Chapter 3: Marriage Is a Lifelong Misunderstanding
"Student... may I have your contact information?"
Morgan spoke calmly, her blue eyes seemingly devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
However, the very act of her proactively asking for his contact information was already something extremely unusual.
Eikou was completely stunned, frozen from the inside out.
"System, what the hell is this, you… you can't just do that, how could you arbitrarily judge this as a great success for Morgan?!"
[Ever since you got in the car, I've been talking about Morgan. You just misunderstood.]
"You kept referring to Morgan as 'she', how the hell was I supposed to know! A normal person's first reaction would definitely be to think it was the heroine Baobhan Sith!"
[Then next time, you should ask more clearly.]
"...So what kind of situation is this now? Didn't I just end up getting to know the mother of the target I'm supposed to conquer?"
[This is called shooting the horse before shooting the rider. Since you've conquered her mother, wouldn't the girl herself now be easy as pie?]
"What kind of messed up logic is that—'shooting the horse before'..."
Clearly, after shooting the rider, I just hopped on their horse and bolted off at full speed!
[Out of courtesy, you left your contact information with Morgan.]
[Morgan smiled at you meaningfully.]
[But for some reason, you feel a powerful, suffocating allure.]
[So strong... so strong... it's like a black hole from which even light can't escape!]
[Shit, why the hell has everything turned out like this...]
"You should be the one answering that, you bastard! You're the one who chose this!"
[You've given your contact information to Morgan, and your relationship has taken another step forward.]
[On Morgan's body, you notice several characteristics different from that of a normal person.]
[You have acquired a new skill: "Protection of the Lake D."]
["Protection of the Lake D": Temporarily enhances your own abilities or those of a designated person. It may also increase the chances of favorable outcomes in dice-based judgments under certain conditions.]
He actually gained a new skill?
Looking closely, this was even one of Morgan's exclusive skills.
Could it be that interacting and deepening emotional bonds with servants can grant their skills?
If that's really the case, then from now on at school, I'll need to actively participate in social activities, collect skills from them to make life a bit smoother.
Eikou slightly nodded, as if deep in thought.
[You say goodbye to Morgan and attend the entrance ceremony with Baobhan Sith.]
[You attentively listen to the headmaster Leonardo da Vinci's opening speech, while Baobhan Sith grows bored halfway through and sneaks off.]
[By noon, you breathe a sigh of relief, drop off your luggage at the dormitory, and organize your room.]
[Since you belong to the Britain class, most of your classmates are servants from Britain—either Knights of the Round Table of England, warriors from Celtic mythology, or individuals deeply connected to England.]
[Your dorm roommates are Oberon, Gawain, and Tristan.]
[Gawain and Tristan are very friendly toward you. Upon first meeting, the three of you share a simple meal together.]
[Class assignment, receiving textbooks, familiarizing yourself with the academy environment, along with countless other trivial matters, completely fill your day. By evening, you and Gawain head to the public bathhouse, washing away the day's sweat and fatigue in hot water until your head spins.]
[When you return to the dorm, just as you prepare to get into bed and end the day, you receive a message from Morgan.]
[Morgan sends you a few selfies taken at her home, her intentions unclear, but the implications unmistakable.]
[Though all the photos are very proper, after viewing them, you find it a bit hard to sleep.]
Lying on his bed, the dark night passes, and time begins to flow swiftly.
[Saving key checkpoint...]
[Congratulations! You have officially enrolled at the Chaldea Academy. Your destiny begins now.]
The deduction interface transformed into a stack of calendars.
Eikou looked closely—on top were listed all kinds of schedules: study, club activities, dating, and part-time jobs.
A total of twelve calendars—roughly equivalent to one year.
Before he could ask any questions, the blue interface had already presented a few prompts:
[You will study at this academy for one year, after which your fate will be decided.]
[Studying can increase your mana. Deepening your relationship with servants will allow you to inherit their stat sheets or special skills.]
[Different classes will compete against each other. The year-end exam will become a Holy Grail War, with each class acting as a faction. You must strengthen your class as quickly as possible to become the final victor in the Holy Grail War.]
"..."
Eikou stared at the long string of prompts, feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information.
Using the class as a faction to fight a Holy Grail War… the number of servants involved must be insane. According to this deduction, wouldn't that mean he has to lead an entire class?
"But I don't even have a Noble Phantasm. Going into a Holy Grail War like this is just forcing it, isn't it?"
[A Noble Phantasm is something a servant must possess. You can only obtain it by deepening your relationship with Baobhan Sith.]
[She shares a special fated bond with you. By interacting with her, you can quickly learn her stat sheet and skills, and possibly even… her Noble Phantasm!]
"I see…"
No wonder he was placed in the Britain class. So from now on, his goal will be to conquer Baobhan Sith and study diligently to improve himself.
The text appeared, and the calendar pages began flipping day by day.
[Day 1, you listened to the lecture seriously!]
[Day 2, studied.]
[Day 3, studied.]
[Your academic ability slightly increased.]
[Every evening during study time, you always hear your phone ring. Morgan texts you every night, either to check in on your daily life or to send you selfies.]
[Today, she sent a selfie of herself in a bikini by the pool.]
Morgan-san, can you stop sending me pictures already?! I really can't sleep after looking at them!
[Normally at school, you have no chance to interact with Baobhan Sith. She has a noble background, is arrogant and impolite, always surrounded by attendants. To approach her, you'll need a special opportunity...]
[You heard that in half a month, she'll attend a group social event. Maybe then you'll have a chance to get closer to Baobhan Sith.]
[But the event will be held at a luxury hotel, with expensive entrance and drink fees, and the tickets require connections to obtain. Formal dress is also required. The total cost is 3000 QP.]
[Which is equivalent to your living expenses for three months.]
"I only have 1000 QP right now, do you guys want me to go three months without eating or drinking?!"
To chase a girl, you've got to spend money—this is too damn realistic!
Does this mean even as a student, I still have to work part-time?
Goddamn it, before I got isekai'd, I was just a part-time worker. And after getting isekai'd, I'm still a part-time worker?! Then what the hell did I get isekai'd for?!
[Your choice is...]
[1. Forget about it and look for other encounter opportunities.]
[2. Take a part-time job outside of school.]
[3. Pull your socks over your head and go all in: gather like-minded people and raid Gilgamesh-senpai's Treasury of the King (requires both Strength and Agility at A).]
[4. Morgan-san! Um... would it be possible to borrow some money from you?]
"What the hell are option 3 and 4… but I can't lie, I find them strangely appealing. But I get the feeling that if I take one of those steps… there's no turning back after that…"