That Might Change Starting Now (1)
Day two.
Waking early in the morning, the Sword School students tidied up the area around their campfires while checking to ensure the embers were still alive, just as Ziel had instructed.
"Ah, looks like this one went out."
"Try tossing in some dry kindling. He said as long as you blow on it and see a glow, it'll catch."
While some revived the flames and hung cauldrons to prepare breakfast, the students who had not been assigned to night watch set out to patrol the perimeter. It was a clear, efficient division of labor—exactly what Ziel had ordered the squad leaders to establish.
"Man, waking up in the dead of night was brutal. My body felt like lead."
"Instructor said the second watch is always the hardest."
"The last watch was no joke either. Having to wake up two hours early? Ugh."
Still, greeting the morning in the middle of a forest was a novel experience. Birds chirped in the canopy, and the morning air felt brisk and refreshing. And then...
"Deleb, Deleb. Look over there."
"What is it?"
Ann, who was out patrolling alongside Squad 1, tugged insistently at Deleb's sleeve.
"Over there. That's Sector 9, right? The Arcane School's camp."
She pointed toward Sector 9, the territory allotted to the mages. Peering through the trees, Deleb could hardly believe his eyes.
"Did they give up on the practical exam?"
"It... kind of looks like it."
Unlike Sector 8, where tents stood in orderly, tightly packed rows, Sector 9 had only a few tents scattered haphazardly across the clearing, and even those looked barely half-pitched. Only a handful of meager campfires flickered, and the students were sprawled across the ground in various states of utter exhaustion.
"Did they forget to pack their gear?"
"No way. We saw them yesterday when we arrived, remember? Their carts were practically overflowing with crates..."
"Did they lose them?"
No matter how much they stared, the scene defied comprehension. Even the Sword School students, sleeping near roaring fires, had felt the biting morning chill.
"Couldn't they fix that with magic or something?"
The mystery remained unsolved.
"Wait, doesn't this mean we're winning? They said everything gets evaluated."
"True. Hmm. We should probably mention this to Instructor, right?"
"Definitely."
Having finished their morning patrol, Deleb and Ann went straight to Ziel and reported what they had seen.
"Understood. We will be moving out for the ruins shortly, so have your squads prepare."
Ziel's response, as expected, was utterly flat. Nodding as if to say of course he'd react like that, Deleb and Ann turned and headed back to their posts.
Left to himself, Ziel pondered the report for a brief moment.
It seems the Arcane School has run into complications.
And that was the extent of his thoughts. Whatever happened to the mages was their business; Ziel cared only for the students under his charge. Naturally, he had not neglected the security of their own provisions either. Having set traps and countermeasures around their supply cache overnight, there would be no issue even if thieves tried their luck or magic beasts approached.
"It's almost time."
Having completed his final check of the supply perimeter, Ziel turned to head toward the assembly point he had designated for the squad leaders. But right at that moment, he paused.
He turned his head toward the rear of the campsite—specifically toward the sector where he had laid the perimeter warning traps.
Something had brushed against his instincts.
He had heard no sound. He had caught no scent. It was purely the honed sixth sense of a legendary assassin.
Tap.
Pushing off the ground, Ziel moved swiftly and silently, arriving at the exact location his instincts had flagged within seconds. It was a point just beyond the established camp perimeter.
Nothing here.
Defying his gut, the clearing appeared entirely vacant. Yet an assassin's lifelong experience insisted otherwise: something had definitely been here.
Whether it was the trace of a human, a beast, or a magic beast remained to be seen.
The training exercise begins soon.
Ziel turned and walked back without hesitation. Whatever it was that had pinged his instincts, there were plenty of ways to prepare for it.
"Instructor, it's almost time to depart—"
Karen happened to be walking toward him.
"Cadet Karen Aswan. Lend me a hand for a moment."
"Pardon?"
"I require an extra pair of hands."
From his pack, Ziel pulled out several devices the students had never seen before.
"What are... those, Instructor? I've never seen anything like them."
"Traps that will render unconscious any living being approaching from this direction."
"What?"
Karen stared in surprise, though not because of the devices themselves.
"Isn't this direction a safe zone? All the paths leading into the campsite are supposed to be protected by barrier magic..."
Ziel shook his head at her question.
"That might change starting now."
Around that same time.
"Why aren't they here yet?!"
Morning had broken, yet there was still no sign of the transport golems. Emeric had assumed at least a few would trickle in overnight, but not a single unit had arrived.
"Professor... My jaw feels frozen stiff. Ugh, it's freezing. Has the firewood still not arrived?"
"What about the tents?! We had to take turns sleeping in shifts, and it was so cold!"
"I'm starving!"
Watching the first-years chirp and whine like hungry chicks made Emeric's head throb violently. He hadn't managed a wink of sleep all night either.
What on earth went wrong?
The supplies should have arrived hours ago. Now the scheduled start time for the exercise was bearing down on them, and the students were on the verge of mutiny. There was no avoiding it.
"Assistant."
"Y-Yes! Slurp... Professor!"
The teaching assistant, who had been nodding off on his feet, snapped awake and hastily wiped drool from his chin. Clicking his tongue, Emeric issued the command.
