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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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Chapter 209
The morning at Rosenstark dawned.
As autumn approached, the bright sunlight gradually weakened, and a sudden chill crept in.
The campus became cool and pleasant.
Some of the children, instead of anticipation, had more worry on their faces.
“…Why are they calling us to a classroom instead of a training ground this time?”
“There’s something. Something.”
If it were another professor, one might expect a leisurely lecture at the beginning of the semester, but the other person they were dealing with was the Hero.
“If it’s the professor, he’ll never let us off easy.”
“Of course not. The last time he was away for just two weeks, he came back with some tough training.”
“It’s not that I dislike the start of the semester… it’s scary…”
The children trembled as they entered the classroom specified in the extreme notice.
The group that arrived at the academy last night, including Ban, Luke, and Leciel, were also there.
Their expressions were uniformly tense.
It was because of the relentless barrage of questions from the children until this morning.
“Hey, what mischief have you been up to?”
“Did you really have a showdown with the Demonic Church Leader?”
“How about the Great Snow Sea? Is everything frozen all the way to the horizon?”
The series of events that occurred in the north had been reported quite extensively.
Given the large-scale movements of troops, it was difficult to keep things under wraps, and there wasn’t much to hide anyway.
It was a perfect victory against the Demonic Church Leader, who had been a thorn in humanity’s side for so long.
Moreover, the young heroes who showed brilliant performances during the process were excellent material for propaganda.
Thanks to this, the children who had gone to the north had become somewhat famous.
While Gerald and Karen seemed quite satisfied with the attention they received, the others were not so pleased.
In particular, Ban, who had experienced measles once during the operation to subdue Enoch, was extremely frustrated.
“…Ah, it’s tough.”
Five minutes before the start of class.
The Hero always arrived at the classroom on time.
In order to rest his eyes for a moment, Ban laid his head on his desk.
However, unlike his tired body, his mind was too restless.
It was inevitable, given the question thrown by someone among his classmates last night that lingered in his head.
“…Is Cuculli okay? Why couldn’t she come with you?”
Cuculli.
Ban’s eyes faintly trembled.
He recalled the last time he saw Cuculli.
Standing against the backdrop of the frozen Arctic, waving goodbye to her friends.
Cuculli didn’t leave until the ship they boarded disappeared from sight.
With all her family gone, what kind of time was the girl who ascended to the throne spending?
He didn’t know for sure, but it probably wasn’t as joyful as being at the academy.
‘…Leciel also seemed quite melancholic.’
Ban glanced at the front row.
Leciel, seemingly indifferent to the noise in the classroom, was staring blankly out the window.
Although they were always bickering, Ban knew better than anyone that they were closer than anyone else.
The sight of Cuculli making silly jokes while Leciel tried to maintain a solemn expression was quite common.
She, too, was trying to adapt to Cuculli’s absence in her own way.
“…Look at her eyes.”
“Huh?”
“Those who seek to exploit her empty heart are cowards.”
“Seriously, please shut up, Gerald.”
It was a moment when Ban was scratching his head at the secretive whisper from the neighboring seat.
Thud-
The door of the classroom opened, and the Hero appeared with Pia.
As usual, he was dressed in formal attire, exuding elegance and balance as he stood at the lectern.
The children admired the appearance of the Hero they hadn’t seen in a long time.
His powerful presence seemed unaffected by the frequency of their encounters.
…No matter how many times you see him, he’s still awe-inspiring.
Tap-
The Hero stood in the center of the platform and looked around at the children.
“I’ve summoned you to a regular classroom today because there are some matters to discuss.”
…Matters to discuss?
The children tilted their heads in confusion.
Was it about transfer students?
Or the upcoming lecture plans?
Amidst various speculations, the Hero spoke.
What he said was different from anyone’s predictions.
“Starting a month from now, you will become mercenaries.”
Thud-
Luke spat out the water he was drinking onto the back of the person in front of him.
* * *
Hello, Dear students.
At Rosenstark, we are preparing for a new semester with new and diverse classes and activities.
To provide you with more opportunities for learning and growth, a new internship will be introduced this semester.
…A new internship?
The gazes of the children reading the newly updated announcement were soon drawn to one keyword.
It was a word that made them doubt their eyes.
A ‘branch of mercenary groups’ with cooperation agreements is scheduled to be established at the academy.
The mercenary groups will transfer some of the contracts they have undertaken to the academy, and you will be able to perform them under the approval of the qualifying exam and the supervising professor.
We promise that the contents will be carefully selected to differentiate them from existing external training.
“…Establishing a branch of mercenary groups? At the academy?”
“Wow, what’s this all about?”
Tap-tap-
“Concentrate.”
At the sound of the chalkboard being lightly tapped, the children who had been buried in their connectors suddenly looked up at the platform.
“The main point is simple. If last semester consisted of lectures, training, training evaluations, and grading, this semester will only add ‘missions’ to the evaluation criteria.”
“Ah…”
“Naturally, the evaluation of missions and the results of missions will also affect your grades.”
Luke raised his hand to ask a question.
“If it’s a mission from a mercenary group, how will we receive compensation?”
“All rewards, excluding fees, will naturally go to you, the employees.”
At the Hero’s words, the children widened their eyes.
Evergreen hurriedly followed up with a question.
“It sounds like we can earn money while attending lectures?!”
“That’s right.”
