The Academy’s Guide to Useless Students – Chapter 21

< Blade Rock Mountain Quest Mercenary Recruitment! >

“Hmm…”

Ellie Ingrid couldn’t take her eyes off the flyer on the Adventurer Clan’s recruitment board.

“Hasn’t she been doing that for thirty minutes already?”

“Looks like she’s deep in thought.”

“Maybe she’s blind. Could it be that she can’t see?”

“Dumbass. If she’s recognized as an adventurer, she’s probably a trained blind person. It’s obvious she’s capable of taking care of herself.”

“Then what could she be pondering so seriously? Blade Rock Mountain is a beginner dungeon, after all.”

“What are you saying? Do you think adventurers don’t read the news? There are rumors that a ‘Rift’ has appeared at Blade Rock Mountain.”

“Is it the ‘Descend’?!”

“Who knows? A Descend is like a natural disaster. It can appear anywhere at any time. The important thing is that it’s not easy to reach a place with a ‘Rift’.”

“I see. Shouldn’t we tell her?”

“Just leave her be. She knows. Anyone who frets that much… huh?”

Suddenly, the mouths of the two adventurers snapped shut.

The subject of their discussion was approaching them.

“Excuse me. Was that conversation you just had true?”

“Eh? What do you mean…?”

“The ‘Rift’ thing you were talking about. Is it really true?”

“Ah yes! What I meant was, you should reconsider Blade Rock Mountain…”

“Sounds good.”

“Excuse me?”

“That’s just about perfect.”

“Huh?”

Ellie Ingrid started mumbling incoherently and turned back towards the flyer.

“The current Ellie is of no help whatsoever.”

Ellie Ingrid’s mind was filled with Yuto’s statement.

Puff.

Before long, her mouth jutted out like an octopus. Her sullen emotions were swiftly consumed by enthusiasm.

“I can do it too!”

She was a prodigy, acclaimed even among A-class students at the academy. There was no way she wouldn’t be of help. Surely, a companion to stand side by side with her was possible.

“I will prove it myself.”

Ellie made up her mind. A stage suitable for her objective was also prepared.

It seemed that Blade Rock Mountain became famous due to the ‘Rift’ that had arisen there. If she cleared such a place, wouldn’t Yuto acknowledge her? Not to mention, the quest rewards were generous. Ellie didn’t want to miss out on getting two birds with one stone.

‘But who should I team up with?’

Since academy students weren’t allowed to take on quests from the adventurer clan, Ellie Ingrid was using a forged rank badge. Therefore, to grab the reward and slip out, a small party that wouldn’t attract attention would be suitable.

“Girl. Are you looking for companions?”

“Eh?”

A passerby dressed in a black cloak approached her. The sight of a sword at his side and a blade of grass in his mouth gave off a quirky impression.

‘What’s up with this old-fashioned character?’

Just as she wondered whether to ignore him, she noticed that most people were mentioning this passerby.

“Isn’t that ‘Single Swordsman’?”

“Right. One-handed sword and a black cloak… He always insists on solo play.”

“It’s known he’s strong, but isn’t that a bit pathetic? What kind of stubbornness makes him go around alone when life and death are on the line?”

“Be careful. What if he retaliates?”

“Tch.”

‘Single Swordsman?’

Is that what he was called among the adventurers’ clan? Ellie observed him closely. His skills were quite impressive.

It seemed like he fit the environment she was searching for. If he insisted on going solo, that was one thing, but he was the one who spoke to her first.

“What do you want?”

“I can smell a ‘kindred spirit’ in you.”

“Eh?”

“Would you like to embark on a journey with this swordsman?”

What was he talking about?

That cheesy line gave her goosebumps.

The swordsman kept tugging at his hood and wore only a smile on his lips.

“I hear you insist on going solo…”

“It’s not that I’ve chosen to be alone on purpose. It’s just that I haven’t found a party member who meets my standards until now.”

“Do I happen to meet your ‘standards’?”

“Isn’t that eye patch remarkable? A blind swordsman! Just hearing that is romantic… No, you’re totally qualified.”

The swordsman’s standards may be unclear, but the party conditions weren’t bad.

“Alright. But I have a quest in mind. Is that okay?”

“Hmm. Is it this by any chance?”

The swordsman pointed at the flyer in front of Ellie.

“Yes, that’s it.”

“Cool. It seems you’re an ‘E’ rank adventurer. To challenge an ‘adversity’ right from the start, I like your spirit. Hehehe.”

“Is that so…?”

What a truly strange person.

He seemed a bit gloomy too.

Ellie tried her best to ignore him. As long as she could achieve her goal, anything else was irrelevant.

“Let’s set off immediately.”

“Very well. The name of my party shall be ‘Braves’.”

“Ah, okay…”

Ellie thought anything would be fine at this point.

When she opened her eyes, a strange ceiling came into view.

Since I wasn’t new to this situation, I remained calm while assessing the circumstances.

[Insight’s Blade] imbued with ego.

That guy was the one who put me to sleep.

How dare a sword put its master to sleep.

On one hand, I felt a sense of satisfaction.

“Are you awake, my lord?”

“Thanks to Wangcho, I arrived here safely.”

“Of course. Your companions are still resting.”

“Resting?”

As I turned my head to follow Wangcho’s gaze, I saw Anastasia sleeping soundly next to me.

I had no idea.

But this girl seems to have it easy despite not doing anything.

“When we arrived, she was already in a faint state.”

Faint?

Was there something I didn’t know?

“Wangcho, where is this place?”

“It’s the village at the end of sector three. Due to my status, I couldn’t bring you to the academy, so I rented a suitable inn room.”

That was a good decision. Not going to sector four was probably a kind consideration. I glanced at the priestess who was peacefully sleeping. Still, she was a cleric on the surface. It would be sad to wake up in a den of criminals.

‘Though she’s the type I could roll over without a second thought.’

“Hmm? Where are you trying to go, my lord?”

“Now that I’ve rested, it’s time to work.”

“Work?”

“There’s a presumptuous guy, so it seems he needs some training.”

I grabbed [Insight’s Blade] left on the table. The well-crafted blade and pristine white blade displayed an imposing form.

‘It looks wondrous, must be that mythic item.’

Still, it would soon be dirtied.

Where should I go?

What method should I use?

While I was caught up in confusion, a familiar face appeared outside the inn’s window.

‘Ellie Ingrid?’

What caught my attention was a suspicious cloaked adventurer walking alongside Ellie. For some reason, that silhouette seemed familiar.

Where have I seen that before?

[I almost got tricked lol. Why did the developers create ‘Single Swordsman’ lol.]

Oh, I remember now.

That guy.

A common combat power measuring stick.

The Single Swordsman was a kind of dungeon measuring stick. He was made to emphasize the dangers of the ‘Descend’ dungeon early on; a one-time character.

He made an appearance looking somewhat competent, only to disappear in a single hit, leaving behind a bittersweet memory as an extra.

‘Wait a minute. If she’s traveling with that guy…’

That means Ellie dug her own grave. Really, talk about a twist!

“Well, there’s no helping it.”

I gathered [Insight’s Blade] and left the room.

Time to save that damn heroine and maybe train the ego while I’m at it.