#2
Watching the crowd of students already arriving at the station, I carefully fiddled with the bracelet on my wrist.
how long have you been
-Woo… …
A tram approaches from afar.
Stella, who happened to meet me by chance, was waving my hand while looking at me with some worried eyes.
Rubia and Iris were next to them, but somehow I had a subtle gaze on someone other than them.
Black ribbon and bright blonde hair.
“What you looking at?”
“I see you.”
“Don’t look, then.”
“okay.”
“… … What is it?”
Yuri crossed her arms and turned her head to the side.
I wondered if I had gotten a bit confused because of the last time I was working in front of the library, but the conversation itself was the same as usual.
“Are you there?”
“What.”
“Stay away from me as much as possible.”
“… … What are you talking about? Who wants to fall next to whom? Who was the one who kept sticking to me even if I told him to quit?”
“Not that, in practice later.”
“… … under-?”
Yuri’s head tilts sternly.
I sighed and shook my head.
“Nope. done. I’ll just figure it out and run away.”
“… … So, what are you talking about all of a sudden? what filth am i do you run away? Or are you saying that my presence is going to get in the way? Is it arguing that you suddenly come and do it? And who knows you’re not in the way? Still, when I’m with you, I’m very angry… … ”
“I’m sorry I said something that could be misunderstood, but that’s not what I meant at all. I was just saying that because I was worried about you.”
“Mmm, what? uh, are you worried? Now I think it makes sense-”
“It makes sense. Because I really care about you.”
“… … haha. huh. what, really You know what’s weird right now? They all look at me with strange eyes.”
He shrugged his shoulders as if he was genuinely creeped out.
Iris, Rubia, and the other students who had listened to our conversation for a while, some of them were looking around, tilting their heads.
But only one
As much as Stella is looking at me with somber eyes.
“… … Don’t worry too much, I’ll take care of myself. Don’t treat me like a child. Because that’s what I hate the most.”
Yuri said so in a slightly lowered tone.
“I know. Sorry to say it strangely. However, since I am genuinely worried, I will do my best to practice. I will be cheering you on.”
At my soft words, Yuri almost caused a match.
“You, are you doing something wrong now? It used to be like that, but now it’s especially creepy. Anyway, I’ve been saying weird things ever since… … !”
─Cheek profit.
The tram arrived just in time for Yuri to get annoyed. In the end, Yuri kicked her tongue and strode into the tram following her friends.
after a while.
“… … Are you interested in him? Did you like that?”
“… … ”
Following them, Gabriel, who had been in a very depressed state for a long time, asked me with a tone of incomprehension.
What… …
In the end, I didn’t tell Yuri.
This is because I wanted to refrain from talking about the negative future for nothing and making it impossible to focus on practice.
It might be better to be careful with both for now, but I didn’t think so. Because I thought I was the only one paying attention.
More than anything.
If such a beggar fate is inevitably intertwined with me, if I can never escape it.
The only victim is me.
All the aftermath is mine.
I am familiar with
Because Yuri is not used to it.
That’s all.
“Hey, so are you interested or not? He doesn’t slide over your face easily, so I want to break it down, what is it? yes?”
“Gabriel.”
“No, when I think about it again, the front and back fit together tightly. Yeah, I thought it was really weird so far. That’s the most probable… … ”
“I am listening.”
“… … ok?”
Although the inside of the tram was not so quiet, Gabriel’s voice seemed to reach Yuri, who was also in the same car.
If Yuri had a chronic illness that could not control her anger, I was convinced that this tram would have been overturned by now.
#3
In front of the main entrance of Frontier Headquarters, which arrived after many twists and turns.
“one two three four… … All fifteen people gathered. So let me give you a brief introduction. Professor Robert Guillaitin, who supervised the simulation practice for the first semester of this year’s Epic Class. When you call me, call me Superintendent.”
All the first graders gathered on the far left, the second graders next to it, and then all the third graders on the far right.
1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders line up in 3 rows in sequence, respectively.
