After spending about ten minutes doting on Seto, Rei headed toward the Academy Director's Office as he had been instructed the previous day.
Seto had been acting spoiled, pleading for Rei to stay and play more, but Rei was technically employed as an instructor here. He couldn't exactly slack off on his very first day, so he reluctantly parted with Seto and began making his way through the academy grounds.
Seto’s plaintive cry from when Rei left the stables still echoed in his mind. If it were up to him, Rei would have liked to spend a little more time with the Gryphon...
(Well, even if I have classes, it’s not like my entire day will be booked. I can just go see Seto whenever I have a break. ...Though I suppose the horses will find that unfortunate.)
The stables where Seto was being kept were the Staff Stables. There were a few horses there used by the instructors. Some were personal mounts, others were borrowed from the school, but they all lived together in the same stables regardless of their status.
However, for a horse, living under the same roof as an overwhelming, absolute predator like Seto was clearly a source of immense stress.
(The best-case scenario would be for them to get used to Seto before the stress breaks them... I guess.)
Just like the stables at the Dusk Wheat Inn.
As he walked through the school grounds thinking of Seto, Rei realized that many eyes were fixed on him.
(What is it?)
Curious, he sharpened his hearing to catch the murmurs.
"Hey, who's that guy? He's not wearing a uniform, so he's not a student here, right?"
"He’s pretty short. Is it a girl? Or a boy? If it's a boy, he's practically a child."
"Hmph. Has another low-born commoner found his way into this prestigious school?"
"Hey, watch it. Is that wise? If he's not in uniform, he's probably someone invited here as an instructor, not a student. You shouldn't talk about him like that..."
"Whatever. Plenty of people here can’t let go of their sense of entitlement even after they enroll."
"A light, huh?"
"Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"No, from what I heard, that person is a light that shines brilliantly among Mages. Well, I only heard Mr. Samaloon saying that."
"Then do you know who he is? Tell me."
"No, unfortunately not. I only overheard Mr. Samaloon mention it in passing. Besides, he's wearing that hood, so you can barely see his face."
"Useless. Mr. Samaloon is usually easy to talk to, isn't he? You should have gotten more details out of him."
"No way. Trying to talk to Mr. Samaloon when he's in that zone is a total waste of time."
"Anyway, if he's not in uniform, he's not a student, right? Then he's definitely an instructor."
"An Adventurer or a Knight? Based on his gear, he's probably an Adventurer... even though he's smaller than us?"
"That’s just how it is. He's probably here for magic theory rather than actual combat. Considering Mr. Samaloon’s words, it wouldn't be that surprising, would it?"
Such voices drifted into Rei’s ears.
(I see. ...Well, I suppose when everyone else is in uniform and I'm the only one who isn't, I can't help but stand out.)
The people whispering about Rei were all students, each wearing a blazer-like uniform. Rei felt that the uniforms, which shared a similar design for both men and women, were quite fitting for an Officer Academy owned by the Duke's House.
(Though there are definitely some who have their sense of entitlement on full display.)
Rei felt a sudden urge to smile at the contemptuous glares directed at him by those he wanted to label "Keep-wannabes," but he suppressed it and headed toward the school building.
The students began to stir again as they watched Rei enter the building containing the Academy Director's Office. With the students' chatter at his back, Rei proceeded inside.
A few students wondered if he might be a trespasser, but they quickly discarded the notion, believing that no one would be foolish enough to trespass so boldly.
As they watched the building Rei had entered, the morning's gossip was largely dominated by talk of the man who appeared to be an unknown Adventurer.
"Lord Rei, I am glad you could come. Did you sleep well last night?"
Rei entered the Academy Director's Office and was greeted by Erinde, who was checking documents at a desk.
The Elf, Erinde, possessed an appearance that made it impossible to tell if they were a man or a woman, just as they had the day before. Of course, one's appearance wouldn't change in a single day, but Rei had harbored a small hope that a change in clothing might reveal... something. Feeling a touch of disappointment, he simply nodded.
"Yeah. I slept soundly. Although it can't quite beat the Dusk Wheat Inn."
"Ahahaha. That is only natural. The Dusk Wheat Inn is one of the most high-class establishments in Gilm. Their cuisine is particularly delightful."
Erinde spoke with the tone of someone who had personally visited the place.
(Well, they're an Elf and live longer than most. It makes sense they've been to more places than I have.)
Rei, setting aside the fact that he was essentially immortal himself, listened as Erinde continued.
"Now then, I would like to have Lord Rei serve as a Mock Battle Instructor starting today... but naturally, I cannot ask you to face every single student in the school."
"...I suppose it's a bit late to ask, but roughly how many students are at this school?"
At Rei's question, Erinde's eyebrows twitched, revealing a faint trace of surprise.
"Oh? Did you not hear from Samaloon?"
"He gave me a tour of the school, but we didn't discuss the numbers."
"Honestly, that man is hopeless. Listen closely. This Officer Academy is a four-year school. Each grade averages about two hundred people. In other words, there are nearly eight hundred students in total. If you include the instructors, staff, and those who perform manual labor, there are nearly a thousand people living here in all."
Erinde asked "What do you think?" with a boastful air, but Rei felt a doubt and spoke up.
"If there are nearly two hundred instructors and staff... the Staff Dormitory where I'm staying isn't that large, is it?"
"Ah, about that. There is another Staff Dormitory besides the one where Lord Rei resides. Furthermore, some people do not live in the dorms but rent houses, while others have their family homes in the City of Gracial and commute from there."
"...I see."
Rei nodded, but in his mind, he thought that if that were the case, he would have preferred to rent a house or stay at an inn instead of the Staff Dormitory.
