Four Days

That was how I precariously faced my fifth day of academy life, but Esmue and Ragnis drew a clear line between public and private matters.

While I was practically dragged along by Esmue toward our destination because I hadn't even figured out my proper position, watching the two of them smoothly exchange introductions with nobles and envoys from other countries we passed along the way made me feel anew that they really were royalty and nobility.

Even when they had back-and-forth conversations during the process, seeing them chat with smiles and not a trace of tension made me genuinely think it'd be nice if they could just stay like that for the remaining time.

Of course, that was impossible. There was no point in me wishing for that, since I was the one who caused the problem in the first place.

"Today's schedule is only the dungeon field survey. Though it is a dungeon operated under thorough management for the students' education, ordinary red-rank adventurers would normally need to form a party to handle it comfortably."

Esmue had noticed I hadn't properly grasped today's itinerary and was explaining things to me piece by piece even while exchanging greetings with the streams of people coming and going. If I hadn't seen the spectacle at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the training grounds on the first day, I would have been considerably shocked by the dungeon's level, but having experienced it firsthand, it was a level I could fully accept.

In fact, the students, having cultivated a certain degree of teamwork within the academy framework, were better than a half-assed red-rank adventurer party. This class was probably focused less on checking threat-response capability and more on elements like situational awareness, improvisation, and role assignment.

"Then how will the Margrave and I be participating?"

"That matter has also already been prepared. As the agent of Margrave of Levien, Eldmia, you shall participate in the survey alongside Hero Siegfried. And the remaining slots shall be filled by the attendants brought by each nation's envoys, or by the envoys themselves."

"I know at least ten kingdoms on the continent alone. Not all of them are participating, right?"

Even that meant there were ten countries with enough scale or fame for the Empire to send them invitations. If you added the smaller minor nations, wouldn't there be at least ten more countries I didn't know about?

But that was exactly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠what had happened.

"Why would they not? It is the continent's greatest concern. However, I divided them into those who wish to form a party with the Hero directly to observe from beside him, and those who wish to compete over the dungeon survey. Including the parties formed from academy students, a total of four parties will conduct the dungeon survey simultaneously."

For reference, each party shall consist of five members. Esmue's concluding words filled me with a powerful sense of unease.

"They say when five people gather, one of them is always guaranteed to be trash."

As expected of a fellow intellectual from modern society, Zeke muttered this with a sulky expression the moment he heard her words beside me.

"That is a rather unique yet strangely convincing saying. Who said such a thing?"

"It's a thing. By someone called Sage Zirobo. Even he was someone who judged humans too rationally."

"Hooh... a name I've never heard before. Does he happen to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠have any other teachings?"

"Probably not."

Judging by how casually he brushed it off as if nothing, he must have made that kind of remark countless times. I barely held back a burst of laughter at Esmue's feigned disappointment in response to his story, gritting my teeth, when Ragnis threw out a question from beside me.

"Four parties? Isn't that a rather large number? I can accept the dungeon's scale since this is the Empire, but is there another reason for sending that many people in to survey simultaneously?"

"Though it is to display the Hero's achievements, the academy does not exist to raise only the Hero. We had no choice but to make four, placing in two parties of students and one party of envoys."

The Empire had no intention of betting everything on the Hero—that was a hypothesis and question I'd held since the first day.

Under normal circumstances, one might have considered it a considerable disadvantage just to fill the Hero's party with outsiders and make them compete against the other parties, but because I was placed in the same party as the Hero, my thoughts became complicated in several ways.

A red-rank dungeon should be breakable with just the current me and the Hero. If our relationship were bad because we were completely at odds with each other, that'd be one thing, but right now there was no reason we couldn't take each other's opinions on board.

"Esmue. Was putting me and Zeke in the same party planned?"

Even if I worried about it right now, my head couldn't produce an answer, so I just asked calmly and outright. Esmue, who casually waved her hand in greeting to a passing noble, answered just as calmly.

"Reports surfaced that there might be ulterior motives, so this was put together in a hurry."

The explanation ended there, but it was enough. Because in this situation, the meaning of giving the Hero a safety-net party member due to detected impure intentions was clear.

The problem was whether that meant assassination, or whether there was a purpose to disgrace the Hero's honor from somewhere outside the Empire... but if they were wary of Demonfolk, there was no need to restructure the party, so I concluded it was most likely a power struggle between nations.

