Chapter 78 : When it comes to convenience, the more, the better

The hidden secret warehouse of the Jibchack family.

In this place, countless items hidden by Trash were on display.

Of course, since they were personally collected, it was narrow and shabby compared to the previous imperial treasury, but that place was on another level entirely, so it should be excluded from comparison.

It seemed like he had tried to set the mood in his own way, giving off the impression of a museum.

The difference from a museum, however… was probably the lack of protective cases?

Since it was a place only he visited, it was natural. He probably never imagined someone like me would break in here.

Thanks to that, stealing was convenient and easy.

Anyway, the reason I came all the way here was, of course, because there was an item I absolutely had to secure.

‘Strictly speaking, it’s not entirely necessary…’

The item I could get here wasn’t an exceptional weapon or armor to cover my stats.

If anything, it could be called a convenience item.

So it wasn’t something I couldn’t do without.

With dodging, parrying, and the recently acquired inventory, I could handle most situations.

However, convenience is always welcome. Regardless of performance or utility, securing this item was undeniably beneficial.

But…

“Where is it?”

The item was nowhere to be seen. It was definitely supposed to be here.

There were instances where it could be missing, like when it was taken as a starting item.

But I’d never seen the protagonist using it, so it should definitely be here… Where did it go?

I don’t know. Time is tight, so should I at least grab the cost of clothing first?

I stuffed everything on display in the secret warehouse into my inventory.

There wasn’t much, so it didn’t take long.

As I checked while packing, nothing particularly useful stood out.

…Come to think of it, it’s only been a day since I said I wouldn’t steal, and here I am.

If I had to make an excuse, I could say this:

These were items Trash had bought through illegal auctions on the black market with illicit money.

He hid them here because even he couldn’t justify owning them openly.

If such dirty goods could cover the cost of clothing… or Serya’s feelings, wouldn’t that be a win for Trash, too?

Even if not, considering what Diggers had done, this much could be considered reparations from a father.

‘In the end, it’s just an excuse.’

But that didn’t mean I planned to return the items.

At this point, there was no turning back, and the family would soon crumble once I uncovered their schemes.

The moment I packed everything into my inventory, Trash and his knights stormed in.

With so many people packed into this small space, they completely blocked the exit.

However, none of them moved recklessly.

It was a narrow, enclosed underground space.

If they caused chaos here and it collapsed, they’d all be buried alive.

Trash, too, refrained from casting any more magic and simply glared at me.

“…What.”

But then, as if flustered for a moment, he quickly regained his composure and began questioning me.

“Where did all the items inside go?”

“They were already gone when I arrived.”

“Don’t lie.”

“How do you know I’m lying?”

“Then explain. How can you prove that there was nothing here?”

“There’s nothing here right now.”

“That doesn’t prove anything!”

This guy’s impossible to talk to.

Well… I mean, I did steal them, but I thought he’d at least be at a loss for words.

I didn’t expect him to be this stubborn. Did I underestimate the Jibchack family’s personality?

“Hmph, so you’ll keep lying until the end. It’s useless.”

No matter what I said, Trash’s mind wasn’t going to change.

Should I just try to escape? As I was thinking that, Trash pushed his bangs back as if trying to cool down.

He had a rather plump build, and when he raised his short arm to push back his bangs, his sleeve naturally pulled up.

And there it was—a bracelet he was wearing.

“…Oh, that.”

That was the item I was looking for.

Thank goodness. It was here.

But why are you wearing it? In the game, it was just left in storage.

…Thinking about it, leaving such a useful item in storage was more unnatural.

Of course, he’d been using it to carry out his wicked schemes more efficiently. I needed to take it back quickly.

Alright… for now.

“There’s nowhere to run.”

I said that while raising both hands as a gesture of surrender.

“Lies. Capture him immediately!”

I had planned to create an opening for a sneak attack, but I was discovered immediately.

Well, considering he was wearing that bracelet, it was inevitable.

Still, in this confined space, reaching him wasn’t that hard.

And since all the items were in my inventory, it didn’t look like I had any weapons, so they weren’t being overly cautious.

I dodged the knights charging at me under Trash’s orders and lunged straight at him.

He didn’t panic and skillfully stepped back, but in the process, I managed to grab his clothing… and slipped the bracelet into my inventory.

“…!”

“Oh no.”

Trash’s clothes were also sucked into the inventory along with the bracelet.

At this point, it wasn’t even surprising anymore.

“My-my relic!”

Seeing that he wasn’t even concerned about his missing clothes, I decided there was no need to return them and made a run for it.

I swiftly passed by Trash, now shirtless, and headed for the exit.

Of course, the knights were standing firmly in my way… but I’d anticipated this from the moment I entered.

Obviously, I had a plan; otherwise, I wouldn’t have crawled all the way in here.

‘Blocking me with your bodies is pointless.’

In fact, the broken mechanics of a game character shine most in tight spaces like this.

Even when everyone is squished together and unable to move properly, I can still maneuver freely.

Of course, if I stood still or acted normally, I’d be stuck like them, but—I have evasion, don’t I?

