Alright, dungeon training.
Itโs a completely ordinary cave where a monster summoning magic tool (which is, of course, contraband and illegal for civilians to possess) has been installed, and the monsters spawned from it roam around. Itโs an artificial dungeon.
The students are tasked with clearing it.
Well, since the academyโs curriculum spans five years, the main focus of this first year is to get used to the battlefield atmosphere and toughen up the students by stripping away any dependence they might have.
The task is to defeat a specified number of monstersโessentially, the students have to each kill a goblin. Each group has an instructor supervising them during the exercise.
Thereโs almost no chance of anything going wrong.
As for me personally, Iโm more curious about the monster summoning magic tool.
Itโs a contraband item, so not only is it impossible to obtain, but we donโt even know who has possession of one. Thatโs why Iโve never seen one until now.
โฆHm?
Oh, I see.
I can just borrow the monster summoning magic tool from this artificial dungeon.
Of course, I wonโt break it. Iโll just inspect it a little.
Alright then, letโs head for the deepest part of the dungeon!
Now, as for the academyโs artificial dungeonโฆ
Itโs basically an attraction. Theyโve excavated and expanded a cave in the nearby forest, drilled out the top a little to let in light, and placed guards to make sure the goblins donโt escape outside.
Apparently, they feed the goblins scraps and human waste, which they drop down through a hole in the ceiling that also lets in light.
As a result, the goblins inside are somewhat starved and weakened.
All in all, itโs a perfect place for beginners to practice.
It seems the knight course students from the academy cleared the dungeon a few days ago, but the goblins have already been replenished. Iโm becoming more and more intrigued by the monster summoning magic tool!
As for clearing the dungeonโwell, as expected, I had no trouble with it, and it ended quickly.
Now, Iโm taking apart and analyzing the monster summoning magic toolโฆ
โWhat are you doing?โ
Oh, by the way, the one who came along as my instructor was the academyโs headmistress.
โIโm just analyzing this magic tool. Iโll put it back after Iโm done, so give me a moment.โ
โโฆWell, if itโs you, I suppose you can manage. Once you figure it out, be sure to tell me.โ
Right. Monster summoning magic tools are relics from ancient civilizations, things like that. If I can successfully analyze it, it would be a major breakthrough, possibly even boosting the countryโs power. No wonder the old lady is curious.
Hmmโฆ but thisโฆ
โAh, Iโve got it.โ
โWhat?! It disappeared?!โ
I transferred it to a designated folder (a different world).
Based on what I saw of the monster summoning magic tool, it seems to pull a specified number of monsters from the โMonster Spawn Areaโ and push them into the surface world.
This part of the research has already been figured outโmonsters spawn in areas where the concentration of magical energy exceeds a certain level. That seems to be a fundamental rule of this world.
So, if you manipulate and solidify magical energy, some kind of monster will be created, but it seems human magical energy doesnโt work. Itโs probably an issue with the magical energyโs waveform.
Thatโs why, when I tried to artificially generate monsters by building a magic tool that accumulates magical energy, I ended up creating a grotesque monstrosity that looked like a patchwork of tentacles. Poor Fran-chan got so scared she cried. Thatโs a memory I wonโt forget anytime soon.
Naturally formed magical energy will spawn monsters suited to the area, but when magical energy is artificially manipulated, it fails.
This world, it seems, is filled with magical energy waves ideal for generating goblins.
Some strange green and purple, pulsating, marble-like pattern spreads out in this eerie subspace.
And from that subspace, goblins are popping out one after anotherโฆ
Itโs disgusting.
At any rate, Iโve memorized the magical energy waveform for goblin generation, butโฆ
I still havenโt figured out how to generate any other monsters.
While I can create them, I donโt know the exact waveform needed. Normally, youโd expect the programmer to leave some helpful comments at the edges of the code, but whoever programmed this world clearly didnโt bother with that. What a pain.
Well, itโs still a step forward, I guessโฆ
Alright, back to the original world.
โW-What did you just do?โ
โWorld transfer. I figured out how to make goblins, but I couldnโt figure out how to make other monsters.โ
โI seeโฆโ
After discussing things, I restored the monster summoning magic tool, placed it back in the cave, and left.
Of course, I passed the exam.
Ada and the other members of the Aurora Group passed the exam as well. Even those who couldnโt make the cut managed to pass with the support of the instructors. Apparently, failing in the first year is a bad look.
After that, a long, long summer break from June to September began.
This academy has a system similar to that in America, with a long summer vacation, followed by a new term when it ends.
The three-month-long summer break allows the children of noble families from faraway places to return home.
Iโve mentioned before, but in this world, thereโs no fast travelโjust slow-moving carriages. A simple trip can take a month.
โSo? What are you all planning to do?โ
โWeโre going home,โ Francis, Yuki, and Grace all replied.
These three probably have obligations as nobles and other such things. I didnโt want to hold them back, so I cheerfully sent them off, telling them to show their faces to their families.
โฆFor some reason, they all looked at me suspiciously. Whatโs with the lack of trust?
Meanwhile, Ada and I wonโt be returning home. Itโs too far, and thereโs nothing to do there anyway.
In Adaโs case, she says going back to her hometown only brings bad memories, so she insisted, โI donโt want to go back!โ
If my cute Ada says so, then so be it.
Thus, I decided to spend my summer vacation relaxing at my home (a former slum mansion thatโs now the Aurora Groupโs hideout).
After all, Iโve been spending my days like an FPS player or fighting game enthusiast, constantly battling others. I think itโs time to enjoy a bit of a vacation..