kscans

Chapter 449 - A Monster Beyond Genius

The day after Abel's birthday, Parfait logged into AFO as usual.

The dish registration period for the Hestia Festival would be ending soon. After that, the winner would be decided by how many votes they could get in a week. Some dishes were already registered and had received votes, but it was still possible to make a comeback in a week's time.

However, Parfait wasn't particularly concerned with her ranking. She just wanted to enjoy the festival atmosphere. Of course, she wanted the participation prize too.

Wilnel and Abel had decided not to participate in this event. Wilnel, being something of a perfectionist, had given up, saying she couldn't make anything good in the remaining time. Abel said he didn't have the time.

Abel had mentioned that he generally wouldn't be logging in much. In addition to his acting work, he was also receiving acting lessons, so even if he could log in, it would be late. He said there was a chance his schedule wouldn't line up with everyone else's. Still, at the birthday party, he had promised to log in at least once a week to spend time with them.

As Parfait was wondering what to do today, Wilnel came down from the second floor.

"Parfait-san, you're early today."

"Welcome, Wilnel-chan... By the way, were you serious about what you said yesterday?"

"What I said yesterday?"

"About transferring schools."

"Ah, that. I took the entrance exam today. I passed with a perfect score."

"You work fast... and a perfect score..."

"Ronios-sama made her move. I can get away with a certain amount of selfishness."

People who understand their power and use it are scary, Parfait thought, but then resigned herself to the fact that anything was possible with that woman. As the head of a Foundation, she wasn't in a position to hold back unless it was something truly major.

"Also, I moved to Colony 'Frontier' today. There is a house owned by the Gemini Foundation, so I will be living there."

"Oh, that huge house. The one that looks like it would take a week just to clean without servants."

"We have more than ten servants, so cleaning should be finished within a day."

"A house with real maids is amazing. And it's owned by the Gemini Foundation..."

Chris's mother, Silva, was a real maid, but normally, people didn't have maids or butlers. That was something only the Foundations could afford.

Usually, a colony managed by one Foundation didn't have houses belonging to other Foundations, but Colony "Frontier," which was primarily managed by Libra, also had houses for Gemini and Pisces. This was because they had provided funding.

Ronios, who had caused all sorts of trouble, was forbidden from living in that house, but there was no rule saying Wilnel couldn't, and Ney had approved it.

"Please come visit sometime. To think I'll have friends over at my house... I'll do my very best to prepare."

"In moderation... No, wait, moderation is no good either. Please don't go all out."

Parfait knew she wasn't the most conventional person, but Wilnel's idea of common sense was on a completely different level. To that extent, she felt that 'not going all out' would probably be just right.

At yesterday's birthday party, Wilnel's outfit had been fine, just a bit high-class. The gift she brought, however, was on another level. It was a tea cup set from a famous brand that Parfait didn't recognize, but it was not something a high school student could afford. In fact, it was probably comparable to a normal family's annual income.

Abel's family couldn't very well refuse the gift, so they had given something of equal value in return. As befitting a family of actors, it was non-sale merchandise from their movies, things money couldn't buy.

Wilnel realized her mistake and apologized, but she was happy about the gift exchange anyway. It then became a funny story, as Ginny had apparently done something similar in the past.

"By the way, is Natsu-san alright?"

"I think Natsu-chan is fine. She's mentally strong. I mean, you can't master the Dark Side without it."

"I hope so. Ren-san—Ren-kyoukan jumped right into the love story. I was surprised she ignored the birthday boy to talk about a love story that had nothing to do with him."

"That was less a love story session and more of a strategy meeting."

When Ren heard Natsu's real-life love story, her excitement hit its peak. She kicked the boys out of the room and started a girls-only talk.

Natsu kept denying everything, but Ren didn't tease her or try to force it out of her. She simply shared her own stories about Ruth.

Then she gently said, "It's embarrassing and awkward to have your true feelings exposed, but try not to deny those feelings with words." Words have power, so it's better not to say such things, even if they're lies. She also warned everyone not to tease Natsu about it in the future.

