Chapter 68
Chapter 68
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: The Graduates' Visit (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ten graduates.
They stared intently at me.
*We didn’t have anyone like that in our day…*
*A cute fox beastkin, a holy saintess, a beautiful elf… We had none of them!*
Their expressions seemed to cry out with a sense of injustice.
I’ll admit there are a lot of pretty girls around me,
but I’m already spoken for, so it’s not what you think!
Time had been wasted one way or another.
Belatedly realizing what they were supposed to be doing, they began the event.
“Proud students of the Hero Academy. As you already know, we are…”
*We’re these people. We came to give you helpful advice.*
They introduced themselves in turn, the proceedings following a rather unremarkable course.
“I am Major Gilbert. I imagine a good number of you will apply to the military. I will explain in detail the pros and cons of being a soldier.”
A young man in his mid-twenties was already a field-grade officer.
Even considering he was a hero candidate from a previous class, his promotion speed was quite fast.
*Hmm, not bad.*
If I’d been reincarnated as Commoner Extra A, I might have been tempted.
In other words, it had nothing to do with this body of mine.
I could do anything, backed by the might of my family.
Though I had been through my share of twists and turns.
The advantages of being reincarnated as Jace were far greater.
“A high salary, educational support, housing, and many other benefits exist.”
He was dressed to the nines in his officer’s uniform.
The male students were completely captivated by his dignified bearing.
Judging by their reactions, they seemed to view it as a kind of romantic ideal.
But military life was bound to be tough, regardless of the era.
“Due to the nature of the military, there are many regulations to follow, but don’t worry too much. You will start as officers. It might be different for enlisted soldiers, but officers have it relatively free. Especially in the case of the special operations unit, they respect the individual to a revolutionary degree…”
Yeah, not falling for it.
It might be true that they favor the strong, but the military is still the military.
Unless you’re cut out for it,
there’s no need to go looking for trouble, right?
Still, it was somewhat interesting.
The graduates were supporting characters who would appear again later.
They were connected to the main story, but I didn’t know their detailed circumstances.
It was only a guess.
But as I could see, they were spilling all sorts of stories.
In the original story, they would get entangled with the protagonist and cooperate with him.
It would likely be the same here, so there was no harm in learning about them.
“If you don’t like the military, I recommend joining our mercenary group. It can be a bit dangerous at times, but it’s much more comfortable than the army and…”
A cheerful-looking young man spouted a torrent of words.
With his skillful rhetoric, he captured the attention of the hall.
“One last piece of advice. It’s best to start finding your future comrades now. There’s nothing more reassuring on the battlefield than someone you can trust with your back.”
He emphasized making comrades.
I liked what he said, so I nodded my head without thinking.
It wasn't just me; everyone gathered around me did the same.
At the same time, the girls stared intently at me.
*A dependable comrade? That’s you, isn’t it? This can’t happen without you!*
That was the feeling as they heaped pressure on me.
*Alright, alright… I’ll take care of you all!*
Separate from the pressure, a warm feeling spread through me.
I wouldn’t be able to meet all their expectations, but I would certainly try my best.
“That should be enough for introductions… It’s about time we shared our know-how.”
How to easily beat down monsters.
Or how to deal with demons, and so on.
They explained in detail, based on their practical experience.
“Take trolls and ogres, for example. They look brutish and seem to charge recklessly, but that’s absolutely not the case. The more you watch them, the more you’ll be amazed by their cunning. You must not let your guard down after felling one. They’ll play dead and then suddenly launch a final, desperate attack, so when you face a monster, make sure you finish it off properly. Also…”
Which parts were vital points, what attacks to prepare for.
Even for me, who had the strategy guide memorized, there was nothing to fault.
It felt somehow… professional.
The future of humanity seemed bright.
I just need to take care of the Demon King’s Army’s commanders, right?
They would handle the cleanup afterward.
“Just explaining is getting a bit boring. Yes, you’ll do.”
“—?”
He pointed at me out of the blue.
Did I get unlucky because I was in the front row?
The graduates’ gazes were, knowingly or not, provocative.
“I’ll ask a few questions, so try to answer them.”
“…”
He said it was fine even if I got it wrong, so I should just speak freely.
*Huh? Look at these guys. It’s obvious they’re trying to embarrass me, isn’t it?*
It would be one thing if it were students, but for grown adults, they were acting quite childishly.
Normally, the dignity of this body would have left them speechless.
But perhaps because they were in the ranks of the strong, they seemed less affected.
