The Shadow of the Frontline
After huddling in the corner of the gymnasium with Yoon Siwoo for quite some time, I heard Martina's voice, who had been looking after the other kids.
"Alright, that's it for today's class... You two resting over there, come join the group now."
At her words, I pulled up Yoon Siwoo, who still hadn't fully regained his senses, and squeezed in to sit among the lined-up children.
Standing in front of the gathered students, Martina scanned the crowd and shouted in a booming voice, "Thank you for following along so well in today's class! Honestly, I didn't expect much from you all at first, but most of you exceeded my expectations. If you can make what you learned today your own, you'll definitely grow stronger. I'll drop by to teach you from time to time in the future, so make sure to show me an even more improved version of yourselves next time!"
"Yes, ma'am!!!"
At the children's thunderous reply, Martina nodded in satisfaction.
I thought things were wrapping up, but as Martina scanned the children's faces, our eyes met. The moment she locked eyes with me, she flinched, then walked over to me, bowing her head with a gloomy expression that was a stark contrast to her previous demeanor.
"Um, I'm sorry about today. Forcing that spar on you... I only wanted to give you a chance to apply what you've learned in a real fight..."
My stomach churned with guilt. I was the one in the wrong, so why did she keep apologizing to me? I waved my hands frantically and replied to her.
"You really don't need to apologize. I learned so much today thanks to you, Lady Martina. It must have been exhausting to meticulously point out the shortcomings of every single student like that. Thank you for such a wonderful class today."
When I bowed my head to express my gratitude, Martina's face contorted slightly. She looked a mix of deeply touched and somehow frustrated.
"...Damn it, I can't win... You're way too nice..."
As I stared blankly at Martina, who was muttering something under her breath, she offered a faint smile and spoke.
"...Thank you for saying that. But what's done is done, and an apology is still due. My pride won't let me just brush this under the rug. As an apology, I'll grant you any favor within my power. Is there anything you'd like to ask of me?"
I screamed internally at Martina's offer. Aaargh! I'm the one who messed up! Why are you so desperate to do something for me?! But looking at her expression, she wasn't going to let this go unless I asked for something. Still, asking for a personal favor felt like a prick to my conscience... After pondering for a moment, I let out a sigh and spoke to Martina.
"Um... I don't really have anything to ask for myself, so could you perhaps grant a favor for the other kids instead...?"
At that, Martina sighed and gently patted my head.
"...Even though you know someone of my standing could grant almost any favor... I don't dislike foolishly selfless people like you. If that's what you want, then so be it. Hey, everyone. If there's anything you want to ask of me, speak up."
At Martina's words, the children cast tentative glances in my direction. Anything is fine, just ask for something... With that silent plea, I nodded, and the gymnasium instantly erupted into a clamor.
"What should we do? Should we ask for a photo together? Or an autograph?"
"Aaargh, I can't decide... What kind of favor would make everyone praise us?"
The children buzzed, debating what to ask for. Amidst the chatter, a hand shot straight up into the air. I looked over and saw Flone, the pink-haired girl. As all eyes gathered on her, she shouted:
"Me! I want to go directly to the frontlines and see what strong heroes actually do!"
"...Flone. That might be too much of a burden for Lady Martina..."
"Ugh~ But still, I want to go and see it with my own eyes. I'm really curious about how they fight monsters."
When Flone shouted, Marin tried to dissuade her with a complicated expression, but most of the children looked thoroughly captivated by the idea. After all, Astrape, where Martina worked, was a place where only the strongest heroes were selected to enter—a dream-like organization for these kids. They must all be dying to see it in person. As the atmosphere naturally shifted toward requesting a field trip to the frontlines, Martina muttered with a contemplative look.
"A field trip, huh... If you're just watching from behind instead of fighting alongside us, it won't be much of a hindrance. Experiencing the atmosphere of the frontlines would certainly be helpful, but..."
After pondering for a moment, she turned to Teacher Eve, who was watching from the sidelines.
"What do you think, Teacher?"
"Hmm... A field trip could be considered a part of their education, so I could allocate some class time for it. Of course, since it's a dangerous place, you must absolutely protect the children so nothing happens to them. Miss Martina, can I trust you with this?"
At Teacher Eve's question, Martina smiled reassuringly and replied, "Leave it to me. Even if a High-grade Monster attacks, I won't let them lay a single finger on the kids. Now that we have the teacher's permission, you can all look forward to it. I'll show you exactly how the heroes you look up to protect this city."
The children's cheers echoed through the gym. And a few days later, we set off on our field trip to the frontlines.
"Alright, I am Kanna, the Vice-Captain of the 4th Division, and I will be in charge of guiding you all today. We are heading to the northern border zone of the frontlines. Since it is a dangerous area, absolutely do not act on impulse or step forward. We will protect you, but if you run off on your own, you could literally die. Now, since you've all understood, let's head out."
A few days after the special class, the day of the field trip finally arrived. Gathering at school, we followed our guide and used the teleportation gate inside the city to head to the outskirts. From there, we traveled on foot to cross the Barrier that protected the city.
The intangible magical dome was said to shield the city from the intrusion of Magi. Although the Barrier was invisible to the naked eye, crossing the thick line drawn on the ground to mark the city's boundary made it abundantly clear that we had stepped outside.
Towering, pillar-like structures that could never be seen inside the city stood scattered here and there.
"Those structures you see over there aren't actually buildings, but massive magic tools," Kanna explained. "It's easiest to think of them as giant versions of the magic tools used to process monster corpses. They condense the Magi in the air and store it under special treatment to prevent the spawning of monsters. They are indispensable structures in the border zones. The stored Magi is eventually transported to the Purification Facility to be purified."