That part was fine, but then it turned into a lecture on techniques to make men fall for you, starting with, "In front of the man you like, every girl can become a great actress!" Parfait had heard it so many times it went in one ear and out the other, but Wilnel had apparently listened intently.

"I don't have many male acquaintances, so I don't really understand romance, but I learned various techniques. The skill to get teary-eyed instantly seems like it could be useful in many situations."

"I think pressing a pressure point on your palm without the other person noticing is pretty hard, though...?"

Parfait had learned many techniques from Ren over the years, but she thought they were basically useless.

In any case, Natsu seemed to have had some thoughts of her own, and in the end, she had progressed to the point of saying that, regarding Ruth, "if I had to say whether I like or dislike him, I like him."

The conversation on that topic ended, and afterwards, they celebrated with Abel and Rick.

Abel didn't seem to mind being kicked out of the room. While Parfait's group was captured by Ren, he had been talking with Rick. With a look of resignation that suggested he had reached a state of enlightenment, he had said, "If it's Ren-neesan, it can't be helped."

"Fuhaha, I have arrived! Another fine day for the Dark Side!"

Natsu was suddenly on the stairs, her hand outstretched and her cape fluttering. Just as Parfait had thought, she seemed to be her usual self, with no apparent problems.

"Welcome, Natsu-chan. Um, are you okay?"

"I know not what you mean, but I am fine. My mother also says that most of life's problems can be solved by eating donuts and sleeping!"

"Ah, I get that. I feel like I can handle anything if I eat a strawberry parfait and sleep."

"Have you two had some kind of special training?"

It was unclear if she was joking or being serious, but Wilnel's question was at least genuine. However, explaining that it wasn't some kind of special training was rather difficult.

In any case, the intended meaning, that eating your favorite food and sleeping helps you forget bad things, seemed to have gotten across, and Wilnel was convinced.

"By the way, my friends Chris, Rick, and Ginny can't come today. And Abel too, of course."

They each had things to do in the real world, so that couldn't be helped. Still, it was a little sad that their options were limited.

"Natsu-chan sometimes can't come because she has to study. Wilnel-chan said she sometimes helps with the Foundation's work... Am I the only one with free time in the real world...?"

Since she had been able to log in, Parfait had done so almost every day. The only days she couldn't were a few scattered ones before exams.

There was no login bonus, so there was no need to log in every day. The only disadvantage was missing out on the Maid Guild's perks. Other than that, there were no demerits.

Despite that, Parfait logged in whenever possible, even for a short time.

"In my friend's case, I think you make time to play AFO, rather than just being free."

"Some people play games to kill time, but I don't think that's the case for you, Parfait-san."

She wondered about that, but Parfait agreed that she wasn't playing AFO to kill time. She loved this world, and she wanted to play here.

It wasn't that she disliked reality. She just liked the other-world fantasy setting. And it was nice not having to go to school.

"By the way, Parfait-san, how do you practice the Azuma-ryu Sword Style? Is it about an hour every day?"

"Just on Sunday mornings, so once a week. I run about ten kilometers with Benny-shishou and Simon-sensei, and then we do five hundred practice swings together. After that, we spar for about an hour. All in all, maybe two hours?"

Natsu furrowed her brow, and Wilnel's face showed surprise.

"You're full of energy on a Sunday morning. I have decided to spend my Sunday mornings wallowing in sloth in my bed. That is a truly evil deed that would make the Dark Side turn pale...! Though I cannot compete with my mother, who wallows every day...!"

"Noat-san is someone who makes time to sleep."

"Is that all?"

"What do you mean, is that all?"

"The Azuma-ryu Sword Style training. Once a week, a ten-kilometer run and five hundred swings? And then just sparring?"

"That's it. In the beginning, they taught me various forms, and the running distance and number of swings were much less. And I just watched the sparring."

