Preparation (3)
Preparation (3)
To humanity, monsters are a great calamity.
During the Chaos Period, the number of people killed by monsters was beyond counting, and even now, many still fall victim to them.
No matter how much people bluster about having overcome the Chaos Period or the arrival of an era of peace, the fundamental danger of monsters remains unchanged.
If a single 4th-Rank monster were to appear in the Inland rather than the Demon Realm, the surrounding area would be reduced to ashes—so much for "overcoming."
It's simply that, lately, more people have been under that illusion.
Monsters are still dangerous. Not just high-rank monsters like 4th-Rank or 3rd-Rank ones—even the low-rank monsters you see everywhere are dangerous.
And the danger posed by the Dungeons that spawn those monsters needs no elaboration.
Even a mere mongrel puts on airs in its own den; a monster with a Dungeon at its back—it goes without saying how much worse that is.
Monsters, and the Dungeons that harbor them, are dangerous.
People dying in Dungeons is an all too common occurrence.
'......'
Atra rubbed her stiffened face and lowered her gaze.
In the brief silence,
she saw Lee Ha-yul, cowering under the mistaken impression that he had done something wrong.
Despite bearing no fault, he had lost his nerve and was watching for her reaction—a pitiful sight. He looked like a rain-soaked puppy anxiously eyeing its owner.
She opened her mouth to deny that misconception, but the words wouldn't come. She couldn't bring herself to say anything.
The profession of a hero—where the Association has spent decades managing public perception—is inextricably tied to monsters.
And therefore, it is always fraught with danger. A hero is a short-lived occupation where death can come at any moment.
Those who once strutted about, boasting of their prowess, often vanish by the next day without leaving so much as a trace of a corpse.
That is especially true in the Demon Realm, but also common in the Dungeons of the Inland.
If they at least leave behind fragments of a body, like her disciple did... that's above average.
"...A week, was it?"
Atra took a deep breath, ran a hand down her face, and mentally checked the date.
It was currently the Cradle's 5th week... meaning the first week of April.
'Heh.'
She let out a hollow laugh inwardly. How absurdly coincidental—this date fell so close to the death anniversary.
In the most fucked-up way possible.
"...Have you received authorization for off-campus activity?"
Siyoram fundamentally restricts cadets' outings unless they have approval from the academy administration.
Additionally, on the grounds of ensuring cadet safety, entry by outsiders is also strictly scrutinized.
Of course, the conditions for cadet outings are more lenient than one might think, and many cadets leave campus every weekend.
[Yes, I have received authorization.]
When Atra, having composed herself, asked, Lee Ha-yul, who had been huddled tightly, answered frantically.
Atra chewed on her lip at that answer.
Authorization from Siyoram. In that case, there was no reason for Atra to hold him back... no reason...
'...Do I even have a reason to hold him back?'
Her mind went blank for a moment at the sudden thought.
Either way, Lee Ha-yul was choosing to shoulder the work of a hero. A hero is someone whose primary occupation is killing monsters.
Combat-specialized heroes kill monsters.
Support-specialized heroes aid those who kill monsters.
If even support work is beyond them, they develop the techniques and equipment needed to kill monsters.
For Lee Ha-yul, who belongs to the combat track, entering and leaving dungeons where monsters appear was only natural—there was no reason to stop him.
It would be utterly absurd to block his path.
Preventing someone who wants to become a hero from entering dungeons is not something that should be done.
That was why she hadn't stopped him back then, either—and she had regretted that choice.
And even now... there was no reason to stop him.
Atra fell silent for a while. After a long pause and great reluctance, she finally parted her tightly sealed lips.
Her voice was uncharacteristically careful and small.
"...Alright. Go, and come back safely."
It was an answer much like the one she had given back then.
* * *
'...Did I slip up somehow?'
I observed Professor Atra's retreating footsteps. They were different from usual... somehow drained of strength.
She grew more distant until she passed beyond the range of my spatial perception.
I was the only one left in the old-style training hall. I mouthed wordlessly for a moment, then let out a deep sigh.
When I rubbed the back of my neck, the sweat that had briefly dried while I rested oozed out again.
Or, more accurately, I should call it a cold sweat.
I fanned my face with my hand and replayed the scene in my mind.
When the feedback was over and the lecture was wrapping up, I had told Professor Atra that I would be off-campus over the weekend.
I added that I planned to stop by a Dungeon along the way.
I had already gotten permission from Siyoram. I had submitted the inquiry a few days ago, and the approval message had come back within minutes.
Since I wouldn't be seeing Professor Atra over the weekend, it would've been fine to just go without a word, but since she is my major professor, I gave her advance notice.
'What was that...'
Just now, Professor Atra's demeanor had been clearly different from usual.
