Chapter 22
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: 4. Anomalies in the Forest and Among Adventurers
-----------------------------------------------------------------
‘Tch. Suddenly some weird guy got added.’
‘This is gonna be a problem.’
The party from Class 3 of the 1st-year intermediate group, led by Instructor Rasen.
The trio of Octo, Ens, and Tom were displeased with Edin's sudden intrusion.
An alchemist and the new owner of the general store.
Word was he was coming along to gather herbs and various materials available in the forest on the way to the request site.
And to teach botany, herbology, and how to harvest them.
“You guys are my first guinea pigs. Learn well.”
To make consumables, you need materials like herbs, and adventurers often gathered and supplied them as a way to earn money.
It never hurt to know, but...
‘Better to take on one more request in that time.’
Most C-Rank Adventurers and above didn't bother investing time in learning that stuff.
They figured it was better not to gather herbs if it delayed completing requests.
So the trend was to quickly learn only the harvesting methods for high-grade materials that actually made real money.
They knew full well how important potions and consumables were, but when push came to shove, alchemists or mages would step in themselves.
With ordinary skills, whatever you gathered wouldn't sell for much anyway...
In any case, these three boys weren't particularly positive about material gathering either.
But the real reason they resented the sudden uninvited guest was something else.
‘Hope this doesn't mess up the plan?’
‘Well... he's a C-Rank Adventurer, but still just an alchemist.’
They were worried it might interfere with their plan.
The trio's plan.
Of course, it wasn't anything proper.
Their plan was none other than...
‘Yeah, he'll probably just be picking weeds anyway.’
‘We'll handle all the heroics.’
To shine brilliantly and show off a cool side to Riley.
That was why they'd been waiting for this field exercise and why they'd built up their image so carefully until now.
Sudden buildup?
These guys who'd teased and tormented Riley all day?
You might think it was weird.
Naturally.
These guys were weird.
‘They say a bad boy suddenly being nice makes girls swoon hard.’
‘That's why we've been acting like jerks on purpose...!’
‘Today, we'll show Riley our hidden charms!’
...As you can see.
They were just a bit dim and not particularly nice.
To sum it up.
Octo, Ens, Tom.
All three had fallen for Riley at first sight on the first day of school.
Not a single one left behind.
She was from a noble family, albeit a lower one.
But the issue was that they had a bit more talent as adventurers.
Since they were all going to be adventurers anyway, they figured it was worth a shot.
“......”
“......”
At first, after enrollment, the three boys eyed each other warily in competition.
Eventually, they joined forces.
“We all wanna hook up with Riley once, right?”
“...I admit it.”
“Honestly, yeah.”
“So... if one of us lands her, we take turns.”
“Ooh...”
Correction.
They weren't just a bit dim and not nice.
They were total scum with no brains to boot.
In any case, the scum trio's united strategy was the "bad boy turnaround charm" operation.
Act like trash on purpose to burn themselves into her memory, then during the field exercise, when real danger hits, shine heroically.
The reversal effect would skyrocket their favorability, and if even one of them could make Riley fall for them, job done.
The outsiders wouldn't interfere, and the instructor wouldn't step in unless students' lives were truly at risk, so it was fine.
But then this alchemist Edin shows up.
Still, as faculty, he probably wouldn't sabotage the request itself, so they decided to let it slide for now.
However, the problem erupted from a completely different direction.
“The forest where the orcs have settled is Greenback Forest. It's the third largest around Preta.”
“Ah, yeah. I've heard of it!”
“It has an incredibly diverse range of native plants, and one of the most representative ones is...”
While riding the carriage along the road to Ivenshuphev Village, where the orc extermination request was.
Edin and Riley started blooming a flower of delightful conversation between them.
“Especially, the fruit from the Gurrleda trees deep in the forest contains a paralyzing poison that can knock out even an ogre when concentrated.”
“Wow, really.”
A person spilling encyclopedic knowledge that would put a botany professor to shame, and another eagerly listening with genuine interest.
Their synergy was tremendous.
The only sounds in the carriage were the clip-clop of the horses and these two chatting.
Riley looked extremely happy.
Theoretical study she'd started to shore up her weaknesses wasn't uninteresting to her.
