About a year had passed since dungeons were opened to the general public. Today, as always, a diverse crowd sought to obtain their Armed Exploration Permit for Special Underground Structures. While the numbers had dwindled compared to the initial boom, each session still drew around a hundred candidates. The lecture hall, designed for large groups, usually remained eighty percent full—a clear indicator of the industry’s continued popularity.
Back when the schools entered their long holiday periods, the surge of students reaching the eligible age had nearly pushed our capacity to the breaking point. I lost track of how many exams we had to conduct in a single day back then.
"Good morning, Katase-san."
"Good morning."
As I was preparing the introductory lecture in the instructors' waiting room, a male staff member around my age called out to me with a weary smile. This was Mizuho-san, the instructor in charge of the practical exam.
"Still hard at work with the hot-blooded explorer candidates, I see. Weekends are always busier than weekdays, aren't they? Must be exhausting."
"It is, but it’s actually much easier than it used to be. Most examinees study beforehand now, so they generally understand the material after a brief lecture to supplement the text. Plus, things have cooled off now that summer vacation is over. I don't see many students who fit that 'hot-blooded' description anymore."
"I suppose by this time of year, half of their classmates have already become explorers. Back in the spring, they were probably desperate to get a head start, but now that the holidays are over, that initial steam has run out."
"That seems to be the case. For some reason, ever since summer vacation ended, I haven't felt that same sense of frantic urgency or desperation from the student candidates."
From just before the start of summer through the first half of the break, students had made up more than half of the examinees. Back then, their eyes practically screamed their desire to get their permits and rush into the dungeons. Now, while the desire to qualify remained, that desperate edge was gone.
"That’s true. On the bright side, more of them actually listen to the lectures now, so I suppose it’s for the best. Did you hear about the failure rate for students on the written exam at the start of summer? Apparently, it nearly doubled compared to the period before the surge."
"Yes, I heard. It’s a written exam designed so that anyone can pass just by listening to the lecture, even without studying the commercial textbooks. I imagine many of them were too busy daydreaming about their dungeon debuts to hear a word we said."
"Exactly. And as a result, they ended up having to retake it, wasting both time and money."
"Indeed. Every time I gave a lecture, I made sure to caution them to listen carefully before attempting the written exam."
Even so, I occasionally dealt with students who failed and then complained that it was because I hadn't lectured properly. They would whine about how failing meant they couldn't go to the dungeon with the friends they had made promises to.
That wasn't my problem; it was their own fault. The test was perfectly passable if they had simply paid attention.
"Well, that's how it goes. No matter how simple a test is, you won't pass if you don't study—even if the lecture covers everything you need to know."
"Very true. Oh, it’s about that time. I should head to the lecture hall."
"Ah, right. Sorry to keep you when you're so busy."
"Not at all. Excuse me."
I tucked the materials for today's lecture under my arm, gave Mizuho-san a brief nod, and left the waiting room. I truly hoped today’s group would listen quietly without any disruptions.
After finishing the introductory lecture, I returned to the waiting room to prepare for the written exam. Preparation was simple: I just had to take the exam papers from the safe and bring them back to the hall.
Since the contents of these questions were already public knowledge, we didn't have to be overly concerned about information leaks. The written exam consisted of fifty multiple-choice questions randomly selected from a pool of eighty. It was a test where anyone who had listened to the lecture could easily pass.
"Phew."
"Good work, Katase-san. How were they today?"
As I sat down for a short break, Mizuho-san checked in. Being a practical instructor, he was always concerned about the candidates' behavior. If even one frantic, hot-blooded student was in the mix, his job would become much harder. Since these were tests for aspiring explorers, it was only natural for the practical exam to see more trouble than the written one.
"Good work. They were quite calm today, actually. They listened to the lecture attentively, and no one seemed unusually agitated."
"I’m glad to hear it. I hope they stay that way for the practical exam. I’d rather not have a repeat of that summer vacation mess."
Mizuho-san’s expression shifted to a mix of irritation and gloom, likely remembering the previous incident.
"Ah, you mean the equipment damage?"
"Exactly! I told the candidate to move while avoiding obstacles, but he decided to barrel through and destroy the trap-testing equipment instead. We couldn't use it for the rest of the day, which threw the whole schedule into chaos... Sigh. We were already at our limit with the extra numbers."
"That was rough. The exam went way over the scheduled time, didn't it?"
"It did. We had to finish everyone who had already checked in, and the week it took to repair the equipment was absolute hell. Plus, because of the delays, we were buried in complaints..."
