Chapter 41
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 41
That night.
The forest was dark, alive with the rhythmic chirping of insects.
After joining up with Yuliana’s team, we found a suitable clearing and built a campfire. We decided to spend the night in the woods; we were too far to return to base camp, night had already fallen, and a thick fog had begun to roll in, making travel treacherous.
Besides, Yuliana’s team members were far too exhausted to go any further.
Ten tents were pitched in a circle around the fire. The quiet crackling of the wood was pleasant, adding a touch of atmosphere to the grim surroundings. Normally, a light in the mountains risked attracting wild animals or monsters, but with Freya around, we weren't worried.
She was a human weapon capable of slaughtering a pack of dire wolves in the blink of an eye. A few stray monsters drawn to the light wouldn't stand a chance.
With the tents up, we began the final preparations for our camp. I circled the perimeter, driving finger-sized steel rods into the earth one by one.
Garfield, who had been loitering nearby, watched with interest.
“Oh? Roen, you actually brought those along?”
“You know what these are?”
“Of course. They’re an essential tool for any merchant.”
“Right. A basic necessity if you want to sleep soundly outdoors.”
I smiled as I finished planting the rods around the tents. These mana-infused rods were staple items for adventurers, designed to detect approaching monsters and sound an alarm. I had packed them along with the remote for the automated golem before the practical class began.
With these in place, we could rest easy.
“……”
As I was setting the alarms, I felt a sharp gaze boring into my back. It was Yuliana. She had been hovering near me for a while, fidgeting with her fingers and kicking at the dirt with the tip of her shoe.
She was clearly still hung up on the fact that I’d saved her life.
Having apparently made up her mind, Yuliana spoke in a small, hesitant voice.
“……You’re surprisingly well-prepared. I suppose I should see you in a new light.”
“‘Surprisingly’? That’s a bit rich coming from someone whose life I just saved. Try not to sound so judgmental.”
“S-Saved my life? What are you talking about! My student ID’s protective barrier was still active, you know! I try to give you a compliment and this is what I get?”
Unwilling to admit she’d needed my help, Yuliana brought up Freya and turned her head away with a huff.
“And even if you hadn’t been there, Miss Freya would have saved me.”
“Sure, she would have. Right after a dire wolf took a chunk out of you.”
The translucent barrier that had protected Yuliana from the wolf’s attack was the [Aegis Shield]. As long as the owner was within a certain range, they could directly control the shield’s position.
“There.”
I straightened up and dusted the dirt from my hands.
“The alarms are set. We can start dinner without any worries now.”
“Oh, finally! Time to eat. I’ve been looking forward to this,” Garfield cheered.
With the camp secured, we pooled the rations from our backpacks to satisfy our growling stomachs. Tonight, I was the head chef.
In my past life, the only thing I could cook was kimchi fried rice, but here in the Myrillin Saga, I could produce gourmet meals with the help of my [Alchemy] trait.
Cooking is just another form of alchemy.
This was especially true for mass-produced meals, like those in the military. With a batch large enough for ten people, alchemy would truly shine.
I built a wooden stand over the roaring campfire, hung a pot from it, and threw in various ingredients, bringing the soup to a rolling boil.
[Alchemy level will be applied to cooking.]
- Currently applied: [Beginner Alchemy Level 3]
- The food will become more delicious. Grants a bonus effect.
- Upon consumption, grants Stamina +3 for 12 hours.
Along with the system notification, an appetizing aroma began to waft from the pot.
Gulp.
The team members swallowed hard, eyes fixed on the pot as they waited for the soup to finish. Before long, it was ready.
“Alright, let’s eat.”
I lifted the lid. The rich, savory scent of the soup burst forth, instantly stimulating our senses. It smelled fantastic, but the taste was what truly mattered.
“Then, I shall be the first to try it.”
Garfield stepped up as the designated taster. Given his portly frame and obvious appreciation for the finer things, he was the most reliable judge of flavor.
“Slurp.”
Garfield tasted the soup, smacking his lips. He looked at me, his eyes wide with surprise.
“Oh? This is actually delicious! You have a talent for cooking as well?”
“Of course. Food is just another form of alchemy. Now, everyone, help yourselves.”
I used a ladle to fill each person’s bowl with the steaming soup.
“It’s surprisingly good…”
“Nom.”
Yuliana and Freya both nodded in approval, dipping their hard bread into the warm broth. Even Karon, who had been openly hostile toward me, couldn’t find anything to complain about and silently devoured his portion.
The food received rave reviews, and even I had to admit it was impressive. To exaggerate a little, it was almost on par with a soup from a fine dining course. It was hard to believe such a rich flavor and deep aroma could come from preserved rations and simple seasonings.
Skill buffs really were the best.
Garfield, having already finished his bowl, held it out for seconds.
“Another bowl, please. This is incredible. I can actually feel my stamina recovering.”
It seemed he could feel the Stamina +3 bonus. Though temporary, it was a significant help in a situation like this. The others, who had exhausted themselves in the fight, would also be able to replenish their energy.
“There’s plenty, so eat as much as you like.”