If he had his own place, he could play with Seto whenever he liked—but he immediately dismissed the idea.
(If I were at an inn, I would be further away during classes than if I were in the stables here.)
If that happened, Seto might get lonely and break out of the inn's stables to come find him. No, Seto would be fine being away from Rei for a few days, but considering the affection the Gryphon directed toward him, Rei couldn't deny the possibility.
"Well, with that being the case, I could hardly ask Lord Rei to conduct mock battles with all eight hundred students, could I?"
"...I don't think it's impossible, but it would be a pointless waste of time. I would likely end up focusing on defeating them, and there's a high probability they would lose consciousness before they even knew what hit them. If that happens, the Mock Battle itself loses its meaning."
"I expect so. That is why I want you to handle only the Third-year S-Class and Fourth-year S-Class."
"S-Class?"
"...Do you mean to say Samaloon did not explain that either?"
Erinde asked with a twitch of their cheek, and Rei nodded. He really hadn't heard anything about the class rankings.
"Honestly, while his research into magic is excellent and he is relatively well-liked by the students... it is because he has these lapses in focus that I cannot trust him completely."
Sighing at the thought of the unreliable man, Erinde continued the explanation.
"The class divisions at this Officer Academy are basically based on ability. Since they will become Knights or Adventurers after graduation, it is necessary to make their abilities clear to everyone, is it not?"
"...Well, I won't deny that."
"I am glad you hold that opinion. Some among the staff believe class divisions should be made regardless of ability. ...At any rate, those class divisions take reference from Adventurer ranks. In other words, S, A, B, C, and D. There are five classes of forty students each. That makes a total of two hundred per grade. Though, some students leave for various reasons, so it's not strictly forty per class."
"So, the ones I'll be teaching are the classes composed of the highest achievers among those scheduled to graduate this year and next year."
"That is correct. ...What do you think?"
"I'll leave the logistics to you. I'm not familiar with this Officer Academy, and I don't know the proper way to teach students yet. However, I'll probably need to confirm exactly how much strength each of them has before I start the formal lessons."
"It would be a great help to us if you did that. ...Now then, it is nearly time for the Fourth-year S-Class's Mock Battle..."
As if waiting for those words to come from Erinde's mouth, a knock sounded at the door.
"It seems the timing was perfect. ...Come in."
"Excuse me."
The person who entered the room was a muscle-bound man with a completely shaved head. He wasn't particularly tall, but he was still taller than Rei. He appeared to be in his thirties and had a very stern face, fitting for a Mock Battle Instructor.
(Is he shaved? Or is he just bald? ...Probably shaved.)
That was Rei's first impression. Normally, a Man's Face like that would undoubtedly cause someone to shrink back, but Rei had seen many men with intimidating countenances before. For instance, Daskar, the Lord of Gilm, also had an extremely stern face.
"You arrived exactly on time. Thank you, Grink."
"Not at all. ...So, is that the person you spoke of the other day?"
"...Huh?"
Rei, who had assumed the man would speak roughly because of his appearance, let out a bewildered noise at the unexpectedly polite way he spoke.
However, the man himself seemed used to reactions like Rei's. The man Erinde called Grink bowed his head without showing any particular surprise at Rei's reaction.
"Pleased to meet you. I am Grink, and I serve as a Mock Battle Instructor at this Officer Academy. It is an honor to meet Rei-san, who is highly renowned as Crimson."
"A-Ah. Yeah. I'm Rei. Um, it's only for a short time until spring, but I look forward to working with you."
Polite language coming from such a stern face. Furthermore, despite saying it was an honor to meet him, he didn't seem particularly excited; Rei didn't quite know how to handle this person yet, so he simply offered those standard words for the time being.
"I am the one who will study and learn from your strength, Rei-san."
"It seems you will get along well. Then, Grink. I leave Lord Rei in your care."
"Yes. ...Well then, Rei-san. Shall we go?"
Saying so, Grink prompted Rei and left the Academy Director's Office. Rei followed after him.
The two walked down the hallway side by side, but they did not exchange any words. This was likely because Rei wasn't accustomed to communicating smoothly with people he had just met, and Grink was also the type who didn't care for idle chatter.
Nevertheless, Rei, feeling that it would be uncomfortable to move in silence like this, asked Grink about the mock battles.
"It was Grink, right? Mock battles are fine, but could you tell me specifically how much strength the Third-year S-Class and Fourth-year S-Class have?"
"Strength, you say. ...Let me see."
Grink also might have been struggling with how to interact with Rei, as he answered immediately when Rei brought up a topic. This was only natural, of course. Between Rei's attitude toward Grink and Grink's attitude toward Rei, the latter had no choice but to be more cautious. One was an Alias Holder Adventurer, while the other was a mere instructor at an Officer Academy; the difference in standing was vast.
"These are merely rough indicators, and there are large individual differences, but the Third-year S-Class is roughly F-Rank in Adventurer terms, and the Fourth-year S-Class is roughly E-Rank."
"That's lower than I thought."
As Rei muttered this, Grink shook his head.
"There are limits to what can be achieved through training alone without actual combat. Powerful monsters do not appear in this vicinity, unlike in the Frontier. Of course, they are not entirely non-existent, but finding such monsters requires a considerable amount of effort."
"I suppose so."
Since coming to this world, Rei had traveled to many places other than the Frontier of Gilm. Therefore, he understood that the monsters appearing in such places were naturally weaker and fewer in number compared to those in the Frontier.
"However... there are students among them who have defeated not just monsters, but Thieves, so I believe those students are considerably stronger than the others."
At those words, Rei thought that he might actually be able to have some somewhat interesting fights.