Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

"It seems a little weirdo has arrived" -- I think that hearing this sentence was just a hallucination caused by paranoia (I worry too much).

Although I don't know why, I always feel my legs trembling.

I felt my heart pounding wildly, unlike when exploring a maze (dungeon), but I was still mentally prepared.

I tried to avoid making a sound, took a deep breath through my nose, and stepped forward from the podium.

"……………………That, that one."

Perhaps due to excessive tension, I inexplicably felt pressure from the gazes of my classmates.

At the same time, I couldn't help but admire all the teachers, including Mr. Lyon, who stood here to give lectures every day.

Having entertained this foolish thought to escape reality, I hesitated for a moment before speaking:

"Bell...uh, I'm from Bellra City, and my name is Labi Flamich!! Please, please take care of me!"

I almost revealed my real name and ruined the whole thing, but I managed to cover it up, quickly bowing and showing my respect while breaking out in a cold sweat.

If I hadn't learned about my false identity's origins from Baldr, I probably would have immediately given myself away...!

I could clearly sense the wry smile on Professor Lyon's face, and I looked up in fear—

"Please give me your guidance, fellow countryman~"

"You don't need to be so nervous~?"

"You're a boy, right? Then you should have backbone!"

The male orc raised a hand in greeting, the female orc spoke with concern, the red-haired Amazon made fun of me, and the other students laughed heartily.

Judging from the situation, there shouldn't be any problems...

Although I feel embarrassed, at least no one has discovered that I was the trespasser from the previous day (Bell Craney)...

"The rabbi passed the test in Bela, where the 'school district' had previously been located, but due to family reasons, he delayed his enrollment and eventually came to the port city (Merlen) alone to join us. Since the rabbi is just like all the other students who first came to the 'school district' and don't know anything, we hope that everyone can take good care of this new student who joins us today."

"""yes!"""

After Mr. Lyon summarized my self-introduction, the students all nodded in agreement.

Just as I breathed a huge sigh of relief, Mr. Leon reminded me, "Rabbi, just find an empty seat and sit down." Startled, I replied off-key, "Okay, okay!" which made the whole class burst into laughter. Embarrassed and with my cheeks burning, I quickly stepped down from the podium.

As I climbed the stairs and looked for a seat, curious eyes remained fixed on me.

I can't help but feel relieved... thankfully, the bangs on this wig are long enough to cover my eyes.

My restless mind and wandering gaze must have looked incredibly pathetic to others.

(Um, there's an empty seat... an empty seat...)

I was so embarrassed that I kept my head down, unable to properly check which seats were occupied. I almost stumbled into empty seats several times, and kept searching for a seat.

"There's a seat available here!"

A girl raised her hand and shouted this.

She happened to be sitting in the very center of the classroom, and the row of seats by the aisle was empty.

Grateful for the reminder, I went over—and was quite surprised when I saw the girl in the photo.

"Who are you……"

The girl had slightly pointed ears, and her long, brown hair was tied into a ponytail with a ribbon.

There was a small tuft of emerald-colored hair between her bangs.

The most important thing is that she has emerald green eyes that are exactly the same as someone else's.

I have a strong impression of her.

That's the half-elf girl I met when I infiltrated the "school district"!

"My name is Nina Zul. Nice to meet you, Rabbi."

Zul?

So, this girl really is Miss Eina's—

"...What's wrong? Do you think I'm being too pretentious, that I shouldn't have called you by your first name so soon after we met?"

"Huh? Oh, no! That's not true! Nice to meet you... Zul-Zul-kun!"

Despite my inner turmoil, I still managed to greet everyone successfully.

Because the event was so sudden, I didn't know how to react, so I just quickly took a seat without making a big deal out of it.

"As Mr. Lyon just said, you can ask me anything you don't understand, as long as you don't mind."

“Thank you…”

Seemingly to ease my nervousness, Zuer greeted me with a smile and struck up a conversation as soon as I sat down.

Her badge also featured the "lightship," meaning she was a member of the same "Badelban" group as me.

Despite her strikingly beautiful face, I couldn't help but be drawn to her figure, which bore a striking resemblance to Miss Eina.

