“Thank you. Thanks to you, Professor….”
“Bahahat! It’s all thanks to Sion-kun doing well.”
After receiving the award, Sion and Professor Bariyes left the presentation room.
Before receiving the award, Sion had some resentment towards Professor Bariyes, but….
‘If I’ve won an award, everything else is okay.’
If the result is good, the process can be rationalized no matter how much. He had earned several hundred gold coins from a mere ten-minute presentation, so how could he not feel good?
Bariyes placed a hand on Sion’s shoulder with a stern expression.
“There’s a saying among adventurers: The goddess of luck smiles upon those who are prepared!”
“…That’s a nice saying.”
“Of course, I did abruptly call on Sion-kun, and didn’t have him prepare for the presentation. But Sion-kun was already a prepared talent, so I just took advantage of the opportunity I afforded him. Bahahat!”
“…….”
Sion couldn’t smile at that remark.
‘…Thinking about it, if I hadn’t won, he would have probably blamed me.’
Even though the good outcome allowed for rationalization, it was still a problem that Professor Bariyes called upon him without any notice and without giving him the chance to prepare.
“What’s with that sour expression! Just smile. Bahahat!”
“Hahaha….”
Sion forced a smile as Bariyes checked the time with his professor’s badge.
“Oh dear, has it already gotten to this time? Since we’ve received an award and I feel good, I want to treat you to a meal.”
“…You’re treating me to lunch?”
“Hmm? What’s with that reaction?”
Sion instinctively stepped away from Bariyes.
‘The professor is treating me to a meal?’
There are only two instances when a professor treats a student to a meal.
Either they need a talkative puppet to boast about himself, or they are doing preliminary work to select a ‘tool’ for their research lab.
Having been frequently invited to meals by his supervising professor during his days as a graduate student, he was left with a bit of PTSD.
“I’m treating you to a meal, so hurry up. There’s going to be a class soon.”
“No, I’m not really—”
“Hmm? Is that so? My party members will be eating together as well.”
“…Your party members?”
Professor Bariyes came from an S-rank adventurer party. It was entirely certain that his party members were also S-rank adventurers.
“Well then… I’d like to go!”
“Bahahat! I like your honesty. Let’s go quickly.”
He knew the power of connections through academia, regional ties, and blood relations as a graduate student. Just brushing against someone is a connection, so eating together is even more so. If there was a wizard in the party, he might learn something valuable.
“Wait, Sion…!”
As he was about to go with Bariyes, someone grabbed Sion’s collar. It was a rebellious-looking academy student with purple hair.
It was Michelle Fontatz, a third-year student in the Magic Department.
“…Um? Do I know you?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“A short conversation should be fine. I’ll step outside for a bit. Call me when you’re done. Young people’s time is precious, after all. Bahahat!”
He left Sion behind and stepped out of the building. They had come out of the presentation room, but they were still in the corridor of the building.
Sion and Michelle awkwardly faced each other.
It was only natural that Michelle was the one to speak first.
“I was really surprised by your presentation. It was amazing!”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“It’s not just a compliment. You’ve only been enrolled for about a month!”
“That’s true….”
“When exactly did you prepare for that?! I prepared for months!”
“…….”
Sion couldn’t say anything and just scratched the back of his head.
‘The report was written roughly last week, the week before that… but I can’t say I didn’t prepare at all.’
His senior, who had prepared for several months, had come in second place. But if they found out that he had taken first place without any preparation and just freestyled his presentation….
Would they still think well of him, no matter how many times they had met?
Sion didn’t want to create unnecessary trouble.
“Anyway, I wanted to say congratulations. Is the professor waiting outside?”
“Ah, yes. That’s the case.”
“Then let’s have lunch together later. I’ll treat you.”
Tap, tap.
She playfully patted Sion on the shoulder while laughing. Then, she dashed off, leaving Sion gazing after her for a moment.
‘…Since they said they’d be presenting up to third place at the sports festival, I guess I’ll see her then.’
He would have to present at the sports festival to challenge the validity of his results up to third place. He could accept her kindness to have lunch then.
For now, he had to follow Professor Bariyes.
‘An S-rank adventurer party, huh… I wonder what kind of people they are.’
While Bariyes was one of the worst professors, he showcased a decent teaching skill, along with the aspirations and values that matched an S-rank adventurer.
Still, surely the world’s top adventurers would be different.
With those expectations in mind, Sion approached Professor Bariyes.
*
A little while later.
Following Professor Bariyes, Sion entered a Korean restaurant. It was a rather expensive place within the Academy’s shopping district, fitting for an S-rank adventurer.
Naturally, it would be a high-class restaurant.
As soon as the door opened, a dazzling chandelier welcomed Sion.
“Welcome. Do you have a reservation?”
“I reserved under Bariyes’ name.”
“Please follow me inside.”
Following the impeccably polite staff, they arrived at an inner room. Sion carefully entered first to hold the door open for Bariyes.
Then—
Wham!
“…!?”
A spoon immediately flew toward Sion’s forehead.
Ping!
