Chapter 33
But I also need to take Cooluck with me. How am I supposed to take him?
It's a condition I can't figure out on my own, so I decided to ask.
Ra: "Tell me the trigger for your squint allergy."
"Um, I'm not entirely sure, but my condition worsens when I make eye contact with you."
So, as long as we don't make eye contact, it's fine.
It's a strangely unpleasant solution, but at least there's a way.
Ra: "Then I'll go out first, and you follow behind."
"Okay..."
I exited the medical bay first, and Cooluck followed behind me.
Miraculously, Cooluck's condition improved.
It really works.
It's clearly a good thing, so why does it feel so unpleasant?
As I turned my head with mixed feelings, a city came into view outside the window.
It looks a bit smaller than the imperial capital, Grante, but it's still quite a large city.
And not just the city, but a bit further away, I noticed a massive spherical facility that looks like a power plant.
'Is that the Mana Stone power plant? It's my first time seeing one in person.'
[It looks just like a nuclear power plant, doesn't it?]
'It's actually quite similar. If it explodes, the only difference is that there's no radiation, but the large-scale damage would be the same.'
Mana Stone power plant.
In this world, most energy comes from mana.
There's a metal with the property of gathering mana, and that's the Mana Stone.
The Mana Stone itself is hard to use directly, so it needs to go through primary and secondary processing before it can be utilized. The processing is quite difficult, so there are specialized magical engineers who focus solely on this.
Of course, building a power plant of this scale requires significant expertise.
Mana is a natural energy, far from being destructive, making it somewhat eco-friendly, but that doesn't mean it's without risks.
After all, mana is energy, so if it gets corrupted or explodes for some reason, it can cause major problems.
If a facility of this scale goes wrong, the entire region could vanish from the map in a single day.
Well, of course, those who handle it are well aware of the dangers, so there are sufficient safety measures in place.
[I hope nothing goes wrong while we're here.]
[Let's hope this place lives up to its name, huh?]
'What do you mean by its name?'
[Cliché is just a cliché, right?]
Hearing this from him made me even more anxious than I already was.
The Cliché territory, managed by the Cliché family.
Cliché and cliché are spelled differently, but they sound similar, don't they?
No, no. They're clearly different words! So nothing bad will happen, right?
Trying to calm myself, I walked over to the train car where our group was.
Fortunately, the kids were quietly preparing to get off without any issues.
Huh? Come to think of it, the noisy unmanned guys are gone.
I quietly approached the black-haired guy who was packing his things and asked,
"What happened? Did you sort it out?"
"The unmanned guys?"
"Yeah."
"If it's Linia, she went to the main faction."
"Huh? The righteous faction?"
Linia, of all people, joining the righteous faction? I secretly thought it would be more fun if she went with the unorthodox faction. What a shame.
[The demonic faction wouldn’t have been bad either.]
'The more I think about it, the more of a mess it seems.'
Anyway.
"But why did she join the righteous faction?"
"When they saw you grabbing someone by the collar and shaking them until they passed out, they said, 'Someone with such pure violent potential! This is definitely a talent the righteous faction can’t afford to lose!' and the righteous faction members went crazy over her."
"Plus, wearing armor is optional, and there’s no mandatory after-school training, so Linia readily agreed."
In the midst of all that, it seems like Linia got the conditions she wanted.
But that alone doesn’t seem like enough.
"Did she maybe get paid or something?"
"How should I know?"
I see. I’ll have to catch Linia later and ask her.
Considering my contribution to getting her into the academy, I should at least get 70% of whatever she got.
As I was thinking that, the train slowly began to slow down, and looking out the window, I could see Cliché Station just ahead.
-This train has arrived at its destination, Cliché Station. The doors will open on the right side. Please have a safe journey.
I said to the students who were hurriedly gathering their belongings.
"We’ve arrived. Everyone, get off."
As soon as the announcement ended, I got off the station with the kids.
The boarding times were different for each class, but since we all disembarked at the same time, I could see students from other classes and departments at a glance.
"Each department, follow your assigned professor!"
As I was looking around at the kids, a professor whose name I couldn’t remember from the entrance ceremony gave loud instructions.
The schedule was to head straight to the Cliché family’s mansion after getting off the train, right?
If I were here personally, I’d have done some sightseeing, but since I’m working now...
Wait, is this even considered work? When you think about it, isn’t this unpaid labor?
I never thought I’d end up doing unpaid labor in my life.
Once I become a professor, I’ll make sure to act like I’m working while milking all kinds of extra allowances like overtime and holiday pay.
"Our class will move immediately after the Martial Arts and Magic departments have moved. Any questions?"
"None!"
"None here!"
Thanks to the effect of the random box, the kids who would usually be running around were moving in perfect order, as if they’d just come back from the military.
Indeed, the greatest desire of people is material gain.
