Chapter 149
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 149
"Dammit! What the hell is going on?!"
In the Noble Alliance camp, Esetra clutched her hair in frustration, staring at the hollow shell of their once-full food storage.
As she shrieked, the pink sparrow perched on her shoulder chirped in alarm and took flight. Nearby, her wolf-like summons, which had been guarding the perimeter, whimpered anxiously.
Still gripping her head, Esetra screamed in a fury-choked voice.
"Charlotte! Where are you? Get out here, now!"
"...Y-yes."
At Esetra’s command, Charlotte stepped forward from the crowd, her face pale with apprehension. Esetra immediately turned her wrath on her.
"I told you to guard this place properly! I even assigned that fire-wielding commoner to you just like you asked, so how did this happen? Huh? It’s all gone, dammit!" Esetra raged, gesturing wildly at the empty crates.
"..."
Charlotte simply bowed her head, silently enduring the tirade. Her silence, however, was far from repentant.
That stupid bitch, taking it all out on me.
Esetra was the one who had been played by Roen, leading the bulk of their forces away on a wild goose chase only to return empty-handed. None of this would have happened if she hadn't been so desperate to snatch an easy victory.
Charlotte had plenty to say in her defense, but she knew opening her mouth now would only pour oil on the fire. She kept quiet, already mentally planning how she would vent her frustration on Bell later.
Yurkov, another core member of the Noble Alliance, stepped forward to inspect the remaining supplies. "How much do we actually have left?"
The students guarding the storage answered in somber tones. "Probably only enough for one day..."
At that, Esetra’s tantrum reached a new peak of intensity.
"One day? One day?! We barely managed to scrape those supplies together by scouring every inch of the area, and now you’re telling me we’re down to a single day’s worth?!"
The guards lowered their heads, unable to offer a word of comfort.
Food on this jungle island was scarce to begin with. There was a strict limit to how many supply boxes the Union dropped, and while the number of mouths to feed was decreasing as students were eliminated, a large faction like theirs still required a massive amount of sustenance.
Now, with their stores raided, they were staring down the barrel of starvation.
Faced with the grim reality, Yurkov sighed. "In that case, we have no choice. We have to attack Roen’s camp tomorrow."
Originally, they could have afforded to play the long game, planning their moves carefully with a week’s worth of food in reserve. That luxury was gone. With only twenty-four hours of supplies left, a swift, decisive strike was their only path to survival. Even if they couldn't completely crush Roen's faction, they absolutely had to seize his supplies.
Esetra nodded sharply. "Right. We’ll crush that bastard’s team tomorrow. At the very least, we’re taking their food. Messenger! Contact Silphiette at once!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Esetra barked her orders at the summoned messenger. "Go and tell her we’re striking Roen’s camp at dawn! Tell her to have her forces ready for battle! Move!"
"Y-yes, I understand!"
Swish—.
The messenger fled as if escaping a natural disaster. Esetra clenched her fists as she watched the figure disappear into the trees. At this rate, revenge was the least of her worries; she was on the verge of being eliminated from the exam entirely. If they failed, they would go down in history as the idiots who lost because they ran out of snacks.
But there’s still a chance.
Their food was gone, but their military strength was still superior. She would bet everything on this final assault.
"I’ll crush you. I’ll definitely crush you," Esetra hissed through gritted teeth.
*
"…And that is their plan."
Inside the strategy room of the Cube Fortress, I listened to the report from the messenger sent by Silphiette’s camp and nodded slowly.
"Just as I anticipated."
The Noble Alliance, backed into a corner by the loss of their supplies, had opted for a desperate, all-out gamble. They were gathering their allies and familiars for a large-scale assault at dawn—all with the 'help' of Silphiette’s team, whom they still believed to be their loyal partners.
I looked down at the map spread across the table, tracing the enemy’s likely approach.
"Alright. The fastest route from the hills where the Noble Alliance is camped to our position is through this canyon. They’ll have to pass through here tomorrow to reach us."
Chepesi frowned, leaning over the map. "Even so, are they really that reckless? A canyon is a death trap for a large force. If they have even a basic grasp of strategy, they’ll take the safer, roundabout route."
"No, they’re desperate. They aren't in a state of mind to weigh their options rationally. Besides, they’ll be blinded by rage."
They were under immense psychological pressure. They didn't have the luxury of caution or scouting. Their only thought would be to overwhelm us and seize our food as quickly as possible. At most, they might send a few scouts to check for obvious traps.
We would use that desperation against them.
It’s easy to break an opponent who’s in a hurry.
And I knew exactly how to make them even more impatient.
"Tonight, we’re going to hold a banquet. We’ll celebrate our victory and welcome the students from Teon’s side who surrendered to us. We’ll keep the party going all night."
"A banquet?" Chepesi asked, blinking.
"Yes. We’ve plundered more than enough food, so let’s put it to use. When the Noble Alliance hears that we’re throwing a massive party, they’ll see it as the perfect opportunity to catch us off guard. They’ll move even faster."
It was a transparent ploy, but a highly effective one. Chepesi nodded, catching on to the scheme.
"A lure to make the enemy overconfident."
"Exactly. But not everyone will be partying. A special unit, including myself, will be in the canyon setting traps."
The traps were mostly a psychological tool—deceptions meant to sow confusion and make it easier for Silphiette’s team to strike them from the rear. It was a simple setup: great if it worked, but no big loss if it didn't.
With the plan finalized, I closed the meeting.
"That’s all for now. Starting tomorrow, we’ll begin the operation to subdue Elena’s team."
Flutter—.
I folded the map and dismissed the commanders.
"Go enjoy the banquet and get some rest. However, I expect everyone back here by 4 AM sharp."
