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The deep forest distorts time.
The sunlight is blocked by tall trees, and the view is obscured by long thickets.
A maze designed so that no one can easily find their way.
That’s why the forest is fair.
Once an uninvited guest enters, regardless of the attacking or defending team, they are trapped.
In a way, we are also “trapped” in this forest.
But I didn’t come here without any preparations.
To the northeast, a straight-line distance of 10 minutes. The group consists of five people.
“Did you hear that, Hamburger?”
“…My name is Donal.”
Though Hamburger seemed displeased, he soon sighed deeply upon seeing Relebrian, who had his palm on the ground with closed eyes.
“…Is the information really accurate?”
“If you can’t trust an elf in the forest, who can you trust?”
“An elf? Ah, I’ve heard the story of a half-elf in the School of Magic, but seeing those ears, it’s my first time actually seeing one…”
Come to think of it, most would know that Relebrian is half-elf, especially in the School of Magic.
Perhaps Donal doesn’t know much about the Knightly Order.
“…Should I pass on the message as it is?”
As I nodded, he ran off to the six individuals spread out at intervals to inform them of the fact.
A group of six for combat.
Formally, Donal may be the leader, but I hold the command.
Of course, this is also thanks to Reyna.
Appointing him as the leader has been a great help to me.
“It’s a 5-minute distance. Quick advance.”
Hamburger… No, Donal looked at me, and I gestured for him to come here.
“Ranked 13th in the Knightly Order, Donal, under Viscount Drmack.”
“Do you know me?”
“I have my own background as well. You are also a noble from the West, aren’t you?”
“…Indeed,”
“I will give you the opportunity to shine.”
His eyes widened.
This Hamburger is such a person.
A Viscount.
Despite being from the West, his status is ambiguous, neither clearly high nor low, so he values his family’s social ascent the most.
“Head to the lower right. When a signal comes within a risky distance visible to us, charge out. With your greatsword, pierce the flank to disrupt the reconnaissance formation. Ultimately, it will appear to the professors that you are leading the attack. How does that sound?”
Donal nodded without a moment’s hesitation.
“Next?”
“For the three wizards on the left, instruct them to unleash maximum firepower once you initiate the attack. Then, Relebrian and I will join in.”
After nodding, he headed down below, and we waited a bit longer.
Finally.
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Relebrian murmured, “They’re close. You can see them with the naked eye now.”
“Hmm, I see them.”
The individuals who approached close enough to recognize their faces became visible.
A group of five.
Familiar faces were among them.
The one at the front, holding a shield and walking.
With two swordsmen behind him and two mages at the rear, all were on alert.
Carefully advancing, it seems like they are assuming there are enemies ahead.
This place is a ‘forest’.
Among us, there are people who are partly enchanted with the ‘forest’.
“Rellvrian, is it done?”
“Mm, persuasion worked. It seems the forest will be with us, perhaps.”
With those words.
The wind blew.
The sound of rustling leaves, a chilly wind blowing from behind.
The sound of whistling wind enveloped the ears, as the long green hair of the figure in front fluttered.
It begins.
That is precisely why she becomes the strongest supporter of the hearty rice soup party at the ‘Eastern Forest’ checkpoint.
A verdant green light surged beneath her feet, and her mouth, shrouded in light, opened.
【Long forgotten, but we exist.】
【I am a descendant of the forest, the sole descendant of the noble Queen Lisilote.】
【Oh forest, respond to my prayers. The covenant of the distant and ancient myth shall now be reenacted here.】
Swish.
The three swords at her waist were drawn lightly.
Soon, a strong wind swept around her.
They probably now understand what is happening.
However.
“It’s too late.”
I read the message that appeared before me and chuckled.
[The exclusive field magic ‘Hymn of the Queen’ of ‘Rellvrian’ is activated!]
[All wind attribute magic around the speaker ‘Rellvrian’ receives a correction bonus from the attribute swords!]
[Magical power surges! The consumption of magical power decreases when using magic!]
[The body feels lighter! Movement and attack speeds increase!]
[This lasts for about 5 minutes and cannot be dispelled by any debuff!]
As of Act 2, an untouchable Tier 1 field exclusive to Rellvrian.
The figure looked at me, and I nodded in return.
