Chapter: 20
I couldn’t help but be moved by the black bear that suddenly appeared and tried to give me a high-five. Despite being just a beast, it was better behaved than a lot of people. Feeling grateful, I returned the greeting, and it seemed so thrilled that it was about to die from joy. Lying right on the ground and rolling around was probably its way of expressing that my response had touched its heart as well.
Oh, poor thing. It seemed like it hadn’t been raised with love and was yearning for affection. To think it would show its belly at just a gentle touch!
‘Surprisingly sturdy.’
Well, to be honest, I punched its gut with the intention of killing it. It had been a while since I threw a punch, and I might have misjudged my strength, resulting in it rolling around instead of dying. Being a dungeon creature or not, it did seem stronger than an average bear.
Even though my pride was slightly hurt, I was relieved. If this guy had jumped out when my party members were around, that could have caused some unexpected chaos. Right now, it looked like that, collapsed on the ground, but if it had charged at my crew out of nowhere, it could’ve turned into real trouble.
‘It’s pretty big too.’
I glanced between my fist, which had impacted the bear’s belly, and the bear itself, which was struggling to stand up. The dungeon was spacious enough for me to stroll around, and fortunately, this creature was sizable enough to ride on. Alright, this also must be fate.
As I approached the bear, it freaked out, but I calmed it down by showing my fist. It’s strong but seems quite intelligent too. Is this a part of the dungeon’s mystery? As I gently patted the bear’s nose and spoke up:
“Hey, let’s work together.”
Lend me your back.
Indeed, having something to ride makes life much easier. I could zip around the dungeon quickly. Plus, I didn’t have to deal with any harmful critters myself, as Ungi could sniff them out like a ghost.
Ungi was the name I decided to give the bear I was riding. Since it was so helpful, I thought it deserved at least a proper name. I nearly went with “Bear Cub,” but that felt too cliché, so I settled on “Ungi.”
“You like the name Ungi, right?”
─Roar…
“Good bear.”
It seemed to respond positively. I could feel it trembling with joy as I scratched its head.
While I had heard that the monsters in the dungeon were stronger than ordinary beasts, I hadn’t heard about their intelligence. Is this guy a special case? Well, it doesn’t really matter; I’m not a scholar researching the dungeon ecosystem or anything.
So I continued to explore for about another hour while riding Ungi. After all, who knows what catastrophic events could occur on picnic day if I missed something? It was indeed fortunate that I had known about the dungeon appearing before the picnic day. Although if I were truly lucky, it wouldn’t have appeared at all.
‘What a wretched terrain.’
I was currently pushing through the trees, but the thought of walking this path with my six comrades sent chills down my spine. If any one of them got hurt, not only the academy but the entire continent could be thrown into chaos, especially with terrain like this. It felt like hell.
Of course, I had shattered that hellish future with my own two hands. As I sighed in relief while dismounting from Ungi, he looked at me with a relieved expression too. Did he realize I was about to leave? This is definitely not the intelligence of an ordinary bear.
“Ungi. There’s nothing left, right?”
There was no answer, but I could read it in his eyes. It was like he was saying, “There’s nothing left, so please just go.” I chuckled softly at his look and patted his head.
“There really isn’t? I’m pretty sure there’s one more thing.”
─Grr?
A spark of anxiety filled Ungi’s eyes, almost pleading that I was wrong.
“You’ve got one left.”
With that statement, I brought down my hand on his head. Thankfully, this time, I managed to control my strength and dispatched him in one swift hit. Since we had grown close during our dungeon exploration, I took extra care to make sure it didn’t hurt. It’s definitely a good thing to die without pain.
Looking down at the bear—now a heap without its head—left a bitter taste in my mouth. This bear was quite intelligent and seemed rather gentle. I even fleetingly wondered if Louise would somehow take him as a pet if she entered the dungeon storyline. But then again, he was a bit too large for that.
If he had committed a sin, it was merely being born in a dungeon. If I hadn’t killed him and he suddenly showed up at the picnic as a surprise, that would’ve been super awkward for both of us.
‘I hope in your next life, you’re reborn as a pet of a noble family.’
After a brief prayer for Ungi’s peace, I turned my back. It was time to leave this miserable dungeon.
Ah, was it Ungi and not Gomi? Well, it doesn’t matter. It’s not a name anyone would call anymore anyhow.
After temporarily concluding my dungeon cleanup, I returned just in time, luckily before club activities started. I was relieved the Vice Principal had notified me early; otherwise, it could have ended up with my six friends gathering alone. Imagining that situation was a bit frightening. Who knows what might happen in my absence?
‘How horrifying.’
Just the thought of being around during regular classes is nerve-wracking. Imagine being stuck in a club room with just the six of them! I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the five suddenly snapped and challenged another to a duel.
I wouldn’t be shocked, but the aftermath would certainly be catastrophic. If someone started flinging around duel challenges, I’d have to step in as the defender. I’d definitely lay the smack down.