The evasion mechanic that bypasses attacks can also slip through crowds.

If I charged directly at them, I’d definitely get blocked, but if I aimed for… those tiny gaps…

“What?!”

Even a narrow gap that my body shouldn’t fit through could be passed effortlessly like this.

The half-dozen knights started scrambling to chase after me, but because they were so tightly packed at the exit, they ended up bumping into each other and getting tangled.

Trash couldn’t get past them either, so I casually escaped the secret warehouse and made my way outside.

The clamor and belated footsteps echoed from below, but it was enough time for me to get away.

While running at a decent speed, I pulled the bracelet out from my inventory and equipped it.

With that, my primary goal for coming here had been achieved.

[Ring of Detection]
[For those ignorant of the ways of the world.]
[Allows you to ‘detect’ a designated target.]

I already knew the bracelet’s function, so I decided to test it immediately.

[Rudion]
[Strength: 17]
[Durability: 8]
[Agility: 21]
[Magic: 11]
[Traits:Good for Your Body and Tastes Great]
[He is happy to have obtained the item he wanted.]

The moment I used the item on myself, a familiar system window appeared.

Yes, ‘detection’ was, as the name suggests, an ability to view information.

Up until now, I couldn’t see other people’s stats or detailed item information, but with this, I could see everything.

I skimmed over my own stats since I already knew them well.

Still stuck at the same initial values… and what’s with that trait?

When I looked closer at the trait description, it was even more absurd.

Was this why Trash had been so flustered earlier?

If you had no context and saw this out of nowhere, you’d be shocked too.

But I immediately understood what it was.

After all, aside from the failed gacha trait “Good for Your Body and Tastes Great,” I had only one other trait.

[Irregular]
[This is an experimental feature. Please ensure that real players do not acquire this trait.]

‘Comparing the letter count… yeah, it matches.’

The current abilities—Evasion, Parry, Unlimited Stamina, Game-Like Vision, Inventory—all these functions were provided by the trait Irregular.

It seemed like the item couldn’t properly recognize this trait.

Was it because this ability wasn’t supposed to exist, causing the text to glitch?

Well, it didn’t matter. I wasn’t particularly interested in this side of things anyway.

For someone like me, who understood the metrics of strength and traits better than anyone, such information wasn’t really necessary.

The true value of “Detection” lay elsewhere.

[He is happy to have obtained the item he wanted.]

This was it.

The ability to describe an opponent’s thoughts or emotions based on my perspective.

With this, I could immediately tell if someone was hiding something or planning to betray me.

Trash’s confidence that I had stolen his item and his instant recognition of my fake surrender were all thanks to this feature.

Even beyond those scenarios, simply knowing what someone was thinking or wanting was an incredible advantage.

Is it really okay to freely read others’ thoughts like this? Well, as long as I use it responsibly, it should be fine. It’s not like I’ll use it for bad purposes like Trash did.

Alright then, now that I’ve stolen what I came for, it’s time to deal with whatever scheme they’re plotting.

Avoiding the clamor of footsteps behind me, I dashed towards my next goal.

Inside the Academy’s First-Year Advanced Class Building.

On the table in Professor Reina’s research room sat three cups.

Reina, Seria, and Alkine were gathered around a round table, enjoying a leisurely conversation.

Time passed.

After some casual exchanges, Reina let out a dry chuckle.

“…So, you just let him go?”

“He looked so happy when they said they were taking him away.”

They were talking about Rudion being captured.

Despite the Academy’s earlier instructions to ignore the report, Rudion had been dragged away, leaving them in an awkward position.

“Tell the headmaster he’ll have something to say when Rudion returns.”

“Will do.”

Well, there was no use dwelling on the past. Complaining about it wouldn’t change anything.

Seriously, what kind of situation was it where Seria, who was always by Rudion’s side, could only stand by and watch?

Alkine, seemingly thinking the same, interjected casually.

“Noticing that in the moment… that’s impressive.”

Seria gave Alkine a strange look as she corrected her tone in front of Professor Reina, but he simply continued speaking as if he had nothing more to add.

“But didn’t you say you’d save him by today? If we delay any longer, we might be too late.”

Seria decided to let the comment slide.

“You’re right. Shall we head out?”

“Wait, Seria. Don’t go overboard. The Jibchack family might have a dirty reputation, but they have quite a wide reach.”

“I’ll gauge the situation.”

With that, the conversation with Reina ended, and Seria picked up an outing pass before heading outside.

Alkine followed, smirking.

“Doesn’t look like you’re planning to let this slide easily.”

The casual tone had returned. At this point, Seria figured she’d have to get used to it.

Instead of pointing it out, she responded naturally.

“I’m not a kind enough person to forgive someone for messing with what’s mine.”

“When did Rudion become yours?”

“Figure of speech. Oh, right. That restaurant you recommended last time was great. Should we grab dinner there on the way back?”

Their purpose was clearly to rescue Rudion, yet they didn’t seem particularly worried about him.

Their biggest concern seemed to be deciding on a dinner menu.

Without a hint of urgency, the two left the Academy.