Third Eye Encounter
A third eye.
One of the several monster species that primarily inhabit the southwestern front.
A life form slightly larger than the legged crawlers that crawl along the ground, with an unusual body featuring three eyes.
Particularly notable is that the middle eye has irises that roll and churn vigorously when it detects something.
Its appearance stirs a sense of revulsion and primitive terror.
Among the factors that shock new recruits stationed on the battlefield, it stands as one of the greatest.
Of course, its danger level is not particularly high.
What annoys them, however, is its ability to eat anything.
Using a metaphor, it is like the supreme evolution of a cockroach.
If no action is taken, it will devour not only food supplies but also candles, and even the floorboards under the bed.
Thus, it can be considered an unending source of headaches.
Finally, it even bites through boots.
Some people evaluate it as a greater enemy than any other monster or demon.
But this is fortunate because it only appears in the southwest and almost never on other fronts.
Anyway, its danger is relatively low, but it is not zero.
They do not approach if there are many humans gathered, but if a single person stands alone amid hundreds of third eyes, it is said that not even bones will remain.
'Well, these third eyes are one of the more tolerable species...
It crawls slowly, slowly.
Ugh. Disgusting.
Despite having seen countless third eyes over a lifetime, that revulsion never fades.
Roll, roll, roll. It seems to have noticed me as the middle eye rolls and rolls.
"Ugh, ugh... Ugh..."
Glancing sideways, I see that Professor Jereimi's expression is unmistakably twisting.
She looks like she wants to leave immediately, yet she is holding back out of some minimal sense of professorly dignity.
"As Professor Jereimi said, it is dangerous for one person to enter a third eye nest, but it is written that two people can go together safely."
"Shall we go together?"
She raises her hand with a smile.
Of course, she was at a complete loss.
So I subtly grabbed Professor Jereimi's wrist first.
And I leaped down from the wall first and entered the third eye enclosure.
Dozens, hundreds of third eyes, all with their middle eyes rolling, and the other two eyes watching us.
They gradually approach, but they never get close, only encircling us in a circle.
"According to the textbook, if there are two or more people, the third eyes do not approach."
"Of course...
She is putting on a show of dignity while her complexion is clearly pale.
She must know her own face looks bad because she turns her back to the students and does not show her face.
But Lir turns her head and shifts her gaze to the students who are looking at her worriedly.
As a senior, she is giving advice to her juniors.
With proper knowledge, if a stumbling block appears in front of their future lives, they will be able to jump over it.
Lir has been thoroughly preparing for this practical training.
"Professor Jereimi, what was the next section of the textbook?"
"Ugh...
The response methods to third eyes, the ones they prefer and those they avoid...
While staring in shock at the third eyes rolling their eyes toward her, Professor Jereimi stammers.
Whether she wants to or not, Lir moves on to the next task.
According to the textbook, the next section.
How to deal with those third eyes that are so detestable they are treated like roaches.
A response plan against the ultimate monster that eats up everything if one relaxes for even a moment.
Lir releases the hand she was holding on Professor Jereimi.
She starts walking toward the third eyes.
More intensely than ever, the third eyes roll their pupils while facing the lone Lir.
They crawl slowly and are now directly beneath her feet.
"Professor Jereimi, what do the third eyes avoid?"
"L-Lir student?! Get out right now!!"
Some of them place parts of their bodies on her boot.
And soon, they start biting the boot with teeth hidden inside their bodies.
But Lir maintains an impassive demeanor.
She does not tell them to get out, even though the students are staring at her and Professor Jereimi is shouting.
She asks back.
"Professor, what do the third eyes avoid?"
"T-This ink!! So, Lir student! Come over here right now!"
Lir stands still and takes an ink bottle out from inside her cloak.
It was a black ink bottle, and Lir opens the cap.
The strong scent of ink tickles the nose.
"Ink.
It was the ink I mentioned."
She subtly lifts the ink bottle to show the students and then throws it a little farther.
Clang.
With the sound of the glass bottle breaking, the flowing ink wets the muddy ground.
For a moment, the middle eye of the third eye stops moving.
And the gaze shifts toward the ink bottle, then moves toward it.
"Why, are the third eyes running toward the ink...?! "
Crack, crack.
The sound of breaking glass is heard.
The third eyes go mad and rush toward the ink, eating it up.
