The Retired Supporting Character Wants to Live Quietly-Chapter 39 – Suspicious Pink Girl (6)
[Translator – Peptobismol]
Chapter 39 – Suspicious Pink Girl (6)
Thus, I secured a promise from Hindrasta to become an academy student.
Hindrasta, still sniffling, returned to the applicant dormitory, and I headed home with a lighter heart.
How fortunate to be able to get a polymorphed dragon as an academy student!
As soon as I entered the house in a good mood, I was greeted by the sight of Olysia sitting at the already cold dining table, clearly annoyed.
“Sir Dian! Why are you so late?! Did you spend all your time at some dessert cafe again?”
Olysia angrily confronted me.
“Sorry, sorry. One of the applicants wanted career counseling.”
“Hmm… I see.”
Olysia nodded satisfactorily when she heard it was because of academy duties.
Lately, Olysia’s biggest fear has been me slacking off like I did in the past and getting kicked out, having to return to Brunswell.
“Alright. I’ll reheat dinner. Go wash up in the meantime.”
While Olysia put the pot back on the stove, I washed up and changed clothes.
Tonight’s dinner was beef bourguignon, slow-cooked in wine.
Tasting it, I could tell it was made with high-quality meat—it was incredibly tender.
Since I had been working late a few times recently due to the special students selection, Olysia must have thought I needed to replenish my energy, hence this meal.
“It’s really delicious.”
“I put my heart into making it all day. So, did everything wrap up smoothly today?”
“Of course. Who do you think I am? I’m Dian.”
“That’s exactly how you make mistakes by being overconfident.”
Laughing, I told Olysia about the events of the day.
The academy gates, crowded with all sorts of races, the fierce evaluations, and the eliminations falling like autumn leaves.
However, I made sure not to mention anything about the ‘orcs’ and ‘werewolf.’
If I told her about getting involved in the orc fight or subduing the werewolf rampage, Olysia might flip out and yell at me for doing something so dangerous.
“That’s really impressive. To be just twenty years old and have worked in a mercenary corp, and now applying to the academy.”
By the time the conversation turned to Sophie, the girl from the Revlon Mercenary Corps, Olysia was practically glowing with excitement, clasping her hands together.
“Well, I’m not sure if she’s that great.”
To be precise, it’s not that she’s an extraordinary person but rather an extraordinary dragon.
Which dragon would, out of embarrassment after causing a ruckus, be exiled by her clan and live as a human?
# # # # # # # #
The next day, before the evaluations began.
I waited in front of the applicant dormitory and called Hindrasta aside.
“Wh-what! What are you planning now?”
“Shut up. Listen.”
I sternly pointed a finger at the whining Hindrasta.
“Don’t even think about failing on purpose.”
“If I’m not good enough, I might fail.”
“Oh, really?”
I crossed my arms and looked down at Hindrasta.
“If you fail, I’ll immediately report to the Imperial Palace that I’ve found your whereabouts. What do you think will happen then?”
“You crazy bastard!”
“They’ll have to capture Hindrasta, whom they had lost track of, right? Who do you think will come for you? It’ll probably be me and Linus again. This time, you won’t even be able to transform back to your true form…”
“I just need to not fail!”
Hindrasta yelled, her face turning pale.
“Not failing is not enough. You have to be at the top. Only the top scorer can become a special student.”
“That’s impossible. I’ll try, but…”
“If you don’t become the top scorer, I’ll report your whereabouts to the Imperial Palace right away. Then what…”
“Ahhh! Fine! I’ll do it!”
In the end, Hindrasta burst into tears again.
It seems she’s the kind who cries a lot despite her rough demeanor, just like when I beat her up in the rear guard of the noble army.
Dragon tears are said to be good for magic materials, though I don’t know the exact scientific basis. Back then, I made a decent profit by collecting a few drops.
But now, in her polymorphed state, they’re of no use.
[Translator – Peptobismol]
“Captain! Aren’t you coming?”
Just then, the Revlon Mercenaries, who were ready to leave the academy, waved from a distance.
“Didn’t you say you weren’t going back to the mercenary corp?”
“No, I didn’t. I was just about to say it.”
“Then go quickly.”
When I smacked her bottom with the practice wooden sword used for campus patrols, Hindrasta grimaced and scurried off.
“Shall we depart, Captain?”
“I’m not going!”
“What?”
Sophie’s sudden outburst left the Revlon Mercenaries staring at each other in confusion.
