SRS 96

“Could we go today and submit a resignation request? And why is the assembly point the Rose Garden again? Strange incidents happen there far too often.”

Suhyeok grumbled with a look of genuine dread.

Perhaps it was meant as consideration for the first-year students living within the barrier, but the decision to designate the inner hall of the Rose Garden as the gathering place did not sit well with him.

“…There really have been many incidents in the Rose Garden.”

Yohan murmured and, just in case, looked at the dagger he had brought along. The blade hanging at his waist swayed with each step. He had gone so far as to bring personal defense equipment, yet his discomfort grew stronger.

Was it because their destination was the Rose Garden?

Or was it… because this was the guard squad?

He was still lost in thought when Suhyeok let out a short sound of realization.

“Looks like we are the last ones.”

Suhyeok muttered as he pushed aside the shrubs to clear his views. Yohan checked the number of students visible through the foliage and his eyes widened in surprise.

“I suppose so.”

“Quite a few have already arrived.”

“…Tsk. We prepared everything and came as soon as we received the order. Why are they all so fast? It makes us stand out.”

Suhyeok complained and quickly put on the mask of an earnest first-year student before heading toward the hall.

“Greetings!”

He entered first and raised his voice in greeting. One by one, the eyes of those already present turned toward them.

“It is our first time meeting you. We are first-year members of the guard squad.”

“Pleased to meet you.”

Yohan followed Suhyeok’s loud voice with a much quieter greeting. As he examined the faces of the assembled students, he suddenly stopped.

One of the familiar faces belonged to Hale, whom he had met in the closed chamber. The other was…

“….”

Yohan reflexively turned to check Mikael’s expression.

As if he had seen the same thing, a crack had appeared on his usually calm face.

“Mikael.”

When Yohan touched his fingertips and called his name, Mikael, who had been momentarily distracted, returned to his usual expression and questioned him with his eyes.

“Watch your expression.”

Yohan whispered, worried that Mikael might seem disrespectful and earn the disfavor of their seniors in a place like this.

However, it did not take long for him to realize it was unnecessary.

“Oh? Look who it is. Isn’t that Mikael?”

“Still a first-year? You are persistent. Really persistent.”

“Mikael.”

“It is good to see your face again, even like this. Once we became upperclassmen, we hardly saw you at all.”

With a few seniors recognizing him, Mikael became the center of attention in an instant.

Before Yohan realized it, he had been pushed to the outskirts of the crowd. From there, he watched his friend surrounded by people with an unfamiliar feeling.

So Mikael had friends like this.

Seeing the seniors huddled around him, Yohan was reminded that Mikael had already spent four years at the academy.

“What is this? He is popular.”

“…It seems his relationships over the past three years were not as poor as expected.”

“…I suppose so.”

Because Mikael usually chose solitude of his own accord, Yohan had assumed he did not have many friends. But if he had grown close to his roommates each year, as he had with those in Room 304, then it was only natural that two or three students per year would have become close to him.

Indeed, the upperclassmen crowding around him now numbered two or three from each year, which made sense.

“It feels like everyone he knows ended up joining the guard squad. Mikael is impressive. He has good connections.”

Suhyeok crossed his arms and spoke with admiration.

Yohan parted his lips to speak, then instead rubbed his neck. He felt embarrassed, wondering if he had been viewing Mikael through too narrow a lens.

His face felt warm, and as he covered it with his hand, Mikael who had been sighing while being jostled by the crowd finally turned his gaze toward Yohan.

Mikael pushed through the people and approached him.

“Yohan. What is wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?”

“…No. It is nothing like that.”

“Then why are you acting like this?”

“…Self reflection?”

“Hm?”

Mikael looked as though he did not understand. Yohan avoided answering and instead turned his gaze again toward Abel, who had caught his eye earlier.

The upperclassman who met Yohan’s eyes gave a small wave in greeting. Yohan had thought so before, but Abel exuded the aura of a young master raised in a prestigious household, as evidenced by his motions and the way his clothes fit him.

“Tsk.”

Mikael, who had ended up receiving the greeting as well simply by standing nearby, clicked his tongue. It was a rare reaction.

“…You really dislike him.”

“……”

Mikael didn’t answer. Yohan shook his head once, then stepped forward to block Abel from Mikael’s line of sight, and Mikael from Abel’s, placing himself in front of his friend.

Because they were the lowest grade within the guard squad, Yohan had no desire to provoke trouble with Abel and turn it into an incident.

But something happened.

“First-year members of the guard squad.”

A heavy voice emerged from the formation. The hall, which had become boisterous with the arrival of the first-years, dropped silent immediately.

