Seo Ye-in kept tugging on my arm.
“Come to our class.”
“You can’t just move between classes whenever you want.”
“Come to our class…”
“I can’t grant such unreasonable demands.”
“Sad…”
At my firm response, Seo Ye-in visibly drooped.
A moment later, she changed targets and looked at Hong Yeon-hwa.
“Switch with me.”
“…The class?”
“Switch with me.”
We both knew perfectly well that the request was unreasonable.
What mattered was how she chose to respond.
After a brief moment of thought, Hong Yeon-hwa made up her mind.
“No….”
“……..!”
“I can’t. I also… want to be in the same class as Kim Ho….”
“……..!”
An exclamation mark seemed to pop up above Seo Ye-in’s head.
After everything that had happened, a natural hierarchy had formed between them, so it was surprising to see Hong Yeon-hwa push back.
Maybe persuading her older sister at the Ruby Magic Tower had been the turning point.
Seo Ye-in slumped even further and turned into a full-fledged sulking sloth.
“No one on my side….”
If there had been a hologram, it probably would have added captions like, “Nobody at all….” and “All alone….”
As we continued walking with the dejected sulking sloth in tow, we arrived at the hallway where the second-year classrooms were located.
In front of Classes 2 and 3, Go Hyeon-woo, Han So-mi, and Song Cheon-hye were chatting.
Sensing our approach, they all turned toward us at the same time.
They were about to greet us, but when they noticed Seo Ye-in looking completely deflated, they seemed puzzled.
Go Hyeon-woo spoke up first.
“Miss Seo, has something happened?”
“She got separated from us.”
“I see. Since we’re second-years now, I suppose that sort of thing was bound to happen. Which class did she end up in?”
“She’s in Class 3.”
As soon as I answered, Go Hyeon-woo and Han So-mi exchanged a glance before speaking at the same time.
“She is in the same class as us.”
“Same class as me too!”
It seemed those two had also been assigned to Class 3.
I nodded in satisfaction.
“That worked out nicely.”
The truth was, no matter which class she ended up in, Seo Ye-in would probably spend the entire lesson period face-down on her desk, sleeping.
Even so, I couldn’t help worrying that she might cause some kind of trouble if left unsupervised, like a child wandering too close to the water’s edge.
Objectively speaking, she didn’t exactly have the best personality.
She was a being composed of 95% indifference and annoyance and 5% swinging a pot.
The swordsman couple were at least somewhat acquainted with Seo Ye-in and could keep her under control to a certain extent, so they were people I could trust with the job.
So I repeatedly bowed my head and said,
“Please take good care of our child.”
“Haha, leave it to us.”
Go Hyeon-woo chuckled awkwardly, while Han So-mi was steadily closing in on her prey.
“Same class! Classmate!”
“Stay away….”
Seo Ye-in tried to retreat little by little, but in the next instant Han So-mi suddenly closed the distance and hooked her arm around hers with overwhelming friendliness.
“Hehe.”
“Let go….”
“Let’s go! To Class 3!”
“Help….”
Seo Ye-in looked at me with a pitiful expression.
In response, I put on a sorrowful face and waved goodbye.
“Farewell, Sloth! Be happy in Class 3!”
“Mean Kim Ho….”
And just like that, I sent one sloth off to her new home.
Afterward, Song Cheon-hye who had remained behind asked me,
“What class are you in?”
“Class 2.”
“…We’re in the same class again.”
Song Cheon-hye’s complexion brightened slightly.
At that moment, Hong Yeon-hwa cut in as if to say, “Not so fast.”
“I’m in Class 2 too.”
“…I see.”
“Mhmm.”
Then she grabbed the hem of my clothes and pulled me into the classroom.
I glanced around the room and spotted a few empty seats near the back, so we headed over there.
Looks like this will be my assigned seat for the year.
Meanwhile, Song Cheon-hye continued staring at us. Then, as though she had finally made up her mind, she walked over.
And sat down right beside me as well.
Hong Yeon-hwa on my left.
Song Cheon-hye on my right.
