The next day, the morning sun was shining with its alluring and charming brilliance upon all the world's inhabitants from every corner...
but this day seemed destined to turn into hell for Sam.
It was his third day at the Academy, and the situation had become utterly miserable for him.
He remembered before falling asleep last night that a theft of Academy equipment was indeed scheduled to happen by one of the characters, which would lead to the Academy closing early.
It would be announced as a shorter-than-usual day, and students would leave just two hours after classes began.
This scenario prevented Sam from getting proper sleep, especially since the Villainess, Clara, woke up early and roused him, demanding he prepare himself because he would be accompanying her on a shopping trip.
This was supposedly to calm herself down and shake off the mood she was in due to the Academy's problems.
Sam was utterly exhausted due to the extensive travel and the time he had spent explaining his plans to his supposed followers.
The plan for the Betting Club...
how the marketing process would precisely unfold, and who they would target initially.
He also informed them of the specific way their "casino" would generate profit.
All this time commitment meant he didn't return until just before midnight, taking extra caution to move quietly without disturbing Clara while she slept.
He also had to undergo security checks by the guards near the girls' dormitory.
Yet, neither the Villainess nor the System thanked him; instead, the Evil Girl dumped a bucket of cold water on him, making him shiver like a dead octopus.
"It's twelve o'clock in the afternoon, and you're still sleeping! Don't you feel ashamed? Servants should wake up much earlier!"
And those merciless words were immediately followed by a System notification:
[Previous day's rewards calculated. The Mistress is dissatisfied with the Servant's performance. No rewards today. However, since the System is generous, the Host is granted a Normal Diary to write down his appointments.]
'fuck!'
The two eventually left the dormitory for the shopping center. And oh my God... Sam felt like he had entered endless corridors the moment they passed the mall's entrance. He wanted to cry.
Sam sighed deeply, anticipating a future burdened by carrying dozens of shopping bags.
However, contrary to his expectation, Clara did not appear to be interested in shopping itself.
It was as if she were searching for something specific within the electronics stores she was passing.
"Madam, are you looking for something in particular?"
Clara looked at Sam with a disdainful expression.
"Be quiet, you, and do not speak unless I command you."
Sam swallowed hard as he walked behind her. It was a difficult task to follow the Villainess.
After wasting many hours without any beneficial use of the time, Clara's furious expression suddenly brightened as she ran toward an electronics gaming store.
She refused to stop and was moving so fast that Sam couldn't keep up with her.
But while he was trying to track her, squeezed between the crowds and enduring their strange looks, he heard a notification from his phone, the one given to him by Monart.
"Ding!"
When he opened it, he found a message on the communication app from Rolf.
{The Laughing Master: "Master, we have run into some problems with the attached money transfer program... We tried to purchase a private server, but it seems impossible to connect the server without a student ID card.}
{The Laughing Master" (Rolf): "Do you have any solution in mind?"}
Sam quickly began tapping the screen, and words started to form before he sent the message.
{."Are you afraid of revealing your identity? What about trying other payment methods?"}
Another message was sent back in reply:
{"The Laughing Master"No one wants to risk their identity being exposed because of the requirement for absolute secrecy regarding our identities."}
Money was a secondary concern for Sam compared to his primary goal, as the income from working with Clara was already substantial and he didn't need any other source of revenue.
{"What about obtaining a charity organization permit? We can transfer the money through it."}
{"The Laughing Master"But the permits for these organizations require even more stringent procedures..."}
The core issue here was that the Academy's Morph program for receiving student payments prevented unknown sources from sending money due to security measures.
They required a specific legal status to raise these funds and circulate them within trusted wallets so they could divide the profits.
Sam didn't know what to do at that moment. This was a major problem for his plan.
While Sam was deep in thought, he heard a loud scream he knew well.
As he approached the sound, threading his way through the crowds, he listened to the words being exchanged inside the electronics store... and felt a wave of disappointment.
"How dare a commoner stand in my way! You clearly lack morality."
"I am so sorry, Miss Clara..."
"Sorry for what? I do not accept apologies from commoners."
"Clara, you are exaggerating... I won't allow this."
"Edmund, she is the one who is wrong! Do not be deceived by that manipulative appearance."
"Lady Clara, I swear I am sorry!"
Oh, my God, where did these two come from? Out of nowhere... and in the end, Sam has to bear all the problems.
Damn all the heroes!
As Sam pushed his way through the people, utilizing his small stature, he reached Clara in the middle of the argument.
"Mistress, what is the problem?"
Edmund looked at him. This was their first visual encounter. Sharp blue eyes, as if they had lived through countless hardships, and light brown hair.
Most importantly: an extremely tall and well-proportioned physique.
"Is this your servant, Clara? He looks like a dwarf."
Edmund spoke, mocking Sam as he arrived.
He pointed a finger at Sam, emphasizing his short height.
Clara felt weak, trembling, and ashamed by the sight of the short Sam.
"Sam... leave here."
"But, Mistress..."
"No discussion! Leave!"
But on the other side, Edmund's eyes were wide open. His body trembled slightly, and his limbs tensed upon hearing the name "Sam."
"Excuse me, Clara... What was this servant's name?"
Clara's eyes widened slightly when she heard Edmund addressing her.
"Him... don't bother. He's just my useless servant. If you want me to fire him, I will. His name is Sam... perhaps Sam Welles."
When he heard the full name, Edmund's suspicions were confirmed. He swallowed hard and sighed, looking at Sam with sharp eyes.
"I never expected you to look like this."
He remembered. He remembered the last days of his life... his second regression. When everything was perfect, and the Villainess was about to be eliminated.
But... but this bastard intervened. No one had seen his face because he always wore a mask completely.
However, the one thing he had learned from him at that time was his name:
"Sam Wels... remember that, Hero."
'Sam... I won't allow you to ruin my perfect life again!'
This is the third Regressed for the hero