第２４９掘：冒険が始まる！！ (Part3)
Ah, calling her "cute" might have been a bit of a blunder. She is a Duke’s daughter, after all.
"My apologies. I should have said you were beautiful."
"N-no, it’s just... I’ve never been called 'cute' before, so I was a little surprised."
"I see. I was worried I might have offended you. If it made you happy, then I'm glad."
"Yes, thank you very much."
She replied with a radiant smile.
...Wait, I feel like I just stepped on a landmine.
"Oho? Are you planning to woo Lady Samantha, Yuki-san?"
"No, I have no such intention. But I feel like that conversation just triggered some kind of flag. What do you think?"
"To be honest, your response was perfectly normal, Yuki-san," Taiki replied. "But it looks like the recipient is interpreting everything in a hyper-positive light. Man, I wonder if you can compete with Eoid? That guy has 'Lucky Pervert'—the ultimate classic rom-com protagonist skill."
"I have absolutely no desire to compete with him."
Meanwhile, the two who had caused trouble for Lady Samantha were bowing their heads in apology. Seeing her accept their apology and forgive them so graciously, I couldn't help but think this young lady has the temperament to become someone truly great.
"Well, I hope that's the end of the morning's 'events,'" I muttered.
"Agreed. I'd rather not be late for class," Taiki added.
"Oh, Yuki. I’m going to go pop in on the Principal," Eris called out to us, heading toward the tower where the Principal's office was located.
"Eris-san, are you going to bully the Principal again?"
"No, no. It’s all about the carrot and the stick. And the Principal loves sweets, right?"
"Ah, so you're literally bringing him 'carrots'—or in this case, candy?"
"Exactly. You have to maintain good relations, you know?"
After their duel, she had followed up properly—or rather, they had made up. Since Eris’s personal wish didn't forbid her from interacting with him as a friend, she had conveyed that to him. The Principal had been visibly relieved, and apparently, the two of them had spent some time discussing various "schemes."
Today, she was bringing him some special handmade candy to further deepen their friendship.
"So, that's the end of any interference from the Academy's higher-ups," I noted.
"Yeah, everything else should be manageable now."
"The only things to watch out for are those 'protagonists' and the events surrounding them, right?" Taiki asked.
"And the inevitable interference from some idiot self-proclaimed genius."
"The classic trope. But we can handle that through the Principal if we have to."
"True. So it really comes down to the protagonist types, like Eoid."
After that, we headed straight to the classroom and managed to avoid being late. As fate—or the Principal’s meddling—would have it, we were in the same class as Eoid, Amanda, and Lady Samantha. It seemed the Principal had taken my request to keep Samantha close to us quite literally. Eoid and Amanda being there was just an unnecessary bonus.
I spent the morning breaking a cold sweat, braced for an "event" to trigger at any moment, but nothing happened, and we made it to lunch.
Our strategy of introducing ourselves to the other students before yesterday's duel seemed to have paid off. Only a few curious students from other classes came to peek at us, and thanks to Samantha and Eoid, the barrage of questions was kept to a minimum.
"So, how was it? The Academy's lessons?" Eoid asked while eating.
It was lunchtime, and we had split into male and female groups to eat. For Eris, Tori, Riel, and Kaya, this was their first time attending school as students, so we let them have their own space. Oh, and of course, the four little ones had entered the Academy as first-year students. We met up with them at lunch, and they didn't seem to have any issues.
Well, except for the report that Labyris almost murdered a child for staring too intently at her chest...
I mean, let them look, Labyris; they're that big for a reason. But no touching. Labyris belongs to me.
Anyway, what was Eoid saying? Right, the lessons.
"Well, it was exactly as you'd expect. No problems so far."
"Yeah," Taiki agreed. "The teaching was clear and easy to follow. It didn't seem like any students were struggling. It felt... normal."
"Hah, I see. So that's the kind of thing you look for."
"If the curriculum is too difficult, the students can't keep up, and they won't grow," I explained. "Finding that right balance is crucial. That's what we're observing."
"And you're following along just fine, Eoid. That's what matters," Taiki added.
"I'm learning a lot here," Eoid said earnestly.
"I don't think you should be looking up to us, though. Anyway, the next class is 'Practical Training.' What does that involve?"
The afternoon was scheduled for practicals, but I hadn't heard any details. Our real goal was gathering information hidden within the Academy; we weren't actually that interested in the curriculum itself. Though, thanks to various troubles, we'd ended up fully immersed in it.
"Oh, it's magic casting practice and monster extermination training through the Guild."
"Hmm? I get the magic practice, but what's this 'Monster Extermination Guild'?"
"Ah, that's right. Aside from the area around the Academy, monsters are extremely rare in this region, aren't they? But around here, they spawn quite regularly. Goblins are common, and if you go deeper, you'll find Orcs. Do you know about Golems, Slimes, and Skeletons? The Principal calls them 'magical constructs,' and they're said to inhabit the deepest parts of the woods. Since they attack people and ruin crops, we have to cull them. It's part of our training and a requirement for advancement. Most mercenaries around here are registered with the Guild and make a living doing the same."
...Wait, isn't that just an Adventurer's Guild?
No, stay calm. First of all, this means the mana density in this region is high enough for magical lifeforms to manifest. I'll need to talk to the Principal about that.
"Oh, you guys haven't registered with the Guild yet, have you? In that case, why don't you come with us for the practical training this afternoon? We can get you registered at the same time. Is that okay?"
With those words, my analytical thoughts vanished.
"Yes! I've always wanted to try monster extermination!"
"I guess there really weren't many monsters where you came from, Yuki-san," Eoid remarked.
"...Actually, Yuki-san is more like the boss of the mon—"
"Shut it."
"Gah...!"
I silenced Taiki and felt my heart race at Eoid's proposal. Back on the continent of Weed, I never actually got to do any real "adventurer" work. Well, maybe once, for a tiny bit, but that doesn't count.
But here, it's different! Nobody knows who I am! I'm just a guy coming to register at the Guild! I won't be handed a Rank 8 plate immediately! I can be a total novice! I can go out and hunt monsters!
Hyah-hoo! My adventure starts now!
"...I just hope there are some monsters left when he's done," Taiki muttered.
I won't go *that* far. Probably. But I might get a little carried away.
Can Yuki show some restraint?!
Will he let the protagonists have their moment?!
Will a "Protagonist Event" actually occur?!
Find out in the next chapter!