Greedily.
From the ink-soaked soil to the inked glass fragments, they eat everything down to the last crumb.
The students, and even Professor Jereimi, turn pale at the sight.
Feeling the sharp eyes of the students on her back, her face can no longer maintain its composure.
But it does not end there.
Creep, creep, creep.
Many third eyes split in half, one side rushing toward Lir, the other toward Professor Jereimi.
"Ah, no!!! "
Inside her arms is the exact same black ink.
In a panic, she tries to climb the wall, but because of the impractical dress, she cannot lift her legs.
But if she stays like this, she will definitely become like the tattered boots of Lir.
She desperately inserts her hand into the gap in the wall, but because of her lack of physical training, she cannot climb easily.
Lir remains impassive even in this situation.
No, rather, she smiles faintly while watching the scene.
Once more, Lir puts her hand into the inner pocket of her cloak and rummages around, taking something out.
It was a black ink bottle.
She turns the cap to open it and shows the sparkling ink to everyone again.
Professor Jereimi and Lir will start being bitten in just ten seconds or so.
Creep, creep, creep, creep.
Roll, roll, roll, roll.
The third eyes approach, rolling their pupils more than ever, and soon there will be only a few centimeters left.
At that moment, the black ink is scattered into the air.
The ink Lir scattered lands on Professor Jereimi's shoes and socks with a splat.
"W-What are you doing!! Lir!!"
Professor Jereimi panics.
Even if she throws off her shoes now, or takes off her socks, it will be too late.
Even crawling up the wall is too late.
A feeling of her heart dropping settles in.
She looks at the student who is smiling faintly in front of her.
Professor Jereimi sits down.
All strength leaves her body, and she cannot move.
She grabs her head wrapped in white panic and lowers her head, closing her eyes.
Thinking about the cruel and horrific pain that is coming soon.
......
Ten seconds pass, twenty seconds pass.
Her body trembles at the coming horrific pain, but she feels no touch.
Professor Jereimi slowly opens her eyes, and the third eyes are still there.
But they keep their distance.
The monsters that were only a few centimeters away moments ago are now dozens of centimeters away.
Professor Jereimi cannot understand why.
"You are curious, right?"
Lir, smiling toward the distant students and Professor Jereimi, is pouring the remaining ink from her boots.
Even at her feet, the third eyes are slowly retreating.
When Lir walks toward Professor Jereimi, the third eyes open a path, avoiding her direction.
Lir, who lifts Professor Jereimi up by grabbing her arm, opens the door a little farther away and stands with Professor Jereimi in front of the students.
"It's not the same ink.
The ink that made the third eyes go crazy and rush is this one."
Apparently, she had prepared a spare in the cloak earlier.
She takes out another bottle of the same type as the ink bottle she had thrown and broken earlier.
And she squeezes the slightly remaining ink bottle in her other hand to show it to everyone.
"It's the same black ink, but the composition is different."
She opens the broken square ink bottle and flicks it with her finger.
The color is slightly lighter.
"This is ink made from the raw material of the Basilicon fruit."
She flicks another ink bottle with her finger.
This time the color is a bit darker.
At first glance, they look almost the same, but the results are vastly different.
"This one is made from the raw material of the Recton fruit.
Even the same ink is different like this."
It is not something she herself found out.
It was a knight who rolled with her on the battlefield who told her it was the result of her research.
Lir glances at Professor Jereimi.
The professor avoids her gaze.
She is starting to realize.
"The book doesn't mention this.
It only says that the third eyes dislike ink."
Lir removes her gaze from Professor Jereimi, who has a gloomy expression and lowered eyes, and looks at the students.
All the students are focusing their gazes on Lir in this situation.
"But that's not true.
There are things completely wrong in the book, and there are also things different when you look at the details like this."
Usually, the book is right.
But what is a battlefield?
It is a dangerous place where one mistake or oversight can take a life.
So, it is only natural to know everything exactly.
"Ecology is not fixed.
Especially on the battlefield."
Now that she has left the battlefield, there might be unknown mutations now.
Or another mutation might have become the dominant species of that kind.
"So, you have to know.
Books, meaning theory, are very important, but..."
Lir looks back at Professor Jereimi once more and then shifts her gaze to the students.
"Practical training, real combat, is just as important."