Advance Preparations (1)
Squeeeal!
A boar-type demonic beast, a Willos.
Having just dispatched the swine with my Magic Armament before it could wreck any more of the innocent rice paddy, I hoisted the carcass over my shoulder and dragged it out. Ahead of me stood an elderly woman, clapping her hands with profound relief.
"Oh, thank you, lad! Thank you so much! Those damn beasts kept trampling the fields to pieces. We couldn't get a blessed thing done."
"Has no one taken up your request until now?"
"Not a soul. I pleaded with a few of those robe-wearing folk, but... none of them would touch a chore like this. The old man and I were entirely helpless. We were starting to think we'd have to scrape together our savings just to hire mercenaries."
Those arrogant brats... tsk.
I clicked my tongue under my breath.
The first semester had drawn to a close, and before we knew it, the second was already underway. Following a laughably brief one-day break, the new term arrived hand-in-hand with the sweltering summer heat—and with it came a brand-new privilege granted to the academy's students.
Namely, the right to accept private requests, something the faculty had strictly forbidden up to that point.
The reasoning went that even if the students possessed only modest strength, the magic and practical skills they cultivated at the academy could make a considerable impact on society. It was conceived as a mutually beneficial program: students bolstered their academic marks through actual field results, simultaneously lending a hand to those in need. To facilitate this, the academy had introduced a Request Rank system, cataloging students on an official registry.
While the primary intent was clearly to filter students for class reassignments, I figured there was also a secondary goal of encouraging them to take a closer look at the society around them.
Still, you never really grasped the hardships people faced unless you rolled up your sleeves and took on the assignments yourself.
"Ma'am, have you considered putting up a fence?"
"Eh? A fence? Wouldn't those big hogs just smash right through it?"
"A bare wooden fence wouldn't do much on its own, true. But if you plant a perimeter of vegetation that Willoses despise around the outer edge, they'll steer clear of the fields."
"Oh, is that right?"
"Erecting the posts will be backbreaking work, of course, so you'll want to hire some hands for the construction itself. I'll make sure to fell and cut all the lumber you'll need before I head out."
"Good heavens, you're doing far too much... I'm grateful, truly, but I'd feel terrible taking advantage of your kindness like this..."
Shaping and hauling timber was hardly a chore when relying on Magic Armament, and swinging an axe was second nature to me after spending so much time on manual labor sites. Once I logged the details at the front desk, not a single Willos would ever set foot in this paddy again.
"Don't worry about the payment. Instead, would you mind answering a few questions for me? I heard you originally relocated here from Lemtert Village in Schytz Province."
"Ask away! If it's about Lemtert Village, I know every nook and cranny of that place!"
"I appreciate it. Well, then... back when you were living in Lemtert Village, did you ever encounter any rodent-type demonic beasts? Do you recall when or where they might have appeared?"
Truth be told, I couldn't care less about my Request Rank. The method for developing a Mizar Type wasn't something known to the general public anyway.
My real objective was gathering intelligence for the upcoming Schytz Great Subjugation Campaign. The common denominator among all the clients I had selected was their background—people who had lived, worked, or grown up in Schytz Province, possessing intimate knowledge of the terrain. I was trying to piece together every scrap of information I could find to figure out how to navigate the impending disaster.
Unfortunately...
"No, not at all. We never saw hide nor hair of any rat beasts. It was mostly moles. You wouldn't find a single rodent monster in Lemtert Village if you searched for a month."
Another dead end. A heavy sigh escaped my lips.
"Hah... and there's only one day left."
At this rate, my hands were tied. I could only hope that those two had made some sort of progress on their end.
Harboring a faint glimmer of hope that today might yield better results, I made my way toward Mizar Hall. Peering through the cracked doorway, I took in the sight of the two figures collapsed inside. Well... that doesn't look promising.
Still, I had to ask.
"...How did it go?"
At the sound of my voice, two pairs of hollow, exhausted eyes snapped in my direction. The moment those gaunt, sunken faces registered who was standing there, their expressions contorted violently.
"Junon... be honest with us. You've got some personal grudge against us, don't you? Huh?" John muttered with an empty, breathless chuckle. As if I'd ever harbor a petty grudge against them.
Noel immediately joined in, letting out a pitiful wail. "Uwaaagh... I should've kept my big mouth shut! I never should've asked to learn anything!"