*
*
The streets of the Cliché territory were, to put it nicely, neat and tidy, or to put it bluntly, deserted.
A recently formed self-sustaining dungeon near the mana stone power plant.
It’s like having a nuclear power plant near your house, if you think about it in modern terms.
Considering that, it’s surprising that there’s actually a decent population here, but that’s because there’s a rumor that it’s easier to master aura near a mana stone power plant.
In other words, even though you can’t see them now, this place is teeming with martial artists.
'Is it like the relationship between radiation and the X-Men?'
[Martial artists aren’t mutants, you know.]
'Well, it’s less like mutants and more like monkeys dancing with swords.'
[Isn’t that a bit harsh on martial artists? Master, are you trying to get beaten up by a martial artist... Oh, never mind.]
I didn’t get beaten up by the martial artist, but I almost ended up in the afterlife while being shaken with my collar grabbed.
Just now, in fact.
When I looked toward the distant group of martial artists walking with Linia, I noticed her quickly avert her gaze, as if she’d been watching me.
Seriously, that gorilla-like girl is hard to hate.
[Master and the gorilla are childhood friends, after all.]
"Yeah, we’re practically brothers."
[Why use such a crude term when there are plenty of nicer ones?]
"What, like calling us chest-buddies like that neighboring country?"
[That's even worse! I’m just a child, and these words sound so indecent to me!]
A child, my ass. By age alone, this AI’s older than me.
[A lady's age is always a secret!]
A secret? I literally made you. If I don’t know your age, I’m a failure as a creator.
Listening to the AI’s nonsense, which had become part of my daily life by now, I eventually arrived at the Clishe Mansion.
---
The Clishe Mansion was even larger than the old castle in Leventesia, probably because it was remodeled from a historic fortress.
As expected of a count’s family! The extravagance here made a mere baron’s estate look modest in comparison.
"Students from the Imperial Academy, please follow me!"
Unlike Linia, who probably wouldn't take her maid duties seriously, the maids here looked thoroughly professional as they guided us along.
We arrived at a spacious courtyard that reminded me of a training ground.
"All instructors, please conduct a headcount of your assigned classes!"
Following the instructions of some professor whose name I’d already forgotten, I began counting my classmates.
"Numbers, call!"
"One!"
"Two!"
"Three!"
"Thirty! End of count!"
"Already done with the headcount?"
Just as the count finished, our homeroom teacher, who’d been nowhere to be seen until now, finally showed up.
"Ah, you’re here."
"Sorry I’m late. I, uh, overslept because of... circumstances."
Yeah, I bet I know what kind of "circumstances" those were.
"Did you drink, professor?"
"Huh? How’d you know?"
"The smell of alcohol is practically hitting me in the face."
"Haha, I didn’t drink that much. Surprised it’s that obvious."
Not that much, my ass. The stench is overwhelming.
"But if you were late, how did you get here right on time?"
"Haha, that’s a secret~."
The teacher’s cutesy tone made my skin crawl.
'There you go, your kind of friend.'
[I don’t know anything about alcohol.]
'Of course you don’t. You physically can’t drink. I was talking about the “secret friend” thing.'
[Every woman has a secret or two, you know.]
Yeah, whatever. Not worth the effort to argue.
"Nothing happened?"
"Nothing at all."
Saying that, I handed the report I’d been writing in bits and pieces to the homeroom teacher.
There really wasn’t much to write since nothing noteworthy had happened.
"I guess that was a dumb question. If something had happened, we'd all be in trouble."
The teacher skimmed through the report, then handed it back to me.
"Alright, then. I’ll leave the supervision to you for now."
"Where are you going?"
"Not far."
With that, the teacher casually crossed the training ground and climbed up onto the stage.
"Everyone! Please give me your attention! Before we begin today’s outdoor lesson, I have a few important reminders for you.
We've thoroughly checked all safety protocols, but you never know what might happen. So, please make sure to follow the safety rules I'm about to show you!"
As the teacher spoke, a large hologram appeared in the middle of the training ground.
<Safety Rules>
1. Move only in your assigned class groups while in the dungeon. No wandering off alone.
2. Follow the routes indicated in the guidebook. If you encounter any unlisted phenomenon, leave the area immediately.
3. For your safety, strictly follow the instructions of the Clishe family’s martial escorts.
4. If evacuation is impossible, send an email to the Academy’s official emergency address as quickly as possible.
5. Thoroughly inspect and wear all issued safety equipment before entering the dungeon.
6. Do not remove your safety equipment while inside the dungeon under any circumstances.
The rules, despite appearing with a flashy holographic display, were surprisingly ordinary.
"Please make sure you remember these guidelines. Now, before we begin the actual outdoor lesson, Count Clishe, the lord of this territory, has a few words to share with us."
The teacher stepped down from the podium, and a man took their place on the stage.
He looked a lot like that black-haired guy, but taller, with sharper eyes and a colder expression. His gaze swept across the students before he spoke.
