I had reached level 6, which added a new job I could switch to.
"Treasure Hunter, huh? That sounds useful for future exploration."
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**Leopin**
**Occupation:** Appraiser → Treasure Hunter
**Job Skills**
**Treasure Detection**
Reveals hidden treasures nearby.
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I tried switching to the new job, and a big yawn escaped me.
"Yawn... I don't know what time it is, but I should get some sleep. I have to wake up early tomorrow too."
I flopped down onto the Gisu wood bed.
The morning sun would shine through the window, so that could serve as my alarm clock.
"Today was really full of all kinds of things. Tomorrow is the first day of classes, so there will probably be even more...
But as long as I have my Versatile Job Change skills, I should be fine..."
Muttering that, I closed my eyes and fell asleep almost instantly.
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
I woke up suddenly.
I had no idea how long I had slept, but it felt like I had been in a deep slumber.
It was still dark outside the window.
In fact, there was not even any moonlight, so it was basically pitch black.
"What, it's still night? Then I guess I'll sleep a little more."
With that thought, I closed my eyes again.
I woke up once more sometime later, but it was still nighttime.
My head felt fuzzy, probably from sleeping too much.
Something seemed very wrong.
"This is strange. It should have been morning a long time ago."
My eyes had adjusted to the darkness, so I crawled out of bed and headed toward the window.
Beyond the window was complete darkness, with no stars or scenery visible at all.
"What the heck is going on...?"
I reached my hand out the window and felt something rough and papery against my palm.
When I pushed harder, my hand broke through with a ripping sound, and bright light poured in.
I stared dumbfounded at the piece of paper left in my hand.
"What is this!? Black-painted parchment stuck over the window!?
No wonder the sun wasn't coming in! Who did this!?"
I did not have time to play detective.
The sun was already high in the sky, making it obvious I had overslept.
"Shi... I'm lateeeeeee!!!"
I dashed out of the house without eating breakfast and sprinted full speed through the forest.
The residential area was already empty. Everyone had left for school.
I wove between the makeshift huts and headed for the castle that served as the school building.
Just as I passed through the main gate and tried to enter the front entrance, something caught the corner of my eye.
I stopped and looked up at the towering castle in front of me.
Several flags of the Royal Pioneer Academy fluttered on the castle walls, waving in the wind.
It should have been an ordinary scene, but...
For some reason, I could not stop feeling bothered by it.
I knew I had no time to stand around, but the uneasy feeling would not go away, so I stared hard at each flag one by one.
Then the color of the flag in the middle suddenly changed.
The school flag of the Royal Pioneer Academy was blue, but one of them was a black pirate-flag-like design mixed in.
I gasped.
"Could this be... the Treasure Hunter skill 'Treasure Detection' activating...!?"
Treasure Detection was a skill that could reveal hidden treasures nearby.
Its detection range depended on level and stats, but even the best treasure hunters could only detect things within about five meters.
"But that flag is at least fifty meters away...!?
Can it really detect something that far...!?"
I was half skeptical, but I could not resist checking what that flag really was.
Resigned to being extremely late, I switched to Ninja.
Using the tiny handholds on the castle wall, I climbed up smoothly.
When I reached the flag, I grabbed the pole, placed my feet on a small ledge, and stretched up.
The moment I took the suspicious flag in my hand, I could tell from the texture that it was different.
Still in that position, I switched to Appraiser and activated the Appraise skill.
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**Wyvern Leather**
**Quantity:** 1
**Quality Level:** 50 (Material Level 50)
Tanned leather from the back of the legendary wyvern known as Black Storm.
It is a large, flawless single hide, which makes it extremely valuable.
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My heart nearly jumped out of my mouth.
"Whoa!? Why is something this amazing here of all places!?"
Dragon leather was one of the rarest and most valuable monster materials.
Dragons were incredibly difficult to defeat in the first place, and skinning them was said to be even harder.
"This has to be some kind of mistake, right...?"
For now, I removed the Wyvern Leather from the pole and slung it over my shoulder.
After switching back to Ninja, I let go of the pole, dropped down, and landed with a cat-like twist.
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
At that moment, the students of the Royal Pioneer Academy were gathered in the school courtyard under the guidance of the yes-man vice principal.
"Yes! That concludes the morning session of the school orientation!
And since today is the first day of classes, the sponsors have specially provided boxed lunches for everyone!
Feel free to enjoy lunch here in the courtyard and gather energy for the afternoon lessons!"
The students grew excited at the mention of the lunches.
The vice principal handed out the boxed lunches while speaking in an exaggerated tone.
"Oh dear, we even had a lunch prepared for the Special Development Class!
But Leopin-kun is late! What a shame!
In that case, I suppose I will have to eat it myself!"
The vice principal was secretly smirking inside.
-- The "Big Oversleep Operation" was a huge success...!
Last night, after Leopin fell asleep, I stuck black parchment over his window...!
He must have overslept badly and is probably rushing to school in a panic right about now...!
The sponsors will see him arriving extremely late and he'll be completely humiliated...!
"Thank you for the meal! Oh, that's right! I almost forgot to tell everyone something important!"
The vice principal addressed the students who were spreading out their lunches in various spots around the courtyard.
"We need to decide on a student council president for the academy!
The method will not be an election or a duel... It will be a 'Rare Item Hunt'!
Somewhere in the school building, we have hidden a Wyvern Leather provided by the sponsors!"
The students grew restless at the words "Wyvern Leather."
"The student who finds it and brings it to me will become the student council president!
Moreover, that Wyvern Leather will be given to them as a gift!
Student council presidents at pioneer academies all have dragon-leather equipment!
You can craft the leather however you like and use it as proof of your position!"
The students erupted with excitement.
Some classes even looked ready to abandon their lunches and start searching immediately.
"Fufufu...! Even if you hurry, you will not find it right now!
The Wyvern Leather is hidden in an incredible location and disguised with magic!
The disguise magic will gradually weaken over the course of a week!
So finding it before then is practically impossible!
If anyone manages to find it within a week, I would even give up my position as vice principal..."
"S-Sorry! I'm laaaate!!!"
Leopin slid into the courtyard.
The moment the vice principal saw the item casually slung over his shoulder,
"Ki... Kyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!?!?"