Ch.6060 – A Lecture That Kills Your Appetite

<60 – A Lecture That Kills Your Appetite>

Young aspiring adventurers aren’t very bright.

The Adventure Department was known as a place for underachievers, so their simplistic approaches were to be expected.

That’s why he had no interest in giving mundane lectures.

He placed severe restrictions on advanced classes to avoid lecturing for the same reason.

After all, as a former hero, his lectures should be rare opportunities not available to just anyone.

‘The Principal said there would be at least one interesting student, and he was right. Oknodie. This student is interesting.’

Destroyer felt a sense of freshness.

To think that a mere freshman could provide a perfect 100-point answer to the secret of the “Never-Decreasing Sheep.”

If this child had been an active hero, she might have reached the answer much faster than he and his companions did 15 years ago, solving the root of the problem.

“Do you want to hear the truth?”

“Of course!”

“Then I’ll tell you.”

Destroyer recalled the truth he had discovered five years ago and began to reveal the traces of slaughter hidden behind the pastoral daily life.

* *

Fifteen years ago, the first person to request help from the Adventurers Guild was a shepherd who had lost his sheep.

The culprits were other shepherds.

In a poor village with little food, they secretly killed and ate sheep, making it look like the work of monsters. Adventurers who followed the traces eventually gave up, either catching insignificant monsters or returning empty-handed.

Meanwhile, the shepherd who committed the crime grew bolder.

He killed the shepherd who owned the stolen sheep and hid his corpse inside a sheep’s skin.

Wild animals were the first to notice the crime.

The smell of corpses hidden among the sheep.

That’s what frightened them.

The scent of death suggested the presence of a predator hiding among prey.

Even wolves starved to the point of showing their ribs didn’t dare to raid the abnormal sheep pasture.

As seasons passed and years went by.

The culprit targeted another shepherd’s sheep and killed their owner.

The vacant positions were filled with new refugees who had fled from the lord.

No matter how long you raise sheep, the compensation is meager.

It’s hard to find merchants who promise proper prices to village shepherds.

For this reason, when shepherds disappeared, people could be convinced they had sold their sheep and left.

Shepherds who sensed something strange repeatedly called for adventurers, but they all just searched the wilderness beyond the village for non-existent monsters.

Eventually, all the shepherds fell victim, and the bizarre cohabitation of sheep and corpses continued.

The sheep didn’t bleat, didn’t graze, and couldn’t walk properly.

The villagers, hungry and poor, cooperated with the murderer who had become the village chief, receiving food in exchange for keeping the secret.

Thus, the chief raised his “sheep,” and occasional survivors who tried to escape without their sheep disguises became meals.

Then he would send requests.

To find out why sheep were disappearing.

And so more “sheep” would come to the village.

That was the secret of the “Never-Decreasing Sheep” that lasted for ten years.

“What a distasteful request.”

Now he understood why the reward varied each time.

It depended on how much money the sacrificial “sheep” had on them.

The Adventurers Guild had been completely fooled.

Sometimes they would acknowledge the reward even when adventurers caught insignificant monsters, creating a perception over ten years that this was an easy request despite requiring legwork—how could anyone see through it?

Numerous novice parties visited the village of sheep.

Some earned money and left, while others disappeared and became new sheep.

The long history of the sheep village finally came to an end when Destroyer exposed it.

* *

“Aren’t you scared? A tale of human malice worse than any monster.”

“It’s creepy, but it was interesting!”

“…Interesting? A story where many people died?”

“People usually think adventurers just hunt monsters or explore unknown regions. I was happy to indirectly experience something uncommon in the Adventure Department.”

“Why does that make you happy?”

“It’s like finding and punishing a *monster* hiding in human society, like exploring the *unknown within the ordinary*. It made me think heroes are adventurers too, and adventurers can have hero-like adventures!”

Destroyer smirked at Oknodie’s genuinely excited expression.

“Cheeky kid. You might not have what it takes to be a hero, but you have the qualities of a good adventurer.”

“What’s that?”

“Not being afraid.”

“Ugh. What’s that? That doesn’t sound impressive at all.”

“People often get scared. When they lack the skills to solve problems themselves, when they’re overwhelmed by ugly truths they don’t want to imagine. When they fear approaching the unknown.”

Destroyer reached out his hand to the fearless girl.

