Chapter 4
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Persistent Invitation -2-
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Only three days remained until the entrance ceremony.
Even though I wasn't the one enrolling, I was looking forward to it.
Along with the anticipation came thoughts of the events that lay ahead.
Even considering the timing for infiltration filled my head in no time.
To clear my increasingly tangled mind, I started moving my body in the courtyard. Before long, the sun had set, and hunger began to gnaw at me.
'What should I have for dinner?'
Deciding what to eat for three meals a day.
It was a tougher dilemma than any Platinum-rank request.
It'd be great if the Empire officially published a monthly meal plan.
I left home and wandered the streets, but nothing caught my eye.
After circling the area several times, I remembered there was a bit of strawberry jam left at home. I bought a baguette with a crust as hard as stone and leisurely headed back.
"I couldn't give you~ happiness~"
I hummed a song that's no longer around to listen to.
As my precious home came into view, I spotted a familiar figure standing in front of my house.
Soft brown hair tied back with a headband. It was the Adventurer's Guild's star receptionist.
Roland Wolfgang.
A giant over two meters tall, possessor of unmatched superhuman strength.
Famous for his destructive, head-on swordsmanship and spear arts rather than sharp, precise techniques.
He earned the moniker "Murderous War Chariot" on the battlefield and is the most senior among the knights still alive.
After long years as a knight, he's now retired, living for the pleasure of giving pocket money to his grandkids.
'He could just retire properly and guzzle booze at home...'
Doran couldn't understand Roland, despite knowing him for so long.
He wasn't short on money, so why the obsession with the Lofty Academy dean's position? Hadn't his foolish stubbornness already led to tragedy?
He could spend his twilight years buried in the books he loved to death, yet he was still clinging to that dean's seat.
He showed no signs of stepping down.
At this rate, his friend might actually die, so Roland couldn't help but lend a hand.
He'd booked a private room at a restaurant he wasn't used to and sat waiting—not for food, but for a person.
'This is the last time I help you, you damn fool.'
He fiddled with the adventurer's plate in his pocket. It was the lowest rank among adventurer grades, but...
-I'll repay any grudge or favor, no matter what... That's my creed. I promise this plate holds value beyond a thousand gold... so help me just this once.
Now, it truly held value far beyond a thousand gold. Roland recalled the day he first met him, a few years back.
Those bloodshot eyes, completely filled with murderous intent.
He'd thought back then the kid was no ordinary sort, but to think he'd become such a big shot.
Bang!
The private room's door flew open roughly, and the man he'd been waiting for strode in.
He didn't hide his annoyance, letting out a deep sigh the moment he entered.
"Haa— you damn old coot."
"Looks like you're doing well. That's the best news of all, Roman. Come, sit. Let's eat first."
They'd kept in touch sporadically after that incident, building a casual rapport.
Roland enjoyed meeting this young guy who treated him so freely.
"Even so, making our cute receptionist run around?"
"Kuhaha!! Sending a woman was the right call after all. What were you expecting?"
"Tch... From now on, send a guy if you have to. Don't send a woman out to the outskirts alone. You know how dangerous it is?"
As expected of an adventurer—he had a sense of honor.
Doran dismissed gut feelings as unreliable, but Roland trusted his instincts more than anyone.
'This guy's promise holds even if it kills him.'
After their usual bickering over the meal, a warm cup of coffee arrived, signaling the end of the course.
"So... mind telling me now why you called me here?"
Growing impatient, Roman downed the hot coffee in one gulp and glared at Roland.
"Wasting a high-class adventurer's time like this is a nuisance. I have a favor to ask."
Roland pulled out the adventurer's plate he'd been fiddling with and placed it on the table.
Roman's expression hardened at the sight. He channeled mana.
Woooong—
Mana flowed from Roman's body, enveloping the entire room.
It was one of the tricks to block out sound.
His usual rough demeanor settled completely as he straightened up and took the plate Roland offered.
"I thought you'd forgotten... Fine. It's sudden, but I've got the adventurer's plate. I'd kill the prince if you asked, or hunt down the black mages hiding in the Empire."
"You madman! Pretend I didn't hear the first part... But are there black mages in the Empire?"
