What was the point of going to school? In the end, wasn't it just to find a good job after graduation, make a lot of money, and stand out from the crowd?
Take the former: with Freya's current abilities, making money was not a problem at all. Even if she never went to school or worked a day in her life, she wouldn't have to worry about money.
As for the latter, if she really wanted to make a name for herself, wouldn't it be easier to just go to the Church and become their Saintess?
Looking at it that way, continuing her schooling didn't seem to offer Freya any benefits at all.
Freya wore a thoughtful expression. Still, the body's original owner had already attended for two years, and she only had one year left before graduation. If she dropped out now, wouldn't all that effort go to waste?
Besides, Freya recalled how she had been running around all over Auxerre in her simulations, busy to the point of exhaustion. By comparison, going to class at school might actually be... a bit more relaxing?
For instance, spacing out in class or taking a comfortable nap. This kind of “peaceful” life was, in itself, a form of relaxation.
“Either way, I think I should at least graduate normally,” Freya said. “I can't let all that previous effort go to waste.”
At that point, Freya suddenly asked, “By the way, Euphemia, how are your grades?”
Euphemia was twenty this year, three years older than Freya. This was something Freya had learned during their casual chats in the previous simulation, but she had never asked about Euphemia's academic performance. Come to think of it, Euphemia didn't seem to have ever gone to school. She had snuck out of her house early on to play private detective.
Hearing this, Euphemia replied, “What do you mean? Those basics taught in school that couldn't be any more basic? My parents hired tutors for me, and I finished learning all of that by the time I was thirteen.”
“Thirteen?” Freya was taken aback. “Wait, you weren't an extraordinary of the Scholar Pathway back then, right?”
“Of course not,” Euphemia said as if it were obvious. “But you don't need the extraordinary abilities of the Scholar Pathway for such simple things. I just studied a bit on my own and got it all.”
“That's amazing!” Freya looked at Euphemia with admiration. Come to think of it, the original owner of her body was also incredibly impressive for maintaining excellent grades while working part-time every day. By comparison, was she the only one who was a bit slow?
It had to be said that Freya's compliment provided a massive boost to Euphemia's ego. Who wouldn't love a sincere compliment from such a cute girl? Euphemia immediately wore a very satisfied expression.
Then, Freya's tone shifted. “So... Euphemia, for the final exams in two months, could you help me take them?”
Euphemia froze, tilting her head slightly as she stared at Freya with a mixture of confusion and speechlessness. “Are you... serious?”
Freya nodded. “Of course I am. When the time comes, you can just wear the Invisibility Cloak, stand next to me, and point out the correct answers. How about it?”
Euphemia pressed a hand to her forehead and fell silent for a moment before saying, “Well... fine.”
To be honest, she would never have guessed in a million years that her Invisibility Cloak, a highly powerful extraordinary item, would one day be used for cheating on an exam.
Finally, before leaving, Freya took another sip of her coffee. Perhaps because she had added too much sugar earlier, it tasted rather strange now. She stuck out her pink little tongue again and said to Euphemia, “By the way... can I just call you Euphy from now on?”
For Euphemia, this was technically their very first meeting, yet they were already using such intimate nicknames? But as she looked at Freya's adorable face, she found herself unable to refuse. Then again, who could reject getting closer to such a beautiful girl? Euphemia asked, “Then what should I call you?”
“Just call me Fufu,” Freya said, waving as she walked out of the cafe. “See you later, then!”
By the time Freya arrived in the city center and reached the school, half the morning had already passed, meaning she had missed two entire classes.
Just as she was about to sneak into the classroom, she bumped right into her homeroom teacher. The teacher froze for a moment upon seeing her, then waved his hand and said, “Freya, come with me for a moment.”
Uh... Perhaps this was the ultimate authority of a school environment? Even though Freya now possessed a Rank Five and a Rank Four extraordinary clone—which made her a formidable force in the extraordinary world, capable of matching a Rank Five General of the Kingdom—she still shrank her neck and took small, obedient steps to follow him.
The teacher was a balding man in his forties with a very high hairline who taught Brief History of the Kingdom. Sitting in his chair, he looked at Freya and sighed. “You, of all people... What is going on with you these past two days? First, you request leave for no clear reason, then you space out in class, and now you're boldly showing up late?”
As he spoke, the teacher sized up Freya's current attire. Previously, Freya barely dressed up, wearing old and simple clothes. But now, she had changed into a set of brand-new clothes that looked obviously expensive and of high quality. The difference was stark.
The teacher frowned slightly. “You should still prioritize your studies. Some people claim they want what's best for you, but in reality, they might just be after your cute looks. You must not let yourself be fooled!”
“If you are really short on money, you can tell me. I'll find a way to help you. With your ability, continuing your studies at Cobdo National Academy after graduation, or even going to a better school in the capital, won't be a problem at all.”
“Uh...” Freya blinked, not immediately catching on to what the teacher was implying. Only after thinking for a few seconds did she quickly wave her hands and say, “No, it's nothing like that. I've just had some very important matters to attend to recently.”
The teacher asked, “What important matters? More important than your studies?”
Freya muttered in a low voice, “They might actually be more important than studying... For example, stopping a Kingdom General from destroying the city, or discussing how His Majesty the King wants to surrender without a fight...”
The teacher stared blankly. “What on earth are you talking about?”
Freya immediately stood at attention. “No, nothing! I will definitely study hard and won't cause any more trouble!”
The teacher's lips twitched. In truth, Freya's voice had been so quiet that he hadn't heard her clearly, only catching something about “His Majesty the King.” He sighed again. “Well, since you say so.”
