However――.

It seemed that, aside from us, most of the class had already formed parties yesterday. Without hesitation, everyone divided into groups of four.

While enduring Miku's nuzzling, I observed the surrounding scene.

No, not everyone had moved. Void and Oujin remained standing where they were.

Were they unable to form a party, or did they simply not bother? Neither of them seemed particularly worried—Void was yawning widely, while Oujin had crossed his arms, silently meditating with his eyes closed.

Void and Oujin: two leftovers. And here we were, a two-person party with Miku and me.

“...Please, no... spare me...”

Oh no, I had a bad feeling about this. Dealing with this catgirl alone was already enough of a hassle.

At that moment, something wet and slimy ran across my cheek.

“Don’t lick me! You’re crossing way too many lines!”

I grabbed her face again and pushed her away.

“Heheh, I couldn’t help it. You just looked so tasty!”

“Are you an animal?!”

“Well, you don’t pay any attention to me, El-tan. You’re always looking at the delinquents or transfer students. It’s boring when you don’t react~!”

What an advanced form of harassment. If I let her have her way, she’d complain; if I didn’t, she’d pull stunts like this. And she even demanded reactions—what was I supposed to do?

But more importantly...

Despite our two-person party being incomplete, Miku didn’t seem to care at all. Was she an idiot or a seasoned pro? It was genuinely hard to tell.

With a finger to her lips and her eyes narrowing, Miku tilted her head.

“Oh! Hey, hey, wanna be animals together? In my room?”

“Absolutely not!”

Being an animal on the battlefield was more than enough. And why was she saying such things to a ten-year-old? Ridiculous.

Lili heaved a very audible sigh. Then she opened her mouth to say the words I least wanted to hear.

“Void Scale and Ryoka Oujin, join Miku Orunkaim and Eremia Neu’s party.”

Here we go...

The delinquent smirked and responded with a half-laugh.

“Not necessary. Anyone other than me is dead weight. I don’t plan on teaming up with anyone. Babysitting a bunch of spoiled noble brats? No thanks.”

The entire class murmured in shock. Many of the boys glared at Void with hostility, and the atmosphere became tense and charged.

But Void, unfazed, glanced toward Miku. For some reason, he was glaring at her warily.

Oujin opened his eyes and spoke.

“I don’t need teammates either. No need to worry. I’ve already mastered a certain degree of swordsmanship back home. Of course, I’m nowhere near as skilled as Sir Blythe, the hero, or our renowned instructor, the War Maiden.”

The contrast between the delinquent and the honor student, tall and short, dynamic and composed, drew everyone’s attention. Void glared down at Oujin as if trying to intimidate him.

“Hah? Guess we’re on the same page. I can’t stand the thought of teaming up with a stiff like you. Too uptight.”

“...”

“Heh, ignoring me with that calm face, huh? You’ve got guts.”

With a slight drop in her tone, Lili made her stance clear, her voice tinged with irritation.

“I won’t repeat myself a third time. Both of you, join Orunkaim’s party. If you refuse, you won’t be allowed to participate in the dungeon curriculum.”

The previously tense air among the students was instantly overwhelmed by Lili’s commanding presence. Her irritation radiated like a formidable sword aura, pressing down on everyone in the room.

Even the students who had already formed their four-person groups gasped under the pressure.

“...”

“...”

So this was the intimidation of the War Maiden.

Heh, quite impressive. Even I, a former Sword Saint, felt a bit unnerved. Not that I’d ever admit that to my idiotic disciple.

After all, I’m just ten years old. Cut me some slack.

But this was the difference in skill between Lili and me. It almost made me want to cry.

Oujin sighed and walked over without changing his expression. Void followed, dragging his feet and clicking his tongue loudly.

“What a pain.”

You’re telling me. There was no way we’d be able to coordinate as a team. The future looked grim.

However, once the four of us were grouped together, Lili nodded in satisfaction.

“Whether you move as a class unit or as individual parties within the dungeon is up to you. Deciding these things is part of the curriculum. However, the minimum number of members per group is four. You won’t earn any credits if you go below that, so keep that in mind.”

Void averted his eyes in dissatisfaction, while Oujin, resigned, listened quietly. Lili continued.

“Also, if someone gets injured, everyone must help them. There shouldn’t be any dangerous beasts or monsters; the instructors have already taken care of them. Only magical creatures are roaming freely now, so it shouldn’t be too concerning. Still, don’t let your guard down.”

Everyone nodded—except Void and Oujin.

Void looked disgruntled, and Oujin closed his eyes again to meditate. Eastern swordsmanship was foreign to me, but I’d heard it emphasized mental discipline. Perhaps it had some connection to Blythe’s philosophy of grit and determination—or maybe not. Mine was more of a mix of absurdity and selfishness anyway.

Lili’s voice echoed through the first layer.

“This is a practical curriculum designed to gain experience. Your goal is—to confirm the ancient script engraved on the iron door in the deepest part of the third layer. Those who can’t read the ancient script should take notes.”

She paused, looking around at all of us.

Then, raising one hand, she declared boldly.

“Now then, Class 1-A of the Lehan Knight School advanced division! Begin your exploration of the Lehan Dungeon!”