And that led to the conclusion that there were people who truly viewed the Hero—personally chosen by a god as the Demon King's adversary—as nothing more than the Empire's military weapon.

The irritation and disgust that surged up in an instant were worse than what I'd felt before coming to the Empire.

What kept my face from twisting into something unsightly was the touch of Esmue's hand, which was linked with my arm.

"Are you tensing up because so many are watching? There should be no problem whatsoever with your skill and the Hero's. You're unexpectedly timid."

The eyes of Esmue, which I looked down to meet, held a different meaning from the words she spoke.

To accurately grasp ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my emotional shift in a brief moment of tension and give me a heads-up in advance—pure admiration swallowed even my irritation.

"...I see. I suppose it's because I'm not used to public-facing activities."

"No matter how tense you are, you must hold back. The dungeon survey isn't the end."

Even if an attempt to target the Hero occurred, I couldn't kill them. Understanding what Esmue was trying to say, I smiled something resembling a smile and nodded.

I wasn't sure if it actually looked like a real smile, but for the moment, Esmue smiled back at me.

◈

The entrance to the dungeon, located in the forest near the academy and leading underground, boasted a fairly clean and modern style—whether because it had been newly built and managed. Maybe the dungeon itself was artificial.

The professors leading the event, the wooden spectator stands that looked like they'd been built hastily, the multiple crystal orbs, and the people filling those stands were all making a racket as if this were some kind of festival.

I wondered if anyone would actually try to stab the Hero in the back in a place like this, but thinking that the preparations had been made precisely because the possibility existed, I let out a sigh despite myself.

"Well, it's the kind of thing that happens all the time. Don't worry about it too much."

After the others moved to the stands, Zeke casually spoke to me while I stood there making a face like I'd bitten into something foul. The sheer nonchalance of it was absurd.

"Aren't you being too nonchalant when we're facing an event that might be an assassination attempt on you?"

It wasn't that he hadn't heard Esmue earlier. Zeke could command wind spirits, so as long as he was nearby, he could hear any spoken conversation.

That was why I could ask without a hint of doubt, and Zeke also simply shrugged his shoulders and answered as if he had no intention of hiding anything.

"That's because you're from a country that faces Demonfolk directly, so you don't really know what it's like. Some inland kingdoms consider the Hero itself a massive fraud perpetrated by the Empire."

"A fraud?"

"They think it's a scheme where the Empire hypes up the Hero by invoking god's name when in reality the Demonfolk ain't shit, and then they suck up every last bit of profit."

Honestly, I had suspected they were planning to use the Hero for profit. But... the idea of ignoring the Demonfolk threat itself and falsely invoking a god's name? All I could say was that they'd crossed a line.

Not even Zeke or me, who were from another world, but people living an ordinary life in this world thought that kind of bullshit?

"Do the inland kingdoms have no faith?"

"There's a saying. 'Viewed up close it's a tragedy, viewed from afar it's a comedy.'"

Today, Zeke oddly seemed intellectual and Hero-like in several ways. Yeah. That's a goddamn accurate statement.

"That's why I treat all these fucked-up bastards like the shit they are. Guys with no sense of reality, never put in any effort, but the moment they feel like they're losing out, they treat it as fact and rise up to bite and tear you apart—but when it comes to actually strengthening themselves or improving their abilities, they'd rather think about depending on others."

I hadn't thought he'd only seen good things after being reincarnated as the Hero, but Zeke might have witnessed far more ugly shit than I'd imagined.

"But not every single one of them's like that, either. There are decent ones too who say, 'We acknowledge the Demonfolk threat, but there's no way the Hero can overcome it alone. We will not depend on the Hero!' That's how human beings ought to be, but it's a shame it's not a universal mindset."

Just as I was sinking into such sentiments, about to find the guy pitiful anew, Zeke tapped my shoulder and grinned, baring his teeth.

"Most importantly, you're here this time too. You hate bastards like that, don't you?"

"I really don't like them."

"Right. That's all we need. Even if they throw a tantrum, what the hell are they going to do against the Hero and the guy who beat the Hero? If you think of it as a chance to catch them and beat the shit out of them like dogs, it's actually something to look forward to."

This bastard. I didn't know about the rest, but when it came to mental fortitude alone, he was a Hero for sure.