Chapter 11
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Exploration (1)
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Right after handing over her body, Roel opened her eyes in a space she'd never seen before.
"......Where is this?"
It was a strange experience.
There was nothing around her, just endless white.
No matter how long she walked, nothing appeared.
Her mood was odd too.
She was clearly breathing through her own nose and walking on her own legs.
Yet for some reason, she didn't feel alive.
"......This feels creepy."
She just wanted to leave.
She wanted to escape this stifling, lonely space.
"Ah......"
Then, realizing something, Roel sighed.
This must be the place.
The space where the demon in her heart had existed.
"All alone in here, so lonely......"
She stopped walking.
She no longer felt like continuing.
Maybe the Demon had felt the same.
Endlessly walking these boundless streets until, at some point, giving up in resignation.
The thought made her chest tighten.
"I was planning to yell at you today."
She wanted to ask why he'd done such a thing and grill him on his motives.
After all, he'd nearly harmed someone, so she wanted to hate him that much.
"Why didn't you just tell me everything? I might have been able to help."
She spoke into the void.
Talking to an unseen presence had become familiar by now.
"What are you doing all by yourself?"
It seemed time was up.
She felt her mind being pulled somewhere.
Roel quietly closed her eyes and let the flow carry her.
"......"
When she opened her eyes again, Professor Cigarette sat in front of her, calmly sipping tea.
"Welcome back."
"......What did you talk about?"
"Nothing much. A greeting, if anything."
Neither the Demon nor the professor had given her straight answers.
With that thought, Roel rose from her seat.
The business was done, so there was no reason to stay.
"Wait a moment, Cadet Roel."
"Yes?"
"Cadet Roel, you'll start personal training tomorrow. Clear your schedule as much as possible."
Personal training?
"Because of the Demon?"
"So that's what you call him. Yes. Starting tomorrow, you'll learn to control that power."
"You mean......"
As if understanding, Cigarette nodded and added,
"Yes, Cadet Roel. Soon, you'll be able to purge that 'demon'."
It had already been a week since that direct conversation with Professor Cigarette.
Nothing special happened, and I just observed Roel's ordinary Academy life.
It wasn't boring.
This was a fantasy world's academy, after all. Even trivial things seemed novel from a modern perspective.
[ "Demon, look at this! I did it!" ]
Roel spoke joyfully.
She pointed to a dummy sliced clean twenty feet away.
[ "This is it, right? The thing you did!" ]
"That's not it."
[ "Huh." ]
Surprisingly, Roel hadn't pressed me about that day's events.
She carried on everyday conversations as usual, then hit the dorm bed and slept as soon as she arrived.
Even checking her inner subtitles yielded nothing.
It was as if she was deliberately avoiding the thought; her mind was filled with other matters.
[ "Still, I think I get mana a bit now." ]
Roel began explaining her newfound mana theories.
She had no talent for teaching; I barely understood most of it.
[ "So, like. When you focus, you feel it, right? That whoosh. Send it surging through your whole body and......" ]
What the hell was she saying?
Anyway, Cigarette's guidance was clearly helping.
Roel, spouting nonsense like this, had grasped something.
[ "Oh, lecture time already." ]
Roel hurriedly left the training grounds.
Part of the training, perhaps? She ran all the way to the classroom.
She wiped the unavoidable sweat with a pre-prepared 'Cleanse Magic Scroll' and opened the door.
[ "That was close......!" ]
Roel, barely on time, took her seat.
Sera sat beside her again today.
It couldn't be helped. Laila always arrived early and napped, while Roel trained late.
[ "Hehe, good morning! Eaten yet?" ]
[ "......" ]
[ "No reply again." ]
Sera still struggled around Roel.
She froze at eye contact and fled at touch.
Her reactions were amusing, so I'd once nudged Roel closer on purpose.
Laila......
Hard to read.
Full sleep through theory classes. In practice, she'd do the minimum then nap.
I remembered her saying she acknowledged me last time, but no real talk since.
[ "Everyone here? No roll call." ]
Cigarette entered the classroom.
