01. An Unfamiliar World
01. An Unfamiliar World
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First off, no one failed the Test of Proof.
There were differences in ranks, but everyone passed.
Of course. Anyone who looked like they might fail got killed off by the Chief Instructor before it even started.
Thinking about it now gives me chills. I wonder if they cleaned up the bodies properly?
"..."
"..."
Anyway, the second test is about to start soon, and here I am, smack in the middle of silence.
A place like a school classroom.
A pretty spacious room, but hardly any desks or chairs.
Why am I here, you ask?
After getting A-Rank, I was told, 'Go here.'
No guidance or anything. These rude bastards.
"Everyone here received A-Rank."
Bari whispered from beside me.
Just like she said, all A-Rank.
Even Sasha, the first one (at least among the ones I saw) to get A-Rank, is here.
You know those delinquent types every school has? She's got that exact vibe, feet up on the desk and all.
Her face looks innocent, though.
Anyway, that's the situation.
Since everyone's A-Rank, it feels like some special class or something, but excluding me and Bari, there are 7 people. Considering there were about 900 gathered in the plaza, that's a tiny number.
You might say 600 out of the remaining after 300 deaths, but those 300 were barely C-grade at best, nowhere near A-Rank, so A-Rank should be 9 out of 900.
"Including me and Bari makes 9, so barely 1 in 100, huh."
"I'm not included in the 'people' count, Sihwan-nim. I didn't even take the test."
"What are you talking about? It's basically the same as me getting A-Rank because of you, so you might as well have taken it."
"That's..."
Swish.
Someone approached.
The guy who'd been sitting in the corner of the room, staring at us the whole time.
By the way, he's a total asshole.
What's unique is the small horn near his forehead. Is he a demon or something?
Whatever, I wish a girl would come over soon. I don't like hanging with dudes.
There are some pretty girls with tempers here too.
Sasha's one.
"Well, even if we're the same A-Rank, we're worlds apart."
The guy threw an obvious sneer my way and stuck out his hand.
"But I'm not some petty elf. Even if I can't wrap my head around it, if reality says so, I accept it. Not only did a human pass, but got A-Rank... You've got what it takes."
Oh?
Finally, a normal one?
If he's offering his hand while saying that, it's a friendly gesture, right? His speech is a bit weird, but I can overlook that as a quirk.
He's a guy, which is a big minus, but since he's the first to show any friendliness—
"If you become my servant, I'll guarantee your safety and glory."
"...What?"
"Is this a human-type golem? I didn't think human tech had advanced this far... Hmm... Maybe a dwarf product?"
Of course.
No way a horned prick like him is normal. Ptooey.
"Whatever, you look suspicious. Fine, offer this up as a pledge of loyalty."
"I refuse. There's no reason for me to follow you when you're neither my master nor my creator."
Before I could even speak, Bari shot back with a cold expression.
To add to her words, the reason she follows me isn't anything else. It's because I'm 'human' and her 'master.'
Humans are the creators of AI, and among them, Bari is the one assigned to me.
It has the qualifier 'household use,' but that's not a big deal. Since she's a self-upgrading AI, whether household, military, or government-issue, she'll eventually evolve into a god-level being in the physical realm.
A human served by such an overwhelmingly superior existence.
I should be grateful.
Go ahead, Bari. Do as you like. Your honor is precious.
"You seem to look down on humans quite a bit, but based on what I've seen and experienced, individual humans may be weak, but humanity as a collective surpasses your puny power by far. A 'super-intelligent interface' like me is the prime evidence."
"What?"
The guy's face twisted into clear mockery and bewilderment at Bari's follow-up.
"Puhahaha!"
Followed by roaring laughter.
Not just him—the other guys in the room were smirking too.
For reference, the room's lineup: four guys, three girls.
"H-Humans... Ahahaha!... This is total comedy gold! Kehhehe."
After laughing his ass off for nearly a minute, he wiped the tears from his eyes and spoke.
"Kekeke... Hey, doll, seems like serving a human master has you brainwashed or something... Fine. Right or wrong aside, I love it. A servant needs that level of loyalty. Respecting and serving not just the master but the master's entire race! The model servant!"
"She could explain it a thousand times and he wouldn't get it. She knows she can't win an argument."
Bari shook her head like it was hopeless.
Yeah, same thought here. I don't know how humans live in this world, but where I'm from, humanity rules on a galactic scale. Hell, I personally own a planet.
Compared to that, demons or elves are utter nobodies. Stuck messing around on one planet, one continent on it, one tower in that.
"I'll give you a chance. That loyalty is commendable, but boarding a sinking ship means nothing but death, right? Swear to serve me now, and I'll treat you real nice."
He reached out to Bari with a perverted stalker grin.
Thwack.
Bari smacked it away like it was filthy and locked eyes with him.
"I said I refuse. Is it because you're a lowly creature that you can't understand?"
"L-Lowly creature?"
Suddenly, Bari's eyes glowed red. It's her hostility mode or something—I'd never seen it before.
"A base, inferior being who doesn't know his place won't live long. This Tower seems full of dangers, so heading back home now might add a bit to your lifespan."
Ooh, ice-cold Bari!
"T-This...! Calling a proud Demon Race member like me a lowly creature?! Inferior b-beiiing???!!!!"
