Sword, Magic and Academic Society

Allen was walking back to the dorm after being completely stripped (of information) by the professional interviewer. Next to him was his senpai, who had been so lively before, walking with sluggish steps while murmuring something.

"I'm tired... I just want to return to the dorm right away... But I also need to inform my family of today's event..."

"...I'm sorry, senpai. I intended to stay silent but when I saw the amicable creases under Satowa-san's eyes, I couldn't help but want to speak about the excellence of senpai... Wait, did he secretly use mind manipulation-type magic...?"

When everything was said and done, and as I was walking back after prattling about the admirable senpai's excellence and was immersed in the 'I have outdone myself!' feeling, I suddenly felt a sense of deja-vu similar to the time I had a mountain of rejection letters piled up.

"...I haven't heard a single word about such magic... You're not purposely mocking me, right?"

Senpai gave me a reproachful glare and then quietly made a sigh.

......So there really was no mind manipulation magic in this world, huh?

"Well, it has already passed, so there's no point agonizing over it. It's sure to make quite a buzz but... Whatever will be, will be."

Looking at the melancholic senpai, I said in as bright a tone as possible.

"Didn't Satowa-san say he wouldn't prattle off about this to anyone but the president? And I don't think it's going to be that much of a rumor, right?"

As far as I could recall, all I said was how I coincidentally met senpai, went on a trip to collect materials with him, and decided to register as an explorer after being impressed by him.

"...If only that was the case. I said it yesterday as well, but you should learn to be more aware of your influence. You can look at the meaning of what he said from another angle, and it would mean he will at least explain it to the president. As they say, a secret's safe only when no one knows of it. It won't be long before the rumor spreads once it's divulged to someone… Anyway, I'm returning to my home from here, so take this."

Senapi said and came to a halt at the Magic Carpooling stop.

The air turned a bit awkward, though I believe there was no need to think too deeply about it. I bowed to the Senpai at a perfect 45-degree angle and spoke my words of gratitude.

"Riyad-senpai! This one day and one night I spent with you were incredibly fun! Thank you very much!"

Senpai quietly sighed once again and responded with a bright smile as if trying to brush off something.

"Ahaha. Your greeting 'bowing' is foul play. It really makes it hard to scold you properly for these things that all I can say is 'It is what it is'... It's also due to you that I have such a collection after a long time. Can I intrude in your morning training from tomorrow onwards?"

"Of course!"

◆◆◆

The materials were sold for 5000 rea. It should be around 500,000 yen if I were to convert it. The breakdown was:

-The horned rabbit's fur sold for 2500 rea,

-Poporu mushroom, the glowing mushroom that senpai had discovered, went for 1500 rea, and

-The rest of the materials were sold for 1000 rea in total.

After splitting with senpai, we each took 2500 rea. I was really ashamed to receive my share, it was all the effort of senpai, after all. But, after being cornered by him saying 'Splitting is a must, no concession on it', I ended up accepting them.

As for the split horn, it really turned into unusable material, but there might be some sort of hobbyist or collector who might buy it, so it had been left in the association for the time being. Oh, and we also had the horned rabbit's rear leg meat that we brought with us. I intended to keep it as a souvenir for Sora so we didn't sell it.

Our overnight stay in the cabin was made on the fly so I completely missed this morning's breakfast, after all. I hoped this would put her in a good mood at least......

Also, I safely became a G-rank explorer.

In the beginning, Satowa kept saying how it would be breaking the custom of the Royal Academy, that it was better to start from C-rank. I insisted that D-rank was fine, or even better, G-rank would suffice, but he continued to say that this interview was to determine a suitable rank for me, that it was his work, and that he didn't want to agree to my request.

I was already standing out with strange rumors swirling around about me, who knew what kind of gossip would spread around if I went against tradition? Still, seeing that I was adamant about it, Satowa seemed to have some kind of misunderstanding as he began to say something like 'Then I will put in some words to the president so that you can register as B-rank'. To show my stance, I left my seat and declared that I would not be registering myself in that case.

Panicked, Satowa eventually caved in and said 'Alright, so let's start you at D-rank then!'. But in negotiations like these, the one who conceded first always lost.

I remarked 'I will not accept anything above G-rank'. I remained steadfast to my words no matter how much he tried to persuade me, and in the end, I safely obtained the G-rank registration license.

With the association's evaluation of me being G-rank, I believe it should dampen down the tone of the rumors to some extent.

