Would You Like to Accumulate Your Rewards?

"No. If it'd take a long time to explain, then don't bother. I still have to go to the supermarket later."

After turning down Ayanokoji Kiyonaka's urge to confide in him, Kamio Tatsuya walked into the supermarket behind him.

The supermarket was even better stocked than Kamio Tatsuya had expected. It had all the usual things you needed for washing up, like toothpaste, toothbrushes, and shampoo, of course.

Kamio Tatsuya even spotted some products marked "Made in China," and their prices didn't seem too high.

After browsing around, though, Kamio Tatsuya picked out what he needed from a shopping cart set off to one side with a sign that read "Free."

As for whether cheap goods were no good or had quality issues, he wasn't worried.

Since these products were openly available in the supermarket, at the very least he didn't need to worry about their quality. At worst, they might not work very well.

After all, this school had received a huge investment. If it really did offer products that harmed people, the first to panic wouldn't be the users, but the school.

He'd used big bottles of shampoo that cost only a few yen back in his previous life. What was there to worry about?

After picking out the essentials, Kamio Tatsuya paid and left the supermarket.

The supermarket cashier was used to customers like Kamio Tatsuya picking out a lot of free products. That made him feel even more certain that his earlier guess was right.

There were plenty of students at this school who didn't have enough Points. The free meals and these free daily necessities were meant for them.

It wasn't relief for students who had wasted too many Points, but pity for students who had already run out.

Thinking about it that way made his earlier guess seem even more reasonable.

By the time he left the supermarket, Ayanokoji Kiyonaka was nowhere to be seen. Kamio Tatsuya checked the time. It was already one in the afternoon.

He planned to head back to the dorm and rest that afternoon, then tell Senior Nagumo or Asahina his conclusions and see if his guess was right.

But as soon as Kamio Tatsuya got back to his dorm, he lay down on his bed and fell asleep. By the time he woke up, it was almost dinnertime.

[Senior Nagumo, I think I've figured out something strange about this school.]

Not long after he sent the message, Kamio Tatsuya got a reply.

[Oh? That fast? I thought you'd need at least three days.]

Three days? You have that much faith in me?

Kamio Tatsuya pursed his lips. If he hadn't gotten lucky and wheedled the information out of a third-year senior, he might not have figured out the truth about the school within three days.

Though maybe he still would have.

[I just got lucky.]

Not long after he sent that message, his phone rang. It was Nagumo calling.

"Hello, Senior Nagumo."

"Nazuna's very interested in how you figured it out. You're probably free right now anyway, so come to the third floor of the school cafeteria."

There was an unquestionable air to Nagumo's tone. He didn't ask Kamio Tatsuya what he thought; he simply told him to go to the third floor of the school cafeteria.

Kamio Tatsuya was a little speechless.

Who did this guy think he was?

Still, he didn't refuse. After all, Nagumo had assigned him the task, and he was going to the cafeteria for dinner anyway. Besides, there was nothing wrong with letting Nagumo think he was easy to talk to.

"All right, got it. I'm in the dorm right now. I'll be there soon."

On the other end, Miyabi Nagumo put down his phone and looked at Asahina.

"You heard all that."

"I did. But has he really figured out what this school is all about?"

"Who knows? We'll find out when he gets here."

Unlike Asahina Nazuna, who was doubtful, Miyabi Nagumo didn't care either way. Whether Kamio Tatsuya had figured out the truth about the school or not, it made no difference to him.

He was just a rookie who'd only just enrolled, after all.

A little over ten minutes later, Kamio Tatsuya met Miyabi Nagumo and Asahina Nazuna in a private room on the third floor of the cafeteria.

"Junior Kamio, have you really figured out what this school is really like? If you're lying, I'll be upset, you know."

Asahina Nazuna said with a smile.

Kamio Tatsuya found it a little uncomfortable. What do you mean, "big sister"? Are you really any older than me mentally? And I'm a perfectly average Japanese guy at 167 centimeters tall. What are you talking about?

"I can only say that I've figured out a few things. As for whether I'm right, I'll need you to judge that, Senior Asahina."

Kamio Tatsuya spoke with a helpless look on his face.

"Sure, go ahead. If your conclusion is right, I'll treat you to a lavish dinner."

Kamio Tatsuya glanced at her, thought for a moment, then began. "Let's start with why most students apply to this school. Its hundred-percent advancement and employment rates probably don't apply to every student, right?"

At that, Miyabi Nagumo and Asahina exchanged a glance before he said, "Go on."

"I haven't figured out exactly how many people get to enjoy that benefit, but at the very least, Class D doesn't. Or rather, Class D's students aren't entitled to it.

"And based on what I've learned, I suspect that only Class A gets to enjoy that benefit. And if only Class A gets it, then the four classes in the same year definitely aren't friends, are they, Senior Nagumo, formerly of Class B?"

Miyabi Nagumo laughed. "I didn't expect you to know even that much. Seems I underestimated you."

Then he admitted it.

"Your guess is right. Only Class A at this school gets the right to advance to further education or find a job as they please. That's why I led Class B in defeating our year's Class A and achieving Rank Up."

[Quest complete. Reward: +1 System Space extraction attempt.]

The moment he saw the quest-completion notice, Kamio Tatsuya nearly failed to keep the corners of his mouth from lifting. But this wasn't the time to claim his reward.

