Episode 65
Late night on the third day.
“I’m slowly getting used to the air here.”
Without fail, I choose a place full of demonic energy, settle down there, and carry out the work of seizing and returning the demonic energy of the area.
The work you do is no different.
It gathers the demonic energy of the area, sweeps it up, and burns it to collect the impurities and make it into a mass of pure demonic energy.
Then, I take full control of the mass of magic I have collected and make it my own, filling the circle.
“At first it was difficult, but now I can do it with my eyes closed.”
“That means that our Xian’s class has grown.”
Watching the flow of demonic energy I was controlling, Emily stroked my hair.
“The circle of magic is four. For you, who have fully mastered the intuition, this amount of magic is no longer enough, right?”
“Right.”
The amount of energy that was difficult to handle with the amount of magic power of the 3rd circle was only enough to handle easily at the point of reaching the 4th circle.
“At least that means you pulled out enough to eat.”
“It might have the effect of creating a circle and replenishing it quickly, but now this alone won’t be enough material to develop your capabilities.”
As if pleased with my growth, Emily stroked my hair repeatedly.
What kind of dog am I?
“Whoops… … . Our Xian, who only knew the basics of black magic just a few months ago, has already grown this much.”
“It will be difficult if you don’t grow up.”
“Whoops, that’s right.”
For the sake of my future, and Emily too, she explicitly wants me to rapidly grow in strength.
“I think this is enough to lay the foundation.”
Now, in this forest environment, preparations have been made.
‘Can I wait for the rest to happen soon?’
Doing camping.
Hunt monsters to gain experience.
In addition, he rips off his classmates and gets a share.
Isn’t it a really good time?
‘It will start soon.’
The event that ends Chapter 2.
It starts on the 4th day of the external practice.
‘I have to wait.’
You know what’s going to happen, but you have no choice but to pretend you don’t know.
‘At least now I don’t have to get involved.’
If you clumsily interfere with only the knowledge you know, and then an unexpected situation arises, then it will be difficult to deal with.
Certainly after the incident I know happened.
The surest way to intervene at that time and solve it with my own hands depending on the situation.
‘There is nothing to worry about.’
As long as the game I know is played, all I have to do is keep running after that.
‘Suddenly, the event begins.’
* * *
After returning to the base with full energy, the cabin was somewhat noisy.
“Are you two fighting?”
“No way.”
Celidia and Alpine didn’t have a one-on-one relationship until the outside practice, so I can’t say they’re close, but I don’t think it’s to the point of fighting between them.
“Celidia! It ran that way!”
“huh! I know.”
“If you catch it with spiritism… … .”
“no. The cabin might be destroyed.”
“That’s troublesome! Because Xian will scold you.”
From the sounds you hear, it sounds like you’re chasing something.
“Did a rat come in… … .”
No, aren’t they the ones who make a fuss just because of the rat?
“ah… … . no way… … .”
“Why?”
“I have an annoying feeling.”
Unfortunately, it’s not even unpredictable.
Day 3 of off-site practice.
At this point, maybe… … .
“Has it already started? … … I will have no choice but to check for myself.”
I tsk, I clicked my tongue a little and went inside the cabin for now.
“what’s the matter? It was noisy.”
“ah! draft! They are running away.”
“ok? … … Chit.”
As soon as Celidia shouted, something jumped in front of me and covered it.
“Hold on to that.”
As soon as he instructed it, Emily moved right behind it and snatched it lightly.
“Youngcha~.”
I weave Magi like a rope, tie it tightly, tie it to the ceiling, and hang it dangly.
He was a dwarf, roughly the size of my knee.
It was difficult to recognize his appearance as he was covered in a piece of cloth that seemed to be spliced together from his head, but there was no reason why he could not detect his true identity.
“Huh? This… … .”
After tying it up, Emily recognizes what it is and takes another look at it, narrowing her eyes.
I was certain that my annoying premonition was correct.
“Celidia, why is this here?”
“He sneaked in.”
“We ran into each other by chance a while ago, why don’t we run away? So I was trying to secure it.”
Celidia and Alpine explained the cause of the commotion earlier.
In short, it looks like you’ve been struggling to catch this kid.
I wondered if the two of them had a hard time not being able to catch a little boy like this, but looking inside the cabin, I thought it was worth it.
Small tree vines grow dizzy inside the hut.
It must have been hard because the feet got stuck and got in the way.
“Sian, maybe that… … .”
“Perhaps what you think is right. Is this your first time seeing the real thing?”
… … Well, I’m new to the real thing too.
Suffocating, I violently removed the cloth the little boy was wearing.
There can be no ordinary child in a forest like this.
It looks like a child, but even if you look at it roughly, the details are different.
The hairs that seem to be finely woven from the stems of plants and the sprouts that extend like decorations.
If you look closely at the skin, the material is different from that of humans.
“… … dryad. It is also a fairly young population.”
dryad.
tree sprite.
An existence that takes care of the forest and dwells in the most vital tree to drive out humans who overfish the forest’s resources, or to naturally send good humans out of the forest if they get lost.
“A dryad? Certainly, there is nothing strange about a huge forest like this.”
“No, that is strange.”
At least, it wouldn’t be common to see a little dryad dangling from the ceiling like this right now.
It seems that the two of them do not know each other.
“First of all, dryads don’t easily show themselves in front of people. It is even more difficult to see such a small object.”
Wood sprites are wary of humans.
When there is no particular need to be hostile, there are times when they interfere first, but they say they don’t make contact like this.
To put it bluntly, if you take this guy to the Imperial Academy, the scholars will be salivating.
