<802 – Newbie Incoming (1)>
New characters sometimes trigger unexpected major incidents or large events.
That’s one of the biggest reasons I like newbies.
How can you dislike it when a splash of new content is thrown into the worn-out veteran content?
“Ho ho, an academy branch! What an unexpected concept. I’ll inform the Principal right away.”
“Make sure to mention the Goblin Exchange Student too!”
It became quite an exciting situation, with even Professor Mahabharata, the head of the department, excitedly running to the Principal’s Office.
As things kept escalating, Titosso showed signs of fear and started glancing at me.
“Oknodie… I didn’t cause any trouble, did I…?”
“Not at all! Titosso is the best!”
“Hehe, really?”
“They say Titosso will be the first to pioneer a branch in the history of Gift Academy?”
“Really, really?”
“It’s because professors usually stick to the main Gift Academy and don’t want to be dispatched to other places like a place of exile. So nobody even thought about creating a branch, but Titosso did it! Totally Columbus! Cracked the egg!”
“Really, really, really? Hehehe. But why crack the egg?”
“I don’t know!”
“Absolutely loving this.”
Titosso, whining and clinging to me, could rightfully be annoying, but Ishtar just gave a wry smile, looking like she couldn’t help it.
That was really impressive, considering even Ishtar, who usually resorts to violence because she’s focused on her strength stats, was able to hold back a playful slap.
“Second Years, move aside.”
A moment later, Professor Minerva, whom I saw as the Entrance Exam supervisor, barged into the Organization that Plays with Oknodie lounge with instructors in tow.
Seeing Titosso holding the light stand protectively in front of the Goblin Warrior hiding behind her was kind of adorable.
Everything looked cute right now. If Titosso even messed up the unique food collection just to take a bite, I would probably be feeling so merciful that she’d only get cursed with “Did I close the Dormitory Window or not?”
“Don’t bully our Howling Child!”
“I’m not! I’m here to verify the knowledge levels, physical abilities, and potential of first-year exchange students who came up from the branch at the request of Professor Mahabharata.”
“I want to observe too, just in case you might do something bad!”
“Phew. The prestige of the Academy professors is really going down. I have to tolerate a student acting like this.”
Professor Minerva almost gave Titosso a whack on the head but held back when she noticed the summoned creature coming in behind the instructors.
Professor Mahabharata had summoned a creature to prevent the professors from abusing their power for the sake of Titosso and the Goblin Warrior.
“Is everything resolved now?”
“Probably!”
I answered with a spirited “yes” to Ishtar’s question, but I felt uneasy, like entering a dungeon and not being able to find the secret room, achieving a 99.9% exploration rate and then heading down to the next floor.
“Did you forget something? Like homework?”
“I can have Goo and Hat Senior handle that. Oh, Senior Alice!”
“Senior Alice?”
I almost covered my mouth with both hands in surprise but stopped myself short.
The reason I shouldn’t reveal Alice’s identity was due to the foundation’s attackers being a concern.
But now, the foundation is pretty much done for, right?
Isn’t there really any need for a secret anymore?
“Whatever it is, it shouldn’t be surprising. Now that I know the secret of the Warrior and the Unique God, I really don’t think I’ll be surprised by anything in the future…”
“Actually, I left Goo and Hat Senior in the Immutable Safe Zone of the Dormitory Dungeon. Hat Senior is a former lady of the foundation whose body was lost and only her soul resides in the hat!”
“Whaaat?!”
“So I was planning to create a new body as a gift and make her do all the chores in the future, but I forgot!”
“Is it possible to create a body and transfer a soul?!”
“Ah, one more thing I forgot. Masugaki asked me to find the lousy captain of the guards sent to Goblin World!”
“Such a figure also went to Goblin World?!”
“But what did you just say?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
Ishtar’s face turned slightly red as she averted her gaze.
[You’ve just made someone who said they would never be surprised in life astonished three times in a row! You are a mischievous Trickster!]
[The function value of the unidentified feature is increasing.]
Today, the playful feature, which is among the top priorities in the piggy bank, is steadily accumulating Experience Points.
Hehe.
It’s so much fun to mess with Ishtar while pretending to be clueless!
*
Professor Minerva couldn’t hide her surprise.
“I thought the Warrior, who had his power stolen by the God, would possess semi-human physical abilities, but even while measuring capabilities, they’re increasing at a frightening rate.”
In terms of growth speed alone, it surpassed even the highest output Oknodie and Ishtar from Class 981.
The process of regaining what was lost indeed influences the speed of growth when you know how to grow, but the biggest factor is one’s own will.
“Mama and Mentor are watching over you, Gob. You won’t disappoint them, Gob.”
With the Goblin Warrior leading the test, the talented Goblins of Goblin World put their all into it.
They weren’t lacking in their qualities as students.
