“……Are you serious?”
“Hmm? So you think I’m lying?”
When compared to the first time they met, Eve has definitely grown. People naturally develop over time, but in Eve’s case, the change was dramatic.
After just a few months and multiple experiences, it makes sense, but still.
No matter how much someone grows mentally, their physical self remains unchanged.
“You guys want to do well in the practical combat exam this time, right?”
“Did you not do anything but practice during vacation?”
“I may have said that…”
Tana and Eve looked at their upcoming exercise schedule and were totally annoyed.
“I made this with your stamina in mind, so it shouldn’t be too hard when you actually do it.”
“Ugh! Fine! Let’s do it!”
“Guess I gotta think of it as if I were dead.”
‘Hmm?’
In reality, I had been thinking of compromising and reducing the number of exercise sessions after some more bickering, but the two of them just accepted it.
I was puzzled, while Hayun, who was watching us from behind, quietly approached and whispered.
“They’re both a bit worried that they couldn’t help much in the recent incident.”
“Ugh.”
They were worrying over nothing, it seems. After all, I had single-handedly wiped out the organization called Tudogs. They were an elite group that had been considering conquering the Forest of the Demon Realm.
How could ordinary students even fight those guys?
Even though I wanted to tell them that people like Rin, Sen, and Elise were the weird ones, it seemed the two were determined to brace themselves.
Looks like I gotta take them out for something tasty later.
Of course, I’d have to make sure not to let them overeat.
“I’m not bad at all.”
Sen glanced at the exercise sheet I was holding. Since she didn’t need to do the training assigned by the Chokugen Faction anymore, she asked for my help with her personal training.
Thus, our exercise party, which consisted of just Tana and Eve, expanded to five people, now including Hayun and Sen.
I saw it as a very encouraging achievement.
With Hayun and Sen able to spar with each other, they could directly enhance their practical skills.
“Okay, let’s get started.”
And so, today’s exercise began with smiles.
*
“Tch.”
“Yawn, May. Are you still watching them?”
On the rooftop of the academy, May was sitting with her friends, munching on candy since early morning.
Honestly, she wasn’t planning to eat candy at this time, but seeing Daniel with other girls made her mouth feel bitter, so she had no choice but to tear it open.
“Look at them, practically drooling over the chance to exercise together.”
Addicted to exercise? It’s like being hooked on drugs, and Daniel fit that description perfectly.
‘So that’s how he’s that strong?’
May tilted her head, letting out a sigh.
The fact that she was forcing herself to keep her sleepy eyes open on the rooftop was pretty much against her will.
“Why won’t these seniors just show up when they told us to come?”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
With a gritty sound, the door opened.
A guy who looked like he could throw punches stood there with his hands in his pockets.
“Senior Talois, you’re here!”
Before May was known as the Queen of the Back Alleys, he was the King of Fists reigning over Aios Academy.
Once he became a fifth-year and left for practical training, countless heroes emerged, and it was May, riding on Daniel’s coattails, who organized it all.
‘What’s with this guy acting strange now that he’s graduating?’
May hoped he wouldn’t do anything bizarre while nearing graduation, but her judgment was completely off.
“Rayloth’s gone down, and this girl is supposed to take his place? A fox is sneaking into the tiger’s den!”
Seniors from the fourth and fifth years laughed loudly behind him. She sighed, wondering if this early morning was meant for such nonsense.
“Are you going to keep attending the academy after graduation? Why not just quietly look for a job? You probably can’t even get into the guards, from what I see.”
“What?”
“Was that wrong? Your grades are crap, and your life’s a mess. Are you burning yourselves it for no reason since you have nothing to do after graduation?”
When May shrugged and laughed, the third-years behind her joined in as well.
“You little punks! I’ll whip you into shape today! Damn it, I was trying to keep a low profile as a fifth-year… but you just woke me up.”
“Quit your whining, seriously. You were practically begging to get woken up.”
May, crunching her candy with a crunch, reached into her pocket and glared at Talois.
