VIP Chapter 102: The Heroine’s Four Seasons (1)
It was the summer of the first year, at Entak Second Academy.
Shuna walked across the campus, observing her surroundings.
This was her first time walking around and observing the school carefully since deciding to leave it, apart from coming to the library to borrow books.
However…
Although Entak Second Academy is a school themed around combat, she was already dressed like a seasoned adventurer, with scratches from real adventures and a well-worn dagger…
She still seemed out of place with the student atmosphere of the school.
“Is that person… she has a very unusual hair color…”
“I heard she’s a second-year student. After a month of school, she ran off to the dungeon alone, saying she had more fun there than she does now, and basically hasn’t come back since.”
“Isn’t that amazing?”
“Amazing what? Someone who skips class.”
…
Shuna scratched her head, listening to the comments of people passing by.
“Honestly. Aren’t they supposed to be a school that emphasizes practice? Going out to work is also a form of practice…”
Although she was a little annoyed.
Having already experienced a series of hardships in the dungeon, she…
pretty much just laughed them off.
Mature people don’t argue with children.
However…
There were also things at the school that made Shuna very angry.
After she took her final exams, the dean threatened her with her attendance record and then told her…
—”I’m truly sorry. Your attendance rate is not up to standard, so even though you got full marks on your final exams, we have no choice but to make you repeat the year.”
—”But speaking of which, since you haven’t been attending classes, how do you know so many difficult-to-memorize points?”
Shuna still remembers her showing the dean a large diagram of a Fire Dragon’s structural parts and accurately pointing out its weak points before him…
And where the cut meat would be more tender and delicious.
His jaw dropped in surprise.
“As expected, no matter how much they claim this is a school that emphasizes practical combat, these old fogeys are still too far removed from reality.”
—Shuna was very angry about this.
The academy’s textbooks contained a lot of knowledge, but unfortunately, few teachers could explain it thoroughly.
Some of the dungeon combat records stored in the library had good practical value, but the academic cliques, lacking practical experience, couldn’t research the content within.
The academy, which should have been providing assistance to adventuring teams, was now… truly just a parasitic shell.
Therefore…
Because the dean couldn’t see her strengths…
Shuna, who should have been promoted to the second year, was demoted back to the first year—oh, and she had already completed about half of the first-year curriculum.
If Entak Second Academy’s goal was to train students who could venture alone in dungeons, then Shuna had certainly far surpassed the graduation standards.
Even before she came here to study, when she had tried venturing into the dungeon… she should have already met the graduation standards—although she was dragged back to school before she could do much.
“But whatever… I came here to experience school life anyway. It’s not a big deal whether it’s a day more or less.”
The road to school was getting a bit hot, so she unzipped her jacket a little further.
This time, she had decided to return to school and finish her studies herself.
Shuna thought, then looked at the school signs, searching for the school’s mailroom.
Needing to look at road signs to walk seemed truly inappropriate for someone who was practically about to be a second-year student—no wonder she was demoted back to first year.
If you ask for the reason…
Shuna…
couldn’t forget when she adventured into the Snow Abyss’s sixtieth floor with the “White Castle” adventuring team to obtain the Ice Demon’s blood…
In reality, her performance that time was not as effortless or world-saving as the rumors claimed.
It was arguably the most difficult dungeon Shuna had ever experienced.
On the sixtieth floor of the Snow Abyss, she might have wiped out with the entire adventuring team—if she hadn’t discussed the problem of needing more demolition materials for breakthrough ice walls in extreme freezing weather with W during their previous communication.
According to W’s calculations, she checked the team’s demolition resources and concluded that there was a significant shortage of demolition materials in extreme freezing weather on the BOSS floor.
As the nominal “quartermaster,” she naturally proposed supplementing the gap and paid for it with “White Castle” funds.
Despite this, it was still a fierce battle, and they barely managed to hold on in the ice and snow. The valiant captain of White Castle also helped her deflect a few ice arrows, and in that situation, they saved each other’s lives multiple times.
Regardless, the gap she filled successfully averted a total wipe.
This was…
the importance of logistics that W often discussed with her in his letters.
In his descriptions, logistics were exceptionally grand, radiant, and required someone to be proficient in everything, and must be the strongest person in the team, both physically and mentally.
He also repeatedly emphasized not to underestimate logistics, as they could easily dismiss people, and the consequences would be terrifying!
To be honest, it was quite strange that he, who had no contact with real adventuring team compositions, thought so highly of logistics.
“Does he know some… uh… extremely skilled logistician? Or… a particularly capable logistician who was actually fired?”
Logistics was a profession often overlooked, akin to doing odd jobs.
This time, however, Shuna realized that logistics were indeed as important as W said.
Also… the magical calculations from books and research on dungeon knowledge were indispensable for exploring dungeons—and even life-saving.
That’s why she wanted to immerse herself in studying books, or rather, expanding her knowledge base, so she could later identify this knowledge in the dungeons.
The secondary reason…
“Why did this guy’s next letter take so long to arrive?! I used to get a reply by the third day, but today is the fifth day.”
Was…
because the youthful campus life described in W’s letters was truly enviable!
There were stories of everyone having harmonious dinners, being reprimanded by teachers but then privately tutored, and receiving comfort from family after returning home…
Thinking of this, Shuna kicked a nearby trash can with her leather boots.
Although her background was a mystery, making it difficult to determine her true age.
But now, externally, she was a teenage girl of fifteen!
She wanted to experience school life too!
Well, of course, that was definitely a secondary reason… absolutely!
While thinking, Shuna arrived at the Entak Second Academy mailroom.
There were far more letters in the mailroom than at the Adventurer’s Guild; several boxes were overflowing with mail.
“Hello, what can I do for you?”
“Do you have a letter addressed to anonymous S?”
“Hmm… let me look… anonymous ones are really hard to find…”
“No need. The twentieth letter in the third basket should be mine.”
“Wow, you’re amazing. With so many letters, how could you tell?”
“Uh… the envelope he uses every time… is rather special… perhaps it’s a custom envelope from a certain family…”
“Is it from a lover? Is it a love letter?”
“What kind of lover sends anonymous letters? Come on, give it to me quickly. He definitely paid for the postage for the first half, and the postage transferred from the Adventurer’s Guild is here.”
Shuna took the letter, looking at the familiar envelope from front to back. Her face, which was stern just moments ago without her realizing it, began to smile genuinely.
Standing outside the mailroom, she opened it gently under the summer sunlight.