Whether it was the selected talents from humans in the Middle Realm or the survivors from Goblin World, the size of their talents and skills was similar.
The establishment of a branch.
The necessity of the Gift Academy Goblin World Campus was essentially acknowledged.
“How did the test results turn out, Gob…?”
More than anything, the mix of tension and earnestness on the Goblins’ faces, as they gathered their hands together in prayer, made them look utterly human.
Not like the old, squat, pig-nosed Goblins that resemble elderly, small, paunchy men, but like stylish, well-proportioned boy-and-girl kids’ models!
To be honest, just considering the skin color being green, they seemed even more charming than ordinary humans.
“Long ago, it was said that Goblins were once fairies. You truly do look like fairies.”
“Suddenly? Thank you for the compliment, Gob.”
“If you had shown selfish and greedy appearances, that would be another matter… but it turns out you’ve shown the restraint and cooperation expected of humans. You might have to wait a bit longer for the official notification, but you can think of the test results as passing for all.”
“Wow! We all passed, Gob!”
“Gob Gob!”
“I’m so happy, Gob!”
The sight of Goblins jumping up and down excitedly with the Warrior Gob felt like dozens of green Titosso bouncing together.
The real issue was with the humans.
“How is it that we have to take classes in the same room as a monster that’s not only a beast but also a Goblin Exchange Student?!”
“Seriously, they’re going too far!”
“What if they suddenly bite off my finger next door? I’ll tell my parents!”
The students were strongly opposing the presence of the Goblin Exchange Student.
“What is this? If Goblins are indeed the inferior, dangerous monsters you claim them to be, wouldn’t you prefer them?”
Professor Minerva mocked the students.
“Isn’t the number of grade-shirking GPA bumpers on the rise? Plus, they say Goblins are weak, right? There’s no reason to be afraid of them both mentally and physically; is the prospect of getting GPA bumpers scary?”
“The prestige of the academy…”
“If you have no talent or qualities, you wouldn’t even become a graduate anyway, right? The academy’s prestige wouldn’t be affected in the slightest.”
Students who aren’t officially graduated, early graduates, or those on a break don’t possess the skills that the Gift Academy can guarantee as “officially graduated.”
Even if their skills are remarkable, it’s hard to expect the various benefits and support provided by the academy to the formally graduated students.
“What if the Goblins take a break and go hide in a dungeon, creating extremely high-difficulty dungeons and operating them much more intelligently to invade the village?!”
“Easy experience points from dungeon raids! If all goes well, they might even get an easy pass for the graduation project. What’s the problem with that?”
The more you heard, the more Professor Minerva’s points made sense.
For those who regard Goblins merely as inferior monsters, the Goblin Exchange Students appear to be GPA bumpers, assignment tokens, and maybe potential candidates for the graduation project!
“If you have complaints, I suggest you think this way. Once again, you’re a bunch of pathetic worthless students who need to shun Goblin Exchange Students because you’re afraid of even the weak and vulnerable Goblins, understood?”
“?!”
“Anyone who feels they’ll become a mark of shame for humanity can step forward. If you still have complaints, I’ll gladly receive them. I’ll engrave your names in huge letters in a public notice so everyone can see.”
The deluded negative opinions regarding Goblin Exchange Students were swept away thanks to Professor Minerva’s not-really-a-lecture persuasion.
Of course, while the opinions at the main Gift Academy in the Middle Realm were wrapped up, the branch was a different matter.
“Professor Minerva. Is there any way to persuade the instructors…?”
“Impossible. I wouldn’t go there either.”
“Thought so…”
Even if professors use Goblin World, they’ll find no way to help the instructors down below.
If professors handle everything from material collection to class preparations, the educational level of the branch will diverge greatly from that of the main school.
It was natural for Professor Mahabharata to be troubled by this.
“Professor! I have a small favor to ask.”
“A request from a second-year Oknodie? I’m already scared before even hearing it.”
“Hehe. Don’t be too nervous. It’s actually something good for you too! I’m going to tell you how to massively increase the instructors on the branch side!”
“Really?”
“Actually, I think there’s a highly motivated Knight under Masugaki who went to Goblin World and got frightened and hid. If we spread a rumor that this campus has the best knight in the Empire appointed as the Chief Instructor while looking for him, won’t talented people flood in like clouds?”
“!!”
Not only will the search for the missing person be effortless, butt he shortage of instructors for the branch campus will also be resolved.
The talented individuals deceived by the rumor will definitely jump for joy, but what will happen if they can’t even open the returning dimensional gate?
In that case, they’ll have to play teacher while returning.
“Let’s get started right away.”
Professor Minerva, who plotted evil plans to make promising talents from the Empire purchase one-way tickets in the thousands just by not wanting to work directly, thought,
This kid has surely received elite villain training from the foundation’s director and is undoubtedly a fledgling member of the Three Great Evils!
