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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Choosing a Weapon
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"Heh, heh-heh~ Hmm~"
[Reader, you seem quite pleased.]
"Well, naturally. I've already made an acquaintance with the protagonist."
Wow, that was an unexpected bonus.
Now that I think about it, the protagonist also caught a beast.
So, of course, the protagonist would be here too. I completely forgot because of you, Author.
We even shook hands when we were alone, and now we're acquainted. We can just slowly become friends, right?
"Everyone, quiet down and take your seats."
The teacher burst through the door and entered.
...Probably the academy's main character, the homeroom teacher.
"I am Claire, and I'll be your homeroom teacher from now on. I look forward to working with you all."
"C-Claire? You don't mean..."
"The famous hero...?"
"I heard she retired, but she was a teacher here."
[Hmm... I did set up a famous and strong person as the homeroom teacher, just like in other academy novels, but why would someone like that be *just* an academy teacher...?]
"That's a rather obvious question, isn't it?"
What else *could* it be?
She retired due to some conveniently fatal injury that prevents her from fighting for extended periods, but allows her to fight briefly.
Or her spirit was simply broken after witnessing the deaths of her subordinates or comrades.
Something along those lines should work.
[As expected, Reader...! You're a veritable treasure trove of settings! Thank you! Hehe, a cool, mature beauty with a touch of melancholy in her eyes as a homeroom teacher is always a delicious concept!]
I mostly let the Author's words wash over me.
She's always spouting nonsense.
"First, I express my regret for the unfortunate incident that occurred yesterday. On behalf of the academy, I apologize."
She bowed deeply.
As their idol, the homeroom teacher, bowed her head, the students looked utterly flustered.
"P-please rise, Teacher!"
"Exactly! We don't mind at all!"
Despite the students' pleas, Claire remained bowed for a long time, only raising her head when she finally noticed their discomfort.
But she still seemed to feel it wasn't enough.
She clearly wanted to apologize further.
"T-teacher! What's on the agenda for today's class?"
"That's right! Haha, we're eager to learn!"
"...Class? Oh, right."
Did she actually forget?
That's truly preposterous.
Claire awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck, then cleared her throat before lowering her voice.
"I don't know what weapons you've used thus far. However, the weapon you choose here will be the one you continue to train with throughout your time here, so choose carefully."
Ah, this is *that*.
Weapon selection.
That thing that almost always comes up in the first class of an academy.
"But Author, isn't there a bit of a problem with this...?"
[Huh? A problem? Why?]
"Well, I don't know how to use weapons, do I?"
[...Oh? Right.]
My head began to throb, and I squeezed my eyes shut.
Here we go again!
[B-but Reader, you can just pick up anything and...]
"In this world, don't heroes and villains each possess a unique ability?"
[Uh, yes. That's correct.]
"Someone with, say, fire-breathing abilities, what would they even *do* with a weapon?"
[...Huh?]
No, seriously. Isn't that right?
Does an ability user who can breathe fire from their mouth *really* need to get up close and personal to swing a sword?
They could just walk along, shoot a blast of fire behind them, and take everyone out, couldn't they?
Wouldn't it be more advantageous *not* to carry a weapon?
Carrying a weapon would only raise unnecessary suspicion.
Wouldn't the academy's best course of action be to train personal abilities rather than weapons?
You just said the academy was competent. This is a blatant plot hole!
[M-mana! Let's say it's because of mana! Uh, um... ability users have mana circulating through their bodies, which enhances their physical capabilities! Makes them harder to kill! And if they don't use their abilities, they can conserve their magic power!]
"Haa..."
[And if you're going to put it that way, what about guns?! People die when shot by guns! So, ability users have a setting where they're also hard to kill with guns! Wow! Perfect! And guns don't hold mana! I just decided that!]
Honestly, it's not a perfectly convincing explanation, but...
Having read countless web novels, I decided to just roll with it.
It's not, "Why do people in this world use weapons when they have abilities?" Instead...
I've realized that I just have to accept, "Ah, in this world, they use both abilities *and* weapons!"
The only problem is that *this* is the world I currently inhabit.
"Now, follow me. We need to choose the weapon you desire from the armory."
Come to think of it, in academy novels where you choose your weapon...
Weren't classes usually divided not into A, B, and C, but according to the weapon one chose?
Surely she didn't set up the world without noticing that detail, did she?
I focused my attention, a glimmer of hope in my ears, but heard nothing.
Which meant she hadn't noticed. Damn it.
"Author, in novels where you choose a weapon, classes are usually assigned *after* the weapon selection."
[Ah, a-ah?! Was that how it was?!]
"I think most of them are like that."
It's only logical...
Why would teachers be assigned one per student?
That's much more efficient for teaching.
[Uh, uh... Okay! After-school clubs! L-let's do it that way! They'll have normal classes in their homerooms, then for a few hours each day, they'll have intensive training with professors who specialize in their chosen weapons! E-hehehe...!]
Ugh, this is exhausting.
Why is our Author so dense?
I wish she'd just think things through *once* when creating these settings!
