All-Master Player Of The Academy [EN]: Chapter 39

20. To Those Who Don’t Listen – 1

The written exam concluded, bringing relief to some and frustration to others.

While the exhausted students of Class B slumped over, Aranse grinned widely.

“Tonight, dinner’s on me! Let’s go!”

The guys who usually struggled with written exams had actually studied this time.

It was just a preliminary estimate, but their scores seemed quite high.

Aranse, delighted and impressed, made his offer, but the Class B students responded with a distinct lack of enthusiasm.

“We wizards have a research meeting today, so we’ll have to skip it.”

“I stayed up all night yesterday, so I’m going to crash…….”

“I already have plans, so I can’t make it.”

Excuses poured in from all sides.

Aranse was taken aback by their reaction.

“I was going to treat you to a proper meal with my own money…….”

“We appreciate the thought. Really, we do.”

The Class B students, rarely cooperative at the best of times, openly displayed their lack of interest.

Seeing this, Aranse became even more disheartened.

“Wouldn’t it be better if there were fewer people? Save some money?”

Ian’s attempt at consolation did little to improve his expression.

“How do you even lead guys who never listen?” he asked.

Ian paused, considering the question. “Wouldn’t it be enough to just show them some love and attention?”

“Those damn guys would never go for that. So, Ian, are you coming to dinner?”

“I have to go to the metallurgy practice field. I’ll join you later if I can.”

“Because of a liberal arts class? But there aren’t any liberal arts classes during the Hero Festival.”

Aranse looked puzzled, and Ian shook his head.

“It’s a personal matter.”

When school ended, Ian headed to the metallurgy practice field with Mya alone.

As Aranse had pointed out, there were no liberal arts classes during the Hero Festival.

Nevertheless, the furnace was lit.

Scrandar had prepared it for Ian.

“Myaaa~.”

Perhaps it was the heat from the furnace?

Mya yawned softly and settled down near Ian.

Leaving Mya to roll around contentedly, he took out the Briden iron and the materials Scrandar had prepared a few days prior.

Then, he picked up the hammer and began to heat the iron ingot.

-Ttang! Ttang! Ttang!

The clear sound of striking iron echoed.

In the otherwise empty blacksmith’s shop, only Ian hammered away.

How long had he been hammering like that?

He examined the strengthened iron ingot.

‘After all, the limitations of the material are inevitable. I need to find a way to strengthen Podaz.’

And I can make a dagger with this iron ingot.

As Ian prepared to make a throwing dagger, a voice came from behind.

“Is that Briden iron? It looks quite high-grade.”

Ian turned his head slightly.

A giant of an old man.

It was Karzid, the headmaster of Fredon Academy.

“It doesn’t look like you’re trying to make a sword.”

As Karzid asked, looking at the iron in his hand, Ian nodded.

“I’m not skilled enough to make a sword that I’d be satisfied with. I’m just trying to make a throwing dagger.”

“I see. You wanted the Hero’s Sword. Your current sword looks good, but you want a better one?”

“It would be nice to have one.”

“So, you’re not desperate.”

Karzid stroked Mya, who was lying down enjoying the warmth of the furnace next to Ian.

Mya yawned lazily and wagged her tail at his touch.

“How about this instead of the Hero’s Sword?”

Karzid took out two iron ingots from his chest.

“What are those?”

“One is called Podaz. It’s a metal used in the Magic Tower to make the skeletons of golems [artificial beings animated by magic].”

Ian received the Podaz ingot that Karzid offered and examined it.

It certainly wasn’t bad.

But the real prize was the other one.

Ian set the Podaz aside and pointed to the remaining ingot in Karzid’s hand.

“What’s that?”

“A friend of mine gave it to me a long time ago.”

Karzid readily handed the remaining ingot to Ian.

He received it and looked it over, his eyes widening.

“This is…….”

Excellent.

It was several times better than Podaz.

Ian put the two ingots down and hammered them a few times, channeling his inner energy.

The Podaz was slightly dented, but the new ingot didn’t have a single scratch.

‘I know that, but why is it here?’

A world renowned for its excellent blacksmiths.

Why was metal only produced there here?

“It’s an iron ingot that can be obtained from the tower in the center of the Forgotten City. It’s quite rare even there.”

Ian looked at the Adamantium again.

‘Kirke, can’t you check the detailed information of the Forgotten City yet?’

‘Could it be connected to the Polbato Underworld? There have been cases where some worlds were connected to other dimensions before.’

But it wasn’t certain.

To know what kind of dimension gate it was and how it reacted, Kirke’s access level needed to be raised further.

Or he could go and check it himself.

‘Didn’t those who went leave any records?’

While Ian was talking to Kirke, Karzid pointed to the Adamantium.

“If you need a good sword, why don’t you try making it yourself?”

“Yes, I’ll use it well. But don’t you have any more of this?”

Karzid chuckled at his greed.

“No. That’s very precious.”

At his answer, Ian glanced at the Adamantium.

‘After all, I should go to the Forgotten City during the vacation.’

Walking through the village to participate in the dinner after leaving the metallurgy practice field, Ian took out the Adamantium and the can.