"As a living creature, you are indeed lowly. Unless you're the creator."
Bari tilted her chin up slightly.
She's not super tall, but the way she looks down makes you wanna rage just meeting her gaze.
"Ahahaha!"
A powder keg moment.
One woman's laughter defused it.
Sasha.
The girl I mentioned earlier, feet up on the desk.
Pink bobbed hair that's pretty striking... a beauty?
And despite that, her body's...
What a nice girl.
"...What is it, Velvet."
They know each other? The guy glared.
"Hiatcha."
With a cute little kiai(?), Sasha hopped down to the floor.
All eyes on her confident strut over.
"Hi."
And she stuck her hand out to me...
This one's got a horn on her forehead too.
"Sasha Velvet. We were in the same line earlier, right?"
Casual greeting... but don't let your guard down.
That horned guy started normal too before pulling this crap.
Can't trust horned chicks either.
"Ryu Si-hwan."
We shook, and she squeezed a bit.
Of course.
That hurts, you bitch.
"Hmm~ Strength's a tiiiny bit better than average human..."
"It hurts."
"Oh. Sorry."
She giggled and pulled her hand back.
"You get it. This idiot was a problem child back home too."
No, shouldn't you explain your own stunt first?
"W-What?!"
"Abilityless horndog, that's his rep. Probably eyeing your doll too? Watch out."
"Velvet!!"
The guy freaked out.
Velvet stuck her tongue out at him: bleeeh.
"But you, a human—how'd you end up here? That's what I'm curious about."
"Can't I come?"
"No, I mean. Not even Advanced 7 Races, humans are basically below Outer Races... No master serving or anything... Normies can't come."
"..."
What the hell are Advanced 7 Races... and Outer Races?
"Eh... You don't know?"
"Nope."
"Hmph. Figures. Humans are traditionally slaves to the Advanced 7 Races. History's a luxury you can't afford. No way you'd know."
"Hey."
"...Don't call me so casually, you human scum!"
"Horndog, right? Shut your trap if you don't wanna get neutered."
"What? N-Nutered?"
"Bari, if this guy spouts more bullshit, castrate him."
"Understood, Sihwan-nim."
"You lot—,"
"Quiet."
It's the instructor.
Fate itself.
Yu Ina.
"Why you always picking on me?"
"Because you're here. Got any excuses?"
"Excuses my ass— you pick fights, and I just sit there?"
"Hmph."
She scowled and walked to the podium.
Why's everyone always bitching at me?
"If there's any more pointless commotion, there will be appropriate measures. Understood?"
"..."
"..."
"Why no answer? Demon Race?"
"...Understood."
"Human?"
"Got it."
"..."
She glared at me.
"What? Something on my face?"
"...Hmph. I'm curious how long that attitude lasts. Sit down."
Including me and Bari, all 9 returned to our seats.
Naturally, I sat with Bari.
"As you've probably guessed from the faces, everyone here is A-Rank."
"Question."
Horned guy raised his hand.
She scowled but nodded for him to speak.
"Is that human really A-Rank? I can't accept it!"
Didn't you just say earlier that even if you can't accept it, reality is reality? Flip-flopping already, you hornhead.
"What do you want me to do about it?"
"...Pardon?"
"So what do you want me to do?"
"N-No..."
Yu Ina looked at him with near contempt too, like she thought he was pathetic.
"Do I have to personally tutor a trainee drowning in petty prejudices? Handle that shit yourself. This ain't a playground."
"Pfft..."
"S-Sorry."
Velvet let out a small laugh, and hornhead dropped his hand with a shit-eating face.
The instructor rags on me hard too... but damn, that was satisfying.
"Your ranks are based strictly on stats and potential. Even if it's a human or an ant sitting here, it's A-Rank. Nothing more, nothing less. Instead of wasting time on dumb doubts, train. Got it?"
Yes ma'am.
"Then, a simple intro."
Swish.
She was still arms crossed, but the chalk on the blackboard floated up.
"You've probably heard, but name's 'Yu Ina,' your homeroom instructor."
The chalk wrote on the board.
"As expected... Noblesse..."
"Chief Instructor's one thing, but homeroom too... This is the Tower, huh..."
Noblesse? Straight-up means nobility.
Just saying her name and they're already tense.
Ah! Is that why she keeps glaring? 'Cause I use casual speech?
Heh. What a needless prideful prick. Over banmal, no less...
"Any questions?"
"Huh?"
No, forget questions— just giving a name is too barebones for an intro. At least tell us your age!
"..."
"None?"
Nobody's asking.
Guess I will.
I raised my hand.
"...What."
Annoyed glare.
Still doesn't like me.
"Isn't the intro too skimpy? Just a name... At least give us your age."
"Age?"
She scoffed.
"Very human thinking."
What's wrong with asking age?
"Kekeke. Inferior races show their colors. All you ask is age? Hahaha!"
Hornhead laughed obnoxiously.
What? Asking age is that weird?
I glanced at Bari—she looked clueless too. At least in our culture, it's no big deal.
If anything, 'asking a woman's age is rude!' or whatever.
Not that I care.
"Human."
The instructor approached me.
Smiling, but just one corner of her mouth up.
More amused than mocking? Maybe just my feeling.
She was suddenly in front of me, hand on my desk.
Her waist bent naturally, eyes level with mine.