111 – City of Adventurers
The big eyes wandering the battlefield disappeared before I knew it.
I thought about chasing, but there was no point in chasing a familiar that could be reverse summoned at any time. Also, I had a strong intuition that there would be no real goal there if I chased after the fleeing undead.
What matters now is the situation in the city and the condition of the students.
I’ve been hit a few times by shells, so I’m still worried. I looked up at the sky just in case, but as expected, the airship was gradually falling from the sky, emitting black smoke.
“Damn it….”
I furrowed my brow.
Why does that stupid machine always crash every time I ride it? At this point, it seems that something has been cursed.
I let out a deep sigh and ran towards the airship that was gradually falling.
Fortunately, the airship was not completely out of control. It seemed to be just attempting an emergency landing as it slowly slowed down steadily while emitting black smoke.
You don’t have to worry about it exploding from the shock of landing.
The airship landed right in front of the main gate of the city. In a way, it was a natural choice since there wasn’t really a wide space to land in the city.
When I approached the city, the first thing that greeted me was the students.
Titania spotted me and ran straight away.
“Instructor Ion!”
Other students were following her one after another.
Titania opened her arms wide with a flushed expression as she explained what she had seen.
“It was amazing! End… Membrane! When the instructor jumped down, the ground cracked open! All the undead are swept away with one punch! I thought I was looking at some kind of legendary hero!”
Opal Black’s students nodded in affirmation at Titania’s words.
Shurtz said with an expression of admiration.
“I knew the instructor was strong, but I never thought he would be this strong. Have you reached the master class you’ve only heard about?”
Students’ faces were filled with excitement.
Looking into their eyes, I immediately knew why.
That was a sense of awe for me.
I can understand why students who don’t know who I am look like that, but Elisabeth, who probably already knows who I am, and Marian, who is highly likely to know me, have similar expressions.
Perhaps he felt the difference between what he heard and what he actually saw.
I didn’t really like the atmosphere, so I shook my head lightly and said.
“I don’t think that’s important right now. Are there any other injuries?”
“Everything is fine! Thanks to the instructor’s good blocking, fortunately no one was hurt. The Airship seems to be a little out of order, but….”
While chatting with the students, I saw someone jumping out of the airship and running this way.
It was Instructor Lilya.
“Instructor Graham!”
“… Instructor Lyria?”
Instructor Lyria approached me with a pale complexion. And immediately began to check all over the body.
“Are you okay? Wounded… Are there any injuries!? Gu, first aid… No, since the city is right next door, calling a doctor is-“
“Instructor Lilya, calm down. I am fine.”
I rolled up my sleeves and showed my free arm.
There were small scars left, but they were all old wounds, and even if they were injured, they would have finished regenerating by now. Because my regeneration speed is already beyond human.
After Instructor Lilya checked my physical condition, tears began to fill my eyes filled with worry. Then he shouted out loud in anger.
“Oh, you were worried! What if you suddenly jumped from that height without leaving such a word! I know what the instructor really is… ! I was watching nervously from above!”
“… ….”
I can’t remember how long it’s been since I’ve been worried about going to the battlefield. It was almost the first time since Charlotte left. That’s why Instructor Lilya’s reaction was very unfamiliar, and at the same time, I was embarrassed.
Remembering what happened with Charlotte, I think the comments about how it wasn’t dangerous at all and why you were worried made me rather angry. In times like these, it’s best to just say sorry.
After thinking for a while, I opened my mouth in a soft voice.
“Sorry. I had no intention of worrying Instructor Lyria.”
“… Black!”
She burst into tears at my answer.
Well, that’s not the reaction I expected.
As I stood still, not knowing how to respond, Instructor Lilya wiped away the tears shed and spoke with blushing eyes.
“You’re not going to do anything risky like that again, are you?”
“… ….”
I didn’t say anything and kept my mouth shut.
At that time, there was no other way but to step forward, and if I could turn back time, I would make the same choice. So I didn’t want to lie, so I just chose silence.
As if reading the answer from that silence, Instructor Lirya put on a sad expression.
“I’m very grateful for the help I got from Instructor Graham, but I don’t want to see him get hurt. Even if the same thing happens to you, please know that there are people who will worry about the instructor next time.”
“… All right.”
I could have promised you that much.
At Instructor Lilya’s words, the atmosphere around her, including her students, became solemn.
When awkward air filled the surroundings, another person disembarked at the right time from the airship side.
It was Dr. Brown, covered in grease and soot.
He appeared, completely darkened, shaking off dust from clothes that could not be called white clothes.
“Oops! Our hero has returned. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, but how is the airship? Is the engine broken again?”
“That can’t be! It’s a design that puts more emphasis on durability than before. It doesn’t break that easily!”
I said, frowning.
“Didn’t it fall after all?”
“… Big! That’s why it’s strange that he’s still intact after being hit so many times! The engine is fine, but the thruster took a direct hit. It’s probably possible to get up and down. But for the time being, it will be an expensive hot air balloon sale.”
I understood it to mean that it started but could not move forward.
“Need repairs?”
“Anyway. Fortunately, the necessary materials are in the airship, but the problem is time. No country can fix it in one day. It would be a big problem if you leave it outside the walls like this and get attacked again.”
“Then we must go into the city.”
It was not possible to leave close to 200 students outside the walls in an uneasy situation where the undead attack might start again.
Fortunately, there seemed to be no major problems entering the city. The people of the city must have seen me fighting, and while they were waiting in front of the main gate, they were already opening the gates and preparing to greet us.
In the city, the work of opening the gates and lowering the pulleys was in full swing.
If you wait a while, someone will come to meet you soon.
“Keuheum, big.”
Then Dr. Brown gave me a sneak peek. It seemed that he meant to come closer.
As I approached Dr. Brown, he grabbed me by the shoulders and carefully led me away from the students. There, the doctor started talking quietly.
“Be nice to that lady. Because the other instructors, along with your students, tried to dissuade them by saying that they had to turn the boat around right away, and that they couldn’t abandon you.”
“If you are a young lady… You mean Instructor Lilya?”
“Yes. Well, she doesn’t look like a lady at all… It doesn’t matter. Aren’t they like that with each other? Don’t be too upset and treat me well.”
Anyway, the doctor seemed to have a serious misunderstanding.
I shook my head and corrected the misunderstanding.
“You may be mistaken, but I and Instructor Lilya are not related.”
“Ehh? No?”
“Yes. It’s just a work colleague relationship.”
At my reply, Dr. Brown scratched his chin sullenly and said,
“It didn’t look that way… Well, if you are, that’s it. Anyway, the way that lady thinks of you is unusual even when I see it. It’s a pity that I said that this ship had to land anyway, and was ready to forcefully turn the bow to pick you up if it were to happen.”
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“Did that happen?”
“Yeah, it was.”
Dr. Brown hardened his expression seriously.
“Contrary to her appearance, that lady definitely seems like an adult. Kids, well, since you’re still young, you’ll just look amazing. But didn’t that lady only care about your well-being? It must be because they know the gravity of war.”
“Um….”
“It was an old man’s futile fuss, but he is very thoughtful. It’s not uncommon to have such a sincere person. The Sonia I met when I was young was just like that. There weren’t many people who accepted my eccentric personality, but she’d be a little nicer before she left then. I still have regrets….”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“Euhehehe, you’re saying don’t regret like me, right?”
For someone who said that, his face was full of mischief typical of an eccentric old man.
I shook my head with a sigh and walked away from Dr. Brown.
At that moment, the gates of the city were opened, and a guide came out to meet them from inside.
The situation in Schwarzheim that entered like that.
It was much, much more serious than I thought.