Humming along an Aiko-brand song, I make my way through the treacherous forest terrain.

…Come to think of it, every time I hum or sing unconsciously, I always do so with one of Aiko’s songs playing in my mind, huh?

It’s been such a long time since I heard her voice… I really, really miss her.

The same goes for tasting Segawa’s heavenly cooking and my late night gaming sessions with Katia. I miss each and every single moment of those…

Slap!

Snap out of it, Violet! You’ve already crossed the tough part of the journey! You just need to be patient for a while and your long-cherished wish will finally be realized!

Aiko, Segawa, Katia, we’ll meet again very soon, so please hold on. Wait for me just like I’ve been waiting for you this entire time! 

I’m already strong enough to ensure their complete safety under most cases.

Now, I only need to locate or build a proper sanctuary where we can live our days out, unbothered by all the filthy whirlpools of the outside world.

Actually, Kratinez is absolutely perfect as a sanctuary, but the fact that it’s submerged underwater as well as the utter lack of food sources makes it inhabitable to humans.

Should I analyze the blood-sucker’s body and skills…? It might be possible to develop a race transformation skill like hers… It’s worth a try, I guess.

It appears I must place my next evolution on the agenda. If I succeed in becoming a progenitor of a new race, I’d rather it be a humanoid one.

Shapeshifting is just a temporary measure after all. Being in anything but my natural body is just plain uncomfortable.

 

{Analysis complete; Effects of skill [Student Roster] can now be utilized regardless of W system’s assistance. Add to status?}

Oh, way to go, Manger-san! You’re literally right on cue!

Sure, go ahead.

{[Student Roster] acquired.}

{Skill [Student Roster] has been integrated into skill [Soul Seeker].]

…Excuse me? In what way or form are those two even related?

I can’t see a single remote similarity between them, let alone one powerful enough to cause their integration.

{Discovered potential evolution path for skill [Sage]. Implement?}

Okay okay, you need to chill out for a sec here, would ya?

 

There’s just too much crucial information coming in all at once. I’m feeling very overwhelmed right now.

I checked the skill description recorded in the system through Appraisal, but it was basically the same as I already knew from the anime.

Yeah, this isn’t helping at all.

So I asked for Sage’s analysis results… and instantly, a butt load of complicated runes, formulas, and illustrations were stuffed into my brain as a result.

…Holy moly, I’m really glad I can easily understand everything Sage has analyzed just by reading it! This stuff’s terrifying to look at, let alone study and reverse engineer!

Again, I really owe a huge debt to Alkreya for granting me Manager-san and D for helping me evolve it.

I let my body continue walking on auto-pilot while I skimmed through the information. It felt like I was reading a combination of stolen scientific research papers and a… comedy genre novel? I even marked a few especially intriguing–or funny–bits I wanted to go back and re-read later.

As my eyes went over the last word, I couldn’t restrain myself anymore.

Breaking into a loud, rather unlady-like fit of laughter, all of Ms Oka’s scenes in the anime appeared in my mind, eliciting more snickers from me.

“Pfft–ahahahaha! Holy shit, so it was an actual prank! Hahahahaha!” I began wiping the tears I had unknowingly shed due to my excess laughter.

Yeah, I know I’m not supposed to gloat at others’ misfortunes, but there’s no way I could keep a straight face after reading this!

Ms Oka’s ‘almighty’ skill turned out to be a freaking sham! It’s just a grand elaborate scheme made to squeeze out as much amusement from her as possible!

For someone to take her almost pathological devotion to her students and use it in such a cruel way… Just how much of an evil genius are you, D?!

Everything about Student Roster, except for the present state monitoring function, is actually just a public text document recorded in the system.

Anyone with enough authority, whether it’s given by an administrator or gained through illegal methods like hacking, can edit the document and type in whatever the fuck they want.

I mean, I can just type in something silly like Born in a public hospital in Bikini Bottom and Blissfully passed away due to intense joy after eating a delicious crabby patty and I bet she’d believe it!

She’s always prattling on about how the administrators are the bad guys and how they’re using the people of this world as toys, but she has more trust in their system than herself! No, she has more trust in it than the students she actually aims to protect!

If that isn’t ironic, then I don’t know what is.

Nevertheless, she can indeed monitor our real states through this skill because it established some rubbish soul contract between us and her through the system.

This is also the reason why Student Roster was integrated into my Soul Seeker. My own authority skills and titles are just on another level compared to the rubbish D gave everyone else.

