Chapter 36
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 36: Group Projects Are Luck-Based (7)
Just as Estelle had gathered a bunch of edible plants earlier, there were unexpectedly many edible things nearby.
As she said, perhaps distinguishing edible things was also an evaluation factor, the academy side seemed to have planted many things artificially.
A mountain scattered with plenty of things like herbs and mushrooms.
Naturally, there weren't only edible things.
“Ah, be careful with that. If you touch it, spores that paralyze muscles will burst.”
“Isn't it the same as what Ms. Estelle just picked?”
“It looks similar, right? That mushroom's survival strategy is to camouflage like this mushroom and burst spores. There are frequent cases where people try to pick it thinking it's edible and get damaged.”
“Oh my.. How do you distinguish this?”
＂Hehe, if you look at it for a bit, you get used to it.＂
Looking with my eyes, they looked the same, but since Estelle said it was toxic, my hands didn't go easily towards gathering.
Perhaps Tauric had the same thought as me, he obediently carried the gathered items Estelle collected.
“There seem to be more edible things than I thought.”
“Indeed. If we assume this is all over the mountain, there would be no reason to be greedy for supply drops.”
“.....Supply drops?”
Listening to the two people's conversation, something strange came to mind.
There are many things to eat on the mountain.
Just looking at the amount Estelle gathered, one meal for today is sufficient, and going around the forest, we saw quite a few wild animals too.
‘Then why are there supply drops?’
The only ways to obtain food during the exam are hunting animals, gathering, and supply drops.
Because of this, I thought the supply drops were for the purpose of controlling the number of eliminations by gathering students who couldn't find food in one place.
But if it's not that?
The uses of supply drops are largely two.
One is food. The other is tools useful in the exam.
....It was this.
“The important thing in supply drops wasn't food but tools.”
“...Yes, yes?”
“If edible things are scattered like this, students who prepared a base like us would have no reason to go compete to occupy supply drops, right?”
“Right...? Since what reflects most heavily on grades is the ranking anyway. Thinking we don't know how many teams will come around, they will think there is no reason to go and risk elimination.”
“Then who will go find supply drops?”
“Those whose skills are not enough to occupy a place worthy of a base...?”
“That's it!”
“.......Ah!!”
Group members taking the exam together are all selected randomly.
In our group's case, relatively high-ranking students were tied together, but what about groups where low-ranking students were tied together contrary to us?
They might have to wait only for the time to be eliminated without obtaining any particular opportunity.
Would the academy, which put forward the topic of survival rather than simply competing in martial power, not have anticipated this part?
No way.
Those going to find supply drops would mostly be low-ranking students who couldn't have their own territory.
The ‘tools useful during the exam’ Professor Kell mentioned must have the ability to grant competitiveness even to low-ranking students.
“Hmm... Brothers and Sister, could you explain in a bit more detail?”
Tauric who hadn't followed the conversation yet.
Piyuuuung-!!!
While explaining the meaning of supply drops to him, a loud sound occurred nearby.
Looking up following the sound, a box emitting red smoke and making noise was falling slowly from the sky.
“Shall we go check if the hypothesis is correct?”
“It would be perfect to eat lunch after obtaining the supply drop.”
“L... Let's go quickly!”
We moved our steps toward the supply drop.
Have we run for a few minutes? Although it was still far until reaching the supply drop, the box was about to touch the ground slowly.
It seemed it would touch the ground in about 5 minutes.
“Than thought... Heueuk.. the falling speed.... is fast...!”
“Excuse me for a moment.”
“Yes? Heueut!?”
I picked up and carried Estelle who was panting heavily.
Unlike me or Tauric who are physical types, she was getting tired slowly.
Since speed was lagging and we didn't know how many people would be at the supply drop side, I wanted to preserve her stamina if possible.
“I'm sooorry...!”
“Each has their own role. Please prepare as we might fight soon.”
Running while answering her who apologized thinking she became a burden, we arrived at the place where the supply drop was before we knew it.
“....There are prior guests.”
“It seems they don't know we came yet.”
There were prior guests at the supply drop box that landed before we came.
