***
After turning the entrance ceremony into a chaotic marketplace, the assistant said something to me while practically crying, but I just brushed it off.
It wasn't like a speech had a set format, and since they just told me to say whatever I wanted, that’s what I did.
At any rate, the entrance ceremony concluded with what was, for me, a rather satisfying finish.
[Only Master is satisfied; the staff are probably tearing their hair out.]
‘Like I care.’
[That is true!]
Of course, there would be people who looked down on it, but if the mana authentication system became famous through this, on the contrary.
That fame would be a great help in elevating me as an outstanding engineer and a strong candidate for a professorship.
After all, in this field, as long as your research results are good, that's all that matters.
And on the side, the extra income would contribute to the revitalization of my hometown.
“We will now announce the dormitory and class assignments.”
Something like a hologram appeared before the eyes of the new students waiting in the auditorium, informing each of them of their assigned dormitory and class.
On the surface, it was merely displaying an image, but it was magic that projected a different image to each of the hundreds of individuals. It must have used some rather advanced magic.
“A-Class and Dormitory A-1…”
Looking around, I could roughly figure out how the classes and dormitories were assigned.
[It’s a meritocracy!]
A clear meritocracy that divided the dormitory and class assignments starting from A.
It meant they intended to strictly separate the high-achieving students from the underachievers.
Well, for me, that was welcome news.
“Our dorms are different, but we’re all in the same class, right? I look forward to working with you all!”
“It’s a relief that there are so many familiar faces.”
What was surprising was that the black-haired guy was in A-Class with me.
‘Even if he’s a dud as a warrior, does that mean he has some talent in magical engineering?’
[It seems so. If you coax him well, I think you could work him as a promising slave later!]
Hmm.
I decided to watch the black-haired guy a little more closely.
Meanwhile, the dormitories seemed to have been assigned based on overall grades, regardless of faculty, as Linia was also assigned to the same dorm as us.
“Looks like we’re in the same dorm. I was sad that I was the only one separated, so this is a relief.”
Linia, who had joined us late.
“Looks like I’m the only one in a different dorm. What a shame… I heard the A-dorms are really amazing.”
“Is that so?”
“The rumor is that they’re practically on the level of a five-star hotel! That’s why the A-dorm residents try to hold on, and residents from other dorms are dead set on getting into the A-dorms…”
The black-haired guy seemed quite disappointed, as if he’d heard something.
But what could I do? He seemed to have barely made it into A-Class in magical engineering, but his overall rank was lacking.
‘It would be nice if he becomes a good slave in the future.’
Anyway, we parted ways with the black-haired guy like that, and we followed the guidance of the seniors and assistants standing all over the campus and moved to A-dorm.
<><><>
Thanks to the dorms being divided by grades, after the black-haired guy left the group, we headed toward the dormitory.
The first thought that came to mind upon arriving at A-dorm was that it was indeed worthy of being divided by grades.
From the start, the A-dorms were designed to a level that would put the mansion of a high noble to shame in appearance, and among them, A-1 was built to be the most magnificent and largest.
If the other A-dorms were a luxury residential area, then A-1 was practically at the penthouse level, so to speak.
“Raniel! Did you see?! The rooms are private, and they’re already filled with top-of-the-line furniture!”
“It’s decent enough.”
“It’s almost on the same level as the Leventia mansion, isn’t it?”
I had decked out everything in the mansion with top-quality goods using the money I earned from the auction, and this private room was of nearly comparable quality.
I even heard that all sorts of amenities were prepared inside the dorm, so unless you were going out for fun, there was no real need to go outside.
“Wow! We’re even all in rooms next to each other!”
A-1 was designed with four floors and was made to accommodate a total of seven residents.
The first floor had various amenities, the second floor had four private rooms, the third floor had three private rooms, and finally, the fourth floor had a spacious lounge.
And within that, the three of us ended up occupying the third floor.
It seemed they had gathered only the top and second-place students from each faculty in one dorm building, so should I call it good luck that we were all familiar faces on the same floor?
“El! Raniel! Let’s hurry up, unpack, and go check out the lounge!!”
Just as my thoughts were about to deepen, I was jolted from my reverie by Linia’s excited voice.
“Calm down and organize your things first.”
“Already done!”
“I am also already done!”
That was one thing for me, since I put all the trivial stuff in the Dimensional Hangar, but how did these guys finish unpacking so quickly?
[Lately, the purpose of the Dimensional Hangar has been…]
‘It’s convenient. This really can’t be helped.’
Except for not being able to store living things, it could store items more perfectly than a freezer or refrigerator, and its capacity was immense, so how could I not use it?
Especially now that the armaments were completely empty, there was even more space.
“Raniel! Hurry!”
“Alright. I’m coming now.”