“Honestly, you should just admit your classroom golden days were in school and graduate happily.”
“How about you? What do you think you can do after graduation? Relying on the Dean’s recommendation to act cool?”
“Nope? I’m relying on my husband!”
“…… What?”
“But why’s your tongue so long?!”
Starting from May’s punch, the ordinary day at Aios Academy began.
*
“……What’s with your face?”
After finishing the exercise, while everyone else was washing up and heading to school, I wrapped up my final set neatly and returned to the café table near the dorms.
I had a little wound on my face.
“Who did this to you?”
With emotions flaring up, I clenched my fists and asked May, who, instead, pinched my cheek playfully.
“Oh wow, how cute.”
“Quit joking around.”
“Worrying about you is cute enough.”
May got up with a grin, brushing off her butt.
“Don’t worry. I had a little squabble with a fifth-year senior, but I cleaned it up nicely.”
“I told you to call me first if there’s trouble.”
I had thought there wouldn’t be such incidents anymore since May was handling the delinquents quite well.
‘He’s a fifth-year and should be graduating soon! Why is he acting out like this?’
I didn’t expect there would actually be such a foolish person around.
“By the way, the Dean was looking for you. She said to come see her after today’s lectures?”
“Did she tell you that?”
“I briefly saw her yesterday.”
“Well, okay then.”
Why did she want to see me?
*
“About your expulsion… that’s what it is, Daniel.”
“……”
I looked at the Dean, who was shuffling nervously in front of me, with an incredulous expression.
She was echoing exactly the line I heard when I regressed, and I crossed my arms.
“That’s boring.”
“I-I didn’t want to say this to you either?!”
“What is it about?”
I figured she wouldn’t just throw this at me for no reason, but the Dean looked like she was about to cry and pulled out some documents.
“Look at your attendance rate since the second semester started.”
“Ah……”
I had way more absences than attendances.
After the vacation ended, I had gone to the Forest of the Demon Realm to get medicine for Michelle Portren, and afterward, I went to cure my sister at Dragon’s Boundary, which took a fair bit of time.
Two months had passed since the end of vacation, and my attendance was practically non-existent.
“The professors are all complaining. They’re asking if there’s even a need to keep a student like you. Parents even heard about it, and I’ve been struggling to calm them down.”
“……You had a hard time.”
Feeling genuinely sorry, I scratched the back of my head, and the Dean’s expression relaxed a little.
“Still, it’s only because you’ve shown strengths in practical skills that you’ve managed to hold on. The professors are questioning if you can keep up with even the not-so-good grades in Demonology from last semester.”
“……”
“So Daniel, you need to prove yourself now.”
“Prove?”
The Dean replied, downplaying the situation.
“What’s the primary duty of a student? Study. If you fail to pass the tests given by the professors, they’ll start looking at your situation pessimistically.”
I was originally 28 years old.
One of the top predators living in the Forest of the Demon Realm.
I had gone into Dragonkin territory and turned it into a mess.
The witches of the Black Forest trembled in fear and bowed their heads.
I single-handedly wiped out the Tobut organization, a crime group wrapped in secrets that troubled the Kingdom.
But now…
“Ugh, I really don’t want to do this.”
I felt a sense of crisis like never before.
*
This morning, Talois, the fifth-year who got hit like a dog on a hot day by May Plov, despite icing his injury, was boiling inside.
He lost.
A complete defeat.
He, the king of fists known in Aios, got beaten by mere third-years.
Moreover, he had lost to that small girl with his fists.
It seemed like she had enhanced her body using mana, and it was sophisticated and sturdy enough to be uncharacteristic of an ordinary student.
“Isn’t it because you fourth-years didn’t manage well?”
Talois shouted at the fourth-years in front of him, but it had no effect.
They had all taken a beating as well.
With a sigh, Talois started to think.
“I can’t lose like this.”
His ability to take charge of Aios Academy was not only due to his fist-fighting skills but also his willingness to do whatever it takes.
“May Plov. I’ll get her back.”
Talois clenched his fists, his eyes shining with humiliation.
