The Guardian

Chapter 33: Increased Difficulty

Director Vincent sighed inwardly at the sight of the man present in his office.

“It pleases me that the groups and guilds are spread all over the world, not just the larger countries. Countries in Asia, Oceania, America, Europe, and Africa. Basically, the entire world is covered,” Professor Miller said, and then with a slight frown, he asked. “But why are Aurora and Alice’s mercenary group? Are they on the list to choose from?”

It was a serious question, but Director Vincent waited a moment and...

“We don’t need to put it. They are students, and I wouldn’t want other students learning from their peers. What I seek for their study is real, independent learning with professionals,” Professor Miller added.

A resounding rejection.

Other groups and guilds who had children at the academy would also seek to have their children go to safe places and groups where they would not be treated negatively.

For Professor Miller to have Aurora and Alice’s group, which was a simple unnamed B-Rank group, on the list was a loss.

It wasn’t just that they were students, but...

“The number of members is not listed, but it is believed to be only three individuals. In that place, the students will learn nothing,” Professor Miller added, shaking his head in denial.

This practice was actually intended for students to learn about different professions, to learn how they moved and organized, but also to interact with other people and to mature as heroes with the help of experts.

A B-rank group, which was created by the students, seemed to be just a game of some teenage girls in the eyes of Professor Miller.

“You don’t teach the classes for higher-level students, that’s why you don’t know. That group has been on the list for a few years.” Director Vincent revealed.

That was the truth.

Unfortunately, Aurora’s request to raise its priority and grant it some benefits caused it to appear among the first groups and guilds that were either controlled by S-Ranks or had many users and reputation... So seeing a B-Rank group was eye-catching.

“They have also been present in other academies,” Director Vincent added after remembering.

There was the odd academy that had it on the list of groups to train, and they had earned it because of their jobs and position.

“But they are students.” Professor Miller replied without relenting.

That was the problem, the report that Professor Miller could get did not list the total members, but the groups were created with a minimum of three members.

If he had more members, at least they might appear, but that group before his eyes was one among the thousands and thousands of B-Rank groups that were only registered for formality.

Besides, there was one matter that lingered in his mind...

“Their performance in the test at the beginning of the year still makes no sense and is of utmost concern,” Professor Miller commented with a serious expression.

Aurora left her group in the middle of a test and then was found frightened in a closet, but a few classes later, she was already facing monsters of all kinds with a powerful ability.

It was incomprehensible, and it was a problem.

Professor Miller thought Aurora had a big problem when it came to dealing with humans, which is why she ran away every time it happened without caring if she abandoned her classmates.

In Greece’s attack on history class, Professor Miller heard how she had disappeared during that period, and although an officer said it helped, it was hard to tell if he was just covering for her or was it was the truth.

Director Vincent’s pen quivered.

He had covered up Aurora’s performance because of his own circumstances; he didn’t think it would escalate so much in the mind of one of his teachers.

“Even if I am objective. A small group of B-Rank mercenaries can’t help students progress. While Alice is in the group, that doesn’t mean that group is acceptable,” Professor Miller added plainly.

Director Vincent could understand his words.

A regular B-Rank group would have great difficulty finding quests because of the high number of groups of that rank, let alone getting dungeon clearing passes.

That was simply impossible, as not only did they need contact and trust between mercenary groups, but they needed reputation and decent numbers.

The world among the lower ranks was quite conflicted, and even more so in this time of peace when missions were scarce.

Director Vincent gave a sigh and rubbed his temple.

Aurora’s request to give her group higher priority complicated the situation quite a bit, still...

“The group will remain on the list,” declared Director Vincent without accepting refusal, and seeing Professor Miller’s expression, he added. “There is more to that group than meets the eye.”

That was the reason why the group was listed in different academies.

On a personal level, it was an unknown group, but with high prestige among those who knew it.

Their contacts, their backgrounds, their goals, and the way they went about their tasks were unique.

“The group doesn’t look flashy. It has no name and doesn’t appear on the membership list. If we go to its mission history, it has taken few missions. Although they have all been completed and their reliability is high for the guild, the number of missions does not exceed ten,” Professor Miller commented, recalling the report he had read.

That report had been officially pulled from the Mercenary Guild.

Hearing those words, Director Vincent shook his head.

“There is more to the group than a simple report reveals.” Director Vincent announced, and seeing that Professor Miller was still rejecting him, he added. “You have seen it yourself in their training. Although you have wanted Aurora to improve, she is very skilled and doesn’t need your advice or help... Let alone Alice.”

Certainly, the group didn’t have a long list of missions, but that was due to them accepting unofficial missions or missions that didn’t go through the mercenary guild that guaranteed their safety.

As for the other thing, Aurora was skilled, and that was undeniable even though she was a B-Rank.

Professor Miller was silent.

Technically, it was true, he could fix minor problems, and while he had the goal of Aurora improving and managing to manifest her combat aura, it certainly hadn’t helped her much.

