs these days.

Aisha was, in a subtle way, the representative of the Waldeurk branch families. Naturally, she assumed he would be delighted to accept her invitation to share a meal.

"I can't, I have plans."

However, Aisha's expectations were off the mark.

"Can you tell me what your plans are?"

Although taken aback, Aisha managed to maintain her composure.

"Family business."

Theo, with his bag slung over his shoulder, turned away. He glanced back only to say:

"I apologize for declining your invitation. I'm quite busy, so I must be on my way."

With that,

Tap, tap...

He disappeared with elegant footsteps.

Aisha stood there, frozen as she watched his retreating figure.

"Ah..."

Aisha's face flushed red. It wasn't the shame of having her invitation rejected that bothered her.

'Family business.'

The astute Aisha instantly understood the true meaning behind his words.

It was a warning.

A warning that someone like her - not even part of the direct lineage, but merely a member of a collateral branch - did not need to know.

'Could it be...'

Had he figured it out? How much did he know? Was he aware of her behind-the-scenes dealings with other branch families?

Cold sweat trickled down her face.

For a long while, Aisha stared at the back door Theo had exited through, lost in thought.

This was troublesome.

I hurriedly headed towards the carriage stop.

The lecture hall and the stop were a twenty-minute walk apart. The current time was 4:42 PM.

If I wasn't careful, I could miss the 5 o'clock carriage. It occasionally arrived 2 or 3 minutes early.

My trait would activate, but I had no choice.

Let's run.

"Phew..."

Thankfully, I managed to catch the 5 o'clock carriage.

Creak, creak─

With its unique exhaust sound, the carriage began to move.

Aisha's invitation to dine together was a good sign.

Just like with Mari, there's nothing bad about getting close to Aisha. I would have liked to have dinner together.

However, I had to make an excuse because of the upcoming duels with the students next week. I need to secure the hidden piece as soon as possible.

'I should have a meal with her next week. This time, it would be better for me to suggest first, right?'

In many routes of the original work, Theo met his end at Aisha's hands. She cunningly managed to kill him without dirtying her own hands.

Theo also died in several routes involving Irene, but it was different with Aisha.

Irene was my fiancée. But I'm living on borrowed time. It was terrifying to even be near her.

I'm not even sure if I'll be alive in three and a half years, so I shouldn't become close with her. It doesn't even seem like she would want to become close.

Anyway, in the original work, Aisha consistently supports the protagonist Neike in the future when she becomes the head of the Waldeurk family.

Not only did she provide unique items, but she also lent him the authority of the prestigious Waldeurk family. Of course, Aisha also receives help from Neike.

But if by any chance I graduate safely... am I to become the head of the family? Of course, I won't do it even if they asked me to. There's too much to bear in that position compared to the power it brings.

While indulging in wishful thinking, the carriage arrived at the eastern forest.