Social Evil (1)

Inside the dungeon, at the entrance to the underground mall.

Kyle and Team A had successfully breached the monster horde and entered the dungeon. Even accounting for the help from second-year Sylvia Leopard, it was a remarkable achievement considering all other team members were first-years.

"Sylvia senior, is this the way?"

"Well... probably?"

"...Pardon?"

"This is my first time in this dungeon too, so honestly, I don't really know."

......

Is this okay? Really?

As Elin, who was holding the front line alongside Kyle, shot her a dubious glance, Sylvia Leopard's eyes remained glued to her watch, her face beaming with a silly grin. A quick peek revealed some guy's profile picture.

"...Is there something fun on there?"

"No, no, nothing at all."

Elin furrowed his brow at her entranced expression, but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠just then, Sylvia looked up.

"Oh? There it is. Look, look."

"Pardon? What am I supposed to be looking at?"

"Over here! Don't you see something around this area? Like a translucent frame, or maybe a chat window similar to what I was seeing on my watch."

Sylvia gestured with her hand near her shoulder, forming a square shape, but to the onlookers, it was utterly baffling what she meant. Elin shook his head.

It seemed Team A had drawn the short straw with their upperclassman assignment.

But then, Kyle, who had been standing quietly, lifted his head and met Sylvia's gaze.

"This... is what you're talking about, right?"

"Yeah! That's it!"

"What do you even mean by—"

Before Elin could interject into their incomprehensible exchange, something flickered in the corner of his vision—a 'window.'

The unfamiliar messages floating in the corner of his vision. Having never seen them before, Elin wondered what they were. Waving his hand didn't make them budge; they simply hovered there.

"Oh, first time? The Hunter Association calls it the 'system'—you only see it inside gates."

"This? These weird letters?"

"It should show your objective, time limit, stuff like that. Right now, it's telling you to take down the boss Salamander. No matter how you get there, once you do, the gate closes and you can exit."

Elin's brow twitched at that.

"'Can exit' means if we fail to kill the boss, we're stuck in here, right?"

"Sometimes rifts or whatever open up as escape routes... but usually, yeah."

Sylvia said it casually, but Elin felt a primal terror unlike anything he'd experienced. They said extreme shock could freeze you solid, and Elin's mouth hung open, lips quivering. Silence was turning to panic in seconds.

"W-wait! Then you should've told us before we entered?!"

"Ah... Arsen's policy is to train hunters tough for real combat, so..."

"So we're trapped here for three days?! Does that even make sense? We have no food or anything—we're just supposed to starve?! Kyle, you think so too, right?!"

Elin pleaded desperately toward Kyle, but Kyle just stood there blankly, unfazed.

"Then we just beat the boss."

Kyle even said something more absurd.

"What...? Are you insane?"

"We heard before coming in. It's real-combat training. Probably true we'll be stuck for three days."

"That's even worse!"

"It's fine. We have three days—something'll work out."

The crushing wave of despair and betrayal was beyond words.

"You guys are all crazy."

Elin Beonard despaired, realizing he'd misjudged these people. Kyle Ivanstair was on another level, just like during the entrance exam. His unyielding conviction and willpower felt almost robotic. Come to think of it, this guy had even charged at an upperclassman. Good thing the dorm supervisor intervened; otherwise, he might've been seriously hurt.

"Even so, first time in a dungeon... Arsen shows no mercy to cadets—"

"Shut up already."

In the end, even the silent Kai Alma chimed in. Elin flinched and turned, but Kai just leaned against the balcony railing, arms crossed.

Kyle, deep in thought, approached Sylvia.

"Sylvia senior, what happens if the time limit expires?"

"Ah... that?"

This was probably on every Team A member's mind. Elin clamped his mouth shut, Kai cracked one eye open slyly, and Sylvia gazed into the distance before speaking.

"In reality, if the limit passes, you get a dungeon break—the dungeon expands, monsters spill out of the gate."

"Pardon?"

"Pardon?!"

Elin and Kyle exclaimed in unison.

"It's a massive incident. But this is a 'recorded dungeon,' so even if time runs out, that won't happen... I think. If memory serves."

Sylvia swallowed hard and cleared her throat before continuing.

"If you don't clear it in three days, everyone who entered gets an F."