"Go tell the students we are departing for the practical exercise."
"U-Understood. But... is it really alright to leave like this? The supplies haven't arrived yet..."
"The repairs are likely taking longer than anticipated. We cannot abandon the exercise, can we?"
"Understood, sir. I'll pass along the order."
Moments later, complaints erupted among the students who hadn't gotten a wink of proper rest, but this time whining did them no good.
"Do you all want to forfeit your practical exam scores right here? Sitting around doing nothing won't solve anything!"
"B-But, Assistant, we're all exhausted!"
"Then don't get a grade."
That single remark silenced them. Grumbling under their breath, the first-years began readying themselves for departure. Behind them, the campsite remained an absolute mess: a few half-pitched tents, campfires without even an ember left alive, a dire lack of food because they had only carried personal baggage, and a perimeter left completely unchecked because everyone had been shivering too hard to care.
Under these miserable conditions, the Arcane School first-years trudged toward the training grounds.
The golems will probably be waiting by the time we get back.
They departed without any real sense of urgency. Yet, not long after they vacated the clearing...
Chitter.
Krrr-krrk.
One by one, the magic beasts known as Tepics began creeping into the abandoned Arcane School camp.
The schedule for day two was straightforward: march to the ruins, subjugate the magic beasts prowling the perimeter, and explore the ancient site.
Before setting out, Ziel had addressed the squad leaders.
"Magic beasts may appear during our march. The ideal course of action is to avoid combat entirely."
Maris Sophen raised a hand.
"We came here to subjugate magic beasts, so why shouldn't we fight them, Instructor?"
"Our primary objective is reaching the ruins, Cadet Maris Sophen."
"Still, if we're going to eliminate them eventually anyway, wouldn't it be better to clear out threats as we go?"
Maris had clearly changed. His question held none of his previous swagger or petty sarcasm.
"Fighting on the move expends far more stamina than holding a prepared position. Dividing your focus between two objectives only creates unnecessary variables. Therefore, to deter combat, you will need torches."
Tepics, the small hyena-like magic beasts, were terrified of fire. While some high-tier beasts paid no heed to flames, the varieties native to this region generally gave fire a wide berth. For that reason, the students stationed along the outer flanks of each squad marched with lit torches in hand—and sure enough...
"T-Tepics!"
"They're really here!"
They encountered a pack of them. Not merely two or three, but dozens. True to their pack-hunting instincts, the beasts spread out in an attempt to encircle the formation.
"Whoa, back off!"
"Get lost!"
Just as Ziel had predicted, waving the torches kept the beasts from closing the distance. However, the torch trick was common knowledge recorded in every bestiary. Tepics were stubborn hunters, rarely driven off by mere fire and numbers alone. They required a far sharper shock.
"Torchbearers! Take out the powder!"
At Maris's shout, the students holding torches produced small packets of powder that Ziel had distributed before departure.
Will this really work?
Is this actually going to do anything?
With doubtful expressions, they cast the powder into the flames.
Fwhoosh!
The flames flared with an audible roar, and to everyone's astonishment—
"Grrr! Yip! Yark!"
"Krrr-shk!"
The fire turned a vivid, brilliant blue.
"W-What in the world?!"
"The fire changed color...!"
Other torches erupted into dazzling, saturated yellows. It was an uncanny sight. Flames were supposed to be orange or red; this defied fundamental common sense. And the Tepics felt the exact same way. The beasts were already wary of fire, but the sight of flames burning in unnatural, blinding hues pushed them past their limit.
"Yelp! Kyee-yip!"
"Grr-kwaang!"
Whimpering and shrieking, the entire pack broke into a panicked rout.
"Hah, hah... They're gone."
"They actually ran away..."
"What was that color just now? How did that happen?"
Only then did Maris realize the wisdom behind Ziel's instruction. Tepics were not particularly formidable in direct combat. However, had we engaged them...
Injuries would have been inevitable. Tending to the wounded would have tied down extra personnel, directly eroding their fighting strength. Their mission was to reach the designated zone, subjugate the beasts there, and return safely. Minimizing casualties during transit was the entire point.
"Whew. Looks like they're really gone."
"If not for the torches, we would've been stuck in a bloody brawl."
It had been a tense, palm-sweating encounter. The students who had instinctively drawn their swords sheathed their blades and caught their breath. For most of them, this had been their very first encounter with genuine magic beasts! Yet they had triumphed without trading a single blow—precisely as Instructor Ziel had promised.
"Squad leaders, check for injuries and report any anomalies."
"Yes, sir!"
Maris cautiously stepped closer to Ziel.
"Um, Instructor... What was that powder just now?"
"Metal powder. Introducing certain metals to an open flame alters the color of the fire."
"Ah..."
It was a fact he had never known, let alone imagined could be used to scatter a pack of Tepics without drawing steel.
Hearing the exchange, Celia thought to herself, That would look so pretty if you threw it into a campfire at night.
Once the squad leaders completed their checks, Ziel gave the order to advance. From that point on, the column proceeded without further obstruction until they reached the designated subjugation zone.
