Artens [Edited]

Artens.

Hmm.

A month and a few days. That's how long I've been out.

Wait.

Doesn't that mean there are only about four months and a couple of weeks left until the entrance examination?

[… Yes. Why?]

Don't you get it?

Wait. Now that I think about it... do you know the future?

[NO. I AM CLUELESS.... OF COURSE, I DO, DUMBASS! DO YOU THINK THERE'S SOMETHING YOU KNOW THAT I DON'T?!]

"IT WAS JUST A QUESTION, YOU NAG! CAN'T YOU ACT LIKE A SANE FOR ONCE?!"

[... Fine.]

"...Fine?"

For some reason, the way it sounded gave me a bad feeling.

Well, whatever.

If I remember correctly, a background arc happens around this time—a prelude to a future event around the fifth act, the very arc where Amael met his end.

[You mean… the Arten's Raid?]

"Yes, the Arten's Raid. That's it."

But… isn't this a bit too convenient?

I am literally in the right place at the right time!

The first Arten's Raid occurred a few months before the entrance examination. It was in this arc that two major characters found incredibly powerful relics.

[Sigh. You really are an idiot.]

"…Sorry?" I blinked, feeling like I'd misheard.

[No, you heard me! YOU'RE AN EVEN BIGGER FOOL THAN I GAVE YOU CREDIT FOR!]

"...This rip-off of a system! Don't you know the basics of a system-user relationship?!"

[You mean submission?]

"OH, SO YOU EVEN KNOW?!"

[SHUT UP! I'D RATHER SELF-DESTRUCT THAN RESPECT A BRAINLESS FOOL LIKE YOU!]

"You… non-existent… thing!" I scoured my mind, desperately searching for insults sharp enough to wound it, but there was nothing.

I was literally gasping for insults.

[How dare you use that against me?!]

This bastard...

Something doesn't feel right about it.

I mean it just doesn't make any sense!

How can a program spit out this much emotion?

It shouldn't be possible.

…but...

... it sounds disturbingly human.

[Don't you worry. I think I've been far too lenient with you.]

"Um…"

I think I just screwed myself over.

"Come on, don't be petty. You started this whole thing in the first place!"

[Why wouldn't I voice my frustrations when you keep thinking like an idiot?!]

"Alright, enough with the insults already. Just tell me what I said that was wrong."

[It's not something you said—it's what you're planning to do.]

"And what's wrong with it?"

My chances of survival in this world are already questionable, and this whole LP nonsense feels like a chain keeping me tied to the plot. What's wrong with trying to protect myself?

"I just plan to sneak into the raid, get to the dungeon, and find those two relics—"

Oh.

…I see.

[And how do you plan to do that when even the weakest side characters are like gods compared to you?]

"…Sigh."

Yep. No way in hell that'll work.

Anyone who's awakened is on another level. It doesn't matter if they're strong or weak—they'll still crush me. That's just how this world works.

"There has to be a way."

Yes, there has to be.

If the protagonist follows that dreaded route, I'm toast. Sure, there are other relics destined for him that I could try stealing later. But what if I don't even get the chance? What if the bastard kills me before I can do anything?

This is my one shot at a life-saving relic. If I don't get it, then…

…That's it. Game over.

[You're not wrong. But trying to get it will just hasten your death.]

"SO WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?!" I shouted, my frustration boiling over.

Maybe I shouldn't have escaped the mansion that day. At least then, I wouldn't be stuck with this problem of being powerless. Even if I ended up corrupted beyond salvation, at least I wouldn't die like an idiot.

"Sigh."

"Can't you just unseal me now and take the price from the LP I'll earn in the future?"

[No. That would violate my programming.]

'Fucking bastard.'

[Insult me all you want. It won't change a thing.]

"Sigh."

Fine. If I die, I die. I'll stick to my original plan.

[…Whatever. Suit yourself.]

"You can tell me where Arten is, right?" I asked, bracing myself.

[…I can, but—]

"Do it."

A translucent blue screen flashed before my eyes, displaying a detailed map. It was zoomed out so far that I was just a blinking dot on it.

Wow.

This is actually nice.

Maybe this system isn't completely useless after all.

[Ding.]

[-1 LP]

"Huh?"

…No.

NO WAY.

"YOU BASTARD, YOU DIDN'T JUST DO THAT!"

[I never said it was free, though (¬‿¬)]