Ch.249Chapter 249 – Exploring the Training Area

Glesius Academy held an annual end-of-year meeting.

It was a time to reflect on the past year and discuss how to operate the academy in the coming year.

Naturally, despite being called an end-of-year meeting, it was actually a time when they would set up a lavish feast in the academy’s faculty dining hall, eating and drinking while discussing plans for the next year.

Usually one or two topics were decided for the end-of-year meeting, which should have been announced by Regina, the academy’s headmaster, but previously Shannon had delivered them as the acting headmaster.

However, from this year, Regina had begun participating in the end-of-year meetings again.

“Well, everyone has worked hard this year. This year has been eventful due to the war with the Demon Cult. However, since there are officially no more Demon Cult activities within the Celebrio Empire, we plan to change the academy’s educational policy starting next year. Specifically, we will resume external practicums.”

The topic Regina brought up for this end-of-year meeting was external practicums.

Originally, Glesius Academy used to conduct external practicums about 2-3 times per semester.

This was because the founding headmaster of the academy believed that there were limits to what could be learned through theory and training alone, so students needed to experience real situations outside the academy.

Of course, when going outside, one always had to keep in mind that casualties could occur at any time since they wouldn’t be in the controlled environment of the academy.

Many people expressed concerns about Glesius Academy’s external practicums, but the academy often quoted an old Celebrio Empire proverb to alleviate people’s anxieties.

The proverb was: ‘If you’re afraid of falling, you shouldn’t walk, let alone run.’

Through this proverb, people came to understand that the academy wasn’t simply a place that taught knowledge, but a place that trained experts who could be deployed immediately after graduation through practical experience.

Therefore, external practicums were a time-honored tradition of the academy.

However, the academy had recently conducted very few external practicums due to the Demon Cult.

This was because parents of students at the academy were extremely worried, as the Demon Cult had carried out terrorist attacks even within the academy, and talented individuals like Pathos had lost their lives to terrorism outside.

As a result, external practicums had disappeared from the academy for about a year.

Regina had expected the suspension of external practicums to last about 3-4 years.

She thought it would take that long to find and eliminate all Demon Cult associates within the empire.

However, contrary to her expectations, as the Demon Cult’s situation in the Eastern Continent rapidly deteriorated, their position in the Western Continent also began to weaken.

And finally, the Demon Cult within the empire made one last desperate attempt but was quickly suppressed, and even the remaining remnants were completely eliminated by Eterna.

The Demon Cult within the Celebrio Empire was virtually nonexistent.

Therefore, Regina, realizing that the Demon Cult had been completely swept away, decided to resume external practicums.

Emperor Decatro IV also greatly welcomed Regina’s measure, and parents who learned that the empire was safe again didn’t particularly oppose the resumption of external practicums.

This was because there had been precedents where noble children raised like hothouse flowers in some private academies couldn’t adapt when they went into the field and experienced various accidents.

“Finally, the resumption of external practicums?”

When Regina mentioned the resumption of external practicums, all professors welcomed it with open arms.

This was because… during the years without external practicums, there had been no additional budget support.

‘If external practicums resume… we’ll be able to receive special activity funds for external activities, right?’

The money received for external practicums was provided as additional budget called special activity funds.

These special activity funds were disbursed according to clear criteria, and if money was saved within reasonable bounds for practicum expenses, professors could use the remaining funds at their discretion without being held accountable.

As a result, external practicums became something of a competition among professors teaching each course to see who could prepare reasonable external practicums with minimal costs.

Well, there were certainly some professors who tried to cut costs excessively to pocket more money for themselves, resulting in inadequate preparation.

But Shannon was uncannily good at catching those who prepared poor quality classes through excessive cost-cutting…

Professors who lowered the quality of external practicums due to excessive cost-cutting were penalized in various ways through internal evaluations, and some were referred to the disciplinary committee, losing their professorships and being expelled.

Regina had been contemplating various ideas to eliminate the risks arising from excessive budget cuts.

“This year, along with resuming external practicums, we plan to introduce a new method.”

And now, she was about to announce it.

“Namely, the introduction of a performance system.”

“A performance… system, you say?”

When Regina mentioned the performance system, the professors expressed confusion.

It wasn’t that they didn’t understand what she said, but they were curious about how she planned to check performance in external practicums.

Basically, external practicums aim to provide students with experiences necessary for each department.

This means that each department teaches different content, such as swordsmanship, magic, alchemy, and so on.

“Each department teaches different things, and students have different aspirations. Is it possible to objectively record performance?”

“It is possible. Because this performance system will be linked with organizations outside the academy. For this purpose, I’ve met with leaders of various organizations and discussed it, and if students receive good scores through evaluations by the leaders and evaluation committee members of those organizations, the students will receive good equipment and scholarships, and the professors will receive rewards of satisfactory amounts. Of course, evaluations will be conducted separately for each department.”

As soon as Regina finished speaking, the professors’ minds began to race.

Unlike when asked to create a lecture curriculum, where they would mostly recycle what they did the previous year, this time they all started thinking hard about how they could win the rewards.

“Well then, I will announce the specific details through a future meeting, but for today, I hope everyone will eat and drink to their heart’s content.”

Regina raised her glass as she spoke, but the professors didn’t seem to be listening to her at all.

Their minds were filled only with thoughts of how to receive good evaluations in the external practicums.

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“But what does the external practicum performance system have to do with visiting ruins?”

“We need to look around the places where the external practicums will be conducted. If we leave it to the professors, they’ll all try to choose locations that are advantageous to them, won’t they? That’s why I, as the headmaster, need to step in personally.”

Sister Regina’s words made sense.

Right now, I was touring the ruins of a fallen kingdom from long ago with Sister Regina and Cheonhyeryeong.

This place was literally strewn with all kinds of items including artifacts, and there was also an area near the ruins where monsters lived.

In other words, students from any department could gain sufficient experience here.

“There’s also a city nearby, and various organizations there post requests for students.”

“So students who are short on living expenses can earn money by completing requests.”

“Hoho, I tell you one thing and you understand two?”

Sister Regina looked at me proudly and patted my head, which Cheonhyeryeong saw and approached us.

“What are you doing? Why are you two enjoying yourselves without me?”

She suddenly came over and took me away from Sister Regina, pulling me into her embrace.

With the sudden soft sensation, I tried with all my might to keep my eyes op… open and maintain my composure.

Sister Regina was soft, but Cheonhyeryeong was no less soft.

However, there was a difference in the sensation from the two of them.

Sister Regina had an all-encompassing softness, while Cheonhyeryeong had a firmness that one could comfortably lean on.

In other words, relatively speaking, Sister Regina was softer.

It seemed like the difference between a mage and a warrior.

“What are you doing?”

“Mawae told me that men like it when you do this to them.”

“I know that too. But now is not the time for hugging, it’s time for walking around, so I’d appreciate it if you could restrain yourself.”

Hmm… that’s a bit disappointing.

“…I understand. I’ll do as you say, sister.”

How strange.

The being who sent Eldran flying with one blow is so docile in front of Sister Regina.

‘Huh?’

While Cheonhyeryeong was being scolded by Sister Regina, something unusual caught my eye.

I moved away from the two of them toward that object… and discovered what the unusual item was.

“A… pistol?”

It was an automatic pistol, so rusted that holes had formed, allowing me to see inside.