Chapter 6
Chapter 6: The Blonde Tanned Rogue Girl (2)
In this world, there are job aptitudes and jobs.
Before coming of age, you visit a temple to find out what traits you have, what jobs you can transfer into, and then make the switch.
Most end up as farmers or commoners. Extremely rarely, a job suited for adventure appears—the most common of these being the four: Warrior, Swordsman, Archer, and Rogue. These are called the Four Basic Jobs.
Mages are fairly rare. So rare, in fact, that it's not uncommon for a whole village to throw a festival when one appears.
There are also derivative jobs branching off from each base class, rare jobs, and even unique jobs—but anyway. This world is structured around that kind of hierarchy.
Most combat-class individuals enter an academy, receive training, rack up achievements by clearing dungeons while enrolled, and then, factoring in their academic results alongside their dungeon-clearing performance, choose their occupation in society…. Or so the theory goes.
Even without studying, you can be born with a silver spoon of a job class from birth—how perfectly optimized a concept for a class-based society.
Anyway.
Rogue is one of the Four Basic Jobs, yet at the same time, it's a class that heavily weighs raw talent. Lockpicking—the skill for opening treasure chests—is something anyone can learn, but knowing how to use it well is a matter of innate sense.
And socially speaking, rogues are viewed with the same eyes you'd reserve for the scum of the earth. You'd have to ask how many people in the real world would just flat-out say yeah, I'm a thief if someone called them one.
So.
The second guest standing in front of me, all shriveled up—this student who anyone looking from anywhere could only see as a Rogue—is a class you'd have surprisingly low odds of encountering out in the open.
"Here. Your ordered meal is ready."
"What is…. this. How am I supposed to eat it…?"
"Pick up the spoon, and eat."
"Hmph…. It better not taste bad."
She grumbled—but the moment she took one bite, the Rogue's eyes went wide.
"How is it?"
"T… ta… taste…. bad…."
"Tastes bad? Is that really what you think?"
"Tastes…. good."
Eyes glistening with tears, she dropped her head low.
"Glad to hear it. Eat up."
"……."
She picked at it for a bit—then ended up clearing the entire bowl of Sagol Sujebi in one go.
‘Kids really do need to eat well and grow up strong.’ Thinking that, I smiled without meaning to, and once she finished, I cleared away the empty bowl.
"That'll be 4,500 Sel."
"……."
I stared at her evenly, and she hung her head.
"I don't…. have it."
"4,500 Sel…. Hmm?"
"I said I don't have it! Where would I get money like that! Would a Rogue of all people actually pay for a meal?! Ha! Don't make me laugh! I'm absolutely not paying!"
Face flushed bright red, she shot up from her seat and bolted off toward the academy.
Using magic would've made catching her trivial—but magic can't be used outside, so…. I just watched the back of her disappearing figure.
Hmm.
A dine-and-dash on the very first day.
Surprisingly, it's a textbook Rogue move, but….
Where exactly is she going to run off to, in this rural backwater academy?
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That afternoon, Yuna came by, and together we ran through Floor 1 of the Demeter Dungeon.
"We took down four Grass Cows today!"
"Good work. You still haven't invested anything, like I told you, right?"
"Yes! Master!"
"Right. Invest carelessly and you'll end up with nothing."
"They never taught us anything like this at the academy…. You really are a former adventurer, Master!"
Yuna looked at me with sparkling eyes.
It's not some impressive piece of advice—in this world, there's no system window, but the concept of levels does exist. Once you finish hunting, you can intuitively decide where to invest your stats. The moment you feel ‘oh, I could get stronger here’—simply by lightly willing it, your stats grow.
But immediate investment carries three major drawbacks.
First: not just level, but the total sum of your stats affects drop rates. If you already invest your stats on Floor 1, the meat ingredients won't drop.
Second: when you settle on your lifelong weapon. If the stats you've already poured in don't match the weapon's performance, everything gets royally tangled.
Say you get a legendary dagger—but you've already dumped everything into Strength. Then you're stuck weeping as you throw away the dagger and pray for a greatsword or blunt weapon to drop instead.
Third: the concept of control.
It looks like a game, but putting your life on the line with every single fight is the same in this world.