“Oh, wow!”
“Not only money, but it will also greatly help your reputation and networking for future career choices. You will receive various missions, not just subjugation but also tracking, exploration, escorting, item retrieval, research, etc.”
The children’s eyes sparkled.
Of course, Rosenstark students had often engaged in external activities before.
It was through professors’ connections that they went on field trips to related institutions or joined expedition teams.
——————
HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
Join our Discord for release updates!
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However, since the academy had been taking full control until now, the practicality of these internships had been lacking.
As a result, students had merely regarded external activities as excuses for missing lectures due to internship submissions.
But now, the Hero was saying that such rudimentary external activities would completely transform.
“Wow, this sounds exciting!”
“If the academy is the one filtering and assigning, there shouldn’t be anything too strange or dangerous.”
To summarize,
Rosenstark is adding a kind of mercenary base camp function.
Undergraduate students will become freelance mercenaries.
As the children eagerly chatted among themselves, the extreme underdog, Eileen, cautiously raised her hand.
“You mentioned that we have to pass a qualification exam. What kind of exam is it?”
“It will test your overall ability to perform various missions as mentioned earlier—”
The Hero paused for a moment and looked at her with gentle eyes.
“—If you’ve been giving your best in this class, I believe you’ll pass without any problems. After all, the exam is not for you but for verifying other students.”
The trust sent by the Hero, who had criticized them harshly every day, naturally ignited the children’s enthusiasm.
Pia, who stood behind the classroom, watching the cheering children, smiled faintly.
‘He really seems to like the children, despite pretending otherwise.’
Pia had never expected this radical proposal to pass.
And it wasn’t even due to the Hero and principal’s coercion or autocracy.
‘More professors were in favor than those opposing.’
Even young professors who staunchly supported the Hero and Yussi, as well as seasoned professors who had been criticizing him in the past, showed enthusiastic responses, detached from campus politics.
“If this approach can shed light on our teachings…”
“I always thought diversity was the direction Rosenstark should pursue.”
The fine-tuned professors teaching specialized fields were very eager to have a stage where the children could fully utilize their teachings.
Rather than opposition, praise was sent to the Hero and Yussi, who proposed and implemented the agenda.
‘You’re quite adept at understanding what people want.’
Ironically, the response from the mercenary groups was more lukewarm.
It seemed like they were having their food bowls taken away, so there was considerable opposition.
However, the merit of building a friendship with the Hero, Yussi, and fostering friendly relations with Rosenstark and Glendor outweighed the hopelessness of the deal.
Of course, the decisive blow in negotiations came from the Hero.
“I will take care of your pending missions.”
Pending missions were a headache for every mercenary group.
They referred to tasks that had already received a considerable advance but were deemed unavoidable to resolve.
However, upon closer inspection, these missions were often impossible for the mercenary group to complete, or the potential losses outweighed the gains.
Giving up would tarnish their reputation, yet pursuing them might lead to even greater losses.
Accumulating such pending missions became a significant burden for mercenary groups.
When the Hero offered to resolve them free of charge, negotiations proceeded swiftly.
‘After all, no matter how legendary the pending mission may be, once the professor steps in, it’s over.’
…The incidents that poured in over the past semester.
To Pia, who watched the Hero resolve them, he seemed nothing short of a problem-solving deity. S
he looked at the Hero, who had reached the end of his explanation, with a relaxed mind.
“Well, then, we’ll depart in 30 minutes.”
…Departure?
The children looked at the Hero with question marks hovering over their heads.
He added a brief explanation, which seemed inadequate compared to the content.
“Before the official implementation of the new internships, we have received several preliminary missions. They are your practice grounds.”
Gerald couldn’t help but cry out involuntarily.
“…Why announce it on the same day!?”
“Preparing for combat quickly is also part of your training, Gerald.”
The Hero said with a slight smile, seeming to show no intention of hiding his enjoyment anymore.
“Then, assemble at the main gate in full gear in 25 minutes. That’s all.”
The children’s minds started racing.
They had to run back to the dorms… grab all their equipment… and make it back to the main gate… in 25 minutes.
How fast did they have to run?
“Eek!”
Amidst the hustle and bustle of gathering their belongings, a leisurely voice intruded upon them, just in the next moment.
“Oh, I forgot.”
Said in such a nonchalant tone that the children naturally followed suit, until the next words came.
“Regarding this item.”
After sufficient discussion, detailed instructions on the appropriate personnel, compensation, and methods for missions are nearing completion.
The academy plans to accumulate ‘separate points’ based on the difficulty of the missions, and corresponding differential rewards have been prepared.
The separate points system.
The Hero dropped a bombshell.
“For the one with the highest accumulated points, I’m thinking of granting them a Blessing.”
“!!!!!”
“You all have heard about Severance, haven’t you?”
…The children felt like they were losing their minds.
* * *
Tap-tap-
Gerald, Ban, and Luke were rushing back to the dormitory in a frenzy.
Gerald looked at Luke’s back as he led the way and suddenly recalled a part of the announcement.
One month before the first trial.
During the preparation process, gratitude is extended to those who have generously cooperated and supported us.
Firstly, to the Aureum Mercenary Corps…
‘…If it’s the Aureum Mercenary Corps, isn’t it Luke’s mercenary group?’
But why is there no mention at all?
Gerald tilted his head in confusion.
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
Join our Discord for release updates!
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