Well, I didn't sense any malice.
It felt more like they were trying to pull a little prank on their junior?
This, too, was a challenge, I suppose.
I didn’t back down and faced it head-on.
“Do you happen to know the weakness of a Lycanthrope?”
“They have an overly developed sense of smell. If you take advantage of that…”
“For example?”
“If you throw a bottle of perfume, they’ll writhe in ecstasy. You can aim for them then.”
“…”
*Ah, how did he know that?*
*There aren’t many people who know that much.*
That was the feeling as he tried to hide his surprise.
“How do you deal with a vampire?”
“You must intentionally expose your neck.”
“—?”
“Their eyes will glaze over, and they’ll create an opening in their eagerness to bite you there.”
“Hmm…”
*Huh? That’s a novel method.*
*It’s quite plausible, I can’t even refute it!*
He hesitated for a long while before barely managing to ask the next question.
“What is a Minotaur’s attack pattern?”
“Strong, weak, weak, medium, weak, weak.”
“…”
He looked like he’d lost the will to speak.
Unfortunately for them, they had picked the wrong opponent.
I didn’t know everything, but…
when it came to this world, my knowledge surpassed anyone else’s.
Soon, the way they looked at me changed.
*Does this make any sense? This is beyond strange.*
*How does a mere student, a greenhorn, know all that?*
At their utterly suspicious reactions, I simply shrugged.
The Crodain family has fought the Demon King’s army since ancient times.
That meant a considerable amount of combat data had been accumulated.
When I used that fact as an excuse, they nodded as if they understood.
“Ahem, this year’s class has something special about it…”
“To think he’d mention a method even we didn’t know… At this rate, we have no choice but to acknowledge him.”
As if it had never happened, they changed their tune.
I seemed to have been upgraded from the enviable guy surrounded by girls…
to a top student who deserved it.
After that, the event proceeded smoothly.
The seniors answered the juniors’ barrage of questions with sincerity.
Was the Hero Academy always like this?
The flow of events felt normal to a bizarre degree.
Well, what's good is good.
Occasionally, they would glance our way, as if they had become interested in us.
Sure enough.
When all the events had finished and the sun was setting, they approached as if they had been waiting.
“Could you spare some time, if you’re free?”
“It’s nothing much, just wanted to have a meal together.”
“Of course, it’s our treat. What do you say?”
Like proper seniors, they naturally took the attitude of looking after their juniors.
Since there was no harm in getting to know them, I readily accepted.
“Here, don’t be shy, eat as much as you want.”
“For our cute juniors, no expense is too great.”
Following the graduates, we arrived at a high-end restaurant.
With five female juniors, Aruru among them, the atmosphere was very pleasant.
*How much could you all possibly eat?*
*Let’s try to score some points with a cool and generous impression.*
That seemed to be their rough calculation, but they were sorely mistaken.
*My little cutie.*
*You know what to do, right? Today’s the day we eat till we drop.*
*This is the perfect chance to test your limits!*
“Okay!”
As if it were her mission to empty the seniors’ wallets,
the world’s cutest fox beastkin nodded her head vigorously.
I gazed placidly at the graduates.
For now, they were as excited as if they were on a group date.
But as time went on, they would come to realize they had made a huge mistake.
Well, what can you do?
If you make a misjudgment, you deserve to pay the price.
Since there were many of them, it probably wouldn’t be a huge burden, but in that case, I’d just have to fleece them for even more.
It was good for me because I could save money, and as for my little cutie, that went without saying.
In a warm and friendly atmosphere, the banquet between seniors and juniors began.
* * *
The graduates were all in high spirits.
Less than half of the hero candidates had participated, but that was true for them as well back in the day.
An age where they feared nothing.
*Seniors? What are those? Can you eat them? Nom, nom…*
Ignoring them in such a way was the natural course of things.
Students of A-rank and below would act like proper juniors.
But S-rank students would assert their pride until they had a chance to clash.
That issue would be resolved by teaching them a lesson through a friendly duel, as was the tradition at the Hero Academy.
Anyway.
The important thing was that cute female juniors had shown up.
An elf, a saintess, a fox beastkin…
Each possessed a top-tier charm. It was impossible not to feel a sense of favor toward them.
Personal feelings aside, the hero candidates had proven their strength, so it was best to try and recruit them if possible.
“Have you decided on your career path?”
“If you join our mercenary group, we’ll take care of you from A to Z.”
These were not empty words.
They were truly willing to give them the best treatment.
