"Maki." The professor of Dungeon Infiltration II calls my name at the end of the class. "Can you stay with me for a few minutes? I need to talk to you about something." Did I do something wrong? I try to think if I've made any mistakes, but nothing comes to mind… relax, he doesn't seem upset.

Three days of the week have already passed. Nothing particularly interesting has happened — only two more students have joined my class, the rest remain the same. I've been training like a madman in the afternoons and spending my nights in the library, reading one or two books to find something related to that potion. I have a hunch about that huge book; I'll find something soon, I'm sure of it.

I sense Professor Gustav approaching. When I lift my eyes, I see a man around forty-five, slightly chubby but not out of shape, coming toward me with a big smile. His beard is perfectly trimmed, just like his short military-style black hair. His brown eyes have a faint green hue.

"Colleague, I have good news for you." I smile slightly, inviting him to continue. "Secretary Clari sent me a message yesterday regarding next week's classes. As you already know, we'll start going to the dungeon for the weekly evaluations, and it's a bit tedious for students to wait between each group while we're all inside." That's true — some groups can wait up to two or three hours doing nothing just because they're last in the day's order.

"Yes, the next two weeks will be practical sessions, then we return to theory for a week, and so on." That's what they explained in the first class; I think it's a good method — learning in the field and then reviewing your successes and mistakes in class. "But… does that have anything to do with me?" So far, I don't have a team. I planned to ask Susan this weekend for permission to do it alone.

For some reason, most of my classmates avoid me. Some of those who can't control their Imra properly have released emotions like jealousy, envy, or disdain. I can't understand the reason behind those feelings — and if I try to probe deeper with my Imra, they'll notice and I'll get into serious trouble.

"It has everything to do with you, colleague!" Gustav grins from ear to ear. "The director recommended dividing the students into two large groups, each made up of smaller teams, and entering two separate dungeons — one supervised by you, the other by me. That way, we can evaluate them faster, and each group will have a responsible instructor in case of emergencies."

I stay silent for a moment, thinking. Since it's a direct order from Susan, I can't refuse it. "Won't there be complaints from other students? I'm a Sapphire rank like them." Professor Gustav is a Ruby rank and one of the strong ones. "And at the end of the day, I also need to be evaluated somehow." Those are the two first reasons that crossed my mind.

"It's an order from Director Susan. No one will say anything out loud for fear of being expelled." Gustav raises his arms and shoulders to clear my doubts. "Once they see your strength firsthand, all their doubts and complaints will vanish. You're strong — I saw you fight Basel, and in just over a week, you already feel like a different person. You just need to show a bit of what you've got to silence those students." Back then, my damaged cube was limiting me, but now I'm at full capacity.

"I understand. If it's an order from Sus— from Director Susan, I'll do my best. How will I be evaluated? How should I fulfill my role with my groups?" I almost called her just "Susan," but remembered to say "Director" at the last second. Gustav noticed and chuckled.

"Don't worry about that. The letter mentioned that you're overqualified for this kind of dungeon, so you've already been approved. Your task will be to evaluate each student, but unlike me, who will only observe, you'll have a more active role. The letter specifically states: Maki must be included in each group he evaluates and fill any missing position within the team." So, I've already passed? In terms of strength, no grade-three dungeon is a challenge for me, but it's good to stay in class — I can gain experience working in teams and gather information.

Susan must have thought about that — it explains why she issued that specific instruction. I remember complaining to her one day about my almost nonexistent experience joining dungeon raids in teams. If I'm taking missing roles in each group, I'll gain experience in different positions while learning — they really thought of everything.

I talked with Gustav for a while longer to fine-tune the last details. He'll personally notify all students through letters, stating it as an order from the director. I'll receive a letter with a pass and the location of the dungeon assigned to me. Luckily, all of them are within the academy's area — a part I haven't visited yet.

Gustav knows his students well; most are the same from last semester, and he's sure there will be many empty spots across the teams. He'll take the time to divide them into two big groups — I'll handle the smaller or incomplete ones.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

How I evaluate each student is entirely up to me; they're leaving it all to my judgment. Each group must complete three monster battles per week, and I'll have to average their performances to submit to Gustav at week's end. Being a regular course instructor is exhausting — I'm glad I only teach an extracurricular class.

Professor Gustav returns to his desk to grab his belongings. "See you tomorrow, colleague!" he shouts, waving his hand. I wave back with a smile. I can't help but notice the small pendant around his neck — a photo of three people, likely his wife and two children.

