After class ended, I didn't waste any time and went straight to the library where I work part-time.
At that point, though, I found myself stuck thinking about something pretty important.
How was I supposed to increase my INTELLIGENCE to at least half of what it currently is within just two weeks?
It sounded kind of insane when you actually say it out loud, but at the same time, I didn't think it was impossible.
In fact, if I was being honest with myself, it felt very doable. Not easy, obviously, but definitely something within reach if I didn't mess around too much. The kind of goal that looks simple on paper, but then you actually try doing it and realize it's a whole different story.
Right now, these were the only MINI-QUESTS available to me that could increase my intelligence.
___
MINI-QUESTS!
* Memorize the whole encyclopedia
Reward: 10+ INTELLIGENCE
* Study foreign language
Reward: 15+ INTELLIGENCE, +30 COMMUNICATION
* Learn how to dance
Reward: 5+ AGILITY, 5+ STAMINA, 1+ INTELLIGENCE.
___
I stared at the list for a bit, trying to process it properly.
The first one already felt like a joke.
Memorize the entire encyclopedia for just 10+ INTELLIGENCE?
That's not even a fair trade.
That's the kind of quest that sounds impressive until you actually think about it for more than five seconds.
I mean, who even has the time or mental energy to pull that off, especially within two weeks?
Honestly, it felt like the system was trying to scam me. Either that, or it just had no sense of proportion when it came to rewards.
The second mini-quest was a lot better in comparison.
Learning a foreign language is actually useful, no doubt about that.
And getting +30 COMMUNICATION on top of 15+ INTELLIGENCE? That's probably one of the best rewards I've seen so far.
But realistically speaking, there was no way I could fully learn a foreign language in just two weeks. Even if I tried cramming everything, I'd probably end up knowing just enough to embarrass myself in another language instead of my own.
So yeah, as good as it looked, it wasn't exactly practical.
The third one… well, learning how to dance is fine. It's cool, I guess. Could be useful in certain situations.
But 1+ INTELLIGENCE?
That barely even counts. That's like doing all that effort just to move the stat by a pixel. Not exactly what I needed right now.
So overall, none of these options felt efficient enough for what I was trying to achieve.
There had to be another way to increase my INTELLIGENCE.
Should I just continue farming ♥︎ instead?
Honestly, that seemed like the most optimal solution at the moment, especially if my goal was to unlock Professor Sarah.
And the system already made it very clear that if I failed to meet her requirements in time, then that was it. And no more chances... no more quests related to her.
Which would seriously suck.
Because Professor Sarah is… well, she's a very sexy woman. The kind of woman you don't just forget about easily.
Definitely someone I'd want to have sex with.
Even if it was just once.
Actually… no.
Not just once.
If possible, every time.
I'm not even going to pretend to be subtle about that.
Wait a second…?
What if… there's another approach here?
What if it's actually possible to increase INTELLIGENCE by getting tutored by someone?
***
"I see… so you reached that conclusion and decided to come to me?"
"Yes, Senior Clara. If I don't get any help, I'm pretty sure I'll fail the midterm. My quiz scores haven't exactly been great, and as the lessons go further, everything just keeps getting harder. I don't think I can catch up on my own anymore. That's why I need your help, Senior."
After going through all my options, I came to the conclusion that Clara was the best person I could rely on right now.
Thankfully, she occasionally comes to the library, so it wasn't like I had to go out of my way to find her.
She's known for being really smart, like the kind of smart that makes other people look average without even trying. On top of that, she comes from a noble lineage, which only adds to that whole "out of my league" vibe she naturally gives off.
Honestly, I was still a bit surprised that she even talked to me normally, let alone considered me a friend. Especially with the kind of reputation I have.
"Well, I'll help you. But only if you're willing to do something for me first."
__________________________
NEW QUEST!
Clara seems to be troubled by something and wants your help.
Accept
Reward: 5♥︎
Don't accept
Reward: -20♥︎ Mood.
__________________________
A new interface popped up right in front of me, displaying the quest like usual.
I didn't know what kind of favor she was going to ask from me, but at this point, it didn't really matter.
My chances with Professor Sarah were on the line here.
There was no room for hesitation.
I had to do what I needed to do.
"Alright. I accept," I said without thinking twice.
__________________________
COMPLETED
Clara seems to be troubled by something and wants your help.
Accept
Reward: 5♥︎
__________________________
"Really? You don't even know what I'm going to ask from you."
"Well, I don't think I need to know right now. As long as I can help you, I'm fine with it."
When I said that, she smiled, like she found something about that amusing.
"You're quite strange, Leon. But alright. Once we're done dealing with my problem, I'll help you with yours."
"Thank you. I really appreciate it, Senior."
"I think we're already past that point, don't you think? You can just call me Clara. You don't have to keep adding 'Senior' every time."
"Wouldn't that be a little disrespectful?"
