A Perfectly Normal Group Assignment (10)

"Ha, hahat! Hahahaha!"

Late at night, in the command post set up for this assignment, Istal von Lebenstein burst into uproarious laughter. Clutching her stomach with tears welling in her eyes, she kicked her feet wildly. Beside her stood the academy's martial arts teaching assistants—essentially civil servants—most of them wearing faces etched with exhaustion. Even from the perspective of the academy's leadership, this assignment seemed utterly deranged. The faculty had been pulling all-nighters for four days now, preparing in advance and bracing for any unforeseen disasters that might occur during the task. The students grumbled that the school was going too far, but the staff weren't exactly enjoying themselves either.

The successful operation of the academy and the cultivation of talent it produced was a massive national project backed by enormous resources. Even setting aside financial considerations, it was the very endeavor the Emperor himself had taken a personal interest in, treating it as the final great undertaking of his life. The three representative professors, including Istal, were already infamous as madmen even at their previous posts, so they could easily retort with something like, "If the students couldn't handle it, that's their own weakness—there's nothing wrong with our teaching methods." But those working beneath them desperately wanted to put a stop to this insane class.

'Doesn't that woman ever get tired? I heard she's already gone seven days without a wink of sleep.'

'The rumors say she's a half-blood with demon blood. Is that true?'

'The high-ranking imperial officials who were planning to send their children to the academy were reportedly horrified when they heard about the entrance exam. I wonder what kind of complaints will come out this time.'

'More importantly, is it really okay for her to just keep laughing like that? Shouldn't we do something...?'

As if voicing the complaints they were all swallowing, Schultz—the man who had once been Istal's adjutant and was now ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a civil servant—spoke up.

"Are you sure this is all right, Professor Istal?"

"All right? What do you mean?" Istal tilted her head, feigning ignorance. Despite her seductive appearance, her innocent, girlish gestures carried a charm that could make any man's heart race. Yet Schultz, long accustomed to it, spoke calmly.

"I'm referring to Lady Lyla's actions. She annihilated another team before the official starting signal even sounded. At this rate, won't it cause problems with the proceedings?"

"That's an odd thing to say." Istal snorted. "She didn't break any rules, and the other teams haven't lost their opportunities either. Of course, Crow's team can no longer obtain their markers, which puts them at a disadvantage, but if you were going to nitpick that, you should have raised the same issue with Chrome's actions during the first assignment."

"I see. Then allow me to be more direct." Schultz's expression remained unchanged. "—Even if we continue like this, was there ever going to be a contest to begin with?"

"Hee," Istal smiled. "You want to say that Lady Lyla will simply overwhelm everyone? Even if that happens, is there a problem?"

"Overwhelming them alone wouldn't be an issue. But there's a chance it could break the spirits of the promising talents."

"That would be even more delightful. They can taste that level of despair without even facing a life-threatening crisis. It's an invaluable treasure when you think about their futures."

"……They might never recover. Honestly, her power already feels like it's beyond the category of a student."

"If they can't get back up, then they were just that kind of child to begin with. Besides—" —You never know how a match will turn out until you actually fight it. Istal's murmur wasn't loud, yet it reached the ears of everyone in the command post with perfect clarity, accompanied by her smile brimming with anticipation.

The next morning, the news delivered in a voice far too dangerous to be called an alarm clock made me blurt out without thinking.

"Wow, there really is a crazy person who'd actually do that."

Fiore flinched beside me. "…Brother, hearing that makes it sound like I'm weird for even thinking of it, so it's a bit uncomfortable to listen to."

Ligret shrugged. "If you only thought about it without actually doing it, isn't that still technically safe? More than that, it's surprising that Crow got taken out. If I had to guess who'd pull something like this, the person who seemed most likely to do it is the one who got eliminated. It's not even funny."

"Hmm, if it was Lady Akasha, even with support and affiliation, she should have been stronger than most martial arts students. It's surprising she got taken out along with him."

As I listened to them, I thought, 'Indeed. To completely destroy a party formed by those two… that's no ordinary feat. Whether it was the princess or Alphons who did it, their combined combat power might actually exceed ours.'

While I was pondering, Professor Istal's broadcast continued.