"I've been waiting more than ten minutes for you. Who do you think you are?" Brendu stands with her arms crossed, tapping her right shoe against the floor as I leave the classroom. I'd completely forgotten my plan for today — before training, I had promised to cook ceviche for her sometime over the weekend, and today's the day.

"I'm sorry, Princess. This humble being wants to die of embarrassment for making you wait." She hits my shoulder — I reinforce my mana and Imra there, since that blow came with the intention to hurt. I lift my gaze to meet hers; she tries to look upset, but that smile of hers gives her away. "Let me explain before you poison me." She sighs in defeat.

We move away from where we are since we've drawn too many stares. Seeing a princess talking to a substitute teacher in his first year is unusual. Rumors about us are already spreading, and Brendu has no intention of denying them — she prefers to fuel the fire.

"So that happened…" She looks at me with an unreadable expression. "Can't you go a single week without doing something strange or noteworthy? Can't you just be a normal young man for once?" She's right — I want to argue with all my being, but at the end of the day, she's right.

"As if it were my fault. I didn't choose to be this handsome and strong — I just got lucky and had loving parents." In a second, I reinforce my body again; she tries to hit my shoulder once more. The impact echoes through the busy street, drawing even more attention. If we were already the center of attention, now we're like a firefly glowing in the dark.

She ignores the stares masterfully, as if no one around us exists. I keep my eyes on my feet, trying not to trip and make a fool of myself. "Who lied to you about being handsome? The strong part and loving parents, yes — that I can't deny." She says it while examining her fist, the same fist that could kill a rank-two monster with that punch.

"I'm not handsome? That's not what the girl this morning thought — she came straight to me and asked me out… maybe I should accept her invitation. What was her name again?" I'm surprised I didn't get hit right away. When I look at her face, I see pure anger — I might have gone too far.

"Tell me her name. What's she called? I'd like to ask her a few questions." Her smile is terrifying — it reminds me of Sol when she's mad, mixed with Arisa's tone and Marga's style of speech. Brendu is a strange fusion of all three, but with much more experience.

"I'm joking. Relax your Imra — everyone's stopped to stare at us." I whisper close to her ear. Being so near, I take her pinky with mine for a second before letting go. She exhales and hides her intentions in a fraction of a second — she must have practiced that a thousand times to stay perfectly composed in public. As for the girl, it's true, but the princess beside me doesn't need to know that. I don't plan on accepting that date anyway.

"Are you really joking?" I avoid her gaze as we keep walking, putting distance between us and the curious onlookers. "Maki, answer me." She insists.

"Yes, I'm joking. I'd never go out with anyone else… well, you understand my situation." She doesn't seem entirely convinced — she squints at me for a moment, judging — but after a few seconds, she decides to let it go. She already knows about my situation with Sol, Arisa, and Marga. When I told her, I expected a strong reaction, but what I got was one of the strangest — she simply accepted it without complaint.

She doesn't have many ambitions at the moment either. Though her father has two wives and a few lovers, he's only had children with the main wives. The second wife — the daughter of a count in our empire — had already agreed that her son would have no right to the throne as long as any child of the first wife lived, and apparently, the whole family lives in harmony.

The first two sons are from the first wife, the third from the second, and then comes Brendu, daughter of the first wife. I've heard about her older brother — a famous Diamond rank considered on the same level as Julio. Unless several Obsidian ranks invade their kingdom, there shouldn't be any problems with succession. Each sibling will take on important positions within the territory.

That leaves Brendu with some freedom — since she has no intention or desire to claim the crown, she's decided to live a peaceful and prosperous life without losing her royal privileges. Her brothers adore her deeply, and I'm sure they'd cause chaos if anyone made her suffer… I just hope they're sane enough not to overreact if something ever happens.

What surprised me most was when she simply said, "Let's just let things flow; there's no need to force anything for now." She knows her position — if I ever receive a noble title, given her status, she'd officially be considered the first wife. I'm sure if things go well and her family approves, they'd grant me some rank to avoid lowering her prestige.

The problem will be Marga, Arisa, and Sol… why does everything have to be so complicated? I let out an internal sigh while scanning my card to enter the building where I live.

"You better not accept any invitations from anyone else — I'll hit you if you do." Brendu keeps complaining about my earlier words.

"You already hit me. If I don't react fast enough, I might actually get hurt." At some point, she grew confident enough to hit me with mana- and Imra-infused punches, especially when I tease her or call her princess.

"Don't be stupid. If you couldn't defend yourself, you wouldn't catch my attention." She smiles mischievously. "Though I do hope someday to catch you off guard and land a solid hit." I roll my eyes at her clear sign of violence — she only does it because she knows I can take it.

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