With that insight, I settled in my usual spot in the club room, only to feel that something was off. The place had a fresher, subtly more upscale vibe.
As I turned my gaze for a better look, I spotted a letter resting on the nearest desk. It was from the Vice Principal.
’What’s this?’
We had just seen each other in the morning. Was there really a need to leave a letter? But since it was sent, I figured I should take a look at it.
[ Since the desk was broken, I took the opportunity to replace everything. I did this while the Vice Principal was briefly away so as not to cause any disturbance. I hope you’ll be pleased with the newly renovated club room. ]
“Oh.”
What a genuine Vice Principal…!
Reading the letter, I couldn’t help but be impressed. The Vice Principal’s remarkable efficiency in tackling ten tasks while handling one was simply awe-inspiring. This is what true dedication looks like! He certainly was a talented individual, fully deserving of his position as the Vice Principal of the Empire’s top educational institution!
If any one of those three troublesome individuals worked even half as hard as the Vice Principal, my job satisfaction would have skyrocketed. I’d consider riding on their back to work! When I eventually retire, I’d even seriously contemplate them as candidates to be my successor alongside the Senior Manager.
Of course, that’s just a ridiculous thought. Damn it.
“Uh? Big Brother, did you change the desk?”
Louise exclaimed right as she entered the club room. As expected, since she was the most earnest one in the pastry club, she picked up on the changes immediately. The other five only seemed to notice after Louise pointed it out. That’s just them being themselves; I wouldn’t dare criticize their intelligence.
“It was replaced because it broke. Since it was getting done, everything else got changed too.”
“By yourself? You should have let us help.”
“Not me; it was the Vice Principal. Make sure to thank him if you run into him.”
“Yes!”
Louise’s brilliantly blue eyes glittered as she eagerly scanned the club room. She probably wanted to see what had changed. Honestly, I couldn’t even tell what exactly was different; the changes were so subtle I couldn’t pinpoint them.
While Louise was inspecting the place, she suddenly turned to me as if she remembered something.
“Speaking of which, Big Brother, I saw you leaving early this morning. Was something going on?”
“Huh?”
How did she know?
It seemed my puzzled gaze piqued Louise’s interest, making her play with her hair awkwardly as she continued.
“I saw you leaving through the academy gate early this morning.”
“So that’s how you say you aren’t paying attention in class.”
This meant Louise had been gazing out the window during class, watching me leave.
I couldn’t believe she would waste her classes like this! I shot her a disapproving look, and she shyly turned her gaze away while chuckling nervously.
Fine, I’ll let it slide. What do I gain from getting mad at you anyway…?
“Anyway, where were you going? Any interesting places around?”
Was Rutis trying to prevent me from having a one-on-one chat with Louise? Or was he simply curious? Regardless of the reason, Rutis butted into the conversation. When Rutis spoke up, Louise turned her attention back to me.
“I went to check out the picnic location.”
“Did you really need to check the terrain? It’s just a picnic. What kind of problems would arise during that?”
As Rutis spoke, I gave his throat a meaningful glance. I wanted to punch him once—just once. If it wouldn’t cause an international incident… Is that something you say in front of the advisor who resolved the issue before it happened?
Hearing Rutis’s words made me 99% certain it would have been a disaster if we’d gone without knowing. That “we might go into the dungeon” comment sounded like an ominous flag for sure. Even though I had already taken care of that, it was still infuriating.
“It doesn’t hurt to be cautious.”
Trying to suppress the urge to grab him by the throat, I answered him adequately and turned my gaze away. The instant my instincts outmatched my reason, the Foreign Affairs Minister would be on my tail, ready to blow a gasket!
“I heard the cherry blossoms from that hill are extraordinarily beautiful!”
As I shifted my focus from Rutis, Louise’s bright enthusiasm caught my attention. Cherry blossoms; it was definitely a flower that suited her well. But if she said, “I heard they’re pretty,” that meant someone planted that idea in her head—likely someone who had persuaded her to go to the picnic. Who the hell was that who instigated this headache for me…?
“Oh, was it that thing Irina mentioned last time? So that’s where it is.”
I quickly identified the culprit from Erich’s words. Ah, Irina… that girl. She was right next to Louise when I first met her.
I quietly zipped my lips, simply listening to Louise’s enthusiastic chatter. If Irina was the reason, I wouldn’t dare hold a grudge against her.
Irina was Louise’s best female friend. Not quite as important as the other five competitors in Louise’s heart, but still someone I kept an eye on. Thus, I made sure to check in on her whenever I could.
And her full name was Irina Yorun. She was the daughter of a family struck by a tragic misfire from the Prosecutor’s Office before being dispatched to the Academy.
Damn it, 3rd Manager, you jerk. Your mess is still hanging around here.
Seeing the living reminder of my professional negligence appear so unexpectedly pricked at my conscience.
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