At those words, Ligret leaped up a tree in just a few bounds to confirm the positions, then took the lead to guide the way. On the backs of Rabaul and me were makeshift carriers—blends of the pack frames and chairs we'd made based on our experience during the preliminary exam—with Fiore and Pino seated on them respectively. Normally, running separately would have been faster than carrying someone, but considering the differences in our physical abilities, this was the best option. Behind us, Loto could be seen wrestling with his masculine pride versus physical comfort, but now wasn't the time to worry about that.

At that signal, we kicked off the ground and launched forward.

Crack. The sound of branches being crushed underfoot faded into the distance, lagging behind the flow of air. From up close, their movements were so fast that one might mistake them for a passing bird. There were two main reasons the Chrome team could maintain a full sprint through the obstacle-filled forest. At the very front, Ligret swiftly selected the easiest routes for her teammates to run and guided them, while simultaneously clearing away any obstructive branches or undergrowth with the sword in her hand. Using a combat sword in such a manner was an excellent way to ruin its edge, but the Ancient Guardian's Greatsword—which surpassed ordinary magical tools in both durability and cutting power—remained sharp despite its owner's rough handling, slicing through everything in their path.

Fiore, seated in the carrier on Chrome's back, sent healing light to any teammates whose speed began to falter. Freed from the crushing pain in their lungs and the burning agony in their legs, the team members could keep running without falling behind.

"Right side!" Ligret shouted. Immediately, Pino fired an arrow from the short bow in her hands. The shot—impossibly accurate from an unstable seated position on a swaying platform—struck the young knight in armor who had just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠emerged from the bushes, though it only grazed his shield without piercing it. Undeterred, Pino loosed another arrow. The young man had been surprised that Ligret had detected his approach and that Pino's first shot had landed, but upon realizing the arrow's power was nothing special, he curled his lips into a smirk. The moment he was certain his armor could withstand such force, a shout rang out from behind.

"Don't let your guard down, Nicolaus! Maintain your defenses!"

At his respected lord's command, Nicolaus—the young knight from the Betuart family of the Spero Kingdom—moved his body before his mind could catch up. He temporarily halted his pursuit and hid his entire body behind his shield. The instant Pino's arrow struck the shield, a thud echoed, followed by a wave of scorching heat washing over Nicolaus from beyond the shield. These were custom arrows with Attribute Stones of flame embedded in the tips instead of ordinary arrowheads. Before Nicolaus could even comprehend what had happened, Chrome had already taken aim with his crossbow and fired a rapid volley. Alphons Betuart stepped forward and deflected every single bolt.

Chrome frowned in dissatisfaction. "Hey, what were you thinking, deflecting that so casually? What if it had exploded?"

Alphons answered coolly. "The distinctive luster of an Attribute Stone is different from a regular arrowhead. Anyone can see that."

"No way—you can judge the tip of a flying arrow in that split second?"

To Chrome's incredulous expression, Ligret, who had appeared beside him at some point, replied, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠"If you look, you can see it."

"……Right. That's how the top ranks in martial arts are."

The two teams—twelve students in total—had come to a halt and now faced each other from their respective positions. Alphons Betuart spoke first.

"Chrome Midas. Was that your doing last night?"

"Would you believe me if I said no?"

"I can't trust your words, but I can trust your skills. With your abilities, I doubt you'd look this unscathed after a fierce battle with Crow Vein."

"Wow, you read that well."

This time, it was Chrome's turn. "It wasn't you, and it wasn't me either. That leaves the princess. She's probably already running ahead, so wouldn't it be better for us to negotiate and chase after her together?"

"Hand over two of your teammates. If you secure two markers for us, I'll accept."

"Wow, look at that shamelessness. Maybe it wasn't our family that were merchants, but yours?"

"Enough with the unpleasant insults. In the end, when you and I clash, there's no choice but one of two outcomes: a fierce fight, or one side completely submitting to the other."

"Is that so? Then it's decided."

"Indeed."

Some drew their swords. Others nocked arrows. Some desperately suppressed their trembling bodies from tension, while others curled their lips in exhilaration before the battle. Then the two leaders' declarations overlapped.

""—You submit.""