When pushed to the absolute limit, the only things that can protect you are a razor-sharpened mind and your own two feet.
Experience gained from fighting for your life at low stats is far from rarely helpful even when you're a high-level character at max stats.
Yuna listened to my words, nodded in understanding, and stopped investing her stats.
It seems like she's aiming to be a speed-type Swordsman with a thin blade specialized for thrusting—but who knows. If she stumbles across a legendary greatsword on the road, she'd have to become a greatsword warrior on the spot.
Anyway.
That day's lunch was also Sagol Sujebi.
"It's delicious!"
"This is the third day in a row we've had nothing but Sujebi—aren't you getting tired of it?"
"Not at all! I could live forever on this one dish alone! The richness! The texture of the meat! The flavor of the flour Sujebi! It resonates through my soul! Keuuu! Please give me another bowl!"
"Right. One pot wasn't enough, I figured. So I brought a second one."
"Master!"
"What is it?"
"I will follow you for life!"
Yuna's face was beaming.
On the surface she looks refined and neat—but her eating habits are downright ferocious, and her mannerisms remind you of watching a giant golden retriever. She's more fun and funnier than I expected.
Plus, how much food she packs into that small body of hers…. It's staggering.
And to think she's the Student Council President on top of all that…. Oh right. She was the Student Council President.
"Yuna. At Demeter Academy…. is there a Rogue class track?"
"Hmm…. There are a few students whose job is Rogue, but there aren't enough to warrant a separate Rogue class, so they attend lectures alongside the Department of Swordsmanship."
Seriously?
Is that even okay?
"I see. Then do you know a Rogue student with golden long hair tied to the side?"
"You mean Silen Artre?"
"Her name is Silen."
"Yes. She's the same age as me—her talent is undeniable, and she's recognized even outside the academy as a rookie—but inside the academy she's quite the troublemaker…. I'm embarrassed to say we clash quite a bit. Did Silen do something?"
"Mm. I served her Sagol Sujebi and she dined and dashed."
"Shall I kill her. Master?"
"Hmm?"
Whoosh—a surge of energy rose up.
It was the【Battle Howling】 unique to vanguard classes, who need to hold aggro against monsters in close combat.
A skill that draws monster attention by expressing rage through a shout.
‘Why now, of all times?’
"She dared to dine and dash on the food made from the Grass Cows we worked so hard hunting together with you, Master? Understood. I'll go hand down the punishment befitting of a Student Council President."
"……."
"Leave it to me, Master. Give me 1,500 seconds and I'll take care of everything and…. Master?"
I pressed my index finger against Yuna's forehead and nudged her lightly, and she tilted her head.
"It's just one meal. Everyone wants to eat something delicious, and sometimes after eating, there's no money to pay. And students shouldn't be fighting each other."
"S…sorry. You really do have a big heart, Master!"
Yuna smiled brightly, and as though she'd understood something, gave a quick bow of her head.
Right.
No need for students to fight.
"Professor Daisy. Silen Artre dined and dashed at my establishment. I'd like to request a meeting."
"Understood. I'll handle it immediately. Please come to the faculty room by this afternoon."
"Yes."
Adults have their own ways of handling things!
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Commit a crime and receive punishment. That's the rule of society.
I can sympathize and give a student a free meal—but that also depends on how the other party responds. If she'd sincerely apologized on the spot, I would've let it go for Silen.
But Silen mocked me to my face and ran—and here, the right thing for an adult to do is not extend mercy, but to correct her.
"I hope you ate well and got some good rest. Silen Artre?"
"Ugh…."
The moment she saw me, Silen's eyes went wide and she tried to step back on the spot—but Professor Daisy immediately caught her by the back of the neck. Excellent 【Hand Parrying】. Worthy of a professor.
Grabbed by the neck and dragged over, Silen took her seat, and the meeting with me began.
"Do you know what you did wrong?"
"Hmph…."
"Silen Artre."
At Professor Daisy's words, Silen flinched—and as she realized this matter was far from light, clicked her tongue.
"I just have to pay back those 4,500 Sel, don't I! Petty old man!"
"And just this morning you were saying you didn't even have 4,500 Sel?"
"Here! What if I leave this as collateral? That settles it, doesn't it?"
