The Mysterious Pit and Rumbling Bellies
Grrrowl! “Hwaaaaaah—?!?!” I had just been about to follow Eros at Sonya’s request. “…Hmm?” Eros was already outside the guard post, screaming at the top of her lungs. “Eros?! What’s going on?!” I rushed out at the sound of her shriek. I’d been worried she’d cause trouble from the very start, and my body moved on its own. Nothing could go wrong. Not now. Not when Sonya’s quest had only just begun.
Yesterday, Sonya had set her condition: we had to finish this patrol shift together and return safely—without any “incidents.” Yet here we were, barely started, and already screams filled the air. I sprinted in the direction Eros had gone. Even if I, a mere human, couldn’t do much, worry propelled me forward. “W-What is this…?!” “Eros, what on earth are you—?” “Just look at it! How could anyone not be shocked?!” “W-What the…?!”
The moment I stepped outside, I couldn’t help but shout as well. Right below the brick path surrounding the post, near the blue shoreline, a massive black pit had been gouged into the earth. Roughly ten meters across, it looked as though a black hole had opened up. White smoke still curled from its depths. The crater resembled the aftermath of a cannon blast—or perhaps a meteor strike. Whatever had caused it, the damage was fresh.
“There’s an ominous aura here… Teacher, do you know what this is?” “No, I don’t.” “Tch, I knew you’d be useless. Sonya—?! Get out here!!” This was unexpected. I’d assumed Eros had caused the commotion, but she’d only been reacting to the scene itself. “Phew… What a dramatic start.” At least the incident didn’t interfere with Sonya’s conditional affinity quest. That was a relief.
“…Understood. Yes, yes. No casualties.” Sonya’s voice drifted from inside the watchtower-like post—calm, cool, and composed as always. “Ah… Is that so? There’s no other way?” Her pink eyebrows furrowed in displeasure. She held the thick receiver of the magitech transceiver, reporting the situation to the main building. Normally the gunner’s duty, but with none present, Sonya handled it flawlessly, without a hint of panic. Truly befitting the second-year representative.
“……” Eros and I watched her in silence from inside the post. “…Then we’ll continue the patrol as scheduled. Thank you for your time.” Click. Sonya set the receiver down with a heavy thud. “Sonya, what did the main building say? Are they ordering us back immediately?” I asked, unable to hide my hope. Returning now would be the perfect outcome—skipping the tedious shift and completing Sonya’s quest right away.
“Haah, they said not to worry and to continue the mission.” “Really?” “What…? They want us to keep patrolling in this situation? I thought they’d call us back for something like this…” At the order to proceed, both Eros’s and my shoulders slumped. We’d been so close to an easy return. Still, beyond the disappointment, the decision itself was baffling. They wanted us to ignore the pit entirely and resume duty without investigating?
“Miss? Didn’t you say a hole that size clearly suggests an external intrusion?” “That’s correct. However, as you know, all the professors are currently away, so immediate response is difficult.” Sonya had earlier suggested the pit might have been caused by something landing from above—or someone deliberately targeting the outer wall with suspicious energy. She’d sensed dense, ominous mana near it, an aura that made her reluctant to approach.
“So… because there’s no one to handle the incident, we’re supposed to just ignore it and keep working?” “Something like that. Even if other seniors were here, they’d likely keep it quiet and move on.” “Why?” “Simple. They hate complications more than anything.” “Ah, I see…” “They despise troublesome matters above all else.”
Haah? That sounded exactly like the mindset of a soldier nearing discharge. Getting involved could delay graduation, after all. For upperclassmen, no news was good news. It was probably the expected response. Whether it was Detronos or whatever else, their priority was graduating safely. “Then at least let me report this properly to the main building—!” “It’s fine, Breeder. I’m frustrated too, but I understand the academy’s position.” “You do? What do you mean?” “Since the academy’s founding, there have been no incidents. For a newly promoted second-year like me to report something like this… it’s understandable if they find it unreliable.” “Sonya…”
Though she spoke calmly, her shoulders drooped slightly. She was beginning to realize that effort alone wouldn’t suffice in academy life. For someone who’d only just become a second-year, the realization came quickly. “Sonya? Don’t let something like this get you down. You’re no pushover!” Grab! “Huh? Eros…?” “Let’s just finish this shift and head back! We’re not staying here forever, right?!” While I’d been wondering how to comfort Sonya, Eros grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the exit. They usually bickered like cats and dogs, but in a serious moment, Eros was the one soothing her friend.
