Chapter 43
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Mock Hunt Begins
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(3)
6.
"Ah, right. I almost forgot about this."
Right after announcing the start of the lecture.
Stella scratched her head sheepishly.
"Actually, there's a question I ask new students every year. Mind if we start with that?"
There was no reason to refuse.
The students nodded.
Then Stella's questioning began.
"You there, student. What's your name?"
"Yes! Veil Taylor!"
"Veil. Why do you want to become a hunter?"
"To exterminate monsters and magic beasts!"
"Eh, that's a given."
She burst out laughing.
Stella waved her hand.
"Looks like my question didn't come across right. In that case, let's ask our top student this time."
The moment she finished speaking, every gaze in the room turned to Ullan. At the same time, Stella's question followed.
"Ullan, why do you want to become a hunter?"
"I..."
He had no intention of becoming a hunter.
He'd simply remembered Stella when no other lectures appealed, and signed up on a whim.
That was the real reason he'd enrolled in this class.
'But...'
He couldn't say that honestly.
It would bruise Stella's pride and dignity. After a brief moment of thought, Ullan made up his mind.
"The plains where I lived are full of monsters."
He'd just make something up.
And so he continued without hesitation.
"If you don't hunt them periodically, their numbers keep growing. Enough to become a real threat someday. So my tribe needs hunters."
"Mm, good. Textbook answer."
Stella seemed satisfied.
The smile spreading across her lips was proof.
Meanwhile, the other students nodded as if they'd gotten the idea.
"Now that everyone seems to understand what I'm getting at, I'll ask again. Why do you want to become hunters?"
"I..."
Starting with Veil, the first one called out, the students shared their reasons one by one. Stella listened intently to every one.
A little while later.
"Now just one left."
The one whose reason hadn't been heard yet.
A silver-haired girl standing apart, a bit distant from Ullan. Stella stared straight at her and asked.
"You're the one I'm most curious about, in a way. Never thought the genius mage princess famous throughout the duchy would sit in on my class."
Dilia Arpen.
The moment her name was mentioned, every gaze in the room poured toward her. If it had been Noa, she might have fainted twice over.
Dilia, however, showed no reaction.
Her face betrayed no emotion. Unfazed in the slightest, she replied.
"Premise... wrong."
"Huh?"
"I... no thought... of hunter."
What was this now?
Stella furrowed her brow.
"What? Then why'd you sign up for my class?"
"Because... I'm from... Arpen."
The Arpen Duchy was a mountain kingdom.
Surrounded by peaks, its borders teemed with monsters and magic beasts. Every year, countless hunters and rangers lost their lives there.
"So... I want to know."
About monsters and magic beasts.
Their habitats, habits, weaknesses—everything, including how to hunt them while minimizing casualties.
That's what Dilia wanted to learn.
Stella narrowed her eyes.
"But you're royalty, aren't you?"
With a somewhat displeased expression.
Her questions continued.
"Even if you learn how to hunt, you probably won't ever need to use it. You won't be on the front lines fighting in the first place."
Stella had a point.
Dilia was the princess of Arpen. A genius mage hailed as the duchy's hope. She wouldn't even be allowed to step into battle.
"Still... want to learn."
"Why?"
"It's... royalty's duty."
Not fighting on the front lines didn't mean she could ignore monsters. If anything, that's exactly why she needed to understand them better.
That way, she'd appreciate the efforts of the hunters and rangers on the lines and could provide them with better support in the future.
A little while after Dilia's answer ended.
Stella scratched her cheek with a subtle look.
"Hmm, that's pretty fresh."
But the displeased expression had vanished. In its place, a moderately satisfied smile crept in.
"Your attitude's spot on, at least. If the higher-ups get monsters, it'll make life easier for us hunters on the front."
No intention of becoming a hunter, but her motivation would ultimately help them. That's why Stella was pleased.
"I've heard everyone's reasons. On to the next question. Anyone here ever fought monsters or magic beasts outside the academy? Raise your hand if so."
Stella shot her hand up.
But the only one to follow was Ullan.
"As expected, just you."
She chuckled as if she'd anticipated it.
Then her question followed.
"Do you know the difference between monsters and magic beasts?"
"Of course."
"Perfect timing. Explain it to your classmates."
Stella hopped down from the podium.
Meaning he should take the stage instead.
But there was no need for that, so Ullan simply turned his body silently. He tapped his left chest and said.
"Mana core."
That was his entire answer.
After all, it was the biggest difference between monsters and magic beasts.
Perhaps because the answer was so curt.
An awkward silence hung in the room. Stella quickly jumped in to liven things up.
"Eh, it skips a lot, but it's still correct. The fundamental difference is the presence of a mana core."
Magic beasts were beasts—or monsters—whose original mana had run rampant for some reason or been corrupted by evil power.
In other words, monsters were a broad category of beasts or alien beings threatening to humans. Magic beasts were a special subset within that.
"And to add, there's one more difference between monsters and magic beasts."
Unlike monsters, whose strength was determined by their species from birth, magic beasts grew stronger the longer they existed as such.
Meaning most monsters stopped growing after maturity, but magic beasts did not.
"If you leave a magic beast alone, it'll absorb tons of ambient mana and grow too strong to handle."
There'd even been cases where a 3-star magic beast climbed to 7-star. Hundreds of soldiers died subduing it.
"So, we hunters prioritize magic beasts over regular monsters. Leaving them alive makes them a future threat to humanity."
As Stella explained.
The students' faces hardened.
They were newly realizing just how dangerous the monsters—and magic beasts—they'd have to hunt were.
"No need to worry right now, though. Magic beast hunting lectures are second year. Let's start with solid basics on regular monsters."
She shifted the heavy mood.
