booktalesy Chapter 221 : The First Finders Lecture
Chapter 221 : The First Finders Lecture
The first week of lectures for the Finders Department began.Rather than an actual lecture, it was closer to a brief explanation of how classes would be conducted going forward, followed by a Q&A session.
At the same time, it was also an opportunity for everyone to get to know the classmates they would spend the next year with.
...In that situation, the moment my name was called, every eye turned toward me.
It was only natural.
I hadn't entered through the normal admission process.
The fact that I'd been admitted through a special recommendation wasn't known to anyone except the professors, and my name hadn't even appeared on the list of accepted students.
So it was understandable that everyone was bewildered to see me sitting here so openly.
The next person called was the guy sitting beside me.
“Lapin.”
“Yes.”
...But Lapin responded to Ruber casually, without using honorifics.
I quietly whispered so only Lapin could hear.
“Lapin, talking casually to a professor isn't exactly appropriate.”
“I forgot.”
“Hey, that's not something you just forget. Use proper honorifics from now on.”
Twelve students had been called so far, but Ruber called one more name.
“Evil Shen Kuman Barkus.”
...There was no response.
Silence filled the classroom.
“Absent.”
After saying that, Ruber lowered the attendance list.
Shen, the fourth son of the Kuman Ducal Family.
I'd met him once before.
He was the man who had visited my Upgraded Livestock Shed last winter.
He was tall, with long brown hair. When he removed his glove, the 'brand' engraved on his palm had been revealed.
He had seemed to trust me enough to reveal the secret he was hiding without hesitation, treating me as a friend.
But he was one of the dangerous individuals.
That was all the more reason to keep my distance from him. There was nothing wrong with being cautious.
...In any case, including Shen, there were a total of thirteen Second-year Students in the Finders Department.
“How much do you all know about the Finders Department before deciding to apply?”
When Ruber asked, Torono proudly answered.
“I applied because it's Yggdrasil's flagship department and one of the three departments everyone dreams of entering!”
“Ohhh, so that's why?”
“You didn't even know that, you chatterbox, Kairin?!”
“I got in through a special recommendation, so I didn't really know. Ren and Her Imperial Highness the Princess chose this department, so it looked fun and I accepted~”
“You chose the Finders Department for such a ridiculous reason...!”
Torono frowned deeply.
“Since some of you may not know, I'll give a brief introduction.”
With a snap of Ruber's fingers, an image appeared in midair.
It was a recording of senior students conquering a dungeon.
“Another name for the Finders Department is the Department of Dimensional Exploration. We explore unexplored regions and dimensions while taking responsibility for conquering high-risk dungeons and subjugating monsters.”
Since Yggdrasil Academy possessed an enormous campus, various dungeons existed throughout its grounds.
Low-difficulty dungeons could be used even by First-year Students, but the difficult areas were handled by the Finders Department.
“That also means the Finders Department is more dangerous than any other department in Yggdrasil.”
Everyone gathered here had come prepared to face that danger.
Whether to become even stronger, or to accomplish their own goals.
“This semester, we'll spend one month on theory and training before moving on to practical exercises.”
Practical exercises.
In other words, conquering high-risk dungeons and hunting monsters.
Everyone seated here was among the finest elite students of the Second-year Student class.
A month of preparation should be more than enough.
“This semester's objective... is to conquer the Mage Tower, the legacy left behind by the Great Sage Gilley.”
The Mage Tower was a one-hundred-floor tower located in the northern part of Yggdrasil.
'I remember hunting on the first floor not long after I first arrived in this world.'
Although it was a place reserved only for top-ranked students, including the Finders Department, I'd managed to enter thanks to Kairin, the runner-up.
The Great Sage was connected to the Mage Tower.
There might be clues there that could unravel the secret behind my abilities.
Ruber snapped his fingers again, and the floating image disappeared.
“Any questions?”
“Me! Me!”
“You may speak, Miss Valentine.”
“How many floors of the Mage Tower can you usually conquer in one semester?”
Ruber smiled faintly.
“That depends on your capabilities.”
“Then how many floors did you clear last semester?”
“We failed to conquer even a single floor. That's quite common.”
“Eeeeh~!”
Kairin recoiled in horror and shrank her shoulders.
“Any more questions?”
Whoosh—!
Torono raised his hand.
“Go ahead.”
“I was under the impression that the Finders Department only accepted ten students. Why have three additional people been allowed to enroll?”
As though everyone present had been wondering the same thing, all eyes turned toward Ruber.
“Mr. Kuman may be unfamiliar to all of you. He's a student from the previous class who took a leave of absence. He returned this year. Whether you treat him as a senior or a classmate is something you may decide among yourselves.”
“Then what about Dedencman?”
“Mr. Dedencman and Lapin were admitted through the Special Recommendation for Independent Major Selection.”
Torono was momentarily left speechless.
“...I thought Miss Kairin was the only special admission student. Who recommended Dedencman?”
At Torono's question, Ruber answered immediately.
“I did.”
“Professor Ruber...?”
“I followed the proper procedures. The final approval was granted by President Tote.”
“I... I can't accept that...!”
Torono clenched his fists.
“We all passed the grades and interviews. But Dedencman didn't even meet the academic requirements, let alone prove his abilities! I've heard teamwork is especially important in the Finders Department. Dedencman will only hold the rest of us back!”
“So that's your opinion.”
Ruber slowly nodded before continuing.
