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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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I successfully escaped Mirsen’s human vortex.
…’Human vortex,’ huh?
Sounds like some cool technique name.
After completely masking my presence, I slipped through the gaps in the crowd and took a breath.
As soon as I did, a tingling sensation ran through my brain.
Following that, information entered as if someone was speaking directly into my mind.
It was a message spell.
The content was an order for all first-year cadets currently inside, whether in class or not, to immediately go to the empty classroom on the first floor.
What was going on that they were calling everyone together?
I pondered the reason as I leisurely made my way there.
I could hear a buzz even from the hallway.
Several voices mingled, making it impossible to decipher what was being said.
The moment I flung the door open, the atmosphere in the classroom chilled, as if doused with cold water.
No one dared to speak easily.
They seemed to hesitate, just staring at me.
Was it because I had gained the upper hand in the fight with Prion?
It felt strangely unpleasant.
Their gazes felt probing, as if they were assessing me, and the atmosphere suggested they were observing each other’s reactions.
Amidst that awkward atmosphere, I found an empty seat and sat down.
“Um… ahem… Excuse me…”
Then, a cadet I’d barely spoken to before cleared his throat in front of me and addressed me.
He had his hair neatly slicked back.
He was of average build and had an ordinary voice, nothing particularly memorable.
I hadn’t seen him in our dorm, so he probably wasn’t a Silver-rank.
“I saw your fight with Prion Colson… If you’re free, would you like to grab a meal later…? I’d like to talk to you…”
Hearing his words, a few other cadets seized the opportunity and started approaching me.
“No, let’s eat together. You like cheese bread, right? I’ll buy you some…”
“I… I was next to you at the entrance ceremony, remember?”
“I was fourth in the entrance exam rankings, let’s eat together.”
It seemed the fight with Prion had a bigger impact than I thought.
Well, they had advertised the duel with the second-ranked cadet extensively, so it was more surprising if it hadn’t spread at all.
But it was rather irritating that these cadets, who had shown no interest, or even disliked me, before, were now flocking to me.
I wasn’t particularly interested in socializing, so I gave them perfunctory responses.
Then, a cadet who had settled beside me shrugged and said,
“Honestly, I never liked that Prion guy from the start.”
He was short and chubby.
Something about him seemed familiar.
It didn’t take me long to recall who he was.
He was the one who initially clung to Prieresil, but when she brushed him off, he immediately latched onto Prion.
His survival strategy of gleaning benefits from those in power wasn’t a bad choice, but it didn’t seem fitting for the title of “Hero.”
Though others might call it “wise.”
I was contemplating whether to ignore him or offer a cursory reply when the front door of the classroom creaked open, and a familiar figure entered.
It was Prieresil.
With a deliberately dignified gait, she walked to the lectern and checked if everyone was present.
“Yes, everyone’s here.”
Speaking as if she had memorized the details of every first-year cadet, Prieresil calmed the cadets buzzing around me and began to speak.
“I have an announcement for the first-year students. This is from the Headmistress and the professors, so if you have any complaints, please address them directly.”
Hearing that it was from the Headmistress and the professors, I immediately knew Rain had pulled some strings.
Was it about what I had requested?
“Cadet Prion Colson, who went missing, has been expelled. I assume you all expected this, so let’s move on… It seems there’s been a report of bullying among the first-year cadets. The Headmistress and the professors have expressed concerns about your qualifications as Heroes.”
At her words, a few Silver-rank cadets flinched and trembled.
“There’s been criticism from outside Hidin Academy as well, but the Headmistress defended us as much as possible, so we avoided expulsion. Instead, or rather, as an alternative, all lectures next week have been canceled. We’ll be spending the entire week clearing labyrinths across the continent.”
Someone raised their hand to ask a question, but Prieresil dismissed it, stating she had more to announce.
“As a form of community service for this unfortunate incident, we’ll be forming groups of four or five to clear labyrinths across the continent. It will be primarily led by us, the first-year students, and if a truly dangerous situation arises, the professors and experienced senior cadets will assist. Yes, your question?”
“…May I ask how many labyrinths each group will be clearing?”
“There haven’t been specific instructions yet, but since we’ll be spending the entire week, including weekends, I assume it’ll be either a large number of labyrinths or particularly challenging ones. Next question.”
“What happens if we get injured or die while clearing a labyrinth…?”
“The Saintess will be providing support. She will heal any injuries up to serious ones, and in the event of a life-threatening situation, the tracking artifacts we’ll be wearing will allow the professors to immediately rescue us. Additionally, if a group hasn’t succeeded in clearing a labyrinth within a day, the professors will intervene and assist.”
Hearing her words, several cadets who had been expressing anxiety breathed sighs of relief.
