Chapter 88
Chapter 88
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Field Training to Decide the Winner (5)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Field training had begun.
As over a hundred students poured into the forest all at once, the air filled with the rustling of grass blades.
A few oblivious ones excitedly cast spells to light their path ahead.
But that didn't last. As they ventured deeper, they quickly realized how terrifying it was to expose themselves in the darkness.
— "Put out the light, idiot! We don't know what might jump out here!"
— "Wait a sec, we need to check the map! Let's see... There should be a rock cave around here... Huh?"
Kyaaak!!
A bat-shaped monster, a wormbat, lunged at three huddled students.
Startled, they unleashed a barrage of spells, and the forest soon erupted in chaos.
Boom! Kaboom! Once the night's peace was shattered, it unleashed its fury. Monsters that hunted in the dark began to stir.
Kroooar!!
— "R-Run!"
— "Wait! T-Take me with you!!"
"What should we do, Chairman? Dawson, Mainie, and Pollen look like they're out."
"Hmm~? Let's wait a bit longer. If we rescue them right away, what will the kids learn?"
In the command post set up at the western forest outpost—the small cabin where Darling and I had stayed for days—the professors had gathered.
Numerous crystal orbs displayed most of the forest and the dungeon where the second-years waited.
"We appreciate your support again this year, Lord."
"Mm. Reclaiming the western forest is routine anyway, so no need to worry."
"Yes. We'll handle the training's safety, so if you're tired, feel free to head back..."
"My own steward is showing interest. I'll stick around a bit."
Darling was a third-year, but as Pharenchia's lord, the professors naturally used formal speech when her authority was needed.
No one paid me much mind. Only Lehel seemed puzzled.
She discreetly slipped the crystal orb broadcasting the Monster King Tournament into her robe, looking a bit intimidated.
Then, pretending to be the host of a deadly game with billions on the line, she cleared her throat and stared at the monitor... no, the crystal orb.
Good thing we're not betting on students' lives.
"Bloodhounds are manageable for first-years unless they swarm. Still, keep the aerial support team on standby just in case."
"Understood."
"How are the second-years in the dungeon?"
"They have plenty of food and water. We've set up safe rooms, so no worries about attacks inside."
"They'll handle it themselves."
Even though this was technically a battle royale in progress, the command post's atmosphere was surprisingly upbeat.
And for good reason. The western forest was quite close to Pharenchia territory's outskirts.
Security was solid, and high-danger monsters were rare.
The professors here were all top-tier mages.
Plus, they'd swept the forest once with soldiers, clearing out most poisonous plants and threats.
As long as we watch the dungeon, nothing major should happen.
As Lehel predicted, the students who'd caused a ruckus and gotten attacked earlier had gathered in one spot and were methodically fending off monsters.
I scanned for Adella among them, but no blue hair in sight.
The smart ones probably hid right away.
Surviving the night safely came first.
"Yawwn~. It's late—time to switch shifts? Who's off today?"
"Professors Roilen and Antonio."
"Alright, everyone else dismissed. Contact us via comm magic if anything comes up."
"Understood, Chairman."
As Lehel yawned and left through the door, the professors packed up one by one.
Darling nudged me, asking if I was staying longer.
"We'll come back tomorrow."
I replied while watching three people by a stream—posture suggesting they were eating something, though the fuzzy image made it hard to tell.
Finding the dungeon on the first day was tough anyway.
"Piy—."
Erzebet woke to birdsong.
She immediately scanned her surroundings.
A simple tent pitched in the streamside grass. But there was a problem.
"Ah...! The backpack!"
They'd forgotten night watch, and it had been ransacked.
Right inside the tent, even.
Chills ran down her spine, but footprints showed it was no monster—just an animal.
A blunder from the start.
Facing beasts' cries and pitch-black terror until dawn had lulled her to sleep unknowingly.
"Piy, why didn't you wake me?!"
She glared at innocent Piy—but
"Piy—."
What was I supposed to do? was all it seemed to say.
Sighing, Erzebet packed the tent and bumped into Kal, who wore the same bewildered expression, holding his torn backpack.
"Princess, what the heck...?"
"Piy—."
"It's a thief raccoon-dog. They raid adventurers' packs to build nests with the stuff inside."
"Piy—."
"Especially since they flock to riversides, you always have to watch out... Wait, Piy! Why didn't you say so earlier?!"
