This World Needs a Hero - Chapter 41

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Chapter 41

A retest.

Four students with a score of 0.

Fourteen students from 1 to 4.

Nine students from 5 to 7.

One student each for 8 points, 9 points, and 10 points.

I tapped the grading sheets with my fingers.

‘Better than I expected?’

Originally, I set the grading criteria quite strictly, so I didn’t anticipate anyone scoring above 8.

However, having perfect scores was beyond my expectations.

I started with the grading sheet with 8 points.

…Evergreen Solintail.

Scenario: Safely escort and evacuate injured party members to the safety zone.
Limit: 5 participants
Time Limit: 8 minutes
Appearing Demons: 20 Kabogs, 3 Gomos.

Evergreen’s tactics were smooth and conventional.

As mentioned in ‘Dreamscape’ before, she has a lot of experience in localized battles in the domain.

It was a simulated battle imbued with that experience.

Although the task of “escorting and evacuating” was relatively straightforward, her execution was flawless.

It was much better than other children who had a lot to point out.

“Effect of early education, perhaps.”

▼
Understanding of Evergreen Solintail deepens:
Understanding Level: 12/100 -> 13/100
▲
It was an unexpected talent.

Next, I turned my attention to the grading sheets with 9 and 10 points.

“…Of course, Evergreen did well, but these two are definitely on a different level.”

The protagonist of the 9-point sheet was Ban Dietrich.

The mission he received was the simplest example of “Subjugation.”

However, since the target of subjugation was a high-level demon, even a small mistake could result in a fatal deduction, requiring a cautious approach.

But Ban… He approached the task in a Ban-like manner.

“Form a defensive circle and hold on!”

“The front line rotates clockwise!”

“If there’s an injured party, retreat to the designated area and then regroup to maintain the formation!”

It was an extreme safety-oriented approach.

He greatly emphasized minimizing power loss.

A method of accumulating damage while minimizing risks.

Originally, the battle might have dragged on, failing to meet the time limit, but…

“After Groven breathes out, the strength of his scales weakens. Target the part turning blue!”

“It takes about 5 seconds after the serpent twitches for it to breathe out. Until then, focus on all-out attacks rather than defense!”

Ban’s “Demon Ecology” went far beyond what is taught to freshmen at Rosenstark.

[PR/N: Ecology is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment]

His expertise significantly shortened the time.

“He spends a lot of time in the library; he’s well-versed in theory.”

▼
Understanding of Ban Dietrich deepens:
Understanding Level: 20/100 -> 21/100
▲

Even the children who had only seen Ban’s timid side were astonished to the point of applause.

That’s how he earned 9 points.

…And finally.

The perfect scorer was Luke Selsood.

The mission involved rescuing individuals surrounded in the ruined city.

Limit of 8 people.
Time limit: 5 minutes.

It was the most challenging mission among the examples.

…However, Luke approached the practical exercise as if he already knew the answer, with a completely indifferent gaze.

I realized that he had already experienced this type of mission.

‘There is absolutely no hesitation. It’s different from children.’

The strategies of those who hadn’t experienced real combat were mostly similar.

Defensive… everyone in a safe formation.

So, missions often ended in failure, with total annihilation or exceeding the time limit.

That’s why I thought this mission would be the most difficult for the kids.

Because it required considering ‘sacrifice.’

But Luke…

‘He’s already perfected this aspect. No emotions in command.’

It was as if he were handling chess pieces.

“Hold on. Hold on more.”

“If Cuculli dies, Nyhill takes over, and if Nyhill dies, Veorn takes the front.”

Rather than everyone sharing the danger burden, some took on the responsibility.

There was no hesitation in his instructions.

Judgment based on intuition and analysis, with only the goal in mind.

“The bait in the rear is Evergreen and Leciel. They’ll disperse to attract attention, and the rest will escort the factors to safety.”

As Cuculli and Leciel’s decoys broke apart, the factors safely escaped to the safety zone.

‘I thought at least four would die.’

It was much faster than expected, and the casualties were minimal.

Based on the grading criteria, it was a perfect score.

However….

