124 – Underwater (4)
“You have a week allotted for your task. In case of an emergency or if you want to give up, use fireworks magic to signal. Rescue will come immediately. However, in that case, all team members will be disqualified, and there may be disadvantages in future evaluations.”
Professor Priscilla spoke, surveying the students in the middle of the training ground. Instead of their usual neat uniforms, the students were dressed more comfortably for field activities.
They wore tops made by twisting several layers of fabric and pants with added reinforcements at the joints. Thick soles were added to their boots for durability.
“Even so, I believe there won’t be any novices tired of lower-level monsters and wanting to give up. If there is such a person, we should suspect fraudulent admission.”
“hahahahaha!”
“I guess the explanation is sufficient. You are free to leave at any time, but you must reach the northern forest today. Any student remaining outside the boundary after midnight will be disqualified without exception.”
Laughter erupted from various places in response to Priscilla’s words. Professor Priscilla, having checked the time, concluded her explanation.
The students gathered in groups and started walking towards the northern forest, each with their own tasks assigned for this practical training.
My group decided to depart when about half of the people had left. Those who left first were usually the ones eager for rewards. My immediate goal, however, was to finish the practical training without any incidents.
***
“…Ed, look at this. Isn’t this a marker…? It seems we’ve arrived at the edge of the forest…”
We had been walking for about three hours on foot in the direction of the Academy’s north when Ellie, walking beside me, grabbed my arm.
At the spot Ellie pointed to with her finger, a small monument with ancient characters inscribed on it could be seen. As if someone had tried to damage the characters, sharp marks were left all over the monument. Traces of some struggle to break free from the boundary were evident.
“Ugh… it seems like monsters came this far… gives me the chills…”
Ellie shuddered, narrowing her eyes. Selen and Herity also wore expressions that clearly showed their displeasure.
“The seal on the monsters was said to be absolutely unbreakable, right…? Still, it feels uneasy for some reason…”
“The professors said when we reach the marker, our goal will be visible. Let’s take out our papers and check.”
As soon as I spoke, the three of us took out the notes we had kept in our pockets and infused them with mana.
I also took out the small piece of paper I received before the departure and confirmed my mission. It didn’t take long for black letters to appear on the white background.
-The Lesser Worms
After years of management, the northern forest had become a complete ecosystem for various magical creatures. Among them, the Lesser Worm was a creature at the top of the food chain.
Hypotheses about the identity of the worm circulated, suggesting it was a degraded form of a dragon, lacking legs and the ability to breathe fire. It was a challenging target in many respects.
“…How about everyone else?”
“Four larvae of the Two-Stripe Moth. No pupae or adults allowed.”
“I’m going for four Water Rippers.”
“…Four Apophis Beetles. Limited to sizes larger than the pupal stage.”
Elly, Celen, and Herti spoke in turn. The goals of other members ranged from the giant carnivorous moth larvae used in herbal medicine, winged horned frogs from the swamp, to a creature in the marshes the size of a small child.
While not on the level of the Lesser Worm, each of them was considered a top predator in the northern forest.
“…And Edwin?”
“Four Lesser Worms.”
Celen turned to me and asked. Upon hearing my goal, the expressions of the others showed a hint of surprise.
“It might be more challenging than you think…?”
The paper provided by the professors had a magical spell that randomly revealed the type of magical creature suitable for each student’s evaluated skill level.
We had one week to defeat the assigned creatures and bring back the corresponding evidence. Of course, if we completed our goals early, we could return home ahead of schedule.
The number of creatures assigned matched the number of members in each group. Therefore, when forming a practical team, it was necessary to objectively assess one’s own skill level rather than rely on personal affections and select team members accordingly.
If all team members had similar skill levels, the task would be easily completed. However, if one individual’s skill was significantly superior, there was a risk of the others not being able to keep up.
Conversely, the same applied if one member lagged behind in skill.
Since selecting team members required foresight, and it fell within the realm of evaluation, the professors did not interfere or have any say in the matter. Even Priscilla, who received her list, calmly gathered her documents.
“It’s okay. If we stick to what we’ve learned, we can succeed without any problems. After all, it’s just a lesser magical creature.”
Of course, our group had a slightly different story. The fact that every member was assigned challenging creatures suggested that each individual’s skill was exceptional.
“Well then, let’s head towards the marsh. We can start by capturing the Water Rippers and gradually move upward from there. How does that sound?”
“Sounds good. The distance is the closest there, and…”
“Me too.”
“I’m fine with that too…”
I glanced at Elly, Celen, and Herti in turn. They all nodded, and we set off immediately.
While the marsh was close, we also wanted to avoid Eugene’s group as much as possible.
Not only did we hold a grudge against him for ruthlessly trampling him in a duel, but also because of that, he had earned significant animosity from his heroines. In a situation like this, there was a high likelihood of troublesome incidents occurring if we crossed paths.
By now, he should be moving towards the north. If my memory serves me right, nothing significant should happen in this practical training. Perhaps occasionally he might cleverly avoid the professor’s watchful eyes and engage in minor taunts with others.
Although the time has changed considerably, there shouldn’t be that much of a difference from the original timeline. The northern forest is certainly not a difficult level for him and his party.
-We’re here… finally… our…
“What did you say?”
“…No? I didn’t say anything…”
It was when we stepped into the forest past the landmark. I thought I heard something and glanced back, but Selene looked puzzled instead.
