I was still mulling over the possible fallout of the article when a knock at the door pulled me back to the present.
(Is it already that time?)
I checked the clock; it was already past eight-thirty. I opened the door to find Selma-san standing there, just as I’d expected.
"Good morning, Orun. Are you ready?"
"Morning, Selma-san. Yeah, I’m all set. We can head out whenever you're ready."
"Good. Let’s get moving, then."
"Right. Just give me a second."
I slipped the newspaper into my storage magic tool, threw on my clan longcoat, and stepped out into the hall.
◇
"Do you subscribe to the paper?" Selma-san asked as we made our way toward the Exploration Management Department.
"I do. Information is a vital asset, after all."
"I couldn't agree more. Is that the Adriano edition you were reading?"
Adriano was the name of the publisher that held a de facto monopoly on information regarding the Hero Party.
"No, I actually look through all three major papers. Besides, Adriano mostly focuses on the Hero Party. When I was with them, I was the one handling the interviews. There wasn't much for me to gain by reading a report about myself."
Even during my time with the Hero Party, I’d skimmed the news, but I never placed much weight on it.
"I suppose that makes sense. You were the one being interviewed. Tell me, then—how much truth is there actually in Adriano’s articles?"
"I'm afraid I can't really answer that."
"Fair enough. I only asked on the off-chance you'd tell me. Don't let it bother you. By the way, do you go out to buy those every morning? The clan can arrange for specific papers to be delivered to your door if you’d like."
"Really? That would be a huge help."
"We keep back issues in the common area, but some people like to keep personal scrapbooks. The cost will be deducted from your monthly salary, but should I set it up for you?"
"Would you? I’d like to receive all three: Adriano, Blanca, and Carteri."
"Consider it done. I'll have them dropped into the post box next to your door. It might take a few days for the arrangement to kick in, so you'll have to keep buying them yourself until then."
"That’s no problem at all. Thank you."
◇
Eventually, we arrived at the Exploration Management Department’s wing.
The area was a sea of documents; "organized" was not a word anyone would use to describe it. Then again, this was the hub where a massive amount of data was gathered every single day. I suppose a certain level of clutter was inevitable.
I caught a glimpse of some papers left out in the open, but the contents seemed trivial. I assumed the truly sensitive documents were properly secured elsewhere.
I followed Selma-san as she strode toward the back of the office, exchanging brief nods with the clan members we passed. Finally, we reached Estella-san’s desk.
"Morning, Estella."
"Nnya? Ah, Selma-chi, mornin’~! And morning to you, too, Rookie-kun."
"Good morning."
"This place is a mess again," Selma-san noted, her voice tinged with a sharp edge of disapproval. "It’s because you’re so disorganized."
The way she said "again" made me wonder if it looked like this even after a regular cleaning.
"That truth hurts-nya~," Estella-san chirped, giving a vague response that made it hard to tell if she actually cared.
"Honestly..." Selma-san let out an exasperated sigh. This was clearly a routine for them.
"Nyahaha~! Well then, Rookie-kun, thanks for coming in so early! It’s a bit sudden, but would you mind starting their instruction today?"
"I don't mind, but do you have a specific educational policy I should follow?"
"Hm? Not really."
"Wait, what...?"
"Actually, it’s a bit weird calling you 'Rookie-kun' now that you’re an instructor. I think I’ll call you Orun-chi instead."
"I don't mind the name, but... what do you mean there's no policy?"
"I’m leaving everything to you, Orun-chi! Just make them into proper explorers. If you can train them to the point where they can clear the Middle Floors as a party in six months, I’ll be more than happy. Go ahead and mold those kids in your own image!"
(The bar is way too high... Well, if it’s the group I think it is, maybe I can make it work?)
As I ran the numbers in my head, Estella-san’s playful demeanor suddenly vanished, replaced by a look of genuine gravity.
"Ahem. Jokes aside... Orun-chi, I know that during your time with the Hero Party, you did more than just explore—you handled their management, too. I want you to teach them that side of things as well. Those kids are the ones we want at the core of the next generation. I know I’m asking for the moon, but I’m counting on you, Multi-talent of Golden Dawn!"
Well, I’ll do what I can. I’ll have to start by breaking the ice, and I'm not sure how well that's going to go... But since the rookies supposedly asked for this themselves, it should be fine. I hope.