At my word, Hildegard, Karon, Dandol, and Teon filed out of the room, leaving only Ciel and Chepesi behind. Once the room quieted down, Chepesi looked at me with a curious expression.
"By the way, where did you learn tactics? You seem much more comfortable with large-scale maneuvers than I expected."
"You could say I’ve studied."
I’d played plenty of StarCraft, after all. And I’d read my fair share of classics like Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
"…Did you study kingship? How interesting." Chepesi’s eyes sparkled as if she were seeing me in a new light.
I brushed off her intense gaze and turned to Ciel. "Ciel, you should go rest too. You’ve worked hard today; get some sleep while you can."
"No, I will stay and continue the planning with you, Lord Roen."
Ciel chose duty over rest, and I didn't have the heart to turn her away. "Well, as you wish."
I looked at Chepesi, who was still lingering. "Aren’t you going?"
Chepesi grumbled, "And do what? I don’t know anyone out there. You eliminated every single student from my academy."
"No friends, huh? How tragic."
"..."
As I clicked my tongue, Chepesi’s face twisted into a scowl. I stopped teasing and smiled. "Alright, you can stay. Instead of the banquet, the three of us can share something special."
"Something special? Like what?"
I reached into my subspace pouch and pulled out a treat I’d been saving, setting it on the table. In a clear glass bowl sat a mound of pure white shaved ice, piled high like fresh snow. It was drizzled with sweet syrups and topped with vibrant, fresh fruits.
"This is..."
"Bingsu. I bought it back on the floating ship."
Thanks to the nature of the subspace pouch, where time stood still, even something as delicate as bingsu remained perfectly frozen. I handed them each a spoon.
"Let’s eat. Sorry, I only have the one bowl."
On a sweltering jungle night, the taste of cold bingsu shared in the cool air of the enchanted room was nothing short of divine.
*
Rustle. Rustle.
At dawn, before the first rays of the sun could pierce the canopy, the Noble Alliance marched in full force toward Roen’s camp.
Before entering the canyon, Esetra halted the line to check with her scouts. "Is the path clear?"
"Yes, ma'am. We’ve checked thoroughly. No ambushes, no traps."
In reality, there were traps, but they were subtle enough to be missed in the pitch-black forest night. Unaware, Esetra accepted the report. Even the summons she had sent ahead hadn't flagged any immediate threats.
"Good. We’re moving through. Pick up the pace; I want us out of this canyon as quickly as possible."
With Esetra in the lead, the Noble Alliance sprinted into the gorge. Once they cleared this pass, they would reach the waterfall base where Roen was stationed.
They said they partied all night.
According to her scouts, the enemy had thrown a massive banquet to celebrate their recent gains. They had even broken into a stash of alcohol and were reportedly stumbling around drunk.
Of course they’d be arrogant enough to celebrate.
They had absorbed Teon’s forces and emptied the Alliance's larder. Esetra ground her teeth.
But that arrogance will be your end.
History was littered with the corpses of those who grew complacent after a minor victory. Roen would be no different. Of course, there was a chance it was a bluff—Roen was a snake, after all—but it didn't change the math.
The numbers are on our side regardless.
Even if Roen had a plan, it wouldn't matter. His forces were roughly the same size as the Noble Alliance now, but they were a disorganized mess of new recruits and former enemies. They hadn't had time to establish a command structure or learn each other's abilities.
The Alliance, meanwhile, was a cohesive unit. And with Silphiette’s team joining the fray, they would have the overwhelming numerical advantage. Victory was a mathematical certainty.
As Esetra led the charge, lost in her visions of triumph, a messenger pulled up beside her.
"Lady Esetra! Silphiette’s forces are approaching from the flank!"
"Excellent. We’ll link up with them and hit Roen immediately."
Everything was falling into place. Silphiette was on time, and Roen was likely still nursing a hangover.
"Heh... just you wait, Roen."
Just as a confident smirk spread across Esetra’s face—
Flash—!
A bolt of brilliant blue lightning arced through the sky in the distance.
"What was that?"
Startled, the students looked around frantically. A split second later, the ground beneath them groaned and shuddered.
Rumble—!
The entrance to the canyon behind them collapsed in a roar of stone and dust, completely sealing their retreat.
"Lady Esetra! The entrance is gone! We’re trapped!"
"Is it an ambush? Are we under attack?!"
The Noble Alliance ground to a halt, weapons drawn, eyes searching the cliffs above. But no arrows flew. No spells rained down.
"If it were a trap, they would have attacked by now," Yurkov shouted, trying to calm the panic. "The ground must have been unstable. The weight of the march triggered a landslide. Don't panic! We have to move forward anyway—there’s no going back now!"
"R-right!"
Esetra shook off her shock and urged the group onward. He’s right. It doesn't matter if the way back is blocked. We weren't planning on retreating.
The only way out was through Roen.
As the anxious Alliance members hurried through the final stretch of the canyon, a group appeared on the horizon.
"!"
Beyond the canyon's exit, a large force stood waiting. Judging by the leaf-shaped banner fluttering in the wind, it was their allies—Silphiette’s team.
Seeing a friendly face in the midst of the chaos brought a surge of relief to Esetra’s heart. She ran forward, waving her hand at Silphiette.
"Hey! You’re already here!"
In the distance, Silphiette raised her hand in return.
"..."
For a moment, Esetra thought it was a greeting. Then she saw the mana.
Pure energy coalesced in Silphiette’s palm, forming a glowing bow and a jagged arrow of light. The tip was aimed directly at Esetra’s heart.
"Huh?"
Before Esetra could even process the sight—
Fwing—!
The mana arrow shrieked through the air, slamming into Esetra’s protective barrier with explosive force.
At that exact moment, a thunderous roar erupted from the surrounding woods.
"Waaaaah!"
The slaughter had begun.