"...When we first fought, I think you dodged my attack and then leaped over me acrobatically while drawing your sword. Is that a specific technique...?"

"Huh? That wasn't a technique or anything, just an improvised attack. Oh, but maybe I saw Benny-shishou do something like that before. She drew her sword three or four times then, but there's no name for the move."

Wilnel was so shocked she nearly fell off her chair.

"Wilnel-chan, are you okay?"

"Y-yes, I'm fine. I was just a little—no, quite surprised."

"My friend Wilnel, what on earth surprised you?"

Wilnel told Natsu, "Just a moment," composed herself, and then took a sip of the tea that was on the table. She let out a long breath and looked first at Natsu, then at Parfait.

"I have learned various skills myself, but from my perspective, I don't believe one can acquire such skill with that amount of training."

"Huh? You think so?"

"Normally, yes. Perhaps, Parfait-san, you have good motor skills?"

"If you must know, I always get a five in P.E. On a five-point scale, of course!"

Natsu looked a little exasperated at Parfait's smug face, but Wilnel nodded in understanding.

"I don't quite understand the five-point scale system, but I understand that your grades are good. Also, perhaps you have good eyes? Good dynamic visual acuity?"

"My eyesight is good, but I've never been told I have good motor skills."

Wilnel stood up and drew her sword. Then she thrust it toward Parfait's face.

Parfait tilted her head slightly and dodged the attack.

"Hey Wilnel-chan, that's dangerous."

"Do you know how many times I attacked just now?"

"Three times, right? You only came to hit me on the last one, so I dodged it."

Wilnel sheathed her sword and said, "My apologies," as she sat back down in her chair. She elegantly took a sip of tea before returning the cup to its saucer.

"How can you see that!"

"Huh? What do you mean by that..."

"Natsu-san, did you see that attack!?"

"I knew she attacked, but I only faintly saw the second one and missed the third completely. For a second, I thought it had stabbed Parfait."

"This settles it. Parfait-san, your dynamic visual acuity and motor skills are beyond genius. They're monstrous."

"What a way to put it!"

She was a sixteen-year-old girl, after all. Being told her dynamic visual acuity and motor skills were monstrous didn't make her happy. Besides, in Parfait's opinion, the real monsters were Benny-shishou and Simon-sensei.

"You've been learning swordsmanship since you were a child. You must have been watching those spars all that time. It's one thing to be able to see it, but to have the motor skills to reproduce it... you are, without a doubt, a monster."

"You're complimenting me, right...?"

"I am offering you the highest praise. Um, if you don't mind, could I join your Azuma-ryu training next time? I would very much like to observe."

"That's fine, but be careful. Benny-shishou will immediately try to make you her disciple."

Natsu and Chris had both experienced that baptism by fire. They refused, of course.

"Parfait-san, you are amazing. I wonder what would happen if you trained seriously... Please, try the technical training I'm receiving sometime."

"If I get the chance."

"In Parfait's case, wouldn't it be better to have her look over your studies?"

Parfait's face fell, becoming the darkest it had been all day. She had another test next month. She wouldn't get scolded for bad scores, nor would she be told to study, but the results were linked to her allowance. She wanted to avoid it going down.

"Are you not good at studying, Parfait-san?"

"It's less that I'm not good at it and more that it's the enemy... On a five-point scale, I'm barely a three."

"By my evaluation, my friend is a two."

"Let me have my pride!"

"So, average or below. But it's alright. If you study for about ten hours a day, you can get to the top."

"That's for people who are naturally good at studying. Ten hours of studying sounds like it would make me go crazy."

"It's alright. Once you go crazy once, you can handle anything after that. It's not so much going crazy as it is a feeling of a third eye opening on your forehead, if you know what I mean."

"I don't know what you mean, but that's not from personal experience, is it?"

"Kukuku, I want to experience that too...!"

Based on Parfait's conviction that there are more important things in life than studying, and the rather dark story coming from Wilnel, she decided to cut the conversation short and change the subject to going to a dungeon.