The Only Male Student in the Academy

015. Marie Ruhelif (2)

“…Maybe I was too complacent.”

The lab after Ariel left. Katherine Elune muttered to herself.

This is my 5th year as a professor at Philea Academy.

I thought I was quite used to teaching someone, but it seems I was mistaken.

-“The second son of Duke Beheritt has been assigned to Class B.”

– “Professor Catherine, who is known for being fair, I believe she will manage.”

-“I would like to ask you to establish a good relationship with the Duke of Beherit.”

I was put in charge of a student that everyone treated as a nuisance.

I have no special feelings about him. He just thought he was doing what someone else was supposed to do.

But now I think he should have turned it down.

Until now, it was his way to teach all students equally, but now he has to take special care of just one student.

‘I’m probably going to clear the dungeon by myself, right?’

From his point of view, it would be impossible to party with someone else.

I know that fact, but I wonder if it’s right to send it like this.

Blatta Dungeon.

It’s not that difficult a dungeon, but it’s slightly difficult. It’s probably a bit of a burden for new students.

However, this ‘slightly burdensome’ is also a story when party play is premised.

Solo play is always risky, and if you do it wrong, you could lose your life.

‘But I can’t recommend him to form a party.’

I know a little about Ariel’s friendship. At most, he was acquainted with Claire.

They seem friendly, but somehow, from Ariel’s point of view, it seemed like she hated Claire. Claire’s talking to Ariel makes it look like she’s up to something.

Above all, I know that Claire already has a separate party.

So she won’t be planning a party with Ariel.

That means Ariel has no choice but to play solo.

Maybe it’s not just this story.

Until you graduate from this academy, you may be a loner.

“Whoa…”

Unknowingly, I let out a sigh.

The student he is in charge of is always a loner. That’s also the son of a noble duke.

I can’t just leave it alone….

Because it’s a matter about the relationship with the duke, and it’s also a matter related to Ariel’s own life.

But how… ?

– Smart.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door that seemed to break Katherine’s thoughts.

Catherine stops her thoughts and switches her consciousness.

“Come in.”

Without making anyone wait, Professor Catherine spoke right away.

Then slowly, very slowly.

The door opens and a girl appears.

“Ah, hello… Ha, one thing… I have a question… That, so, I have something I want to talk to you about… I’m here…”

She speaks in a trembling voice.

This is Marie Ruhelif.

She is one of the students in Class B, which she is in charge of.

“That’s right. Come over here and sit down.”

It was roll call time in the evening.

The maid who usually brings me meals came to my room again today.

“Hello, Ariel Beheritt. Are there any inconveniences?”

The maid addressed her in her kind voice.

During these weeks, I realized one thing: grown-ups don’t show aversion to me.

It must be because most of the adults who work here are from outside the floating islands.

Only the students hate me.

“There’s nothing inconvenient. I’m trying to submit an outing application.”

I submitted a request to go out to the maid.

“Confirmed. You’re going out to the Blatta Dungeon tomorrow morning.”

“Yes. Tomorrow morning class has been canceled.”

“I see. Then, stop by the dormitory supervisory room tomorrow morning and get your pass.”

The maid politely accepted the request I gave her.

And the next morning.

After the meal, when we headed to the dormitory supervisory room, there was a person standing in front of the door.

“Ugh… Ugh…”

It was a familiar face.

Her hair is dyed amethyst, and her eyes are sapphire with the color of the sea.

But he hesitated as if he couldn’t do this or that. Her shoulders are narrowed and her back is slightly arched.

It looks like a frightened little animal.

The face was identical to Rose Eiffeltain’s, but she realized that it was not the same person just by looking at the expression.

This is Marie Ruhelif.

‘… Why is this guy here?’

There is a person there that you don’t want to run into. I hesitated for a moment.

I decided not to get involved with important characters in the story. It’s something that might affect the original work.

But no matter how you look at it, it seems that Marie has something to do in the dormitory supervisory room, and I have to pass by her to take care of my business.