Her usual annoyed expression. Consistently poor attitude, yet top-notch lessons. A strange one.
[ "No lecture today." ]
Wait, what?
[ "Not out of laziness. I've prepared a task for you cadets to handle yourselves." ]
Cigarette distributed papers to each desk.
I clicked the view around to check the contents.
Dungeon Conquest Assignment
"A dungeon."
This was a fantasy world, so it had all the fantasy staples.
Dungeons included.
Treasures galore, artifacts if lucky—a classic cliché.
But dangerous too. First assignment is dungeon conquest?
1st Grade lives up to the hype.
[ "Call it an assignment, but it's basically self-study. Head to the location on the paper, conquer the dungeon, and return. Due next lecture. Class canceled tomorrow. That's it." ]
Cigarette delivered it curtly and left.
[ "......Isn't it just lecture laziness?" ]
[ "Totally." ]
Murmurs of complaint around me.
Given Cigarette's image, unavoidable noise, but I saw it differently.
First, the reason wasn't 'laziness'—unlikely.
Despite appearances, Cigarette was quite responsible.
Probably another motive.
I relayed my speculation to Roel.
"Your practical experience is sorely lacking. The professor's judgment seems spot on."
Roel naturally pulled out her notebook and scribbled a reply.
「I see~」
「But why the speech change?」
"......"
Since that incident, my dreamed-of 'Avatar' purchase was nearing.
To rack up more points, I'd been tweaking my speech.
「Just talk normal. Doesn't suit you at all.」
"......Demanding."
Speech tweak op failed. Need another way.
"Anyway, how about heading out ASAP?"
「Why? Class canceled tomorrow for this.」
"Training's experience too. More combat practice means better results, right?"
「Aha.」
Convinced, Roel closed her notebook and eyed the seat next to her.
One regrettable fact.
Sera hadn't adapted to Roel, but Roel had to Sera.
No more trauma, making the fear one-sided.
[ "......Why stare?" ]
[ "Assignment, right? Wanna go now?" ]
[ "Now?!" ]
Shocked, Sera looked at Roel.
Eye contact hit; she ducked, shielding her view with her hand.
Classic funny reaction.
[ "Yeah, now. Assignment's best done quick, no?" ]
[ "Is it necessary......" ]
Sera took a passive stance.
Clearly uncomfortable pairing with Roel.
[ "But Sera, listen." ]
[ "What now." ]
[ "Training builds experience, right? More combat means better, yeah?" ]
"Hey, that's my line......"
Roel ignored me and pressed on.
[ "So, let's go now. Yeah? Yeah?" ]
[ "A......! Fine." ]
Sera shot up from her seat.
[ "Hey, wake up." ]
Sera shook Laila vigorously.
[ "Ugh, uuuuh." ]
Laila flopped limply before snapping awake.
[ "Lunchtime......?" ]
[ "No? Assignment time." ]
[ "What assignment?" ]
[ "Professor gave it." ]
[ "Why?" ]
[ "Just come." ]
Sera dragged Laila along.
Roel followed, greeting the remaining cadets.
"Look at that drive......"
Honestly, didn't expect immediate action.
Good is good, but......
Why the sudden unease?
The inexplicable feeling was confusing.
Too late to stop now, so I just watched the trio.
[ "This the place?" ]
[ "Yep. I read maps." ]
[ "I'll nap up front then......" ]
The dungeon was a mere 5th Grade.
Different scale from Academy ranks, but still lowest tier.
Sera solo could probably clear it.
[ "Keep that up, and I'll drop your name from the report." ]
[ "Sera, so motivated!" ]
[ "M-me? W-what." ]
The three entered the dungeon in good spirits.
The screen darkened instantly.
I cranked the brightness.
[ "Keruk." ]
A cry-like sound from ahead.
They drew weapons and tensed.
[ "Low-Grade Dungeon's still low-grade." ]
Sera spoke in her haughty tone.
Small green monsters.
A goblin pack wielding clubs blocked the party's path.
The dungeon exploration began.