Despite having the blood of an elf with a strong sense of moral purity flowing through her veins, she is both gentle and kind to people.

Despite her mature demeanor, she still exudes an approachable aura.

Although she wasn't wearing glasses, she looked remarkably like Miss Eina.

Because it wasn't convenient to observe too closely, I could only keep stealing glances. On the other hand, although she found it unbelievable, she still smiled at me.

Even though I had made eye contact with Zul before, I am now disguised in a different way, so she shouldn't be able to tell my true identity... but I was still surprised to meet her again in this way.

"New student, don't get carried away by Nina's gentle treatment, because she's a top student who's kind to everyone."

"Senior Mi Li! Please don't say such strange things! Professor Leon's tutoring session is about to begin!"

The girl in the front row with her long, golden hair tied up—she was also an elf—seemed to have misunderstood my attitude, and so she smiled and reminded me, which startled me. Zul, on the other hand, reminded her to pay attention in class.

There's no point in worrying about Zuer right now; I should just focus on the lesson!

"As we reminded everyone at the recent school-wide assembly, the 'school district' has safely returned to the port city (Melon). Compared to students in other disciplines, a very important period is about to begin for the students of the 'Combat Technology Department'."

A loud and clear voice echoed from the podium throughout the classroom.

As soon as Mr. Leon spoke, the previously restless atmosphere in the classroom immediately disappeared.

"The 'Combat Skills Department,' as the name suggests, is about learning combat-related techniques and the right mindset. I believe that most of the students in this classroom aspire to become combat professionals."

Although Mr. Lyon seemed to want to help the students rediscover their original intentions by explaining what "Combat Technology" meant, he was mainly trying to explain it to me.

I remember it was Hermes who suggested that I join the "Combat Technology Department"?

Thinking about it, this is just right for me. If you ask me what aspects I want to learn or improve, the first things that come to mind are "combat knowledge" and "combat skills" related to exploring dungeons.

"Although everyone has different plans for their future, such as becoming a knight of the empire, a naval officer of the ocean nation (Desara), a court mage of the magic superpower (Altna), or an adventurer in the labyrinth city (Orario)... no matter which path you choose, the experience gained in the dungeons, one of the 'Three Great Secret Realms of the World,' is extremely valuable, and our mentors will pay special attention to this part when they are grading everyone."

It was clear from Professor Leon's words that "Visiting the Labyrinth City (Oario)" was a very important teaching activity for the students of the "Combat Technology Department." Seeing the serious expressions of the other students, I couldn't help but straighten my posture.

"Three days from today, the 'school district' will lift the ban on traveling to Orario. Although faction experiences will be available after that day, the school will first assign 'Special (Dungeon) Internship' to all students in the 'Combat Technology Department'."

At this moment, Mr. Lyon took out a piece of chalk from his right waist pouch.

Then came the sound of writing on the blackboard.

"At that time, each 'team' will be asked to explore the floors that match their own abilities and try to obtain the 'dropped items' of the designated monsters. Finally, 'credits' will be awarded according to the dungeon's results table."

Although terms like "squad" and "credits" have appeared, it's best to keep them in mind for now.

Mr. Lyon continued his explanation, writing neat characters on the blackboard that looked as if they had been machine-printed, and also drawing a rectangular chart.

"Of course, students must also submit reports. In addition, the teacher believes that no one would do this, but if someone buys 'dropped items' from adventurers as their achievements, there are still ways to immediately identify whether you have gone to explore, so it is recommended that you do not do this."

"Teacher, what would happen if someone actually did that?"

"Well, a student did do that before, so the teacher spent three days and three nights tutoring him in the dungeon. When the student returned to the surface, he couldn't help but exclaim, 'Wow, the sun is so beautiful!' He was so happy that he burst into tears."

After sharing this memory, some students couldn't help but chuckle. Then, Mr. Lyon gently tossed his brown hair and turned to look at the students.

On the blackboard where he finished writing, you can see a rectangular chart. This is a simple reference table based on [ability value], allowing everyone to determine which floors of the maze they can explore.

The ability rating criteria are set in great detail. For example, beginners with an ability rating of Lv.1 can only reach the 5th floor, while advanced users have more detailed classification criteria and can explore up to the 9th floor.