When I told her I was planning to stop by a Dungeon, her face had frozen cold.
My breath caught in my throat for a moment. It was the face of an adult bearing an unmistakably negative emotion.
I managed to hold it together, but it was a frightening enough face to make my fingertips tremble faintly.
Fortunately, her expression loosened soon after, but she showed odd signs—chewing on her lip, her gaze drifting here and there.
'Dungeon?'
She hadn't shown much reaction to going off-campus, but she had reacted strongly to the keyword "Dungeon."
It had been like that before, too. Professor Atra displayed a particularly strong aversion to the topic of Dungeons.
And yet, her knowledge of Dungeons was extensive.
She was an odd type.
I could only guess that, as much as she hated Dungeons, she had tried to overcome that aversion.
But seeing her reaction today, that reason alone felt insufficient somehow.
Professor Liana had said it too. That her temper is notoriously brusque and prickly, but... and that, well, she's just someone with a great many circumstances. How many people don't have their own, after all?
That's true.
In the end, Professor Atra is only human, so of course she must have her own circumstances. Likely, for reasons I don't know, she reacts with aversion to Dungeons.
- Stop.
There is no one without their own circumstances. The moment that sentence surfaced in my mind, my feet suddenly halted.
Everyone has their own circumstances. Not everything in the world can be reduced to right and wrong.
Sometimes a choice that seemed right at the time turns out to be wrong in the end, and the reverse also holds true.
There is no one without their own circumstances. Everyone has their own story.
If that's the case, then...
Did my parents have their own circumstances too? Is there a story behind why they treated me that way? Was there... a reason they had no choice but to do so?
'Shit.'
That was a premise I had no desire to entertain.
I ground my teeth and forced my halted legs to move.
I had to prepare to go off-campus.
.
.
.
It goes without saying, but Siyoram provides its cadets with a wide range of benefits.
If you look through the regulations, there are so many it's hard to list them all, but the most representative one is the reward based on points... or Credits.
As cadets receive education at Siyoram and undergo various evaluations, Credits are awarded to them individually.
Pop quizzes and brief practical exams during Dungeon Practice and lectures, as well as the points earned during the recent Tower entry, are examples of this.
These Credits not only serve as proof of academic performance later but also come with meaningful rewards.
'1,000 points, huh...'
The Credits I earned at the Tower of Growth totaled 1,300 points, of which I set aside 300 points for the price of the Origin Egg.
I also have points from Dungeon Practice and other exams, but they aren't large enough sums to compare with what I got from the Tower.
It was currently Friday afternoon.
Since my major lectures were over, I could head straight to the Gate Terminal, but before that, I planned to use my Credits to receive an Artifact.
In the original work, you had to make good use of these Credits as well.
As an educational institution founded by the Tower Master of Growth and gathering world-class superhumans, the rewards listed in its Catalog were incredibly diverse.
In other words, Artifacts every bit as good as Hidden Pieces existed there.
Of course, Hidden Pieces differ in grade and practicality. The Artifacts listed in the Catalog also vary wildly in price depending on the type.
There weren't many Artifacts that could be acquired in such a short timeframe.
But honestly, roaming through outside Dungeons all alone is terrifying in more ways than one.
Snowball effect or not, if I just up and die, it all ends there—so I intended to take an Artifact that would contribute to my combat strength.
I had already decided on the Artifact to take after reviewing the original work's knowledge and the Catalog.
The mid-to-high-grade Artifact, the ｢Sky Wing Feather｣.
An Artifact made of a diaphanous, semi-transparent cloth, its defensive power is determined by the purity of the mana imbued into it.
I selected it with my mana purity in mind—since everyone around me praises it as a strength of mine.
Furthermore, it has an auto-repair function that consumes mana, and when mastered, it also possesses a remote manipulation function that allows the user to control the Artifact independently.
Based on functions alone, it would rank among the top high-grade Artifacts, but maintaining mana purity is no easy feat.
Consequently, because its smooth operation depends on the condition of high mana purity, its grade was assessed somewhat lower. For ordinary users, it delivers about mid-to-high-grade performance, they say.
However, if I—with my extremely high mana purity—use it, it should demonstrate quite respectable performance.
Filled with anticipation, I headed to the Central Administration Building near the Central Plaza.
Matters involving important affairs, such as Artifact distribution, are handled at the Central Administration Building.
Running at a moderate pace, I arrived at the building in no time.
"It has been a while, Cadet Lee Ha-yul. I am Vice Headmaster Venus Litera, charged with Artifact distribution."
I was met by the Vice Headmaster, who appeared to have been waiting. After offering a brief nod of her head, she looked toward me.
Her pale-violet eyes, holding faint emotion, took in my figure.
Flustered internally by this unexpected figure, I bowed my head in return.
It was our first meeting in nearly a month.