Month-End Practical Training (2)
[Week 4 of March, Thursday afternoon.]
What does the academy think about the successive intrusions into the old school building by freshmen and returning students?
Trials make students stronger! That's one way to put it. Of course, this is only possible because they've deployed the best resources to prepare for every contingency. It's not like they're just dumping kids on a deserted island and saying, "Surviving makes you strong." No, they've got a resort hidden on the backside of that island, with medical teams and on-site staff all on standby, ready to impose those trials.
That's how the academy has raised its students all this time. The only unexpected wrinkle? Things like "angels" or "mana drain"—concepts that seem utterly irrational and absurd from the perspective of the academy staff and other adults.
That's why the academy isn't handing out harsh punishments to students who sneak in to steal mana pants from the old school building or launch raids. Why? Partly because they see those trials as another driver of student growth at their core. But more practically, those very escapades give students real combat experience.
In game terms, it's just the usual "experience farming time."
"Up until now, you four from the Zhuque Class haven't lost a single time against the students raiding the academy."
Instructor Esta handed us the combat reports that the academy staff had compiled so far.
"Your teamwork and synergy as a quartet is damn near perfect right now. There's hardly anything to nitpick—it's so impressive that even among the staff, no one would bet against you."
As Instructor Esta said, the special class combat reports compiled by various staff members were overflowing with praise. Ace of aces, holding clear advantages against academy freshmen, upperclassmen seniors, and even "angels." Only two angels had appeared so far, but we'd also subdued quite a few students with solid combat prowess.
"I've heard students talking about you guys. Not 'special admission' students, but special admission students."
"That's how they're calling us?"
"There's a difference between 'words that sound the same but mean different things.' The perception has taken root among students that you're not just admitted on exception—you're talents we specifically scouted and begged to join."
As a result, just as Instructor Esta described, the old school building crew had firmly established themselves as "special existences" in the students' minds. Even without sharing classes, the stories filtering back from failed nighttime raids on the old school building turned the Zhuque Class into objects of both envy and caution among regular students.
"Last time, I mentioned there were students hoping to get into the old school building."
"You said some of the special admissions were interested, right?"
"Yeah. But so far, the staff have only come in to clean and set up the space—no other classes have been formed yet. That's how popular this place is."
Instructor Esta pointed at the four of us.
"Unia, the mage who provides a new mana theory to all students via non-attribute mana and wields magic skills surpassing most graduating seniors."
"Ehehe...."
"Rydmila, the spear wielder who already showed outstanding ability and achievements during her active hunter days, and whose skills have only grown by leaps and bounds since joining the academy."
"Thank you."
"Evangeline, who's lately being called not the 'Di Ershi Princess' but the 'Old School Building's Dollmaster.'"
"Th-that's only natural, of course."
"And...."
Instructor Esta went through each of our comprehensive evaluations from the combat reports one by one, then stared straight at me and trailed off.
"Why do you stop?"
"...The hope of all men, Phoenix."
"Hm."
"What's wrong? Does 'hope' sound a bit too heavy?"
"No. It's just a little disappointing that I'm seen only as the hope of men, when I could be the hope of women too."
Having men send their faith my way is definitely a good thing, but if possible, it'd be nice to get equal devotion from both sides. That should change once we finish this internship. More people to interact with, wider range of activities, solid achievements from the internship granting access to the main academy building.
Word was already circulating inside the academy that after this internship, they'd reduce the remote class ratio for some courses. With mana pants proven to protect against mana drain from female students trying to suck guys dry, the optimistic view was that in-person classes in lecture halls were feasible now. Of course, this was partly due to instructors' frustrations with filling all classes remotely—but if safety was assured, there was no reason to keep male students holed up in classrooms for another month or two.
In other words, now that mana pants were sufficiently distributed and men wearing them could resist mana drain...
-As long as you don't get your mana sucked by a girl, who cares about the rest... right?
This internship would let male students roam the academy freely again, lifting a sort of curfew. And that would have a big ripple effect here at the old school building too.
"If there are no major issues during this internship, the staff consensus is that you all wandering into the main academy building won't be a big deal soon."
"Whoa, really?!"
Like Unia, who harbored some fantasy about the main academy building—a place she'd never even visited—the old school students couldn't help but rejoice at the prospect of unrestricted movement.
"I-I've always wanted to go there at least once!"
"Where exactly?"
"The central fountain and the bell tower!"
"...Both are spots with their own legends in the academy."
Rydmila made a heart shape with her hands and turned it toward me.
"Does Student Phoenix know the legends of those two places?"
"I do. One's where the Emperor and Saintess sealed their kiss and whispered their love in front of everyone. The other's where the Sage and Sword God danced alone during the afterparty of the academy festival."
The four saints who founded the academy. These were the spots known for where they exchanged love during their active days, deep underground in this old school building where they still block the demon realm seal.
"Um, didn't the main academy building not exist back then?"
Evangeline had a point.
"They magically relocated and renovated the buildings that were here at the old school site. That's why the old school building lost its gardens and bell tower."
"Ah."
All those symbolically important event spots from the old school building were transplanted to the main academy building, a setup by the developers to save them as "late-game event" content in academy events. But to those who didn't know? Who cares about that? What mattered was that one couple started their romance there, and another pair became official.
"If we can start frequenting the main academy building later, I definitely want to go there."
Unia clenched her fist tightly, scanning us all. Then she nodded vigorously at me with a bright smile.
"You'll come with us too, right, Phoenix?"
"Of course."
To make a new legend there myself. As someone who'll etch a mark in academy history, it's a place I must visit someday. For that, the internship needs to go smoothly. And we need top scores too.
"Ahem. One thing to note: even though internship sites differ, the evaluation is relative scoring."
"Pardon?"
Unia tilted her head at Instructor Esta's words.
"Is that even possible?"
"Yeah. More precisely... your scores will determine the rankings for everyone else afterward."
"......."
Instructor Esta started drawing on the blackboard with chalk.
"We'll put the Zhuque Class scores at the top, then rank all the other internship groups below. Naturally, these scores will factor in 'monster hunting' points, just like always."
"C-rank for 100 points, B-rank for 2000, something like that?"
"Exactly. It's about how efficiently you hunt monsters within the time limit. Ultimately, the academy is training talents to fight the impending Great Catastrophe, so honestly, monster hunting is our top priority. That's why it's always part of internships."
Instructor Esta wrote "Zhuque Class" at the top of a long line and drew a big circle below it.
"Most of the academy's top students will fall into this group. But some teams might score higher than you. And if they do... we can't block it on principle."
"Higher internship scores than the old school students, so let us learn at the old school too?"
"Right. Essentially, the top-scoring 'team of four' from internships becomes the new class."
A solid justification.
"Even if Zhuque Class bags 10 B-ranks, but another group gets one A-rank? The argument starts right there. Therefore..."
Instructor Esta jotted numbers to the side.
"We have to take down A-rank monsters, no exceptions."
"Hm...."
"It's fine. From the instructors' view..."
Instructor Esta shrugged lightly and continued.
"They'll be easier than angels, anyway."
"Ah, well then, sure."
"Yeah. No big issues."
The internship site.
"No S-rank monsters there anyway."
The land where an S-rank monster once died long ago.
"What could possibly go wrong?"
Hapsderk. The very place where the incest-obsessed monster, Ratatosk, met its end.