Picking up his pen again, Director Vincent added. “Just wait until the tests are over.”

Professor Miller sighed at Director Vincent’s insistence and left.

As soon as he was alone, Director Vincent let out a long sigh.

He was in too much trouble just for buying a grimoire, and now they had people standing behind him... Letting him see that his Academy wasn’t as clean as it seemed.

“I hope they don’t ruin my plans this time,” Director Vincent muttered as he shook his head, wondering if he should have accepted the request of his acquaintances when it came to accepting Aurora and Alice.

******

Wearing a neat suit, Professor Lindbergh surveyed his students.

“Today we will talk about demons,” said Professor Lindbergh, and studying the interested reaction of his students, he stated. “These individuals are not just red-skinned beings with large horns as fantasy stories would have you believe, but can be elves, humans, dwarves, or any other race.”

The students were shocked at that statement.

To them, demons were these red-skinned beings with large horns that were not only established by the fantasy stories but by the stories they heard from Terra nova.

The ‘pure’ demons, that red-skinned race with horns, were the ones that wreaked the most havoc on earth, but they were not the most many.

“Those individuals who are called ‘demons’ have a base peculiarity. They use demonic energy,” Professor Lindbergh revealed and explained. “That energy is just like ordinary magical energy, only it has been influenced by ‘Chaos’... This primordial energy from the beginning of time that corrupts everything it touches.”

“I will not tell you about that power, as it is beyond my understanding. However, the consensus is to call all those who use demonic energy ‘demon’.”

Walking from side to side, his expression was solemn as he spoke on the subject.

“These individuals can be humans, elves, dwarves, or any race. That does not mean that all demons are evil, as you may have heard there are ‘good’ demons,” Professor Lindbergh added, and seeing students stunned by his excessive explanation, which was surely going against an extremist part of some church, he revealed. “But in the end, it’s the same thing... They are all dangerous, no exceptions.”

Aurora saw that Alice nodded, interested in this class, and she continued listening.

“Chaos corrupts mind, body, and soul. Demonic energy as an energy-related to ‘Chaos’ is similar,” Professor Lindbergh explained, and with a solemn expression, he added. “The most powerful demons can create grotesque monsters to fight at their side, but if they get carried away, they can become equally grotesque monsters that don’t know friend from foe.”

His words were both a warning to stay away from such matters and a warning to be careful when fighting demons.

Just like the creatures and beasts that were affected by ‘Chaos’ and became grotesque, irrational, and violent monsters... Humans or any other race were the same way.

“That’s all I’ll say for now about demons. Next class, I will talk about ‘Paladins’ those individuals who use the powers of the gods to take on their enemies,” said Professor Lindbergh, and before the students got up, he mentioned. “Remember, the exams will be next month. I understand that you have homework and unfinished business, but it is important that you study for my class. Class that, if you remember it can save your lives.”

Aurora nodded in agreement with Professor Lindbergh.

Having knowledge about the different professions, their strengths, and their possibilities was vital when facing such an enemy.

She liked this class, since...

“This is the easiest class for me,” Aurora muttered with a sigh of relief.

As a mercenary, having knowledge about the different professions was something basic and fundamental, and she was pretty knowledgeable in that regard.

“I like theology class myself,” Alice commented, eating her chips.

Aurora’s lips quivered.

Surely that was so because she had already ‘bought’ Professor Santulli.

As the top student in theology class who would talk amicably with the professor about different books and contribute comments to the class, as if she was teaching them, Alice was the perfect student in that class.

Shaking her head, Aurora headed to the combat class next to Alice.

Just as Clémentine had said in the morning, now Professor Miller would reveal the groups for the second stage and also report on the dungeons.

When they arrived at the training room, Professor Miller was already waiting for them, looking slightly grumpy.

“Congratulations on passing the first stage of this phase. Some of you had minor mistakes and complications, but in the end, you got everything right and this experience will serve you well for what is to come,” said Professor Miller, nodding gently.

He was watching those students who were putting their heads down, knowing they made mistakes.

“Don’t be discouraged, you have to learn from your mistakes and do better in the next stage. Stage that will be with random groups and that will increase the difficulty to another level,” Professor Miller added and, with a serious expression, stated. “In the next stage, the entire class will be divided into three large groups with their respective random teams, with the one with the fewest members being the one with the only A-Rank in the class.”

The students were excited as they looked at Alice.

If a class of seventy students were divided into three, then two teams would have twenty-five students, and the last would have twenty, but one A-Rank in their ranks... The number didn’t matter in the face of power, so they all looked forward to being on the winning side.

But only very few put on complicated expressions as they realized that the diffiulty had increased by a significant level, and so it was.

“Then with your respective sets of groups, you will face a B-Rank Temporary Dungeon,” declared Professor Miller, stunning all the students.

Just as some thought, the difficulty had increased by several levels.