Things Might Be Different Now (3)
By the time midday arrived, the first-years of the Sword School, having advanced with great care following the subjugation, finally stood before the ruins.
The sheer scale of the place was overwhelming.
"We're finally here—mph!"
"Quiet, Quantus. Your voice carries too far."
"To think there were ruins like this right in the middle of the forest..."
Only now did it make sense why each academic year had been assigned a completely different entrance. The Koers Ruins were immense—so vast that less than fifty percent of the entire complex had ever been explored.
"It's not just big, either. I heard there are areas so dangerous that nobody can set foot inside."
"I don't know why, but I'm getting chills down my spine."
It was easy to see why rare magical beasts thrived here; the rumor that the beasts of this region originated from the Koers Ruins certainly had not come from nowhere.
"That is the spot."
Ziel consulted his map, verifying the entrance designated for the first-years.
No major threats around the perimeter.
He immediately summoned the squad leaders. "We will establish a temporary camp here. Squad leaders, set traps and perimeter alarm devices in the locations I mark, then report back. Do not forget to stake or mark them with long branches."
"Aren't we heading straight in?" Maris Sophen asked.
"Cadet Maris Sophen, entering squad by squad takes time. During that interval, magical beasts may ambush the perimeter. We must prepare."
The best time for an enemy to strike was always during a rest break. Having just fought a battle against the beasts, the cadets' stamina had inevitably dipped. Rest was necessary, but maintaining an airtight watch took precedence above all else.
We will likely be here until evening, Ziel noted, calculating the timeline as he recalled the objective of the ruins exercise.
The goal was simple: enter, retrieve a designated item, and return. This section of the ruins had already been thoroughly charted, cleared of lethal threats, and seeded with mild, non-fatal traps. In short, it was an educational training ground prepared specifically for students.
This was also one of the reasons for staggering the squads.
The squads that exhausted the most stamina should enter last.
Ziel intended to accompany every single squad into the ruins, which meant he would be making the round trip five times. Of course, maintaining that pace posed no challenge to his stamina whatsoever.
Meanwhile, the squad leaders fanned out with their members to set the traps.
"Leader, look over there."
At Quantus's call, Anne paused mid-setup and looked up.
"Looks like another entrance over there."
"Yeah. Is that for the Arcane School?"
"Seems like it. But there's nobody around. Looks like we got here first after all."
"Or... could they have already gone inside?"
"Wait... c-could they have?"
Quantus shrank a little, his voice uncharacteristically meek. Having witnessed Anne's combat prowess earlier, he seemed to have lost quite a bit of his bluster.
"Well, I mean... they're bound to do better than us anyway, right?"
"What are you talking about? Look at how hard we worked."
"Come on, it's the Arcane School. You know how insane their funding is."
Anne wasn't wrong to feel defensive, but Quantus's view was common. Cadets from every department held a certain vague awe toward the Arcane School: that they possessed boundless wealth, enjoyed the highest status within the academy, and received overwhelming institutional support.
Still... we learned from Instructor Ziel.
Deleve was harboring similar thoughts nearby.
"Pik, look over there. There's no one at that entrance."
"Huh, you're right. Did they already head inside, Deleve?"
"I doubt it. It's hard to believe they could've arrived earlier than us."
Though it was too distant to see clearly, there was no sign of human presence.
"We're going to win. Just like the instructor said."
"Right? But seriously, what did Instructor Ziel even do before coming here? Did you know Peckworms had scent glands?"
"No. And I never wanted to know."
Deleve sighed, glancing down at the leather pouch at his hip. A foul, pungent stench wafted faintly from it; had he eaten a heavier breakfast that morning, he would have emptied his stomach on the spot.
Bear with it. The second this training was over and they returned, he was taking a shower first thing.
Regardless, every time Deleve looked at Instructor Ziel, awe washed over him anew.
Where on earth did he come from?
All sorts of rumors had circulated during the weeks of training. Some claimed Instructor Ziel was actually an ex-convict. Others said that after looking into House Steelheart, they learned it had already collapsed, so he had come seeking vengeance. Or, even wilder... that he was a secret agent dispatched directly by the Imperial Family.
His abilities were simply far too extraordinary for a mere general education lecturer. Naturally, the students wondered.
Yet there was one thing none of them doubted: that he was genuinely dedicated to his students. Without that, nothing they had experienced so far made any sense.
Sure enough, when they returned after laying the traps, proof of that dedication was waiting for them.
"Deleve, hurry over! The instructor brought back water!"
"Water?"
Their canteens had been running dangerously low. Sure enough, several large casks sat brimming with fresh water.
"Where did he find water?"
"He said there was a stream nearby," Lydia explained.
Deleve stared blankly. A stream? No matter how hard he strained his ears, he couldn't hear the faintest murmur of running water.
"Instructor, how did you find a stream?"
