I Became The Academy’s Narrow-Eyes

This goddamn Adventurers’ Guild; they call us family when they’re taking their fees, but when we need help, they flip their hand and say screw us?

Bolton and Elysia were trembling with a sense of betrayal.

In that situation, the sight of the young man who stepped forward to offer his help soothed their wounded hearts.

Be that as it may—

“While I’m really grateful in spirit…”

The thought that this youth would be of any help did not enter their minds.

He had a look about him of barely contained laughter, his eyes slightly narrowed as if he would be swept away by the slightest breeze.

Moreover, the atmosphere he brought into the Adventurers’ Guild was excessively clean and refined.

He seemed like someone who belonged in District 1 or the Academy Street, not the Adventurers’ Guild.

What if he visited the Adventurers’ Guild?

‘Please scold those who bully me!’

Perhaps for the purpose of submitting a mission of that level.

“Well, isn’t that fortunate. Why don’t we entrust a request to that friend?”

Just then, someone sneered toward Bolton and Elysia.

Daltasian, an adventurer of pristine and just character, had earned the respect of many.

—Pretending to be so pure, what a jerk.

However, envy, jealousy, among other reasons—there were certainly those who held unfavorable views of Daltasian.

The man who had just scorned Elysia and Bolton was living proof; it was Mago, a fifth-tier adventurer, just like Daltasian.

Based on his achievements and savvy alone, Mago could be said to be an adventurer equal to or even surpassing Daltasian.

Which only served to draw more comparisons between them.

“Judging by what you said earlier, it looks like you’re in quite the hurry, huh? Why not grab the chance now that someone is offering help—aren’t you in the position to not be choosy?”

Mago, who was always antagonistic toward Daltasian, took the opportunity to mock the latter’s party as they faced their predicament.

“Right, who knows? Despite his looks, maybe this guy’s an extremely skilled expert?”

Mago sat in a corner seat inside the guild building, playing cards with his party members while waiting to meet with the guild master.

The party members playing cards with Mago joined in the mockery with giggles and witty responses.

“Regardless of his skills, considering his looks, he seems pretty good at finding things? Like those neighborhood kids who are always hiding their own items—it’s like training, right?”

“Chuckle, ah damn, listen to him talk.”

“…”

“…”

Bolton and Elysia glared at them menacingly.

“The line you’re hanging onto is so precarious it’s screwed—watch your eyes. When you fall off your line and end up crippled, what will you do then?”

Mago commented nonchalantly with a leisured smile, not looking up from his cards.

Daltasian’s absence. The crisis.

The psychological advantage was clearly with Mago in this situation.

“Damn it…”

“Bastards…”

Ultimately, Bolton and Elysia averted their eyes first.

They turned back to the guild counter staff.

“Can’t something be done, really?”

Regaining her composure albeit coldly, Elysia spoke desperately.

“The guild does operate policies for the well-being of adventurers. But suddenly composing a search party because someone disappeared from a drinking session—”

The counter staff grimaced with a bitter smile.

“Ahh, really! He wasn’t at all in the mood to just vanish like that!?”

“Enough Elysia. Stop.”

“Bolton!?”

“This isn’t the time to argue and waste time. Let’s just use our own money to commission a search. Once we’ve found him, then we’ll let everyone know how these Adventurers’ Guild bastards handled it when Daltasian was in danger.”

As the counter staff’s expression slowly hardened, and as the two were just about to formally request a search mission for Daltasian—

“Excuse me, everyone…? If possible, I’d like to offer my help also?”

The youth with the characteristic half-closed eyes interrupted hesitantly, his smile appearing somewhat servile.

“Ah—uh …”

Damn.

What help could you possibly offer?

Bolton nearly snapped in frustration but managed to restrain himself.

If he got angry with someone offering help, he’d be no different than Mago and his cronies.

“Look— I genuinely appreciate the gesture. But the problem we’re currently facing is rather serious.”

It was just as Elysia tried to gently and politely refuse the young man’s offer with a friendly smile.

“Eh?”

Elysia’s eyes sharpened as she looked at the youth.

“You’re not— are you perhaps an academy cadet?”

“What?”

Bolton turned to the young man in surprise.

“Uh…?”

Certainly.

A closer look revealed that his clothing bore many similarities to the academy cadets’ uniforms.

Blazer jackets.

One of the major components of an academy cadet’s overall look.