No, the more she learned, the more enjoyable it was to feel knowledge piling up in her head.
And now a new teacher appeared to give her even more knowledge to stack, so her worries about the field exercise vanished, leaving only excitement.
‘Mr. Edin... he seems like such a nice person.’
With Riley openly radiating joy, the three boys' hearts began to grow anxious.
‘Fuck, smiling at some other guy like that.’
‘H-hey, smashing orc heads will make me look cooler than that loser anyway, right?’
Whether they were jealous or not.
Edin went on to explain in detail things like how to gather various herbs and toxic plants.
“Well... I only know it in theory myself. First time actually doing it.”
“I see.”
As they chatted amiably like that, they soon arrived at Ivenshuphev Village.
Thanks to the carriage, some time was lost here and there, but the sun hadn't set yet.
‘This should be enough time for a quick scout.’
Novice adventurers unfamiliar with the forest at night were in great danger.
They'd brought camping gear just in case, but staying in the village was safer if possible.
But they couldn't waste these precious three hours.
Field exercises could stretch to 4-5 days, but finishing fast was better for the students' bodies and minds.
Especially since the opponents were orcs, whose danger grew the more time dragged on.
“Welcome, Adventurers.”
“Hello.”
After roughly meeting the village chief for guidance, the party headed to Greenback Forest under Rasen's lead.
“Hey.”
About 100 meters from the village fence, as they moved farther away.
Rasen stopped abruptly and turned to face the students and Edin.
And began a brief speech.
“From here on, it's real. No classes, training, or exercises. Act like the guy next to you... and I could die right now. Stay tense and alert. Excessive caution is the foundation and pinnacle of being an adventurer.”
Combined with Rasen's uniquely sharp aura, even the three boys with impure motives.
And Riley, who'd been enjoying herself thanks to Edin, started tensing up.
Of course, Edin wasn't particularly tense.
He could handle three or four orcs alone anyway, and if it got really dangerous, Rasen would step in and clean up.
This was just part of the lesson to sharpen the students' real combat senses.
As they went, the grasslands turned to dense thickets.
Broad-leaved trees appeared sporadically.
A bit farther in, the trees blocked the view, and the village vanished from sight.
They had entered Greenback Forest, the third largest forest around the capital Preta.
Zzajjaek─ Shiiik...
The wind sounded somehow ominously fierce.
The cry of some bird echoing from somewhere.
And the rustling of shaking branches.
The lush forest interior wasn't silent.
It was always filled with unknown sounds from all directions.
That made them even more tense.
If it were quiet, at least they could spot incoming threats faster.
Busuruk─
Then, the sound of nearby bushes rustling came.
Rasen and Edin had noticed long ago, staring at the bushes even when silent.
But they didn't intervene.
Basically, everything during the request had to be handled by the students.
Instructors couldn't help unless it was truly life-threatening.
“...Positions!”
The first to notice was, as expected, the ranger-positioned Octo.
He sensed movement in the bushes and immediately fell back.
Tom swiftly blocked in front of him.
“Hoot...!”
A bit late, but Riley quickly drew her sword and positioned herself slightly behind and to Tom's side.
Finally, Ens raised his staff and drew up mana.
Except for Riley, they moved like they'd synced many times before, positions set rapidly.
‘Riley's the impressive one, actually.’
The trio matched perfectly, sure, but Edin's eyes went more to Riley.
Not just because she's pretty, but... it felt like she'd never synced with those three boys even once.
Yet she reacted fast and moved to the most appropriate position for her.
You could see the effort she'd put into compensating for her lacking stats.
Anyway, as they tensed like that, something burst from the rustling bushes.
“...!!”
The students flinched, fully tensed.
But what emerged was...
“Keeik!”
Just a single goblin.
Wearing what was basically a sackcloth outfit, not even armed.
An F-Rank Adventurer could take two if they tried, let alone an unarmed one.
Just one such goblin.
But something felt off.
Even at the forest entrance, a lone goblin wandering? Unarmed?
And it seemed terrified, trembling visibly.
Clearly abnormal.
This was what adventurers had to be most cautious of and wary toward.
An ‘anomaly.’