"I heard it. The foliage shifted in color, and animal tracks were visible."
"Ah..."
A typically dry, matter-of-fact answer. Deleve turned to a classmate beside him. "How long did it take him to get back?"
"I don't know. Maybe twenty minutes after he left?"
To hear running water from that distance... Even granting that plant colors changed and animal tracks existed, it was hard to believe.
He must have scouted the area beforehand, Deleve reasoned.
In truth, Ziel really had simply heard the sound; the changes in foliage and animal tracks were merely supplementary clues he noticed on the way.
Or maybe he came here before on some other business?
Not at all. Yet once again, suspicion crept into Deleve's mind like mist. Regardless, the water tasted delightfully cold.
"The order will be Squad 1, Squad 2, Squad 5, Squad 3, and Squad 4," Ziel announced. "You will enter in reverse order of the stamina expended during the prior subjugation."
This meant Deleve's squad and Celia's squad—both of which had been held in reserve during the fight—would be going in first and second, respectively.
Both of them clenched their fists at once.
I'm beating that bastard no matter what!
I have to get out faster than Celia, whatever it takes.
A ferocious competitive spirit blazed between them. If competitive fire were visible, sparks would have been flying through the air. Celia was already resentful of Deleve, convinced he had stolen her swordsmanship, while Deleve had grown utterly sick of Celia constantly riding him. Their petty animosity aligned in perfect symmetry.
Ziel, however, applied the brakes immediately.
"Safety is paramount. In particular, Cadet Deleve Kundel and Cadet Celia Rihardt. You two are the most proactive, yet also the least cautious. Exercise discretion."
"...Yes, sir."
"...Understood."
Ziel had not spoken out of any awareness of their petty rivalry, but the admonition struck home nonetheless.
"Squad leaders will take the point. I will move between the vanguard and rearguard to monitor for threats. As stated previously, I will not intervene unless the situation becomes truly life-threatening. Bear that in mind. Dismissed."
The briefing concluded. Each squad was granted ten minutes before deployment. The objective was to reach the depths and retrieve a specific item, and this brief window gave them time to formulate a plan.
Just before Squad 1, having hammered out their strategy, crossed into the ruins, Ziel paused.
"Cadet Celia Rihardt."
"Yes, Instructor?"
"Among the students remaining behind, you are the strongest. Keep them in order and maintain a strict perimeter watch."
"...!"
The strongest among the remaining students!
Those words—sounding remarkably like high praise—set Celia's heart fluttering.
I knew it. He relies on me most!
Though her interpretation had swerved in a slightly bizarre direction, her resolve blazed with fierce intensity.
"Yes! Leave it to me, sir. Go on ahead!"
With that, Ziel stepped into the ruins alongside Squad 1. The second stage of the practical exam—the ruins exploration—had begun.
The Koers Ruins!
There were dozens of entrances alone. Some were so infamous that rumors claimed no one who stepped inside had ever returned alive. The confirmed exploration rate stood at barely forty-five percent, and several entrances had been permanently sealed off by imperial decree.
Of course, the entrance assigned to the students had already been cleared and its major dangers neutralized, but letting one's guard down was out of the question.
"Hold."
Deleve raised a hand. Ziel gave an inward nod of approval at the sight.
Correct, Cadet Deleve Kundel.
"Pik, torch."
"Here."
Taking the torch, Deleve cast light ahead. He cautiously tapped the tip of the torch against a section of the stone floor.
Rumble!
The trap sprang to life. Heavy iron spheres swung across the corridor, scouring the floor with devastating momentum before settling.
"Whoa..."
"C-crazy..."
Gasps erupted from the members of Squad 1. They had narrowly avoided stepping directly into that swing. Even if it wouldn't have killed them, severe injury was guaranteed.
Deleve, by contrast, felt a thrill of exhilaration.
It's just as the instructor taught us.
The flooring in ancient ruins is never uniform. Scrutinize the ceiling and walls, and if anything seems out of place, stop immediately.
His teachings had proven true down to the letter! The other students shared a similar revelation, particularly the first-years who had only recently joined this practical training.
Everything he said was right.
He's on an entirely different level from Professor Elcanto...
Trust in Ziel had now solidified completely. And in the encounter that followed, his training proved its worth once again.
"Grrrk!"
A Stone Crook.
A monster dwelling in the ruins had appeared—a hulking beast brandishing a stone hammer, its corpse-pale skin, deprived of sunlight for centuries, lending it a grotesque, unnatural air.
"Gilbert, Rascal, Anita, forward!"
At Deleve's command, three students armed with spears stepped up. Standing shoulder to shoulder, their bodies filled nearly the entire width of the passage.
"The rest of you, ready crossbows!"
In a cramped corridor, swords were useless. Spears, which allowed attacks while maintaining distance, were far more practical, as were crossbows, which required far less clearance than bows.
