Chapter-01 · EP-002

Episode 2: D-Class

"That was quite a scene, huh?"

The one who spoke to me was a boy I hadn't seen before.

"Uh…?"

"Ah, I'm Hiroshi Mizuno. I'm in the same D-Class as you."

"I see. I'm Shirou Ichinose."

"Nice to meet you, Ichinose-kun! I was getting nervous back there, thinking a fight might break out."

He was referring to the incident in front of the bulletin board where the class assignments were posted. Honestly, it was nerve-wracking for the very first day of school.

"We weren't going to fight."

I answered with a wry smile.

We were currently walking toward the classroom. I had been walking and talking with Hayasaka and Takigawa until a moment ago, but Mizuno, perhaps wanting to talk to me, had chosen a moment when I separated from the two to approach me.

"Anyway, the student council president was even more imposing than I'd heard."

"Rumors?"

"You haven't heard? Since he's set to inherit the Duke's house, he's well-versed in politics and economics, and on top of that, he's top of the grade academically, and apparently, no one in the academy can match him as a dungeon explorer. I heard he's already Level 15, even though he just became a third-year."

"Level 15?!"

I was stunned to hear that.

Dungeon explorers have what's called a Dungeon Explorer Level. Defeating monsters accumulates experience points, and the level increases. When you level up, your physical abilities rise dramatically. By the way, the rate of increase upon leveling up apparently varies from person to person.

And what I had heard was that this academy's educational program was designed with a goal of raising one level per semester, so three levels per year, reaching Level 10 by graduation in three years. No matter how I thought about it, I couldn't understand how someone could reach Level 15 in two years. Level 15 is not a student's level.

"How can anyone reach Level 15? For a third-year right now, at the start of the first semester, aren't they around Level 7?"

"Well, that's because he's a noble. Nobles hire professional explorers during the long holidays—Golden Week, summer break, winter break—to explore dungeons outside the academy and level up. Still, the president's Level 15 is exceptional."

"Leveling up... I see. That sounds great. I want to get stronger quickly, too."

"So you're pro-leveling, Ichinose-kun. Some people criticize it as cheating, apparently."

"What's wrong with leveling? It's efficient. Well, it might be boring for the high-level explorers who have to accompany them."

"Ichinose-kun, did you enroll in this academy because you wanted to do dungeon exploration?"

"Of course! What other reason would there be?"

"I thought I could make money. To be honest, I'm scared of dangerous things."

"Money is nice, but isn't it about the romance of it?"

"I guess that depends on the person. Some nobles probably do it for honor, and some want to improve their skill levels."

"Is that so?"

Chatting about such trivial things, we arrived at the classroom and took our seats, which had name tags attached.

When the bell rang, a young teacher entered the classroom and began his greeting.

"Congratulations, everyone, on your enrollment. I'm Majima, your homeroom teacher for D-Class. I look forward to working with you for the next year. The entrance ceremony will be held in the gymnasium after this, but before that, I'd like everyone to introduce themselves right away. Please tell us your name, where you're from, and your motivation for enrolling in this academy. You've gathered from all over Japan, and I imagine most faces are unfamiliar, so I want you to introduce who you are first. You may have already noticed, but the current seating arrangement is in order of entrance exam scores. Then, Murasakimura, the overall top student, we'll start with you."

So the seats were indeed arranged by score. Me being in the very back meant exactly that.

Then Murasakimura, called upon by the teacher, stood up and began his introduction.

"Yes. I'm Kyoya Murasakimura, from Tokyo. My motivation for enrolling is to become the world's greatest dungeon explorer, change the current noble society, and make Japan a truly equal country. I look forward to working with you all."

The class buzzed at Murasakimura's declaration. I could hear scattered whispers questioning if he was serious about changing noble society.

"Alright, alright! Everyone, quiet! It's fine to have any kind of dream when you're young."

"Sir, I am serious."

"I see. You wouldn't say that as a joke. Murasakimura, your dream is grand and will be difficult to achieve, but do your best and don't give up. Next student."

Murasakimura sat down, and the student next to him stood. It was the handsome bespectacled boy who had been with him.

"Yes. I'm Mamoru Sendo, from Tokyo. I went to the same middle school as Kyoya. My motivation is almost the same as his: to succeed as a dungeon explorer and change Japan into a better country. Pleasure to meet you all."

Those two were probably serious. It was so outrageous that it was almost embarrassing to listen to. But they themselves were completely earnest and stated their motivations without any shyness. I had to respect that kind of strong will.

That was my impression, but the class, perhaps moved by their seriousness, burst into applause.

Sendo, receiving the applause, smiled and sat down looking quite pleased.

Is this class going to be okay? I started to feel anxious about whether I would fit in here.

The introductions continued after that.

The motivations varied. Hayasaka said she possessed a healing magic skill and wanted to raise her skill level to become a healer. Healers are a profession that heals injuries with magic instead of hospitals, and apparently, it's a very lucrative job. However, if her skill level stays at 1, she can't use it outside the dungeon, so she needs to explore dungeons to raise her skill level to at least 2.

One unique motivation I noticed came from a slightly plump girl named Maika Momota. She said she aspired to be an explorer to lose weight. This drew laughter from her classmates, and she blushed, looking embarrassed and hanging her head. She was probably serious herself. If you ask me, body shape is just a balance of calorie intake and expenditure; it's simply about eating less or exercising more. I didn't understand why that would lead to aiming to become an explorer, but since she seemed sincere, I refrained from commenting.

Mizuno said he wanted to make money, which was the most common motivation.

Strangely, there were no other students besides me who said dungeon exploration just seemed fun.

Then the boy right before me stood up.

He was tall, maybe around 180 cm.

"Akai Tetsuya. My only strong point is my physical strength. I chose this academy to make use of it."

Oh! I felt a slight sense of kinship. I had a feeling I could get along with him.

Then it was my turn.

"Shirou Ichinose. Ever since I was a child, I've dreamed of dungeons. Fighting monsters and getting stronger, searching for treasure and exploring. I enrolled here because I admire dungeon explorers. Nice to meet you!"

For some reason, quiet laughter spread through the classroom.

"Alright, alright! Everyone, stop laughing! Ichinose, the real dungeon isn't like the movies or games you're imagining, so don't be disappointed when you actually dive in!"

Wait a minute! Is it me who's weird here?