25
Chapter 25
Early morning.
The Academy Gate Hall.
Enoch's group had gathered.
Benny was wearing a backpack, shifting his weight from side to side.
Edelyn stood quietly, tidying the hem of her robe.
Morse was adjusting the ties of Sancta's coat.
Benny scurried over to Enoch.
"Teacher! Where are we going?!"
His eyes were sparkling. He was clearly excited just by the words "field trip."
Enoch pointed to one of the gates.
"The Phileon Kingdom."
Benny's eyes widened.
"Phileon?! Does that mean—"
A massive silhouette flashed through Benny's mind.
A giant over two hundred centimeters tall.
A face covered in scars.
Expressionless green eyes.
"That's where Knight Commander Garrett is!!!"
Benny shouted, clenching his fists.
"Does this mean I can spar with the Knight Commander again?!"
Enoch waved his hand.
"We aren't going there to spar."
"Aw..."
A look of disappointment flickered across his face before vanishing. Benny's disappointment was always short-lived.
"But still, Phileon! I love it!"
Edelyn looked at Enoch and asked.
"What are we going there for?"
Enoch gave Edelyn a smirk.
"You'll find out when we get there."
It was a sinister smile.
A flash of wariness crossed Edelyn's eyes.
'That smile definitely means something grueling is waiting for us.'
It was the exact same smile he wore when he started the hell training before the Academic Festival.
Morse stepped up beside Enoch and asked in a low voice.
"Are you not going to tell me either?"
"You'll find out when we get there."
"I'm hurt that you're keeping secrets from me, Enoch."
"It's not a secret. It's a surprise."
'What's even the difference...'
Morse pouted but didn't ask further.
She knew that when Enoch smiled like that, asking a hundred times was useless.
Sancta was looking up at the gate. The shimmering surface of the gate cast a blue glow over her black hair.
"Is everyone ready?"
"Yes!"
Enoch walked toward the gate first. Light enveloped him.
The rest of the group followed.
#
As they stepped through the gate, a breeze greeted them.
The air was dry and cool, a stark contrast to the Academy. The sky was high with few clouds.
Before them stood solid, stone-built city walls.
The flag of the Phileon Kingdom fluttered in the wind.
Letters were carved above the city gate.
Astella.
One of the major southern cities of the Phileon Kingdom.
Unlike the Royal Capital, it was famous for the many adventurers and merchants who passed through.
Enoch looked up at the gate.
'This is the perfect spot.'
Astella was the most active city for adventurer activities in the Phileon Kingdom.
Its surrounding forests and plains provided a wide variety of quests across all difficulty levels.
Before his regression, Enoch had passed through this city several times.
It had been a place brimming with life before the Demon Realm's invasion.
Once through the city gates, shops lined both sides of the cobblestone road.
Weapon shops, armor shops, potion shops, and general stores.
Signboards crowded the streets.
Benny looked around.
"Wow, the vibe here is totally different from the Academy!"
Three men in armor, carrying large backpacks, walked past. The swords at their waists glinted in the sunlight.
Benny's eyes sparkled.
"Are those people adventurers?!"
"Yeah."
Enoch replied shortly, and Benny couldn't take his eyes off the adventurers' departing backs.
Edelyn observed her surroundings. She soon guessed why Enoch had brought them here.
"Are we... here to register as adventurers?"
Enoch answered.
"That's right."
At those words, Benny whipped around.
"Adventurers?! Us?! For real?!!!"
His voice echoed down the street. A passing merchant looked back in surprise.
"For real."
Enoch replied calmly.
"If this is a field trip, we should actually experience the field. Things that can be done in a classroom, we do there. Things that must be done outside, we do here."
Enoch looked over the group.
"The process of taking a quest, completing it, and receiving a reward—it's all a learning experience. As far as I know, there's no better lesson than real-world practice."
Benny's face lit up.
"Let's go, Teacher! Hurry!!"
Benny started sprinting ahead.
"Hey! You don't even know where the Adventurer's Association is, where are you running?!"
At Enoch's shout, Benny faltered and turned around.
"...Where is it?"
Edelyn facepalmed.
#
The Astella Adventurer's Association.
A crest featuring crossed swords and a staff hung above the wooden building.
The interior was visible through the entrance.
People were coming and going in the spacious lobby.
As they opened the door, a mixture of scents wafted in.
The smell of leather, iron, and even the scent of soup simmering somewhere.
Papers were densely posted on a large bulletin board.
It was the quest board.
Registration counters were lined up on the opposite side, where receptionists were seated.
Enoch headed toward the counter.
The group followed.
The receptionist was a woman with brown hair tied neatly. Seeing Enoch's group, she gave them a professional smile.
"Hello. Welcome to the Adventurer's Association. How can I help you?"
"I'd like to register as adventurers. Five of us."
The receptionist pulled out some documents.
"Please fill out these registration forms. Would you also like to register as a party?"
"Yes."
Five sheets of paper were produced.
Enoch took one and wrote his name.
He handed the rest to the others.
Benny took the form and began writing diligently.
Name. Age. Awakening type.
"What should I put for my specialty?"
"Write 'Downward Strike'."
"Ooh! So cool!"
Edelyn was quietly filling out her form.
Morse was helping Sancta fill out hers as well.
