Chapter 52: Dungeon Practice (2)
Chapter 52: Dungeon Practice (2)
Iona Francesca is a beautiful woman.
She has dark crimson hair that falls in soft waves and eyes of the same hue that glow with a bewitching light. Her skin is so pale it looks as if white powder might rub off at a touch, a stark contrast to her blood-colored features that only serves to heighten her allure.
And then there is her figure—curves so explosive that even the most modest clothing cannot hide them. It isn't an exaggeration to say that any man would find himself staring, momentarily entranced by her silhouette.
It makes sense, in a way.
A vampire’s appearance is a hunting tool, much like the light of an anglerfish used to lure humans in. It is likely for this reason that a species which reproduces through blood-sucking evolved bodies that maximize feminine appeal.
However, despite all that, there is a simple reason why the male students of the Academy aren't enchanted by Iona.
It is because her overwhelming beauty is completely offset by her sheer ditziness.
Rattle—
Roll, roll, roll.
As she did every day, Iona entered the classroom with a triple forward roll, sprang to her feet, and shouted.
“Iona has arrived!”
Perhaps they had grown completely used to it over the past month, but the students simply greeted her nonchalantly, as if this were perfectly normal. They seemed quite friendly with her.
Did they know? That Iona was intentionally acting like a buffoon just to maintain smooth social relations?
Well… everyone would find out eventually, but for now, they likely just thought of her as a great but eccentric person.
After chatting briefly with the nearby students, Iona tapped on the lectern.
“Quiet, quiet, everyone! I have something important to say today!”
Despite her antics, the students respected her authority as a professor. The classroom fell silent in an instant. It was only natural; they spent every day in the sparring grounds facing either Iona herself or classmates driven mad by the grades she handed out. No one could afford to ignore her.
In the silence, which was tinged with a hint of tension, Iona wore her usual vacant smile.
“So, listen, listen! Some of you might have heard rumors and guessed already… but our Class A has Dungeon Practice in one week! It’s a joint exercise with Class A from the other departments, so you can look forward to it!”
Finally…!
I had wondered when she mentioned having something important to say, and as expected, it was about the Dungeon Practice.
Though the sentiment has faded slightly over time, the Academy’s founding goals remain the extermination of cultists and the conquest of all dungeons. That is why Class A students, deemed sufficiently skilled, are given a taste of a dungeon even if they are mere fledglings who only enrolled a month ago.
Of course, it isn't just any dungeon; it’s a special one strictly managed by the Academy.
Fundamentally, a dungeon is a remnant of a failed attempt by a Good God to devour the forces of an Evil God. The lore states that a Good God tried to seal a monster settlement along with its surrounding area and cast it into the far side of dimensions, only to be caught by an Evil God.
Because of that, a boss monster blessed by an Evil God—or an object called a Core—acts like a wedge, pinning the dungeon to this world.
However, perhaps because it was forcibly caught while transitioning to another dimension, the space inside can be unstable. While some are stable like the field-type dungeon Carla and I conquered, others exhibit bizarre phenomena.
One such type is the Regen-type Dungeon.
Due to the distortion of time and space within, the monsters that are killed continuously respawn at set intervals. The only way to conquer it is to defeat the boss or destroy the Core before the next cycle begins.
If you mess up, you might get stabbed in the back during the boss fight or be forced into an infinite war of attrition. Among the various types of dungeons, it is considered particularly tricky.
But what if there was a Regen-type Dungeon that only spawned weaklings like Goblins or Kobolds? If the boss is properly managed, couldn't it be used for training?
Based on that idea, the dungeon we are heading to for our practice is a place that is still maintained even though it was conquered long ago.
From the second year onwards, students go to normal dungeons like regular adventurers, but they can't do that with first-years who are still basically chicks. Freshmen are strictly required to go to this training dungeon.
Even then, it’s scheduled by grades. Class C might not get to go until the second semester… but not Class A. Being able to go on Dungeon Practice earliest and most frequently from the first year is one of the perks of being in Class A.
Gaining real-world experience by hunting even weak monsters leads to faster growth than just training through Academy lessons alone.
…And it allows one to quickly obtain the Hidden Pieces tucked away in the training dungeon.
Isn't it a universal rule to hide something in the early-game practice dungeon? Of course, since they are early-game Hidden Pieces, their performance isn't exactly legendary.
While I was internally debating how to naturally snag those Hidden Pieces, a student raised his hand, seemingly curious about something.
Looking closely, it was the scrawny male student who had shouted "Did we get him?" during a previous sparring session, only to have his location pinpointed and get eliminated immediately. I believe his name was Mackellin.
“I have a question, Professor!”
“Hm? What is it, what is it? Speak up, Student Mackellin!”
“You mentioned it’s a joint exercise with other departments. Does that mean we’ll be forming parties? If so…”
“That’s right, that’s right! Correct! No one is good at everything alone! That’s why you need comrades, and why most people enter dungeons in parties!”
