Chapter 39

While I was spacing out in the noisy classroom, the front door opened, and a woman walked in.

Judging from her appearance, she looked to be in her mid-twenties, exuding an intellectual aura.

She gave off an impression of being strict.

She was probably the teacher in charge of this class.

She placed some materials she was carrying on the teacher’s desk and glanced around the classroom.

“Take your seats. I’ll now explain the course.”

Her clear voice resonated through the noisy classroom, and the students naturally fell silent.

All attention turned to the teacher standing at the podium.

“First, congratulations on your admission. You are now members of this academy. Over the next three years, you’ll learn and grow… Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Layla Eihurst, your homeroom teacher. I look forward to working with you this year.”

Layla Eihurst… Which noble family is Eihurst from?

Unfortunately, I’m not well-versed in noble houses.

Not that I care, of course.

But at least I know she isn’t from a marquess family.

That narrows it down to a count or viscount family, maybe.

“I’ll be explaining the structure of the courses in detail from now on, so make sure not to miss anything.”

The structure of the courses is important.

Arcelia and I are planning to graduate by only taking the practical exams, skipping the regular coursework, so it’s essential to understand the system thoroughly.

To exploit loopholes, you need to know everything about the target.

“First of all, you’ll be enrolled at this academy for three years… Naturally, you’ll graduate at the end of the third year. To graduate, you’ll need to earn a minimum of 120 credits. Each class is worth two credits, so you need to take 60 classes over the three years.”

That’s 60 classes in three years, meaning 20 classes per year.

“However, that’s just an estimate. In reality, 100 credits will suffice. Do you know why?”

Layla Eihurst paused briefly before continuing.

“Once in the three years, there’s a practical exam in the labyrinth. The credits you earn vary depending on how far you go and how many monsters you defeat, but most students earn around 20 credits there. For those better at magic than academics, it’s possible to earn as many as 30 credits.”

I see… This must be what Arcelia mentioned earlier.

I don’t know the specifics yet, but it seems possible, at least theoretically, to earn all 120 credits through practical exams.

“The academy is divided into two terms per year… and the classes you can take differ each term. Ideally, you should aim to earn 20 credits in each of the four terms over the first two years. That way, you’ll have more time in your third year to focus on the practical exams.”

The frequency at which students take credits will vary from person to person.

Some might frontload their credits and take it easy later, while others may spread out the work evenly over the years.

Then there are those lazy types who slack off in their first two years and scramble to earn credits in the third year.

The freedom to choose classes means it’s up to each person to plan accordingly.

This might be tough for commoners, but since this academy is filled with the sons and daughters of nobles, self-management is second nature to them.

“Now, since we’ve touched on the practical exam, let me explain it. Some of you may already know, but the practical exam takes place in a labyrinth. The labyrinth used for the exam is called the Lunarlost Labyrinth, also known as the ‘First Labyrinth.’ It’s the same as always. Since it’s already been fully explored, it’s considered safe.”

The Lunarlost Labyrinth, huh… That brings back memories.

As its other name, “The First Labyrinth,” suggests, it’s said to be the oldest labyrinth.

Nowadays, there are many labyrinths scattered about, but a few hundred years ago, Lunarlost was the only one.

It has about 20 floors, with a boss monster at every five-floor interval.

The difficulty… is both low and high.

What I mean is, the first ten floors of the Lunarlost Labyrinth are easy, but from the 11th floor onward, the difficulty spikes.

The monsters’ strength increases dramatically after the 11th floor.

In terms of danger level, even the highest-ranked monsters on the first ten floors are only at level 8.

But from the 11th floor onward, you start encountering level 6 and level 5 monsters.

The toughest monster, if I recall correctly, is a level 4 boss residing on the 20th and final floor.

And why do I know so much about this? Well, because I cleared the labyrinth once in my previous life.

I think I was 16 at the time…

Of course, I wasn’t a main fighter, just a baggage carrier.

If I were on my own, I could’ve barely made it to the 11th floor, even if I pushed myself.

In my past life, I could only match a level 5 monster in a draw.

One level 6 monster would have been my limit.

It was impossible for me to fight continuous battles against waves of monsters, like you need to in a labyrinth.

“Now, about how credits are earned… You’ll get one credit for each floor you clear. As for monsters… defeating a level 10 monster gets you 0.2 credits, a level 9 monster earns you 0.5 credits, and a level 8 monster gives you one full credit. For level 7 monsters, you get two credits.”

I began calculating the credits for defeating monsters in my head.

Arcelia and I need to earn 120 credits through the practical exam.

Assuming we make it to the final floor… we’d secure 20 credits just from clearing the floors.

That leaves 100 credits to be earned through monster slaying.

It’s probably doable… but she hasn’t mentioned the credits for monsters above level 6 yet.

Does Layla Eihurst think no one will make it past the 11th floor?

“Lastly, regarding the exam schedule, the practical exam is held at the end of each academic year. And technically, students from any year can take the exam, though most take it in their third year.”

A one-year difference is significant at this age.

Everyone knows it’s better to wait until your third year to take the practical exam.

“That concludes the explanation. Now, I’ll be distributing parchment to you. On it, you’ll find a list of all available classes, so choose your courses for the first term.”

Layla Eihurst began handing out parchment.

Both I and Arcelia received ours from the student in front of us.

The student looked nervous when handing it over, but… I’ll just ignore that.

“You can discuss your choices with others if you want. I’ll be here for a while, so once you’ve decided, bring your parchment to me. You’re free to leave after that.”

I glanced at the parchment listing all the available courses.

History… Mathematics… Magic… Geography… There really are a lot of choices.

“Arcelia――”

“What are you waiting for? Hurry up and submit it blank.”

“――You’re quick, huh?”

Arcelia clearly doesn’t have a moment of hesitation.

Then again, I have no intention of taking any classes either.

After hearing the explanation about credits earlier, I’m confident we can graduate through the practical exam alone.

“Alright, let’s go.”

I stood up, carrying the blank parchment.

We walked up to the front of the classroom.

“…You’ve already decided?”

Layla Eihurst looked at me with a mix of surprise and suspicion.

“Yes. I’ve decided.”

I kept a straight face as I handed over the blank parchment.

“Let’s see―― What!? It’s blank!”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“What is the meaning of this…?”

“Ah… I’m planning to graduate through the practical exams alone.”

“…Huh?”

Where did her intellectual expression go?

Layla Eihurst stood there, dumbfounded, her mouth slightly open.

“No, no, submitting a blank one is a bit… Wait, aren’t you Kraze Reynostia? Why are you even at this academy? Rumor has it you blackmailed the principal or something.”

“There’s a complicated backstory to that――”

Just as I was about to explain, Arcelia pulled me back and stepped in front.

“I’m the one who enrolled him. Got a problem with that? If not, hurry up and accept it. This is a waste of time.”

“You… you…”

“That’s me, and this is him. Yes, we’ve submitted it.”

Arcelia placed both of our parchments on the teacher’s desk, ignoring the speechless Layla Eihurst.

“Let’s go.”

“Yeah, yeah… Hm?”

As Arcelia pulled me along, a thought occurred to me.

Aren’t we supposed to be staying in a dorm…?