Chapter 17 – Freshmen are Busy

From the day after the friendly matches, Yggdrasil’s instructors had to enter emergency mode.

“What on earth is all this commotion….”

“Thanks to this, we get overtime pay, don’t we? Think of it positively.”

“That’s a good thing, but it’s a bit unnerving since it’s the first time.”

The teachers gathered together, their eyes filled with worry as they stared at something.

There, a very large mana stone sat.

To be precise, a mana stone with a large crack running along its surface.

No. Its true identity was a ‘Sealstone,’ preventing the emergence of gates.

“I’ve never seen a friendly match cause damage to a Sealstone before.”

“Well. Let’s just think of it as witnessing a historical moment.”

“Wasn’t it the same after Senior Shabel did that before?”

After their conversation, the teachers all sighed once more. ‘Haa.’

Sealstone. An item crafted from a special mana stone after undergoing a special magical process.

When this massive thing is positioned, it impedes the creation of gates.

Therefore, it’s only natural that stones are placed in important facilities.

The Imperial Palace. The capital. The castles of various noble families. Important cities. And even here, Yggdrasil.

“This repair cost won’t be cheap….”

“The cost isn’t the only problem. What about the materials? It’s not like we can just find them anywhere.”

As effective as it is, creating one takes an enormous amount of effort.

Money, of course, is plentifully needed. The incidental expenses attached to it are also substantial.

Especially since the primary materials for Sealstones are all made from the byproducts of monsters.

They’re so extremely rare that even the Empire hasn’t been able to mass-produce these Sealstones yet.

For that reason. Yggdrasil is home to a total of eight Sealstones.

Excluding the Imperial Palace and the capital, where twelve Sealstones are placed, this is the place with the most stones in the Empire.

It can be said to be proof of how important Yggdrasil is regarded in the Empire.

Anyway. One of those eight Sealstones was damaged.

And not just to a minor extent, but with damage so severe that it had completely stopped functioning.

“The spare Sealstones. There aren’t any at all?”

“As a result of the inspection last winter, two Sealstones were aging, weren’t they? At that time, we replaced them with the spares we had, and those two are in the repair room, still being adjusted.”

“So. In the end, there are no stones in Yggdrasil that can replace this.”

The Empire’s territory is vast, and there is an overflow of places in need of Sealstones.

On the other hand, only about a hundred Sealstones have been produced to date. And all of them are in use.

The Cradle was allotted a full ten Sealcrystals, a tenth of the entire supply.

Even for the Cradle, procuring more than that was impossible. Such were the circumstances.

The only remaining option was to wait for the spares to arrive from the Repair Room.

“No choice, is there? The instructors will just have to rotate through emergency shifts.”

“A Gate could manifest within the Cradle. Should we consider this a positive thing?”

“Are we going to let the students get practical experience? I, for one, am against it.”

With a Sealcrystal missing, there was now a chance of a Gate opening in that area.

Thankfully, there were no civilian or commoner residential zones nearby.

The only residents in this entire area were those teeming with abilities, the empowered.

“What are the protagonists of this absurd event doing right now?”

“Luciel Hwang… ahem. Student Luciel is still in the infirmary bed. She’s regained consciousness, but she’s still undergoing various examinations, so her discharge is being delayed.”

Then, what about Student Deus? They collided, so why only one hospitalization?

To the questions of some instructors, Tiamat, who had been silent until now, burst into laughter.

“Hee hee hee! That kid! A-ha-ha! Seriously. I’m speechless. We examined him, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong! He’s *too* healthy, so the infirmary is all like, ‘What is this? Scary!'”

“…No joke, I’m actually scared too.”

At the words of one instructor, the others nodded in agreement.

Luciel Margrethel, the disciple of Shabel Saber, an empowered one whom they deeply respected.

A student who was considered to be almost on par with a teacher.

That student barely regained consciousness and was still in the hospital room.

Moreover, they had engaged in such a tremendous battle that even the sturdy Sealcrystal was damaged!

‘And the other one is just strolling around the Cradle as if nothing happened…’

‘Is this truly the behavior of a freshman?’

‘Hee hee hee hee! Student Deus! You’re the best! Ah, if only you had enrolled a little earlier!!!!’

Lost in their own thoughts, the instructors began to draw up the staffing schedule.

Until the Sealcrystal was reactivated, they would have to stand guard in this area.

*

“…You know, in the end, I think of you as just a guy, junior.”

What was that supposed to mean all of a sudden? Calling a guy, “guy-like.”

Deus tilted his head, and Nefertiti sighed, “Haaah.”

“Junior. You haven’t visited Luciel senior in the hospital room, have you?”