Professor Robert, standing on a temporary podium in front of the center, speaks while amplifying his voice with his magical powers.
“Have you all heard the details of this practice? But if you go in without going through it properly, you will definitely get hurt, so once again, I will select only the important content and tell you.”
His physique was strong, and his expression was serious. However, there was a little bit of blood on his face, whether he had suffered a bit as he was in charge of the director, or whether he was actually nervous inside.
It’s the weekend, and it’s in front of the frontier headquarters of District 1, which is quite densely populated. People watching us from far away are busy. It can’t be stressful in many ways.
However, despite this, Robert spoke slowly in a voice without a single tremor.
“Before the practice starts, I will hand out backpacks to you one by one. The backpack contains half a day’s worth of food, drinking water, a torch wrapped in cloth, a 20-metre-long rope and a compass, and a minor healing potion.”
Looking down a little, quite large backpacks were lined up on the floor.
“You can bring only one personal magic tool, and there is no restriction on the type of magic tool. How it is used is up to the individual.”
I fiddled with the bracelet like a habit.
then-.
Bang on the podium-! Robert, who put his hands on his hands, opened his mouth as he looked around the students in a more serious tone.
“There are two main points in this practice.”
Whoops.
Raise one index finger.
“Or succeed in surviving for two days.”
next.
“Or, reach the altar.”
Emphasize specific words, and say so.
“The altar is in the deepest and darkest places.”
Other than that, I didn’t say anything else.
“Survive at any cost. However, hiding somewhere and cowardly killing time might be one way, but I don’t recommend it.”
It was a word that made me feel a bit uneasy.
“The venue for this exercise is divided into three areas. Your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders will enter each district, but you won’t see each other. Even if it’s the same space, it’s like a completely different space. Also, according to the division of the area, an altar is also located in each area.”
“The world has become more peaceful after a long war, but the dark clouds that threaten a great empire can again fall upon the sky of the empire at any time. The history of the past years proves it.”
“So, I want you to always be aware in your head that you are the future of the Empire and a piece of destiny, and do your best to prove that you are worthy of it. In particular, since your first year students are receiving a lot of attention from the Archmage of Jaya, Neviros-sama, who is the provider of this practice site, we expect them to show their excellent skills.”
Nebiros.
Some students roar at the word.
It’s the first name I’ve ever heard. But most of the people in the know seem to know. Rubia, who was next to me, also gently nodded.
… … Although it was the first time I had heard the name, I already knew the information that the person provided this place for practice.
“More than. From now on, students in each grade should come to the front in the order they are called and pick up their personal backpacks.”
As Robert finishes speaking, the professor in front of us begins to call the first, number one.
As the 1st year 1st grader stepped forward, it was as if he could hear exclamations mixed with admiration from all around.
I stared at Professor Robert, who was looking around the students with his arms crossed, with that bittersweet look in his eyes.
That professor and I are not first meeting.
When Stella made a sudden prophecy to me, I hurriedly found the person responsible for this practice in case something unexpected happened.
In the end, he recalled what happened when he personally visited Professor Robert Guillaitin, who said he was in charge of overseeing this practice after asking questions.
— You are Ezio Cranil. Originally, it would have been a serious insult to the honor of the Frontier, but I think you can worry enough about it. But don’t worry. Because Frontier never takes even a single mistake lightly.
— Above all, of course, you have to think and practice as if you were in real life, but I can assure you one thing that students never actually die. No, it was made impossible in the first place.
— That’s all I can tell you from my point of view, so don’t worry about the contents of the practice any more and don’t worry unnecessarily.
If you look at the results, this is the situation right now.
I took part in the practice
Glass knows nothing.
As Stella said not long ago, the fate she saw doesn’t always fit like a puzzle.
But you can’t change the process, you can only change the result.
But if there is a process to have a result, I wondered what that meant, but Stella said that there was nothing more she could say to me.
I don’t even know why Stella is now able to see my fate, which I had never seen before.