Fortunately, the spoon didn’t hit Sion’s forehead due to the shield he had hastily set up.
His eyes widened as he looked around the room. The person who threw the spoon out of nowhere was… an elven woman who was half-laying down.
“Why are you late? Do you want to die? …Huh? It’s not Bariyes?”
She looked flustered too, her eyes wide with surprise. Then, Bariyes appeared smiling from behind Sion.
“Bahahat! To throw a spoon the moment you see someone, truly a Sophie-like move.”
“I heard those tiny footsteps. There wouldn’t be two people in the world with such horrible footfalls. So who’s this kid?”
“Ah, I’m late introducing. This is a student at the academy whom I teach. His name is Sion, and he’s a first-year in the Magic Department.”
“Hello! I’m Sion, a first-year in the Magic Department!”
He shouted loudly and bowed at a ninety-degree angle. In such settings, a loud voice and big actions get more attention.
The frown on the elven woman’s face softened a little.
“The one who called me to eat is you, but I didn’t expect you to bring a kid with you.”
“It’s my guest, so I just brought him along. And this kid has potential. Bahahat!”
“Potential, my foot. He just enrolled. What’s with all the fuss….”
“No.”
From the side of the unimpressed elf came a cheerful voice. There was a woman sitting modestly beside her, unusually as a beastkin with hair resembling a light brown or golden color.
Her ears were long enough to almost touch her chin. If a golden retriever were to become a beastkin, it might look something like her.
Her face radiated friendliness. And the huge staff she was cherishing in her bosom was….
“He’s a first-year, but he just blocked the spoon Sophie threw.”
“Eh? What’s so special about blocking a spoon? Even Goldia could block that.”
“I could, but if he’s a first-year, he should be around 20 years old now. That kind of instant magic activation speed… And it’s a non-chant spell too.”
The eyes of the beastkin, known as Goldia, sparkled.
“Indeed, Bariyes has something to like about him.”
“What there is to like is questionable. He’s probably just swinging it around on his own.”
“Haha… No. It’s thanks to Professor Bariyes.”
“He is? He’s just going to boast and show off in class.”
“Bahahat!”
The elf named Sophie still seemed angry with Bariyes for his tardiness.
‘…Is she not angry but just talking like this as usual?’
Sion recalled his past experience of traveling to Busan, where he had seen the women and men arguing on the streets.
He almost felt the urge to stop it, but what his local friend who was guiding him had told him rang in his ears.
-They’re not fighting; it’s just how they normally talk.
-…Is this it?
-Yeah, that’s how we usually are.
That’s right. People from Gyeongsang-do speak sharply even during normal conversations.
…Let alone, how would it be for elves and dwarves who are close friends?
Trying not to be overly concerned, he put it out of his mind.
“Please sit down for now.”
“Bahahat! Sit down, Sion-kun.”
“Ah, yes….”
Carefully, Sion sat down with Bariyes. The dwarf’s small stature meant it wasn’t overly uncomfortable.
Opposite him were Sophie and Goldia.
On Sion’s left was Bariyes, and on his right was another human man.
“Nice to meet you, Sion. Don’t you have a family name?”
“Uh, I’m a commoner…”
“Oh! I’m also a commoner, nice to meet you. I’m Cain. Don’t mind the elves and dwarfs here; they’re always like this.”
“Do you want to get hit by the listening elf? Hey, you’re Sion, right?”
“Yes, yes?”
Wham!
Before Sion could finish his sentence, another spoon flew at him.
Ting!
Once again, the shield blocked it. Sion blinked in confusion.
What was going on? Why was another spoon—
“It wasn’t just luck after all. You really have some skills.”
“…What was that just now?”
“A test. A test. I was curious about how someone Bariyes brought would perform—Oof!”
Sophie clamped her mouth shut mid-sentence.
“Oof! Ooh ooh ooh!”
She glared at the beastkin beside her.
Looking towards the beastkin to see what was going on, Sion found her smiling softly back at him.
“I’m Goldia. I’m a beastkin and, as you can see, a magician. The elf next to me is Sophie.”
“……Ah, yes.”
“Wondering why she’s acting that way? Ah, don’t mind it.”
Goldia smiled cheerfully.
“She’s just a little annoyed that I had to make her mouth shut because she was making a ruckus.”
“Ugh!”
Looking as though she was ready to shoot arrows, Sophie was pulling the bowstring on her back.
Amid this dangerous situation, Goldia sipped her tea, while Bariyes and Cain laughed.
“Are you aiming a bow in a restaurant? This is embarrassing for you to show such a look in front of an academy student, isn’t it?”
“Bahahat! What’s the matter? Our <Dragon’s Fang> party is originally like this.”
“That’s true, but….”
……
Sion was hit with a shocking scene and suddenly felt dazed.
‘Maybe I should have just had a meal with Michelle-senpai….’
He had expected the S-rank adventurer party to be solemn and professional, but the reality was just an overwhelming vibe of ten-year-long friends having a blast together.
He couldn’t help but feel stiff, like an uninvited guest.
…They hadn’t even begun the meal, and Sion already wanted to return to the dormitory.
