Chapter 31

The graduation ceremony, or rather, the graduation exam, is just one week away.

Mile was troubled.

What to do after graduation...

(Should I live a peaceful life as an ordinary C-class hunter in this country...

With storage magic, I can carry a lot of game and gathered items at once, so I don’t have to work that hard.

There’s no sign of being found by my home country, and it’s been half a year, so as long as I don’t go back to that country, everything should be fine...)

There’s no need to move to another country, so Mile decided to settle here.

That’s good, but...

(Still, maybe I should go solo...

If I join a party, things might get complicated and messy...)

It’s sad to part ways with everyone I’ve gotten close to, but everyone has their own things they want to do and their own circumstances. Mavis and Pauline have families, and Reina has friends and acquaintances. I can’t keep bothering them.

Those three might accept my abnormality if they knew, but if they didn’t, I’d be too scared to tell them.

When there’s a meeting, there’s also a parting. Just like with Marcela and the others.

(Someday, I’ll probably make new friends...)

Mile thought, but her expression was dark.

"Where will you set up your base after graduation?"

"“Huh?”"

As soon as they returned to their room after dinner, Reina’s sudden words made the three of them freeze.

"What do you mean by 'base'?"

"Obviously, it’s where we’ll be based as hunters after graduation."

"“Huh?”"

Reina continued, surprised by their reaction.

"What are you surprised about? After graduation, we’ll all be living as hunters.

It’s hard for new hunters to go solo, and it’s better to be with people we know rather than join a party of strangers and be used as a lackey.

Besides, none of you have any plans, right? A runaway, a fugitive, and a middle-aged man’s mistress!"

"“Ugh...”"

Mavis, Mile, and Pauline were speechless.

"But, my mother and brother..."

"Would your mother and brother be happy to see you sold for their sake? Do you really think they’d smile and be happy seeing that?"

"Ugh..."

"Right now, you can take care of yourself. Your happiness is the best way to repay your family, isn’t it?"

"..."

Pauline fell silent.

Then, Mile spoke up.

"W, well, I... I’m a bit strange, so I might cause everyone trouble..."

"..."

"Go on?"

"Huh?"

Reina broke the silence that followed Mile’s words.

"Come on, just say it already!"

"Well, I’m a bit strange compared to everyone else, so I might cause everyone trouble!"

"That’s something we already know. Just say the rest already!"

"Huh?"

"..."

"Alright, we’ll probably have to stay in cheap inns for a while. A four-person room shouldn’t be too expensive, and it’ll be much better than this room."

"But..."

Mavis tried to object, but Reina cut her off.

"Shut up! This is already decided!

Besides, you promised, on the day of the enrollment ceremony!"

"Ah..."

Mile remembered.

On that day, in this room, they had a conversation.

"If someone invites you to join their party after graduation, say, 'I already have a promise with my roommates.'

If someone asks you out, say, 'I’m not interested in that right now. I want to focus on training.' Got it?"

"Yes!"

"That was a promise... I thought it was just an excuse to turn down invitations..."

"Stop being so noisy! I said it’s already decided!"

Thinking about it, she had been trying so hard to be ‘normal’ because she wanted friends, but it would be counterproductive to push away the friends she had finally made just to pretend to be normal.

"H, ha, ha, ha... Ugh..."

"Ugh..."

Pauline started to cry, mirroring Mile’s forced laughter.

Mavis patted both of their shoulders.

"Got it? As long as red blood flows in our veins, we will never betray our comrades! Our friendship is eternal!"

"“Oh!!”"

"I have a favor to ask."

Three days before the graduation exam, after the afternoon lecture, the four of them were called to the guidance room by the headmaster and chief instructor, Elbert. They were surprised when Elbert suddenly bowed to them.

"Please, give it your all in the graduation exam three days from now!"

"“Huh...”"

Elbert explained the details.

This hunter training school was established on a trial basis by the noble Christopher, who became a noble after becoming an S-class hunter and was called a hero.

In the six years since its establishment, it has produced many excellent hunters, but it is still too young to have produced any A-class or higher hunters.

Most of the nobility consider it a waste of budget, and if things continue as they are, it might be reduced in budget or even shut down.

"There’s a plan to use this training school as a starting point to change various hunter regulations and rules. For example, to remove the minimum years of service required for hunter promotions, allowing those who meet the criteria of skill and character to advance regardless of whether they attended the school.

This can’t be allowed to fail..."

Elbert looked at the four of them.

"The graduation exam will have a top B-rank party, soon to be A-rank, as the opponents for the mock battle.

The founder, Lord Christopher, will be there, as well as guild officials from neighboring countries to assess the school’s potential, guild masters from nearby cities to evaluate the new recruits, nobles looking for promising new talent, other nobles and the wealthy just for entertainment, hunters looking for new party members, and ordinary citizens hungry for entertainment. The finance minister, who controls the school’s budget, and even the king might come for an inspection."

Elbert bowed again.

"Please, give it your all in the exam!

Show them that without this school, these talented individuals would have wasted years gathering herbs and hunting horn rabbits. Show them that this school is necessary!

Drive it into their hearts!"

The four of them were speechless for a moment.

"“We’ll do it!”"

Mile was startled by the two voices that echoed in the guidance room.

"How can we refuse a request from our instructor, who has taken care of us, and a mission that concerns the future of hunters!"

"This is a perfect opportunity to make a name for ourselves, we can’t let it slip away!"

It was obvious who said what.

"…Please"

Seeing Elbert, who was usually so confident, looking so meek, Mile reluctantly agreed to help.

(Thank goodness I prepared for this by having evasion spells ready...)