However, the juniors’ reactions were far from what they had expected.
They all answered in unison.
That they planned to become Jace’s comrades and work together with him.
“…”
Jace Crodain.
The graduates had no choice but to watch him.
They had already gathered information on what kind of person he was.
The heir to the Crodain family and a former hero candidate.
There were various circumstances, but he had apparently recovered his strength at a rapid pace and was gaining momentum.
It was truly astonishing.
The only case of someone overcoming the loss of their dantian.
Looking at that fact alone, it was worthy of admiration.
Even so, he was still just an A-rank.
A great wall existed between A-rank and S-rank.
Why were the juniors trying to rally around Jace?
‘I just don’t get it.’
‘He even has a fiancée, doesn’t he?’
‘And yet girls are still flocking to him? Does that make any sense?’
Well, if they looked at it piece by piece, it wasn’t that strange.
Looks, background, dignity—he was practically perfect.
A junior who was extraordinary in many ways.
He was definitely weaker than them, yet they had a feeling they couldn’t be certain of victory if they actually fought.
They tried to dismiss it as just a feeling, but there were too many things that bothered them.
To think he knew all the methods for dealing with monsters.
They truly couldn’t have imagined it.
Heirs of noble families were often arrogant due to their upbringing.
But Jace was different.
Far from being conceited, he seemed to work harder than anyone else.
The fact that he wasn’t some young master ignorant of the world.
That alone was enough to make them hold him in high regard.
‘Would his classmates follow him for no reason?’
‘It seems he has something he’s confident in…’
S-ranks trusting an A-rank.
It was a rare phenomenon.
It was clear they believed Jace would become this generation’s Hero.
If so, that changed the story completely.
They would have to watch a little longer, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to build a friendship in advance.
“How many monsters have you faced so far?”
“Not many. I’m still just inexperienced.”
“For someone who says that, you have a lot of knowledge.”
“It’s just things I’ve picked up here and there. I don’t think it can compare to you, seniors.”
“—!”
*What, he’s this humble?*
Just like everything else about him, his character was also a perfect score.
*What were we like when we were students?*
The graduates looked at each other, recalling old memories.
—Are you lording your seniority over us right now?
—What’s so great about it? If you have a problem, let’s throw down.
“…”
After that, they had been taught a harsh lesson.
They had been prepared for the same thing to happen this time, but to be treated with such moving respect as seniors…
Well, that wasn’t to say everyone was like that.
The juniors who didn’t show up would surely act defiantly.
They could just be disciplined according to the Hero Academy’s tradition.
Anyway.
The juniors gathered here were just good and cute, so they wanted to take good care of them.
Suddenly, everyone’s gaze focused on one spot.
The owner of snow-white hair and a tail.
The world’s cutest fox beastkin was diligently devouring her food.
Watching her eat so heartily made them feel warm inside.
However, when that continued late into the night, their thoughts were bound to change.
“—?”
She kept ordering the finest steaks without pause.
At her relentless pace, a sense of crisis suddenly welled up.
*Even considering the appetite of a beastkin, isn’t this too much?*
They had let their guard down because of her petite frame that looked like it could fit in their arms.
*Can all of that even fit inside her? It’s physically impossible, isn’t it?*
The amount the girl had polished off alone was more than what the dozen or so people gathered here had eaten.
It was as wondrous as the mysteries of the universe.
But for the sake of their pride as seniors, they couldn’t possibly tell her to stop…
“Mmm, I’m finally starting to feel a little full.”
“…”
The group of graduates let out a collective sigh of relief internally.
They had been forced into an unexpected expense, but an experience like this once in a while wasn’t so bad…
“Seniors! Thank you for the meal. You’ll treat me tomorrow too, right?”
“—!”
A smile full of charm.
As if that wasn’t enough, she swished her tail back and forth.
People often used the expression ‘wagging one’s tail’ to describe flirting, but this was the real deal.
*No, how could anyone withstand this?*
How could they possibly refuse the request of the cutest female junior?
“Of course, leave it to us!”
“We’ll take you somewhere even better tomorrow.”
The girl smiled brightly with her eyes, as if to say thank you.
The moment they saw her, the graduates realized a great truth.
What did money matter?
Peace of mind was far more important.
Under the influence of this healing feeling, the whole world felt beautiful.
One day, two days, three days, four days…
In the end, treating their juniors to meals continued for a whole week.
Although their wallets were scraped bare.
They felt a satisfaction greater than the cost, so they were utterly content.