‘This is also interesting, but this smoke bomb is quite interesting too.’

‘Really? Is the dimension gate changing every time? Or is it connected to various dimensions at the same time?’

As Kirke reported based on the currently recorded information, Ian smiled wryly.

‘There’s no point in messing with dimensions unnecessarily.’

By the time Kirke said that, he had arrived at the dinner venue.

The dinner venue was Ruben’s Table, where he had gone with Killord last time.

‘He doesn’t have any money, but he’s pushing himself too hard……. I should eat lightly and leave.’

‘Still, I have to be moderate.’

Opening the door and going inside, Ian tilted his head.

The atmosphere inside the restaurant was tense.

Aranse and an elderly nobleman were glaring at each other as if they were about to come to blows.

“What? Who is that guy?”

As Ian approached, Blanche grabbed his arm.

“Hey, don’t get involved.”

“What is it? Did they get into a fight?”

“If that were the case, would we be standing still? It’s not like that.”

Blanche seemed to know what was going on.

No, not only him, but all the students who had come to the dinner seemed to know.

“It’s Aranse’s father. He’s a pretty famous nobleman. The Biden baronetcy [a hereditary title of honor in the UK].”

“Oh? Surely they…….”

It was a place Ian knew too.

As he recalled the information he had heard in class before, Blanche nodded.

“Yeah. It’s one of the families that manages the entrance to the Forgotten City. And that person is the head of the family, Einshar Biden.”

Ian fiddled with the Adamantium in his chest.

While he was standing there, waiting, Einshar, who was glaring at Aranse, bared his teeth.

“You’re still in that state. How pathetic.”

“Isn’t the old man still alive? The gatekeeper act must be worth it?”

“An act? It’s a noble duty.”

“Isn’t the work of an academy instructor who cultivates talent noble? And what’s so noble about picking up scraps in the Forgotten City?”

“What?!”

“If you came to someone else’s party, do what you have to do quietly without making a scene.”

Aranse gritted his teeth slightly.

“I have to have dinner with my students.”

“How pathetic. To abandon the family’s duty and take care of chicks.”

“You came to harass my students, but you’re saying all sorts of things. And those students caught a demon last time.”

His voice, growling, was mixed with pride.

But Einshar remained indifferent.

“Is it a big deal to catch one or two demons?”

“Damn it. Don’t ruin my appetite and get out.”

“Who should say that? My dinner is running away. Adrian, let’s go.”

As he left, the female knight standing behind him bowed slightly to Aranse.

Seeing them leave, Aranse took a deep breath as if trying to control his anger.

He stood trembling for a moment, then gritted his teeth.

“Like a senile old man.”

He sat down, suppressing his anger with the muttered insult.

But the atmosphere was still tense.

Looking around at the students, Aranse shouted cheerfully.

“Don’t worry and order as much as you want! Hey! Take our order!”

“Ah, yes!”

As the waiter approached, Aranse immediately started ordering.

His order consisted solely of expensive alcohol.

He ordered three bottles of strong liquor, and as soon as they arrived, he opened one and drank it all at once.

“Puhahaha~ What are you doing? Don’t hold back, order!”

“Then I’ll have the expensive ribs here…….”

“I want the more expensive roast beef…….”

“I want the most luxurious and expensive steak…….”

“Turkey is the best here.”

The students immediately ordered only the most expensive items.

“We have to lighten Aranse’s wallet as much as possible here.”

“Why?”

“If there’s money left, he’ll just drink more alcohol.”

“Did this happen last time too?”

“It’s like that when you meet Einshar. Strangely, they meet every year.”

“Uh-huh. It was like that last year too. I went out to eat with the instructor last year, and we ran into each other.”

“Do they recruit people from the academy there too?”

“Yeah.”

There are quite a few people who try to enter the Forgotten City without permission.

And that’s not all.

Monsters occasionally break through the barrier, and many gather to seek out ley lines [natural conduits of magical energy].

“So, a lot of combatants are needed, but it’s difficult to recruit only on-site. So, they get support from Fredon Academy and the Imperial Academy.”

That’s why they come during the Hero Festival.

Maybe in a few days, other families who manage the entrance to the Forgotten City will come.

“To think he’s talking about being a chick……. But Aranse said he was picking up scraps earlier? Does the Biden baronetcy also enter the Forgotten City?”

“I guess so? Defeating monsters, going in when there’s a rescue request…….”

While doing so, they also bring out artifacts and objects from the Forgotten City.

“Well, it’s a noble thing. It’s about finding artifacts from the Forgotten City, and it’s also about saving people.”

“Blanche! What are you whispering about!”

Aranse shouted, whether he heard him or not.

Blanche shut his mouth, and after a while, the dishes came out.

“Eat as much as you want! Order more if you don’t have enough!”

“Won’t you run out of money?”

“Can’t I buy you a meal?! Eat so much that the guys who didn’t come will be jealous!”

He shouted cheerfully, poured alcohol into his glass, and drank it all at once.

And he said to the waiter in a small voice that the students couldn’t hear.

“……Take out two bottles of this alcohol.”