‘Should I wait until Marie leaves?’

If she watches while thinking that way, she doesn’t even think about going into the dormitory tabernacle at all.

This is a movement unique to timid people….

I have to go in, but I’m scared in advance…… Look like that

This will take some time. If you think so

Marie suddenly looks this way.

“Eh, Ariel Beheritt…?”

Their eyes met…. Did I make a mistake again?

With a sigh, I approached it.

“Marie Louhelif, do you have business with the dormitory supervisor?”

“Uh, yes…”

“Is that so?”

I didn’t mean to mix things up, but it can’t be helped that they got entangled. Since this happened, I knocked on the door of the dormitory supervisory room.

Then there was someone inside who opened the door.

“Welcome, Ariel Beheritt and Marie Ruhelif.”

This is the maid I saw yesterday.

Apparently, he was working in the dormitory supervisory room.

“You came here to get a pass.”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry I’m cleaning the dormitory room right now. Please wait in the hallway for a moment.”

The maid left us standing in the hallway and went back inside.

It didn’t take long.

Almost immediately, the door opened and gave us our pass.

“Here it is. This is Ariel Beheritt’s pass. And this is Marie Ruhelif’s pass.”

“……Hmm?”

Marie also came to get a pass?

I wonder if it showed on her face.

Seeing my expression, the maid tilted her head.

“Oh, didn’t you know Ariel Beheritt? I thought we were going together because you two came together.”

“…I don’t know what you mean.”

“Wasn’t the two of you trying to form a party and challenge the Blatta Dungeon?”

“What…?”

I inadvertently looked at Marie next to me.

Marie was also looking at me with a surprised face.

Five minutes later.

Me and Marie were heading to the warp gate.

‘…… Why did this happen?’

When she turns her head behind her, she sees Marie walking towards the ground from a distance.

There are several reasons why I chose the Bletar Dungeon as my first dungeon. One of them is because the traffic lines do not overlap with other students.

Even in the original version, the Blatta Dungeon was not a well-known dungeon.

As the story progresses, Lucius searches the library and gets a keyword, and only then does the Blatta Dungeon open.

Conversely, Lucius will not come to the Blatta Dungeon until then.

In other words, I tried to go to the Blatta Dungeon in order not to meet Lucius.

No, it’s not just Lucius.

Lucius’ close friend Rondo, Lucius’s heroine Tia, and Tia’s hostile Rose.

And Claredo.

None of them will ever come to the Blatta Dungeon.

Especially, I wanted to avoid meeting Claire in a dungeon. It’s because Claire can do strange things where no one is looking.

That’s what I thought…….

… I never thought that Marie and the line would overlap.

‘… But I can’t go back now.’

I increased my walking speed to get more distance from Marie.

I didn’t want to get involved with Marie anymore.

Then the only thing left to do is shake it off.

I quickly approached the warp gate room and presented my pass.

“Hey, wait…!”

It sounded like Mari was shouting from far away, but I had already jumped into the warp gate.

The view is distorted and the scenery changes.

When I came back to my senses, I was already in front of the Blatta Dungeon.

There is no time to relax. Marie will be coming this way soon.

With that thought in mind, I immediately entered the Blatta Dungeon.

As deep as possible.

Deep enough to never meet Marie.

“This should be enough.”

I came to a place quite far from the warp gate. If you’re around here, you won’t run into Marie.

There were some happenings, but I came to the dungeon I wanted anyway.

‘I care about why Marie came to the Blatta Dungeon…… , Should I focus on hunting right now?’

Thinking so, I moved my feet cautiously.

Let’s wander around the dungeon for a bit, and find a monster in the distance.

I think he is about 130cm tall.

Its entire body is covered with scales, and its head looks like a salamander.

But he is not a lizardman.

Compared to the lizardmen you know, he is too short and his body is too skinny.

Skinny.

That’s why it’s unpleasant.

Kobolds.

A fairy monster said to live in the mine.

“Three.”