"Grrrk!"
The Stone Crook charged!
Clang! Thud!
Shockingly, it knocked one spear aside with its stone hammer and wedged its massive body straight into the breach. Just as the line threatened to crumble, Deleve seized a spare spear and stepped in to plug the gap as if he had been waiting for that exact moment.
Thrust!
"Graaaagh!"
The spear sank deep into the Stone Crook's flesh. Simultaneously, the other two spears lunged, driving home into the creature.
Yet—
Crash!
"Urgh!"
As if to prove such superficial wounds were meaningless, the beast swung its stone hammer violently at Deleve. Though he twisted his body aside in time, the shockwave of the blow rattled him.
"Squad Leader!"
"Fall back! What about the crossbows?!"
"We can't get a clear shot! The line of sight is blocked!"
The Stone Crook had closed the distance too rapidly. Only then did Instructor Ziel's warning flash through Deleve's mind: The Stone Crook possesses formidable durability.
It wasn't a creature that would topple from a few spear thrusts. They should have struck and immediately retreated.
What do we do?
Deleve's thoughts raced in the span of a heartbeat. Should they drag this into a war of attrition with their spears, or find another way...?
This won't be easy. Let's see how they handle it, Agent 8 mused from the shadows.
He assumed that a few cadets would take injuries, and they would push past the beast only by using those sacrifices as stepping stones. A Stone Crook was simply that caliber of monster—an opponent first-years could never hope to defeat on their own.
Right at that moment, however—
Tink.
A faint sound of something striking stone drew Deleve's eyes toward the corridor the Stone Crook had just charged through.
The ceiling.
Deleve didn't hesitate for an instant.
"Hold the spears!"
"The spears?!"
"Brace them and push! Keep pushing! Everyone else, lend your weight from behind!"
The students moved in a frantic flurry at their squad leader's command.
Squelch!
Another spear pierced the beast, and simultaneously, the students gripping the three planted spears threw all their weight forward to shove the creature back.
"Hrnnngh!"
"Push!"
"Watch the hammer! The hammer!"
"Graaaagh!"
The Stone Crook swung its hammer incessantly. Because they were gripping the very butt ends of the spears, the swings missed by a hair's breadth, but a single slip would be fatal.
In that exact moment, Deleve took a crossbow thrust into his hands and aimed at the corner of the ceiling.
Please work.
Twang!
The crossbow bolt streaked through the air. And finally, the beast was pushed back into position!
Ting!
The instant the bolt struck the ceiling mechanism—
Rumble!
The ceiling trap triggered.
Clank, crash! BOOM!
Heavy iron spheres plummeted from above, smashing directly into the Stone Crook.
"Now!"
The remaining students charged forward with fresh spears, finishing off the battered monster once and for all.
"Haa... haa..."
"Did... did we actually kill it?"
"We did it..."
Only after impaling it with nearly ten spears had the Stone Crook finally collapsed. If the trap hadn't broken its momentum and posture—
It could have been the end for us right there.
A cramped corridor, an unfamiliar environment, and a massive magical beast. Every condition had been stacked against them, yet they had prevailed.
"Deleve, how did you know the trap was there?"
Deleve hesitated before giving an unexpected answer.
"...I just saw it."
"You sound just like Instructor Ziel."
"I-is that so?"
In truth, it had just caught his eye. No, that wasn't quite right—he had heard a sound. It was sheer coincidence.
"Anyway, you saved us. Thanks."
"We took it down thanks to our Squad Leader, right?"
Deleve shook his head. "We did it together."
In such a tight space, it was a beast no one could have fought alone. One would need to imbue their blade with mana to contest it single-handedly, and Deleve had not yet reached that realm.
Magnificent, Agent 8 applauded inwardly from his concealed vantage point nearby.
To notice the trap in that split second and trigger it to bring down a Stone Crook...
His prediction had been completely shattered.
That kid Deleve—a true Kundel through and through.
Was this the pedigree of a Great Family? Deleve had demonstrated not only solid leadership, but exceptional situational awareness and quick improvisation. In Agent 8's assessment, had it not been for Deleve, their expedition might have ground to a halt right here. With multiple casualties, advancing would have been impossible.
Yet there was one fact Agent 8 remained blissfully unaware of.
The faint sound Deleve had heard before bringing down the Stone Crook—that subtle tink—had been...
He picked up on it well.
...the sound of a tiny pebble Ziel had flicked with mana, completely unnoticed by anyone, in order to guide the students.
It was becoming dangerous, after all.
Of course, neither Agent 8 nor the students would ever learn the truth.
"Well done, Cadet Deleve Kundel."
"Instructor."
"Check for injuries. We will resume our advance."
Deleve nodded and straightened his posture.
For some reason, he felt as though he had grown just a little taller.