The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent – 45
EP.45 The Early Bird (3)
The reason the academy operated a 24-hour carriage service and had staff managing students’ weapons around the clock was precisely because of situations like this.
Even in the middle of the night, students might need to take their weapons and return home. It was not just weapons; there were students who need to pack their belongings and leave as well.
If students needed to pack up and leave in the middle of the night, one might imagine they were running away. While such cases exist, more often than not, it was because of an unexpected family emergency.
For instance, the head of the family might pass away, requiring an immediate succession, or there might be a rushed wedding, or in extreme cases, a family might need to participate in a border conflict.
The noble society was always prone to unexpected variables. And since attending the academy wasn’t mandatory, if a situation arose that required them to quit, it was often better to do so.
That’s why, even though the academy took in a full batch of students each year, about 10 percent end up leaving before graduation for various reasons.
…And here I was, using that emergency system just to deal with a single elemental dog.
“….”
Well, not that it would lead to any consequences in my school life. It was just… well. In hindsight, I wondered if it might have been better to simply buy the quest reward with money.
Leo and Claire might find that a bit difficult. The Baron Grace family wasn’t poor, but it’s not like they would allow either of them to waste money on unnecessary things. In the game, the setting was that they only received just enough living expenses. Upgrading weapons fully without quests was nearly impossible with just their regular income.
While the main quest provided some money, even if you didn’t do any side quests, it was not nearly enough to equip all the characters with top-tier gear.
In the first playthrough, if you didn’t focus your resources on your main characters, the finances became quite tight. There were plenty of things to spend money on beyond weapons and armor—like the Marmaros gear.
But I was a princess.
If I really needed something, couldn’t I just write a letter to the Emperor and ask for it?
…That thought only crossed my mind just now.
“….”
My butt felt slightly cold.
I got up. I had dragged the corpse over and was sitting on it, having tied a rope around it. As expected of a wind-element creature, the corpse was disgustingly cold. If it had been an ice attribute, I wouldn’t have even considered sitting on it.
Even though it was late April, it was still cold in the early morning. Even with a coat draped over my shoulders, a cold draft snuck its way through.
…Should I just wear it properly instead of draping it over my shoulders?
“….”
I rested my chin on my hand and seriously considered it.
Then I dismissed the idea.
It looked way cooler draped over my shoulders.
I’m not trying to be edgy, but in this world, many soldiers wore their coats draped over their shoulders. Jennifer did it, and so did other soldiers. So, if you think about it by this world’s standards, it’s considered the latest trend. It’s better to follow the trend, even slightly, than to look unfashionable and awkward.
Besides, my coat already had a strap at the front, like a cloak, so it was meant to be worn draped over the shoulders.
Even the naval officers in One Piece draped their coats over their shoulders, right? By Japanese subculture standards, it was a pretty common sight.
As I stared down at the corpse of the Elemental Dog with a hole in its head, I heard the sound of horse hooves clopping in the distance.
“Sylvia?”
Claire’s surprised voice reached me.
I turned my head to see Claire looking at me through the window of the carriage.
As soon as the carriage stopped, Claire jumped out before the coachman could even get down to open the door.
“What are you doing here at this hour?”
That was what I wanted to ask.
It was because of you two in the first place.
Of course, I couldn’t say that after turning back time.
“…I took the opportunity to complete a request posted on the bulletin board while I was out.”
“At this hour?”
So, you two being out at this hour was any different?
Ah, well, from their perspective, it might seem like I woke up incredibly early. Even if they only slept a few hours a day, they could meditate and train… Anyway, it seemed this hour was early even by their standards.
“Did you have something to do?”
“….”
Not really.
Saying that I got up earlier because I didn’t want them completing the quests before me sounded a bit petty. It’s not like they could understand even if I told them the truth, and I couldn’t exactly reveal that I reset the time.
But as I hesitated to answer, Claire’s expression softened, as if she had misunderstood my silence.
“I wonder if it might have something to do with the imperial family…”
Hmm.
“I’m afraid I cannot tell you right now.”
I decided to go with that vague response, since I didn’t have much else to say.
After all, it wasn’t a lie. I hadn’t said I was here because of imperial orders. Plus, there were reasons why I couldn’t explain everything just yet.
At my response, Claire pressed her lips together, remaining silent.
“Could you help me load this corpse into the carriage?”
“Oh, yes.”
When I asked the coachman, who was worried we wouldn’t get back in the carriage, he quickly opened the trunk at the back and pulled out a thick, waterproof cloth. As expected from a carriage operated by the Academy. It seemed that students often carried various things as evidence after completing quests.