"No reason to tell you. I'll grant just one request, so choose wisely. Whatever it is, as long as it's possible, I'll do it."
The guy always ran his mouth rough, but every word was dangerously real.
The problem was, it wasn't a joke—it carried an sincerity you couldn't ignore.
"It's not that big a deal. Or rather, is using a 'Platinum' for something like this actually huge?"
"..."
Uncharacteristically, Roman didn't retort with his usual "old folks talk too much" and waited for Roland to get to the point.
'He's turned into a proper dragon. The goddess is heartless—where'd she dig up a guy like this...'
Roland looked at the fully subdued Roman, lamenting that he was an adventurer and not a knight, yet relieved he was in the Harun Empire, not the Federation.
"I want you to teach a class at the academy."
The moment Roland pulled out the adventurer's plate.
I'd braced myself to skip the academy entrance ceremony. Even if it meant missing a few hidden pieces timing-wise, a promise was a promise.
For adventurers, credibility was as vital as life, so I listened closely, waiting for his conclusion.
"I want you to teach a class at the academy."
"...!"
I nearly jumped up in joy the instant I heard it.
What glitch in causality led to this outcome? I had no idea why we'd arrived here.
Even giving Roland the adventurer's plate ages ago had been a stroke of pure coincidence, not some calculated move.
But showing emotion at the negotiation table was for third-rate hacks.
I gritted my teeth, kept my expression neutral, and nodded.
"I'll do it. It's a promise and repaying a favor, so no pay needed."
"...R-really? I figured you'd accept, but you're making me feel a bit guilty now."
Roland's face, for once, showed pure surprise.
Money rots anyway.
Placing a debt on Roland's conscience was worth more than some pittance instructor salary.
"Keep paying fees worthy of Platinum, and even the academy might crumble."
"True... That's why I hesitated to ask. I was planning to negotiate on time or frequency."
"In exchange for working for free, I'd like to hear about the time constraints and details on the teaching."
I still needed to take adventurer jobs occasionally.
Prolonged inactivity could demote your rank, though Platinum was safe from that. Still, showing face now and then was smart.
'Gives me an excuse to roam outside too.'
My reason for moonlighting as an adventurer wasn't just hidden pieces. This game had an ending, and what came after the protagonist's return to Korea was unpredictable—the world didn't end.
I needed plans to survive in this world long-term.
"Conditions—about that... There's someone waiting at another place right now."
"Who? Don't tell me the academy dean?"
Roland grinned and nodded.
-
Unlike the fancy restaurant dinner, the spot where the dean waited was a tavern packed with cheap snacks on the menu.
We pushed through the crowded interior to the back, where a secluded table sat.
Whether he'd requested it or it was always there, Roland led the way, and I followed.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Doran Escaro, dean of Lofty Academy—far beyond my station."
"Likewise. Adventurer Roman."
"Sit down first."
Doran was the complete opposite of Roland.
Calm, with a moderate volume to his voice.
Already accustomed to his missing arm, he skillfully poured drinks with his left.
The rumor that the dean's arm was severed had spread through every alley, so it wasn't surprising.
"Rum okay? No sugar, but it uses butter for a fine aroma."
He handed me a wooden cup.
"Of course."
Refusing in a setting like this would be rude, so I accepted the rum and set it down.
No need for me to explain; Roland briefed Doran on the situation, minus the adventurer's plate.
When the no-pay part came up, Doran's expression nearly cracked.
"I don't know what went down between you two, but even for honor's sake, I can't allow unpaid work. The Adventurer's Guild would send protest letters for sure."
The academy exploiting their top asset for free?
Definitely not a pleasant scenario for the guild.
"...Then just pay the assistant instructor salary. Announce that you've compensated me satisfactorily. That'll do."
"No, even that's..."
"Hey!!!"
In the middle of talking with Doran, it felt like a bear had barged into the tavern roaring.
All eyes in the place snapped to Roland at his booming voice, then scattered upon seeing his massive build.
"You dense idiot! Just accept it and accommodate his conditions as best you can! Did you lose your common sense with your arm?"
Roland grabbed Doran's empty sleeve and flapped it side to side.
Doran, irritation flaring, was about to snap back at Roland but held it in upon noticing I was watching.
"Ahem... Then let's settle the essential conditions first."