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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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The large wolf, seemingly the leader, didn’t move.
Instead, the two wolves flanking it sprang into action first.
Prieresil gasped, seemingly intimidated by the menacing growl and the charging wolves.
But Rain, unfazed by their threats and attacks, swung her sword twice.
Two sword strikes, too swift for the eye to follow.
To be honest, even I thought she had only swung once.
Just a simple swing, without any fancy footwork or twisting of her waist.
How much training would it take to achieve such power with such subtle movements, to cut through a beast-type monster’s thick fur, muscle fibers, and bones?
I couldn’t even fathom it.
But one thing was certain: the former comrade standing before me had endured grueling training and life-or-death battles to reach this level.
From Prieresil’s perspective, it must have looked like Rain hadn’t moved an inch.
But there, beside her still form, lay the two halves of the wolf corpses, neatly bisected.
A sizzling sound filled the air as their blood and bodily fluids corroded the ground.
It seemed the information I had provided was accurate, thankfully.
“…You’re not hurt, are you?” Rain asked, turning to us… or more specifically, to me.
—Grrr!!
“H-Headmaster! Watch out—!!”
Prieresil’s eyes widened in shock as she screamed a warning.
The leader wolf was charging at Rain from behind, its jaws wide open, ready to kill.
But Rain didn’t turn around.
And I didn’t say a word.
“…Huh?”
Splat— Sizzle—
The wolf’s bisected corpse flew towards us, landing neatly at my feet, its life extinguished.
I didn’t flinch.
Really. I just stared at the scene, unfazed, taking it all in.
It was a sight I hadn’t witnessed in a long time, and it truly felt like something superhuman.
But the situation wasn’t over yet.
From what I could sense, those wolves had been scouts.
I was certain that this dungeon was deeper than it seemed, and there were more enemies lurking within, besides those wolves.
I glanced at Prieresil.
Usually, when something like this happened because of one’s own mistake, people would become despondent, dragging their teammates down.
That’s what Lian used to do.
“Oh.”
But this girl was tougher than I thought.
She acknowledged her mistake but her eyes were filled with determination, a promise to herself to never repeat it.
My heightened senses, activated after a long period of dormancy, allowed me to read her expression clearly.
“…Should we move forward? First…”
Rain walked towards us and knelt down, examining the wolf corpses.
This was usually my job, but I figured it would raise suspicion if I did it now.
Thankfully, Rain took the initiative.
‘As expected, she’s quick-witted. Our hero.’
“The hides and bones of well-preserved monsters fetch a good price, so it’s best to collect them. Here, let me show you how.”
Prieresil didn’t flinch as she watched Rain expertly butcher the corpses, skillfully avoiding the areas tainted by poison.
It was as if she was trying to absorb every detail of the process.
She was a truly driven individual.
‘Maybe that’s how she became the top student.’
After perfectly separating the hide and bones, Rain handed Prieresil her sword, urging her to try aswell.
Prieresil, though her hands trembled, approached the smaller wolf and began mimicking Rain’s movements, separating the hide and bones.
For a first-timer, Prieresil’s butchering skills were decent.
“…Can I scout ahead again?” I asked Rain quietly.
She responded with a slight nod.
Perhaps she missed working with me too, on some level.
After all, she had asked for help from someone who had been out of the game for so long.
Anyway, she had agreed, so I had to do my part.
I moved in a similar fashion as before.
When we encountered forks in the path, I focused my senses, choosing the path with a stronger presence.
That path usually led to the heart of the dungeon, and I trusted Rain to handle whatever we encountered.
The team followed my lead.
On one hand, it might have seemed like they were relying on a student, but on the other hand, it was ‘Rain’, so they would probably interpret it as an evaluation rather than reliance.
Despite our small team of three, we advanced at a quick pace, steadily pushing towards the depths of the dungeon.
And then, without much trouble, we encountered the dungeon boss.
It was a humanoid monster, not a beast, but that didn’t stop Rain from going on a rampage.
