“Alright!”
“Nothing is alright!!”
Fran-chan, the noisy toy, is spouting off something again, but I ignore her and slap the whiteboard in the Aurora Shopping Mall’s meeting room.
“So, as of now, all major members of the Proxia Republic’s parliament have either fled or committed suicide! Our victory!”
“… You’ve finally done it. You really destroyed a country! You’re insane!”
“Haha.”
“Why are you laughing?! What’s there to laugh about?!”
“Anyway, moving on. You guys really screwed up. What makes it worse is that you ate the food in enemy territory, got drugged, and knocked out.”
“Th-that’s true, but…”
“So from now on, I’ll teach you how to defend yourselves as top executives!”
“… And what’s your real reason?”
“I thought maybe I’d take this chance to bully you guys a little?”
“Help me! My husband’s going to kill me!!”
Haha, is she a domestic violence victim or something?
Now, after sending the top brass off to the re-education center and cleaning up the mess in the collapsed capital of the Proxia Republic…
Oh, it’s already the end of the first year’s third term.
It looks like there’s a test, so I decided to return to the academy.
The academy.
The moment I returned to the academy, I was immediately summoned to the royal palace and questioned about the collapse of the Proxia Republic.
“Nom nom… I destroyed Proxia because they pissed me off. Got a problem with that?”
“Are you joking?”
The king asked.
“Shut up, you’re being annoying. They got on my nerves, so of course they were going to get destroyed. And, honestly, I’d love to kill you too, but I’m sparing you out of respect for my friend, the second prince, Gilbert.”
“I-I see.”
This king is a real clown.
He’s like a foolish, boar-headed idiot straight out of a shonen manga.
To be honest, I can’t stand being in the same room as this buffoon, but since my friend, the second prince Gilbert, is involved, I have no choice but to tolerate it.
Frankly, this guy’s stupidity is the reason my life has been such a mess.
Unlike the politicians of Earth’s more sensible countries, this idiot can’t even centralize his power, let alone govern effectively. What a joke…
It seems he’s starting to grasp the power difference, so he doesn’t make any direct moves anymore. But if I ever show any weakness, there’s no doubt he’d try something. He’s not an ally, not by a long shot.
It’s rare for me to keep non-allies around.
Still, I do have a conscience, and there’s Fran-chan to consider…
… Well, whatever.
For now, I was told to explain myself, so I replied, “I did it because I was pissed off, no regrets,” and then returned to the academy to face the test.
So, the academy.
When I returned, the reactions were split into two groups.
Around 30% looked at me with awe and fear, like I was a hero for destroying what was once an enemy nation, the Proxia Republic (though no country in this era is truly friendly with each other).
The remaining 70% looked at me like I was some incomprehensible monster.
But, as usual, that’s fine.
“What on earth are you doing, Exus?”
The academy headmaster, an old lady, scolded me.
By common sense, destroying a country is a bad thing…
I couldn’t argue with that, but still.
“Come on, granny. It’s not like I destroyed a whole country over a tantrum…”
“How many people do you think died because of your fit of anger?!”
“Based on my observations, 5,411 people died. 64% of them were men, and 1,220 were minors under the age of 15.”
“You knew that and still did it?! That’s the worst!”
“But granny, they were the enemy.”
“Sure, they were enemies. But kids shouldn’t be getting their hands dirty!”
Hmm.
“…I get it, granny. You’re saying that since I’m a kid, I should act like one and nurture my emotional growth, right?”
This old lady is a model educator.
On this point, she’s 100% right, and I have no objections.
So, I apologized honestly and promised her that after the finals, I’d spend some time acting like a kid.
Hmmm?
I’m aware that I’m pretty much a scumbag, but for some reason, there are still a lot of people who care about me.
I’m lucky, but instead of wasting time trying to reform me, wouldn’t it be more meaningful to focus on something else?
And now, the test.
At the academy, there’s a test at the end of every term, and the third term’s test, in particular, is a final exam that determines whether or not you advance.
The content? Dungeon Conquest.
It’s a well-known fact that this country has a fondness for “war,” and while you might think that training wizards in dungeon exploration sounds more like an adventurer’s job…
In reality, wars don’t happen every day, and during peacetime, wizards are primarily tasked with “dealing with monsters that regular soldiers can’t handle.”
For instance, “A horde of orcs has settled in the nearby forest!” or “An ogre has taken over an abandoned fortress!” or “Sorry to interrupt, but a stray wyvern is on the loose!” Those are the kinds of things they deal with.
As I always say, in this world, regular soldiers have about the same capabilities as ordinary humans on Earth.
At best, they can barely take down a goblin. If a wolf shows up, things get pretty dicey.
Honestly, even with a sword, a regular human can’t beat a wolf. The difference in biological capability is just too great. It’s only common sense, really. It’s not very dreamlike, but…
However, soldiers or knights who have undergone sufficient training can unconsciously cloak themselves in magic power, strengthening their bodies.
Once that happens, even if they can’t fully control magic, a well-trained knight can likely take down an orc in a one-on-one fight.
Orcs are basically like grizzly bears. If you can kill a bear with a sword, you’re already superhuman.
… And wizards can easily wipe out orcs with no effort.
A “mid-level magic” spell, which is standard for military use, can easily deal the damage of a rifle or cannon shell, depending on the type. And they can attack from a distance.
That’s why wizards are usually treated as a “trump card” in this country.
Even this dumb country doesn’t send wizards into battle with spears, telling them to charge to their deaths.
So, the dungeon—conquering a monster’s nest—is essential experience.
Now, we’re heading into the academy’s dungeon to defeat a set number of monsters.
