All-Master Player Of The Academy [EN]: Chapter 8

◈ Episode 8

4. Excelling in My Specialty – 2

“Then let’s wrap things up for today. It’s been a while since we’ve all been together, how about we grab something to eat?” Hausel suggested, and some of the instructors agreed.

However, Aranse had other plans.

“I have some things I need to take care of.”

“Oh~ Aranse. Don’t jump the gun.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“We know how you feel, but take it easy.”

Everyone knew why he was in such a hurry to leave.

He was planning to secretly approach Ian, offer him better terms, and get a head start in negotiations.

Aranse was annoyed by their interference.

“Alright, how about we each approach them individually and make our offers? Is F class up first? Ian, do you have a moment to spare?”

“Of course, Instructor Hausel. I sincerely hope to learn from a good mentor.”

The instructors were pleased with his polite response.

‘Most talented people are usually arrogant.’

‘Still, Ian seems like a decent person.’

Unlike the talented students they had tried to recruit into their classes before, the instructors were even more eager to have him in their class.

* * *

“This is Ian, who will be joining our class starting today.”

Aranse ultimately won the battle to recruit Ian.

He offered a year’s tuition, a guaranteed spot in the top 10 of overall grades, and a full scholarship for the entire academy if Class B achieved overall promotion.

It’s the same in any era: knowledge is power.

In modern times or the space age, acquiring knowledge is relatively easy, but in this world, knowledge belonged to those who possessed it.

Kirke’s Truth Access level is still low, so traveling the world to acquire advanced knowledge or information would be an unnecessary expense.

So, for the time being, using the academy was much more efficient and convenient.

The academy gathers a vast amount of knowledge and information from all over the continent.

Therefore, Aranse’s offer to provide food, shelter, status, and only require studying was an attractive proposition.

It wasn’t a bad deal for strengthening my Word Spirit.

With such aligned interests, there was no reason not to join forces.

That’s why Ian shook Aranse’s hand amidst the instructors’ numerous requests for a handshake.

“Say hello.”

“Ian Brandon.”

“Oh…….”

“He’s smaller than the rumors suggest.”

“But what’s that cat on his shoulder?”

“The cat is so cute~.”

Most of the students’ interest stemmed from curiosity and affection.

Satisfied with their reaction, Aranse pointed to one side.

“Ian, your seat is next to Blanche.”

“Yes.”

As he sat down, the freckled boy with blue hair called Blanche grinned.

“Hey, nice to meet you. I’m Blanche Auden, a third-year in the intermediate class, and the second son of Count Auden of the Overwell Kingdom.”

“I’m also a third-year. A Count’s family. Should I be using honorifics?”

Of course, if he told me to use honorifics, I would feed him the Demonic Divine Art [a powerful and potentially dangerous technique].

Whether he sensed my intentions or not, Blanche waved his hand dismissively.

“No way. What’s with that between classmates? No one in the intermediate class cares about that stuff. But what’s with the cat next to you? It looks very precious.”

“Myaaa~.”

Myaenae tapped the finger in front of her with her white paw.

“Wow, so cute.”

“Myaa~ Myaa~.”

“Hey, quiet down. Save the chatter for later.”

Blanche quickly straightened his posture at Aranse’s remark.

“We have a new classmate joining us, and I believe that you will win the Hero Festival this time and obtain the Hero’s Badge [a prestigious award given to the winners of the Hero Festival].”

Last time, they lost to Class A and finished as runners-up.

Aranse, who considered Class A’s homeroom teacher Hausel as a rival, looked at the students with blazing eyes.

“From today, all combat classes in preparation for the Hero Festival will be changed to monster hunting and survival training. I expect perfect attendance, and you’re responsible for managing your liberal arts classes on your own.”

“Yes!!”

“That’s all.”

After speaking briefly, Ian tilted his head.

“Monster hunting and survival training in preparation for the Hero Festival, what’s that?”

“Ah, that? You just defeat monsters and survive in the Miyal Mountains. You didn’t do it in the lower grades, right? Good. I’ll help you out a bit this time. Have you ever caught a monster before?”

Blanche said with a smile, and Ian nodded seriously.

“Beating, killing, and catching is my specialty.”

* * *

There was no time to adjust to the new class.

The very next day, before sunrise, Aranse took the students to the edge of the academy.

Arriving at the gate connected to the Miyal Mountains, which were teeming with monsters at the level of the central part of the continent, he said in an indifferent tone.

“We will now conduct monster hunting training.”

Everyone seemed familiar with this routine.

While everyone was warming up or checking their equipment, Aranse continued his explanation.

While he was talking about the monsters that frequently appeared this season and their weaknesses, Blanche pointed to the students.

“This training is just simple monster hunting. You have to catch a lot of strong monsters to get a high score. It’s a relative evaluation, so you have to catch as many as possible.”

So, you have to pick the most helpful people.

“The first goal is to attract the mages.”

“Who?”

“Those four over there.”

Haryun, Graejin, Wildy, Oerina.

Two boys and two girls.

Other students were glancing at them, wondering if they were also aiming for them.

“Whether they’re on your team or not, the score difference is quite significant…….”

“Blanche!!”

At that moment, Aranse, who had finished his explanation, called his name.

Blanche smiled and stepped forward, followed by the other team leaders.

“Let the selection begin!”