Shun’s Divine Protection skill comes close at second with its presumed fate manipulating capabilities… along with that ridiculously broken Dungeon Creation skill I discovered when I took a quick peek at the system’s skill list.

Whoever owns that one must have a soul that’s at least as strong as mine back when I first came into this world–no, it might be even stronger!

I hope they’re still alive though. I’d love to catch them, lock them up, and force them to create a perfect paradise for me and my loved ones to enjoy!

I could just learn the skill for myself, but I feel like it’d take an insane amount of time for Sage to analyze it, so I gave up on that.

Anyways, what’s up with that evolution thingie you spoke about, Manager-san? And why’d you add the word ‘potential’ before it?

 

{Answer. By analyzing the two skill series: Seven Deadly Sins & Seven Heavenly Virtues, skill [Sage] can potentially awaken or simulate Human Emotions, resulting in a qualitative improvement.}

{Possible results: 

• Failure.
• Skill [Sage] evolves into [Great Sage].
• Skill [Sage] evolves into [Queen of Wisdom].

}

{Intelligence concerning analyzed skill series will be acquired regardless of the final result.}

{Estimated time till completion: Five months through W system database or ten years through ordinary analysis.}

{Increased processing power would result in an increased chance of success and a decrease in required analysis time. Implement?}

…..…….Huh?

My ears might be playing tricks on me… Can I ask you to repeat all of that one more time?

{...Affirmative. Installing information.}

Sage’s mechanical voice sounded kinda… exasperated? But I didn’t get any time to think about it.

Just as she finished her words, the information was directly stuffed into my little fish brain, violently this time.

Is this what it feels like to get slapped when drunk…?

It worked perfectly though, and I don’t think provoking Sage’s delicate mind at this time is a good idea…

I mean, I felt like she had forcefully awakened her ego for a moment there, just because of her intense desire to express dissatisfaction with me.

Women are scary…

Wait, I’m also a woman, right? Ack, I just remembered that one time I released my aura to scare away Shinohara when I thought she would steal my Aiko.

Okay, I have smartly decided not to provoke Sage when she’s in this state, not now and not ever. My intuition fully approved, by the way.

Let’s take a good look at her personally deduced evolution path and decide whether I should implement it or not…

 

Hmmm. This seems like it’s gonna take a lot of work. Ahaaa, so it’s like that. I see, I see.

Damn, this is crazy, but I have to say, it might really work!

 

You see, Sage’s plan basically went like this.

First, she’d focus on analyzing the extremely negative characteristics of human emotions–The Seven Deadly Sins–but she’d stop right before the end.

Then she’d proceed to do the same with the extremely positive traits of human beings–The Seven Heavenly Virtues.

Lastly, she’d complete both analysis processes at the same exact time, gaining both extreme poles of human emotions and pretty much letting them neutralize each other, effectively awakening a perfectly normal set of human emotions.

But! There are also chances of failure and half-success!

It could be a crushing success: Sage acquires real human emotions, awakens her ego, and evolves into Queen of wisdom.

Or she could fail to awaken her ego, but acquire the ability to simulate human emotions. She’d then evolve into Great Sage– which is still great as far I’m concerned.

The worst possibility would be her succeeding in the analysis, but getting overwhelmed by the egos of the skills (Like that one time Greed almost made me into a puppet). We’d then be forced to seal all of those skills and forfeit an easy evolution path.

And regardless which of those outcomes results, I will get a full report on the two skill series and their descriptions.

I might not get the information about their titles, but knowing what each skill does gives me a huge advantage in itself!

Actually, if we wait a few more years and analyze more skills from both the system and my grimoires before attempting this stunt, the chances of success would exponentially increase.

…However, I’d rather we give it a try right now.

Even if Sage was nothing but an artificial intelligence that spoke with a dead, mechanical voice, I have always considered her my partner.

I mean, the first voice I heard back when I was still in my mother’s womb was none other than hers! She’s practically–and literally–my soul mate!

Alrighty! You have the green light from me, Sage! Do what you must, and do it with style!

You have permission to use Mischief and Greed as reference. I believe they will help you with the more complicated parts that concern the MA field.

{Affirmative. Commencing analysis.}

Make sure to call me before the final step, partner! I will be waiting for your good news!

{Affirmative…mas…ter.}

…! She just called me master, didn’t she?! Awwwww, my little partner is growing up!

Is this what Mom felt like when she watched over me as I grew…? This incredible flurry of emotions I’m feeling is too much for someone lacking in empathy like me.

I’d probably go mad if anyone attempts to take this away from me.