Once the forms were submitted, the receptionist processed the registration.
A few moments later, five wooden tags were produced.
They were adventurer ID tags.
"Registration is complete. What would you like as your party name?"
Enoch thought for a moment.
"Is it beneficial to have one?"
"If you register a party name, your quest records are managed as a unit. It's also an advantage during future rank evaluations."
Enoch nodded.
"The party name is..."
"Dragon Slayer!!!"
Benny interrupted, his eyes sparkling.
Edelyn looked at Benny.
"...Dragon Slayer? Us?"
"It sounds cool! Dragon Slayer! Dra!!! gon!!! Slayer!!!"
"We've never even seen a dragon."
"That's why we're going to hunt one later!"
Edelyn looked at Enoch with a worried expression.
Her eyes were asking, 'You're not actually going with that, are you?'
'We aren't even planning to hunt a dragon. Who cares about the name?'
Enoch spoke to the receptionist.
"Let's go with Dragon Slayer."
Edelyn stared at Enoch.
'He actually did it...'
Enoch looked perfectly unfazed. Edelyn let out a quiet sigh.
The receptionist said as she carved something into the tags.
"Since you are new registrants, you will start at F-rank. Your rank will increase based on your quest performance, and higher-rank quests are only available to adventurers of that rank or higher."
"Thank you."
Enoch took the tags and distributed them to the group.
'This will allow the students to gain practical experience.'
Enoch began calculating in his head.
'And we can earn money through quest rewards.'
He recalled his total assets: five silver coins. It was even less now.
'Plus, while the kids are on quests, I can secure training time for Morse and Sancta.'
The puzzle pieces clicked into place in Enoch's mind.
'It's killing three birds with one stone!!!'
He smiled sinisterly, feeling internally triumphant.
The receptionist tilted her head slightly at that smile.
Benny held up his tag and held it to the light.
F.
As he checked the rank engraved on the tag, Benny's expression grew strangely dark.
"...I'm an F here, too?"
There was a hint of disappointment in his voice.
F at the Academy.
F for adventurer rank.
"I can't believe I'm an F even here..."
Morse approached Benny and said.
"The receptionist just told us. Your rank goes up based on your performance. Don't be so discouraged."
Benny's eyes snapped open.
"That's right! I can just raise it with my results!"
His mood brightened instantly. He clenched his fist and turned toward the quest board.
He cheered for them to hurry and find a quest.
#
In front of the quest board.
It was covered in papers.
The sections were divided by rank.
S-rank and A-rank quests were at the top, with ranks decreasing toward the bottom.
Benny stood before the board and scanned it up and down.
His eyes stopped at the very top.
"Teacher! That one! I want to do that one!!"
What Benny pointed to was a piece of paper at the topmost section.
S-rank marking. Red border.
[ S-Rank Emergency Quest ]
Quest: Slaying the Red Flame Dragon
Client: Astella City Council
Reward: 5,000,000 Gold Coins
Habitat: Astella Southeastern Mountains
Note: Only parties rank A or higher may apply. The Association is not responsible for deaths.
"It's a dragon!! A dragon!!!"
Stars seemed to pour out of Benny's eyes.
"It makes no sense for us to be the Dragon Slayers but not hunt a dragon!!!"
Enoch was temporarily speechless.
'...He's already using the party name we just came up with?'
"Not a chance."
"Whaaaat?! A Dragon Slayer who doesn't hunt dragons?!"
"The name is Dragon Slayer, but are your skills those of a Dragon Slayer? Pick from F-rank."
Enoch pointed to the bottom of the board.
"Over here."
Benny pouted but resigned himself after looking at Enoch.
The group stood before the F-rank section.
F-rank quests were mostly simple.
Gathering herbs, delivering items, cleaning services, finding livestock.
Edelyn read one paper carefully before speaking to Enoch.
"Teacher, how about this one?"
Enoch read the request Edelyn pointed to.
[ F-Rank Quest ]
Quest: Gather 30 Moonlight Plum Blossoms for healing potion ingredients
Client: Libel Alchemy Workshop
Reward: 15 Silver Coins
Habitat: Outskirts of the White Forest in southern Astella
Note: Moonlight Plum Blossoms grow in colonies around shaded valleys. Beware of occasional low-level monsters.
'Healing potion ingredients. A gathering quest with the possibility of low-level monsters.'
Enoch summarized it in his head.
First, the primary goal is gathering, so the risk is low.
Yet, because monsters might appear, they could gain real combat experience.
The reward wasn't bad for F-rank.
Fifteen silver coins was a significant amount given their current situation.
"Alright. Let's go with this."
Enoch tore the request off the board.
"It's perfect for a first quest."
Benny peered at the document.
"Are we picking flowers?"
"We're picking flowers."
"Isn't there anything cooler?"
"Do you want to go slay a dragon?"
"Flowers are great!"
Benny answered immediately, perhaps secretly fearing the dragon.
Enoch submitted the request to the receptionist and completed the registration.
The receptionist gave a brief explanation of the route to the outskirts of the White Forest and the precautions.
"Moonlight Plum Blossoms grow around damp rocks in shaded valleys. They are characterized by white petals and silver stems. Also, please be careful as low-level monsters occasionally appear on the outskirts of the White Forest."
"Thank you."
Enoch led the group out of the Association.