Chapter 103: The Classroom and the Gacha
Evernight Academy
An elderly human teacher with a scholarly air stood at the podium, his face flushed with a joy he could barely contain.
"Students! I have monumental news!" his voice rose, vibrating with excitement. "Under the divine guidance of our Sovereign, the Great Purge has reached a successful conclusion!"
He swept his arm across the room as if throwing the good news into every corner. "And do you know what that means? It means the Skeleton Instructors who were deployed to the front lines will be returning to us immediately!"
"Hooray! Bonesy-sensei is coming back!"
"I haven't finished my rock-throwing elective yet!"
The classroom erupted into a cacophony of cheers. Even the three Skeleton Soldiers sitting in the back rows rattled their skulls in a rhythmic, celebratory fashion.
Amidst the jubilance, a small hand shot up. It was Lily.
The teacher noticed her, his smile softening. "Yes, Lily-kun? Do you have a question?"
Lily stood up, her large eyes wide with pure, unshielded curiosity. "Teacher, what exactly is a 'Purge'?"
The classroom fell silent instantly. The other children stopped their cheering, turning their heads in unison toward the podium. Evidently, the term was a mystery to them as well.
The teacher cleared his throat. He realized this was a golden opportunity for a lesson in "Imperial Values."
"Hmm, that is an excellent question," he said, adjusting his spectacles. He searched for language simple enough for a child to grasp. "To put it simply, a Purge is the act of clearing away the 'bad people'—those who refuse to follow the Empire's regulations or contribute through honest labor."
He looked at the sea of innocent, confused faces and added, "You could say it was our Evernight Empire's very first large-scale military operation. It is a historic event! Mark this day well, children; one day, the chronicles of this Sanitization Campaign will be a major chapter in your history books!"
Just as he finished, a young boy with a face full of freckles raised his hand.
"Teacher... then what is 'War'?"
This question was far more difficult than the first.
The teacher went silent. He gazed out the window. Outside, rows of new workshops and stone residences were rising from the earth. The sun bathed the city in a golden glow of prosperity. But his mind drifted back to the siege of Jade Territory. He remembered the mournful blast of the horns, the pillars of fire reaching for the sky, and the ramparts stained a violent crimson...
He slowly turned back to the children, his gaze complicated.
"War..." he began softly, his voice tinged with a hollow sadness. "For the Nobles, it is a ladder to climb toward glory. For the Merchants, it is an opportunity to unearth wealth. For the Bards, it is a song to praise a Hero's deeds."
He scanned every face in the room.
"But simultaneously... it is a mother's weeping at a fresh grave. It is a wife's endless vigil by a window. It is the sorrow of a child who will never again see their father's face."
The children stared, deeply perplexed. Their young minds couldn't yet process such heavy, contradictory information. A girl with her hair tied in twin-tails tilted her head.
"But isn't war just... everyone killing each other? Why would anyone want to do that?"
"Why indeed?" the teacher offered a faint, dry smile. "Who can say? Perhaps... it is simply because of a conflict of interests."
He tried a simpler analogy. "Imagine there are three people, but only enough bread for two. To avoid starving, they might feel forced to pick up weapons and fight over that bread. Whoever wins, survives."
He paused. "Whether in the past or the present, the rules of the world have generally functioned in such a way."
The classroom remained still. The children were lost in thought; the concept of a zero-sum game was a heavy burden for their age. Suddenly, Lily's voice rang out again.
"Then... wouldn't it be better if everyone just shared the bread?"
"Hans-nii says that family is the most important thing. If everyone became one big family, there wouldn't be any war, right?"
"Just like at our Sunflower House! No matter what yummy food we have, we always divide it up together!"
Lily's face radiated a pure, unquestioning innocence. In her world, sharing wasn't a choice; it was the natural law. Hans had taught her well, and every resident of Sunflower House lived by that creed.
The teacher was stunned. He looked into Lily's eyes and, for a moment, found himself unable to respond.
Yes... why not?
If everyone were family...
