Chapter 109
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Mock Battle Participants Announced
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(1)
1.
Around the time the red sunset spread across the sky.
With Professor Stella's monster dissection as the finale, the practical hunting lecture came to an end. Afterward, Ullan left the forest together with Dilia and Laurea.
By the time they arrived back at the academy.
Familiar faces appeared.
"Ah, Ullan!"
"Class all done?"
It was Ivela and Noa.
But they weren't alone. Standing beside them was a young man with navy-blue hair.
"Good work out there, senior."
Ian approached with a smile.
The group naturally split into two.
Ullan, Noa, Ivela, and Dilia took the lead toward the cafeteria, while Ian and Laurea followed behind.
Keeping about ten steps back from the front.
Laurea mumbled under her breath.
"That's unusual. All three of them together."
"We just happened to run into each other. We got to talking, and I subtly suggested grabbing a meal together."
Ian could pull that off without a hitch.
He was affable and didn't shy away from people.
Thanks to him, Laurea blended seamlessly into the group, heading to the cafeteria with the others.
"By the way, who won?"
It was a short question, but its meaning was clear. She was asking about the outcome of his duel with Ethan Arnoff.
"I lost."
"Really? That's surprising."
"I wasn't allowed to use holy power."
That made his defeat understandable.
Without holy power, Ian was just a knight who had barely stepped into the Expert realm.
On top of that, Ethan Arnoff was a soldier.
A veteran who'd rolled around on the Empire's front lines for years. He was in a whole different league from Ian, who had almost no real combat experience.
"Of course, if I'd used holy power, I would've won. But this result isn't so bad. Feels like it broadened my horizons a bit."
Ian grinned.
His face showed genuine satisfaction with the duel itself.
As Laurea nodded silently in response, Ian posed a question of his own.
"By the way, senior."
"Yeah?"
"Did you manage to dig up any useful info?"
The real reason Laurea had audited the practical hunting class.
It wasn't just to see monsters up close. There was a hidden motive: to glean information about the Abyss through conversations with Ullan.
Of course, she had obtained some information.
The fact that Ullan was from the future.
'But...'
She couldn't share it.
Partly due to the promise she'd made with Ullan, but more importantly, before talking about it, she needed to confirm whether Noa Darshen was truly an ally.
So Laurea shook her head.
"Nothing much."
"That's unexpected. I figured you'd at least get some key details on the Abyss."
"Yeah. Oh, but I think I can interpret what the oracle means now."
"...! Really?"
"I picked up a helpful clue."
That the "crevice" and "fragment" mentioned in the oracle referred to the Abyss Rifts and the Lords.
And that the "scattered stars" meant the Hero.
Laurea figured it was safe to share that much, so she was about to relay the facts.
But then.
Halt!
The group up front suddenly stopped in their tracks. Laurea wondered why, but the mystery was quickly resolved.
"What's that...?"
A crowd of students filling the plaza.
Gathered around the academy bulletin board, there were easily over a hundred of them at a glance.
"What's going on?"
"Yeah, what?"
"Did something happen?"
Noa and Ivela chimed in after Ullan's mutter. Then Dilia, standing nearby, pointed at the throng and asked.
"Curious? Wanna take a quick look?"
Ullan pondered briefly before nodding.
Something about it tugged at him inexplicably.
As they approached the bulletin board, the students' gazes suddenly poured toward Ullan.
Hundreds of eyes.
The inexplicable pressure made Noa hug her shoulders and whisper softly.
"Why does it feel like they're staring at us?"
"Because of Laurea?"
"Doesn't seem like it."
Ullan replied quietly.
If Laurea were the cause, they'd have been staring at her from the start. But the students' eyes were clearly fixed on Ullan's group.
"Let's figure out what it is first."
Ullan's gaze turned to the bulletin board.
Before the group arrived, the students had been staring steadily at the notice posted there.
Moments later, upon reaching the board.
Ivela quickly scanned the notice and murmured a summary.
"Looks like the mock battle participants have been decided."
"Huh? Without preliminaries?"
"Seems that way."
Dilia nodded along with Noa's surprised question. While the three conversed, Ullan stared intently at the notice as well.
[Notice]
* In keeping with the spirit of exchange at the Arsen-Eloden friendly mock battle, it has been decided to conduct it in the Eloden Academy style.
* Accordingly, no preliminary rounds will be held this time. Both academies' representatives have selected four students per grade. Be advised.