Chapter 43: The Free-Rider’s Trap

Think of a group project as a bus driving test.

With that analogy, it’s easy to understand the term “free-rider.”

It literally refers to a passenger who rides the bus for free.

“There are multiple ways to deal with a free-rider.”

Sion recalled his experiences from his previous life.

The first option is to simply do nothing.

A group project is already a hassle, so if you also have to nag an uncooperative teammate on top of that?

It’s only natural to think, “It’d be easier to just do everything myself.”

Most free-riders count on this mentality.

The second option is to stall the bus entirely.

Free-riders assume that someone else will do the work.

But if no one in the group takes action?

The bus doesn’t move. At all.

The free-rider, realizing they won’t get credit without effort, will be forced to step up and start working.

“Of course, this method comes with a huge risk. If no one steps up… the whole group fails.”

That’s why very few people choose this route.

It’s essentially a **game of chicken—**a psychological standoff.

And even if you win, the final project grade will suffer due to the lack of teamwork.

Most students only consider these two options.

So, begrudgingly, they choose the first one.

They just drive the bus themselves, dragging the dead weight along.

“But… there’s actually a third option.”

Sion wasn’t just a university student.

He had also been a graduate student.

And that meant—

He knew a third method that most students never considered.

That method was…

“…So, you called me for this?”

“Yeah. I need your help.”

“Hmmm…”

The girl with bright orange twin tails twirled her hair around her finger.

She gave Sion a suspicious glare.

This was Boryan Baist, a student from the Combat Faculty.

They had met last weekend at the Adventurers’ Guild, where they had coincidentally ended up clearing a dungeon together.

“The assignment itself is simple. Register as an F-Rank adventurer, accept an E-Rank dungeon request, and… gather information to submit a report.”

The real problems were the “dungeon request” and the “report writing.”

Writing the report was easy.

But accepting a dungeon request required a four-person party.

If four F-Rank adventurers teamed up, they could accept an E-Rank request.

That’s why Sion called Boryan.

“So I just need to join the request, right?”

“That’s it. Just your name on the party list is enough.”

“…That’s easy.”

Sion clenched his fist.

With Boryan on board, the entire problem was solved.

And he could finally get back at Estroza Farewell.

“The third method is… kicking the passengers off the bus.”

The third way to handle a free-rider.

Instead of tolerating them—

You bring in outside help to complete the task.

Then, you report the inactive team members to the professor, ensuring they get nothing.

“Some professors say that learning to “manage” lazy teammates is the whole point of group projects… but that’s all nonsense.”

It’s just an excuse because professors don’t want to deal with complaints.

They can’t be bothered to handle internal group conflicts, so they just brush it off.

Maybe Professor Barayes had the same mindset…

But Sion doubted it.

A seasoned adventurer would understand the truth better than anyone.

A teammate who can’t be trusted is more dangerous than an enemy.

With Boryan’s help, the group project headache was finally solved.

“Thank you! You really saved me.”

Sion grabbed Boryan’s hand and shook it enthusiastically.

“Uh? H-Hehehe! It’s no big deal!”

“Alright, let’s head to the Adventurers’ Guild.”

“Got it!”

Boryan grinned as she let herself be dragged along by Sion.

The guild was bustling with activity, likely because it was the weekend.

Inside, Patrick and Gáe Bolg were already waiting for them.

“I brought her. Introduce yourself. She’s a first-year from the Combat Faculty, just like us.”

“Hahaha! A pleasure to meet you, Boryan! Thank you for helping us! My name is Gáe Bolg Rodenburg!”

“…Patrick Hansen. Thanks for coming.”

“I-I’m Boryan Baist… Nice to meet you.”

She greeted them awkwardly.

Sion smiled and pulled a request flyer from the guild’s bulletin board.

It was an E-Rank dungeon mission—“Iron Arm Monkeys.”

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Yeah!”

Boryan followed closely behind Sion.

Their task was simple.

Hand the request to the receptionist, get approval, and they were done.

“Sion and three others have accepted the E-Rank mission: ‘Iron Arm Monkey Dungeon Extermination.’ Here’s a map with all the relevant details. Please use it for reference.”

“Thank you!”

With that, the request was successfully registered.

All that was left was writing the report.

Compared to the academic papers he had written in grad school, this was nothing.

Just as Sion was about to leave—

Patrick leaned in and whispered.

“Sion, who is that girl?”

“Huh? I told you. Boryan Baist.”

“No, no! How the hell do you keep getting involved with cute girls like this?!”

“…Are you ever going to stop?”

Even as Sion gave him a blank stare, Patrick kept going.

“You’ve already got female professors and female classmates all over you—and now you’re recruiting girls from other faculties, too?!”

“…Your voice is getting too loud, idiot.”

“Ugh.”

Sion nudged Patrick’s side with his elbow.

Lately, Patrick had been getting way too dramatic.

Especially when it came to girls.

Out of curiosity, Sion glanced sideways at Boryan.

I really wasn’t trying to attract attention… but maybe it looks that way?

Now that he thought about it, since arriving in this world, he had been interacting with a lot of women.

Of course, it wasn’t like he went out of his way to get close to them.

After all, he had also formed connections with plenty of guys.

