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High School Hack and Slash Chapter 147 Part 1

Every Day Is A Good Day

　The inter-club tournament, which was stormy in various and irregular ways, is over, and we’re back to our daily routine.

Season-wise, we’ve already gotten into December, a season when even monks run.

Our Toyoashihara Academy is in a remote area surrounded by mountains.

On the distant peaks, you can see snow piled up like white caps.

The wind blowing down the mountains is freezing cold, and every now and then a flurry of snowflakes dance in the air.

「It sure is cold, is it not? … It looks like snow is going to pile up soon.」

Shizuka, who is sensitive to cold, is fully armed with a scarf, cardigan, gloves, and leg warmers.

Thin summer clothes are nice and all, but thickly-clad black-striped girls are also nice.

However, I can’t help but doubt Shizuka-san, who is wearing too thick clothes and has gradually become rounder and bulkier.

「I’ve never actually seen a snowy landscape, you see. Doesn’t it look kind of romantic?」

Mai, who is walking side by side with Shizuka, does look a little cold with her bare feet.

「Such a thing is no more than an illusion. It is slippery and wet, besides, snow shoveling is the height of futility.」

That’s one strangely realistic line from Shizuka.

「If you move your body, you’ll be fine even with the cold~. Shizu-nee-sama too, let’s do morning training together.」

「Saki-chan’s is not training.」

「It’s tempering….」

Miharu and Natsumi, who seem to have actually gone along with it, are languishing.

「I never would have thought that we would be close to getting stranded on the academy grounds….」

「It was a survival situation.」

「I’d like to ask for a course that’s a little more suitable for beginners….」

「The level of difficulty was too high~」

The quartet, who seem to have participated in the training as well, are also groggy.

Except for Saki, they’re all of the rear class, so I hope she’d go easy on them.

But them assertively striving in tempering like this is a good thing, I think.

They’re more proactive than Shizuka, who refuses to make eye contact with me.

A carpet of fallen leaves is laid out along the path from Asagi-sou to the academy.

After a while, I guess the pastel-colored carpet will end up being dyed in brilliant white as well.

Next week, the end-of-term test will begin, and once it’s over, the winter vacation will be upon us.

Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and other lively events will follow.

Well, that is if we don’t get a failing mark on the end-of-term test and don’t have to take supplementary lessons.

「No, at this point, there should be no problem on that part… right?」

Seiichi, with a scarf around his neck, asks for my agreement.

Nah, like hell if I know.

Or rather, why is she checking with me?

「It’s because you have a criminal record, of course.」

Mai, who is walking next to Seiichi, gives me the stink eye.

Even if she says that I have a criminal record, well, it’s not like I have no recollections of it.

But I dare to say.

I’m not at fault.

「Yes, it is not your fault, Touma-san. It is all right. No problem, will arise.」

In such a manner, Shizuka-san affirms it as well.

Her archaic smile is a little scary, though.

「The end-of-term test is all about the dungeon practice, right? We’ve already cleared it with plenty of room to spare, duh.」

Rinko-senpai agrees with Otoha-senpai’s exasperated words.

「I suppose. All of us are set to have reached the 20th stratum, the『New World (Genesis World)』, after all.」

The examination item on the regular test is the dungeon stratum you’ve reached.

The first mid-term test of the first semester is the 2nd stratum, the following end-of-term test is the 3rd stratum, and so on, with the depth increased one stratum at a time.

This time, it’s the end-of-term test of the second semester for us, so there will be no problem as long as we have reached the 5th stratum.

Currently, we’ve reached the 24th stratum.

Recently, though, our conquest has come to a halt due to us having to deal with events and the like, so I’d like to advance the depth of our conquest.

「If we go that far, it’ll be on the same level as the top ranked front liners, after all. For better or worse, we decided to go with everyone reaching the 20th stratum, I suppose.」

「Please leave it to me. The adjustment is perfect.」

Kakine-senpai, with a triumphant look on her face, gives us a thumbs-up.