“No.”

“And you haven’t gone to see the teachers guarding the damaged Sealcrystal either.”

“That is correct.”

That was exactly the problem, Nefertiti thought, rubbing her forehead.

“Listen. Since she hasn’t been discharged yet, first, go visit her in the hospital with flowers. Then, take something to drink to the teachers… Ugehk!!”

From experience, even catching her before she fell was pointless.

She had to fall *somehow* for the cool-down to reset. He was used to this.

So Deus quietly looked at Nefertiti before offering her his hand.

“There are no people who blame me, senior.”

“Of course not. It’s not like you set out to do this. It was an accident that happened during a friendly match, so everyone understands.”

And, truth be told. Who’d dare openly blame their junior in front of them?

Their spine might snap backwards and kill them. He swallowed the words down.

“But you know. It’s still better to go.”

“Hmm….”

Actually, even Deus felt a twinge of guilt.

Even if unintentional, he was ultimately the cause of everything, wasn’t he?

“Actually, I was planning to finish my workout for the day before going.”

“Not finish your workout for the day! You go, then work out! Junior!”

“…Can’t I finish and *then* go?”

“No can do!”

This won’t work. Let’s just go together now! To the teachers first!

Can’t go empty-handed! Gotta buy something! Something to drink, maybe!

He was about to agree to her suggestion when—

‘Ah. Now that I think about it.’

Deus turned to Nefertiti, as if struck by a sudden thought.

“Thank you again. President.”

“Eh?”

“For securing my personal training space in the basement of the main building. I heard it involved a little…overreach on your part.”

He’d assumed that the Student Council President of the Cradle could manage something like that easily.

But apparently not. Even for the President, giving a space intended for club activities to a single student was a clear overstepping of authority.

“Well… it would be a lie to say it wasn’t a little bit of a strain. But!”

—*Swish!*—

She snapped open her fan with force, accompanied by her signature, “Ohohoho!” laugh.

“That much is easily within my capabilities as Student Council President. Supporting a talented junior with all my strength is the very reason the Student Council exists! And besides, that space was going to be shut down if it wasn’t used soon! Hohohoho!”

So it wasn’t purely altruistic help. No wonder my Covenant was about to trigger and then didn’t.

“Thanks to you, I can train without worrying about anyone’s opinion.”

Worrying about opinions? Junior? Nefertiti paused, a flicker of doubt crossing her face, but she pushed it aside for later.

Now was the time to guide this fearsome, but kind, junior down the right path.

“Come now. As this *sunbae* says. Let’s hurry. Junior.”

“By the way. I’m a little short on funds. Is there perhaps a way…”

“You’re asking me to buy it for you?”

“Absolutely not.”

I can’t receive any more help than that anyway.

Look at that. The Covenant is practically trying to sever my wrist in its frenzy.

Money problems are as important as fights, or something?

“Then, how about getting a part-time job?”

“Students work part-time here?”

“This *is* the Cradle, after all. It’s not just an educational institution; you could call it a giant city…? Anyway. For that reason, when there’s a labor shortage, they sometimes use students for part-time work.”

I know a few places I could recommend. Hmm, but would they even take Junior?

Nefertiti stroked her chin thoughtfully before choking out another “Ugek!” and collapsing again.

“Ughh… Ah, well. If you need money, it might be better to join a dispatch team instead.”

“What’s that?”

“Dispatch teams can officially enter the Gates. They get a portion of the spoils brought back, so you end up with some income.”

They don’t even take taxes! Wow. That seems pretty amazing.

The two chatted quietly as they walked.

*

―Nyaa!

Ah! Finally! Escaped from those monstrous human hands!

Jojo strolled around his cradle with happy paws.

When he encountered students, the squeals of “cute!” were music to his ears.

Of course, he would never allow anyone to touch him.

No one in the world was worthy of such a privilege!

…Ah. No, that’s not right. Perhaps there was one.

―Weowwww!!

He was just turning into the alleyway when he heard a disturbing sound.

Hoping it wasn’t who he thought, he turned his head, and, wouldn’t you know it. The other stray cat who tormented him!

An older cat. Naturally, much bigger.

For Jojo, the best course of action was always to be wary and run away.

Yes. Up until now, that is.

―Haaack!!

But this time, he didn’t back down. Instead, he stood his ground with confidence.

He’d learned one thing while being beside that monstrous human.

His own meow-meow punches were enough to defeat that thug!

―Nyaaa!!

―Weeuuung!!

A tremendous brawl between the two cats erupted in just two seconds.

A moment later, one cat turned tail and disappeared between the buildings.

And the victor, as expected, was Jojo, who had undergone special training(?).