The Degree
Ryouma & Hiromi

“The situation is starting to change, yes?” ryouma muttered as he looked out the window.

He had a smile on his lips, it had been a very long time since he had been waiting for the day where everything would end.

“So far but I'm confused as to whose side.”

Ryouma had long since waited for the situation to develop like this, the last game had already been dropped and it was only until the wait time until five golden keys were formed.

There were some candidates that Ryouma was sure could definitely get, even the people he was championed already had at least four keys in his grasp.

“I hope they don't linger about this because I'm tired of waiting. It's been a long time, I've been waiting.”

Before the first and second generation appeared, Ryouma was the one who had received the Degree from Secret. He was required to wait until the time came when someone would occupy the throne of this world.

Indeed, the dreams and goals pursued by Secret are so high that it seems to be in a fantasy world, but in fact with a Degree, even someone can be a god in this world.

Ryouma and the others had been waiting until this day arrived, somehow years had passed.

“Though I don't know why he's still asleep. This should be the best time for him to get up and make his choice. She's too relaxed, should I go out and hit her head?” Ryouma chuckled as he said that.

“I have allowed the boy to become chairman, therefore he will provide greater assistance than me, the only person who will not be penalized despite not having a group.”

Ryouma gets special treatment from Secret that he can move freely without worrying about not having a group. He won't get any penalty for that. Although Ryouma could join his group of friends as a formality, but he did not do so for reasons of personal selfishness.

“Although it is dear that I cannot leave this city. Even if I do, there will be more sanctions handed down to me than anything else.”

There was no such thing as fully benefiting, even Ryouma had another disadvantage of not being able to leave the city in a way like everyone else.

Ryouma certainly did not want to take the risk for an action that was not worth it.

“This gold theft seems to be the last step to grab the gold key. Until then then I will act.”

Ryouma found the girl he saved had woken up, he had also given first aid on the girl's legs.

“You've been sober? I suggest don't move much because the wound on your leg can open at any time.”

The woman looked puzzled before her face seemed to suffer, the pain was obviously overwhelming because her leg was shot. Even so he saw Ryouma, a man he did not know.

“Who are you? This ... where?”

Ryouma opened the window to light up the room, he then he poured her a cup of warm tea.

“This is in my apartment, you were gang-raped by weird mafia-like people. I wonder why there are such people here.”

Ryouma had learned that this country did not have anything like a mafia. In addition, Ryouma found the mafia using a foreign language, so it was necessary for him to know their identity.

Are they bastards trying to change the dark side of the country or something.

“You don't have to worry about saying anything. I'm just like you, a Degree.” user

The woman looked surprised, she did not doubt it because the Degree user had a watch on his hand and also no one in general knew about it.

The woman— Hiromi is a little suspicious because the man in front of her looks familiar. Moreover, no one is safe from saying anything to a Degree user.

“You don't have to force yourself to say it. Rest well.”

Hiromi receives her gift tea, she then starts to feel the kindness Ryouma has. Maybe he's not a bad person Hiromi thought.

As soon as Hiromi thought so, Ryouma approached her and stared straight at her with a smile on his lips.

“You can say whatever you want to say, and say no to anything you don't want to say.”

Hiromi was silent for a while before nodding and starting to tell her about what happened to her. Starting from him investigating about Haiyan and its members until it arrived when he was caught.

“What made you reveal? Because your degree makes it possible to become a talented intelligence. You and your partner should never be caught.”

Hiromi flatly nodded and answered him smoothly.

“That's because there's someone who disguised himself as our lady, Indri and greeted us. He asked about what we found and other things. From that he exposed us and ordered his men to execute us.”

Ryouma stared out the window and thought a little, of course he knew this information but there was little missing from his observation.

“That means he can be someone else. His degree allows that. As far as I know, most degrees can only realize dreams and ideals until a certain stage.”

A makeup artist will be able to use scissors even if she doesn't really have them. It might be strange but Ryouma knew the secret behind it.

Why is there only in the early half of the task people can realize objects from the Degree? It was because of Secret. Not only Ryouma, but Secret also infiltrated several Degree users who can realize certain objects.

They are the ones who have been manipulated and brainwashed. When they bring up things and people think it's a degree, it's not like that. The object appeared because of Secret's teleportation system.

It seems strange but in fact Secret's goal is to make people believe the lie. The key to all of these trials is understanding what a Degree is.

The more extraordinary the degree someone has, the more difficult it is to understand it. Some can use it consciously and unconsciously. There may even be some who do not understand how the Degree works.

‘If so then it is true my observation about Haiyan. He had good finger skills and could somehow make his body resemble that of a man even the others. But I did not think that the face can also be changed.’

Ryouma understood about the Degree, and Haiyan's case was able to cause misguided thoughts if he did not know the Degree well.

“I did not expect that in fact Degree can make someone change his face like that,” said Hiromi with a bitter and clearly upset face.

Ryouma glanced at her, the woman's expression was not a lie.

‘She is from Indri's group, a woman whose degree I can't even understand. I have an idea.’

Ryouma then smiled and conveyed, “No. She didn't use Degree to change her face.”

Hiromi furrowed her brows. He did not touch it because he had witnessed for himself how Haiyan looked like Indri and there was no way for him to tell the difference.

“What do you mean? Ordinary people can't do it, so it's hard to say Degree is the answer!” haiyan said slightly raising her voice.

Ryouma chuckled, “No. I'm sure even Degree can't make someone change face, but I'm sure there's an ability that can make someone create a face.”

He could not provide concrete evidence, but there was one hypothesis and even a real example to make him believe it made sense.