The Guardian

Chapter 40: She is a good student

In the classroom, all the students looked at Professor Lindbergh.

“As you already know the second dungeon fight is over. Only the last one is left, which will be tomorrow, and everything will be over. However, don’t get excited about the vacations and your practices and ignore your study,” Professor Lindbergh warned with a serious tone, and looking at the students, he added. “I have spoken to Professor Miller and you all must pass your combat major class and this skills theories class if you want a chance to participate in this practice.”

A few students took a deep breath, and Aurora nodded softly.

This was one of the classes she was pretty good at, so she wasn’t afraid of the exams... Of this particular class.

“In the ‘real practices’ you will have new companions by your side. However, they are not like the teachers who will protect you. They will be actual situations and their knowledge or ability can make a difference,” Professor Lindbergh reminded and, with a smile, added quietly. “Sure, if they care about their images they will study, as that is better than them ending up as ignorant when confronted with some creature.”

He didn’t mention about giving importance to the Academy’s appearance, only pointing out that they were what would suffer if they were ignorant about professions or creatures of basic knowledge.

With those words, Professor Lindbergh left.

“Exhausted?” Aurora asked Alice, who was eating chips.

Yesterday, the second combat had taken place, and the cleansing was done in a temporary dungeon in the United Kingdom and Director Vincent himself had attended.

The combat was easy.

Clementine was an excellent leader, very versatile, and with the help of Nicole and Joslyn, among other leaders, she could do a good job even though they had twenty students.

Alice shook her head and muttered. “That woman was too much trouble.”

Aurora’s lips quivered and she held back her smile.

The woman Alice was referring to was the S-Rank mage, Cécile Leroux, who had attended the cleanup and had tried to start a conversation with Alice, seeking her to join her magic academy.

That was the reason for her current tiredness and not from facing enemies and clearing the temporary dungeon with her group.

“Let’s go eat, maybe that will cheer you up a bit,” Aurora commented with a smile, and seeing Alice nod earnestly, her smile only got bigger.

Smiling and nodding at a few students who greeted her politely, she left her classroom and headed for the dining hall.

“This is how it should have been from the start,” Alice muttered, nodding over and over to herself.

Alice watched as some students looked respectfully at both and not just at Alice.

As for the students in Marc and Alexey’s group, they were greeting them friendly.

Everyone in the group had formally thanked Aurora, but Alexey didn’t just stick to that; he posted a very formal thank you on the Academy app, which made everyone aware of Aurora’s feat.

It wasn’t just about saving ten students, but fighting two A-Rank creatures and defeating them.

“I don’t really care,” Aurora said with a soft smile.

Respect, fame, or money.

That was of no importance to her; that was the reason why she refused the ‘payments’ some students wanted to make to her or the expensive gifts they wanted to give her as a form of thanks.

It was one thing to be grateful and another to have them try to give her a luxury car... She certainly rejected the second one.

“Well, I like it this way. It was exhausting having the students think you were just a scared little girl,” Alice commented as she wolfed down her bag of chips.

Having the students look down on Aurora was quite annoying to Alice.

Aurora shook her head, and as they reached the dining hall, they ordered their meals and sat down in an empty seat.

“Should we go see the third group?” Alice asked suddenly.

The final cleanup bout would be led by Andrés and Leslie, with a group of twenty-five students, and would be held in the United States.

Their participation was not necessary since even if something happened, Director Vincent would be present, and he would surely move his contacts for emergencies.

But the biggest problem was.

“I want to see if it is possible to end this tonight,” Aurora said seriously, and looking at Alice, she explained. “And if things go wrong, we surely won’t have the energy to attend tomorrow.”

Actually, it was half a lie, since it was quite possible to attend tomorrow even if they had worked... That didn’t mean it wouldn’t be any less tiring.

If they finished everything today, why should they go tomorrow?

“Oh, I thought you wanted to watch the student fights,” Alice commented, and when she saw Aurora was being the lazy one, she added with a smile. “I guess you must already have those you want to invite.”

Aurora didn’t deny or confirm anything, but her little smile said it all.

Once the month of May was over, it would only be June before the vacation would start... Or, more precisely, the internship would start.

She already had some students in mind, but she still had to define it with Alice to make a check, and then they had to see if they would accept to join her group of mercenaries for the internship.

After all, it was hard to say if ‘good students’ would join an unknown mercenary group that was on a continent that everyone saw as ‘abandoned.’

Aurora was about to comment on the names when Alice averted her gaze, and as she followed, she noticed Érica heading towards her position.

At the duo’s stare, Érica shivered but then swallowed perceptibly and walked over.

“I... I’m sorry about that day,” Érica said in a raised voice while at the same time lowering her head in embarrassment and shyness.

She had let herself get carried away with anger, nerves of the situation, and worry, then couldn’t help but yell at Aurora furiously for abandoning them, accusing her unfairly.

Unable to notice that she had fought hard to save other students.