“【Low-tier wind element magic: Wind Blade】.”
Chanting magic with a branch from the spirit tree.
“That, that’s!”
“An ambush!”
“Be careful, come behind me!”
Dozens of wind blades fall vertically from above them.
That was the signal.
A shadow sprung from the bushes.
“Haaah! 【Attribute sword: Pierce】!”
The blade of the swinging greatsword was covered with bits of rock.
Donal McDermott’s Earth Elemental Sword.
Roar!
As it erupted towards the ground with full force, the forest floor flipped, and nearby trees were uprooted from their very foundations.
Excellent.
Signaling, the hamburger guy leaped first, so we had to move too.
Exchanging glances with Relvrian, we lifted the earth and leaped towards those under attack, crossing bushes.
The ones crowded in one spot defending against Donal’s sword all turned their eyes towards us and widened.
“Adrian.”
“Speak.”
“This is not a battle, it’s a hunt… yes, a hunt. It feels like we’re the villains…”
“Hunt, villains. Isn’t it splendid?”
“Hmm!”
Zing!
Relvrian’s three swords, propelled by the wind, swiftly descended, and I too readied my ‘attribute sword,’ tightly grasping the white branch.
I have grown, and thanks to that, my magic remains quite potent.
I will create an unprecedented crisis for you.
I wonder how you will escape this predicament.
[Entered a certain distance!]
[Due to the deactivation of the ‘subtle love triangle’ fate, ‘lord and knight’ will automatically reactivate!]
“It seems you’re cornered, Kalen.”
* * *
Kalen’s eyes quickly scanned the surroundings.
The hand holding the shield trembled.
It was not unexpected.
No, it was actually anticipated.
If the opponent was ‘that person,’ even a simple reconnaissance wouldn’t be taken lightly.
But.
“I see right through you perfectly. [Attribute Sword: Truth]!”
Like lightning, no, like real lightning, the sword emitted a flash through the air.
A faint spark remained where the blade passed, and the lightning engraved on the tip burst out without pause.
Within the gleaming purple lightning of the sword, the teal eyes scanned around, and the short golden hair swayed.
However.
“Argh!”
“Lirin!”
I must block it.
Kalen stepped forward, shield extended.
Thud!
The great sword clashed with the small shield, a massive impact hitting, but Kalen gritted his teeth, pushing back the sword.
“…Kalen Snowhite, is it.”
The opponent seems to be enjoying this.
A face I know well.
Name: I can’t remember it well, but I think he was ranked 13th in the Knight Department.
He was a person who was above me, almost out of reach.
“Earth Element.”
The Earth Element has perfect defensive power against the Lightning Element.
Moreover, his weapon is a heavy greatsword, and he is a swordsman who uses a fast rapier that synergizes well with the Lightning Element as his main combat style.
“As for the magician…”
There is one magician in the scouting team who has studied within the 150 volumes of the Magic Department, but they are also busy defending, and it doesn’t seem like they will be able to completely overcome this crisis.
“I have to do it.”
I infused magic power into my shield and drew my sword.
Ice formed on the blade and shield, and even the ground she stood on was covered in frost.
No matter how much the attributes are at a disadvantage, if I can create even a slight opening…!
“Kalen!”
Kalen looked up at the sound calling her.
Above.
A sudden gust of wind with blades raining down.
Familiar magic.
And a strange feeling.
The shield in her hand became lighter, and she felt a little more strength in her body.
Whenever she felt this sensation, ‘he’ was always nearby.
Finally.
“It seems like you’re in a tight spot, Kalen.”
With those words, branches wrapped in a fierce wind fell from the sky.
“Sir Adrian!”
She had to block it.
No matter what.
If she allows this attack, the stance she has barely maintained until now will completely crumble!
“…[Ice Shield Technique: Beginner]!”
The shield.
And above it, ice formed in the air, spreading out into a wide defensive barrier of ice.
The frost that appeared beneath her feet turned into ice, supporting the weight.
However.
“You’re still weak.”
Crack, crackle!
The ice barrier shattered.
Kalen opened her eyes wide, retrieved her shield, and immediately extended her sword.
A knight who extends her sword to her lord is disqualified.
