Chapter 75
Karen had been pushed nearly to the brink of fainting, but for me, it had been just the right warm-up.
A pleasant sweat broke out over me, and my heart was pounding.
I stepped outside the inn, stretched wide, and waited for Karen and Isti to come out.
"Darling. Let's go now."
Isti opened the inn door and came out.
Behind her stood Karen, her face bashful.
"Karen. Are you feeling all right?"
"Yeah. I can move. ……Oppa, sorry."
"Why are you apologizing? I'm the one who lost control."
"……Because I kept pestering you to keep going halfway through. Don't you remember?"
Now that she mentioned it, maybe she had.
"I-If you don't remember, then it's fine! You don't have to force yourself to recall it!"
Perhaps she had been quite disheveled at the time, because Karen hurriedly tried to cover it up.
"Isti. Noah knows where this inn is too, right?"
"Yeah. I told her before we parted. ……Though Noah seemed like she already knew."
……If it was Noah, it wouldn't be strange even if she did.
"Shall we hurry before the sun sets?"
"Yeah!"
Karen clasped my hand.
Following Isti's guidance, we headed toward the next district beyond the wall, the street where the high-class residential area was located.
The closer we got to the castle, the steeper the slope became, so after climbing some stairs, we came face-to-face with guards blocking a gate.
As soon as they saw Isti, they exchanged a few words among themselves and hurriedly opened the gate.
Isti swept right past without paying them any mind.
We tried to follow her, but the guards blocked Karen and me.
"Halt. Not just anyone may enter beyond this point."
"They're with me."
Isti said, looking back.
"Our apologies!"
At that, the guards snapped around and stepped aside.
It made me think all over again about just what kind of existence Isti was to this kingdom.
Karen seemed to feel something too, because she spoke loudly enough for me to hear.
"Isti is amazing. So many people remember what she accomplished."
"How could they not?"
It was pure admiration welling up from the heart.
Just as its impression suggested, the high-class residential district seemed like a space inhabited by people of noble birth—the privileged class.
Everyone walking along the streets was dressed splendidly, and not a single person looked cowed.
There were an awful lot of people putting on noble airs, like Diana.
If I so much as bumped shoulders with some of them, they'd probably make a huge fuss about insults or whatever, right?
After walking quite a while, I was finally able to see with my own eyes the large building I had glimpsed from the carriage.
"This is it."
Isti said.
"The institution for training and managing Hero candidates. Commonly known as the 'Hero School,' Melbrit."
Melbrit was a building that towered grandly like a great cathedral.
Beyond its pale yellow-brown wall, solemn as a castle wall, stood the various buildings that made up Melbrit.
The one at the end of the broad avenue appeared to be the main building, while the others looked like dormitories where the students stayed.
"Looks like the Hero candidates live on school grounds?"
"Yeah. They live in the dormitories, and even their everyday conduct is evaluated."
Ugh. Just hearing that makes me feel suffocated.
But it was fine. There was no place where hypnosis worked as well as a school.
The population density was high, everything was done through people, and all the facilities were clustered relatively close together.
If there was even a place where they all lived and slept together on top of that, it was the icing on the cake.
It was practically my home ground.
If I set my mind to it, I could probably hypnotize every woman in Melbrit within three days.
It felt like playing a game with unfair rules, but that didn't mean there were no elements that could cause a game over.
The Hero and the Goddess.
If they recognized me as an enemy at our first meeting, a lot of things would become disadvantageous.
The key was to approach carefully without making too big a move.
In an emergency, Bella was supposed to barge in, but it would be best not to create a situation where Bella had to do so if possible.
Large-scale matters like "hypnotizing the entire student body" would wait until things were completely safe.
Until then, I should pursue some modest pleasures…….
"There really are a lot of people."
Just as Isti said, the front of the school was bustling with crowds.
They were all young, or even still children, and quite a few were already wearing Melbrit uniforms.
Wait. I feel like I've seen those somewhere before.
"There are also people taking the regular entrance exam.
Among them, there will only be a handful who completed an emergency mission like you, Darling."
That made sense.
If you included the people who had yet to arrive, that number would shrink even further.
So, rather than looking for a typical freshman-like impression, I glanced around to see if there was anyone with a slightly unusual appearance.
One woman stood out.
She looked like some monstrous witch who lived in the forest. Her body was covered by a single black cloth little better than a rag, and she wore a wide-brimmed hat pulled low over her face.