Saying that, she held out the dagger at her waist toward me.
The quality was better than expected—I could easily get tens of thousands selling it on the market—but the matter doesn't get resolved that simply.
"That's my call to make."
"What? What does that mean…. Mister? Selling this would easily get you 50,000…."
"Right. And more. If you'd offered this dagger as payment at the very start, it would've been resolved."
"Are you saying it won't work now?"
"That's right. You've now compounded at least two offenses—dine-and-dash and violation of academy regulations. Isn't that right, Professor Daisy?"
"Yes. That's correct."
At mine and Daisy's words, the color drained from Silen's face.
"What does that mean?!"
"The problem is that the crime you committed took place within an academy facility. That carries an aggravated charge."
"What…?"
"In a case like this, what would the punishment be?"
"Considering all the incidents Silen has caused within the academy and her accumulated demerit points—expulsion at minimum. After that, she'd be looking at a cell for the dine-and-dash before she ever gets a job placement."
"I see."
Daisy stated nothing but the truth with a sharp expression, and I nodded along.
Under imperial law, there was no other way it could go.
Silen's color drained completely and she dropped her head low.
"No. That can't…. I can't go to a cell…. I'm sorry. I'm sorry…."
"Excuse me, proprietor…."
Daisy's expression wasn't looking great either.
Extreme punitive measures produce nothing. At least, that's how I see it.
While Silen's head was hanging low, I glanced at Daisy and gave a small smile, lightly shrugging my shoulders. At my expression, Professor Daisy tilted her head in puzzlement.
"Professor Daisy. If we were to waive the demerit points on this matter entirely and convert everything to community service hours—how many hours would be appropriate?"
"Yes? Oh…. Ah."
Perhaps finally understanding my intent, the stiff expression on Professor Daisy's face softened slightly, and a faint smile appeared.
"How many hours?"
"Let's see. With the precondition that she gets expelled the moment she slips even once…. Somewhere around 100 hours seems about right, doesn't it?"
"Very well. Then I'd like to assign Silen Artre 100 hours of community service, with all 100 hours to be fulfilled by assisting me with my work—and have that be the end of this matter."
"Yes. Let's proceed that way. If she fails to show up for even a single community service session…. At that point, our side will also consider expulsion."
Daisy and I smiled, and Silen's face went even paler.
No expulsion.
No cell either.
No demerit points.
Instead, she works with me for 100 hours.
From an adult's perspective it's a perfectly mild reprimand—but apparently it sounds quite different coming through a child's ears.
"100 hours…. I, I said I'd do anything but—what are you planning to make me do?!"
She said that while covering herself with her own arms.
What I plan to have her do—well. Isn't it obvious?
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The next morning.
Silen arrived at the stall with the energy of a cow being dragged to a slaughterhouse.
Completely wilted, staring at the ground, she muttered to herself.
"Do whatever you want to me…. It's all over anyway…. Cook me, grill me…. Sniff…. I'm sorry. Mom…."
"If you commit a crime, it's only right that you face the consequences. Silen Artre."
Before I could say anything, the golden retriever by my side stepped forward first.
"Huh…? Student Council President…? Why are you here…. Wh, what. Were there two of you from the start…?"
I pressed a hand to my head as I listened to Silen unfurl the infinite wings of imagination only a child at that age could have.
"Yeah. Yeah. There were two of us from the start."
"You're actually trash, mister?!"
"Call me whatever you like. Right, Yuna. You're ready?"
"Yes! Master! Ready!"
"Ugh, ughhh…. It's over. That Student Council President is calling her Master and following her around like that—the conditioning is already done…. Am I going to end up like that too…? I don't want that…. Mama…."
Yuna nodded with full enthusiasm, and Silen moved like a walking corpse.
"Alright. We're heading into Floor 1 of the Demeter Dungeon—boss battle. The goal is the ingredient item from the boss and the ingredient item from the treasure chest. A double drop. Bold and spectacular—we finish everything today, then eat something delicious. Got it?"
"Yes!"
"Wha…. Dungeon? Huh…? Huhhh??"
Amid Yuna's burning enthusiasm and Silen's bewilderment, we made our way toward the dungeon.
Right.
From the very first day, all three of us—let's go in style.