"Hey, dummy! Don't cry! Don't you know this guy's a sadist drill instructor? If you cry, he'll just whip us harder!"
"I'd rather take the whip and pass out! What the hell even is this?!"
...John and Noel were treating me like an unhinged lunatic who did nothing but invent torturous training regimens.
In my defense, they were the ones who had sought me out in the first place. For reasons beyond my comprehension, they had practically slammed their foreheads into the floor, begging me to take them on as disciples. I had naturally assumed they had a serious reason for such a dramatic display, perhaps facing some dire predicament, but they insisted that wasn't the case.
"You two were practically begging me to teach you anything not so long ago, weren't you?"
"That was before we knew what we were asking for!"
Speaking in unison, John and Noel jumped to their feet in frantic protest.
"I still can't wrap my head around whether that stunt you pulled is even humanly possible! How do you pull that off like it's as natural as breathing? What kind of monster are you?!"
"And then you tell us, 'If it's too difficult, just hunt a Kud Rat using only the technique I showed you'? Normal students can't do either of those things, you bastard!"
"...Is it really that hard?"
"Are you... are you serious right now...?"
"Unbelievable. How can you be so nonchalant about it...?"
The two of them whimpered in sheer exasperation. I had set those conditions for a reason, but it seemed the barrier to entry was far steeper than I anticipated. Progress was completely stalled.
It was second nature to me after endless repetition and past-life experience, but for these two, attempting it right off the bat was simply asking too much. And if John and Noel couldn't pull it off, the rest of the student body wouldn't fare any better.
They might not look the part, but the two of them were among the top performers in Class C. Compared to other frontline vanguards, their fundamentals were practically flawless. While they had their share of shortcomings, even Professor Jake routinely praised the way they covered for each other's weaknesses and grew together.
The fact that two talents of their caliber couldn't grasp the basics was troubling news for me.
This is bad.
We were scheduled to march out to Schytz Province starting tomorrow. If things remained as they were, history was bound to repeat itself. What should I do? I desperately needed a new approach.
Just then, a voice interrupted my thoughts.
"Junon-sunbae."
"You...!"
Cain had arrived.
The sudden spike in market prices had placed a crushing burden on everyone regardless of age or station, showing no signs of stabilizing until the Principality secured enough domestic resources to sustain itself.
That suffocating inflation was eventually brought under control only after the discovery of self-sustaining resources within Schytz Province. Had that discovery been delayed by even a few days, the fallout would have devastated ordinary citizens and academy students alike. Impoverished students might have fallen straight into the clutches of unscrupulous nobles, just as Cain once had.
Because Junon had bought them the crucial window of time needed to locate those resources, Cain had kept a close count of the students attending lectures. Not a single academy student had ended up wandering into that underground gambling parlor to be turned into a disposable plaything.
And Cain was the only person who truly understood why.
The timing of the gambling den's establishment, the scheduling of the Octagon bouts, the insidious moment the organizers began reaching out to vulnerable students, and the subsequent raid that rounded up both the syndicate and the corrupt nobility—the entire sequence of events had unfolded with terrifying, seamless precision.
He had it all mapped out from the very start. There's no other explanation.
Furthermore, the affliction Junon had mentioned—the Lemterte Plague—was completely unheard of in the wider world. Even when Cain had consulted experienced physicians, none of them had the faintest clue what he was describing. Which meant this knowledge was exclusive to Junon alone.
That was why Cain had dared to seek him out.
If Junon possessed the foresight to orchestrate a plan capable of dismantling an underground arena that had evaded the eyes of the Principality itself, he would surely know how to save Lumia.
Cain's search had led him straight to Mizar Hall. For someone dedicated to relentless self-improvement, this facility was the place Junon frequented above all others.
Just as expected, there he was.
Stepping past the grumbling forms of John and Noel, Cain addressed him with utmost deference.
"Junon-sunbae."
"You...!"
A flicker of surprise crossed Junon's dark eyes. Clearly not expecting him to come looking for him here, Junon dragged a palm down his face and let out a dry sigh.
"Don't tell me you've forgotten what we agreed on, Cain."
Forget? He could never forget. It was precisely because he remembered that he had come.
"I have no intention of causing you trouble, Sunbae."
"Then why are you here?"
"I only ask for a moment of your time. There is something I must tell you..."
"Cain."
The interruption was cold and absolute. Yet Cain could not afford to back down now. He had already come prepared, knowing exactly what Junon desired most right now.