“What do you mean you’re not going?”
“Are your ears blocked? I said I’m not going back to that maggot-infested mercenary corp!”
“Why all of a sudden…?”
“Do you really think someone as delicate as I am belongs there? Huh? Get out of my sight right now!”
Hindrasta lashed out at the mercenaries, throwing a fit for no reason.
While it seemed excessive, it wasn’t entirely surprising. Dragons often regarded other species as nothing more than insects.
However, if Hindrasta planned to stay at the academy, she would need to hide that nasty personality.
Some socialization training would be necessary.
Thus, the second day of evaluations began.
Entering the written exam hall, I saw Hindrasta sitting idly, staring into space with her chin resting on her hand.
“Applicants, please do your best until the very end and finish strong!”
I shouted loudly on purpose, and Hindrasta, noticing me, flinched before burying her head in her paper and frantically scribbling.
At least she was writing something. Being a highly intelligent creature, dragons weren’t entirely hopeless.
“Come on, everyone! You’re almost there! Keep it up!”
“Damn you…”
As I moved from room to room encouraging the candidates, Hindrasta muttered curses at me under her breath.
# # # # # # # #
After all the evaluations, the entire faculty, including Kirrin, gathered.
First, we checked the comprehensive results. Thankfully, Hindrasta ranked first.
Given her true form, it was no surprise that she excelled in the combat-oriented evaluations of the Combat Department, achieving satisfactory scores.
Although her theoretical evaluation was slightly lacking, her combat skills were overwhelmingly superior, making it impossible for anyone to catch up in total points.
Among the faculty, it was already a foregone conclusion that Hindrasta would be the final selectee, and Ismera seemed to have no objections to this.
If they had known about my connection with Hindrasta, they would have vehemently opposed it, but there was no way for them to find out.
Even if they did, it wasn’t like we were cheating.
Hindrasta’s capabilities were far beyond those of an ordinary human due to her being a polymorphed dragon.
Her top rank was purely due to her own abilities.
Moreover, the notice had explicitly excluded werewolves and vampires, but there was no clause prohibiting polymorphed dragons.
After considering the total scores and observational evaluation points, we unanimously agreed to select Hindrasta as a special student.
While the second and third place candidates were also quite exceptional, they couldn’t compare to Hindrasta.
Additionally, following Ismera’s suggestion, we decided to limit the number of selected candidates to just one.
“I believe there’s no need to lower the standards to increase the number of successful applicants. As the Imperial Special Mission Academy, we must uphold a strict selection process.”
Ismera’s point was well-taken. She truly was a highly competent elite professor, apart from her cunning nature.
Kirrin was to announce the final result, so we moved to the auditorium where the applicants were gathered.
“Once again, thank you for applying to our Special Task Academy. According to the academy’s internal criteria, only one candidate will be accepted.”
Kirrin’s announcement caused a murmur among the applicants, and Hindrasta clasped her hands tightly, eyes shut in desperation.
It was hard to tell if she was hoping to be selected or praying to be eliminated. Either way, neither outcome seemed desirable to her.
Selection meant staying here with me, and failure meant facing Linus in a three-way confrontation.
“Now, I will announce the final selectee.”
“Dear Goddess, please. I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused. Please have mercy on me…”
As Kirrin paused for effect, the hall fell silent, and Hindrasta’s prayer was particularly audible.
A dragon praying—now that was rare enough to make even the Goddess faint in shock.
“The final selectee is Miss Sophie from the Revlon Mercenary Corps.”
“Ahhhh!”
At Kirin’s announcement, Hindrasta let out a scream that was a mix of horror and jubilation.
“Congratulations, Miss Sophie. And my condolences to the remaining applicants who were unfortunately eliminated…”
However, Kirrin’s words were drowned out by Hindrasta’s loud sobbing as she collapsed to the floor.
“She seems very happy to have been selected.”
“We are a prestigious academy, after all. Of course she’s happy.”
Responding to Rina’s comment, I gave a plausible answer and gave Hindrasta a thumbs-up.
“Waaahhh! Waahh!”
Hindrasta wailed even louder, as if the world were ending.
Just then, I heard a scribbling sound and turned to see Priestess Maya, who was observing with the faculty, writing something in a small notebook while looking at Hindrasta.
Was she tracking the recovery status of patients discharged from the infirmary?
How diligent. She truly lived up to the high recommendation from Lormane.
[Note: See pinned comment for Chapter 39 illustration]
[Translator – Peptobismol]