It seemed death or injury was more frightening than exhaustion.
And knowing that the professors would step in if they failed eased their minds.
From the perspective of a current adventurer, dedicating an entire week to labyrinth clearing was something even experienced adventurers avoided.
Due to the nature of labyrinths, even just sitting around in a relatively safe spot could be mentally taxing.
It would be even more challenging for first-year cadets with no prior labyrinth experience.
They’d probably be begging for death.
Some cadets were showing signs of annoyance, but they didn’t voice their complaints directly.
“Any more questions? Then I’ll announce the groups for the first labyrinth.”
They had already formed the teams?
I could practically see the dark circles under Rain’s eyes.
I felt a pang of guilt for adding to her workload, especially since she already had a hard life, but… it was too late to back out now.
My name was called.
The honorific “Mr. Ron” seemed particularly prominent.
Maybe it was the addition of “Mr.”
Then, three other names were called.
The cadets assigned to my group hesitated slightly, glancing at me.
If I recalled correctly, two were from the same rank dorm as me, and one was from the Gold-rank dorm.
I understood their reaction to my appearance.
What I had shown them during the duel wasn’t my scouting abilities, but my fighting style.
I planned to take it easy this time.
If I wanted to, I could clear a labyrinth without encountering a single monster, but I wouldn’t do that.
My role wasn’t labyrinth clearing, but talent scouting and weeding out the rotten apples.
The prepared announcements were complete, and Prieresil bowed her head, dismissing us.
The assembled cadets began to disperse in a somewhat disorderly manner.
Some readily joined their assigned groups, while others moved with clear annoyance.
The three cadets in my team slowly approached me.
Was I the leader?
I wouldn’t mind it if I was.
“Hello.”
I returned the polite greeting of the young man with neatly combed long hair.
Judging by his upright posture, he was probably the Gold-rank cadet.
“Uh… H-Hello.”
“Hi there!”
The other two also greeted me.
One was a girl with long, limp hair, exuding a gloomy aura.
The other was a boy with shoulder-length hair, greeting me energetically.
What a unique combination.
I nodded in acknowledgment, but we didn’t exchange any meaningful words after that.
“How did you beat Prion Colson? Are you hiding something? What’s with the bandages?”
He was full of questions and chatter.
I gave him some perfunctory answers, but he continued to stick to me like glue.
Alright.
From now on, his nickname is Chatty.
Chatty was bringing up the past incident, trying to engage me in a useless conversation.
If it were me, I would have been discussing preparations for the upcoming labyrinth exploration.
And the quiet, gloomy one… Let’s call him Gloomy.
Gloomy kept repeating “Um…” without forming a proper sentence.
Lastly, the one with long, shaggy hair… Wolf.
Let’s call him Wolf.
Wolf hadn’t spoken a word since his initial greeting, just staring at us.
Great.
My dream team.
I wanted to run away.
I was half-listening to Chatty’s incessant, yet information-less, monologue when the faces of my former companions flashed through my mind.
I had always collaborated with people of exceptional talent.
The original Hero’s party was a collection of talented individuals, each with their unique strengths.
Rain was incredibly versatile, and Sola was unmatched in magic.
Lian blossomed later, but she became known as the Saintess, a master of holy power and healing magic.
Odrox was simply born for combat.
The temporary companions I met during my travels across the continent were also active adventurers, so there were many talented individuals among them.
Or rather, I’d never had a bad pick.
Mirsen lacked in ability, but she was full of spirit.
Prieresil, befitting her title as top-ranked cadet, possessed decent analytical skills and magical prowess, along with a willingness to learn.
But these guys… they seemed different.
They were still acting like they were on vacation, hesitating or engaging in one-sided conversations unrelated to labyrinth clearing.
First impressions were important.
Their first impressions weren’t good.
I didn’t know how they would perform in a real situation, though.
Perhaps they hadn’t grasped the gravity of the situation yet, so I decided to wait and see.
If it didn’t work out, I would take the lead in preparations.
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After the meaningless conversation, I stepped out and saw Prieresil waiting for someone.
Not wanting to pry, I gave a casual wave.
“Oh, Mr. Ron!”
Her voice was raised, full of enthusiasm.
If she had a tail, it would have been wagging excitedly.
The cold tone from our first encounter was now a distant memory.
Her cheerful greeting warmed my heart.
But if I started chatting with Prieresil here, the person she was waiting for would feel awkward.
“Oh? Uh… I’ll get going then.”
I waved my hand, responded briefly, and quickly moved to make way.
“Ah… W-Wait… Please help me!”
“Aren’t you waiting for someone?”
“I was waiting for you, Mr. Ron…”
Oh, she was waiting for me?
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[Prierisil with a dog tale… hot.]
