When Ain spoke those last words, he had actually quietly cast a Tier 4 spell.
【Tier 4 Spell: Positive Suggestion】
【Effect: Using speech as a medium, the caster applies a psychological suggestion to targets below Tier 4. This effect can interfere with the target's cognitive judgment, altering or guiding their logical behavior within a certain range.】
【MP Cost: 2,000】
【Target: Remy Schaefer】
In the original game, this swordsman's name was Remy.
He was only Tier 4.
What's more, Ain had already maxed out his proficiency with this spell. Although mental manipulation spells had a cooldown, it was more than enough for a Tier 4 swordsman.
Ain didn't dare to crank the spell to its maximum power.
It wouldn't be good if someone from another faction noticed.
Finn's eyes widened, and his heart skipped a few beats.
No matter how annoyed he was with Ain, he was still the lead instructor for this mission!
How could a student get hurt under his watch?!
How was he supposed to explain this to the academy? How could he face his own reputation?!
My student...
My job!!!
Just as Finn was about to pull out his wand and beat the swordsman into the emergency room, he suddenly saw Ain's right hand twitch.
Ain first scratched his thigh, as if scratching an itch.
Then, as if finding his lying position slightly uncomfortable, he quietly shifted a few inches.
Recalling the red potions the boy had downed earlier, Finn realized what was happening and stood there, utterly dumbfounded.
This kid plays so dirty!
Didn't he just join Group Three?
Why does it feel like he's been preparing for this moment for a long time?
Though Finn still had many doubts, as someone who had spent years navigating society, he made his fastest decision in those few short seconds.
With a sudden burst of strength from his legs, Finn turned into an afterimage and rushed straight toward Ain.
When he was just a few paces away, Finn abruptly lowered his center of gravity and slammed his knees onto the ground. With the sound of fabric scraping against the dirt, he slid along the ground using his momentum, coming to a precise halt right in front of Ain.
“Ai—n!!!”
With tears and snot streaming down his face, Finn supported Ain's back with his right hand and pulled him tightly into his arms.
“My best, most sensible student!”
“You are the most talented, responsible, and proactive student in our group! Whether it's perfect attendance, flawless task delivery, keeping the team steady, or stepping up in times of trouble, you are my most outstanding, reliable, and prized student!!!”
Ain was dumbfounded too.
“Professor, didn't you say earlier that I—”
“Shut up.”
“...Yes, sir.”
Ain had still underestimated Finn's acting skills.
When an educated man decided to play dirty, he was the most ruthless of all.
Finn said all this to elevate Ain's importance.
The compensation for offending a common student was vastly different from offending his absolute best student!
The higher he built up Ain's value, the more apologies and compensation they could extort!
Tardiness? Absences?
Finn decided to put his prejudices aside for now.
The one lying in his arms right now was a key figure adorned with achievements—Lord Ain!
“My dear Ain! If you are injured here, our group's mission progress will fall massively behind!”
Finn said this deliberately for the benefit of the nearby swordsman, Remy.
In simple terms: you injured our most crucial member, causing the mission to stall. If the royal family came looking for someone to blame, it would be on you!
Remy naturally understood this as well.
“I didn't touch him! I didn't touch him at all!”
“You guys are putting on an act on purpose!”
Finn sneered.
“An act?”
“You bastard! Look at what you've done! You call this an act?!”
Ain lay weakly on the ground, his eyes half-closed and barely able to stay open. The sword wound on his chest was clearly visible, with blood still slowly oozing out.
Moreover, Ain's face was completely pale, devoid of any color. His weak, pained expression made it look as though he had truly suffered a mortal wound.
The students behind him, who had originally stepped forward to help, couldn't help but cover their mouths, their eyes widening in shock.
“No way...”
“Quick, go find a medic!”
“Ah... Captain, but—!”
“Just go find one!”
“Captain, our squad doesn't have any students from Persephone this time!”
Seeing this, even Finn couldn't help but gulp.
How did this kid make it look so real?!
Did he actually slash himself?
Sensing Finn's concern, Ain shot him a quick look.
Finn met Ain's gaze.
Ain looked at Finn.
Finn looked at Ain.
In those few seconds of mutual eye contact, the corners of their mouths twitched upward at an angle imperceptible to anyone else.
Finn understood instantly.
As expected of a guy who got in through the back door...
He certainly has plenty of tricks up his sleeve.
Looking at Ain's lifeless, pathetic state and the sword wound on his chest—which looked all too familiar—Remy found himself at a loss for words.
That sword wound looks almost exactly like one made by my own sword...
How does he know my sword techniques?!
And his current miserable state really does look like the effect of my martial technique!
Remy felt like he was being stripped bare.
How did the script get flipped like this?!
The higher-ups told him to harass the academy students, but they never mentioned the opponent would be even more shameless than him!
So shameless! Absolutely shameless!
How could someone be ruthless enough to inflict such a heavy wound on themselves?!
No, wait!
This student must be acting!
He just needed to prove that the wound and his current state were faked!
Ain knew exactly what Remy was thinking.
But he had come fully prepared.
【Tier 4 Potion: Elegy of the Deadwood】
【Description: A dark liquid emitting a faint, cold glow and the scent of wormwood. Upon consumption, the potion forcibly takes over the user's bodily functions, placing them into a 'simulated near-death' state.】
【Effect: The user is forced into a deep sleep state. The duration depends on the dosage consumed (base duration: 2 hours). During this period, the user's bodily functions are drastically reduced, but they gain immunity to most mental controls and pain.】
To brew these few bottles of Tier 4 potions, Ain had spent a large portion of his prize money from Dawn's Crown of Thorns to buy materials over the past few days.
Though it cost him a fortune, thankfully, the results were absolutely stellar.
The blood he spat out was, of course, fake.
The sword wound was merely something he forged using a wind blade.
Having cleared the first playthrough, Ain was more than familiar with this entire process.
Hehehehehe!
No, I can't laugh yet...
It's not time to declare victory just yet...
After putting in so much effort, Ain had no intention of just 'bullying' a minor character like Remy.
“Hey, Remy, what's going on here?”
Suddenly, a heavy, deep voice echoed from a distance.
The newcomer was a mature man carrying a greatsword. His upper torso was bare, revealing several shocking scars across his chest.
The man had short, dark black hair, sharp eyes, and a muscular build, looking every bit like a battle-hardened mercenary.
The corner of Ain's mouth twitched upward slightly.
Finally, he's here...
This could be considered his first step toward saving the world, right?
The final boss of this sudden event...
Harrison Cross!
Rate on N.U.