I took out only the things I would need right away, tossed them in the room, and followed Linia.
When I came out, the two of them already had their feet on the stairs leading up.
“Hurry up!”
“Honestly. Really.”
I scratched the back of my head and followed the two who were walking ahead of me.
But why don’t these guys use the elevator when coming up here?
When we first came in, Linia had enthusiastically dashed up the stairs, but honestly, it was tiring.
[Master, you lack exercise.]
‘I have the constitution where my strength doesn’t increase worth a damn even if I exercise.’
[That’s all the more reason to exercise!]
It’s saying something a gym rat would say.
I brushed it off and climbed the stairs.
Perhaps because the ceilings on each floor were designed to be high, there were quite a lot of stairs just to go up one floor.
“Why don’t you guys use the elevator?”
In the end, I spoke up first.
Linia, who had nothing but stamina to begin with, was one thing, but El clearly looked tired, so why was she insisting on using the stairs?
“I am using the stairs for exercise.”
El answered my question with a very flustered face.
What’s she so flustered about?
“El does need some exercise. Her belly fat is so soft…”
“St-stop! Do not speak of it!!”
Ah, if that’s the reason, then it can’t be helped.
At Linia’s innocent answer, El became extremely flustered and hurriedly covered Linia’s mouth.
If that tiny thing gets fat too, she’ll just be rolling around like a ball later.
[Master has the constitution that doesn’t gain weight, right?]
‘It’s also a constitution that doesn’t build muscle.’
It would be the worst constitution for a warrior family, but since I had no intention of being a warrior, I didn’t really care.
“I see. El is exercising, and Linia is… no, never mind.”
Looking at Linia, who showed no signs of fatigue whatsoever, I just shut my mouth.
“Hey, why did you stop talking mid-sentence?! That’s annoying!”
“Because I think I know without you saying it.”
That girl could probably run up and down between the first and fourth floors at full sprint all day and be fine.
I accepted it as such.
“More importantly, what is that elevator thing in the first place?!”
Until I heard those words.
She didn’t even know it existed?!
[Come to think of it, Leventia doesn’t have any elevators, does it?]
‘Well, no, but.’
I didn’t think she wouldn’t even know of its existence.
I walked up to the fuming Linia, placed a hand on her shoulder, shrugged, shook my head, and walked right past her.
“What?! Why are you treating me like an idiot?! I’ve never heard of it, so it’s possible I wouldn’t know!”
Seeing me walk past Linia, El glanced at Linia and quietly followed behind me.
“Is it alright not to tell her?”
“It’s fun.”
“That is true, but.”
At my words, El nodded with a slightly complicated expression.
For someone who dragged me all around the old castle while trembling because of her pride, she’s so timid.
I took the lead up the stairs, and a moment later, we finally reached the top of the stairs.
Looking to the side of the staircase, I could see an elevator not far away.
When I pressed the button, the elevator came up right away, perhaps because no one was using it.
El knew of the elevator’s existence so she had no particular reaction, while Linia was looking at it with fascination.
I cleared my throat and faced Linia.
“Ahem, ahem, this is called an elevator.”
I recited quietly.
“It allows you to move between floors.”
After kindly explaining the elevator’s purpose, I looked at Linia with a “What do you think?” expression.
“What? Why?!”
“Hmph, you just don’t get it. At times like this, you’re supposed to say ‘Wow! Sugoi! Amazing!’”
“I don’t know what that means, but I can tell you’re treating me like a huge idiot.”
I shrugged my shoulders at Linia and shook my head from side to side.
I wasn’t treating her like an idiot, I was treating her like a blockhead.
“There’s staff here, and you’re not children, so what are you two playing at?”
As I turned my gaze at El’s words, who was looking at me and Linia as if we were being absurd.
“How refreshing. You must be the new top-performing students.”
At a bar-like area in the lounge, a staff member with a friendly impression was watching us with a very pleased expression.
As I awkwardly scratched the back of my head, the staff member continued with a standard 안내 message.
“Alcohol is sold only between 8 PM and 12 AM. At other times, you can have tea and a simple brunch.”
“Is it free?!”
Linia, who always had an empty wallet, had her eyes sparkle.
“Yes, of course. However, we would appreciate it if you would remember that this is a service provided only to the top-performing students.”
In other words, you couldn’t bring someone who wasn’t an A-1 dorm resident and feed them.
Meanwhile, I slowly walked around the lounge, looking here and there.
Lightly checking things like the types of alcohol and menu items available, the interior design, and what kind of magical engineering technology was used here.
But suddenly, I felt a strange gaze.
“…”
The bar staff member who had been kindly explaining things was looking this way with a somewhat pleased expression.
“Ahem.”