“That branch we saw earlier—the one from the radio message?” “Yeah, but why…?” “Then there’s nothing to worry about. If anything happens, that pile of firewood will take the blame.” “What do you mean?” “Listen, Sonya. You only followed the rules you were taught! So you didn’t do anything wrong.” “Eros…?” “So stop sulking. This isn’t like the Sonya I know!” Eros was acting surprisingly mature. Had she suddenly grown up? She patted Sonya’s back repeatedly. ‘Academy life or military service—there’s not much difference. When it comes down to it, only your peers can be trusted.’ I hadn’t noticed before, but their bond seemed quite strong. Even without showing it outwardly, they relied on each other.
“You’re right. Let’s just finish this quickly! Um… Breeder?!” Once Eros’s encouragement ended, Sonya—revitalized—called my name. “Yes, did you need something, Sonya?” “I need to borrow your hand for a moment!” “My hand? Why…?” Whoosh! Sonya suddenly snatched my hand, while her other hand already held Eros’s. I was startled for a second, but quickly understood. She was preparing to move to the next patrol point. Flap! The moment she took my hand, Sonya spread her wings wide once more.
“I’ll make up for the lost time with extra speed…! So hold on tight—!” The moment our hands connected, Sonya’s speech reverted to its shorter, cuter form. The way she grew embarrassed right after regaining her energy was rather adorable. “Sonya, even so, maybe slow down a bit—!” “D-Departing now……!” Whoosh—!!! Perhaps to hide her embarrassment, Sonya beat her wings even more vigorously.
Patrol duty was simpler than expected. Click!Thud…! All we had to do was visit each guard post along the academy island’s perimeter and flip the magestone patrol markers. The rectangular markers were painted red on one side and white on the other. During the day, we flipped them to red; at night, to white. Doing so sent a mana signal to the main building, confirming we’d passed the post. Of course, each post had a designated reporting time, so flipping them all at once and slacking off wasn’t possible.
‘This is already the third post…’ Thanks to the earlier incident, Eros had calmed down, and nothing else had happened since the first post. Please, let it stay this way. The shift had been a little hectic at the start, but the patrol itself was going smoothly. If we could make it to midnight without further trouble, we’d be done. “There’s plenty of time until the next post’s report, so let’s rest here for a bit before moving on.” Sonya turned to me after flipping the marker at the third post.
“Sounds good. By the way, this place feels much larger than the previous posts.” “Idiot! And you call yourself a teacher? Kukuk♡ You’re completely clueless!” Cancel that. Eros was back to her usual self. She’d been itching to tease me since earlier. “…That’s right. I heard this used to be a dormitory building.” “Oh, really? So the academy wasn’t originally built here?” Sonya and I continued our conversation, ignoring Eros’s playful voice behind us. “Hey…? Are you two ignoring me right now…?” “Yes. And because the location was too remote, they moved it to the center within fifty years. We still have time—would you like to look around?” “Sure. Nothing else to do anyway.” “Uuu…! Sonya, you too—?!”
Sonya and I strolled outside the post, continuing to ignore Eros’s renewed provocations. “Oh, by the way, Sonya?” “Yes, did you call me?” “Something just occurred to me…” “Please speak freely. I’ll answer any question you have, Breeder.” “Then, about why you chose me as Raylin’s substitute earlier.” “Eh……?” The question I’d meant to ask earlier suddenly resurfaced. “You mentioned there was another reason besides Eros. What was it…?”
Grrrowl!!! “…Huh? What was that sound?” I’d been trying to steer the conversation seriously when a loud stomach growl interrupted. It was unusually loud—enough that I’d mistaken it for thunder at first. The rumble and vibration were far too intense for an ordinary stomach. “Ah? Sonya? Eros?” “……” And it wasn’t just one person. Turning around, I saw both Sonya and Eros, who had been walking beside me, standing frozen with bright red faces. They had both let out stomach growls at the same time. Roommates? More like soulmates. “Did you two… skip lunch because you had to leave in such a hurry?”
Nod, nod…! They both nodded silently. Skipping meals to go on duty? That was a serious loss of combat effectiveness. Stamina was national power, after all. Tsk, I can’t just let them go hungry. I had to make something for them to eat. I couldn’t keep them working until evening like this. ‘Ah, but what do I even have on me right now……?’