Chapter-01 · EP-014

Episode 14: Hikaru Kujo (Part 1)

After D-Class's dungeon exploration class ended, A-Class's first dungeon exploration class was being held.

Naturally, Hikaru Kujo, the top student of A-Class participating in this class, faced off against a slime with her wooden sword raised.

She swung the wooden sword down at the slowly approaching slime.

The wooden sword made a clunking sound.

Realizing her slightly off-target swing had missed the slime and hit the ground instead, Hikaru quickly dodged.

The slime, which had been moving in a straight line, stopped, perhaps noticing its target had escaped.

Hikaru put some distance between them and readied her wooden sword again.

The slime turned toward Hikaru.

A bead of nervous sweat trickled down Hikaru's forehead.

The slime began to move again at the same time Hikaru swung her next blow.

Hikaru's swift wooden sword struck first, bouncing off the slime's body with a plop.

But the slime's advance didn't stop.

Realizing instantly that she hadn't finished it off, Hikaru leaped sideways again.

The jumping slime passed by the evading Hikaru.

As the slime landed with a splat, Hikaru's wooden sword came down a third time.

Taking advantage of the moment it was immobile from the landing impact, her attack hit true, and finally, the slime vanished, transforming into a black gem.

"I did it!"

Hikaru breathed heavily, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

But some eyes watched her with cold indifference.

Her party members.

Their gazes seemed to ask, "How long does she have to struggle against a mere slime?"

"Congratulations, Hikaru-sama!"

Among them, one female student applauded and offered words of praise.

It was Hikaru's attendant, Mei Kisaragi.

"Thank you, Mei."

Hikaru smiled back at Mei, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

Mei, who had been with Hikaru since childhood, knew better than anyone Hikaru's excellence and kindness, and was deeply devoted to her.

But even this exceptional Hikaru had a weakness.

A severe lack of physical strength.

Slimes were opponents that anyone could easily defeat with one hit. Yet, in the previous battle, she had finally defeated it after two strikes.

It wasn't that she was slow or had poor reaction time. It was simply that she was incredibly weak.

Her classmates, noticing this weakness, developed a strong impression that Hikaru Kujo was weak.

"Now, everyone, try defeating a slime. Don't let your guard down."

With Hikaru's words, her party members took turns defeating slimes.

Mei's strike, in particular, was so fast it was almost imperceptible; her companions couldn't even tell when she had attacked.

"As expected of Mei."

"Not at all."

Mei humbly accepted Hikaru's praise.

But this exchange made other students start to feel discontent towards Hikaru. They wondered why a weak person like her was praising a stronger student.

Mei even felt a sense of anger towards these classmates.

Until the entrance ceremony, almost the entire class had approached Hikaru, eager to get close to her as the heir to the Kujo Dukedom and the top scorer on the written entrance exam.

But perhaps someone had spread word of Hikaru's abnormal lack of strength, because within a few days of enrollment, the number of people trying to get close to her had drastically decreased.

For a dungeon explorer, a lack of offensive power was fatal.

Hikaru couldn't use offensive magic, nor could she use healing magic.

No matter how excellent her grades, if she was weak, she would only be a burden in dungeon exploration.

Moreover, Hikaru was female. After graduation, her elder brother Kazuma would inherit the Dukedom, while Hikaru would marry into another family. There was little benefit to becoming close with her.

Thinking this, her classmates began switching their allegiances to other factions one after another.

It wasn't that Mei wanted Hikaru's faction to grow. She simply couldn't stand watching those who had initially been so friendly and asked to get along abandon her.

But her mistress, Hikaru, did not desire revenge. She told Mei that even towards those people, she wanted to continue getting along in the future.

For Mei, Hikaru's wishes were more important than her own feelings.

So she had to continue interacting amicably even with these fickle classmates.

Hikaru's greatest wish was to become an explorer like her brother, Kazuma Kujo.

Even knowing it was impossible, Mei's greatest wish was for Hikaru to pursue that dream and enjoy her school life.

"Kyaa!!"

Just as Hikaru and all her party members had finished defeating slimes, a female student's scream echoed through the dungeon.

Tension ran through the group.

"What happened?"

Hikaru murmured worriedly, then looked toward Mei.

"Mei, could you go and see?"

"Yes."

Mei nodded firmly.

Hikaru's orders were absolute, and being entrusted with such a task was an honor for Mei.

"If a dangerous monster has appeared, you don't have to force yourself to defeat it. Prioritize rescuing our classmates."

"Understood."

Mei started running. She was fast, navigating the dungeon's uneven footing without trouble.

She reached the location where a group of students was gathered, buzzing with noise.

Fortunately, there was no sign of a dangerous monster.

Relieved, she stopped running and approached the group at a walk.

In the center of the murmuring classmates was a half-naked man in tattered clothes, with much of his skin exposed.

"You! What are you doing?"

The scream earlier must have been from a female student who saw this half-naked man.

Mei spoke to the man with a voice laced with anger.

"Shut up! I'm just walking!"

The man replied, half-angry.

But that was not the answer Mei sought.

"I'm asking what you're doing dressed like that! You pervert!"

"Who's a pervert! Sorry for looking like this! I got dissolved by an Acid Slime!"

"Acid Slime?! Does it appear on this floor?"

This was the first floor. She had heard only slimes appeared. She knew that occasionally a green Poison Slime appeared, requiring caution, but this was the first she'd heard of Acid Slimes appearing.

"They don't normally appear. Perhaps it was an undiscovered area."

The adult standing beside the half-naked man, D-Class homeroom teacher Majima, answered.

"Undiscovered area?"

Mei parroted back.

Basically, this academy's dungeon had been fully explored, and surveys of all floors had been completed.

But sometimes, there were still hidden passages that hadn't been discovered, leading to unexplored areas beyond.

Apparently, this man had discovered such an undiscovered area and fought an Acid Slime, which shouldn't normally be on this floor.

"That sounds difficult. But it seems only your clothes were dissolved; you don't appear injured."

"I used a potion."

"I see. You were prudent to bring a potion for your first exploration."

"No, no. I defeated the Acid Slime, and it dropped a Rank 4 potion. I used that."

"R-Rank 4?! You used it? You don't have it anymore?"

Mei's eyes sharpened as she questioned him.

Somewhat surprised by her intense reaction, the man answered.

"You're pretty eager. I don't have it anymore. I used it."

"I see. If you ever acquire another, would you consider selling it to me? Of course, I'll pay a fair price."

"Sure, but I doubt I'll find another."

"I see. Thank you."

Leaving those words, Mei Kisaragi departed, eager to report to Hikaru Kujo as quickly as possible.

Watching her hurry away, Shirou Ichinose let out a sigh and muttered.

"Sigh… Am I going to have to explain this to everyone I meet from now on?… What a pain…"