Prieresil let out an embarrassing shriek when the hulking monster swung its massive arms, splattering blood and gore everywhere, but aside from that, it was a clean and efficient victory.
“Ah, the reward.” Rain said, pointing.
I followed her gaze and saw a spot in the corner, stained with the monster’s blood and bones.
The students probably didn’t know this, but mindless monsters didn’t have the intelligence to create treasure chests or store their loot, so they often just left it scattered like this.
That’s why some adventurers, expecting to find treasures neatly stored in chests, would return empty-handed.
‘…So, you see, rookie! This is a valuable experience!’
I thought, channeling my inner geezer, as I walked towards Rain and watched her retrieve something from the bloody mess.
Prieresil, who seemed disgusted by the sight of the elegant hero and headmaster covered in blood, flinched and swallowed the words “I’ll do it” before they could escape her lips.
“You’re working hard.” I commented.
“It’s all for the students.”
Rain replied calmly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
I stared at her, unchanged even after all these years.
My heightened senses imprinted the image of her calm, blue eyes – vast, deep, and clear as a lake – in my mind.
Those eyes, filled with the same unwavering determination as before.
‘…Being with you really makes my self-esteem plummet.’
I clenched my fist, stopping myself from reaching out.
My broken nails dug into my palm.
I felt like an idiot, admiring her, yet convinced that I could never be like her.
So I clenched my fist even tighter.
I hoped the pain of my nails digging into my palm would distract me from this feeling of inferiority.
“Did you learn anything?” Rain asked.
It was a formality, but these freshmen, who lacked any real-world dungeon experience, were probably experiencing a whirlwind of emotions.
“Well, I learned that the Headmaster is truly worthy of the title of Hero. She’s strong and always willing to protect us from danger. Thanks to her, I now understand the true meaning of heroism.”
Perfect answer.
As I spoke readily, Rain looked at me for a moment, a blank expression on her face.
Then her eyes curved into crescents, and she chuckled.
Prieresil, hearing my answer, spoke hesitantly, “I have gained a newfound respect for the Headmaster. I also realized the importance of preparation and the need to acknowledge my own shortcomings. I learned that it’s wrong to underestimate people and that there are consequences for doing so. And I’ve come to understand how difficult and dangerous the work of adventurers and heroes truly is.”
Prieresil looked at me as she spoke.
‘See? My answer was much better than yours, right?’
I interpreted her gaze as such and nodded slightly.
“Yes. You didn’t really use most of the items you prepared. But it’s always better to be prepared. You never know what kind of unexpected situations you might encounter in a dungeon.”
Rain, adopting an educator’s demeanor, led the way once more, following the magic stones I had placed, her eyes focused on the path ahead.
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Seeing Ron’s backpack, I froze.
Of course, being well-prepared was essential, but I was the First Hero.
Even though I had retired from active duty, the magic power and light energy inherent within me remained unchanged.
I had stepped down to recover from the accumulated fatigue and create a space for the next generation, but honestly, I was currently stronger than I had ever been during my prime.
Ron must have known that the difficulty level of this dungeon was low.
And yet, his backpack was overflowing with supplies.
‘Was it for me?’
‘Was he trying to protect me?’
‘Had he made all these preparations for me, the main combatant of the dungeon exploration?’
As I stared at him, lost in those thoughts, he called my name.
Not “Headmaster”, but my name.
His voice brought me back to reality.
I patted his shoulder lightly.
It was a gesture to show that I was back in the present.
At the same time, I completely erased the presence of the magic that had been bothering me.
It was nice that he was worried, but I figured he would be uncomfortable with me secretly observing him.
Ron’s movements were the same as always.
As I watched him scouting ahead, moving silently and blending in with the shadows, memories of our adventures together flooded back, and I felt a pang of nostalgia.
“‘Oh, light… Illuminate.’”
And then, the top student, perfect in theory but inexperienced in practice, suddenly illuminated the dark dungeon.
My eyes, adapted to the darkness, couldn’t adjust to the sudden brightness, and I winced.
The student, realizing her mistake, became despondent.