"Since you've seen through the truth about the school and solved the problem I set you, and you did it in such a short time, I'll give you a reward."

Nagumo was very pleased with Kamio Tatsuya's analytical skills. He was now the school's Student Council vice president and needed to build up his own faction.

He thought highly of Kamio Tatsuya's abilities and attitude.

"A reward?"

Kamio Tatsuya asked curiously. Could there be an unexpected reward on top of completing the quest?

"Now that you've seen through the fact that the classes have to compete with one another, you must be curious about how they compete."

Kamio Tatsuya nodded.

Generally speaking, competition between students—or classes—came down to grades. But this school was unusual, so its methods of competition were probably different too.

"Please enlighten me, Senior Nagumo."

"It's simple. Since the classes are competing with one another, naturally, the means of competition are exams."

"Exams?"

Kamio Tatsuya looked doubtful. Was it really that simple?

So in the end, it still came down to grades?

"Exams don't necessarily mean written tests. Take the first exam after your enrollment, for example..."

"Miyabi! Can you really tell him about that?"

Just as Nagumo was about to say more, Asahina Nazuna interrupted him.

"It's fine. I told you, this is Junior Kamio's reward."

Miyabi Nagumo smiled casually. Asahina clearly didn't want to get involved, so she stood up.

"Fine, you two talk. Junior, what would you like to eat? Big sister's treating you to dinner tonight."

"Uh, I don't really know what's good. I'll leave it up to you, Senior Asahina."

"Sure."

Asahina Nazuna left the private room, leaving Kamio Tatsuya and Miyabi Nagumo alone. Nagumo went back to what he'd been saying.

"Junior Kamio, you probably haven't realized it yet, but your first exam after enrolling has already begun."

Kamio Tatsuya froze for a moment. He really hadn't realized the exam had already started.

"The Behavioral Ethics Exam. During your first month after enrollment, the school evaluates you based on your conduct as students and deducts points accordingly."

"Right. Like what?"

"Here's one example. As students, you're supposed to pay attention in class. Sleeping, chatting, or using your phones during lessons are all violations of classroom rules, and they'll cost you points."

After hearing this, Kamio Tatsuya felt completely numb.

He couldn't imagine that the bunch of misfits in his class today would all be model students who paid attention.

"Senior Nagumo, are the points you mentioned deducted from the Class Points?"

"Oh? You even know that." Miyabi Nagumo nodded with satisfaction. "That's right. When each first-year class enrolls, it gets 1,000 Class Points, which correspond to 100,000 Private Points distributed each month.

"And the Special Exams affect those Class Points. Your monthly living expenses are tied to them.

"The class rankings are also determined by Class Points."

After listening, Kamio Tatsuya nodded. That was in line with what he'd guessed.

But soon, his expression turned sour. The Behavioral Ethics Exam was a real pain.

If too many points were deducted, they might have to live on scraps next month.

Besides, even if he spread the word, the idiots in Class D probably wouldn't believe him. They'd keep doing whatever they wanted.

Looking at Kamio Tatsuya's expression, Miyabi Nagumo smiled.

The Behavioral Ethics Exam was held in secret every year during the first month. The results were almost always the same: the four classes' Class Points ended up in the same order as their class rankings.

Class A lost the fewest points, while Class D lost the most.

The students' overall ability had already been decided from the start, so Nagumo could imagine what the students in first-year Class D were like now.

Even if Class D had an outlier like Kamio Tatsuya, with his exceptional powers of observation and ability to act, most of them were bound to be hopeless idiots.

To be honest, he didn't even understand why Kamio Tatsuya had been assigned to Class D.

With his abilities, he should at least have been a promising student in Class B, if not one of Class A's elite. Yet he was a Class D student.

What on earth had this guy done in middle school for the school to assign him to Class D?

He'd have to find a chance to ask around.

Just then, Asahina came back with a tray in her hands.

"This is the Lobster Rice big sister got for you. No need to thank me."

Kamio Tatsuya was flattered. Not only had he let a senior treat him to dinner, he'd even made her carry it in for him. What had he done to deserve this?

"Thank you, Senior Asahina. Sorry for the trouble."

Then Nagumo stood up too. "All right, I won't keep you from your dinner. Junior Kamio, I'm looking forward to seeing what you do."

After Nagumo left, Kamio Tatsuya let out a long breath, picked up his chopsticks, and started eating the very luxurious Lobster Rice.

Before he'd entered the private room, he'd seen that this was a lavish meal worth 2,000 Points.

After eating, Kamio Tatsuya strolled alone along a wooded path on campus, thinking about what to do next.

But before he thought about what to do, he felt he needed to clarify his goal.

What was his Main Quest?

To survive at this school.

And at this school, housing was free, utilities were free, and even meals and daily necessities were free. The school also provided uniforms.

The basic necessities—food, clothing, housing, and transportation—were all covered, at least at the bare minimum.

So what he needed to do was improve his quality of life beyond that. In other words, he needed to make money—or, more accurately, earn Private Points.

Private Points were tied to Class Points. As long as the class had enough Class Points, he wouldn't be short on Private Points.

So did that mean he had to find a way to help Class D make it through the first month?

Once the rules were revealed after a month, Class D should have at least some Class Points left.

But just thinking about that bunch of idiots in Class D gave him a headache.