Her hair had been grown out to the point that it reached her ankles. Was she a ghost?
I couldn't see her face, but I got the feeling she might be quite a beauty.
As for the others…… for now, men were out.
"Oppa. What are you staring at so hard? Let's hurry up and go."
"Doesn't Melbrit's uniform look familiar?"
"Melbrit's uniform?"
Karen looked closely too.
"Ah, it's the same as the clothes that blond girl we met in the Bordeaux Dungeon was wearing."
"Ah!"
That's right!
That blond girl who defeated the lich…… no, the skeleton boss before us.
Would she be here too?
"Do all the candidates wear those clothes? They're so pretty."
It was understandable that Karen would say that.
Melbrit's women's uniform consisted of a pure white color scheme reminiscent of a naval dress uniform, a short skirt, and black over-knee socks that came up above the knees.
Quite a few candidates were also wearing black blazer coats as outerwear, with Melbrit's crest embroidered in gold thread over the breast.
If Karen wore that…… it would be incredible.
The top would probably swell as if it were about to burst, unable to contain the volume of her chest, right?
And below the skirt, her legs would be fully exposed. Damn, I couldn't stop these pleasant imaginings.
"Ah, Lady Noah!"
Just then, Karen spotted Noah and waved her hand.
Noah noticed us and approached.
"You have all arrived. I was waiting a step ahead."
"Did you take care of the matter at the Executive Bureau?"
"Yes. I am on my way back after covering up the incident that occurred in Mareun Village. I also returned the artifact that dispels brainwashing magic."
Ah. That had happened too.
It seemed she had made arrangements so there would be no trouble later.
"I believe you will be able to remain quiet until word spreads about your duel with the Vanguard family."
That was something I'd just have to gladly endure.
"Lord Decal. What are your impressions after seeing Melbrit?"
"I like the women's uniforms. Not that I'll be wearing one."
Noah smiled gently.
"I thought you would say that, Lord Decal. However, please be sufficiently careful.
The thing Melbrit prohibits most strictly is 'romantic relationships with the opposite sex.'"
"Is that so?"
It was what I had expected.
Since I wouldn't have to see any men other than me having sex, it was actually better.
That rule couldn't bind me. Noah should know that well too.
"It seems you are prepared.
The man over there is the examiner. I have already spoken to him about the two of you."
"Will you wait here, Isti?"
If I went to take the exam with Karen, what would happen to Isti?
"I'm going to meet with Melbrit's committee."
"Lord Decal. If you do not mind, please leave that matter to me. I will assist Miss Isti."
Noah stepped forward first, saying she would help Isti.
There was no reason to refuse. Noah was reliable.
"All right. Isti probably isn't used to dealing with people, so take good care of her, Noah."
"Understood."
Isti hugged me tightly.
"Darling. It makes me sad to part with you."
"We'll see each other again, won't we?"
I kissed Isti and exchanged farewells with her.
"See you at Melbrit, Darling."
"Yeah."
Isti seemed not to think for even a moment that I might fail.
I had to live up to that expectation.
After Noah and Isti entered through Melbrit's main gate, Karen and I were left behind.
"Shall we go?"
"Yeah!"
We approached the examiner.
The gathered candidates were all talking among themselves.
"That was just Sir Noah Veil of the 'Iron Wall,' wasn't it?"
"Did you hear? They say someone caught the 'Thin Wolf.'"
It seemed Noah had already told them about us.
"You are Lord Decal and Lady Karen, correct?"
The examiner said, looking at our faces.
"Yes."
"I have confirmed that you are emergency mission achievers. Please proceed inside."
Karen and I received something like registration slips from the examiner and followed the woman in charge of guiding us into Melbrit.
However, we did not enter through the main gate like Isti and Noah. Instead, we were led along the outer wall for quite a while to another entrance.
There were quite a few applicants there who, like us, had been guided in.
There were about forty of them.
They're all applicants, right? Then why are we the only ones without uniforms?
"First, there will be a combat ability test.
Please note that it will be reflected in Melbrit's future ranking evaluations. First twenty, please step forward."
I took Karen and walked forward.
"What are those people?"
"They don't even have uniforms."
"Don't tell me they're emergency mission achievers?"
"I will check the slips you received earlier."
The woman with glasses carefully checked the slips we handed over.
