Surviving as a Con Artist at the Academy Chapter 46

Episode 46. Outlaw? Just a Necromancer?

Jenny and I arrived at the dormitory in the evening.

The town of Alighieri was wide and spacious. Fortunately, it was located close to the volcano. If the volcano had risen on the opposite side, we would have arrived at night instead of in the evening.

We almost got into trouble at the end of the outing, but I was able to laugh it off.

Of course, Jenny asked me what I did, and I told her exactly what happened, except for the main part.

The money bag I showed the guys was an illusion… a fake, in other words. It was actually a bag full of poisonous bugs.

It was the moment when the ‘Summon Bug’ skill, which I wondered why I had acquired, began to shine.

Jenny couldn’t close her mouth at that fact.

I couldn’t tell if it was a reaction of admiration, saying “that was great”, or a scolding, saying “that was too much”.

But Jenny thanked me because she assured me that if I hadn’t stopped her then she would have really swung her sword.

So we returned to the dormitory with smiling faces for the last time. As soon as we entered, we took a shower, prepared dinner, and were satiating our appetites, when the time finally came.

[+100000 Credits]

[Your experience as a ‘Swindler’ has reached its maximum. You have gained 10 stat points.]

[The proficiency of the skill item ‘Deception’ increases.]

[The proficiency of the skill item ‘Main’ increases.]

The bug bag I gave to those scoundrels seems to have burst. They probably opened it thinking it was a bag of money, and then got bitten by bugs and passed out.

In that state, they won’t be able to move for a week. They won’t even be able to eat because their mouths won’t move.

‘The kids… . They reaped what they sowed.’

[The skill ‘Deception’ proficiency has been exceeded.]

[The skill ‘Main’ has exceeded its proficiency. The utility and versatility of the curse effect have increased.]

[The skill level increases due to the levy effect.]

-Summon Bug Lv3, Curse Infliction Lv2

[New Skill Activation!]

-Cursed Aura Lv1

As the ‘main’ field was utilized, the curse series skill level increased or was added. In particular, it was said that the usability of curses increased, so it was necessary to experiment with what this was.

I tore off a piece of paper on the desk and tried to place a curse on it. However, the curse did not appear right away. It just wavered as if waiting for my command.

Here I thought. Usually when you are cursed, your health gets worse, so I wonder if that is what is set.

And then… .

[The will and stamina you had in mind are combined. The object in question is given the ‘Curse of Stamina Decrease’.]

The ominous aura that had been rippling through the paper disappeared completely. And when I touched the paper again,

[You have come into contact with an object that contains the ‘Curse of Stamina Decrease’.]

[You are not subject to the curse because you are already cursed or have immunity.]

“Hmm…. It’s like this.”

If you put a curse on an object like this and ask them to touch it, it will help with fishing. Then, the proficiency of both the main and the con artist will increase at the same time, killing two birds with one stone.

Next, let’s take a look at the newly acquired skills.

__________________________

-Cursed Aura Lv1

When giving an aura to a body or weapon, the power is further strengthened by giving a curse at the same time. This is a basic skill that must be learned to become a ‘spiritualist’.

It is effective against enemies with holy attributes.

__________________________

A skill that allows you to change curses into physical energy. It is definitely practical for someone like me who is a combat specialist. And it says that it is the path to becoming a shaman.

That means… no way!

[Activation of previous route! The path to conversion to a higher-level job of a scammer has opened.]

__________________________

『When you change to an outlaw, you will be able to use curses more skillfully. You will also be able to awaken existing false skills by one level or combine them into one to strengthen them. The magical tools created in your hands will also have powerful curses and you will be able to make contracts with spirits.』

[Clear Conditions]

– Reach power gauge 20 or higher

– Reach the maximum level of Curse Aura, level 5

-Wear at least one of the main items on your body.

-When moving forward, you will be in a realm of cursed spirits.

[When cleared: Change occupation from ‘Scammer’ to ‘Outlaw’]

Swindler -> Outlaw -> Heist

__________________________

The conditions seem simple, but it seems like it will take quite some time.

The name ‘Outlaw’ also seemed appropriate to indicate that he was a higher level conman.

A modern-day outlaw would shoot a gun, but an outlaw in this world would tend to use strange magic.

And what does the main area full of curses mean? It seems to usually refer to places like cemeteries… .

Should we call it a horror spot, to put it simply?

* * * * *

As time passed, there were only four days left until the final exam.

