Training Session (2)
Among all that, the second-year students were still struggling against their golem.
Because golems have such high endurance, it was unclear how long this would take. The second-years were all breathing heavily, shoulders heaving.
“Ahh, this looks like the second-years are gonna wear themselves out first.”
“What are Gene and Eric planning to do?”
Just as Teacher Hector said, both Brother Gene and Young Master Eric were merely watching the fight without moving or offering any advice.
Then, one of the second-years, a student with the Fire attribute, completely exhausted, accidentally fired a Fire Arrow toward the spectator seats instead of the target. He must’ve lost control from fatigue.
“““““““““Ah.””””””””””
The Fire Arrow shot straight toward them, but Teacher Brian raised a wall of earth in time, narrowly avoiding disaster.
“““““““““Phew~”””””””””
“Everyone okay?”
“Yeah, man, they’ve got the magic power to get this far, but still…”
By the time the wall of earth faded, the golem had already stopped moving.
“Huh? What happened?”
“No idea.”
“Oh—Gene’s coming.”
“Teacher Brian, Teacher Hector, are you both alright?”
“Yeah, we’re fine.”
“Gene, how are the second-years?”
“Yes. Some have run out of mana, and a few have bruises. But it wasn’t going anywhere like that, so I called for a forced stop… Anyway, everyone, would you like to take a closer look at the golem?”
“““““““We want to see it!”””””””
“Alright then! Courtesy of the Monster Subjugation Corps, let’s all go have a closer look.”
“““““““Yay!”””””””
When we went down to the training field, the golem that the second-years had been fighting had a hole right through the middle of its face. Brother Gene guided the first-years to a spot where they could see it clearly and had all the students gather around.
“This golem had its core in its head. For reference, the third-years’ golem had its core in the torso, and the fourth-years’ was in the right leg. The core’s location differs from one golem to another. As for the second-years’ mistakes: they assumed it would be where a heart would be and wasted attacks, and they didn’t discuss team coordination beforehand.”
Brother Gene began explaining about the golem.
“In monster subjugations, conserving stamina and mana is crucial. Does anyone in the first-year class know why?”
“Um, because… even if you defeat one monster, there’s no guarantee another won’t show up afterward?”
It was my classmate, Karim Smith, the count’s son, who raised his hand and answered.
“That’s right. Some monsters are drawn to the scent of blood after a kill. If you’ve got no strength or mana left at that point, you’re done for.”
“And don’t forget—there’s no guarantee the next monsters will come alone. They might come in a pack. That’s why you can’t let your guard down after the fight.”
Young Master Eric added to Brother Gene’s explanation.
“Um, then… does that mean it’s better not to take subjugation quests solo at the Adventurers’ Guild?”
My classmate, Edrahil Reluta, the half-elf son of a count, raised his hand.
By the way, Edrahil (Ed) has an elven mother—he’s a strikingly handsome guy with silky champagne-gold hair, pale green eyes like peridot, and pointed elven ears. Both girls and boys can’t help staring.
“Yeah, well, it depends on the job, but you should generally avoid going solo. I mean, rank B and above can usually handle themselves—but for you guys, it’s still a bit early.”
“What rank should someone have to make it easier to join the Monster Subjugation Corps?”
That question came from Vee.
“There’s no specific requirement, but the higher the rank, the better. For reference, both Gene and I were rank A before we graduated.”
“Of course, even if your rank’s high, you still have to pass the entrance exam.”
“What kind of exam is that?”
That came from Noah Joshique, the duke’s son.
“It changes from year to year, but it generally includes endurance and reflex tests, and martial skills—hand-to-hand and armed combat. They judge you by the total score.”
“Don’t think being exceptional at just one thing will cut it, either. Even if you’ve got stamina, if your combat skills are poor, it’s no good. You need to be able to protect your own life and your teammates’. We don’t want people who’d only look out for themselves.”
“Any other questions for our seniors?”
“Yes! Can women take the Monster Subjugation Corps entrance exam?”
When I asked, not only my classmates but students from other grades started murmuring among themselves.
“You—ah, well, yeah, the exam’s open to anyone, male or female. But there’s no special treatment. On expeditions, you might go days without bathing, eating properly, or sleeping well. You hardly ever get to go home. And your life isn’t guaranteed—you have to write a will before every expedition!”
At first, Brother Gene nearly called me “you,” but he properly answered my question.
“Right, and if you join, you won’t have time for high society either. Skip too many social seasons and you might delay your marriage prospects, you know?”
Young Master Eric added with a grin.
“That goes for you seniors too, right?”
““Ugh…””
“Well, we’re men, so… we’ll manage.”
“… I see. Understood.”
I wasn’t exactly sure what part of that made them “fine,” but I nodded anyway—especially since, for some reason, while I took no emotional damage from their description of the Corps, the other students looked utterly crushed.
Might as well offer a little recovery line.
“But the Monster Subjugation Corps pays well, right? And even after leaving, you’re guaranteed stable work like teaching or joining a guild, just like our teachers. And if marriage gets delayed, you could end up like Teacher Brian—marrying a younger wife. Wealth, home, wife, kids—the perfect setup, right?”
“““““““““Whoa!”””””””””
“Joan! Why’d you use me as the example?!”
“Well, I thought an example close to home would be easier for us to aim for?”
“... Anyway, if there are no more questions, that’s it! Vince!”
“Yes, thank you very much!”
“““““““Thank you very much!”””””””
After the formal thanks, as we were about to leave, Teacher Brian called me back and scolded me thoroughly—then demanded to know how I learned about his personal life.
“I can’t reveal my source…”
I said, glancing toward Teacher Hector, but the man who’d been beside Brian just a moment ago was gone.
Looking around, I spotted him sprinting toward the school building.
“You! Hector! Get back here!!”
And Teacher Brian took off running after him.
What do you think about this chapter?
