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Riche ultimately had no choice but to kill the Demon.

As I mentioned, simply leaving it be while knowing full well what would happen was nothing more than being a bystander, and I judged that she could not avoid responsibility for what would occur afterward.

Not only that, but I kept putting pressure on Riche.

If you don’t kill it quickly, it will endure pain until it dies.

I stomped on its arms, crushed its bones, and smashed its legs to bits.

– Can I take a break now…?

For her first murder, Riche seemed a bit anxious.

The Academy teaches not only how to deal with monsters but people as well, yet she never anticipated that her first kill would be a student from the same Academy.

Let alone the shocking fact that the student was a Demon.

Naturally, guilt was to be expected. However, that feeling can vanish with just a slight shift in thought.

If she thought that sparing it due to guilt could lead to her being backstabbed and killed later, then she would feel no guilt whatsoever about killing the opponent right in front of her.

That’s why I couldn’t understand why she was acting so flustered over killing just an evil being, but since I planned to kick her out once everything was done, I told her to go ahead.

And so, the next day.

We left the lodging and found Riche waiting by the entrance.

“Hello.”

“You came quickly. Let’s go.”

“Yeah.”

I had thought she wouldn’t sleep well, but surprisingly it seemed she had a good rest.

In less than a day, perhaps having rationalized her actions, she looked just fine.

As I took a step towards the entrance of the Academy—

“…Wait a moment.”

“What is it?”

Riche called me to a halt.

“Didn’t you say you were going to train?”

“I did.”

“But isn’t the training ground in that direction?”

“Who said I was training at the training ground?”

“…?”

She still looked confused.

It seemed she had come dressed in student attire instead of casual clothes, so she must have thought we were doing something at the training ground.

Would sparring with people really improve her skills when there’s no experience gained from it?

Training ought to be akin to actual combat.

One must face stronger beings and experience the threat of death multiple times to improve; regularly fighting against those weaker than oneself in a safe environment does nothing for development.

“Today, we’re going to the Adventurer’s Guild.”

“What…?”

What is actual combat?

From this world’s perspective, it’s hunting.

Fighting against people? That’s fine by me.

But experience points are overwhelmingly awarded for defeating monsters, and unless the opponent is a Demon or a Demon race, people don’t yield much experience. Do they really think Demons or Demons are just wandering about anywhere?

Though they have been appearing more frequently lately, Demons and Demon races are still rare.

Aside from that, monsters are the quickest route to growth.

Knowing this, the Academy curriculum includes practical training in monster hunting.

Of course, due to the nature of an educational institution, they can’t just do practicals every day, which is why growth is slow.

“If I do what I’m told, will I really get stronger?”

“Whether you believe it or not, that’s up to you.”

In reality, we have three successful cases right here, right?

If this didn’t work, Luna and Yui would have died long ago.

“And I’ll push you harder than training, so worry not.”

By tomorrow, you won’t even be able to wiggle a finger.

“Now, let’s go in.”

Since the distance between the Academy and the Adventurer’s Guild isn’t far, it doesn’t take long to arrive.

As we entered the guild together, all eyes immediately turned toward us.

“…What’s with the stares?”

“Tch, not this again.”

Riche, accustomed to familiar and friendly gazes, would be unprepared for openly hostile ones.

The reason was simple. It was because of the Academy student uniform Riche was wearing.

She really is combative like that.

She’d been through this before; even though I had frequently entered the Adventurer’s Guild dressed in student attire, she still reacted like that to anything Academy-related.

She’d wake up once she gets hit hard enough.

“What are you looking at, you punks?”

At that, everyone quickly averted their eyes.

In the past, I would have glared back fiercely, but now I’m officially a B-Rank adventurer and unofficially above A-Rank.

In short, those scrubs aren’t in a position to act all high and mighty.

“Do you really have to be that threatening…?”

“If I don’t, they’ll crawl all over you.”

Back when I first joined the Adventurer’s Guild, there was a bald guy who didn’t know his place.

I haven’t seen him in a while; he must have quit being an adventurer.

“This is also part of your training, so take notes.”

“This is training…?”

“Yeah.”

Didn’t schools in my past life combine character education?

Training isn’t just about honing your martial skills; one must also expand their horizons and learn how to manage authority.

If a well-trained plunger later fails to stop a toilet overflowing with some loser’s skewed sense of justice like Arthur, that’s a problem in itself, isn’t it?

One must learn to manage discipline and grease the wheels for those who might backstab them later. That’s the shortcut to a happy ending.

“All experiences become flesh and bone, Riche.”

They say there’s no such thing as a useless experience.

“…I’ll at least remember that.”

“Good, good. Smart thinking.”

Once she grows up and becomes my right-hand, if Arthur starts to lose his mind, I’ll give him a smack upside the head and guide him back to the right path.