There was no such thing as Alighieri’s students leaving the academy.

Because of the tight exam schedule, I don’t have time to play.

There were students who, regardless of whether they were top students or bottom students, were stuck in their studies, but there were also students who gave up on taking the exam.

The characteristics of such cadets are usually divided into two categories.

Either you feel hopeless because of your low grades, or you feel you can prepare leisurely because you are already good at something.

But here… there was a cadet who didn’t fit into any of those categories.

“….”

A dark underground cave hidden somewhere in the village. This place, called the Room of the Dead, was a place that no one could enter even if they knew the location.

Ruska Mad-Eye, who had fallen asleep there, rubbed her eyes. It didn’t matter that her eyes were covered in boogers and her vision was blocked, or that her back was twisted because she had sat down incorrectly.

Because she often experiences hell whenever she falls asleep.

“It’s that dream again….”

A nightmare where she was kidnapped by soldiers along with her mother and forced into training.

The abuse he received during his hellish training and the trainees who would always bite him pop up in his dreams.

The past that could never be forgotten had grown into a seed of hatred that had grown into a large tree. His desire for revenge was proportional to the size of the tree, and before he knew it, he had become an animal that had tasted blood.

It’s too late to go back. The revenge will be over soon.

“I’m sorry, Prince. This is not the blood that increases talent.”

“what…?”

There are three people visible in the secured field of vision.

One of them is an old man with a beard in his 60s, an elder of Enviel who joined hands for revenge.

Another one is Prince Totema, who is being thoroughly exploited by Enviel.

And another one… no, on the outside she looks like a girl, but in reality she is a being with the blood of a divine being.

To some, she was the experiment number. To others, she was the girl called Angela Greenwhite.

The girl looked unusual today. She had canine ears on her head and several animal tails attached to her back.

It is hard to tell whether a beast has become a human or a human has become like a beast. In short, the expression ‘beastman’ is appropriate.

The girl who was always bright in front of her older sisters was more worn-out than expected.

The floor was soaked in blood because one of the original nine tails had been cut off, and he was completely restrained within the barrier, seemingly oblivious to the pain.

Her eyes were lifeless, as if she had lost the will to live, and even in front of such a girl, they continued to say what they wanted to say.

“Now, look. This is just blood that heals wounds. It doesn’t enhance talent in any way.”

“Then I… Then what should I do! I trusted this blood and revealed all the secrets!”

The prince sobbed and pleaded his case.

Believing that there was blood that would increase one’s abilities, he revealed all of his hidden achievements.

In the end, it became a laughing stock within the empire.

Since even blood, which was the last hope, was useless, I couldn’t cut it without going crazy.

“Teacher… What should I do now? If I continue to fail the final exam, I will be expelled by Abamama and returned to the capital to be secretly executed.”

Prince Totema pounded his fists on the ground like a child in a fit of rage. But Enviel knew how to control such a child.

“Before you are executed… how about we get rid of him first?”

“what?”

“Have you ever been happy while living as a prince? Tell me honestly.”

Totema stared intently into Enviel’s eyes.

As I continued to stare into his eyes that seemed to suck me in, Totema’s eyes suddenly turned rainbow colored.

“None. Not once.”

Totema spoke in a low voice, his emotions seemingly calming down.

Even if it was brainwashing, it wasn’t wrong.

He had been looked down upon as helpless by his younger siblings more than once. With the added pressure of his father, the prince could not endure that life.

“If the king disappears, those hiding in the darkness of the capital will seek the prince’s life. The other brothers will also seek the prince first.”

“Then how….”

“It’s very simple.”

Enviel smiled.

“It will destroy the King of Papyrus himself. And forever.”

The prince wanted to live freely.

The prince, who had been far from cruel from birth, was not welcomed in Papyrus.

I also felt a kind of self-hatred, wishing that this country of barbarians would disappear.

“But… how?”

“The method has already been prepared. There is something the Prince must do urgently for that purpose.”

When the prince asked what it was, Enviel said, “There is a bomb right in front of you that will destroy Papyrus.”

The water that is right in front of your eyes… Shinsoo.

“What the prince has to do from now on is to make this water man run wild.”

“I don’t know how to do that. And on top of that, this poor kid….”

“This is not a human. It is no different from a monster that only knows how to destroy. But to use this as a bomb… I need the prince’s hidden power. Please look in the mirror.”