“However, you needn't worry. I recommended him because I judged that he possesses more than enough ability.”
“Pardon...?”
“Do you believe my judgment is mistaken?”
“...N-No.”
Torono could no longer continue.
“Any further questions? ...None, I see.”
Ruber looked over every student seated in the classroom.
“Our proper classes will begin next week. You are dismissed.”
Immediately after the freshman entrance ceremony ended.
The area in front of the Central Wing was bustling with freshmen heading toward their classrooms.
Amid the crowd, a lone man quietly picked up litter in a shaded corner.
He looked to be around twenty years old. His janitor's uniform was neatly worn, and the cap on his head clearly bore the words 'Janitor.'
Clang!
At that moment, a crushed can bounced across the ground and rolled toward him.
“Haa...”
The janitor looked down at it and let out a quiet sigh.
As though thinking, 'Someone didn't throw it into the trash can again...'
His gaze briefly drifted to a poster attached to a nearby wall.
「Put your trash in the trash can.」
「Small actions create clean streets.」
It was a poster I'd asked Rahan to make.
But its effect had been minimal.
The people who littered would keep littering no matter what you wrote.
“Can students not even read?”
The janitor picked up the can with a grabber and was just about to throw it away when...
“You stink! Get lost!”
Bang!
A group of freshmen who looked unmistakably like nobles kicked the trash can over.
The garbage inside spilled across the ground.
“Pfft!”
Laughing mockingly at the janitor, they ran away.
The surrounding students merely watched from a distance.
None of them looked like they intended to help.
Nor did the janitor expect them to.
“Ah... Should I just kill them...?”
He seriously contemplated it while watching them disappear into the distance.
Just then...
“Um, are you alright?”
One student approached him.
He was a male student with a simple and honest appearance.
“Those jerks... I'll help too. Let's clean this up together.”
The janitor blinked.
“...Who are you?”
“I'm Dion. I'm a freshman this year.”
The janitor spoke in a moved voice.
“Dion... You're the kind of student that's hard to find these days. Thank you.”
“It's nothing. I haven't done anything worth thanking me for.”
The two continued talking while picking up the scattered trash.
“I heard Yggdrasil only gathered outstanding students, but there are people like them too.”
The janitor nodded repeatedly at Dion's words.
“There are plenty. This school's crawling with complete bastards. Makes me want to kill every last one of them. These idiots are supposed to be the Empire's future? At this rate, the country's future isn't just bleak—it's completely doomed.”
“Huh? Ah... haha...”
Hearing the janitor suddenly curse so violently, Dion laughed awkwardly in confusion.
Once they had nearly finished cleaning up, the janitor waved his hand.
“Dion, you can go now. This is enough.”
“Since we've already come this far, I'll help until it's completely finished.”
“...Alright. Thanks. You're the first student who's ever helped me...”
The janitor's eyes became misty.
After they had cleaned everything spotless, Dion picked up the trash container filled with garbage.
The two headed toward the garbage disposal area behind the Central Wing.
The air reeked with foul odors.
It was a gloomy place where sunlight barely reached.
Even people's footsteps had long since disappeared.
“Should I leave it over there?”
“Yeah, leave it there. Good work. Here, have this too.”
When the work was done, the janitor pulled a can of juice from his pocket and handed it over.
“Thank you.”
“I like you. I'll remember your face, so if we meet again later, I'll spare your life.”
“...?”
That was a strange thing to say.
Spare my life?
What did he mean?
Was it some joke that was popular at Yggdrasil?
“...Haha, well then, I'll be going.”
“Alright. See you again, Dion.”
The janitor watched Dion as he turned to leave before suddenly stopping him.
“...No, wait. Stay right there.”
He walked over and carefully examined Dion from head to toe.
“Hmm...”
Crossing his arms, the janitor nodded with satisfaction.
“Made any friends yet? Know anyone at the academy?”
Scratching the back of his head, Dion answered.
“Not yet...”
The janitor smiled faintly after hearing his reply.
“Perfect. You're just the one I need, Dion.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Instead of answering, the janitor raised his arm and placed his hand on Dion's forehead.
“Huh? U-Um...?”
Startled, Dion instinctively stepped back.
He didn't sense any intent to harm him, but unease spread throughout his body.
Even when he grabbed the janitor's arm and tried to pull it away with all his strength, it didn't budge at all.
“What... is this...?”
Looking at the bewildered Dion, the janitor gave a bitter smile.
“Don't resent me. This is all for your own good. You won't remember any of this anyway, but prison's safer than this academy.”
As he said that, the janitor tilted his head.
“Ah, right. Attempting to assassinate a member of the Royal Family is a capital crime, isn't it? Then maybe you'll be executed instead of going to prison? Haa... In a society where people who know how to help others are so precious, it's a shame you'll be executed. I really was going to spare you. Sorry, Dion. That's just how it turned out.”
One horrifying statement after another left Dion utterly stunned.
This man was dangerous.
He wasn't joking.
“Assassinate... the Royal Family...? E-Execution? What are you talking about? Who... who are you?!”
“See this? This is the only word I know how to read.”
The janitor tapped the word 'Cleaning' embroidered on his cap.
“There's far too much trash in the Empire that needs cleaning up. This academy's no different.”
That's right.
He wasn't an ordinary academy janitor.
This man was...!
“For the sake of the great cause, I'll be borrowing your identity for a few days.”
The janitor's eyes flashed with a dangerous light.