After giving a lecture on proper character, we headed straight to the reception desk.

As we approached, Adela, who was wrapping up with another adventurer, caught sight of me and her expression dimmed.

“Welcome…”

“It’s been a while; you look quite well.”

“Indeed… I was feeling good for a while.”

“Now that I’m here, won’t things just get even better?”

“…”

Adela could hardly express how good she felt. She looked sad the moment she spotted me, which made me regret not visiting more often.

“Wasn’t Luke currently dispatched to the Academy?”

“A situation has arisen in the Empire. That’s why the Academy is on break.”

“That’s quite… unfortunate.”

Adela genuinely expressed her sympathy.

Her empathy is unmatched.

I always feel that receptionists are amazing.

“So, what brings you here today?”

“What reason would I have to come here? I’m here to take a request.”

“I heard that Luke is currently unable to take requests from the Guild Master?”

“Technically, he just can’t level up.”

They’re keeping an eye on him since his level-ups are too rapid, so what if he just doesn’t level up at all?

People have to eat. Because of that, I’ve wiped out everyone, whether it be a wanted criminal or not.

“Isn’t that just being logical at times…?”

“I’ve only ever spoken the truth.”

Not being able to refute this is proof that I’m right.

Honestly, even if someone were to argue against me, if I kill them, their opposing opinion disappears, resulting in my perspective being deemed correct.

“And today, I’m not here to hunt; I’m here to train one person.”

“You’ve brought another woman with you.”

“I said I didn’t want to, but she keeps following me.”

That girl really has quite the popularity.

And in a world where polygamy is the norm, is there any reason to be criticized for having a few women around?

“Yes, yes, just as you say.”

“Anyway, do you have any Salamanders left?”

That was one of the options I had during my C-Rank advancement exam.

Fire lizard Salamander.

“We do have some left… But considering it’s a C-Rank monster, can the person behind you handle it…?”

“Don’t worry. Though she looks like this, she’s the top of the Academy.”

“What do you mean by she looks like this…?”

Among her team, one who runs around begging for favors in exchange for her body and shifts to threats when negotiation fails isn’t exactly normal, is it?

Even just reviewing her past actions reveals she’s not sane.

Once this training is over, Riche should become a rehabilitated version of herself.

“Understood. Do you need any explanations?”

“I’m fine. It’s just a C-Rank after all.”

Is it still training if you go in already knowing all the strategies?

We only listened to Adela regarding the Salamander’s habitat information and immediately left the Adventurer’s Guild.

We then took a cart toward the rocky mountains.

*

“It’s bigger than I thought…”

“Is this your first time?”

“It’s not my first, but… it’s bigger than I expected. I was a little surprised.”

Hot, solid, and huge…

Salamander.

We were currently hiding behind a rock, facing the Salamander.

We were at the halfway point of the rocky mountain.

This place, devoid of any trees or grass, was indeed the Salamander’s habitat.

Logically, there’s no way a monster that shoots fire would be left in the middle of a forest.

If that were the case, the entire forest would become a sea of flames.

If it accidentally wandered into the woods, adventurers would need to be sent in to expel it immediately.

“Alright, let’s hunt now.”

“Just like that, without any strategy meeting…?”

What kind of meeting is required for training?

Was the Salamander even a monster that required a strategy or meeting beforehand?

If we were going to do that, we would have collected the information Adela offered us.

“Go, Riche-mon!”

“Ugh…”

With no other options, Riche moved from behind the rock towards the Salamander.

Thus, the battle began.

From behind the rock, we heard the sound of flames exploding upon impact.

I was merely watching, making sure not to interfere since that would negate the training aspect.

Luna and Yui, who realized my stance, each focused on their own tasks.

“Luke! I found a pretty stone here!”

Yui came running with a stone she had picked up somewhere to show me.

Being in a rocky area like this, there were all sorts of shapes and rocks.

Thanks to Yui’s cheerfulness, this dreary gray place didn’t seem so gloomy.

“It looks like a butt.”

“…It’s a heart shape.”

Still, it was refreshing to visit a place other than the usual greenery and trees.

“Is it really okay to train in this way…?”

Luna wondered if this was correct.

“Hey, do you think Riche could have caught the Salamander on her own?”

Even if Riche was strong enough to handle C-Rank monsters, were there any adventurers starting at C-Rank level?

That was only possible because I was a B-Ranker.

“Though we call it training, this is in practice…”

That’s right. What Luna is thinking is true.

It’s like saying the bear does the work while I earn the money.

Riche will quickly sense her growth and start to enjoy hunting. Then I earn more money from her.

“Seeing this is what they call a virtuous cycle.”

“Ahh!!”

Riche’s scream could be heard from afar.

Yet another peaceful day in my life.

 

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