Of course, she hasn’t made a proper oath of allegiance yet.
Calling him lord is actually our own ambition.
It’s embarrassing enough to not be able to say it out loud.
But regardless of the relationship between lord and knight, this is a test.
“Hmm.”
Seemingly understanding the intention, the person also smiled.
“Now, are we both handling it properly?”
The person lightly blocked their sword with their dagger, then rushed forward.
Instead of the usual uniform, they were in a blue sleeveless top with three stripes down to the shoulders.
It was a gym outfit made of the same selenite as mine.
And their head was drenched in sweat.
Seeing that, I almost lost composure for a moment, but Kalen managed to hold it together.
The situation was obvious, and still tense.
* * *
Everything is going as planned.
Three big spells went off in succession, the hamburger guy successfully broke through the defense of the defense team, and me and Rellbrian charged in head-on, completely disrupting them.
After the last incident, I was able to teach Kalen the ‘Ice Shield Technique,’ but the success rate right after learning the skill, as well as its effectiveness, depended heavily on skill level.
By adding Rellbrian’s area buff and using ‘Frostfall’ with my elemental sword after a long time, we could easily crush them.
And indeed, as soon as the ice defense broke, the guy swung his sword.
“Now, are we both handling it properly?”
Kalen’s eyes widened slightly, and I, after a smirk, deflected the guy’s sword with the sharp edge of my dagger.
Even at this moment, Rellbrian shattered one guy’s necklace.
Was he a mage in the top 150?
No, in the course of that sequence of time, the defense team’s reconnaissance was down to just two.
All 6 of us were unscathed.
*Cough, cough…*
Wiping sweat from the back of his hand, the 3rd-ranked Lirin of the Knight Department, who showed no signs of relaxing, stood before Kalen.
And even Kalen himself.
The battle had now reached a stalemate, and it was up to me to move forward.
“If we go back now, it’ll be as if nothing happened.”
“That’s a ridiculous thing to say.”
Lirin, chewing on his lips, glared at me.
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“…Is it you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“The scoundrel who made Kalen Snowhite hold a shield instead of a sword.”
I felt a strange malice.
“You should have held a sword, Kalen.”
“It’s not for you to decide.”
At that moment.
“I won’t forgive you!”
With a shout, she rushed towards us.
With lightning speed, her movements were so fast that they were hard to follow with the eye.
“Adrian!”
“It’s fine. Rellbrian, how much time is left for the remaining ‘Hymn of the Queen’?”
“30 seconds.”
Just 30 seconds.
That should be enough.
Ranked 3rd in the Knight Department, Lirin of Brainwave Check.
Literally wielding lightning elements in the sword, not only does it deal attribute damage, but it’s incredibly fast.
If you read and try to dodge, it’s already too late.
Predict the trajectory, and you can deflect it.
On one hand, I held the branch of a spirit tree, and on the other hand, I drew my dagger.
“Trash like a vulture!”
“Just 30 seconds.”
Twisting to avoid the stabbing from below, and dodging the slashing aimed at the top.
Blocking the upper left with the branch of the spirit tree, I swing the dagger.
If you reach out with the sword to block the dagger from the other side, I thrust the branch into the empty space and strike the chest.
In an instant, the exchange happened, and it was Lirin who fell after taking the damage.
“…Why.”
“It’s simple.”
I chuckled lightly, turning my arm.
“Because I already know everything.”
Blocking, deflecting, striking, slashing.
The 30-second buff from ‘Ode to the Queen’ gives me a tremendous advantage.
Knowing the trajectory of every attack, being able to block them, and even penetrate those gaps, ‘speed’ offers me no advantage.
Because I already ‘know every attack.’
I block everything, counterattack, block again, and counterattack once more.
“…Why can’t you touch me!”
“It’s simple.”
An opening.
I extend the dagger, stabbing Lirin’s neck.
“…”
The jewel hanging on the necklace shatters, and the figure is engulfed in light.
I swiftly turn around, pointing at the disappearing figure.
“I know more about ‘Kalen Snow White’ than you do, at least.”
There’s no match for me.
That’s the veteran.
That’s me.
Even when a truck crashed into the production company, when the community was in chaos due to the failed banquet.
At any time, the man stood firm at the top without wavering.