"You two are emergency mission completers. You have the achievement of having dealt with the「Thin Wolf」as a two-person party. Your examiner was Sir Veil Noah……."
"V-Veil Noah?"
"That iron-wall examiner?"
The applicants began to murmur.
When mentioned together, the fact that we were examined by Noah drew more attention than the Thin Wolf. Impressive.
I could feel firsthand that Noah had a reputation no less than Isti's.
"From this point on, you cannot proceed with party members formed in advance.
I'm sorry, but it seems one of you will have to remain behind."
"Hmm……."
Well, it is far too obvious that we're party members.
If a task comes up that can be easily handled through cooperation, we'll certainly cooperate, and that wouldn't be fair to the other applicants.
It doesn't matter. I think Karen has more than enough ability in her own right.
"Karen. I'll go first."
"Okay."
At a time like this, asking if she'll be all right would itself be rude to Karen.
The woman with glasses checked the twenty people who had been grouped first, including me, one by one, and spoke.
"I will guide you to the examination site. Please follow me."
The applicants walked behind the woman with glasses like a trailing tail.
I followed slowly from the rear.
Where around Melbrit Campus were we? After passing through a long corridor, a large door painted red greeted us.
"Beyond this door, the「task」that will test your abilities awaits."
The woman with glasses quietly looked over us and continued.
"You have all worked hard during the three-month examination period. I hope you have acquired the character and ability suitable to become Hero candidates."
……The regular route takes three months? Impressive.
I shouldn't look down on the kids gathered here.
The woman with glasses bowed her head to us and lightly placed her hand on the door.
Then the complex diagram drawn on the door gave off a faint light, and it opened on its own.
I stepped forward first.
What is this? A training ground?
Beyond the door was simply outdoors. There was no roof, and the ground was covered in fine earth without even a single pebble.
It was a square space made to fixed dimensions lengthwise and widthwise. Not entirely outdoors, but not indoors either. An ambiguous arrangement like that.
On the walls blocking off the far side and the sides, something like black curtains had been spread out, and I could see silhouettes of people cast upon them.
I understood at once that those silhouettes belonged to the people watching and evaluating us.
Which meant something was going to happen here.
While everyone came out to the center and looked around, I quietly moved to a corner.
"We meet again."
Someone suddenly spoke to me from behind.
I flinched and turned around, and there was a face I had seen before.
I didn't know her name, but she was the blond girl I had met in the Bordeaux Dungeon.
The one who had dealt with the boss of the Bordeaux Dungeon before Karen and me.
"Since when were you there?"
"The whole time. I've been behind you all along."
I hadn't noticed at all.
Even when everyone had been gathered together.
With an appearance this striking, I should have recognized her immediately.
"I'm Stia Harpe. And you?"
"……Dekal. Adventurer."
What is this?
Back then she had snapped at me and called me pathetic, but now she was strangely friendly.
"Dekal, I've reconsidered you a little. In the end, you pulled it off. Together with that girl."
"……."
Ah.
Hearing that, I understood why her attitude was different from back then.
It was only a guess, but perhaps Stia, who had felt upset after seeing Karen cry, had kept that brief encounter in her heart.
If so, she must have been quite glad to see me and Karen.
She clearly thought we had overcome our frustration, finally hunted down the Thin Wolf, and followed after her.
In that case, it was only natural that her impression of me would improve.
We had actually caught the Thin Wolf long ago, and Stia probably couldn't even imagine what had happened afterward.
In any case, this was an interesting connection.
"It's thanks to you too. ……That we were able to come here."
Stia looked at me, her jewel-like red eyes sparkling brightly.
"I thought adventurers were nothing but pathetic fellows…… but Dekal. There are rare, earnest people like you too.
I think we can become good friends."
Stia held out her hand.
"I'll be counting on you, Dekal."
This handshake seemed to mean that we should be friends from now on.
There was no reason to refuse.
I clasped Stia's hand.
At that moment, I felt a faint tremor in the ground. Stia immediately turned her gaze inward and drew the slender sword at her waist.
"Dekal. Let's move together to accomplish the task. You can do that, right?"
"Sounds good."
Since it wasn't「planned in advance」, it should be allowed.
Thinking that this sort of thing might also be part of their evaluation, I readily accepted.
The tremors grew stronger. A huge boulder rose up from the center.
"It's a golem."
Stia murmured.