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Chapter 12: Finding an Escort
“What exactly are you doing here?”
A man dressed in a deep hooded cloak approaches the three and calls to them.
All three of them are surprised, but Anastasia recognizes the voice and lets go of her tension when she hears it.
“
Brandt-senpai?”
He lowered his hood as soon as Anastasia called out. Brandt’s statuesque face is there, with a curious expression on his face.
Regina and Hoyle both freeze when they see this.
“
 This is none of Senpai’s concern—we’re a little busy right now.”
Hoyle, on the other hand, recovers quickly and tries to reject Brandt in a harsh voice.
Brandt tilts his head slightly, but soon comes up with an idea and claps his hands.
“Ah
 are you the energetic boy from yesterday? Looking at the situation, I’m wondering if you’ve had any time to reflect on yourself.”
“Tch
”
Hoyle turns away, annoyed.
Hoyle is obviously unhappy and clicks his tongue, but Brandt just smiles at him.
“We came here to register as hunters, but the magic academy first-year students have to start at rank 6, and they said we needed to hire an escort if we want to enter the dungeon
”
“I see, the freshmen can’t even use [White Fire] yet—when you can use it, you’ll be in great demand.”
Anastasia explains, and Brandt agreeably responds.
[White Fire] is a magic spell that can be given in the dungeons of the Academy. It is a strong offensive spell against monsters but useless against humans and animals. It only harms beings with magical stones in their bodies.
The presence of a dungeon where this anti-monster magic spell can be given is one of the reasons why Lapis Magic Academy is the best and unrivaled magic academy on the continent.
By the way, Anastasia already learned it in her previous life, so she can still use it.
But since she hasn’t been to the academy dungeon yet in this life, it’s not something she can use openly.
As a result, she must keep them hidden until she is able to enter the academy dungeon.
“If you want, I can be your escort.”
Brandt makes an unexpected offer.
Anastasia and Regina are taken aback by Brandt.
Hoyle, on the other hand, only gives him a cold stare.
“You must be at least rank 5 to be an escort; senpai are not wanted.”
“But I’m a rank 4 hunter.”
“Huh
?”
When Brandt’s response comes back, Hoyle is at a loss for words.
“Eh
 no way—how could Brandt-senpai possibly be
?”
Regina, who has been dazed and unable to move since Brandt arrived, finally speaks up. Her words, however, are disjointed.
“I’ve been a hunter since I was in my second year. On weekends, I occasionally earn pocket money. But, as you’d expect from a weekend hunter like me, I can’t get past the rank 3 barrier, so I’m stuck at 4.”
Brandt responded with a cheerful smile.
Regina seems even more confused by the answer, wandering her eyes and acting suspiciously.
“
 A rank 4 is sufficient to be considered a full-fledged professional hunter—but, even if you work full-time, getting to rank 3 is difficult
”
Hoyle mutters in frustration.
Anastasia also thinks that there is a chasm between ranks 5 and 4, just as there is a barrier between ranks 4 and 3.
“Yeah. Once you reach rank 3, you can get commissions and become a true hunter—I’m not going to apply for it right now because I’m going to work somewhere else.”
Anastasia is surprised to learn that Brandt has already found work, but Hoyle cuts her off before she can say anything.
“You’re planning to get a job? You’ve already found a job? You’re the top of the class, I’ll give you that. Then you should have been preparing for a job instead of coming here, right?”
“There isn’t much to do to get ready for a job—I’m more interested in gathering magical stones and materials for experiments, making some money, and dungeon explorations.”
Brandt, on the other hand, does not appear offended and responds matter-of-factly.
“
Could you please stop poking around here, Hoyle? You are not required to go—All we have to do is let Tasha and I accompany Brandt-senpai.”
“Darn
”
Regina, who appears to have regained her composure, warns Hoyle.
Hoyle clicks his tongue and turns away, but says nothing else.
“I came here today to collect some magical stones, so I took a day trip to a nearby dungeon. I also came to see if there were any material requests, and I ran into Anastasia and the others. I can accompany you to the dungeon if you want.”
Turning back to Anastasia, Brandt makes the same suggestion again.
“Well
 that would be very helpful—how much would you charge for an escort?”
This was a blessing in disguise for Anastasia. When she inquires about the escort fee, Brandt shakes his head.
But, far from being selfless in refusing rewards, his faces were filled with an almost insatiable expectation.
“I don’t require money. I just want you to show me your magic spells in the dungeon—I’m interested to see what kind of magic spells you use.”