Like Gáe Bolg, Patrick, Noas, and Professor Mehrdun.

“Sion! Are we done?”

“…Oh. Yeah, we’re finished.”

“Then, since I helped you—can you do me a favor, too?”

While Sion was lost in thought, Boryan suddenly approached.

A favor?

“Yeah, sure. Anything.”

“…Anything?”

“Wait, what?”

“…Of course, I’ll decide after hearing the details.”

“R-Right? I-I mean, obviously! It’s just… um…”

Boryan hesitated, stumbling over her words.

She fidgeted with her fingers, pressing her lips together before parting them again.

Just as Sion’s patience was about to run out, she suddenly blurted out—

“W-Wanna… eat lunch together?! J-Just the two of us…!”

“Huh?”

“Sure. It’s almost lunchtime anyway.”

“R-Really?!”

“Would it be okay if my friends joined too?”

“Huh? Ah… No!”

Thud!

Before Sion could even turn toward Patrick and Gáe Bolg, Boryan grabbed his wrist.

“…I meant just the two of us.”

“…Huh?”

“O-Of course, I’m sure your friends are great! But… it’d be awkward… and… just—! Let’s eat alone, okay?!”

Boryan’s head drooped as she yelled.

Her face was hidden, but her exposed earlobes—peeking past her twin tails—were burning red.

Sion thought to himself.

‘…She’s more shy than I expected.’

When they first met, she had confidently approached him, so he assumed she was extroverted.

But that didn’t seem to be the case.

It would have been nice to eat as a group and help her get to know Patrick and Gáe Bolg better…

But she had helped him by agreeing to the project, so he had no reason to refuse her request.

“Alright. Let me go let them know.”

“Really?! I’ll wait right here!”

“Yeah.”

Sion walked over to where Patrick and Gáe Bolg were waiting inside the guild.

They were already giving him a weird look.

Before they could say anything, Sion spoke first.

“Sorry, but Boryan’s a bit shy. She asked if we could eat separately. You guys don’t mind, right?”

“Hahaha! I win, Patrick!”

“Tsk.”

“…?”

Clink.

A silver coin dropped from Patrick’s pocket into Gáe Bolg’s open palm.

…What the hell are they doing?

Sion narrowed his eyes as he looked between them.

Patrick sighed and explained.

“It’s nothing. I bet that all four of us would eat together… but I lost.”

“Hahaha! Men will always choose love over friendship! There is no merchant greater than love! That is a famous saying in Rodenburg!”

“Damn it, Sion! You traitor!”

“…Sigh.”

Apparently, they had made a bet on whether Sion would eat alone with Boryan or in a group.

Just listening to them made him feel like he was losing brain cells.

Without another word, he turned away.

“I’m leaving. You two can figure out your own lunch.”

“Hahaha! I admire your pure-hearted devotion, Sion! May your efforts be rewarded!”

“Tch, pure-hearted my ass. More like harem-hearted.”

“Eh? That word doesn’t exist in Rodenburg!”

“Yeah? Because it perfectly describes Sion!”

“……”

Ignoring their nonsense, Sion walked back to Boryan.

Luckily, she hadn’t heard any of it.

“Let’s go. Time for lunch.”

“Huh? O-Okay… Hehe.”

“Anything in particular you want to eat?”

“I’m fine with whatever you pick!”

“Alright. I heard there’s a good place over there—”

As they left the guild, the two chatted while strolling through the academy shopping district.

Meanwhile…

“Are you really not planning to participate in the group project?”

The academy shopping district.

Inside a high-end café, nestled within one of the tallest buildings, a group of students gathered.

At the center of them all—Estroza Farewell.

“Of course, I intend to do the project. Grades are important, after all.”

“…Then why haven’t you responded in the group chat?”

“That was simply a strategy to take control.”

“S-Strategy?”

Confused expressions spread across the students’ faces.

How could ignoring the chat possibly be considered “taking control”?

Estroza placed her teacup down without making a sound, then smiled elegantly.

“One of the project’s requirements is that a team of four must register as F-Rank adventurers and accept an E-Rank dungeon quest.”

“Yes, we know that.”

“Which means—if a team doesn’t have four members, they can’t accept a quest.”

“…Wait. Are you saying—?”

“Exactly.”

Her smile remained as she continued.

“Since all Magic Faculty students take the same course, there won’t be any outside help available.”

She casually tapped her fingernail against the porcelain teacup.

“I also checked—it’s impossible to register for multiple quests at once.”

“That means…”

A student’s voice trembled.

“If people can’t form a four-person team, they’ll be forced to beg you for help…!”

“Correct.”

Sip—

Estroza sipped her tea.

A perfect strategy.

A perfect checkmate.

She was certain of it.

‘It’s only been a week since we entered the academy… There’s no way Sion would bring in external help.‘

Ever since Sion humiliated her in Professor Mehrdun’s duel,

Estroza had been waiting for her chance to win.

She had no intention of challenging him directly.

Instead, she would **dominate him politically—**using social maneuvering to trap him.

‘I can’t wait to see Sion’s face when he begs me for help.’

Sipping her tea, Estroza was already celebrating her victory.

There were only a few days left before Professor Barayes’ class.

Until then, she would sit back and enjoy the delicious anticipation of Sion’s desperation.