171. A Minor Problem

It was a peaceful night.

With final exams underway, I'd been wondering if we'd need to post a night watch, but fortunately, we were told to rest easy the night before the real start.

Naturally, stealing or taking other groups' belongings was also forbidden. The professors stood watch in our place, so it was a very, very peaceful night.

Actually, only our group and Stella's group had it peaceful.

Our group had a wagon. Three people slept inside the wagon with the door firmly barred, and two slept in a tent enchanted with cold magic.

Eurasia, Silina, and Gailan slept in the wagon.

Pina and I slept in the tent.

Since I can sense presence even while sleeping, it was fixed that I'd sleep in the tent, and the rest was decided by drawing lots.

It was peaceful, except for Eurasia throwing a stubborn fit over having to sleep apart from me.

And Stella's group. I don't know the details, but even from a distance I could see all five of them huddled together inside their tent.

I could hear them chattering away and shrieking with laughter, so they must have been peaceful too.

And the other students who lost all their luggage, well...

They slept on blankets crudely woven from grass, or the ones with a bit of dexterity made hammocks between trees and slept in those.

The ones sleeping on the ground couldn't rest properly because of bugs and heat, and the ones in hammocks spent a sleepless night anxious about insects and the possibility of falling.

And so morning came.

We ate a leisurely, plentiful breakfast, brushed our teeth, and tore Cleanse scrolls to wash our bodies.

And the other students.

They did some pretty entertaining things.

The noble kids, bitten by bugs and caked in dirt and utterly unable to endure it, sought out students who could use Cleanse and traded their distributed supplies for it, while the commoners bathed in a valley they'd found during the night.

In the process, there were noble brats who stole commoners' supplies and paid with those instead, and there were brats who got caught peeping at the girls bathing.

And breakfast.

At an age when they're always hungry, having made do with field rations for dinner, they must have been starving.

There were kids who claimed to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠be good at foraging and wandered the mountain chewing on weeds. Most got stomachaches, and a few were poisoned by something and had to be treated by the priest who came along with the professors.

And the other students who saw that quietly munched on their hardtack.

The long-awaited bathroom.

It was chaos.

So I'd rather not recall it.

Weren't there students who ate weeds and got stomachaches? Starting with those students, that... um.

Anyway.

This kind of thing happening even before the exam starts—can the professors really keep it under control?

The question crossed my mind, but I didn't bother seeking an answer.

It's not my concern.

Our group has nothing to worry about like that.

Of course, the bathroom might be a little uncomfortable, but still, we have very soft toilet paper. We even have wet wipes.

For emergencies, I also prepared a shovel enchanted so that even a light scoop brings up a heap of dirt.

And so that girls who might be deep in puberty wouldn't feel embarrassed, I prepared a spray-on deodorant too.

And as the finishing touch.

I even packed an Artifact that can erase sound.

See? I'm this prepared and considerate.

"The world's gotten so much better. Anyway, what do you think of these?"

I showed them to my group members with a triumphant expression.

"I said, what do you think? Huh? At this level, it's not a mountain, it's a hotel. A hotel. Right? Huh? Sick, isn't it?"

"Hee!"

"Good heavens..."

Pina clapped and squealed, Gailan despaired at the future in which she'd have to use those things, and Eurasia tilted her head.

"My lady. These... don't tell me you bought everything you saw when you went to the Artifact shop with me...?"

"Yeah. Why?"

As Eurasia said, they were items recommended and purchased from the shop owner who custom-made Stella's and Eurasia's Artifacts.

When I mentioned the final exam seemed like it would be survival, the owner recommended all sorts of things, but at first I had no intention of buying.

But... as I listened carefully to the shop owner, it seemed like Eurasia, Pina, and Stella would definitely need them.

And since I was spending money anyway.

If I was spending money anyway, wasn't it better to buy the best of the best?

So I bought the best ones in the shop.

"When?"

"Three days ago?"

"...My lady."

"Hm?"

Eurasia, who had been choosing her words for a long while, smiled bitterly and whispered.

"Next time, um... go with me."

"Why would I go with you? It's a hassle."

"No. Together. Definitely go together."

"...Fine, sure."

Since she said it with a quiet anger so unlike Eurasia... I gave a vague answer and looked away.

I saw Silina, pale as a ghost.

"Here, you never know, so take one of each."

"...An Imperial Princess doesn't use those."

She's in denial.

She's been like this since yesterday.

When Eurasia, Pina, and Gailan all got up in the morning and went to take care of their business, Silina alone sat rigidly in place and held out.

"Is an Imperial Princess not human?"

"That is an extremely rude and insulting remark."

"Insult, my ass. Anyway, tell me when you need it. Don't make a fuss over nothing. Got it? If you're too embarrassed, come find me separately and say it quietly."

"...I'm fine. I don't need it. I must not need it."

Silina pushed what I'd handed her back toward me and shook her head vigorously.

"Suit yourself."

I snorted a laugh, distributed the other necessary items to each person, and opened the wagon door.

"B-but... um... do we really not need a plan? They say the Monsters get stronger and the Demonic Energy thicker the closer you get to the center... and it's also safer that way, and... shouldn't we think about those things a little?"