“I thought you ran away like in the test... I thought you abandoned us out of fear.” Érica muttered in embarrassment.

No matter how much Aurora had slowly improved, when a serious and lethal situation presented itself, that little backstory that she had abandoned the group in their test only to later be found scared in a closet came back to Érica’s mind and raised her negative emotions.

But after seeing that the reality was very different, she regretted her outburst.

“Your work in saving others... It was amazing,” Érica stated with seriousness and admiration.

In just an instant, Aurora had left a barrier for her group and then fled with no hesitation.

She had also heard the story of Alexey, who was the last to fall unconscious and... Aurora was the heroine who jumped into danger to save people without fear or trepidation.

With a soft smile that made her seem to look as if she could handle all the danger, Aurora saved them... That was Alexey’s description in his post on the academy’s app.

Érica only belatedly realized it made sense... After all, when they arrived, Aurora was slightly injured, but there were no whimpers, moans, or any unreasonable requests.

Even when she was charged by her, she kept her cool and intervened when Alice spoke.

Still... Even so... Even so... Érica couldn’t resist at the sight of Alice and Aurora.

“I’m a hero too. Yes, it’s true I’m weak and lack experience, but I just hope... I hope next time you’ll let me help you,” Érica said with embarrassment, but seeing Aurora’s soft smile, she took courage and declared. “After all, I too am a heroine and wish to help others, even if...”

“It’s okay.” Aurora interrupted before Érica said her last part.

The last part was referenced with a topic that Aurora didn’t like, but that all heroes faced at some point.

The risk of dying to help someone else... Someone who, in many cases, was an unknown person.

That was the difference between a fake hero and a real one.

To some, those people were just idiots, but in the end, those idiots saved lives.

“I’m not upset about your outburst and you don’t need to apologize. Sometimes other people have to take the lead and all you can do is fall behind, but as long as you’re still alive you can become the next person to take the lead if you keep trying hard,” Aurora stated in a soft and calm tone.

That was why she didn’t seek the help of Érica’s group.

She would not risk the students’ lives, just so they could lessen the pressure or the danger of her losing her life.

Aurora herself knew she was reckless, but she had the confidence to sustain that recklessness.

Just as she stepped forward to fight for herself, if Érica followed through with her ideals at some point, she would also have to do the same.

Érica lowered her head as she heard those words.

Words that didn’t criticize her only reminded her... That when she was strong, she too would have to step forward to protect others.

“I understand,” Érica murmured, looking rather stricken, but still gave a smile and stated. “Thank you.”

With that thank you, she walked away feeling more relieved, and Aurora just shook her head at the sight of her.

“She’s a good student,” Aurora pointed out with a smile.

“I guess apologizing for a mistake can be considered ‘good’,” Alice muttered in a slightly sarcastic tone.

Aurora noticed that Alice was still upset about that day, but she shrugged it off.

“That wasn’t what I was referring to. I was referring to the fact that she, besides apologizing, offered to help. Even knowing her weakness,” Aurora said with a soft smile.

It wasn’t arrogance because Alice belittled her abilities, but she genuinely hoped to help by following her own ideals about ‘heroes’... That’s what Aurora could see.

“Well, it’s just words,” Alice pointed out, eating her chips with disinterest.

In the long history of mankind, how many people volunteered to do great deeds but ran away as soon as they encountered adversity?

Their number was uncountable.

Words meant nothing when the decisive moment between life and death came.

Yet...

“By words, one begins,” Aurora replied with a soft smile.

Words were only the beginning, and that first step was important and more so in this world where monsters and creatures can appear out of nowhere and destroy everything.

Alice shook her head at that answer but continued to eat the lunch she had ordered.

As Aurora watched her companion eat, her holographic watch vibrated, and when she saw the call, she only put on an earphone to listen, preventing students with sharp ears from hearing.

Then, she accepted the call and...

“I think I found the person you were looking for.” Said Serena, the leader of the city’s information network.

“Good. Send me the report.” Aurora stated with a serious expression.

The call cut out, and the report quickly arrived on her holographic watch.

She had kept helping Director Vincent, at least until she stopped the mole, who was most likely at the academy.

She didn’t want to get into this kind of business, but once they endangered innocents as irrationally as it was in the dungeon with the overflow, Aurora’s limits were overstepped.

It was best to stop everything now quickly and effectively.

“Apparently, we’re going to have some work to do tonight,” Aurora said to Alice, and the latter only nodded.

“Mom won’t know what to do when she finds out your so-called vacation ended up having work,” Alice muttered, gently shaking her head.

“Well, I guess she won’t be that upset,” Aurora replied, and when Alice gave her a look, she, with a smile, stated. “Since I feel better than I did before.”

Alice was surprised, but gave a pleasant smile.

Not only had she managed to become an A-Rank fighter, but in the process, she could realize the reason she had long forgotten.

The reason why after walking away from everything and putting down her sword, she got back up again.

Certainly, this vacation helped her to make a little more progress in her problems.

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