"Alright, this is the armory. Choose the weapon you desire. This will be the weapon you use throughout your time at the academy."
Right, there's nothing I can do about a setting that's already established.
Let's see what weapon our protagonist chooses.
I hid among the boisterous students selecting their weapons and watched the back of his head.
...A sword, of course.
I saw him using a sword when he fought the beast, so that's only natural.
Most protagonists use swords, after all. Quite standard.
"Hmm, is something the matter? You haven't seemed to look at any of the weapons for a while now."
"Ah, Teacher."
"Don't hesitate to tell me."
"...Excuse me, where are daggers typically assigned?"
"Daggers?"
Yes, daggers.
Honestly, I'm not confident in my ability to wield a sword.
It would probably be no different from a sharpened club in my hands.
A bow? As if.
A spear might be better, but storage would be an absolute nightmare...
A dagger is at least manageable.
It's small, so it's easy to carry if kept in a proper sheath.
There's no particular finesse required; you just hold it and stab.
Even if I have to learn some techniques, it would be far more convenient than a longsword.
If I'm assigned to the swordplay class, there's the added benefit of being able to keep an eye on Yu Siwoo. That's actually the biggest factor.
"Daggers are a type of blade weapon, so you'll likely be assigned to a blade-wielding instructor."
"Ah, I see. Thank you."
Oh, that's good to hear.
Without hesitation, I grasped a dagger.
"Ah, so it's a crush, is it? While I don't typically recommend choosing a weapon based on matters of the heart, I'll certainly cheer you on."
"...Huh?"
Did she catch me staring at Yu Siwoo?
Fortunately, she didn't seem to find it suspicious, but she was certainly misunderstanding the situation in a rather strange way.
That's not it at all!
I tried to correct the teacher, but she had already moved on to advise other students.
Should I just let it go?
It's not like it's true anyway.
I cautiously approached Siwoo, who was smiling contentedly, his hand on his chosen sword.
"Ah, did you perhaps choose a sword?"
"...?! Uh, uh. Y-yes, but...?"
What's wrong? Why are you trembling so much?
Is he cold? It's cool in the armory, but not *that* cold.
"...? Are you feeling cold?"
"Ah, no. I'm just a little nervous... It's our first academy class, after all."
Is that so? This feels more like preparation than an actual class, though.
And his voice seems to be trembling slightly too.
...Well, whatever.
If it's just a cold, he'll find some medicine later on his own.
"Still, it's quite a coincidence you chose a sword! I chose a dagger, you see."
"I-I see. A dagger. Yes, a good weapon."
"Heh heh, this must be fate. We defeated the same beast, and now we'll be in the same weapon training class."
"Indeed. Ah, ahaha..."
His face is far too pale.
At this point, even if it's just a cold, I'm starting to get a little worried.
You need to grow up healthy and strong to defeat the final boss, whoever that may be.
"Are you alright? You look quite ill."
"Yes. I-I'm fine, really, so don't worry."
If he insists he's fine to this extent, it would be rude to push further, wouldn't it?
Can't be helped. If a problem *does* arise, I can always ask the Author for a solution then.
"Your face is pale, so you should get some good rest. Well then!"
Leaving Siwoo, who was sweating profusely, behind me, I began to examine the weapons.
Honestly, I've never seen weapons like these before. They're incredibly fascinating.
"You, a spear? Haha, you're practically a spear-whore."
"Hey! What kind of joke is that...!"
"Why? It's true, isn't it? A woman with a spear. A spear-whore."
"You, you...! Just you wait!"
Before I knew it, the students, their tension eased, were joking around with each other, entering my line of sight.
How lively.
[Phew, that's a relief... The setting, no conflict by a hair's breadth...!]
It's a complete forced fit, though, Author.
I didn't say it aloud, fearing she might burst into tears if I did.
She's pitiful, after all.
"Everyone, if you've made your choice, return to the classroom! Today's lesson concludes here!"
At Claire's words, students gathered in small groups and headed back to the classroom.
Of course, I was walking alone.
How pathetic, truly.
***
"Hah, haah...! Haah...!"
I thought I was going to die.
My heart was pounding so violently, I felt as though it might burst from my chest.
"Arte, that woman... She was definitely looking at me...!"
I saw her grab a dagger without a moment's hesitation after seeing me choose a sword. I'm certain of it.
For reasons unknown, she held an immense interest in me.
Was that a good sign, or a bad one?
No matter how I thought about it, it couldn't be a good sign.
And I had no memory whatsoever of doing anything that would make me a target for a woman like her.
I couldn't abandon my sword and choose a different weapon just to avoid her.
Because the only weapon I'd ever used was a sword.
Trying to pick up something else now would only set me back.
For Siwoo, who had enrolled in the academy to become a hero, that was simply out of the question.
"Why on earth is she showing me such interest...?"
I couldn't fathom it.
Why would someone capable of instantly hacking the academy's database and infiltrating as a freshman show *me* such an intense interest?
I had thought that after enrolling, I'd make friends at the academy and diligently practice sparring.
Siwoo felt like crying.