Bernard crossed his arms and gazed at the flames, murmuring absentmindedly.

“The fire isn’t strong enough. Eremia, lend me what’s at your waist.”

“You mean this wakizashi?”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

I drew the wakizashi, rotating my wrist before offering it with the blade facing downward.

“It won’t work on a slime. What are you planning to do?”

“This.”

Bernard took the wakizashi and, without hesitation, sliced into his own long hair. His hair had reached down to his waist—long for someone of his tall stature. Yet he cut it off without a second thought.

He severed it.

“Hmm.”

He then tossed the bundle of hair into the flames.

With a loud whoosh, the fire flared up instantly. Only then did the slime attempt to retreat, but it was already too late.

“Hair burns well. I had been thinking of cutting it anyway.”

Had the slime simply pushed forward, the fire might still have been extinguishable. But it lacked the intelligence for that. Its hesitation, its attempt to back away, only gave the flames more time to spread and bare their fangs upon it.

The fire had already caught hold of the slime. Its ochre-colored body, soaked in lamp oil, was now gradually being consumed.

Silently, I took back my wakizashi and returned it to my sheath.

Bernard kept his gaze fixed on the fire.

“It’s still a little weak. It might go out. If anyone has anything else that burns, throw it in.”

“I-I brought a stack of papers! I was going to use them for mapping!”

With that, Letis tore pages from her notebook and threw them into the fire.

Following her lead, the other students began tossing in whatever they could—scarves, cut hair, even ordinary cloaks made of non-metallic thread.

In no time, the flames surged higher, forcing the massive slime to writhe in agony.

Everyone except Bernard took a step back from the intense heat.

“Well, that should do it.”

I thought to myself.

This was by no means a swordsman’s way of fighting. But including his level-headedness, this was undeniably a powerful display.

What an interesting man. Not even in my past life did I encounter someone like him.

My heart raced. Ah, how exhilarating. Everything about this was exciting. The academy, this place—it was filled with surprises. The unpredictability of youth was truly fascinating.

“You’re incredible, Bernard.”

“Not really.”

By now, the slime no longer had the strength to extinguish the flames on its own. It had no choice but to wait for death—to burn away completely.

Since this dungeon was made of stone, there was no risk of the fire spreading elsewhere. We were already deep enough that even roots couldn’t reach. The flames would surely consume the slime before the oxygen ran out.

Yet Bernard looked somewhat dissatisfied.

“Hmm...”

He pulled the halberd from his back. I thought he meant to deliver a finishing blow, but instead, he swung the blade down on a part of the slime that had yet to be engulfed in flames.

“Hup!”

With a swift motion, he carved out a small piece of the slime and scraped it away from the fire.

Even if the main body burned away, that fragment would likely revive as a separate slime. It was already moving with apparent intent, crawling away from the flames as if it had a will of its own.

A tiny, tiny slime. About the size of a puppy. Slowly, it seeped into the gaps between the rubble and disappeared.

Bernard nodded in satisfaction.

“That should do it.”

Curious, I turned to Bernard and asked,

“Hey, Bernard. Why did you let it go…?”

“Hmm. We still don’t fully understand the biological mechanisms of this dungeon. It’s best not to recklessly disrupt its ecosystem.”

“What do you mean?”

The towering man nodded.

“You’re quite curious, Eremia.”

“Ah, well, I want to understand you. I don’t know why, but I just do.”

Bernard murmured, “I see,” narrowing his eyes.

Then, he spoke.

“For example, if the goblin corpses we defeated in our last curriculum were still here, they would have already rotted away, potentially becoming breeding grounds for new pathogens. Even that slime has a role in this place.”

“Ah...”

I had never considered that.

Since most of the slime had been consumed by the fire, its presence as a dungeon’s cleaner had been greatly diminished. But considering how we had culled most of the goblins—its primary food source—perhaps this smaller size was just right.

Was that what he had been thinking about while burning it? This giant of a man?

Ilga, seemingly impressed, spoke up.

“As expected of you, Bernard. Your tribe’s wisdom is something we lack. Your presence is invaluable.”

“All living things exist alongside the Earth Spirit. Life eventually returns to the land, awakens with the blessings of the sky, and then becomes life once more. Life and death are a cycle. That is how the world is sustained. The cycle must not be broken. That is the teaching of our Yasha Tribe.”

Ilga smiled at me proudly.

“Well, Neu? Our party isn’t so bad, is it?”

“...Yeah.”

Spreading his arms wide, Ilga declared in a booming voice,

“Everyone thinks on their feet, and those with the most effective methods take charge. The rest assist as needed. That’s how we overcome challenges. We fight bravely and serve as proper guides for the common folk.”

Then why?

If you understand that, then why divide the class? Is bloodline and status really that important? Abilities can’t be measured by lineage alone.

For someone like me, Blythe, who had carved his way forward regardless of heritage or rank, it was incomprehensible.

Oujin, too, wore the same expression as me as he gazed at Ilga. But he said nothing. Neither did I. A tangled mess of thoughts swirled in my chest, too difficult to put into words.

“...”

Bernard clapped both Ilga and Oujin on the back with his large hand.

“—Now, let’s move forward, leader.”

He said it with an untroubled smile.