The game allowed players to easily obtain Marmaros fragments by hunting beasts, but in the real world, it was not that simple. To get Marmaros, you have to process the bodies of monsters using a specific method.
Since I didn’t know the details of that process, it was safer to bring the entire corpse instead of just part of it.
Claire and Leo probably did the same.
To prevent blood from leaking and staining the trunk, we wrapped the corpse tightly in several layers before loading it into the trunk together. After that, we got back into the carriage.
“By the way, Sylvia, you’re amazing.”
Claire said with a smile as we rode back in the carriage.
“Taking down a beast with a single shot to the head.”
“It wasn’t a particularly challenging beast, even for the two of you.”
Besides, I had plenty of time to get it in one shot. If I had missed, I could just reset the time.
“No, still. Something that big would be hard to take down cleanly with a single sword strike.”
Claire said, glancing at Leo, who nodded in agreement. There was a hint of genuine admiration in his eyes, which was surprising.
“Well, I suppose it’s a bit late to be surprised. After all, Sylvia once managed to hit her target even when she could barely see.”
“…It’s nothing special.”
Feeling a bit embarrassed by Claire’s praise, I turned my gaze to the window, trying to keep my expression neutral.
*
“The corpse is in excellent condition. I’m sure we’ll be able to refine high-quality Marmaros from it.”
The academy staff member also seemed a bit impressed as he inspected the corpse with just a single bullet hole in the head.
“But refining Marmaros takes time. So, I’ll give you a Marmaros of the same attribute as this Elemental Dog. Is that acceptable?”
“That’s fine.”
I nodded.
So, the reward was given that way.
Regardless of the process, the result was essentially the same as in the game. The Marmaros I received would likely have been refined from other Elemental Dogs or similar beasts.
Marmaros, whether it was refined from magic stones or extracted from creatures with special abilities, was essentially the same material. However, the processes had their respective advantages and disadvantages. Mining pure magic stones from deep in the earth yielded a large quantity of high-quality Marmaros, but mining itself was dangerous.
On the other hand, extracting Marmaros from beasts was relatively stable, but finding beasts of high enough quality to yield excellent Marmaros was rare.
The Marmaros I received this time was much smaller and less impressive than the one I’d gotten from Jennifer before. Still, it wasn’t useless. In the game, its attribute values were slightly lower, but that actually made it more useful for filling small gaps without taking up too many slots.
People generally thought that Marmaros was found in many places. The game’s lore said that it formed when powerful magic stones gathered in areas where magic energy was strong. Also, it could be found in the bodies of very dangerous creatures that hunted other animals. This information was explained in the game’s guide.
If one were to ask whether Marmaros could be extracted from humans, given that they are considered ‘top predators’—
The answer would be yes. The highest quality Marmaros could be extracted from humans. Unlike beasts, humans didn’t have magic enveloping their entire bodies, but they used the magic within them to cast spells and emit sword energy. It would be stranger if Marmaros couldn’t be extracted from them.
Of course, this was generally a taboo act. But in works that include such settings, there were always characters who ignore common sense.
“Thank you for your cooperation, Your Highness. Since you’re the first to successfully complete this quest, you’ll be a role model for many of the students.”
No, I’d prefer not to be.
If all the students at the academy decided to diligently follow my example, the rewards I could obtain would diminish. After all, quest rewards improved as you progressed.
After completing the request and stepping outside, I handed the Marmaros I was holding to Claire.
“Take this.”
“Huh?”
Caught off guard, Claire accepted the Marmaros with a blank expression.
“Why?”
“Because I don’t particularly need it.”
Indeed, I didn’t need it. After obtaining it, I realized it wasn’t worth all the effort.
“Oh, uh, thanks?”
Claire responded awkwardly, still a bit dazed, while Leo, standing beside her, just stared at us in confusion. Without saying more, I turned around.
…I should just go back and get some sleep.
*
“…I’m not particularly tired.”
Despite my response, Alice looked at me with complete disbelief. Her eyes narrowed. I had been seeing that expression more often lately.
“Is it something related to your father?”
Why did everyone keep thinking the same thing?
Well, it made sense to be suspicious of the Emperor. He practically screamed, “I’m plotting something.” Who would trust someone like that?
So, I decided to shift all misunderstandings onto the Emperor.
He was already under suspicion, so what harm could adding a bit more do?
Besides, I didn’t even have to lie.
“….”
I just had to keep my mouth shut and stay silent.
“….”
Alice’s eyes narrowed even further as she looked at me.
I apologize, Your Majesty.
If you don’t like it, maybe try being a better person.
Or, blame the protagonists who start training at 3 a.m.