It seemed they would be drawing lots through rock-paper-scissors.

There were a total of seven people.

Blanche was fifth in rock-paper-scissors.

“I will choose Haryun.”

“Good.”

As always, the mages were chosen first.

After Haryun, other team leaders also chose mages.

“I’ll take Ian.”

Except for the mages, everyone else was about the same, so Blanche picked Ian and raised his thumb.

“Friend!”

“So? Who are you going to pick next? How about choosing someone who uses a bow if possible?”

“Then it’s Willbal.”

At that time, Park Bare, the giant boy who was the next team leader after Blanche, said.

“I will take Willbal.”

“Damn it.”

Blanche looked around at the remaining people with regret.

“Who should I take? Let’s look forward to the insight of the person who defeated Instructor Isaac.”

He slowly scanned the remaining people.

In response to his gaze, Kirke told him the information of those who were waiting for the selection with anxious faces.

“”

“”

“”

Ian pointed to the giant boy with the ax among the three.

“He looks a bit strong.”

“Really? I’ll pick Bala.”

The selected boy, Bala, got up from his seat.

And he grinned as he came towards Ian and Blanche.

“It was a wise choice.”

“I hope it wasn’t a foolish one.”

“Anyway, I know Blanche’s skills, but Ian, are your skills as rumored?”

“Shall we test it out?”

If he wanted, I could show him.

As Ian wiggled his fingers, Bala grinned.

“That test will come later.”

When all the remaining team members were decided, Aranse opened his mouth.

“The time limit is until sunset today.”

He drew his sword and pointed to the gate.

“Kill as much as you want and come back.”

In response to Aranse’s words, the gate to the Miyal Mountains opened.

The Miyal Mountains, adjacent to Fredon Academy, were famous for being overflowing with monsters.

Thanks to that, even the kingdoms near the Miyal Mountains did not try to approach it.

A hero of the past occupied that land, and in honor of him, Fredon Academy was established here.

Since then, the academy has been trying to conquer the Miyal Mountains by defeating the monsters according to the hero’s will.

This training of the academy students could be said to be part of that effort.

“Anyway, even though we’ve been catching monsters like this ever since, the mountains are always overflowing with monsters. So, the academy’s established theory is that there’s something in the Miyal Mountains causing it.”

While listening to Blanche’s incessant chatter, Ian and his party walked along the mountain path.

Bala, who was marking the path to avoid getting lost, looked at Myaenae sitting on Ian’s shoulder.

“That cat has it so easy.”

“Myaa~.”

“What is this guy saying? Myaa~ Myaa~ Mya Mya~ Mya~.”

“Shaaaack!!”

Myaenae bristled.

Bala flinched at the reaction.

“Wh-what?”

“She’s asking how you could say such harsh words?”

“What did I say?!”

Blanche chuckled at the flustered Bala.

Meanwhile, Ian turned his gaze to a large tree.

“”

“”

‘I saw it too.’

After hearing Kirke’s voice, Ian scanned the tree and pointed to one spot.

“There are traces.”

“Oh…… that’s a goblin’s trace? Well, it’s meaningless to catch that. The score will be low too.”

Bala agreed with Blanche’s words.

There was no big help to the score even if they caught something like that.

As Bala gave an additional opinion, Ian tapped the tree.

“Then let’s find that.”

“Huh?”

They turned their eyes to where Ian was pointing.

Not the base of the tree with the goblin’s traces, but the branch side.

“Why is that there?”

“The branch is bent.”

“……Can you see that?”

When he concentrated, one of the branches at the top of the big tree was bent.

It looked as if someone had deliberately bent it.

“You saw that well. So? Ian, what do you think that is?”

“Well? But it wouldn’t be a person.”

Ian pointed to a few other trees.

The branches at the top of those trees were also bent.

“A monster in the trees……. Felines do that.”

“If it’s a feline, wouldn’t it be a blood jaguar?”

“”

“”

As Kirke gave the information, Ian pointed to where the traces of the blood jaguar continued.

“Let’s catch it first.”

As Ian spoke and walked, Bala admired.

“But you’re really good at finding things. Are you a hunter?”

“I’ve heard you’re good at fighting…… I didn’t know you had this talent too?”

“Shh.”

Ian smiled at their compliments and raised his finger to his lips.

As they both closed their mouths, he gave instructions with hand signals.

As they walked while hiding their presence as much as possible, they were able to find their target.

A huge jaguar with blood-colored fur was tearing apart a goblin and eating it.

“It’s really there. By the way, it’s bigger than I thought……?”

“Can we catch it?”

The enemy was off guard.

As such, the priority was to launch a preemptive strike, but if they rushed in because of the distance, the blood jaguar would run away immediately.

While they were contemplating, Ian picked up a stone on the ground.

“”

“”

The technique of the holy boy king who killed a giant with a slingshot is activated.

With Kirke’s support, Ian, who had finished calculating the trajectory, threw the stone at the blood jaguar as it was.

The stone mixed with enormous rotational force and internal energy was shot out of Ian’s hand.

-Paak!!

The stone that flew through the wind hit the blood jaguar’s head.

With a single blow.

The blood jaguar couldn’t even make a sound and collapsed.

When the two who saw it blankly turned their heads to look at him, Ian said nonchalantly.

“What are you doing? Did you come out for a meeting? Why are you all frozen?”