Silence fell instantly. No one spoke up, except Kyle, who strode forward, surveying the underground mall.

The mall beneath their feet was massive—over ten visible floors, with other cadets battling beasts here and there. Everyone here was likely heading to the lowest floor.

"But senior, how do you know all this?"

"Me? Uh... well...?"

Sylvia shrugged evasively, feigning ignorance. Elin wanted to press further, but she'd already wandered off ahead.

Anyway, with the boss on the lowest floor, other teams were heading there too. They might cross paths, maybe even help each other depending on the situation.

"Hey, Kyle."

"Yeah?"

But Elin grabbed Kyle's arm with trembling hands.

"That guy passing below—isn't that Shion?"

"Where...?"

Elin timidly pointed to the lower level of the mall. His index finger aimed at the back of a male cadet's head.

To Kyle, it was definitely Shion. Strange to be in the same dungeon.

"Looks like Shion."

"And the one who passed next to him... wasn't that the student council president?"

"Student council president? Why's she here?"

They peeked over the balcony again. Iri de Sugamond cleaved the path ahead, Shion mopping up stragglers behind. Any surviving beasts vanished without trace under some whip's lash. A stable party overall. Even though it was everyone's first dungeon raid, their balance seemed three times more efficient than their own well-composed group. Especially one who looked third-year, and that calm figure bringing up the rear...

"President Rebecca...?"

"See? Told you."

Just then, Rebecca turned. Kyle and Elin froze in their peering pose. Had their voices carried, or did she sense their stares? Rebecca merely glanced their way before continuing on, exuding cold, aloof disdain—like they weren't worth her time.

"She just looked at us, right?"

"Yeah... seems so."

With rumors swirling about the student council cracking down on first-years lately, even that brief eye contact spooked Kyle and Elin.

"...Not coming?"

"Huh?"

By the time they looked ahead, the team had pulled far ahead. Kyle hurried after, Elin trailing.

They'd thought they were first in, but another party had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠beaten them—quite the shock.

A sudden presence above the mall drew their eyes—other cadets. Likely another team ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that arrived first. Rebecca recognized one face but shook it off without dwelling. Right now, the party she'd joined mattered more.

"Shion! Looks like we've cleared this side! Nothing else coming!"

"Edel senior."

"Hold on! Let me check!"

A brief silence. Edel Di Bison closed her eyes, her thin mana tendrils probing the area. Unlike before, nothing reacted. The mana, rippling outward like gentle waves, returned to her untouched.

"Yeah. Nothing ahead. We're good."

"Let's move, then."

Only then did Shion nod, signaling advance with hand signs. Once more, Iri de Sugamond took point, forging ahead.

Last to enter, yet they'd overtaken earlier parties to claim the vanguard. Smooth progress anyone would envy—but Rebecca's mood soured regardless. She should be up front with Iri, but couldn't. Forced to the rear by the gaze prickling her back.

"Rebecca."

"......"

"Let's talk after the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠raid. About the student council."

"I clearly said no more student council members."

"Situations change. You're short-staffed, right? Heard you finished work at dawn yesterday."

Rebecca's brow furrowed. Long after she'd booted him out, he knew the council's ins and outs. That discomfort gnawed deeper. Just questioning his intel source peaked her irritation.

"From the professor?"

"As if a prof would share with a mere cadet like me."

"Indeed."

Rebecca ignored him, opting for silence. Every word fed him ammo. But even as she tried to walk on, Rian von Hildegaard wouldn't let it slide. His periodic jabs felt like stones in her path.

"That the first-year you've been looking for? Illeionhart."

"......"

"Cat got your tongue?"

Rebecca finally turned. Rian grinned like a fish in water, but her face twisted oppositely.

"I don't know what misunderstanding you have, but it's not what you think."

"And what do I think?"

"How low can you—"

As Rebecca clenched her fist, a voice echoed from ahead.

"Senior, you coming?"

Rebecca turned forward. Sion Illeionhart—Shion Esperand—watched from where he'd halted. She felt Rian's stare on her back but boldly ignored it, striding ahead.

Dungeon clear came first. Everything else could wait.

Shion stood calmly as Rebecca passed, his gaze fixed not on her—but Rian. Rebecca knew that much.