By the way, regardless of rank, all registration licenses were made of paper, although the decorative patterns differed. In the past, the top A-rank license was made out of Mithril, followed by Platinum, and Gold, with the material's value gradually decreasing. The last G-rank was even made of wooden boards, creating a sort of discriminatory contrast, but it was abolished later due to cost-cutting and trouble prevention.

I tried asking Satowa what was more important, 'Adventurous spirit or expenses?' He snapped back with a 'both are important' reply. It seemed like he harbored a grudge about my G-rank registration.

Well, now that I was a G-rank explorer, we both stood on different ends of the spectrum in terms of status. I reckoned our paths wouldn't intersect anytime later, so whatever. Also, I came to know there wasn't any test to confirm the vanguard job.

◆◆◆

When I returned to the dorm, I found the close-knit quartet of Fey, Jue, Kate, and Stella standing at the entrance of the general dormitory for some reason.

'Hey there, good morning', I briskly greeted them like climbers passing each other by on a hiking trail and tried to enter the dormitory directly. Though, Fey, with a smile plastered on her face, grabbed my wrist.

"Good morning, Allen. I heard from the dorm mother that you weren't in the dorm for the whole day. Skipping your self-established club activities and coming back late in the morning without notice… What does that mean? And trying to slip into the dormitory as if you're guilty of something?... Doesn't it sound like a thief trying to run away after being caught red-handed?"

She smiled, but I could almost hear menacing sound effects in the background. Who did she think she was, pulling this girlfriend-like act?

"Why does it matter to you!? Let go of my hand... What the hell, aren't you holding it too tightly?!"

What kind of body strengthening was she using? I couldn't break free from her clutches.

"...You probably stayed out overnight to go hunting or something. Is that the hind leg of a horned rabbit hanging from your wooden sword?"

Pink-haired pig-tailed Stella remarked.

"You can tell?"

To be able to recognize the hind leg after it was turned into 'meat', I guess she must have had experience in hunting. I felt my interest piqued by her.

"I knew I was right about you, Allen. There's no way you'll be messing with women. But you know, I was really worried about you when I heard Kate saying you, who carries the top score in the Royal Academy's practical exam, will surely be cajoled by an older girl and sucked dry until not even your bones are left behind if you tried to visit the red-light district. It would have been a matter of time before you were hailed as the 'favorite child of the red-light district'."

Fey said, loosening her grip on my wrist.

"Indeed so. Kate-san declared 'The heads of boys of this age are only filled with such perverted thoughts. Once they get a taste of an older woman's technique, they would find it hard to escape from the pleasure swamp. It wasn't strange that you'd get carried away with your boundless stamina and by the time you come to your senses, the morning sun would be streaming through the window, accompanied by the chirping of birds.'

I couldn't help but be worried about Allen-san's V-card... So I thought of waiting here to hear the details."

Jue added while chuckling to herself. Were you that kind of character? And could you please stop making fun of my V-card? It poked right where it hurts for a 36-year-old virgin!

I glared at the purple-haired Kate who had a class president-like vibe and glasses on.

"Ahem. Well, Stella is a member of the Achilies family known for their daring nature. So it's not surprising she has experience in hunting. Though, I guess that's an unnecessary explanation for you who already know that, right?"

Kate averted her eyes and changed the topic.

Achilies family, huh?... They were once a tribe of commoner hunters dwelling in the Dahley mountain range located in the northern region of the kingdom, where monsters were said to be more rampant in the past.

It was one of the viscount families worth a dime a dozen in the kingdom, but the Achilies family was quite famous for their daring nature.

"Ah, Dahley Dwellers. It makes sense then."

"...Only an eccentric person like you would know of that bygone name. How the hell are you so detailed?"

"Hmm? I was interested, so of course I would know."

When I replied with a straight gaze to Stella, her face suddenly turned red as she looked flustered.

"W-W-W-What do you exactly mean by this!?"

" "Kyaa! So aggressive!!" "

Jue and Kate hugged each other as they let out an excited squeal.

"Allen... Don't think I'll ignore you seducing other girls right in front of me…"

Fey's loose grip on my hand once again tightened with such intensity I would have wondered if she was trying to break my bones.

What the hell was with this situation?......

T/N - Yikes, the dark night after the full moon is here. That said, at least this novel wasn’t tagged romance/harem by the author (which are more trustable and hardly I have seen the author taking double-takes on it) so there’s this solace.

EN - God, I really hope there's no romance. They feel more like cats playing with their prey (Allen) rather than love interests though.

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