My name is Bron.
Together with Gol and Sil, I enrolled in the Galgard Noble Academy. Now, the three of us were working there as instructors.
How did it come to this?
Honestly, I didn't worry too much about the details. That was what I had been taught back in the village, and the Village Head said the same thing. The process wasn't what mattered; the results were. As long as it ultimately benefited the village, that was good enough for me.
Of course, that didn't mean any and all methods were acceptable. But for the time being, the sheer range of what we could accomplish as teachers compared to students was on a completely different level. I wanted to believe that serving as instructors was more beneficial to the village than remaining simple students.
Besides, being a teacher didn't mean I had to stop learning. I could still study on my own during my off-hours or sit in on other instructors' classes. I just had to keep doing my best.
The only real problem was that even though six months had passed since I became a teacher, I still hadn't found any of that "off-hour" time I was looking forward to.
Now then.
Enrollment at the Galgard Noble Academy took place in the spring, but there was no set date for graduation. There were specific requirements to meet, and since students could graduate whenever they fulfilled them, the timing varied for everyone.
However, the academy's student body was comprised of those connected to the nobility. In the Demon Kingdom, a massive investiture ceremony was held every winter. To prepare for the personnel shifts that accompanied these new appointments, a large number of students tended to graduate around the end of autumn.
Several students who had participated in our club activities were among those leaving.
"Sorry for dragging you into this." (Translation: It was a short time, but I appreciate everything you've done for us.)
"Hmph. Finally, I can bid farewell to this foolish environment." (Translation: I don't want to graduate.)
"Sir... no, I suppose this is the last time I'll have to look at your face, Instructor." (Translation: It’s a shame. Why didn't you come to the academy as a teacher sooner?)
Even if they wanted to stay, some students simply couldn't due to family obligations or financial constraints. It was a lonely departure, but there was nothing to be done about it. Since they were graduating from the club as well, they were free to use Noble Speak. I sincerely hoped they would do their best out in the world.
Gol and Sil planned a grand banquet to celebrate their graduation, and I agreed to help. However, I felt it was fundamentally wrong of them to dump all the accounting and paperwork on me. It wasn't that they couldn't do it; they just weren't good at it. They really should have put in the effort. Simply throwing around the phrase "the right person for the right job" didn't make everything okay.
Then winter arrived.
While individual instructors decided whether or not to hold classes, the total number of lectures generally decreased during the winter. Perhaps because of that, the density of students attending our club activities was higher than usual.
Speaking of which, the name of our club had officially changed. It used to be the "Lifestyle Club," but since our actual classes were also titled "Lifestyle," the administration office complained that it was too confusing. After some discussion, the name was changed to the "Governance Research Club."
The abbreviated name was "Governance Research," but didn't that make it sound like we were a group dedicated to studying political science? In reality, we were doing carpentry, farming, and hunting. I worried that the gap between the name and our actual activities might be an issue.
I also worried that the existing members would be confused, but apparently, "Governance Research" sounded much better than "Lifestyle Club" when reporting back to their parents. They were actually quite grateful for the change. I suppose that's just how the world works. If any real problems arose, we would just change it again.
"Instructor, have you heard?"
By now, I had grown accustomed to being addressed with such respect by students who were much older than me.
"Did something happen?" I asked.
"A dungeon was discovered in the North Forest."
"A dungeon?"
"Yes. Several groups of adventurers have already gone inside, but it sounds like there’s still plenty of profit to be found. What do you think?"
"What do I think? Surely you don't mean..."
"Yes. We intend to go."
These five were the same group that had been banned from classes for a year after sneaking into a restricted forest back in the autumn.
"Haven't you learned your lesson?"
"Entry to the North Forest isn't prohibited this time, you know."
"Well, that might be true, but..."
"We definitely caused you trouble last time. That's why we're asking you to come with us this time!"
"Uh..."
"Unfortunately, Instructor Gol is out, and Instructor Sil is currently being pursued by a mob of women."
"I see."
There was no helping it. It would be less of a headache for me to go along than to let the five of them run off and get into trouble on their own.
"Alright. First, we head to the Adventurer Guild. We'll handle preparations and information gathering there."
If possible, I wanted to hire some professional adventurers to act as guides. If Cokes and the rest of "Miagard's Axe" were around, I could ask them to lead the group and then make my own exit. As for paying the adventurers? I figured I could cover that much myself. And for the record, it wasn't money I got from the Village Head; it was money I had earned by helping the academy's administrative office. I had made enough that I didn't have to hesitate to hire professionals.
Of course, the downside was that I hadn't been able to study because I was so busy working... but people told me that no study beats practical experience, so I was more or less resigned to it.
When we arrived at the Adventurer Guild, Cokes and the rest of the Mia-Axe crew were there. They had heard the rumors about the dungeon as well and were right in the middle of preparing to head out. It was perfect timing.
However, they were firmly against the five students diving into the dungeon. They said it was too dangerous. I agreed with them. If they could persuade the boys to stay home, my life would be much easier.
But the students wouldn't back down. In the end, it came down to a test. If they couldn't pass the professionals' trial, they had to give up and go home. If they passed, the adventurers would take them along.
"And not as clients, but as our comrades," Cokes added.
The five students gave it their all, but they failed the test.
"Ugh, Instructor... we're so frustrated."
"That's a shame," I said, trying to sound sympathetic.
"We'll give up for today, just like we promised," they said, showing a surprising amount of maturity. "But in our place, Instructor... please, we're counting on you."
...Wait, what?
"Alright, Bron. Let's move!"
Cokes slapped my shoulder—or rather, he grabbed it.
"I know what you're capable of in a fight, so we'll split the loot fifty-fifty. There are six of us on our side, so give us a break there. In exchange, we'll give you priority on any items we find."
"W-Wait a minute," I protested. "I never took the test."
"If there were a test that could actually make you fail, then the test itself would be flawed," Cokes replied.
"He's absolutely right! Instructor, we'll be waiting to hear your stories when you get back!"
And that was how I found myself standing before the entrance of a dungeon deep within the North Forest, flanked by the members of Miagard's Axe.
How did it come to this?
Still, given that a "Hybrid" had appeared recently, investigating a new dungeon in the forest wasn't necessarily a bad idea. Fortunately, the members of Mia-Axe had the necessary skills for a proper investigation. I decided I would learn as much from them as I could.
"Alright, let's head out!"
I held up a hand to stop Cokes. I was trying to live by the spirit of not worrying about the details, but there was one thing I had to confirm. It wasn't about why Cokes was the one giving the orders instead of their leader.
"You guys didn't use those five to rope me into this on purpose, did you?"
"We'd never do something like that," Cokes said smoothly.
"I see. That's good."
"We were just the ones who told those five about the dungeon in the first place."
...
I couldn't exactly punch a party member right before entering a dungeon. I would just have to make sure they remembered this once we returned safely.
With that thought, we set off.
Footnotes: Split fifty-fifty: The proceeds from selling all acquired loot would be divided equally between Bron and the members of Mia-Axe. Priority on items: The right to claim specific items first. If the value of the claimed item exceeded Bron's half of the total earnings, he would have to pay the difference in cash or other loot.