Gailan, showing just how much of a model student our class representative was, rambled nervously.

Of course, she couldn't stop my feet.

"Even without any of that, we're getting a perfect score."

I opened the wagon door. At the same time, a bell rang across the wide clearing. The murmuring died down.

The final exam had begun.

*****

For the midterm written exam, Signia and Hurnt had different questions. Naturally, the difficulty was different too.

It couldn't be helped, since Signia is a class that gathers the highest-flying and fastest-flying among the already exceptional students.

So naturally, the difficulty should be higher too.

But the final is held in the same place, on the same day, with the same content as Hurnt.

Why was that? Many Hurnt students wondered and worried. But the professors didn't answer that question.

And so the question remained a question.

But the worry didn't remain worry.

That worry turned into hostility and solidarity, binding the Hurnt classes tightly together.

If left alone, the Signia class would likely monopolize everything. So we have to unite.

No one can beat a mob!

Centered on a few who shouted loudly and incited the students, more than seventy percent of Hurnt rallied together.

And so, Hurnt was given a means to surpass Signia.

If you call that a kind of balance... I suppose you could. Well, it's probably the professors saying, "You're the honor students, so survive on your own and earn points on your own."

Then how is Signia supposed to overcome this obstacle?

I don't know. I haven't even thought about it.

There's nothing to think about.

Whether a hundred gather or a thousand gather, they're all just kids.

That... me, showing off my strength and radiating confidence against little kids... it felt a bit pathetic, and, like, lame, and so a little... uh, I did feel some self-loathing.

But then, aren't I also a brat right now?

I am a whole seventeen-year-old girl.

So... it was okay for me to act like this a little.

Anyway, I didn't bother with all that.

For the next fifteen days—though it won't even take fifteen—anyway, my plan for living in this mountain range is one thing.

Subjugating a captain-class Monster.

To do that, first we need to find a hideout. A summer forest is hot and humid. Bugs swarm, and it's sticky. If it rains in that kind of environment?

The sound of the person next to you breathing gets annoying, and when you make eye contact you think, why is this bastard glaring at me? But if there's a safe, sturdy, cozy hideout, you can live fairly comfortably.

Actually, calling it a hideout is generous—I just need a place where the kids can rest when they're struggling.

Somewhere a bit ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠secluded, with a ceiling, where you can light a fire freely.

I know a place that fits the bill.

So that's solved.

Next, we need to find a captain-class Monster.

That's solved by roaming around until our feet are sore.

In the process, I can even take points from students blocking the way, and killing Monsters serves as decent insurance.

And when we find the bastard? We beat it down.

That's my plan.

And so, four hours into the exam.

I found a place suitable for a hideout.

From the outside, it looked like a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠cave.

But it's a passage.

There's an entrance on the opposite side from where we came in. The place we entered is the entrance at the outer edge. The other entrance connects from the depths of the Anketin Mountains.

Among all the first-years, the only students who could reach the depths of the Anketin Mountains were probably Eurasia and me.

So that means there's only one entrance students can come and go through.

But since it's open at both ends, the air flows through very well. Even just conjuring a gentle breeze with magic is enough to keep a modest campfire going.

The ceiling is high, and it's sturdy enough not to collapse unless you really raise hell inside.

"Whoa... when did you find a place like this?"

"I found it by chance."

Gailan, who had been running her hand along the passage wall, asked with sparkling eyes, and I answered nonchalantly.

"For something found by chance, Eliarnes, your steps were a little too ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠certain, weren't they?"

Of course, it wasn't chance.

It was a passage we'd opened four hundred years ago while exploring the Anketin Mountains. I'd thought it would have vanished after four hundred years, but despite being a little warped, it was still there.

"So?"

"I won't interrogate you. Thanks to you... I found a place where we can stay comfortably, and anyway, if I asked, you'd just say you read about it in a book."

"Oh. Has our Lady Silina grown up a bit?"

"...It's not 'Lady,' it's 'Imperial Princess.' And... that is an extremely rude and insulting remark."

"You really do love the words 'rude' and 'insult.'"

I grinned, plopped down on the spot, and pulled luggage out of my subspace pouch.

"Now, let's start by making a place to sleep."

In a cozy hideout, eat comfortably, sleep comfortably, shit comfortably.

Except for the bathroom, it'll be a perfect final exam.

Eurasia, Gailan, and Pina too.

Isn't this basically a picnic?

Aren't we totally coasting...? Ahaha...

Heehee!

The Imperial Princess... isn't going to the bathroom.

Everyone except Silina was happy.

But then.

"Huh? Wait?"

Something had gone slightly—just slightly—wrong.

"What's wong?"

"Hee...?"

"Is something not working? If it's something I can help with, I'll help."

"Eliarnes. That, don't tell me..."

Clunk, clunk.

"The Artifacts aren't working?"

"The c-cold... the fridge, the refrigeration Artifact?"

Thud. I pulled out the heavy refrigeration Artifact and opened the door.

"Hm... it's broken."

I scratched my cheek and smiled bitterly.

"After just three hours, everything's going to spoil."

Everyone's faces went pale.