"There they are."
"Shh. Keep your voices down."
"Looks like almost thirty of them."
The clearing teemed with magic beasts. Ziel, scanning the area in a single sweep, pegged the true count at forty-five. Positioning the squad leaders along the boundary line, he instructed them to observe the terrain.
"Squad leaders, formulate an offensive strategy from here. The total count is forty-five."
"Pardon? But we only see about thirty from here..."
"That figure includes those concealed in the canopy and burrowed beneath the soil."
"Ah... In the trees and underground..." Ann nodded, then tilted her head in confusion. "How did you spot those, Instructor?"
"They are visible."
That was his entire explanation. Standing beside him, Lydia spoke up in open admiration.
"Instructor really is incredible."
"Right? Even we were shocked this time. How does he see through tree branches and underground dirt?"
Among the beasts listed for this sector was the Peckworm, a subterranean burrower known for ambushing prey from below.
"His eyes are just built different," Deleb muttered.
"True," Celia agreed, which was a rare occurrence. "Instructor's eyes are definitely built different." But then she smirked. "For starters, unlike yours, Deleb, his eyes are actually handsome."
"Hey, you little—"
"Stop it, you two, not again! Let's focus on the strategy, please?"
Ann, who had already spent the morning reining in Quantus, now had to step between Deleb and Celia as well. Lydia watched the bickering with an amused smile, while Maris was the first to offer a practical tactical assessment.
"What if one squad draws their attention, two squads provide flank support from either side, and the remaining two hold in reserve to reinforce wherever the line needs help?"
"Maris, when did you get so sharp and analytical? You've seemed different lately," Celia noted.
Maris flushed slightly at the praise.
"Maybe getting chewed out by Instructor back then really changed him?"
The suggestion only made Maris blush harder. "W-What are you talking about?"
"Well, self-improvement is always good. Anyway, I think it's a solid plan. What do the rest of you think?"
"We outnumber them, so keeping reserves to react to variables makes sense," Deleb agreed. "In that case, Squad 1 will take the vanguard."
Celia cut in sharply. "Excuse me? We were going to take the vanguard."
"What are you talking about? We're Squad 1, so naturally Squad 1 goes first."
"Ha! You're really falling back on squad numbers now? How childish."
"When both squads want the same post, the lower number gets priority! That's standard procedure!"
"Ugh, you two could argue all day. In that case, should Squad 3 just take the lead?"
With their confidence riding high, everyone wanted the forward post. In the end, the dispute had to be settled the traditional way: rock-paper-scissors.
"Paper! Paper! Aaargh!"
"I lost."
"Damn it!"
Neither Squad 1, Squad 2, nor Squad 3 claimed the lead. The vanguard went to Lydia's Squad 4.
"Lydia, we're counting on you, alright?"
"Y-Yeah... But is it really okay for our squad to take the vanguard?"
"What's wrong with Squad 4? You trained harder than anyone, Lydia," Ann said encouragingly. "Besides, Karen and Yurio are both ridiculously strong. Don't worry so much."
"Y-Yeah. Thanks, Ann."
Squad 5 and Squad 3 took the flanking support roles, which left Squad 1 and Squad 2, by sheer coincidence, as the reserve units.
"..."
"...Ugh. Why did both of us end up here side-by-side?"
With the two most ambitious squad leaders relegated to the rear, the battle formation was finalized.
"It appears you have reached an agreement," Ziel said, having observed the entire exchange. "Brief your squad members. Once preparations are complete, initiate the assault. And I will state this once more: the priority is not glory, but survival."
His tone was flat and uncompromising.
"If you are wounded or killed, there will be no future achievements. If you wish to secure a higher evaluation score, keep that firmly in mind."
Scores!
The single most important factor of this practical exercise. The grading was absolute, meaning they were rewarded strictly according to their performance. It was only the second day; with three full days remaining including today, there was no reason to take reckless gambles.
Thinking about scores suddenly sparked a thought in Deleb's mind.
I wonder how the Arcane School is doing right about now?
Once the exercise concluded, the evaluations would be posted publicly, allowing a direct comparison between the first-years of the Sword School and the Arcane School. Deleb reasoned that despite their disheveled camp earlier, they were still the elite of the Arcane School. Surely they would perform adequately.
However...
Not far away.
"M-Magic beasts! They're coming!"
"Hold the formation and cast calmly! We practiced this!"
"My mana won't circulate!"
Their bodies were utterly spent. Deprived of warmth and rest, their mana refused to flow smoothly through exhausted pathways. Their morale had cratered. The combination proved disastrous.
"W-We have casualties over here!"
"They're swarming us! The line is collapsing—aaargh!"
Every single preparation the Arcane School first-years had made was rendered utterly useless. The one tool that mattered most—their magic—failed to manifest under the pressure.
"Calm down, all of you! Damn it! Stop panicking and focus your minds to cast!"
Emeric shouted at the top of his lungs, but his voice was swallowed by the sheer panic gripping the students. Spells required a stable mind and a steady body to reach full power. Without either, there was only one outcome.
The clearing was an absolute, chaotic inferno of screams.