"Hehe, that's what my family does!" Flone said with a grin.
The management and disposal of Magi. Flone's family, the Dolos family, had discovered the method to handle Magi in the distant past when humanity was first threatened by it, and they had been in charge of it ever since. This was the primary reason why the Dolos family was called one of the three major families holding power in the city, alongside the family of the great hero Aegis and Sylvia's family, Astra. Of course, it also helped that their distant ancestor was a heroic family that had led the subjugation of the Lust Witch. At any rate, it meant that outside the Barrier, without those structures, the land could easily become uninhabitable at any moment due to the spread of Magi. Since this was my first time voluntarily stepping outside the Barrier, the sheer danger of this world finally sank in. As we walked while taking in the surrounding scenery, the teleportation gate of the border zone soon came into view.
"Once we pass through here, we'll be at the frontlines, so please follow instructions closely."
I could see the children swallowing hard in a mix of tension and anticipation. Feeling a sudden wave of nervousness myself, I stepped through the teleportation gate. In the distance, a defensive wall that seemed to stretch endlessly came into view. At that exact moment, a loud BOOM echoed from somewhere.
"Oh boy, looks like they're attacking again," Kanna, the Vice-Captain of the 4th Division acting as our guide, muttered in a weary voice.
At her words, the children, realizing where the explosion had come from, grew incredibly tense. Watching them with an amused, affectionate look, Kanna spoke to the group.
"Well, since you're here for a field trip, we should at least go as far as we can see, right? Follow me."
With those words, Kanna marched toward the defensive wall, and the children followed. As we drew closer to the wall, the faint sounds grew progressively louder. The roars of monsters, the explosions of magic, and the shouting of people. Upon climbing onto the wall, we saw Martina looking out over the barrier.
"Captain, I've brought the kids," Kanna reported.
"Ah, you're here. Perfect timing, it's almost over. Here, everyone, take a look."
Martina pointed a finger over the wall. Sure enough, a battle was unfolding below. Flashes of magic burst, and heroes wielded their respective weapons to slay the monsters. However, there was one presence that drew everyone's eyes more than any other.
Someone gasped sharply. Everyone was likely looking at the exact same thing.
A horde of monsters swarmed beyond the wall. Standing right in the center of them was a pure white boy. He looked like a single lamb targeted by a pack of wolves.
But the one being hunted was not the boy.
To describe the scene in a single word: it was a slaughter.
The boy's sword slashed through the monsters with terrifying momentum. It was as if he were saying, I'm extremely pissed off right now, and you guys are my punching bags. Swapping swords, he ruthlessly tore, crushed, and cleaved them apart. Just as another pack of monsters seemed to rush toward him, a colossal fireball conjured by Martina rained down from above.
Immediately after, a flash of light, a deafening boom, and a shockwave ripped across the earth. Once the dust settled, not a single monster remained standing on its feet.
This was the domain of the highest-ranking heroes. Amidst the silence of the awe-struck children who witnessed this spectacle, Martina's voice rang out.
"Welcome to the frontlines, class."
"As you just saw, battles with monsters are a daily occurrence on the frontlines. They don't attack constantly, but it's by no means rare. Especially lately. The monsters of the Wrath lineage have been running rampant incessantly, so they swarm this way practically every single day."
Even as Martina spoke, the children looked dazed. It was only natural, given the shock they had just received. I was quite shocked myself. They had witnessed with their own eyes a battle fought by heroes who were several times, if not dozens of times, stronger than them. It would be stranger if they felt nothing at all.
Amused by the quieted children, Martina grinned and continued.
"Of course, that doesn't mean you're in danger. As you just saw, the people here are strong. Not just me, the Vice-Captain, and the squad members, but also Yoon Siwoo, who was taking classes with you until recently."
It was confidence, not arrogance. The power she had just demonstrated more than qualified her to make such a statement. Yet, precisely because of that, it was easy for the children to feel intimidated, wondering if they could ever reach such heights.
"So, set your sights on us and train hard. I'll be looking forward to the day we fight side by side. Don't worry about anything else. Until then, we will protect you."
However, what came out of her mouth was encouragement. It was a firm promise of protection. The relief of knowing such a powerful person was protecting them, combined with the fact that such a person held expectations for them, ignited a fire in the eyes of the intimidated children.
As if someone was deeply moved, a slow clap began to echo from among the students. Soon, a torrent of cheers and applause rained down on Martina. Martina blushed slightly at the children's reaction, looking a bit embarrassed.
"My, how gallant. I almost felt my heart flutter at that promise of protection."
At the sudden voice, Martina and the heroes who had been resting after the battle froze, their faces hardening as they gripped their weapons.
I turned my head. Standing right next to me, though I had no idea when she had arrived, was a hooded woman. From beneath her hood, her eyes gleamed as she looked in our direction.
"...Who are you? Unauthorized personnel are not allowed here."
"Ah, don't worry. I'm not a suspicious person."
As if to pull out some form of identification in response to Martina's question, the woman reached deep into her robe. When her hand emerged, she was holding a pitch-black orb—the very same one I had seen in the gymnasium once before.
And then, a sudden sensation made me gasp.
It was a feeling strikingly similar to what I had felt a month ago when searching for the Witch who had hidden herself away, calling it a game of hide-and-seek.
No. It can't be. Why would she be in a place like this...?
A cold dread raced down my spine. But before I could even scream, having realized the woman's true identity, she smiled from beneath her hood and spoke.
"I'm not a person."
"I'm a Witch."
A monstrous shriek echoed through the air.