“Last, freshman 15, Ezio Cranil!”
At the call that awakens the mind that has been submerged for a long time, he strides forward.
I was handed a heavy backpack, put it on my shoulder, returned to my seat, and again fell into brief thoughts.
And the answer to that unresolved thought was only available to me when I finally crossed the gate following the professor’s guidance and just arrived at the practice site.
—Tak.
I must have followed the person in front of me, but the shadow of Gabriel, my number, was nowhere to be found.
When I looked back, the traces of the gate I had crossed disappeared immediately, and in an instant, the surroundings became quiet and wrapped in heavy silence.
“… … ”
A dark space where not even a single light enters.
In a dark cave that is so foreign and arouses the senses of the whole body, as if a gloomy voice is heard riding on the wind from somewhere.
Whoo…
The damp moisture drips and wets my skin. With each small breath, the cool air freezes the lungs.
Cold sweat runs down the curved back. An unfamiliar feeling of uneasiness climbed up my shoulders and ran across the nape of my neck.
thinking that something is wrong,
I couldn’t quite erase it.
Ugh…
Without having to take the torch out of my backpack, I began to walk silently, holding my breath.
read at https://noblemtl.com
Doesn’t generate magic just in case.
… …
Open your ears, focus all your senses on hearing and touch, and slowly move forward while reading your surroundings.
Tub… Tub…
The length of the cave was short.
After turning right and not walking a few meters, I was able to stick my head out of the cave.
It was a dark blue world.
In climbing, the rugged outer wall of a height so far away that it was impossible to even attempt it was continued on both sides, and at the end there were two paths to the left and the right, respectively.
It is very slightly brighter than the cave where no light came in. But it was never pleasant. If it’s erratic like this, you won’t be able to hide in the dark and avoid the eyes of other beings.
exhilarating.
After feeling the weight of the backpack and realizing that I am now in reality, I carefully placed my hand on the sheer cliff-like exterior wall.
… Whoops.
It is hard.
And the palms are as cold as freezing.
When I looked up, I couldn’t see the end of the outer wall, only the blue sky above it spread out in a vast expanse.
“… … ”
You seem to know the theme of this exercise.
The endless passage continues without end–
‘Labyrinth.’
Without speaking out loud, he muttered to himself.
Then, I
If it’s just to break through this labyrinth.
Why was he told to survive at all costs, and why he said that there is an altar in the deepest and darkest place, I could understand now.
─Ugh… …
very far away.
weakly.
a cry is heard
Also not one.
there are several
If a demon from the bottom of hell scratched his neck and vomited a cry, maybe it wouldn’t sound like that.
No, those guys, the demons, don’t speak beasts. So that cry wasn’t the devil at all.
then… …
Cold sweat is like a flood. He was sure of his identity, but it wasn’t because he was afraid of the monster beyond. There was no time to think of Seira-senpai’s advice. With all the blood draining from my body, I had no choice but to lift my head and look up at the sky.
Through the clouds of gray smoke,
A round moon appeared.
two each.
“… … ”
A bright red bell rang in my mind.
It’s a mistake.
I made a mistake.
I made an irreversible mistake.
This feeling, this feeling.
I’ve felt it somewhere.
It could be a simple illusion. It may be a false intuition that you feel overwhelmed by this creepy atmosphere, and your senses are paralyzed without realizing it.
But before he can shake it off, it suddenly attacks.
Generates and wakes up magical sparks, recklessly bumping into each other, but when they fail one after another, they clench their teeth and vomit blood again and collide with each other. The memory of when I succeeded in making it and squeezing my body into it, flashed through my mind like lightning.
Exactly.
the memory of the next moment.
‘Barrier (結界).’
A sensation very similar to the time when I entered the barrier embodied by the demons wobbled and wrapped around the nape of my neck.
It may not be.
However, I think again.
I made a mistake.
totally misunderstood.
The person I should have asked for confirmation wasn’t the supervisor… … He was the one who created this vast labyrinth himself.