And so, the ten of us gathered cozily around the campfire, enjoying a dinner of soup, hard bread, and jerky. As we ate and chatted, the tense atmosphere began to thaw.
The female students who had been terrified by the dire wolf attack regained their composure, and the others who were exhausted from the battle finally had a chance to relax. Once they had recovered, they bowed their heads to us again in gratitude.
“Thank you again… for helping us.”
“No, we only did what was natural. And perhaps… we might bear some responsibility for what happened,” Freya said, shooting a quick glance at me.
She seemed to think the incident might have occurred because I had summoned the automated golem. I subtly avoided her gaze and shrugged.
Well, she’s not entirely wrong.
The automated golem wasn’t just a walking score dispenser. Its other duty was to patrol these mountains and eliminate any potential threats to the students. By forcibly summoning it to our location, I might have created a gap in the perimeter, which could have led to Yuliana’s team being endangered.
Of course, that was a bit of a stretch.
The primary cause was the appearance of a pack of dire wolves—high-level monsters that shouldn't even be in the Howling Mountains in the first place. It was also strange that no professors or golems had come to help when the students were in danger.
I had cleared this scenario a hundred times and never seen an event like this.
…Something feels off.
I frowned, staring into the thick fog that filled the forest. I had a feeling this practical class wasn’t going to end so easily.
As I was lost in thought, Yuliana, who had scraped her bowl clean with a piece of bread, spoke up.
“By the way, your team… how many magic stones have you collected?”
I glanced at Freya, who nodded as if to say it was okay to tell her. With her permission, I revealed our current tally.
“The equivalent of 169.”
“169?! What on earth did you hunt?”
As Yuliana’s eyes widened in shock, Garfield let out a greasy laugh and boasted.
“Hehe, our team took down an automated golem. It was worth a whopping 150 magic stones.”
“You defeated an automated golem? Well, with Miss Freya on your team, I suppose that makes sense. You must have been lucky to find one.”
“Ah, about that. Sir Roen here, he summoned the golem—”
Shove.
Before Garfield could spill all our secrets, I stuffed a piece of bread into his mouth.
“The golem?”
Yuliana tilted her head, her curiosity piqued by the interrupted sentence. I cut the conversation short before she could press further.
“Anything more is a trade secret. It’s getting late, so let’s start getting ready for bed.”
“…Something’s suspicious.”
Ignoring Yuliana’s glare, I started cleaning up. Freya sighed softly and helped me.
After a pleasant dinner, we set up a night watch and prepared for sleep.
“We’ll have two people on watch at a time.”
With the warning stones in place, one person would have been enough, but since it was Freya’s suggestion, no one objected. Considering the earlier attack, safety was the priority.
Five pairs were chosen for the watch. I was paired with Freya—an obvious outcome given the vast difference in combat strength among the group. It turned out that my competitive ranking was even lower than that of the two female students on Yuliana’s team. My stock might have risen recently due to the territory war, but my official ranking remained the same.
“Well then, good night, everyone.”
With a final farewell from the good-natured Garfield, the first night of the practical exam deepened.
*
4:00 AM.
Freya and I took over from the previous watch. We left our tents and began to patrol the area. The warning stones protected the immediate vicinity of the camp, so our job was to eliminate any monsters lurking just beyond that perimeter.
We walked through the dark forest, oil lanterns in hand. Even as we patrolled, I never strayed far from Freya’s side.
“……”
As I continued to trail behind her, Freya, looking slightly tired, asked in an annoyed tone, “…Why are you following me so closely?”
I answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“Because it’s dangerous if I’m not near you.”
Patrolling this forest, teeming with fearsome monsters, all by my frail self? What a cruel fate that would be. Besides, my only means of attack, [Bishak’s Grace], was broken and gone.
“……”
Faced with my blatant honesty, Freya seemed to have no choice but to let me tag along. We patrolled the woods around the camp in silence. A thick fog had descended, obscuring our vision.
Crunch.
The only sounds were the crunch of fallen leaves under our boots and the distant chirping of insects. It was a heavy, deep silence. In some ways, it felt like a peaceful nighttime stroll, but the icy aura radiating from Freya made it anything but comfortable.
The silence was too awkward, so I decided to speak first.
“Freya, what do you think about the attack today?”
The pack of dire wolves that had ambushed Yuliana’s team. We had managed to fend them off, but the event itself was a clear anomaly. A pack of high-level monsters appearing and endangering students was something that should never happen during a controlled practical class.
At the mention of it, Freya finally spoke.
“…There are certainly suspicious aspects. The number of dire wolves, and the lack of response from the golems or professors.”
As she said, the Union hadn't responded in any meaningful way. Professor Verdandi was skilled enough to handle almost any emergency, so for something like this to happen was bizarre.
It was clear that something had gone wrong with the exam. Something that compromised student safety and was difficult for even the faculty to manage.
After a moment of thought, Freya sighed.
“In any case… we’ll need to be more careful from now on. It might be better to focus on returning safely rather than trying to pass the exam quickly.”
With that short exchange, Freya walked on ahead.
“……”
I watched her retreating figure for a moment as she quickened her pace, then hurried to catch up.