Everyone calmed down and turned to face the source of the voice. Yohan only noticed a single figure in uniform standing among the mass of students dressed in school uniforms.

…He had not even realized the man was there.

Dressed in black among white uniforms, he should have stood out at a glance. Yet until he spoke, Yohan had not been aware of his presence.

Does he possess some form of concealment ability?

The thought crossed Yohan’s mind, but he lowered his head along with the others. From the circumstances, it was evident that this man was the one in overall command of the guard squad.

“…It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Yohan Herse.”

“Kylus.”

“Im Suhyeok.”

“Mikael.”

They introduced themselves in turn, starting with Yohan, the man nodded.

“Come closer.”

When Yohan’s group carefully merged into the formation, the man slowly swept his gaze across the guard squad, then drew the sword at his waist and drove it into the ground.

“It appears everyone is present. I am Kushil, commander of the Hawk Division of the Guard Unit of Fantasiademia. Until the issue of the dimensional rifts is resolved, I will be the one overseeing you and leading the night patrols. Remember my name.”

“…The Guard Unit of Fantasiademia?”

“There was something like that?”

“…I did not even know it existed.”

“I knew there was a Guard Unit, but this is the first time I have heard its name.”

Yohan had a moment of confusion when Kushil introduced himself. He was not aware that Fantasiademia possessed a Guard Unit.

Of course, an academy would be expected to have one, but Fantasiademia was far from an ordinary academy.

Moreover… it was difficult to believe that so many incidents had occurred despite the existence of a Guard Unit. During the time Yohan had spent at the academy, there had been occasions when professors were summoned after incidents, but never the Guard Unit.

Yohan looked at Kushil with a trace of doubt in his eyes, but the Hawk Commander paid it no attention.

“I will now explain the regulations of the Guard Unit. You will conduct night patrols in rotation, divided by year. First-years take Monday, fifth-years take Friday. Are there any questions?”

The hall remained silent. Kushil continued.

“During night patrols, you must always accompany a supervising leader of professor rank. Independent action is forbidden. The supervising leader will be myself on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, a professor who is available according to the schedule will take that role. Patrols begin at eight in the evening and conclude at one in the morning. Members of the Guard Unit are exempt from dormitory roll call, so there is no need for concern on that point.”

“…If patrols run until one in the morning, is there no separate provision for sleep?”

“Those who have gone on patrol are excused from the zero period class the following day.”

“Ah….”

A collective sigh of relief escaped from all sides at Kushil’s words.

Yohan also let out a breath he had not realized he was holding. The academy already prohibited more than four consecutive hours of sleep per day. If their sleep time had been reduced further, he might have gone out with his friends to protest, signs in hand.

“For each monster discovered and dealt with during patrol, two shop points will be awarded. These points will be granted to all members of the Guard Unit who participated in that day’s patrol. In addition, dormitory points will also be awarded. Keep this in mind.”

“…Dormitory points?”

“You mean the dormitories receive points as well?”

“Yes.”

“Are those shop points? If we perform well, does the dormitory we belong to receive group shop points…?”

“I do not know.”

“…What?”

The students blinked in unison at Kushil’s blunt interruption.

“…Then does a separate dormitory point system exist?”

“I do not know.”

“…Then may we ask what benefit we receive from earning dormitory points?”

“I do not know that either.”

“…Then what exactly do you even…no, why do you not know any of this?”

“……!”

Yohan almost asked what he knew, but stopped when a senior voiced a more tempered version of the question. He stared at the speaker in alarm, wondering whether such words were permissible. Fortunately, Kushil did not grow angry.

From within his silver helm came an untroubled voice.

“There is none. The dormitory point system was created by the headmaster last evening. I have not yet received a detailed briefing.”

“…….”

“…Hm. Considering the headmaster’s temperament, it may even be a jest.”

Kushil’s addition, as he rubbed his chin, caused the students to lose vigor and shake their heads.

Kushil then drove his blade into the ground once more, bringing everyone back to attention.

“That concludes the explanation. We will dismiss for today. Patrols begin tomorrow. If there are any changes, official orders will be issued. Be sure to confirm them.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than light burst forth from the sword embedded in the ground.

Yohan, momentarily swept up in the radiance, startled at the sensation of the air changing and opened his eyes wide. When the light faded and his vision cleared, Yohan and his friends were standing inside Room 304.

“…Is it over?”

He spoke while staring at the familiar dormitory with a somewhat vacant expression. At that moment, the window rattled.

Yohan glanced toward the window and froze in disbelief, knowing that it would never end this easily.

–Kikikik. Kikikik.

A green monster was clinging to the outside of the window of Room 304, cackling.

“A dimensional monster.”

Suhyeok shouted as he quickly unsheathed his sword and charged toward the window.