Because he wasn’t wearing the paragon of cadet attire, it took until now for those similarities to truly catch their attention given his unassuming demeanor, which seemed to say, ‘This kind of guy an academy cadet? No way.’

“I’d like to confidently answer that I am, but I’m just a freshman who hasn’t even attended the first class yet.”

The youth awkwardly scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed smile, his unimposing look skewing the perception further, yet Bolton and Elysia could no longer consider him an ordinary, unremarkable person.

After all, ninety-nine out of a hundred—no, ninety-nine out of a hundred academy cadets were nobles.

“An academy cadet… you?”

Bolton spoke with disbelief.

“Ha, I wouldn’t find it easy to believe either.”

The young man laughed refreshingly in full acknowledgment, prompting Bolton to snicker.

What a character this guy is.

Then—

Elysia’s gaze lingered on the young man with deep interest.

If he was indeed an academy cadet, there was a high likelyhood he had connections within noble society.

It could be a tremendous help if a noble were to aid in the search for Daltasian.

Of course.

All assuming that this youth in front of them was truly an academy cadet.

‘This guy…?’

Could it be he’s picked up an academy uniform somewhere and is now impersonating as one?

Such a far-fetched thought crossed her mind, making it difficult for her to associate the young man in front of her with the notion of being an academy cadet.

After all, nobles distinguish themselves from commoners in their behavior and demeanor.

In terms of manners, tone, and presence.

In that respect, the youth before her was unequivocally a commoner.

A commoner being an academy cadet?

That’s a nonsensical story.

‘Wait?’

Hold on.

A commoner and an academy cadet?

‘Could it be, he’s the one who surpassed Lebringer to claim the top position in the fencing department—’

Elysia let out a chuckle as her thoughts reached this point.

‘It’s absurd.’

This clueless man?

It was easier to believe that this man was from a major noble family.

He could actually be an academy cadet.

Elysia kept that small possibility in mind and cautiously broached the subject.

“By the way— you mentioned you want to help us, but why…?”

“Oh, it’s just that we currently have a situation ourselves that we’d like to resolve. We think Mr. Daltasian would be the perfect fit for it.”

“You want to help us find Daltasian because you have a task for him?”

Bolton interjected with a question.

“Exactly.”

“Huh, what’s all this—”

Bolton laughed dismissively.

The young man’s words sounded reasonable at first glance, but upon closer scrutiny, there was a discord in the cause-and-effect.

Isn’t that like saying I’ll help you dig up the ground because I need a shovel that’s buried there?

“What is it that you so urgently want to entrust to Daltasian?”

The nature of the youth’s response was critical; it would determine whether they could request his assistance.

Both watched tensely for his answer.

“Ah-ah, wait a moment. Young master, would you please hold?”

Approaching with his gang, Mago who emerged out of nowhere halted the youth.

“We don’t have to bother helping Daltasian with whatever it is—why don’t we discuss it?”

Mago’s sly ears caught the conversation about the possibility of the young man being an academy cadet and his intent to assign Daltasian a mission.

“Young master, such a mess. You were so thrilled just now, ridiculing the situation.”

Bolton mocked Mago’s shameless behavior.

“Oh, it’s that thing.”

“Ugh…!”

“Ah!”

Mago’s fist debt deeply into the midsections of two of his companions.

Just before, it was the two who had blatantly mocked the young man.

“If you throw up, you’re dead.”

“Ugh…! Ah, I understand.”

“Got nothing to say?”

“Young master… we apologize for our careless words just now…”

“We failed to recognize such an esteemed individual…”

After thus disciplining his party members, Mago then turned to face the youth.

—Thud!

He then punched his own right cheek with all his might.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Blood, torn from inside his mouth, trickled down from the corners of his lips.

It seemed as if it could merge with the long scar running down the left side of his face.

“We apologize for our rudeness. We failed to recognize someone of your stature.”

In this state, Mago bowed politely to the youth.

“…”

“…”

Up until a few moments ago, Elysia and Bolton had been mocking Mago’s shameless behavior, but now their expressions hardened.

The apology method of Mago, a former mercenary and now a high-ranking adventurer, was barbaric but undeniably poignant.

If the youth was actually looking for Daltasian for his strength in violence, Mago had just gained an overflow of interest from this affair.