Starting from the 10th floor, only Lv.2 teams can go there, and the deepest floor that can be explored is the 15th floor.

(Much stricter than the "ability value standards" set by the guild for each floor...)

I remember Hermes once said that the students in the "school district" were all excellent, and many of them had already moved up a grade.

The thought of this made me feel that there were too many restrictions... no, it seemed like "overprotection"... but I immediately remembered that the students in the classroom were not "adventurers".

While [ability stats] are indeed important for exploring dungeons, the most crucial factor is the amount of "experience".

The extent to which a person experiences the "unknown" and transforms it into the "known" will be a watershed moment that determines life and death; this statement is by no means an exaggeration.

For example, Lily was able to explore to around the 10th floor when she was still a Level 1 Supporter, which is a good example. Conversely, it is not uncommon for advanced adventurers who are clearly above the passing threshold to lose their lives in the middle floors.

Upon closer examination, the students' "experience" in exploring dungeons is overwhelmingly insufficient, and the statement that "they should not be measured by the same standards as adventurers" is absolutely correct.

This checklist created by the "school district" must have prioritized the safety of the students.

"During our internship, our teachers will also be stationed on each floor. Although we will try our best to pay attention to every student's every move... the underground city is very vast, so please remember that the teachers' supervision cannot be perfect."

"...!"

"In addition to facing monsters, you may also encounter conflicts with other adventurers, including unusual events. Carelessness could lead to accidents and easily put you in a desperate situation."

This earnest reminder made the atmosphere in the classroom even more serious.

As his classmate Zul and the other students listened intently, Mr. Lyon looked around at each student in the room.

"The students in the 'Combat Technology Department' have indeed honed their skills both physically and mentally through field investigations and combat missions so far, and many of them have leveled up. However, I must remind you all that the dungeon is completely different from any battlefield you have ever experienced."

The classroom fell completely silent instantly.

You could clearly feel that the students were very nervous, but also full of energy.

After a moment of silence, Mr. Lyon smiled gently.

"I hope everyone will remember what the teacher just said and take this field trip seriously. Rest assured, for all the students in the 'school district,' as long as you put aside your arrogance and make sufficient preparations, you will definitely be able to complete the internship."

"""yes!!"""

Everyone immediately seemed eager to try.

It feels different from fighting spirit and curiosity... Could this be the "will to learn"?

Influenced by this, I couldn't help but tense up.

I want to learn new knowledge and experience new things. Although I came to the "school district" with this general mindset, now that I have entered the "Combat Technology Department", I must participate in the "Special (Dungeon) Internship", so I have to keep the content I just heard in mind.

However, it always feels a bit strange to hide one's identity as an adventurer when navigating a dungeon.

After that, Mr. Lyon pointed to what was written on the blackboard and explained the detailed schedule and rules to the students.

"This concludes the tutoring session. Normally, the teacher would take questions from the students… but today we have a new member joining us, so let's try a different approach and hear his opinion."

……Um?

I have a feeling that the situation is...?

"Rabbi, what are your thoughts after hearing the explanation?"

"...Ah, is that so!? Huh! Huh?"

Faced with unfamiliar kana, it took me a while to realize that I had been called on by Professor Leon, and I reflexively got up from my seat.

Mr. Lyon, standing on the podium, was looking at me, and all eyes in the classroom were on me.

My heart, which had just calmed down, started pounding wildly again!

"I remember you aspired to become an adventurer. What do you think you should do to gain the most from this 'Special (Dungeon) Internship'? I hope you can share your thoughts."

Rather than aspiring to become an adventurer, he is more like an active adventurer...

Oh well, this is my "setup" anyway.

After all, even if I prepared a fake identity for myself, I wasn't confident I could portray it perfectly, so this "setup" actually makes it less likely I'd give myself away. I'm sure Leon and Baldr considered these points as well.

That being said... what should I say?

"Rabbi, expressing your opinions is just as important in the 'school district.' It's okay to be wrong or offer incorrect insights. The teacher hopes that you will always have your own opinions, never stop exploring problems, and continuously seek answers from yourself and others."

"...!"