Recalling Mizuho-san and the other practical instructors looking like the walking dead, I prayed no one would pull a stunt like that today.
Incidentally, the student who caused that mess had been hit with a massive repair bill, failed the exam, and had their eligibility suspended for a set period. If we had passed someone like that and turned them loose in a dungeon, there was no telling what they might have done.
"There are relatively few students today, so I think we’ll be fine. They were serious during the lecture, so they should follow the rules as long as the instructions are clear."
"I hope so."
As we talked, the time for the written exam approached.
"Well, time to get started. I'm off."
"Right. Good luck with the proctoring."
With Mizuho-san’s encouragement, I gathered the stacks of exam papers and headed back to the lecture hall.
Honestly, these bundles were heavy enough that I would have struggled to carry them on my own if I hadn't spent some time leveling as an explorer.
The hall fell silent, the only sound the rhythmic scratching of pencils. The candidates stared intently at their papers, thinking for several seconds before filling in the bubbles on their answer sheets. Some moved with total confidence, others with hesitation, and a few looked utterly lost.
A few finished within twenty minutes, submitted their sheets, and left the room. Early departure was permitted, though they weren't allowed to return once they left.
(About thirty minutes left.)
I began a slow lap around the room, acting as the Exam Proctor to ensure there were no illicit acts like cheating. Cheating had become rare lately, but in the early days before study guides were available, it was much more common.
The risk of cheating usually spiked at this point—when the candidates who knew the material began to leave, causing the others to panic. It was the desperation of those who felt they had to act before their "source" was gone.
(Hmm? That guy is acting suspiciously.)
I noticed a male examinee a few rows away. He was repeatedly lifting his head slightly before scribbling on his sheet. Based on my experience, he was definitely cheating. He was likely peeking at the answers of the person sitting to his front right.
(And here I thought this was a good group... How disappointing.)
I closed my eyes for a moment and let out a faint sigh. He likely assumed he was safe because I was across the room, but with the levels I had gained in the dungeons, I could see his movements clearly even from this distance.
However, to disqualify him, I needed to catch him in the act with undeniable proof. I erased my presence and footsteps, silently gliding toward his desk.
(Wait...)
At that moment, two female students sitting a short distance away didn't look up, but their shoulders stiffened as they became alert. While every other candidate remained oblivious, those two girls reacted to me the moment I masked my presence.
The examinees right next to me hadn't noticed a thing, yet these two, who were further away, had clearly sensed me. A seasoned explorer would have spotted my use of stealth, but it wasn't something a mere candidate—someone yet to even earn their permit—should have been able to detect while focused on an exam.
(Sharp instincts, or special training? Well, they aren't doing anything wrong, so I'll leave them be for now. More importantly...)
I turned my attention back to the cheater. I crept up behind him, maintaining my stealth. He remained completely unaware of my presence, continuing to copy answers from the student in front of him. While the front student’s desk placement wasn't ideal, the fault lay entirely with the person cheating.
(...Definitive.)
With a cold expression, I placed a hand gently on the cheater’s shoulder.
"!? Wh-!?"
"That’s enough. You know why. I’m afraid I have to ask you to leave immediately. A staff member will be here shortly; please wait in the hallway."
"...Yes."
The student turned pale and hung his head as I pointed from his sheet to the one in front of him. If you know it's wrong, don't do it.
"Everyone, the exam is still in progress. Please focus on your own papers."
The discovery caused a brief stir, but I quickly settled the room. The atmosphere felt a bit strained, but most candidates managed to refocus. I monitored the exit of the student in question and sent a quick message to the office to arrange for a pickup. Since we always had staff on standby for these situations, someone arrived within minutes.
"I'll leave him with you."
"Understood."
Once the cheater was handed over, I saw the proctoring through to the end. Finally, the bell rang.
"That's time. Everyone, please put your pencils down. Stay in your seats while I collect the answer sheets."
I moved quickly through the rows, gathering the papers.
"Thank you for your hard work. This concludes the written exam. You will be moving on to the practical exam next. Please take a break, change into your gear, and proceed to the designated testing area."
The candidates filed out of the lecture hall, looking exhausted.
Phew. A bit of trouble, but overall, it went smoothly. If Mizuho-san and his team could handle their end, the day would finish without further incident.
"Still, what was the deal with those two girls?"
Recalling how they had immediately detected my stealth, I wondered if our standard practical exam would even be a challenge for them. An explorer capable of that usually had the experience of someone on the verge of reaching mid-level.
Good grief. Some truly remarkable examinees have shown up today.