Hellmode ~A Hardcore Gamer Becomes Peerless in Another World with Retro Game Settings~

{TLN: A small change or shall I say clarification. ‘Teachers’ are people who only teach theoretical subjects like History and the ones conducting physical training as ‘instructors’ except for the homeroom teacher.} 

A crowd of people were gathered in a corner of the usual classroom.

“I am thinking about attacking the next floor with this formation.”

“I’m not sure if participants who have never passed trials should go there. I think it’s best if you stick with the current floor for this month. Also, the formation should be like this…”

It was a morning about two days after my <Summon> reached Level 6. Before morning homeroom began, a classmate named Worcester placed a piece of parchment on the desk where I sat, discussing the strategy of the party led by Worcester.

I consulted with him seriously and gave advice, considering the timing of the attacks and the shortcomings and advantages of the formation.

Worcester and I were surrounded by a circle of students. The number of students watching this exchange, which started last month, has been increasing.

In early May, we held a stray recruitment in the classroom and I got Kiel to join us.

Since then, people have started asking me, who already has a good track record of conquering dungeons, for advice. I continued to consult with everyone according to their level and party formation.

Dungeons are life-threatening so I do my best to give them safe and reliable advice. Each time I advise someone, more people come.

I was quite surprised by this situation. I had thought that I would be envied and talked about behind my back for being friends with rare and powerful Master Swordsman and Mage. The people in this classroom were solidly packed with people whose ticket(tag) numbers were close to each other’s in the Appraisal Ceremony.

There were definitely students who were in the same line as me, and saw that all my ability values in the Appraisal Ceremony were E, and saw my interaction with the Hero.

Maybe it was the stray recruitment in the classroom that made such an impression of me, or maybe it was the fact that I was the leader of “Abandoned Gamers”.

In this crowd, Kurena, Cecile and Dogora were sitting nearby, but Kiel was not in the circle.

One person was sitting alone in a remote place.

(You’re still skipping lunch. We need to talk about this once and for all.)

I was thinking about Kiel as he answered Worcester’s question. Kiel has been getting C-class dungeon rewards for the last 20 days, divided by the number of people. We have even found two Silver chests produced. But even then Kiel’s meals, which I thought would improve soon, did not improve.

While I was thinking about Kiel, my homeroom teacher walked into the classroom.

“Take your seats. I have something important to say.”

Everyone took their seats.

“As I told you last week, we’ll be having an afternoon class with the Master Swordsman Doberg today. But please do not be rude.”

Master Swordsman Doberg has been staying in the Academy City since last week. The purpose of his visit is to teach the students at the Academy. He is here with Hermios, the Hero, and a Master Swordsman from Empire.

There are 3000 first year students. The Academy has divided the students and the Master Swordsman has been taking afternoon classes since last week. 

I suddenly looked at Kurena, who was also a Master Swordsman.

(Ah! They are the eyes of someone who’s up to something.)

Kurena was listening to the homeroom teacher with motivated eyes. The sparkle in her eyes made me feel uneasy.

After the morning classes, I went to the cafeteria for lunch as if I were being kidnapped by my classmates. Everyone’s life was on the line and they were desperate. I don’t have much time after class because I have to go to the dungeon every day. The only time he is available for consultation is before homeroom and during lunch.

I wanted to talk to Kiel for a while, but I think I’ll do it when the Academy is over for today.

The Master Swordsman Doberg’s class is open to anyone who wishes to take it, regardless of their Talent. Several classes take his class together, so the number of students is quite large.

Today, those who wanted to take Master Swordsman Doberg’s class were gathered in the fighting arena set up at the Academy. I was also in the crowd of students, along with Kurena, Cecile, and Dogora. Kiel hadn’t come, or I didn’t see him.

Soon after, the instructors arrive, probably on time.

(Oh! Master Swordsman Doberg. And that self-proclaimed Hero and his sister.)

The first time I heard the name Doberg was in the Appraisal Ceremony when I was five years old. With his name known even in a remote village, he must be one or two of the most famous people in the Kingdom.

The three of them arrived, surrounded by instructors. Master Swordsman Doberg was born a serf and is now over 60 years old. There have been a number of Master Swordsmans born in the kingdom since Doberg, but Doberg is the only one who has survived. He was a gray-haired man with an eye patch. His face was covered with countless scars.

Master Swordsman Doberg said that he is only interested in fighting. He has been on the battlefield all his life, and the Academy is one of the few reasons he comes to the kingdom.

I sat on the floor of the arena and listened, wondering what he was thinking as he stood in front of the students, and wondering if he would return to the battlefield after this was over.

Some people were seeing a Master Swordsman for the first time, so the Academy instructors were talking at length about how great he is. I think it’s kind of an abstract story because he is not mentioning the story of the Demon King’s army and explaining it.

Then, the instructors’ speech was transferred to the Heroe. Some students made a fuss about the fact that he really was a Hero. Most of the students thought Hero was an imaginary, non-existent being in picture books. In response to the voices asking if he was really a Hero n, the man slightly smiled and waved his hand lightly at the students.

After hearing the stories of the three people from their instructors, they were going to have a question and answer session with the Master Swordsman and the Hero, and then they were going to teach us how to swing a sword and move our bodies. 

I spent about half an hour listening to their stories.

“So, does anyone have any questions for the Hero Hermios, the Master Swordsman Sylvia, or the Master Swordsman Doberg?”

An instructor asked if we had any questions.

“Yes! I have a question for Master Swordsman Doberg!”

I heard a familiar voice beside me. It was definitely Kurena’s voice. There was no doubt about it since she shouted next to me.

The students gathered here were twelve to thirteen years old. About the same age as a first grader middle school student in my previous life.

There is no doubt that they are children, but they are students with a certain amount of common sense and moderation, having grown up in a harsher environment than in their previous lives, having prepared the environment to take the entrance exam to the Academy. While some of them are a bit wishy-washy, they have more self-control than children in my previous world.

Some of the students were going to ask questions, but they were reluctant to do so because they were Hero and Master Swordsman’s standing, but the pink-haired girl’s hand went straight up. Doberg’s eyebrows twitched upward.

“…Oh, Kurena. You have a question for Master Swordsman Doberg.”

“Yes.”

“She’s the new Master Swordsman.”

The instructor told Doberg about Kurena. I think that the instructor was being very polite to Doberg.

“So, Kurena. What is your question for Master Swordsman Doberg?”

“Yes! How do I use my skills?”

With a carefree smile, Kurena asked her question.

“What?”

The instructor exclaimed with “What skills?” I heard a few voices from the students around us as well.

“Kurena, you messed up…”

Dogora murmured with a sigh.

(We are still not taught how to use skills in class.)

Kurena and Dogora have been trying to use their skills since April but have been unsuccessful. I went around some sword, spear, and axe practical classes, but it was mostly body-building exercises and pretending.

It seems that the Academy doesn’t suddenly teach about skills in classes. I don’t know when they will start teaching skills, but I heard that it was from our second year of enrollment.

“Damn it, Kurena. I told you we’d start teaching those starting next year!”

The homeroom teacher turned red and shouted why she had asked him that question.

Apparently, Kurena was going to ask the Master Swordsman about skills because the homeroom teacher wouldn’t tell her.