Three kobolds were walking around the dungeon.

This is one person. Over there are three. Numerically unfavorable.

However, there is no choice but to overcome the difference in numbers. Maybe I’ll continue to play solo in the future.

Pick up the ball.

From the looks of it, the kobolds didn’t seem to have any special equipment. It is bare handed

But I have the means of throwing, and above all, the kobolds are not yet aware of my existence.

That means that I have the right to go first.

Decided to overcome the numerical inferiority through a surprise attack.

“.”

This is the first pitch. Thinking of a baseball player, he throws the ball with an elaborate posture.

Just a straight ball.

Compared to the first time I trained with Claire, I felt more stable, and at the same time, I flew much faster.

The ball catches fire due to friction with the air, and is sucked into the kobold’s head.

– Puck.

There was a sound like bones being crushed.

One kobold collapses without even screaming.

‘There are two left.’

I held the ball in both hands this time.

Only then did the kobolds realize my existence and come running. Now that my existence is known to the enemy, it can no longer be called a surprise attack.

Nevertheless, the right to go first was still with me.

It still takes time for kobolds to reach this point. Kobolds do not have the means to instantly close this distance.

On the other hand, I still had the range advantage.

Throw the ball in turn.

Right hand first. Then the left hand.

This time I threw without paying attention to my posture. Therefore, the power of the ball is not very great.

However, this is also something I have already practiced countless times.

I couldn’t imagine that I would always be able to throw the ball straight up. That’s why I’ve been training for the past few days to be able to throw items in any position.

The results of that training shine here and now.

Thrown balls hit each kobold’s shoulder and leg.

“Geek….”

The kobold hit by the ball stops for a moment with a groan.

With the kobold hesitating like that, I stepped back.

Pick up the ball again and throw it quickly.

Kiting.

A tactic that any ranged dealer should know how to do.

‘But he doesn’t have the ability to decide the kill.’

It does damage while maintaining an appropriate distance from the kobold, but it won’t go down after being hit by the ball a few times.

Again, if you don’t throw it in an upright position, its power will be halved.

Fireballs are very convenient to throw, but I realized that their killing power is less than I thought.

Then change the weapon.

—–

[Throwing Ax]

Production Grade: None

Quality: Normal

Attack Power: Normal

: A throwing ax sold at a weapon shop. It is not suitable for use as a melee weapon because the ax blade and handle are crafted to make it easier to throw.

—–

He threw an axe.

The ax rotates in the air and cuts off the kobold’s head.

Just like that, another kobold collapses without even screaming.

Ax throwing is a fairly traditional fighting method.

Among throwing weapons, it is overwhelmingly heavy, and if you sharpen the blade well, it will show destructive power enough to pierce armor.

There was no way a kobold could handle that greatness.

‘There is only one left.’

I close the distance towards the hesitant kobold left alone.

Up until now, I’ve been fighting from a distance, but I don’t have to do that anymore. If it’s a one-on-one situation, there’s no need to waste throwing weapons.

I drew my sword.

It is different from the two-handed sword used during the placement test. A one-handed sword whose blade is neither too long nor too short.

Although its destructive power is lower than that of a two-handed sword, its lightness is overwhelming.

Thanks to this, I can run at a much faster speed than before.

“.”

As soon as I closed the distance with the kobold, I swung my sword.

, One of Ariel’s four skills.

The skill effect is simple. Inflicts additional damage when wielding a melee weapon.

Fresh blood spurted into the air at the attack, which was precisely aimed at the neck.

The kobold’s head flew through the sky as if it were being bounced off.

The torso that lost its head collapses one beat later.

Now the number of kobolds left is 0.

“…Is it over?”

If you notice, there are kobold corpses lying on the ground, and I am the only one standing there.

The first battle is over.

It would be too arrogant to say that it was bland.

At least I would say it was smooth.

“It’s not difficult. It’s worth doing.”

If you can keep your cool, you can easily defeat a kobold.

With that in mind, I moved on again.