As expected, the atmosphere in the area quickly became tense.
Hong Yeon-hwa frowned and asked,
“What?”
“What do you mean, what?”
“Why aren’t you sitting in the front?”
“Because I want to sit here.”
“Then why?”
“Because I feel like it.”
Of course, judging by the way she kept glancing in my direction, her intentions were obvious.
Normally, she at least tried to act like that wasn’t the case, but it seemed her competitive instincts had kicked in this time.
Kids grow up by fighting, after all.
I let the two bicker while I continued looking around the classroom.
It seemed Kwak Ji-cheol had ended up in the same class as well. He’d said he was going to visit the Great Mountain Dragon during the break, and judging by his appearance, his skills seemed to have improved quite a bit.
He looked much more confident too.
Off to one side, Mo Yong-jun and Jeong Jin-myeong were discussing something with serious expressions.
Most likely something involving the Swordsmanship Club and the White Magic Club.
And in the very back row—
Crack.
Cha Hyeon-joo was glaring at me with bloodshot eyes.
I greeted her cheerfully.
“Hi, Hyeon-joo.”
“Dthn’t prthend we’re clthse….”
At once, Hong Yeon-hwa and Song Cheon-hye stopped arguing and turned toward Cha Hyeon-joo.
“Why would you respond to a greeting like that?”
“Isn’t basic courtesy a thing?”
Surprisingly, they seemed capable of uniting when faced with a common enemy.
Of course, there was a reason Cha Hyeon-joo was often compared to a rabid chihuahua.
“So what if this is how I want to respond? First time you’ve ever seen someone with bad manners?”
“…….!”
The expressions on both girls’ faces stiffened even further, and just as a three-way confrontation was about to begin—
– ♫♩♪
The melody signaling the start of class played through the speakers.
Almost simultaneously, Lee Soo-dok walked through the classroom door.
“Sit down.”
Apparently, no one was willing to keep fighting while ignoring the words of the Human Butcher.
Everyone obediently returned to their seats.
The classroom fell silent in an instant, and Lee Soo-dok began speaking in his usual blunt tone.
“We can skip introductions. If anyone feels the need, raise your hand now.”
Naturally, nobody volunteered.
They had all seen enough of each other during first year, and besides, the atmosphere made it feel like anyone who raised a hand would be cut down on the spot.
After waiting a moment, Lee Soo-dok continued.
“Contrary to the original plan, I’ve been assigned as your duel battle teacher for one additional year. There is still unfinished business.”
As he said that, he glared in my direction, as if that unfinished business was something called Operation Cut Kim Ho.
“Some of you may have even received praise from me last year. I said you’d risen from the level of insects to the level of beasts. I sincerely hope there won’t be the unfortunate case of any of you turning back into insects.”
Then he glared again, as if to say, “Those who do, I’ll personally stomp flat.”
The atmosphere in the classroom grew colder than ever.
Lee Soo-dok then moved on to the main topic.
“The grading system will be similar to that of the first year.”
Written exams make up a certain portion of the grade, and attitude points are deducted whenever a student violates school rules.
Practical scores meanwhile are determined through duel batlles and strategy battles.
“Starting in your second year, you’ll also be able to take on external requests. I’ll only explain this once, so listen carefully and remember it.”
– ……!
The students immediately perked up their ears.
It was an important change, and the fact that it allowed them to leave Dungeon Island during the semester naturally drew a lot of interest.
“As of this year, you should now have access to the Request Board. The listings are updated irregularly.”
A few students casually made gestures as though tapping the air, but it seemed nothing appeared for the moment.
After all, it was still the first day of the semester.
“The difficulty level of requests you can accept follows your raid rank.”
For example, I had already obtained qualification for D-rank raids, so I could also accept external requests up to D-rank.
Once I passed the C-rank evaluation, C-rank requests would become available as well.
“You may accept a request as long as you meet all conditions set by the client.”
For example, a client might require a well-balanced party of three or four members.
Or they might be recruiting a certain number of mages to assist with a large-scale spell.