Stella changed the topic.
"Anyway, everyone eat a good lunch?"
With an out-of-left-field question.
Suddenly stretching her body every which way.
"Full stomach makes you sleepy, so let's do a quick mock hunt to help digestion."
"Pardon? Mock hunt?"
"What's that?"
"Like tag."
Stella grinned.
"Rules are simple. One plays the monster, the rest are hunters. Goal is sticking stickers on each other."
Stage: the entire eastern forest.
Time limit: 30 minutes.
"Hunters 'die' if a sticker hits any body part. Monster needs five stickers on it to count as hunted."
She shook a handful of colorful stickers.
Fist-sized.
Bright red, easy to spot.
"We do this to gauge your hunter instincts. Most faces I saw in the specialty exams, but a few new ones."
With that convincing reason.
One student shot up a hand.
"Does it affect grades?"
"Nah, it's just a mock. But motivation matters, so hunters who take down the monster get merit points for everyone."
Same for the reverse.
The students' faces brightened.
Merit points always came in handy eventually.
"So, who's the monster?"
"Normally it'd be me."
Stella patted her chest.
"But I got happily smashed last night, hangover's lingering. Head's still pounding, honestly. So..."
She let out a groan.
Then stepped lightly away.
Like a cat on a stroll.
A moment later, she stopped. Looking up at the young man before her, she smiled brightly.
"Mind playing the monster?"
Her golden eyes reflected a muscular youth.
More monster-like than anyone else here. It was Ullan.
Ullan tilted his head.
He hadn't grasped it immediately. Noticing, Stella quickly elaborated.
"You said earlier you hunted monsters outside the academy."
"Yes."
"So you can mimic their habits, traits, movements to some degree, right?"
"I can, but..."
"Good enough! You're the monster!"
With that lively declaration.
Stella handed him a pouch full of stickers. She didn't forget the explanation.
"Mission's simple. Stick these on everyone except you."
"That's it?"
"Yep, you win."
After the full rundown.
Ullan finally looked enlightened.
Meanwhile, some students voiced concerns as he was picked for monster.
"Um, Professor."
"We have worries."
They approached Stella and whispered. Words like entrance ceremony, cheers, fainting slipped through.
A moment later, as the murmurs ended, Stella nodded knowingly.
"Ah, that? No worries. All violence banned in mock hunts."
No tools.
No punches.
Only permitted attack: sticking a sticker on the opponent. Any other violence earns penalty points.
"But it also means anything goes as long as no one gets hurt."
With that meaningful reply.
Stella turned back to Ullan.
"One more thing. Adding a penalty for you."
"Penalty?"
"Yeah, feels like it'd end in your total victory otherwise."
No particular reason.
Just hunter's instinct whispering it.
"Your penalty: pick someone specific to protect. Say it's a monster carrying young."
Monster with offspring.
He got it instantly.
"Adds a loss condition?"
"Spot on."
Stella grinned.
Ullan sank into thought.
'To win, then...'
Either survive 30 minutes without stickers or tag every hunter student.
His eyes sharpened.
As if he'd fully grasped the mock hunt.
"So, who'll it be?"
The protectee from the students, apparently. Meanwhile, every student avoided Ullan's gaze.
Simple reason.
Being on the hunter side was advantageous. Plus the psychological pressure of being chased by the majority.
'Anyone but me!'
'Please not me...'
They didn't want to team with Ullan.
But their worries were needless.
One person had come to mind the instant he heard "protectee."
"Dilia."
The moment her name was called.
Her eyes widened hugely.
Round like a startled rabbit. Meeting them, Ullan extended his hand.
"Come to me."
"...Okay."
Dilia hesitated briefly but acquiesced.
No reason to refuse.
As the other students sighed in relief.
"Didn't see that coming. Out of everyone, the princess."
Stella's eyes widened slightly.
As if Ullan's choice was unexpected.
"Oh! If you're thinking magic support, forget it. Magic banned in mock hunts too."
"Doesn't matter."
"Huh? Even without magic?"
"Yes."
"Really? Any special reason?"
No sooner had Stella asked.
Than Dilia looked up at Ullan too.
Hard not to wonder. Without magic, she'd just be dead weight.
'But knowing that...'
He still picked her?
Why? Curiosity and a faint spark of expectation flickered in her golden eyes.
Then Ullan's answer came.
"If there's one among you I must protect, it's Dilia Arpen alone."
"...!?"
Hearing that.
Dilia couldn't lift her head.
Her face burned from Ullan's bold words.
'To say it in front of so many...'
Declaring his feelings so openly.
And without batting an eye, despite how embarrassing it was to hear. It must mean he was that serious about her.
The thought made her face heat up again. Dilia hurriedly hid behind her hat.
'Good thing I brought the hat.'
Ullan could read her heart from her expression alone. Without it, he'd have seen everything.
Dilia quietly sighed in relief.
Meanwhile.
Ullan silently gazed at Dilia. A story from his past life suddenly surfaced.
'The Saintess said it.'
If only one of the seven heroes could survive, it had to be the Star Witch.
Simple reason.
She, at the pinnacle of mages, was the only one who could seal the Abyss Gate. That was why Ullan spoke those words.
The students, unaware, all gawked wide-eyed. Especially the girls, faces flushed as they whispered nonstop.
Stella wore a sly smile too.
"What? You two already like that?"
"Not yet."
Ullan shook his head.
Not yet. Becoming comrades who trusted each other's backs was far in the future.
After things settled.
"Whatever. I'll respect your choice."
Stella shrugged.
As if it didn't matter.
"Anyway, monster's set. Time to start."
With a cat-like smile.
The mock hunt began.
Chapter 13. I Shouldn't Have Done That