An Extremely Ordinary Group Project (1)
The day marked exactly one month since the opening of the Barhart Empire Academy. In a private meeting room, the three professors who oversaw all combat-related subjects had gathered.
The seductive beauty with flowing, blood-red hair that evoked the image of fresh blood spilling across the floor—Istal von Lebenstein—spoke first.
The cold-looking gentleman with neatly combed black hair and a formal suit, Neville Brix, opened his mouth next.
The white-haired boy with an innocent face—Emilio Lafer, whose youthful appearance was nothing more than an age-defying illusion—replied with a slightly uneasy expression.
At Emilio's words, Istal laughed softly.
Neville nodded in agreement.
Emilio shook his head.
Seeing Emilio sniffle and rub his nose, Neville gave him a puzzled look.
"You little brat, the way you talk is just... *ahem!* Haha, no, I'm fine. My nose has just been a bit sensitive lately, that's all."
Emilio couldn't possibly admit that the real cause was the perfume that had become trendy among the female students he taught. The other two ignored him and continued their conversation.
Emilio Lafer's face grew serious.
Clap.
Istal clapped her hands together, bringing the discussion to a close.
If they couldn't overcome it, well, that couldn't be helped. The two men offered no objection to Istal's added remark. What they were trying to raise were not delicate flowers in a greenhouse. If the students couldn't endure even this level of hardship, there was no point in teaching them.
The next day was Sunday.
From the sound-transmitting magic devices installed throughout the academy, a cheerful female voice rang out.
The students began to murmur.
"What's this about on a weekend morning?"
"Wonderful news?"
"Ugh, my stomach's already turning..."
Among the Martial Arts students who had been mercilessly worked to the bone by that cheerful voice for the past month, some were even showing signs of nausea. But the broadcast continued regardless.
"Classes suspended? For a whole week?"
"Just what are they trying to make us do...?"
"Heh, I don't know what it is, but it sounds fun. Want to team up?"
"Sure. We can easily get six if we just gather all the Martial Arts kids."
Most students thought optimistically and tried to gather with the friends they usually hung out with in class. But some students saw things differently.
A six-person team battle? Depending on the content, a week-long project could turn into quite the long-term affair. It might even be divided into multiple stages.
If the team composition is too lopsided, it'll be a disadvantage. We absolutely need to bring at least one Support specialist!
The number of students in each combat department was highest in Martial Arts with 108, Magic had 52—roughly half that—and Support had a mere 23. Healers being nobles was evident here as well.
"Yes! That's what I'm talking about! The room I'm using now is way too cramped!"
"What? Secret techniques? For real?!"
The rewards Istal announced finally lit a fire of motivation in the eyes of students who had been filled with nothing but suspicion and wariness. For noble-born students, the cramped single rooms—by their standards—were extremely inconvenient to live in. Even without that, the promise of learning secret techniques was incredibly tempting to students with strong ambitions.
The moment the broadcast ended, the students began moving busily.
"Hey, gather up! Let's make a team first!"
"Does anyone know people from Magic or Support?!"
"Damn it, I was planning to go out today. This ruins everything!"
"Secret techniques! New rooms! They're all mine!"
While listening to Professor Istal's broadcast, I thought to myself,
Good. This is exactly like the original story.
"...What kind of nonsense are you planning this time?"
Ligret, who was eating a large sausage-and-vegetable-stuffed bread, frowned as she spoke in her usual lazy monotone.
Pino, the green-haired girl sipping a carbonated drink with lemon slices, looked at me with clear suspicion.
I shrugged.
"Pure coincidence. Crow said he had a sparring appointment with another Martial Arts student and blew us off. Akasha said she had to visit the Holy Star Church's temple, so she couldn't come either."
As a result, the six people currently gathered were me, Ligret, Fiore, Loto, Pino, and Rabaul. In truth, if I had forced the issue, I could have formed a party with much stronger members. But I deliberately chose not to.
Anyway, cooperation is just as important as combat power in this project. Even if their strength is a bit lacking, members who will actually listen to me are better.
Crow, the third son of the famous swordsmanship family from the Nahat Grand Duchy, would probably listen to me once if I brought up the favor of selling him that sword. But it felt too early to cash in that favor. As for Akasha, the youngest paladin, I didn't have much of a connection with her yet. Our only meetings had been through Fiore, so there was still some distance between us.
I had also tried inviting Prelia from the alchemy class. After thinking for a long time, she had hesitantly declined. We had grown fairly close through active conversations during class and discussions about the material, but it seemed she still felt it was too soon to meet privately.
Fiore spoke up.
"That's fine. With Ligret here, she'll handle most things anyway. And Loto here is an excellent vanguard member too!"
At my words, Loto coughed violently as if something had gone down the wrong way.
"Hmm. It is true that since I cannot currently use any spells, it would be reasonable for me to take on the role of a shield in the front..."
As Loto tried to slowly edge away, I placed a hand on his shoulder.
Loto pondered for about five seconds before answering with a very serious expression.
I smiled brightly.
"Do you really think Professor Istal will just let students with bad grades slide?"
"I would very much like to work together with you here. Please assign me to the vanguard or anywhere else you need."
And just like that, the party recruitment was complete.