Two people opening the box without even being vigilant of the surroundings, and one Holy Knight examining the surroundings perhaps thinking at least one person should stand guard.
“Hmm... Sorry but since it's an exam. Let's send them off quickly. Ms. Estelle?”
“Yes, I'm ready.”
“Then when Ms. Estelle shoots magic, the two of us will rush out. Ms. Estelle, please be vigilant of the surroundings after firing magic.”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
Estelle's chant wasn't long.
Her finishing preparations while the two people checked the supply drop.
The Holy Knight who felt some strange presence called the two people, but it was already too late.
“Star Cluster..!”
As Estelle activated magic, star fragments fell above the heads of the students taking out supply drops.
Star fragments falling like hail looked pretty, but the explosive power contained within was considerable.
Although they let their guard down, perhaps having skills to enter Franz Academy, the mage hurriedly cast a shield.
But the opponent wasn't good.
Estelle is a 4th Circle Star-attribute mage.
Although it hasn't been long since she rose to 4th Circle so magic control is immature, that power didn't go anywhere.
Kwajik-!
The mage's shield cracked already despite not even blocking star fragments a few times.
At this, the knight hurriedly carried the mage and ran out of the magic.
“Mr. Tauric. Please take care of the Holy Knight.”
“Leave it to me.”
Tauric was in a fine condition since the opponent was human.
Entrusting the Holy Knight to him, I rushed at the fleeing knight.
The knight who couldn't examine the surroundings being urgent to escape from magic.
“Hey! Behind!”
“Sorry, no hard feelings.”
The mage carried by him shouted seeing me, but my spear was faster than the knight's reaction.
Jjang-geurang-!
As I stabbed the knight, along with the sound of glass breaking, the shield signifying his life broke.
I didn't know this would break in one hit... Is it because I aimed for the heart trusting the badge performance?
“No...!”
Perhaps it was so unfair that he was eliminated in one hit, he tried to say something, but the badge had no mercy.
The knight teleporting outside the exam site along with the elimination signal.
What remained were only the mage dropped on the floor and the knight's badge, and the mage's end wasn't much different either.
“Heuh....”
As two people were eliminated in an instant, the Holy Knight made a futile expression.
At his appearance, both Tauric and Estelle made sorry expressions, but both knew what they had to do.
“I am sorry, Brother.”
“No. How can you apologize for my lack.”
“I'm sorry..!”
Jjang-geurang-!
The Holy Knight was eliminated.
After collecting the dropped badges, we headed to the supply drop.
Although the battle ended quickly, since we didn't know how many students aimed for the supply drop like us, there was nothing bad about hurrying.
The supply drop was open by the students who came first, so we could check immediately.
Inside the box, there was emergency food enough for 3 people to eat for a day along with one more small box.
“Shall we go back and open it?”
“Yes, I think nothing good will come from staying here long.”
“I have the same thought.”
We took the supply drop and returned to the base.
Fortunately, there were no traces of anyone coming near the base.
Still, just in case, when I suggested one person stand guard while checking supply drops and organizing food, Tauric volunteered.
While Tauric went to examine the surroundings, we pushed the food to one side and took out the supply box.
A box beautifully wrapped as if it were a gift.
Untying the knot and opening the box, inside was a map along with written instructions.
[Exam Site Guide Map]
[You can grasp the terrain of the exam site, the number of remaining groups, and the location of boundaries.]
“Mr. Ethan, it seems we are here.”
“Looking at the boundaries... I think we can endure here until tomorrow.”
As Professor Kell said, the supply drop was a very useful tool.
In a situation where we don't know where this is and can only check shrinking boundaries with naked eyes, knowing one's location, surrounding geography, moving direction of boundaries, and even the number of remaining groups...
However, if there is one worry, it was that this likely wasn't the only type of magic tool.
Although the map we obtained is a sufficiently fraudulent item, seeing a bit more, according to the professor's words, there seemed to be other types of tools too, so we couldn't let our guard down.
It was when we were about to call Tauric in and share about this result.
Tauric returning to the base before we called.
When we were puzzled, he spoke with a stiff expression.
“Brothers and Sister, it is the Saintess.”
“....Yes?”
Why is she here?