“Young master, I apologize for the late introduction. My name is Mago. Like Daltasian, I belong to the third district of the Adventurers’ Guild. And, like him, I am a fifth-tier adventurer. To speak plainly, I achieved fifth rank well before that Daltasian. Thus, I believe I can assist you without the cumbersome process.”

Mago’s sudden interest in the young man was not only because he was an academy cadet but also because of his interest in Daltasian.

Mago, who usually held a negative sentiment towards Daltasian, wanted to seize this opportunity to utterly negate his existence.

Honestly.

It wasn’t to his liking, bowing down to serve under such a clueless individual.

Nor did he truly believe that the clueless individual was an academy cadet.

But to invalidate that contemptible Daltasian, he was willing to endure this.

Mago, seeing the twisted expressions of Daltasian’s companions, smiled with satisfaction.

Then the man spoke to Mago with an intimidated demeanor.

“Wow, I really appreciate the offer but—I’ve already decided to commission a request to Mr. Daltasian.”

“What is the request that makes you so determined?”

“It’s a bit sensitive to disclose—”

Mago felt an inexplicable irritation.

He had thought that the man’s servile and frivolous attitude would make him easy to handle, but apparently not.

Despite the simpering and groveling exterior, the youth spoke his mind and did as he pleased.

“Why this stubbornness? Won’t you entrust it to me? Do you find me incompetent?”

Mago, as a last-ditch effort, threatened in a violent tone to try to intimidate him.

“Should I say incompetent… I’ve heard of Mr. Daltasian, but I haven’t heard your story, Mr. Mago.”

“… What kind of bastard are you?”

Looking only at the intimidated attitude, you would think Mago’s imposing atmosphere would silence him.

Contrary to expectation, the youth continued speaking his mind, unabashed, driving Mago to mumble in complete disbelief.

“You bastard! I’ve been thinking, you’re not really an academy cadet, are you?”

Mumbling to himself, one of Mago’s companions started to pick on the youth.

“There are always jerks like you around! Impersonating an academy cadet after acquiring a uniform. Why else would you be missing a jacket in this cold weather but because it’s too damn expensive to get one! You’re wrong, aren’t you?”

Even Elysia and Bolton unintentionally nodded in agreement upon hearing this.

Truly.

The young man—claiming to be an academy cadet—was suspicious indeed.

Claiming to be an academy cadet while being a commoner was one thing.

Walking around without the essential jacket of the uniform in this cold weather was another.

Not to mention appearing clueless, considering the genuinely selected talents that attended the academy.

“If you’re an academy cadet, you would have a student ID, right? Just show us that.”

The man pressed forward with confidence, pressing the youth.

To which the young man responded, looking all embarrassed.

“Haha, do I really not look the part of a student?”

“Obviously.”

The youth, still somewhat sheepish, pulled out a black rectangular stone tablet resembling a card from his pocket and showed it to them.

The entire sequence happened without any fanfare or emphasis, rather unassuming.

Perhaps because of that.

[“Ain Academy Entrance Exam Valedictorian Ceylon”]

As the blue lines danced upon the otherwise blank surface of the stone tablet, sketching the likeness and the inscription of the youth.

The shock came without warning, and with such force that it was beyond overwhelming.

“Ain Academy… Swordsmanship Department entrance exam top scorer…?”

Mago mumbled in stupor.

A commoner had surpassed the geniuses of major noble families and numerous talents of high noble families in the academy’s entrance exam.

This was the story that had lately become the talk of the town in Arienne.

Viewed as a showcase of pride amongst commoners.

The individual from the rumors.

Was right here in front of them.

The person standing before them.

He was the subject of those rumors.

“Haha, this—showing this to others is quite embarrassing, you know? It almost feels like bragging.”

His demeanor remained as clueless as ever.

They, however—Elysia and Bolton—looked at him—Ceylon—with completely changed expressions.

“Uh?”

“That—”

It was then.

Someone had entered the building of the Adventurers’ Guild.

A robust physique with a stony expression.

It was Daltasian.

“Ah, dammit…”

The moment he saw Daltasian’s face, Mago let out a sigh laden with disappointment.

Just thinking about how Ceylon would beam with joy upon meeting Daltasian was already infuriating.

“Eh?”

But contrary to expectations, Ceylon’s reaction was lukewarm.

“Is that Daltasian…?”

Ceylon tilted his head as he looked at Daltasian.