"If it's about Schytz Province... I know someone who understands it intimately!"
"...!"
Appealing to sentiment or begging for sympathy would never work on someone who drew boundaries as firmly as Junon. Therefore, Cain had staked everything on the single topic that currently consumed his senior's attention. Whether he had overheard it by chance or pieced it together by watching his movements no longer mattered.
"Will you... hear me out now?"
Even as he spoke, Cain felt a knot of dread tighten in his chest. His throat went dry at the thought of being rejected. If this lone lifeline snapped, he had no idea what he would do; his mind would go utterly blank.
All that met his ears was an exasperated murmur: "Good grief, give me a break."
Keeping his eyes lowered and his back bowed, Cain remained frozen in place, waiting.
"..."
Glancing back toward the two students watching dumbfoundedly from the floor, Junon turned back, scratched at the back of his dark hair, and gave a reluctant nod.
"Fine. But we're moving somewhere else."
"Thank you...!"
I was the one who suggested changing locations, but Cain came back with an alternative proposal, claiming that if I was going to hear the story anyway, a place he knew would be far better. From the direction we were heading, I had a pretty good idea where we were going.
"Lumia. Sunbae is here."
"I told you I was fine, Cain, you didn't need to drag Sunbae all the way... Ah, hello. Haha... As you can see, I ought to get up and greet you properly, but my body isn't cooperating. I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it. Just stay where you are."
Though I had bought her some time, the faint blue spots were already beginning to resurface on Lumia's pale skin. It was obvious why Cain had grown so desperate that he came seeking me out.
"Cain."
"Yes."
"Are you prepared to keep your head together no matter what comes out of my mouth?"
"..."
Coldly speaking, I would have been entirely justified in turning him away. He had approached me solely for Lumia's sake, an unintended consequence of my showing prior knowledge of the disease when I treated her before. And I, better than anyone, knew just how many dead ends I had run into while gathering intelligence on Schytz Province.
Lumia wouldn't be an exception. I was already braced for another wasted effort; what mattered was how Cain would handle the disappointment.
"You're almost certainly going to hear a negative answer. I already warned you of that the first time I treated her."
"...I know." His voice lacked conviction. He still wasn't ready to swallow the bitter truth.
Lumia, on the other hand, appeared fully prepared.
"Please tell us, Sunbae."
"Lumia?"
"They say it's better to take the medicine early, even if it tastes awful. Honestly, I can't deny that my condition is getting worse by the day."
"Hmm..."
"Whatever your answer is, I won't resent you. Come on, Cain, you promise too."
Lumia extended her pinky, urging Cain to seal the vow. Once she had wrung a reluctant pinky promise from him, she clasped his trembling hand tightly in hers, ready to listen. All that remained was for me to lay out the reality of the situation.
"A cure exists. If we synthesize a treatment using a specific blue flower, you'll recover within a week."
"Then if we can just find that flower...!"
"Yes. Lumia could make a full recovery. Exactly as she was before she fell ill."
However, reality wasn't so generous.
"The problem is that there is zero documentation on what month it blooms, what kind of climate it thrives in, or what altitude it grows at. All I know is that it's a blue flower."
I had only caught a brief glimpse of it once in my previous life. While I remembered its appearance, even a regressor like me possessed no further details. How many blue flowers existed in the world? Setting out to find an uncataloged botanical specimen based on a vague visual description alone was practically impossible.
"Ah..."
There was technically another complication, but there was no need to bring that up just yet.
"Just as I told you before, rely on items with mana-neutralizing properties to hold out. Until we locate that flower, there's nothing else anyone can do."
Having said my piece, I turned toward the door to leave.
"Wait a moment, Sunbae! Where are you going?"
"What? Did you have something else to say?"
"Well, of course! You said you've been searching everywhere for information on Schytz Province, right? I happen to know quite a lot about it."
Come to think of it, Cain had mentioned he was introducing me to someone who knew the region well. Lumia was the daughter of the Penarive barony from Schytz Province, wasn't she? Still... it was probably a waste of time. What reason would a noble lady have to cross paths with rodent demonic beasts—
"This illness... I caught it after fighting a rodent-type demonic beast myself in Schytz Province. And I remember the exact time and place it first appeared."
...What?
"Tell me. Everything you remember."
It seemed I had come to the right place after all.