"Makes one girl become interested in you…"
Baston stared at the second quest for a long time. His fingers were tapping lightly against the edge of the old book.
The words themselves were simple. It was too simple that he doubted it would be just like this.
They reminded him uncomfortably of the first quest which was short, vague, and deliberately incomplete. Back then, the old book had not told him how he must act well either.
It had merely demanded his best performance.
At first, he had thought that staying alive was enough.
By escaping danger, avoiding injury, and lasting until the end would satisfy whatever judgment waited inside those pages. Only after everything was over, he did realize the truth. The survival had been the baseline and not the goal.
The book had measured how he performed his choices, restraint, and timing. It had rewarded him not for doing the bare minimum but for exceeding an invisible standard.
That memory made his stomach tightened because this quest eventually felt the same.
The old book did not say which girl. It did not say how much interest was enough and it certainly did not explain what qualified as better performance.
It meant the evaluation would come later. He could do any performance but the judgment would always come from the old book. He was only a participant here after all.
"If I mess this up once…" Baston thought, "There won't be a second attempt…"
If he was being honest, the easiest way to make a girl interested was money.
The wealth changed how people looked at someone and it always had been like that, especially in this world.
For poor girls, commoners, and even those from merchant families, money alone could open many doors. A decent dinner, small luxuries, and the confidence backed by gold could seduce several inexperienced girls. It didn't require skill or courage but just resources.
That kind of approach would work, but then again, what he had worked before produced an excellent result.
He only blabbered nonsense, but thankfully, Panto believed him. The fear the boy created by his own imagination must be striking his heart hardly. Such coincidence finally rewarded him with ice magic.
Then, the realization sent a chill through him.
"For the old book…" Baston murmured, "The completion and the excellence aren't the same thing. To achieve better result, you must go the hard way. Then, does it mean I have to go for noble girls? That's almost impossible since I will be just shoved away…."
For noble girls, the money alone meant almost nothing. Among nobles, the wealth was only one variable among many. The bloodline, the authority, the military strength, and the political alliances were the most important ones.
A rich commoner was still a commoner, no matter how much gold he carried. However, a noble family with money and power could bend rules, silence the rumors, and rewrite the future.
That was why so many successful merchants desperately chased noble titles. Their money could only buy comfort but only status could buy the power.
The old book had rewarded his performance before. Now, it was likely measuring the weight. Baston exhaled quietly, leaning back in his chair.
If he wanted to complete the quest as quickly and safely as possible, he could approach a poor or commoner girl.
A small display of ice magic would be enough to attract their attention and even admiration. The talent had a way of overshadowing flaws that even his fat body wouldn't matter much. That path was easy and it was indeed predictable with almost certainly mediocre in the end.
Strangely, he could foresee the result of his performance if he did it that way.
"If I choose the safest option…" Baston thought, "The book will treat it as the lowest acceptable performance…"
The first quest had already taught him that lies alone wasn't enough.
The book favored decisions that carried the consequence and the choices that risked something even if they succeeded quietly. If he wanted a higher evaluation, he had to consider the status.
A merchant girl was possible even though it couldn't be guaranteed.
It would require more effort, more exposure, and more risk. Still, compared to a noble, it was within his reach.
Unfortunately, a noble girl was nearly impossible. He didn't know any personally. Not only that, the academy itself enforced the division between them.
The nobles lived and socialized in their own spaces. Their paths rarely crossed with the commoners unless it was intentional.
Baston frowned toward his current situation.
"Truly…" he thought slowly, "The old book never cared about what was fair…"
"I guess the best option for now is a girl from the merchant side," he muttered, steadying himself out of confidence.
His thoughts then drifted naturally to Panto.
The merchant boy surely had some connections. Not about noble ones but it was regarding the other merchants from just acquaintances to closer names. The people who existed beyond his reach.
"I wonder if Panto knows any merchant girls," Baston said quietly, "If he does, maybe he could introduce us."
Even as the thought formed, his doubt followed immediately.
If the girl compared the two of them, she would almost certainly favor Panto. The boy had successful father plus a clear future. He would easily gain a social approval.
Unfortunately, Baston had none of that.
All he had was the power which he was hiding and an old book that watched without speaking. However, standing still wouldn't change anything.
The first quest had been done and the reward had been very useful to him. Now, he wondered about the next reward. Despite still there, he had already imagined the best.
Baston then straightened his body, resolved to complete the quest even though it was truly hard for him.
"I'll observe everyone first…" he decided, "Gather the information and I will look for an opening next."
The quest indeed wasn't easy but he didn't have a choice to back down.
He needed more time since he understood the rules were written after the move was made. Although the hesitation occurred inside his heart, the mysterious old book kept pushing him forward.
*****
Baston left his room and wandered through the academy grounds.
The sky had darkened after a long day of lessons yet the academy remained lively. Several students walked in groups. They were laughing and chatting since the night was still young and the curfew was far off.
Naturally, Baston headed toward the cafeteria. The dinner time meant crowds and the crowds would surely have girls.
"Ah, Student Baston. Here's your dinner…"
The waiter placed a plate in front of him. A warm steak that was cooked just right, accompanied by a glass of apple juice.
"I didn't order this," Baston said, startled.
"Someone already paid for it. Please enjoy your meal."
The waiter left without another word just like before.
Baston stared at the food, feeling confused. It might be a coincidence for the first time, but for a second time, he believed someone had worked behind him.
That person had been treating him repeatedly yet he had no idea who it was. He frowned slightly but decided not to overthink it. After all, wasting food was a sin. Whoever it was, he would thank them properly someday.
What Baston didn't know was that Panto had paid for every meal.
The timid boy still remembered the moment Baston revealed his ice magic.