Or they might require someone with enough stealth to infiltrate enemy territory and retrieve an item, regardless of class.
“You may carry out requests at any time, and the duration can be extended flexibly depending on circumstances. However, any classes you miss during that time will be your responsibility to make up.”
Whether by watching recordings or borrowing lecture notes from classmates.
“Also, there will be no makeup opportunities for duel battles or strategy battles. Consider carefully whether a request is worth pursuing before making your decision.”
A few students soon raised their hands and, after being called on by Lee Soo-dok, began asking questions.
“What disadvantages are there if we don’t take any external requests?”
“None. It is entirely your own choice. Excluding vacation periods, plenty of students spend the entire year at Dragon Slayer Academy.”
Come to think of it, even Dang Gyu-young had only completed one or two external requests last year.
And those had all been quick and easy ones.
Most club presidents and vice presidents had stayed on campus as well.
That’s why he said to weigh the decision carefully.
The range of clients is extremely diverse, and their objectives and rewards vary widely.
If a request suits your aptitude, offers valuable experience, and provides generous rewards on top of that?
It could easily be worth going out for, even if it meant sacrificing a few practical evaluation points.
Another advantage is reputation.
Right now, we’re nothing more than students.
Even with Dragon Slayer Academy and our affiliated organizations backing us, the reality is that clients still have reason to be skeptical.
But by successfully completing external requests, you build trust and increase the value of your name.
And that would remain a useful asset even after graduation.
Still, from my perspective, there’s no reason to leave.
For one thing, during strategy weeks, it’s always more beneficial to head underground.
External requests are limited by your authorization level, so I can only take D-rank ones for now, and even after my upcoming evaluation, C-rank will likely be the highest available.
But when it comes to clearing dungeons in secret, going beyond that is entirely possible.
And duel battles still have their advantages for now.
I don’t mind giving up things like practical combat experience or the points earned from selling replays.
There are only a handful of classmates who can still be considered my rivals, and points can be earned through other means.
What I absolutely cannot afford to give up, however, is—
Side-quests.
Not only are the rewards tailored to your needs, but they can also be enhanced through the Challenge Book.
For example, the reward for this week’s side quest would almost certainly be a [Fixed Pin] whose usefulness had increased dramatically lately.
External requests rarely generate side quests.
When you think about it, the requests themselves are essentially quests already.
Side quests only appear in truly exceptional cases.
So, unless something unusual comes up, I planned to remain on Dungeon Island and only take on one or two external requests.
For example, if Hye-seong gets in touch.
Once the Underworld Dragon King finishes the time-related item, I can make a quick trip over there and earn something on the side while I’m at it.
While I was reaching my conclusion, Lee Soo-dok seemed to have finished answering the flood of questions as well.
After checking whether anyone else wanted to raise a hand, he spoke.
“That should be sufficient. We’ll now move on to the practical evaluations. As for strategy battles, your cumulative first-year scores will remain unchanged.”
Since the points are accumulated straightforwardly based on the number and difficulty of cleared dungeons, and the score gaps between students vary enormously, the academy sees little reason to interfere.
“However, in the case of duel battles, we have determined that there is room for dramatic reversals, so a soft reset will be applied.”
Some students may have stagnated over winter break for one reason or another, while others may have improved dramatically.
If current scores were left untouched, it would take the latter group far too long to climb the rankings, so while scores would not be reset to zero across the board, a ladder would be provided.
With a snap of Lee Soo-dok’s fingers, a chart appeared on the blackboard.
~300 → 0 Points
300~600 → 200 Points
600~900 → 400 Points
901~ → 600 Points
For example, someone who finished their first year with 887 points would be reset to 400.
Since I had exceeded 1,000 points, I would have been reset to 600.
“In addition, to provide further differentiation, we will once again conduct a placement examination.”
More rules and environmental settings appeared on the blackboard.
MAP: [Circular Arena]
RULE: [Deathmatch] [4 Players] [Anonymous]
The moment I saw it, I let out a silent groan inwardly.
Anonymous, huh…
They picked my favorite one.
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