Chapter 7

After that, I desperately tried to clear Olivia's suspicion, but...

Everything backfired, and he just kept smiling more and more, and with that, the aura of "This guy is the Demon King, isn't he?" and "Should we execute him? Should we execute him?" grew stronger and stronger.

How did it come to this?

After lunch break, I am now facing my last class of the day.

The stage is the school's underground dungeon.

The dungeon is a space where the concentration of mana is much higher than in ordinary places, and through this medium, the core continuously spawns a certain number of monsters to inhabit the interior.

Therefore, the dungeon is both a terrifying place and a valuable treasure trove of monster resources.

Those who conquer such dungeons, earn money, and contribute to society are called Dungeon Seekers.

Our school aims to cultivate versatile talents, so unlike other schools, we also learn knowledge and skills that are not closely related to magic.

As a result, the career paths of graduates are diverse, and some even become famous Dungeon Seekers.

Well, the scenery of the underground dungeon was familiar.

The stone floor, walls, and ceiling were all covered in moss, which emitted a faint light.

The air was cool, and this chill made those who entered feel tense.

At the entrance to such a dungeon, in the midst of the cold space, the instructor's drawn-out voice echoed.

"Everyone~ Relax~ There's no problem at all in the upper levels~"

A voice that seemed to take away tension. His appearance was also the laid-back kind typical of the Hobbit race, but he was apparently a former adventurer with great skills.

...Next to him, Olivia was standing, her black cat ears and tail twitching, looking at me with a smile.

I want to smash that smile.

"This is our first class, so let's keep it simple~"

First, we followed the instructor and learned from him how to hunt and dissect monsters. Then,

"Okay, here's your assignment~ Go down to the third floor and defeat a Black Wolf~ Skin it and bring it back~ I'll judge the quality and give you points based on that~"

After speaking in a voice that made me want to yawn... he said something that made my heart sting.

"Okay, form groups of three~ This assignment will be done in parties~"

Needless to say, for someone who is used to being alone, the words "form pairs or groups of three" are taboo. The stories related to this are also not worth mentioning, so I absolutely won't say them.

What's the point of dwelling on the past? What's important is the present, not the past.

So, here we are.

"Ard-kun! Please let me join your party!"

"Hey! The one who joins Ard-sama's party is me!"

Enjoy the situation where you receive invitations from many classmates.

As soon as the assignment started, a crowd gathered around me and Irina.

I was at a loss, but I was also in a happy situation, so I smiled...

Suddenly, I saw a girl standing alone, looking lonely.

It was Ginnie, the succubus girl who had been bullied by Elard. She was playing with her pink hair that reached her shoulders, looking around anxiously.

Her appearance was exactly the same as mine when I was a student in my previous life.

Not being invited by anyone, but also not having the courage to invite anyone, so being isolated.

Perhaps ashamed of her situation, Ginnie's deep green eyes started to tear up.

I couldn't just leave her like that, so I took a step to break away from the group.

...At that moment.

"Ginnie! You, join our party!"

Irina had already approached her and called out to her before I could.

Her voice was filled with firm resolve and compassion. Ginnie, like the other students, was wide-eyed, but then she began to speak, her lips trembling.

"R-really, it's okay for someone like me...?"

Ginnie, gripping her hands in front of her large chest, looked anxious.

Irina declared to her.

"Of course! Ard, you have no objections, right!?"

Looking at me, she smiled.

"No, there's no problem at all, Irina."

My daughter is truly wonderful. She is kind and full of compassion.

I can't help but think that if I had met her in my previous life, it would have been different.

Anyway, we welcomed Ginnie and started our exploration.

The dungeon was chilly, and many of the girls in their revealing uniforms were shivering.

However, their shivers were not just due to the temperature. The unique gloom that permeated the dungeon awakened primal fears, causing their bodies to tremble involuntarily.

One of the two beautiful girls walking next to me, the succubus Ginnie, was hugging her upper body as if to crush her large chest, looking around with frightened eyes.

Her boldly exposed, soft-looking white thighs were slightly crossed... Watching her like this, the succubus's unique aura stimulated desires, making me want to pounce. Of course, I wouldn't actually do that.

On the other hand, our Irina was...

"Ard's A is the A of evil, which means to cut! Ard's D is the D of thrusting to kill!"

She had been humming a strange song and walking confidently, swinging her arms.

Every time she raised and lowered her arms to the off-key tune, her ample breasts jiggled.

Irina and I had been visiting the dungeon almost daily in the village, so we weren't affected by this unique atmosphere.

Soon, the target monster appeared before us.

A black beast, the Black Wolf, standing less than one meter tall.

There were ten of them. At the sight of the group, Ginnie let out a small scream and sat down on the ground.

To calm her trembling, I smiled and spoke.

"Don't worry, Ginnie. I'll take care of these monsters quickly."

Then I snapped my fingers. In the next instant, multiple geometric patterns, magic circles, appeared near the Black Wolf pack and spewed flames.

It took less than three seconds for the ten monsters to turn into ashes. And in the next moment,

[Black Wolf defeated!]

A semi-transparent gray board appeared before us.

The dungeon is a place with different laws from the real world, almost like another dimension.

This semi-transparent board is one of the elements that make the dungeon a different world, appearing at various times, such as when you defeat a monster or obtain an item from a treasure chest.

Its purpose is still unknown. I'm not particularly interested, so I have no intention of figuring it out.

"Y-you defeated the Black Wolf pack in an instant... A-Ard-kun, you're amazing...!"

"Hehe~ If you're surprised by this, you won't be able to keep up with Ard. After all, Ard has already defeated an Ancient Wolf at the age of twelve!"

"Wh-what! You defeated an Ancient Wolf at twelve!?"

While listening to their conversation and looking at the Black Wolf corpses, I crossed my arms.

I had completely misjudged the power. All the corpses had turned to ashes.

It would be impossible to skin them now. Controlling power is so difficult. As I was thinking this,

"I-I feel very honored to be in a party with such amazing people. B-but... Am I really okay to walk with you two... I'm just a burden, aren't I...?"

Hmm. This girl has a habit of undervaluing herself. It's probably because she was bullied by Elard since she was young.

I understand the feeling. I was also bullied as a child.

Because of my girlish face, I was called a "girl boy" and had garbage thrown at me every day. After losing my family and home, I was laughed at for having no place to sleep when my makeshift bed on the street was destroyed...

When you have such experiences in your childhood, you tend to develop a meek personality.

I was saved by my childhood friend Olivia, but Ginnie probably didn't have someone like that.

...If that's the case,

"Ginnie, if you're willing, would you like to receive magic training from me?"

"Eh? M-magic training?"

"Yes. I'm still inexperienced, but I think I can give you enough power to gain some confidence."

When you have power, you gain some confidence.

I wanted to make Ginnie strong and give her confidence. However,

"I-I can never be strong."

Ginnie, looking down, her eyes hidden by her bangs, were probably filled with meekness and self-loathing.

To such a girl, I said as firmly as I could,

"No, you can be strong. I will make you strong. I promise."

At these words, Ginnie slowly raised her head and looked at me,

"W-why are you going to such lengths for me...? I'm just... a pebble on the road to you, right...?"

"Ginnie, in this world, there are no pebbles on the road. Everyone is the protagonist of their own life. You are too. You just haven't found your way to shine yet. ...Don't you want to shine, Ginnie?"

"Like... like a line from a hero's tale..."

Ginnie bowed her head again and muttered something incomprehensible. I thought it was a failure, but she quickly raised her face,

"P-please, I would be honored!"

Her eyes were filled with the determination to break away from her past self.

Thus, I became responsible for educating the poor succubus girl.