For the first time, Panto felt like he had a protector in the academy. He had wanted to apologize for his past bullying but Baston never brought it up.
Panto feared reopening the old wounds if he said something he must not. So instead, he chose this silent way of repayment.
After finishing the meal, Baston felt both full and drowsy.
His original plan about searching for a suitable target had completely slipped his mind. Shaking his head, he decided to postpone the task until tomorrow. He wandered away from the crowd and eventually found a quiet corner of the academy grounds.
It was a stone bench beneath the tree, away from magic lamp light.
"Such a cool wind…" Baston stretched lazily.
"Indeed…"
Baston stiffened because hadn't sensed anyone nearby.
The area was deserted and the figure beside him was cloaked. Her face was hidden by shadows but the voice was unmistakable. It was a voice of a girl.
"Are you following me?" she asked.
"I don't even know you. Why would I follow you?" Baston thought but he replied calmly, "No... This place is just far from such hectic. It's a perfect spot to enjoy such night. That's all I care..."
"What a glib of tongue. You must be speaking like that to other girls."
Her tone was sharp and distrustful.
Baston frowned, pondering why she clearly assumed he was trying to flirt. Perhaps, she had dealt with many boys before. In the situations like this, the best move was usually to leave.
However, Baston chose a different approach. He played himself like a secret agent even though he was none of it.
"The password is correct," he said suddenly, "By the way, what do you know about the cult?"
"The cult?"
The girl froze because the abrupt shift in conversation caught her completely off guard. Her mind raced as she tried to make sense of it. She wanted to leave but her curiosity took a good hold on herself.
"There's no recent news... Not at present…" she answered hesitantly.
"Really?" Baston said, feigning surprise. "I'm certain they're here but I just can't identify them. There are too many people in this academy."
"What exactly does this cult do?" she asked, needing to know better.
"As an informant, shouldn't you already know?" Baston replied coolly, "Everything should have been written in your briefing."
"I… I'm new…" she lied, "I don't know much yet."
Baston glanced at her, "Then… it's better that way. Their crimes are unthinkable. The less you know, the less your family will be implicated."
"My family can handle any villain in this kingdom."
She stood up, removing her hood.
Baston's breath was caught behind his words. Only then, he did realize the girl beside him wasn't just any ordinary girl.
Within the academy, she was someone that many noticed and someone many boys pursued.
Baston had never been among them. He had been too busy surviving in this world to even consider chasing after a girl. Besides, the gap in their status was something he had never needed to think about.
He could just shove away any girl but he never expected the person behind him was Alicia. She was the beauty of his class.
She was talented, noble-born, and from a great noble family that strong enough to crush most opposition. For a brief moment, Baston forgot how to breathe.
From all the possibilities that he had calculated, this was never one of them.
This noble girl was standing alone in the commoner area, speaking to him in the dark as if it were natural. It was absurd and dangerous.
The worst of all, it felt like the old book was laughing silently at him.
Just a moment ago, he had been convincing himself that approaching a noble was impossible.
That even thinking about it was foolish, and yet, without realizing it, he had done exactly the one thing that he deemed as the most impossible. He was not doing it intentionally and wisely.
"If this were the true searching for partner…" Baston thought bitterly, "This would be the hardest possible route…"
Alicia wasn't merely a noble. She was the kind of noble whose name carried weight even outside the academy.
Someone who didn't need to raise her voice to command the attention and someone who had never needed to wonder whether her words mattered.
Standing before her now, Baston became acutely aware of every difference between them.
She won in status, background, and authority.
It seemed kneeling and bowing down in front of her had already given him the most fortunate moment in the entire life. After all, she only mingled with nobles around here.
Even if he explained himself perfectly and even if every word he spoke was true, she could still ruin him with a single accusation. That was the power the nobles held over people like him.
Despite the threat she represented, she was here alone. He was quite curious for such coincidence.
Why she was engaging with his nonsense instead of dismissing him outright?
If she truly saw him as insignificant, she would have already left. However soon, the realization of the ongoing second quest pushed him forward.
"This moment…" Baston thought and his gaze was flickering briefly away, "This is my chance and even though the chance is very slim, I have to try it..."
If she reported him, he would be finished. If she believed him even partially, then it would be his victory.
It would also acquiesce toward what the old book had ordered him before.
"Explain!" Alicia demanded, "What cult? Where are they and who are you?"
"It's pointless," Baston said, stepping past her, "You're not ready."
"Stop!"
She blocked his path, "If you don't explain, I'll call the guards. If you're lying, you'll take the responsibility."
Before she could turn away, Baston grabbed her wrist and pressed her against the wall.
The cold atmosphere soon formed in his free hand. This simple action made Alicia's eyes widened.
"Ice magic…"
The pressure was undeniable since it was stronger than hers. This kind of magic supposedly wasn't a commoner's strength. Slowly, a doubt flickered across her face.
"Are you really the informant?" Baston asked coldly, "Or are you a spy from the cult?"
Her teeth clenched because she was still perplexed over the ice magic.
She couldn't answer since she didn't know anything. In the end, her curiosity pushed forward yet her hesitation took place inside her heart.
"Fine…" Baston said while releasing her, "Keep silent because you'll only scare them away."
Without waiting for her response, he disappeared into the darkness.
*****
That night, Baston locked his door and stared at the old book beside his bed. His plan had spiraled far beyond the control.
He started to curse such quest but thinking of the reward that he already accepted, he must not do it. His action would be deemed as shameless. Even though he was a poor at the moment, he knew how to make sense on everything. He sighed and when he opened the final page, his eyes widened.
The quest had progressed silently and unexpectedly.
"My performance is good?"