I gave a subtle hint by clearing my throat, but the staff member paid no mind and stared fixedly in this direction.
In the end, unable to stand it any longer, I was about to say something.
“The cat on your head is very cute.”
“…Pardon?”
“The cat is really cute.”
Ah, so he was looking at Mackerel, not me.
“Meow.”
The fellow was sitting so naturally on my head that I had forgotten about him without realizing it.
No wonder it felt harder than usual to climb the stairs.
“Get down already. My neck hurts.”
“Meow.”
At my words, Mackerel jumped down, settled in a corner of the bar, and curled up.
He is cute.
“May I pet him?”
The bar staff looked at Mackerel with sparkling eyes.
“It should be fine.”
He’s never caused a ruckus, so it should be okay.
As soon as my permission was granted, the staff member repeatedly pet Mackerel.
“Meow.”
“Oh my, the cat is so calm. It’s rare to see one this calm.”
He did beat up me and El in the underground prison, but he is calm.
“You must have trained him well. Hmm, is there anything I can give him?”
The bar staff immediately went behind the counter, brought out a bunch of things a cat might eat, and offered them to Mackerel.
“Meow.”
Mackerel somehow recognized that it was for him and began to eat well.
At that, El also looked at Mackerel with a somewhat pleased expression.
“The more I see Mackerel, the more clever he seems. It would be better if he followed me, but strangely, he follows you well.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
As I gently scratched the arrogant little beast’s chin, he made a purring sound, as if he was in a good mood.
“Meow.”
He certainly is cute.
[Kitties are cute! They’re deadly!]
“Wow, really, why is our Mackerel so cute? Raniel, you’re going to keep raising Mackerel, right?”
Not just El, but Linia was also smitten with Mackerel and was petting and cuddling him all over.
Raising him, huh. Raising a living creature is quite an inefficient thing to do, but.
“Meow.”
Well, if he’s this cute, he’s worth keeping around.
And so, along with the bar staff, we all pet and cuddled Mackerel for a long while.
“Come to think of it, classes start today, right?”
Linia muttered regretfully as she diligently patted Mackerel’s back.
Classes on the day of the entrance ceremony—as expected of the academy.
“The morning was for unpacking in the dorm and waiting after the entrance ceremony, and I heard classes start in the afternoon.”
If nothing special happens in the morning, we can just relax like this and then go to class in the afternoon.
And so, we spent our time leisurely, petting Mackerel and chatting.
This kind of time isn’t so bad.
[Something always seems to blow up at times like this.]
‘Shut up.’
Although the AI said something ominous, it was a mostly peaceful morning.
<><><>
The House of Cliché.
A family with a long and storied history of swordsmanship, currently led by Karon Cliché, who is regarded as the Empire’s greatest swordsman.
The knight order and private soldiers under his command possess skills surpassing those of the regular army and wield a military might that could be described as the sword of the Empire.
Because of this powerful strength, the House of Cliché was at the forefront of the ‘dungeon’ situation more than anyone else.
“National defense must never be taken lightly.”
The knight commander of the House of Cliché, who began with a solemn tone, looked around the room and spoke.
“As the family head has instructed, with the movements of the Cult of the End also being unusual, we must never overlook the strange phenomenon of the ‘dungeon.’
Not only must we thoroughly subjugate and clear the dungeons, but we must also help our successors who will follow in our footsteps to prepare for the situation in advance.”
To this end, the House of Cliché was personally preparing a field trip this time.
To observe the actual appearance of a dungeon, and also to leave some weak monsters within a controllable range for the students to experience.
The most important thing at this time was, of course, safety.
“The inside has been thoroughly cleared, correct?”
“Yes! No problem. It wasn't a dungeon with powerful monsters in the first place, and the knight order has thoroughly cleared out the monsters.
The monsters currently remaining are ones that the students can handle with their skills, and they are only the kind that we can easily suppress while accompanying them.”
In fact, the knight order had been deployed and had thoroughly searched and subjugated the dungeon for over a week.
Inside, there were only small species or weak individuals like slimes.
“Good, manage the entrance thoroughly as well and ensure we are fully prepared until the field trip.”
“Yes! Understood!”
Receiving the disciplined salutes of the knights, the commander left the place.
But there was one fact that neither the knights guarding the place nor the commander leading the scene knew.
In the depths of the dungeon, whose entrance was sealed.
In a corner of a certain cave that the knight order had trampled over time and time again, something slimy and gooey was dripping down.
-…….
It was ambiguous whether it was even alive, and it looked like the corpse of a slime or the bodily fluid of some monster.
But inside that hazy, slimy substance, there was something reddish.
Even up close, it was too blurry to distinguish, but the form that was faintly visible through the dripping slime looked like ‘red armor.’
Like a powered suit.