Loop Mob – A Mob’s Interdimensional Travel Caught in a Loop

Chapter 95: Corporate Life

“As for the new year, you’ll be working hard from now on.”

True to those words, I ended up working like a horse. Since His Highness and Lord Luca couldn’t just enroll in the regular classes at the Marol territory’s academy, Professor Laquell took on the task of special instruction. My job consisted of working under Professor Laquell, assisting him with various tasks as his aide, helping out with his other classes, and doing miscellaneous chores. However, what I was doing felt quite similar to when I was being exploited in the staff room and the “Tower” during the second loop. I was quite used to it. And as soon as it became clear that I was a capable worker, they started making more demands on me.

However, Rene and Regis, who were attendants to His Highness and Lord Luca, respectively, were handling the same workload while serving their respective masters. They were truly capable men, serving as attendants to the princes. With me added, we formed a team of three. There was a strangely satisfying sense of being a corporate drone, reminding me of the darkness of my past life.

Lord Luca was naturally gifted in academics, so it was no problem for him to attend the first-year courses in the advanced section alongside His Highness. And His Highness himself, while not surpassing the outstanding students to become the top student, was quite capable. It was said that in a year, or even half a year, he would easily complete the advanced course. However, their staying in Marol was not their true purpose.

I had been bothered by something for a while. It was the fact that Professor Laquell and even His Highness were referred to as “Colonel” in Arcart. The north and west of the country were blocked by rugged mountain ranges, the east by the vast sea, and the only connection with neighboring countries was to the south. The only passage through the mountains was the road that connected Marol with the neighboring country. The road along the gorge was narrow, making it impossible for large armies to march through. Both the neighboring country and ours were far from the capital, with sparse populations and only simple checkpoints, making it a peaceful border region. The residents of Marol were all aware of this.

Well, reality wasn’t so sweet. This region was temperate and habitable, meaning there were several powerful nations vying for control, with a bloody history. Despite alliances, non-aggression pacts, and peace treaties, there were numerous flashpoints along the borders. No matter how many treaties were signed, it was easy to start a war if one desired. Coup d’états, terrorism, minor political movements – if a neighboring country could incite internal strife, peace would crumble. Once a war started, trivial matters like who broke promises first or who struck first became irrelevant.

Marol was essentially a strategic military stronghold. While academies were established throughout the kingdom, the Marol territory academy, though only for junior high levels, provided free dormitories and guaranteed food and education for commoners. And despite repeating the loops multiple times, I had no trouble transferring to the noble academy. This was simply because Marol provided education of the same high standard as the noble academies. Even though I had traveled throughout the country in past loops, I had thought that Marol’s academy was sufficient due to the peaceful nature of the territory. However, that was not the case. It was because it was militarily necessary.

Professor Laquell was responsible for practical magic level improvement in magic studies. He held considerable influence even in the “Tower.” His assignment to Marol was for practical deterrence. With a small unit, he could likely repel any invasion alone. And there were many types of martial arts classes offered. While the Marol territory’s military wasn’t large, in times of need, every commoner would take up arms and fight. Among the royal family, there were those responsible for maintaining security along the northwest road and within the country, and currently it was His Highness the younger prince, and in the future, it would be Lord Richard.

“Building a fortress here was thought to bring tension with neighboring countries, but if desired, we could set up impressive walls within a short period, showcasing our national power. Currently, we are steering in that direction.”

One of the reasons for this was the incitement and provocation by agents from hostile countries within the Marol territory. And it seems I was involved in that. By the way, incitement and provocation referred to:

“Powerful agents sent from other countries who engaged in psychological manipulation both within and outside the territory.”

And that’s Rose-chan, isn’t it?

“Hehe. From Balatier, I heard you’re the source of suspicious activity?”

Ah, I got that out through the king’s proxy request. Don’t blame me, please. Lord Richard added that. The piercing stares from everyone were painful. No, it’s not that big of a deal, I just happened to try to do something about my brother… Damn it, nobody listens to me.

But still, I wonder if it was good that young Lord Luca got involved in this shady work just like me.

“Luca is a clever boy. It’s a shame he’s buried in such a house. I’ve tried to take him in many times, but I myself was on dangerous missions and hesitated. But thanks to you demonstrating the usefulness of earth attributes, I made up my mind. Laquell is the kingdom’s sword, and Luca is also a man of Laquell. He would have walked this path eventually.”

Wow. It was a lot warmer family than I thought. Although the main family is like that.

So, currently, what I’m doing can be summed up as being a full-fledged corporate slave. Should I call it a public servant because I’m with the prince? I’m worked like a horse from morning till night. However, I strictly defend my days off on weekends. I can only move on Saturdays and Sundays. Despite repeating the loops so many times and surely having increased my cards, this loop is the busiest, and my activities are hampered. How did this happen?

But however, my greatest trump card that I acquired. That is teleportation. I cleared the conditions for acquiring the dark attribute teleportation skill, “Level 100, INT 300, DEX 300.” I also made magical items with scriptures imbued in them. After that, equip Autumn Max and fly straight to Arcart. Then, discreetly build a small fortress in a purchased vacant house in the middle of an inconspicuous forest, memorize its coordinates with the skill. And thus, I lead a double life of dreams.

In this world, I have yet to meet someone who possesses multiple attributes. I find it very unfortunate. Because when you combine wind attribute and dark attribute skills, it’s perfect for covert operations. Wind attribute Levitate, Fly, Accelerate. Sound Collection for gathering sounds, Mute for silencing. And dark attribute skills such as Concealment for hiding, Recognition Hindrance, and skills for mental manipulation. It would be perfect if you also add Scouting techniques. There are some overlapping effects and some that are not suitable for combination, but with these three, there is no place you cannot sneak into.

What I feared most was security and barriers. In the second loop, I learned that there was considerable security at the “Tower” and the palace. So, in the third loop, I failed to explore the inside of the noble academy from the outside. However, in the fourth loop, I studied barrier techniques while studying abroad in Arcart. Once you understand the mechanism, it’s easier to slip through than a torn curtain. Even now, I don’t feel like I can break into Ulrika’s workshop. It looks like an old brick house, but it’s a fearsome magical fortress.

The noble academy in Lachine ensured security through physical personnel deployment. On the other hand, Arcart Academy had a “security is up to you” policy. Since both commoners and nobles studied together, it wasn’t feasible to have detailed protection for each individual. Of course, normally, if a foreign noble were to be harmed within the academy, it would escalate into an international issue. But in Arcart, they would first be required to sign a memorandum, bring as many attendants as they wanted under the pretext of national prestige, and if they didn’t agree to that, studying abroad wouldn’t be possible, that’s their argument. There is a simple security check, but it’s practically equivalent to having none.

So, after studying for two years in Arcart, there are no blind spots for me. I know exactly where everything is, which teachers are assigned to which classes, and so on. I even know the coordinates of unused preparation rooms and can come and go freely. While staying in Marol, I engaged in covert activities in Arcart on weekends.

And then, I found her right away. The pink head.