The teacher walked to Lily's desk and knelt so he was eye-level with her. He reached out and gently ruffled her hair.
"Yes, Lily... I would truly like to see that world. The world where everyone is family."
RING—!
The school bell tolled, shattering the brief moment of reflection.
"YAY! SCHOOL'S OUT!"
The children were instantly liberated from the heavy atmosphere, cheering as they bolted for the door.
"Let's go kick the ball!"
"I'm gonna go play tag with the Skeleton Instructors!"
"Miguel-oniichan! Wait for me!"
Laughter and shouting flooded the corridors once more. Lily grabbed her friends' hands and skipped out into the hall.
The teacher stood alone in the empty classroom, a bittersweet smile on his face. He knew Lily's idea was naive—naive to the point of being foolish. But for some reason, he found himself wishing that her innocence would never have to fade.
Meanwhile, the Central Commercial District of Iron Fortress.
A bizarrely long queue had formed in front of a brand-new stall. The line consisted entirely of undead. They waited in a silent, orderly row, their Soul Fires burning with an intense heat as they stared at the eight wooden statues displayed on the counter.
At the very end of the line, a figure wrapped in a voluminous cloak—face completely hidden in shadow—was irritably stomping his feet.
It was Kaito.
He looked at the long line ahead, then at the few measly copper coins left in his palm, and let out a soul-deep sigh. This "Call of Evernight" lottery event, masterminded by Hans, had been running for six days.
And Kaito had been a "loyal consumer" for five of those days.
The result? He had sunk three full gold crowns—three thousand pulls—and hadn't won even the most common statue.
Three gold! Three thousand draws!
Is this RNG even legal?!
Kaito glared at the wooden contraption the undead called the "Box of Conviction." He seriously suspected that Hans had rigged the drop rates.
"Next," a clerk intoned.
A Skeleton Soldier ahead of him stepped forward expressionlessly, dropped ten coppers on the table, and yanked the lever of the box.
Clack.
A small, blank wooden tag fell out. The soldier picked it up, looked at it for a second, and silently walked back to the end of the line to queue up again. The movement was fluid and mechanical, as if it had been repeated hundreds of times.
Finally, it was Kaito's turn. He pulled his hood lower and disguised his voice.
"One pull."
He slammed his final ten coppers onto the table. He took a deep breath, placing his bony hand on the lever.
This is it. It has to drop now!
I am the Sovereign of the Evernight Empire! The Chosen One! The Child of Destiny!
How could a mere gacha box defeat a King?!
He pulled the lever with all his might.
Clack.
Kaito looked down, his Od thrumming with nervous energy. A small, blank wooden tag—completely devoid of any sigil—lay mockingly in the exit tray.
Kaito froze. The surrounding skeletons seemed to cast looks of pity his way, even without eyes. He felt his Soul Fire rise by several degrees in sheer embarrassment.
He silently retrieved the "Thanks for your Patronage" tag, placed it back in the bin, and slunk away to the side of the road. He patted his pockets. They were empty.
The Great Sovereign of the Dead, the Supreme Ruler of Evernight... was officially broke.
Just then, he saw Hans strolling out of a nearby shop, humming a jaunty tune. He was carrying two heavy, clinking bags of gold. To Kaito's eyes, Hans's smile was painfully radiant.
That's my money!
A thousand thoughts flashed through Kaito's brain.
I could seize him! Hang him from the city gates for treason!
I could audit his entire existence!
But...
Kaito looked back at the Box of Conviction, then at the Skeleton Soldiers still waiting in line with religious devotion.
No.
The game has only just begun!
I will pull my own statue through my own power! This is about the dignity of a Monarch!
Kaito squeezed his fists. He watched Hans's retreating back, then looked at the darkening sky.
That's enough for today.
Tomorrow... tomorrow, I'll ask Greed for next month's administrative allowance... and then we settle this!
Kaito adjusted his cloak and melted into the shadows of the street, his back looking lonely yet inexplicably determined.
A true Hero never gives up on the grind.
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