If we only consider the grading criteria, it’s a perfect score.

…I hesitated a bit in front of the feedback section.

If the command target were actual humans, this method had a high probability of causing resistance unless it was a group with exceptionally high loyalty.

‘Certainly, a certain level of ruthlessness is necessary.’

However, if it’s excessive, long-term teamwork becomes impossible.

‘He’s quite the pragmatist….’

▼
Understanding of Luke Selsood deepens
Understanding: 3/100 -> 5/100
▲

I felt the need to find out if he used this type of command even when he was a member of the mercenary group.

“…”

…Anyway.

Three people were chosen to go on the outing.

“The members going on the outing this weekend are Evergreen, Ban, and Luke.”

Evergreen was about to shout but covered her mouth, glancing around cautiously.

Ban smiled quietly, seeming to enjoy his own happiness.

A clenched fist under the desk was visible.

And Luke…

With a thoughtful expression as if lost in thought, he stared blankly into space.

Knowing his preference for attention, it was strange.

Perhaps he lost interest in outings after recently returning from one.

I looked at him, then turned my gaze away.

It was almost time to finish the class.

“That’s it for today. The assistant will distribute new examples along with the graded papers, so use the feedback until the next class. Organizing your thoughts in writing will be very helpful.”

“Ugh, more assignments.”

The students groaned with difficulty.

I chuckled at their reaction.

Although they were grumbling, it was nice to see them diligently reviewing the examples.

* * *

7 a.m. in the research building.

This time should have been as quiet as a dead mouse.

However, since the beginning of this semester, the staff had to adapt to new changes.

Thud!

Sharp footsteps.

The intervals between each step seemed precisely calculated, perfectly consistent.

The staff, who were diligently cleaning with sleepy eyes, couldn’t help but swallow their saliva again at the firm sound.

Ted Redymer.

The Hero, impeccably dressed, was passing through the corridor on his way to work.

It was said that even the night owls rarely missed his departure.

Yet, he arrived at work earlier than any professor every day.

‘Is he not sleeping at all…?’

No one could know for sure if this vague speculation was correct.

The Hero entered his research lab located on the top floor of the research building.

Dororong-

Dorororong-

However, an unexpected sound stopped his steps from the entrance.

A faint snoring sound could be heard.

Carefully opening the door, his eyes fell on the tousled hair of Pia, who was lying face down on the desk.

‘…Did she not go home?’

Originally, the day after practical training was like a holiday for assistants.

There was no immediate busy work after the class, and there was plenty of time until the next class.

But unfortunately, Pia was the project manager for a large project called ‘Awaken.’

Judging by the various herbs scattered on the table, it seemed she had been experimenting late into the night and fainted.

“Ugh, Mom… let me sleep a little more.”

Charruk!

The Hero closed the curtain of the glass window.

It seemed better to block out the sunlight before it came in too much.

‘…Just leaving her might be better.’

With the light blocked, Pia fell more deeply into sleep.

In fact, there were a few minor errands to ask her.

Office supplies were slowly running out, and the condition of the martial arts equipment used by the students for training was deteriorating, so they needed to be repaired in the workshop.

“Uh, where did everyone go…?”

What are you dreaming about?

The Hero, who was watching her with a happy face, picked up his coat again.

‘It’s been a while since I did an inspection; I should go myself.’

There was an appointment the evening, but he should be back before that.

* * *

I pondered over the endless list of Possible ‘Polymorph Targets.’

▼
Buck (Pickpocket)
Michael (Priest)
Cornelia (Martial Artist)
Percival (Mercenary)
Archibald (Bard)
Reginald (Blacksmith)
Ezekiel (Scholar)
Gideon (Freelance Knight)
Sophie (General Store Employee)
▲

….

Conducting inspections in the appearance of a Hero was meaningless since it drew attention wherever you went, making it impossible to gauge the true atmosphere or circumstances.

On the other hand, masquerading as a servant was quite beneficial.

It allowed you to hear and see various aspects of the academy that you wouldn’t normally know about.

Because of this, he had gone on several inspections at the beginning of the semester, but due to being busy, he hadn’t been able to go out lately.