In the hands of Kakine-senpai, the『Creator (Developer)』 class holder, things like the status data in the electronic student handbook can be tampered with at will.

There’s a whiff of iniquity there, but no one throws a retort at it.

「Well, as a matter of fact, we’ve gone much further than that anyway….」

「If we’ve conquered the dungeon all the way to the New World, there’s nothing strange even we’ve reached the fourth step class, after all, right?」

Next to Rinko-senpai, who shrugs her shoulders, Mikan-senpai is nodding her head.

The fine-tuning pertaining to those matters are all entrusted in the hands of the Senpais.

「I mean, it’s only up to the『New World (Genesis World)』 that reached stratum is set as a test assignment, after all. After that, it seems that things like the amount of EXP you earn or the number of times you go in and out the dungeon will also be taken into consideration, though.」

Incidentally, in the case of the Senpais, who are in second year students, they need to have reached the 11th stratum in this end-of-term test.

In fact, unless you’re in a real deal of a party, I get the feeling that it would be quite challenging to pass the 『Dragon Garden Jungle』and proceed to the 『Desert Savanna』on your own.

「No, no, no, the domain under the control of the academy is not a place like the Great Kaiju War, okay? Maps are sold, and the routes to the gates are also secured, after all.」

If it’s just to reach the stratum, it seems that you can get there even by bracing returning from death.

I have a feeling that it’d give rise to a monster train.

Other than that, students with a good head on their shoulders would even parasitize other parties that are conquering deeper stratum to complete their stratum achievement.

Talk about a loose system that seems to have tons of loopholes.

Otoha-senpai also seems to be of the same opinion.

「Even the academy doesn’t intend to control it to such an extent, I guess. At any rate, as long as they’re getting into the dungeon, it’s fine; something along those lines?」

「Really, it sure is sloppy, isn’t it? This school, I mean.」

I guess it’s perfect for Mai, who shows rejection toward the word Test.

「For better or worse, not only reached stratum, but materials collection- and subjugation-type of assignments (quest) are also added to it, after all. I guess they are using these as a classification criterion.」

「Well, that’s fine and all, but you see… For the written test, it doesn’t matter even if we get a failing mark anyway.」

「You’ll simply drown in shame when they return it, I guess.」

「Urarara!」

Mai’s punch explodes on Seiichi, who throws in a retort at her.

It’s a nice chain of punches, with her hips rotating.

◇ ◇ ◇

　In such a manner, we talked about the upcoming test and discussed our plans for the winter vacation.

Even though there are fantastical and fairy tale-ish, sexual and violent events, it doesn’t change the fact that we’re students.

We mustn’t forget the normal youthful events.

Taking classes seriously like this is also an important event for students.

Nonetheless, I get the feeling that it has been a while since I last sat in the classroom.

I guess I feel that way because rich off-campus events have occurred one after another.

「Pertaining to the end-of-term exam that will be held next week—」

Midori-sensei, our homeroom teacher, reaches for the blackboard.

When it comes to the written examinations for the general subjects, they’re pretty much the same as usual.

By the time you come to this academy, the path of going on to other universities is no more.

Technical college is that kind of school to begin with, and in this place, the environment isn’t the kind in which one would genuinely pursue academic studies.

Furthermore, there’s no penalty even if you get a failing mark.

It’s nice and all that there is no tense atmosphere in the classroom, but Mai, who is sleeping, is lacking in sense of tension too much.

The schedule for the written test being packed in two days is the same as usual.

The problem is the dungeon practice test, which is a specialized subject.

「The assignment for the specialized subject this time will be to conduct an investigation to check the old school building… the『Sealed Old Club Room Building』.」

The reactions of my classmates are weak.

Or rather, they’re like, what the heck is that?

Even when I take a look at the well-informed Shizuka-san, who is sitting next to me, she’s tilting her head slightly in a cute manner.

Incidentally, the assignments issued for this dungeon practice test are different for each classroom.

It seems that the higher the grade, the more difficult they are.

But rather than a trial of ability, it’s more like the academy assigning their chores to the students, or so I heard.