"Greetings. I am Kyelon Clishe, the lord of this territory."
So, that must be the black-haired guy’s father.
I’d heard that martial artists who reached a certain level aged more slowly. Judging by this man’s youthful appearance, the rumors were true.
In fact, if someone introduced him as a senior student rather than a father, I might have believed it. He barely looked older than his son.
Compared to my dad, this guy gave off a clean, refined vibe, while my father had more of a rugged air about him. Yet if I had to guess which of the two was a martial artist, I'd definitely pick my father.
"It is a great honor to assist the Imperial Academy, a cornerstone of our empire’s education. I sincerely hope that all of you gain valuable experiences through this outdoor lesson."
His voice matched his refined appearance—smooth and captivating. The rich, resonant tone made it easy to focus on what he was saying.
As I listened to his speech, I turned my head slightly and caught sight of the black-haired guy.
He was anxiously glancing around with a nervous expression.
Honestly, considering how much he resembles his father, why does he manage to look so pathetic?
I was tempted to ask, "Why the hell do you look like that?"
I wanted to ask, but the look on his face didn’t seem too good, so I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.
From what I’ve heard about this guy’s life, it doesn’t seem like he has a particularly good relationship with his father.
“You okay?”
“H-Huh? Oh... yeah, I’m fine. Of course, I’m fine.”
The black-haired guy stuttered as he tried to act nonchalant.
He might think he’s playing it cool, but from where I’m standing, he just looks anxious.
Still, I don’t think there’s much I can do about someone else’s family issues, so I should probably just leave it at that.
“If you’re fine, then that’s good.”
“Haha...”
The black-haired guy let out a hollow laugh.
Seriously, what a dull guy.
“That man is Count Cliché.”
When I turned my gaze away from the black-haired guy, I saw El muttering while staring at the man on the podium.
“Do you know him?”
“This is my first time seeing him in person, but I’ve heard a lot about him. They say he's the Empire’s Sword.”
Unlike my family, who run a knockoff swordsmanship house, the Cliché family is said to be a true swordsmanship family—one even the imperial princess admires.
“And now, before we begin the dungeon exploration, we’ll conduct a final safety check. Academy students, please take this time to rest, and we’ll reconvene here in three hours.”
The black-haired guy’s father finished his short speech.
It wasn’t much of a speech, but hey, if you’re standing at a podium and talking, it’s a speech.
Anyway, three hours later, huh?
“Our class will gather back here in exactly two hours and thirty minutes.”
“Yes, sir!!”
Our class, oddly more energized since the random box event, responded with enthusiasm.
“All right, then—dismissed!”
“Dismissed!!”
With a strong shout, the group scattered like a sandcastle collapsing in the wind.
Once everyone had dispersed, only the familiar faces of El and the black-haired guy remained.
“Well, let’s find a spot and get some rest.”
“Since this is Karon’s home, Karon should lead the way.”
“Well, it is my family’s estate, but I haven’t explored all of it either... haha...”
The black-haired guy let out a sheepish laugh.
Yeah, that face practically screams “complicated family situation,” but I don’t care.
“It’s still your house, so you should have a rough idea. Lead the way.”
I pushed the black-haired guy to the front.
As we strolled around the mansion grounds...
“R-Raniel Leventesia?!”
I spotted a familiar face.
It was that thug who beat up the black-haired guy during the entrance exam.
Fancy seeing him here.
Looks like he’s back to pay me another tribute.
“Oh? What’s this? Round two?”
“N-No!! I swear, I have no intention of making an enemy out of you, Raniel Leventesia!!”
The thug recoiled and stumbled backward in fear.
I walked toward him with confident strides.
“Then why are you trying to start something again?”
“W-What are you talking about?!”
“Your face is starting something. Just looking at it pisses me off.”
"Such nonsense?! No, no! I was wrong! I admit I was wrong!!"
The bully, once again startled, immediately started running away at full speed.
With my stamina, chasing him was naturally out of the question. El was no different, and even the black-haired guy didn’t seem to have much of a connection with him, so it would be hard to get him to chase.
I wish Rinia were here at times like this.
But it’s not like there’s no way.
I took out the Master Box, lifted it with all my might, and shouted:
"Come forth! Gaychu!!"
In a flash of dazzling gaming colors, Gaychu appeared before me.
"Our establishment complies with labor standards laws, and no human rights violations occur here."
Without anyone even asking, it blurted out like a macro.
Judging by how it spoke, it seemed well-trained.
"Chase him! Gaychu!!"
I pointed at the fleeing bully and gave the order to Gaychu.
"Gay-gay!!"
With a spirited cry, Gaychu took off after the bully.
"Waaaah!!! What is this thing?! Why is it glowing?!"
"Gay! Chuuuu!!"
In the distance, the bully’s screams and Gaychu’s energetic cries echoed.