"Piy—!"
Disaster.
No more relying on the survival kit from Louis's canteen.
Without the purified canteen, who knew what drinking stream water might do.
As Erzebet despaired, clenching her tiny fist about catching a chicken today, Adella emerged from her tent.
"Yaaawn~. What's going on?"
"A-Adella! Big trouble! Our backpacks...!"
"This one?"
She pulled out a backpack frozen solid, rubbing sleepy eyes.
As the two gaped, Adella explained.
"It was hot at night, so I froze it to sleep."
"“...!”"
Thanks to that, they managed to push through the forest with the remaining pack.
On the second day, students bustled through the forest hunting dungeons.
Skirmishes often broke out over narrow holes that might be entrances.
Bored, I checked one out: they'd drawn duel requests like the ones Ansen had gotten before and collapsed in a heap.
Probably letting the winner claim the dungeon.
"Mm, they're still soft, huh?"
Lehel offered a bunch of grapes with a somewhat affectionate smile.
Wearing a bizarre animal mask from who-knows-where.
"Should I up the difficulty? Set the forest on fire!"
"......"
"J-Just a light singe on the edges?"
"Another manic episode? Cut the crap and zoom in on that dungeon interior."
I'd briefly felt like a death game host, but snapped out of it.
I wanted to release snakes and set traps too, but no need.
The students already looked worn out.
Summer sun was brutal even in the forest heart.
Endless bugs, sporadic monster attacks, scarce food—they were tripping up hard.
Finding dungeons was tough too.
Entrances could be blocked, and they competed with other groups.
"What's the token this time?"
Wondering if the magic portrait would appear again, I asked Lehel.
She spun her rosary with one hand, popping a grape.
"Hmm, one of Pharenchia Academy's ancient traditions: the second-year guardian picks the token."
Right, they harped on 'ancient traditions' a lot.
"Picks what?"
"Anything! As long as it's one of their possessions. Usually a spellbook or pricey magic stone."
Evade or beat the guardian, grab the token from the dungeon depths, and gift it to the junior.
Sounded like a fine tradition on paper.
Let's see... Liv's...
I eyed Liv inspecting her items in a spacious cavern below.
Hard to see, but it looked like a handmade doll.
Black hair, ragged T-shirt—familiar.
Who'd be happy getting that?
"No, wait."
"Yes? What?"
"Pull up the second-years using dolls as tokens."
Right, a doll.
Cut out any troublemakers early.
Lehel adjusted the orb at my request, and familiars in the dungeon highlighted tokens.
"Three of them..."
Not many.
I stood up.
"Where to, Boss?"
"Give me the coordinates for those three orbs. Now."
"Hey, this is training—we emphasize equality..."
"Wanna die?"
"Eek! O-Okay!"
They were spread out, so it'd take time.
Just in case, I grabbed Liv's orb too, told Lehel to contact me if anything happened, and headed into the forest.
"Why are you both so useless?"
"......"
"......"
"Teaming up was a loss for me."
Erzebet endured utter humiliation.
Kal too.
No one saw it coming, but Adella's wilderness survival skills were surprisingly top-notch.
She instinctively distinguished edible plants from toxic ones using her flower nectar-gathering talent.
Ice magic kept her cool and tireless in the heat.
Drawing from her canteen ordeal with Louis, she even set traps with the survival kit tools.
No fear of bugs or monsters to begin with.
Maybe Adella hadn't been play-acting dumb all along?
That primal doubt resurfaced.
"Nya~nya~. Nya nya nya nya~."
But that infuriating speech with its weird chants rendered everything moot.
Trailing Adella like silent monks, they hit a fork and unfolded the map.
As expected—or perhaps inevitably—they had no clue of their position, making the map useless.
"Which way, Adella?"
She pondered Kal's question, then drew a small ice pick from her hand.
Planted it upright, eyes closed gently.
When she let go—thunk! It toppled.
"Left nya."
"For real? You know the dungeon's that way from this?"
"This side's right nya."
"Really, Adella? What's your basis?"
Adella's gaze pierced the endless path ahead unerringly.
Erzebet trembled with frustration at failing to grasp the goal.
"Intuition nya."
Piy shuddered involuntarily under her icy, unyielding stare.
Second day of training, evening.
For some reason, Erzebet desperately wanted to flee to the castle right then.