Don’t worry. don’t do that
More than anything else, the reason I didn’t call this little boy’s existence normal was for another reason.
“The problem is that this is the Forest of Blood.”
“What does it mean?”
“… … Come to think of it, you two haven’t read the research papers on Forest of Bloodshed, have you?”
It won’t be just the two of you. Most students probably don’t know.
“Dryads don’t exist in the Bloody Forest.”
“… … Are you kidding?”
Alfine asks, saying that it is nonsense.
“I don’t know much about wood sprites, but I’ve heard they’re essential in every forest.”
“that’s right. At least in most forests that exist naturally, these guys are there.”
In particular, the larger the forest and the stronger the energy it possesses, the higher the level of the dryad.
An exception is the forest owned by the academy.
It’s the place where my workshop is located, but the dryad doesn’t exist there because it’s an artificially created environment through magic.
“It’s a forest where a large amount of demonic energy is generated every night. It would be unfit for these guys to exist.”
[no!]
As if denying my explanation, the dryad boy struggled and shouted.
[We’ve been together since time immemorial! This is our forest!]
It is argued as if to deny that the thesis is wrong.
[But it was stolen!]
“… … Well, let’s hear that story a little later.”
You don’t even need to hear more.
Anyway, I know what it is.
“Celidia, Alpine, you guys are watching this kid for a while.”
“Is that okay?”
“You won’t be able to do anything if you just listen to the story. Oh, and sprinkle it in moderation.”
I took out some mana potions from my bag and handed them over.
“Mana Potion… … ? why?”
“Instead of taking recovery potions from dryads, if you spray them with mana potions, they will recover.”
Only then did the two of them open their eyes wide in surprise.
“Are you hurt?”
If you look closely, there are minor scars left on the little boy’s body.
it’s not what they did
He had rolled into this cabin injured from the start.
“You guys should listen to the general story first. … … I am.”
I look back toward the door.
“I’ll take care of the customer who chased this kid.”
A wounded dryad rolled in.
Above all, as I understood, this guy is originally a kid who has to act with the main character at this point.
Then there is nothing to reason about.
“It’s obvious.”
That means that what drove this kid is also coming along.
The event has come this way.
“I guess I’ll be busy soon.”
It was, of course, to be expected.
Because I’ve been waiting for that while playing leisurely from the beginning.
* * *
The little dryad would be safe if left to the two of them.
I waited outside the cabin beforehand to greet the soon-to-be guest.
You also don’t have to wait long.
“I thought you would come after that, too.”
“It’s imprudent to go out alone at a time like this. Xian students.”
It was the professor who quietly revealed his presence in the dark.
Member of the alchemy class.
And a man who is said to be an expert in the study of the Forest of Blood.
Professor Millington.
“What’s going on?”
“no. It was a nice day after all, so I was just taking a walk.”
“It’s a nice day… … . Well, as a warlock, Xian must feel this environment differently.”
“I don’t think the professor is any different.”
There is no need to go on with trivial talk.
Doubt, what, and Nabal.
‘Because he is a traitor from the beginning.’
Prior to the events of Chapter 2 of the main scenario, Professor Millington does not reveal his true colors very much.
However, when he encounters a dryad kid, he immediately reveals his malice and turns into an enemy.
to eliminate witnesses.
That’s the opening of Chapter 2’s events.
“As expected, Xian secured that insignificant tree sprite.”
“You seem to have no intention of evading it.”
“I can tell just by looking at the atmosphere of the Xian students.”
Perhaps from his point of view, it would look as if the large amount of demonic energy I was controlling was waiting with bated breath.
I still lack shamelessness.
“one thing.”
“hmm?”
“If that kid gave me a dryad, would you just ignore it?”
You don’t even have to hear the answer.
Same for me.
“Sounds that are not even in the heart.”
Instead of answering my question, the professor waved his arm.
A sense of incongruity, something shining in the dark.
“You look down on me.”
When I beckoned, the high-density magic that was controlling it wriggled and created a strong wind.
It’s not magic, it’s just the density of the energy it possesses, creating a difference in air pressure that creates wind.
The updraft that I created swept away the memorized air that flew into me and bounced it off.
“Is it a very thin blade? And this… … It’s poison.”
Snatching and examining one of the memorized words that had bounced off, Emily revealed its identity.
“The opponent is an alchemist. It’s basic to attack using poison or memorization that you devised yourself.”
The alchemy class is not a field that directly affects combat power.
However, it cannot be said that the combat power is weak.
Various medicines that cause poison or abnormal conditions.
Or, among the alchemists, there are not a few who have developed their own fighting skills.
Even if the opponent is rotten, the professor.
“I have no intention of going to see you.”
When I stretched out my arm, a column of black flame erupted in a straight line, trying to sweep him away and burn him.
“Considerable heat… … . It’s hard to believe you’re a warlock.”
Breaking into a cold sweat, Professor Millington takes out a glass bottle containing some liquid from his bosom and throws it.
At that moment, I wondered if there was frost on the floor, and then the ice wall soared up and caught the black flame.
“… … Freezing potion.”
A combat support item that has effects similar to Circle 3 Bing attribute magic.
However, the effect seems to be slightly better than that. Maybe it’s his handiwork.
“Emily, put that away.”
Upon giving the order, a large amount of black salt pours from the sky.
The ice wall created by the freezing potion was instantly evaporated by Emily’s direct bombardment from the air.
“okay. The ability of the student of Xi’an is also considerable, but the familiar is also on par… … or more powerful than that. This is an outrageous talent.”
From the other side of the thick steam that evaporated, the professor’s groaning sound could be heard.