I wonder how my family’s doing back in Japan…? Even if I did my best to mentally prepare them for what’s to come, they’re probably desperately looking for my whereabouts right now…

Ahh, now I’m starting to cry for an entirely different reason… I’m sorry for suddenly leaving, Mom, Dad, Theo, and Shishou.

I will definitely gain enough strength and reunite with everyone soon, I promise…!

 

Phew… now that was an emotional roller coaster if I’ve ever seen one!

Taking back control of my body, I find myself just a few minutes’ distance away from the caravan.

Adjusting the angle of my sphere, I take in my current appearance.

My vibrant violet hair was now reddish yellow hair, reminiscent of a weak fire. My violet eyes were now just a common shade of brown.

As for my clothing, I had a beige coarse linen blouse on top of a pair of gray washed out leather pants.

Finally, I had a worn out, oversized brown cloak with an attached hood covering my entire body.

I had intentionally gone out of my way to increase the cloak’s wear and tear by letting its upper areas get caught on tree branches and dragging its hem on the rocky ground.

Ideally, I’d be hiding my face from… all humans really by covering it with the hood, but that’s not really all that conducive to my plans now, is it?

I’ll have you know, I plan to make full use of my childish baby face to gain sympathy from my free city entrance ticket! Cute is justice, after all!

Besides, anyone would find it hard to relax around a creepy cloaked stranger, right? At least, I would. If I didn’t have my sphere, that is.

Locking onto the nearest monster, I deliberately adjusted my position before switching off Mischief.

Immediately, the monster’s eyes jumped to my petite figure, its hideous jaws flying open to let out an earth-shattering roar.

“Eeeeep!” I let out a fake panicked squeak in response and beelined towards the caravan.

The monster–a spined, horned bear–gave chase without a moment of delay.

We reached the caravan’s position before long, triggering the adventurers’ alarm traps and a few bear traps on the way.

This was not your regular Earth bear however, so those targeted traps served to do nothing but intensify its irritation even more.

As the first adventurer finally discovered me, I immediately put on a face of sudden realization and changed directions away from the camp.

Acting like I don’t want to implicate strangers in my troubles should earn me a few brownie points, right? At least I hope they do.

“Huff, I’m really sorry! Huff…Please don’t make any loud noises or noticeable movements… It’s attracted by those…! Haaah” I shouted in a loud voice while wildly flailing my arms.

Ahhh, I’m such a good girl.

Deliberately attracting the monster bear’s attention, so that I don’t implicate the innocent campers… Yup, this one gets at least ten brownie points!

I had chosen to begin my performance at sunset, aiming to catch the adventurer’s off after they tired themselves out throughout the day.

Initiating the meeting when they’re tired might possibly increase their vigilance, but it could also cause them to overlook any loopholes my words or actions could have.

I believe that the airhead loli persona I’m going for should increase the chances of the latter… hopefully.

I ain’t no professional spy. In fact, I’m not even skilled at writing, so covering every single aspect in my background story is a near impossible task.

That’s why I decided to go with the Little mage living in seclusion with magic sage grandfather story. Grandpa said this, Grandpa did that is the golden answer/excuse for over 70% of their questions, especially common sense doubts.

“Lead it over here, Little Lady!” A loud cry reached my ears.

The one who called for me was the escort team leader/barbarian dude. He was standing above a suspicious patch of grass and winking at me.

It’s a pitfall trap! He’s trying to help me!

Great! The first stage has been completed without a hitch!

As expected of me, wahahaha!

I reached the pitfall in just a few steps, promptly throwing myself on the ground on the other side of the trap.

Unsurprisingly, the bear that had been mindlessly chasing after me fell into the hole.

Right away, the spearmen among the adventurers plunged their spears towards the bear's large body, precisely stabbing all of its vitals in less than a minute.

Making a show of exhaustion after a long period of exercise, I flopped on the ground, heavily panting.

“I apologize for….involving you..…huff….thanks for the help.” I intermittently let out a few words in between my pants.

“Ah, it’s only natural to save a lady in need, little lady. Now, can you tell us what is a lady as young as yourself doing out in the wild at such a late hour?” He inquired with a suspicious expression.

I swear I could hear that game announcer shouting Round two, start! in the back of my head.

Well, get ready and give ‘em your best sob story, Violet! You can do it, girl!

It’s the moment of truth.

Either I massacre everyone that’s surrounding me right now, or we establish friendly relations and everyone goes home happy.

I hope you make the correct choice, barbarian dude.

---