‘Well, as long as I don’t go near restricted areas, there’s no chance of getting caught.’

Rosenstark’s premises had a strict overall security system.

A powerful gravitational field was constantly activated to prevent unauthorized access through the sky, and armed guards stationed at ground entrances.

Thorough identity verification is essential.

They even inspected their belongings and luggage with artifacts equipped with magic such as dispel and clairvoyance.

In other words, it was nearly impossible for a suspect to enter and leave without being detected.

‘Once you’re inside, you can move freely.’

With so many staff, students, and servants around, unfamiliar faces were not suspicious.

If you were dressed as a janitor, you wouldn’t attract any attention at all.

I transformed into the form of a robe and made up my mind.

‘I should go as Archibald.’

Archibald.

A cheerful and witty troubadour who I had become friends with during my wandering.

His lively smile and humorous and satirical ballads even made the stern transformation people laugh.

‘Let’s deal with the martial arts equipment first.’

Drrrrrrrr!

The poorly-maintained martial arts equipment was neatly arranged in a carriage on one side of the training ground.

I pulled it and headed to the shopping district.

“Today, all ‘Honey Breeze’ desserts are 30% off?”

“Wow, insane. Run before it’s posted on the Connector!”

Shops lined on both sides of the street.

In between, laborers and students were bustling about.

I observed the thick sweat dripping down the laborers’ cheeks.

It seemed quite inconvenient to be carrying so much baggage while moving around with the nobles.

‘Equality at Rosenstark applies only to the students.’

Occasionally, you could spot nobles, born with bad habits, behaving recklessly.

I left them behind and headed to the campus blacksmith, ‘Power Forge.’

The inside of the shop appeared busier than usual, with laborers waiting and chatting.

“Damn, we’re falling behind again. Those nobles are probably causing trouble.”

“Ugh, there’s just too much work these days. Where are we delivering this stuff?”

“The School of Mysticism.” (Department of Mysteries)

“…You’re quite unlucky too.”

The School of Mysticism, one of the three departments that made up Rosenstark, along with Manufacturing and Combat.

Known for the immense pride following the achievements of Zero Requiem, the greatest magician in history, it also boasted substantial skills.

‘Anyway, quite eccentric.’

Magicians tend to be that way, where skill and personality are inversely proportional.

‘I’m a bit worried about the second semester.’

If the first semester was focused on adapting to lectures and building foundational skills, the plan was to concentrate on developing real abilities from the second semester onwards.

‘I’ve already sent cooperation letters for joint classes with the School of Mysticism.’

Planning for the significant battle against demons in the second semester required magicians.

However, the potential clashes between the unique personalities of extreme fighters and the touchy aspiring magicians were a cause for concern.

At that moment, the conversation among the laborers shifted to the next topic.

“Anyway, why is there such a delay in work?”

At that point, I tuned in more attentively.

The fact that people flocked to a place where iron was handled was a sign that something was happening.

‘Has something happened that I don’t know about?’

However, the response that followed was somewhat perplexing.

“It’s because of the Hero, you know.”

“The Hero?”

“He’s creating unheard-of items for his classes. The principal is so impressed that his creations take top priority. Thanks to that, even the reserve members are being mobilized.”

…It was because of me.

I had delegated the production of equipment for the classes, as the existing gear was insufficient for the planned lessons.

The inexperienced blacksmiths seemed to be struggling.

‘I should find some additional personnel who can handle the production independently.’

I felt like I needed to think a little more about it.

While I was lost in thought for a moment.

Before I knew it, the blacksmith shop was immersed in silence.

In that quiet, the atmosphere in the forge changed.

“…?”

Suddenly, the smithy was filled with silence, only interrupted by the sound of hammers striking metal.

I turned my head in disbelief.

‘Leciel?’

Power Forge was a workshop that dealt exclusively in the repair of training equipment.

Which meant she had no reason to be here, even if she had a top-of-the-line artifact, a Shape Shifter.

I looked at her in disbelief.

All at once, in that moment.

To my surprise, she started walking towards me.

“Do you mind if I take a look at these?”

It was an unexpected encounter.

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