I scanned the surroundings. Apart from us, there wasn’t even a single ant in sight.
***
To reach the marshlands, we had to traverse through the primeval forest area. The northern woods gradually unveiled their nature. Countless colossal trees loomed, too vast for three adults to encircle.
Even in broad daylight, the branches blocked the sunlight, shrouding the surroundings in dusk-like darkness. Unidentified spirits and nameless butterflies floated here and there.
Sprites in shades of emerald and gray, assigned to Selene and me, sporadically caught the eye, appearing and disappearing. Even without using sprite magic, these unseen by ordinary eyes were rather useful scouts.
“…Is it too heavy to walk?”
“hehehe… I’m fine… this is nothing…”
“Isn’t it burdensome? If it’s tough, I can…”
“Ugh. I cast lightweight magic earlier… but it’s nice to be cared for… heh…”
Eli murmured softly in my ear. Eli had more experience in field operations than I had anticipated. They mentioned having clandestinely participated in several hunts organized by the royal family.
“Why does it feel so chilly…? Is it because of the forest?”
Suddenly, Eli shivered, wrapping their arms around themselves. It probably wasn’t just because of the forest. It felt eerily similar to the familiar chill I’d experienced several times before.
“There it is again…”
Herti, walking behind, muttered to himself while looking at something. The shift in topic was surprisingly welcome.
From Noble mtl dot com
At the end of his gaze was the face of a person carved into a rock. The features were distorted and the facial structure bizarrely contorted.
The expression, melded with the darkness of the primeval forest, was haunting. And yet, we had already encountered such carvings three times today.
“I can’t fathom the aesthetic sense of ancient people… why would they…”
“Yeah…”
As Eli grumbled about the carving, Herti chimed in. Eli and Selene didn’t exchange many words, but Herti and Eli often conversed.
Perhaps others felt the same comfort with Herti that I did. Bringing Herti along to the party seemed like a rather good decision, looking back.
Sometimes wearing a silent and cold expression, but it’s natural for people not to smile all the time.
The carvings and murals on rocks and trees were traces of the ancient inhabitants of this place. I had learned that humans had lived around the vicinity of the mana-rich academy since ancient times.
Surely, somewhere in the northern woods, there might still be ancient mounds erected by the ancients…
-“Take me… to my sanctuary…”
-“To where the river flows…”
As I checked the carving and turned around again, it felt like I heard a strange voice once more. Like a sorrowful melodic tone…
“…Did everyone not hear it?”
“What…?”
“…The singing.”
I asked, looking around at the group. However, they all wore perplexed expressions. The forest remained silent.
“What singing…? Ed, did you not fully wake up…?”
“Really…”
“…Edwin…not funny…don’t joke around…”
Celen approached me and lightly gripped my arm. In her rabbit-like eyes, fear was evident. Clear tears welled up unexpectedly. Perhaps she had a timid personality…
“…”
Eli’s gaze at Celen changed for a moment, becoming less pleasant. Watching that, I felt a pressing need to finish the task quickly.
But what was it exactly? I wondered if there were banshees nearby, but in that case, I would not be the only one who heard the song.
Moreover, even if an intermediate-level monster like a banshee were in the northern forest, it was unlikely. Could it be that I hallucinated due to being absorbed in the atmosphere of the forest?
“…Sorry. Maybe I misheard.”
Upon hearing my apology, Celen let go of my arm. We moved quickly to leave the primeval forest.
Finally, we could escape to the edge of the forest, but the sun had already set. We set up two tents and lit a fire. After solving our meals with dried jerky and bread, darkness descended around us.
“Ed, I noticed you seemed very tired earlier. Rest quickly. We’ll take turns keeping watch.”
“I’m not really tired… It’s okay. You guys go first.”
“…Yeah, it seemed like that to me too. Sleep quickly.”
“…Alright. Wake me up when it’s time. Herty, go in and sleep.”
“Huh? Uh…?”
Herty, who heard me, looked extremely bewildered.
“N-no, it’s not that. I just wanted to set up first… It’s better if you guys sleep first.”
“…Alright. We’ll rest first then.”
“Uh-huh…”
I entered the tent and lay down. Unlike the mansion, the hard ground greeted me, but surprisingly, it didn’t feel uncomfortably hard. Looking at the flowing stream of stars, it seemed like I had indeed been quite tired, especially worrying about Eli and Celen.
***
It was Celen’s turn to stand guard, relieving Herty. Inside the tent, two sets of breathing sounds alternated. The irregular and deep breaths of Herty, and the steady sound of Edwin peacefully asleep.
I should have been the one next to him, and the regret was overwhelming. The void was growing increasingly larger. Since Eli’s return, I could no longer claim Edwin as I used to.
After throwing branches into the campfire, a faint rustling sound was heard. Turning around, two radiant glows with an emerald hue became visible.
“…What…?”
Celen asked, looking at Eli. It wasn’t even Eli’s turn, so there was no reason for her to come out yet.
Since they weren’t on good terms, pleasant words didn’t come easily. After a moment of silence, Eli finally spoke.
“You, really can’t do it.”
Celen couldn’t find any meaning in Eli’s words.
“What…”
“Acting.”
“…”
Finally, Celen could understand Eli’s meaning. It was an overt expression, almost abnormal in its frankness, that she couldn’t comprehend.