But as the combatant and leader of this exploration, I couldn’t afford to be distracted and comfort her.
Anything could happen, even in a low-level dungeon.
And then Ron took care of the student.
A surge of negative emotions, like thorny vines, climbed from the depths of my mind.
‘I’m the one fighting here.’
‘Why is he taking care of her?’
‘Is he trying to get her attention?
‘Don’t even try it, you cocky little…’
I glanced back.
I could see Ron comforting the student.
Irritation welled up within me.
Every action of that girl seemed like a deliberate attempt to seduce Ron.
And then Ron sprung into action.
He showcased his skills, the very movements we had practiced together, as if to impress me.
His senses must have been heightened after losing his sight, because after a moment of concentration, he approached me and quietly described the enemy.
Beast-type monsters, exactly as he had predicted, appeared.
As I marveled at his seemingly superhuman abilities, my negative emotions faded, replaced by a sense of awe.
Even I, who could sense the presence of enemies, couldn’t accurately predict their descriptions as well as he could.
Two of the smaller monsters charged at us.
The image of Ron comforting the girl flashed in my mind, and I swung my sword with a bit more force than necessary.
And then, a dangerous thought crossed my mind.
‘What if I get seriously injured? Would you worry about me, Ron?’
—Grrr!!
The wolf’s growl snapped me out of my thoughts.
I instinctively swung my sword.
I had almost acted on that dangerous impulse.
But I couldn’t deny that my annoyance had influenced my attack.
The blade had wavered slightly, resulting in a less-than-clean cut.
‘Deep breaths.’
I was the headmaster of the academy; I shouldn’t be swayed by such trivial emotions.
I inhaled the damp air and exhaled slowly, calming my mind.
‘Ron must have been looking after her for the sake of nurturing the next generation.’ I convinced myself.
That thought eased my mind a bit.
The rest of the exploration went smoothly.
The sudden ‘Light’ spell had created a minor hiccup, but it also served as a valuable lesson for the student.
I took on the role of an educator, guiding them and explaining the intricacies of dungeon loot.
And then I asked for their reflections.
I felt a strange pang of emotion when Ron mentioned heroism, and I hesitated for a moment before managing to smile and move on.
But, as always, dungeon explorations were never without surprises.
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The ‘Light’ spell dissipated.
And at the same moment, the exit before us began to shrink, as if collapsing in on itself.
Rain simply observed the scene, doing nothing.
Perhaps she was waiting for the right moment to explain the butterfly effect of reckless actions.
Prieresil, staring at the writhing, shrinking exit as if she longed for the sudden burst of light to return, looked at Rain with a startled expression.
“Wh-what’s happening…?”
“Do you know the name of the plant covering the entrance?” Rain asked.
Prieresil couldn’t answer.
She probably hadn’t paid much attention to the entrance.
The plant that covered the entrance was called Thymulus.
It was a plant that contracted and expanded in response to sudden stimuli.
The entrance probably closed when Prieresil first cast ‘Light’.
But it would have reopened after about 5 minutes, as the plant adjusted to the light.
We hadn’t noticed because we had been moving through its broken sections.
And now that the light was gone, the plant was once again contracting, sealing the entrance.
‘Well, maybe not!’
Thankfully, Rain voiced my exact thoughts, confirming that my deduction was correct.
‘Thank goodness. I would have been so embarrassed if I had been wrong after sounding so knowledgeable.’
“There are always unexpected situations in dungeons, so it’s best to avoid acting on your own judgment. It’s important to discuss things with your teammates, assess the risks, and then take action.”
“Yes… I’m sorry…”
Prieresil bowed her head obediently, but I could sense a flicker of anxiety in her eyes, a fear that we might be trapped.
Just then, the Thymulus plant beside us writhed and shifted, creating a new path.
“…We’re lucky. It opened up right next to us.”
“Huh? Um… But…”
“Let’s go.” Rain said, leading the way.
It was definitely lucky for them to experience so many dungeon variables in their first practical training.
I patted Prieresil’s shoulder reassuringly and followed Rain into the newly opened passage.
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