kscans

Chapter 111 - Episode 111

"Next, Naoto-kun."

"Yes. I’m Konoe Naoto. I use a greatsword. I haven’t challenged any of the dungeons that have appeared in the real world yet."

Information about Naoto began to appear on the Electronic Board.

"...Huh? No dungeon completion history?"

"What, and he’s in this class?"

The two adult men, Kurosaki-san and Ichinose-san, seemed to question Naoto’s record. They might be suspecting he got in through connections.

"Um, Naoto is..."

"He is Hayate-kun’s friend. He overcame the special training assigned by Hayate-kun, became stronger, and cleared the entrance exam with the highest score for a greatsword user. Even without practical experience, I judged that he has more than enough skill to defeat the mid boss known as the fake Hayate."

Smith-sensei explained for him. In response, Kurosaki-san and the other man raised their hands slightly towards Naoto in a gesture of apology.

"Thank you, sensei. I’ve watched a lot of Hayate’s streams, so I’m confident I have a decent amount of FWO knowledge, but it’s true that I have no practical experience. So, I’ll do my best from now on to not hold any of you back in a real dungeon!"

Naoto had said he wanted to explore dungeons, but after some thought, I had him focus on training in the tutorial area.

I wanted to make their debut a spectacular one if possible. I judged it would be better after Shinonome Academy had gathered public attention. Also, if they explored a dungeon with me, some people would inevitably think they only succeeded because of my power.

Even though Naoto and the others are skilled... I couldn’t accept that.

That’s why I wanted the fact that they were students of Shinonome Academy, a government-led dungeon training institution, and certified as the highest S-rank. I made Naoto and the others wait until that information was out.

"Naoto-kun will catch up to everyone soon. And when he, a top-tier guardian, joins the front lines of dungeon exploration, the S-class will be complete as a team. We will begin to take on investigation requests from the country and so on. Please do your best."

"Yes, sir!"

"Alright, next up is Ryunosuke-kun."

"Nagumo Ryunosuke. I’m a one-handed sword user, and I’ve unlocked a balanced set of skills."

Ryunosuke stood up and began his introduction.

By the way, a balanced type for a one-handed sword means you can do anything on your own, but you’re not well-suited for team combat. It was a style similar to mine. Strong in PvP, though.

When fighting in a party, it’s easier to coordinate if everyone is specialized in something, as roles are clearly defined. A jack-of-all-trades style tends to be mediocre, and is often shunned in pick-up parties for high-difficulty dungeons.

"I can defeat a fake Hayate solo. I can’t beat Hayate over there yet, but I swear I will one day. It’s a pleasure."

"Having a rival to push you is a good thing. It makes you worth training. Now, next is Shingo-kun."

"Yes, I’m Kurosaki Shingo. I’m older than you kids, but I’m still only 24, so please don’t call me an old man. It’ll hurt my feelings."

Laughter filled the room. He seemed like a cheerful, nice person.

"In FWO, my rank was around 10,000, so I don’t have any major achievements. But my airsoft hobby has paid off, and I’m currently clearing Grade 5 dungeons. My combat class is Gunner, the barrage type."

Gunners who handle firearms have two styles. The sniper type, like the greatbow Rena uses, has powerful single shots but a low rate of fire. The barrage type suppresses enemies with continuous fire. It’s a class that shines in dungeons with a large number of enemies.

"Can I introduce myself next?"

"Yes. Go ahead, Kazuma-kun."

"Ichinose Kazuma. I’m 24, same as Kurosaki. We went to the same university, though we worked for different companies. I’m a Healer, and my motto is that if the healer is the strongest, the team will never die. So I’m loaded up with healing buff skills and enhanced equipment. I played a fair bit of FWO too, my player name is ‘Hakua’."

Huh.

"Are you by any chance Hakua-san from the Holy Order Knights?"

"Whoa! I’m honored that Hayate-kun knows my name."

I, it’s really him!! The eccentric group ‘Holy Order Knights,’ a party of eight healers. All of them were healers, with no attackers or defenders. Despite this bizarre composition, they were a top-tier party in FWO.

The Holy Order Knights would cast buffs and continuous healing magic on themselves and then proceed to bash enemies with their Holy Staffs or endlessly fire their only attack spell, Holy Light, as their unorthodox method of clearing dungeons. A strategy that assumed they would take damage. It was the complete opposite of my style.

"I can’t really do the Holy Order Knights thing in a real dungeon, though. But please, leave the healing to me. I’m limited to once a day, but I’ve also learned resurrection magic. Well, if I’m around, I won’t let a situation arise where you’d need it."

Honestly, I had thought he was a weirdo. But he’d be a reliable ally.

Ichinose-san was also a hardcore FWO player. He didn’t stream, but I had often seen the name Hakua in the FWO rankings. He was without a doubt the strongest healer.

S-class is amazing. To think someone like him would be here. This... was making me look forward to finding out who the remaining two women were.