At that, Mackellin nodded as if he had heard something obvious.
“True. It’s not like I have the stamina of a knight, and I’m not skilled enough in healing magic to treat wounds immediately like a priest.”
“Huh? Wait, wait…? Weren't you going to ask why we need parties and say you could sweep away low-grade monsters all by yourself?”
“Why would I do something so stupid…?”
“Every year, at least one of those idiots pops up in Class A, though…?”
Mackellin and Iona tilted their heads at each other in confusion.
Well… it is true that Class A students usually have high pride. As Iona said, a party member getting cocky and trolling was an event that happened with a low probability in H&A. And the one who always ran off on their own to cause trouble was… usually a student from the Magic Department.
By the very nature of magic, mages tend to have strong self-confidence.
Yet, for some reason, the current Class A students were all looking at Iona with confusion, just like Mackellin.
A group of mages without a single troll…?
Just as I was about to tilt my head at the dissonance, I realized.
Ah.
I noticed the surrounding gazes stealing glances at me.
I had beaten them too hard during sparring.
Elisha is a celebrity in the magic world, famous for her noble lineage and her genius talent since childhood. So, everyone thinks it’s only natural to lose to her.
But I am different.
A half-baked mage from a mercenary background (not really) who appeared out of nowhere was beating them down every single day. Even worse, the speed at which my magic skills improved was far faster than the speed at which they were getting used to combat.
Setting aside inferiority complexes or anger, it was only natural that the mindset of "I can do it all alone" had vanished.
As I sat there with a complicated expression, wondering if I should be happy about this or not, Iona brightly changed the subject.
“Then, then? Why did you ask about the parties?”
“Uh… I was going to ask if we have to find our own teammates if we’re teaming up with Class A students from other departments, or if the Academy assigns them. And how many people are in a party… things like that.”
“Aha!”
Clap!
Iona clapped her hands lightly as if she finally understood and nodded.
“I should definitely tell you that! Yes! In fact, I was just about to!”
“Haha…”
Mackellin lowered his hand with an awkward laugh.
“First of all, the parties were chosen randomly by the Academy! From the second year, you can form your own official parties, but in the first year, the members will change every time so you can experience teaming up with as many people as possible! Who your partners are is a secret! I’ll tell you on the day!”
Having said that, Iona scanned the classroom for a moment, then gave Elisha and me a meaningful smile.
“Don’t be too disappointed! The goal of this practice is strictly to experience a dungeon! You’re still first-years, so we aren't expecting anything grand. You need to have a wide variety of experiences! …Including the common mishaps that happen in dungeons.”
“““……”””
The students grew tense at Iona’s ominous words. Even Elisha gulped, perhaps because of that look from earlier.
…But honestly, it’s nothing much.
It just means the professors have set up some appropriate traps in the dungeon and intentionally matched party members who are incompatible, either in terms of ability or personality. You could call it a sort of balance patch.
Since the entrance exam itself was about how well you could kill monsters, a low-grade dungeon isn't that difficult even for first-years. So, they make it so you can't easily display your full strength.
In fact, internal strife within a party is a common occurrence. Even if it isn't a makeshift party, people inevitably get on edge when fighting in extreme conditions. They want us to experience that too.
In my case, since I showed quite good results in Magic Combat, I’ll likely be matched with someone from another department’s Class A who has some flaw in actual combat. I don't know who it will be, though.
I nodded to myself and raised my hand high.
Iona’s blood-red eyes widened, seemingly surprised by my composure while everyone else was nervous.
“Hm? Oh… yes! Does Student Yandel have a question too? Professor Iona will answer anything!”
“Ah. It’s about this.”
I took a deep breath before continuing. I was actually a bit nervous.
“Is it possible to bring someone other than the party members? For example… bringing an attendant to use as a porter.”
“Student Yandel, you have a subspace pocket, so why do you need a porter? Unfortunately, outsiders are not allowed! Beep-beep!”
Iona made a large 'X' with her arms.
Tsk.
As expected, it’s a no. Still, I had to ask everything I wanted to know.
“Slaves aren't considered people. Are they still considered 'outsiders'?”
It was a pretty trashy thing to say, but it was acceptable in this era. Real slaves were treated as objects, not people. To the point where if someone killed another person’s slave, it was surprisingly considered property damage rather than murder.
At my words, Iona tilted her head left and right as if in deep thought, then crossed her arms again as if she had made a decision.
“Mmm… still no! That would defeat the purpose of this Dungeon Practice! You must complete it by forming a party with the students you meet for the first time! Bringing even a slave is forbidden!”
“It can’t be helped then… I understand.”
What a waste. Carla Bus Season 2 has gone down the drain.
While I was briefly savoring my disappointment, the people around me were looking at me with expressions mixed with shock and contempt, imagining God knows what.
It’s fine. The heat will eventually shift to Elisha anyway.
However.
“…….”
Elisha was staring at me with suspicious eyes.
This is a bit troublesome. It looks like we’re going to need to have a talk.