"Honestly, hearing you call me 'Senior' feels a bit strange. We're almost the same age anyway. It's really not a big deal if you just use my name."
Well, if she was fine with it, then I guess I should just go along with it.
"Alright then. I'll see you later at 6. Do you want to meet at Mall C?"
"That works for me."
It was still around 4:30, so we had more than enough time before we had to meet up.
Even though I still had my shift at the library, it wasn't really a big issue.
Thankfully, another librarian was already on duty at the moment.
I should probably go talk to her first and see if I can work something out.
I walked up to her.
She was wearing glasses, and her hair was neatly styled into twin braids that fell over her shoulders. She was a year ahead of me, technically a senior, and around the same age as Clara.
For some reason, she didn't really talk to me that often. Then again, it wasn't like we were required to chat just because we worked in the same place. Still, it did make things feel a bit distant.
"Senior Sonia? Can I ask if it's alright if I head out now? I have something I need to take care of."
She glanced at me after placing a few books back onto the shelf, like she had done this a thousand times already.
"Well, there aren't many people here right now, so I think I can manage on my own."
That was a relief.
Honestly, I appreciated how straightforward she was about it.
"Thank you. I'll make it up to you next time."
"You don't have to. Besides, I like doing the job."
Well...
She wasn't exactly unfriendly, but she wasn't the easiest person to talk to either. Conversations with her always felt short, like they ended before they could really go anywhere.
To be fair, we hadn't really talked much outside of when we work. That was pretty much the extent of our interaction.
While I was there, I took a moment to check her interface and look at her stats.
__________________________
Sonia
Affection: 25♥︎
Mood: 50♥︎
Lust: 10♥︎
Status: Acquaintance
__________________________
It didn't seem like I needed to unlock anything special just to see her stats, which made things easier.
After staring at it for a second longer than necessary, I turned and left the library.
***
It was time to meet Clara.
I had already arrived at Mall C and was just standing around, waiting for her.
After a little while, she came jogging toward me, slightly out of breath, like she had hurried the last part.
"Sorry for the wait," she said. "I kept you waiting, didn't I?"
"Not really," I replied. "You're actually right on time. I just got here too."
"I-Is that so?"
Not really.
I had been here for about thirty minutes already.
But that was just basic etiquette. When you're meeting someone, you show up early. That's just how it works. Better to be the one waiting than the one making someone else wait.
Right now, it was 6:04. She was only about four minutes late, which didn't even count as late. If anything, that was still within the safe zone.
"Shall we go then?" she asked.
I nodded.
And just like that, we started walking together.
For some reason, the things we ended up doing felt kind of random, like we were just picking whatever came to mind.
First, we went into an ice cream shop and got ourselves some ice cream. After that, we spent some time at the arcade. We tried a few games, and I wouldn't say either of us was particularly good at any of them, but it was still fun in that slightly messy, uncoordinated way. At least no one could accuse us of being tryhards. Then we went to watch a movie. It was an action film from a series that apparently had a lot of sequels already. People kept saying it was really good.
But honestly… I found it kind of boring.
Maybe it was because this was the first time I had seen anything from that series, but I felt like I was missing context the whole time. Like everyone else was in on something I didn't understand.
I probably would have enjoyed it more if I had started from the earlier movies instead of jumping straight into this one.
"Let's go here next, Leon," she said.
But while we were doing all of this, something felt off.
I noticed that she was shaking a little.
At first, I thought maybe she was cold or tired, but the more I looked at her, the more it didn't seem like that.
"Clara, are you okay?" I asked.
She lowered her head, her hair falling forward and covering her eyes. I couldn't really see her expression clearly, but I didn't need to.
Something was wrong.
"L-Leon," she said quietly. "Do you see him?"
That was when it clicked.
I didn't turn my head too obviously.
I turned it just enough to scan the area without making it look like I was searching for someone.
And then I saw him.
A guy standing not too far away, wearing a mask, holding a camera like he was trying to be subtle about it.
He wasn't subtle.
"Is he stalking you?" I asked.
She nodded.
"That person… he's actually my fiancé."
Fiancé?
That caught me off guard.
"I-It's not like it was out of love or anything," she continued. "He was chosen by the family head. Even though I said I wanted to pursue being an artist… and that I wanted to fall in love with someone on my own… it was already decided. Since the day I was born, I was meant to become his bride."
"Who the fuck does that…?" I muttered under my breath.
I couldn't believe that kind of thing still happened.
I mean, this wasn't some outdated story.
This was real life.
But then again, she came from a noble family. That kind of background came with traditions, rules, and decisions that didn't always make sense to everyone else.
Still, family or not, it didn't sit right with me.
Right now, I could probably scare the guy off if I wanted to. With my current STRENGTH, dealing with someone like him didn't seem like it would be a problem.
"Should I beat him for you?"