Totema fell into the mirror that Enviel showed him. In fact, the mirror, which was a magical tool, had the power to change the other self and personality within him.

In fact, the prince had a special ability: the ability to freely strengthen or control spirits, psychics, and spiritual beings.

The prince, who grew up in a combative atmosphere, had no opportunity to develop that ability.

If he had been born as a commoner and wandered through the forest, building up his empathy, or feeling the flow and becoming one with the plants and animals, his ability would have awakened long ago.

If that were the case, I wouldn’t have been making a fuss in a place like this, and I wouldn’t have even entered the academy in the first place.

‘Poor thing….’

‘You have a crazy father.’

Enviel and Ruska were reminded once again of how stupid the current King of Papyrus was.

“You have finally opened your eyes, Prince.”

“….”

When he put the mirror away, he saw Totema’s face, which had turned into a mannequin. He began to move like a doll, and he acted only according to his inner will.

I will live the way I want. I just want to live a peaceful life without conflict, but Papiyas won’t allow it.

In that case, the answer is to destroy it. Rather than providing relief, it only caused pain… So destroying it is considered self-defense.

Totema grabbed the girl’s head with one hand. Her rainbow-colored eyes flashed and an unknown energy seeped into her.

The girl writhed in pain as if she had been subjected to electric torture, and Ruska frowned without realizing it as he watched her.

“Huh? Why are you suddenly making that face? Are you feeling sympathy now?”

“That’s not it.”

“Don’t forget. It was you who cut off this monster’s tail. You may have felt dizzy and fallen asleep after that, but there’s no turning back.”

I know it too. As long as I can get revenge, I don’t care what happens to me. After everything is over, I might end up in a hole or die.

But why? Every time I see that girl, my head feels dizzy. It was the same when I cut off her tail to drain her blood.

At the time, the prince hesitated because he felt so sorry for the child, so he did this out of frustration.

‘It must be my imagination.’

I don’t know for sure… but it would be better not to think about it. I’ll probably stop the revenge on the day of the final exam anyway.

Ruska remembered again, holding the muffler around her neck.

“Mom… there’s not much time left.”

Even for the sake of my mother who passed away unjustly, I must not be swayed by emotions.

Even if the Academy is destroyed, it doesn’t matter. When that happens, the purpose I was trying to achieve will disappear… . My life will be over.

“Hmm… It looks like a moth has arrived.”

Enviel, who was watching the girl’s rampage, suddenly turned his head. In that gaze that only showed darkness no matter how much he looked, something slowly approached him.

Those who had revealed themselves were beings called spirits. They looked like ghosts, and they dragged something and placed it in front of Enviel.

“You would have found this room. I always thought you were a noble who showed unfounded confidence, but you actually have high standards. Crona Delaware.”

Her body was filled with the aura of a curse, as if she had been possessed by spirits.

Instead of always walking around with a noble appearance, with her shiny blond hair flowing down, she looked like a rag that had been beaten by the main force.

Krona wasn’t alone. One by one, investigators who entered the Alighieri Tower with her were added to the list, suffering the same humiliation.

“Enviel… Elder? Why are you here…!”

You must have come to get Angela back. I didn’t expect such a big shot to be here.

“You could have just quietly studied for the exam. Why did you come all the way here?”

“….”

It didn’t matter if she was late because she was already excellent.

Rather, his own guess was half correct.

I had expected that someone was intentionally hiding Ruska… and it just so happened to be Elder Enviel.

“You couldn’t possibly be… Ugh!”

“How can someone be so rat-like?”

Enviel raised the corners of his lips and stepped on Crona’s hand. Then he slowly turned around.

“That’s a good thing, Crona Delaware. I have something to show you.”

The Totema Prince’s rampage ritual was in progress. Although it was not yet complete, Totema let go of the girl. And the chains and seals that had been binding the girl were released.

And then slowly turned his head towards Crona.

“Angela… right?”

A white cloth draped over her body, and animal ears and tail. It was definitely the girl they had been looking after.

But… he had grown taller. He had grown so much that I wouldn’t have recognized him if it weren’t for his main features. The silence was filled with a sense of great discomfort.

“This can’t be happening….”

The girl approached him slowly. Her body was as big as her age, but her red eyes looked off.

There was no need to say anything about Crona’s reaction.

And even Ruska glared as if she found it unusual.

Angela, who had been forced to grow up… . At first glance, she felt like a being similar to herself.

Surviving as an Academy Fraudster