Freya nodded. “Mhm, mhm. So... about that, I might have something to do tomorrow. Can I ask for leave in advance?”
The teacher: “?”
Frowning deeply, the teacher said, “Do you even understand what I just said?”
Freya averted her eyes slightly. “It really is an incredibly important matter. How about this, Teacher? I promise my grades won't drop at all. Is that okay?”
“You... Sigh, fine, fine,” the teacher said helplessly. “As long as you can maintain your usual standard on the next exam, I won't interfere with whatever you do anymore.”
With that, Freya successfully escaped the ordeal. She returned to the classroom just in time for the third period. Amy, who sat next to her, immediately leaned over and asked with concern, “Fufu, why are you so late? Did something happen?”
Freya replied in an equally quiet whisper, “It's nothing, don't worry about me.”
Amy tilted her head. “Really? If you're having any trouble, don't hide it from me. Aren't we friends?”
Freya nodded her little head. “Mhm, I'm really fine.”
She had to admit, Freya felt like she was surrounded by good people. Her homeroom teacher, Amy, and even the owner of the restaurant where the original owner used to work—they were all very nice to her.
In a way, even Brother Scar next door, despite being a thug and a bad guy, was a law-abiding bad guy who also gave her money for free (scratch that last part).
Was this world filled entirely with good people? Of course not. It could only be attributed to Freya's excellent luck, which had led her to meet nothing but kind souls so far.
At that moment, Amy suddenly remarked, “Still, Fufu, you actually got new clothes! I told you before, you're so pretty, you should wear more nice outfits.”
“Mhm, someone gave them to me,” Freya said. “I think they look really nice too.”
She wasn't lying. This outfit was indeed a gift from Euphemia—though not the current Euphemia, but the “future” one.
However, Amy pouted slightly upon hearing this. “What? When I wanted to give you clothes before, you wouldn't take them. Why did you accept them from someone else?”
Freya blinked. “Eh...”
She recalled that Amy had indeed tried to give the original owner some nice clothes in the past. However, the original owner had felt too embarrassed, not wanting to trouble others or feel indebted, so she had declined.
Suddenly, a thought struck Amy. She covered her mouth, wearing a look of sheer disbelief. “Don't tell me... Fufu, do you have a boyfriend? No wonder you've been taking leave, showing up late, and getting new clothes...”
A string of question marks popped up in Freya's mind. “How is that possible? You're overthinking it.”
Speaking of which, Freya had absolutely zero interest in finding a partner. Although she didn't have her past life's memories, she remembered the astronomical costs of houses, cars, baby formula, and cram schools. The cost of marriage was simply too high. When living alone, one could live very comfortably on three thousand a month, but once married, it felt like no amount of money would ever be enough.
Combined with all the negative news about divorce, it seemed that many people in her past life had become fiercely independent and preferred to remain single. She was likely one of them.
Of course, the most important point was that when Freya scanned the classroom, letting her gaze drift over her male classmates, she realized she didn't seem to have any interest in boys.
Finally, her gaze settled on Amy. Compared to boys, she seemed to prefer sweet-smelling, soft, and cute girls.
But this preference wasn't romantic; it was simply because everyone liked cute and beautiful things. Just like how Freya really liked herself and her Life Freya clone.
Therefore, Freya figured she shouldn't bother anyone else. She was perfectly content being on her own.
Seeing her reject the idea so decisively, Amy couldn't help but sigh in relief. “That's good.”
Freya tilted her head. “That's good?”
Amy explained, “I was worried you might have been tricked by someone. But in any case, it used to feel like you were carrying a mountain on your shoulders. Just looking at you made me feel suffocated. You look much better now than before.”
“Eh? Really?” Freya asked.
Amy nodded. “It's very obvious. Anyway, I feel like the current you is even cuter!”
The two of them whispered back and forth like this throughout the entire period. Freya thoroughly enjoyed the rare chance to clear her mind and savor a bit of normal school life.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, evening arrived.
At the school gates, Freya waved goodbye to Amy and began walking toward her home. However, after taking only a few steps and watching Amy disappear from sight, she turned and slipped into a nearby alleyway. She quietly opened her system interface, noting that the cooldown for the Future Simulation was ready.
“Start simulation,” Freya murmured. “Select save slot 02: Life Freya.”
Following that, a day in the simulation passed in the blink of an eye. Freya ended the simulation and returned to reality.
Euphemia had delivered the evidence to the Special Service in the morning. Given the Mobile Squad's speed, they should have arrived by now. Next up was the raid on General Jerome.
Freya's simulation this time was meant to run a trial before the actual boss battle in reality, allowing her to check the situation and prevent any unforeseen incidents. The final result was naturally a victory. With two Rank Five combatants against one Rank Five, plus so many people from the Special Service and the Church of the Earth, it would have been stranger if they had lost.
However, during this simulation, Jerome's strength had genuinely shocked Freya.
In the previous simulations, Jerome hadn't participated in the battle at all, swapping places with his Adjutant to forcibly activate the occult array. But in this simulation, because the occult array hadn't even been drawn yet, Jerome had no choice but to stay and fight.
It was no exaggeration to say that if her Life Freya save slot hadn't already advanced to Rank Five, the casualties would have been catastrophic. At least four or five people from the Special Service and the Church of the Earth had suffered fatal wounds, only to be forcibly saved by Life Freya, and the number of injured was beyond count.
In the hands of the Adjutant, the One-Man Army ability merely summoned mindless puppets. Atticus could easily disrupt their formation with a few earth walls, allowing the Special Service to kite and eliminate them with ease.
But in Jerome's hands, this One-Man Army ability unleashed a terrifying combat power that was on a completely different level!
Rate on N.U.