When she extended her hand for a handshake, he slapped it away and retrieved his paper using telekinesis.

He warned the embarrassed Oknodie.

“Still, you need to learn some fear. If a mere freshman walks around fearlessly, who knows where you might end up as a sacrificial lamb.”

With that malicious comment, he waved his hand.

“The lecture is over. Since your answer was correct, this explanation concludes it. I’ve added some points as recognition for an excellent student, so don’t starve and go to the cafeteria.”

“Thank you!”

“Oh, by the way. I heard they’re serving lamb skewers for lunch today.”

“……”

“Hehehe. Eat plenty. If you can.”

The lectures are interesting, but the professor’s personality is terrible.

With that sentiment clearly visible on her dissatisfied face, Oknodie left the classroom.

“With such transparent expressions, she would have died there.”

The former hero’s untold story, which he didn’t share in the freshman’s first lecture:

The village chief he had exposed wasn’t just an ordinary person who resorted to cannibalism for survival.

That might have been true at first, but over time, the chief met a wandering black mage who coveted his corpses and exchanged bodies for magic.

Anti-decay.

Walking gait of the dead.

Curse of silence.

Through various spells, he maintained the sheep more conveniently.

After his identity was exposed, it got even worse.

Sheep uprising.

Breath of decay.

Corpse bomb.

Magic that could turn ordinary adventurers into bloody pulp in an instant poured out continuously.

In the ten years since his inexperienced past, it wasn’t only the hero who had grown stronger.

“It would be troublesome if a promising talent rushed out overconfidently and died carelessly.”

To prevent such outcomes, the Principal doesn’t allow first-years to participate in practical training.

But wouldn’t experiencing attacks “in dreams” indirectly not count as practical training?

Destroyer visited the Alchemy Professor’s lab.

“You want first-years to gain indirect experience through dreams?”

“Yeah.”

“You, who was desperate to avoid lecturing?”

“That’s right.”

“How unusual. For you to find it so entertaining.”

The Alchemy Professor licked her lips.

“If the child is that clever, should I try to lure her into my lectures too?”

“Back off. She’s still a first-year.”

“She could skip grades.”

“Shut up. Don’t touch someone I’ve already claimed. Have some business ethics, you witch.”

“How stingy. It’s not like she’ll wear out if we share.”

“So when will they have this dream? During the next lecture?”

“I need to teach my lecture during lecture time. Why would I make them dream then?”

“…You don’t mean.”

“I’ll make them dream tonight.”

After witnessing the tragedy of an entire village that waited ten years, he had made a resolution.

Take care of things as soon as they come to mind.

* *

[You correctly identified the truth of the incident in retired former hero Destroyer’s lecture.]

[Situational Awareness Experience +30]

[Thinking Ability Experience +20]

[Willpower Experience +10]

[You acquire 3000 points as a bonus for completing the challenge.]

Hidden lectures pay well.

But the price was also steep.

“Oknodie. Are you feeling sick?”

“No.”

“Then why are you giving me your lamb skewers instead of eating them?”

“I just don’t feel like eating them.”

“Too greasy?”

“Just something about lamb doesn’t sit right with me.”

“I understand. Sheep are kind of cute.”

Isabelle understood Oknodie’s pickiness.

She understood, but she took the lamb skewers that had been moved in front of her and placed them back on Oknodie’s plate one by one.

“Still, eat them all. If you want to grow tall, you need to eat a lot.”

“I think 2m 30cm would be too tall for a woman. I’ll be satisfied with 2m 20cm.”

Making an absurd excuse, Oknodie moved the skewers back to Isabelle’s plate.

“That’s still ridiculously tall, you know?”

Looking at Oknodie with annoyance, Isabelle hesitated to return the skewers, wondering what if she really did grow over 2m from eating them.

“What are you two dawdling about? If the little mouse doesn’t want to eat, just give them to me.”

Son Ocheon snatched the plate and stuffed the lamb skewers into his mouth.

“How impressive that you still have an appetite.”

Giselle added a comment.

“What? Do you dislike lamb skewers too?”

“Have you already forgotten whose lecture awaits us after lunch?”

“Ah. The Principal.”

Son Ocheon put down Giselle’s plate that he had eagerly grabbed.

Even the gluttonous monkey beastkin lost his appetite at the thought of attending Dragon Principal’s lecture.