Chapter 58
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Night Watch and Shadows
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The time to return had come.
Not steamed... but a silver sweet potato?
Anyway, after Eclair left, I picked up the chair I'd been sitting on inside the tent and stepped out to survey the surroundings.
Contrary to what I'd said to shoo her away, I had no plans to fool around with Rike outdoors, so I set the chair down in the center of the encampment and sat.
The cadets, who had been wandering the camp in clusters, now turned their eyes toward me.
"Parties that have finished preparing their bonfires may freely prepare dinner!"
Unlike the light lunch earlier, everyone was now drained from the intense physical exertion of class.
To top it off, the temperature was dropping, so it seemed each of them had a dish they were craving.
-Should we try making dinner too?
-The dried fruit tastes awful... I can't eat it.
-Can't you just boil potatoes in water?
They must be missing the warm, hearty meals from the academy cafeteria.
Unlike earlier when the sun was still up, bonfires were now crackling to life everywhere, and the cadets began deep deliberations over dinner.
The number of parties opting to just grab jerky and fruit like at lunch had drastically decreased.
In the midst of this, Rike's party was progressing smoothly, hurrying preparations under one leader's direction without much debate.
Though with a hint of unease.
While the other two still seemed fine on stamina, Chloe looked utterly spent from her long duel with the mysterious knight—her eyes heavy, on the verge of sleep the moment she leaned back.
Rike and Seria seemed worried about it too.
'Our dear Robert...'
Turning my gaze to Robert's tent, our eyes met precisely—he'd been watching me.
If he'd stayed in that position until now, he'd have bedsores somewhere.
Apparently tired of lying prone, he was now slumped like a deflated balloon, receiving devoted care from the women.
His hollow eyes brimmed with languor.
Those eyes, full of worldly discontent, now swirled not with anger, but fear.
I could tell at a glance—it was an emotion I'd seen ad nauseam.
The moment our eyes met, Robert whipped his head away.
'Why isn't this bastard pissed off?'
From my perspective, it was hard to understand Robert's reaction—like a kid who'd heard a Napolitan ghost story after having fun and now got it.
He was Korean inside but acted with even more elitist entitlement than regular nobles, so I'd expected him to throw a tantrum and grill me or Rike.
An unexpectedly amusing response.
Fun, even—not bad at all.
From my standpoint, after going through a few events, I'd realized the main storyline's thread was unavoidable.
So, letting him stew without incident and opening the second dimension at a good time would be best.
…
…
"Whew— that hit the spot."
Thanks to Rike, the priests and I had another hearty dinner like lunch.
Filling their bellies on top of exhaustion, cadets began nodding off one by one.
Chloe, truly at her limit, was pacing around her party's tent with Seria to stay awake.
I exchanged light playful glances with Rike, who was tending the bonfire, then rose from my chair.
Thonk!Thonk!
I struck the tent's metal pole with dry firewood to jolt the cadets awake and focus them.
"Once the sun sets like now, it's best to get deep sleep early so you can move out at the first light."
Their weary faces brightened at the promise of rest.
"Lying down comfortably right away would be ideal, but you can't in a place with threats like monsters, beasts, or venomous insects."
I picked up a rectangular bottle from the stacked teaching supplies box.
It was filled with a murky liquid, like ash mixed with tobacco.
"In cases like using bug repellent like this—one bottle poured entirely versus a small amount around the edges has the same effect, so don't waste it recklessly and run out when you need it."
"If the schedule drags longer than expected and you run out despite rationing, you can burn herbs or specific leaves as an alternative. For now, just know there are several substitutes."
Night watch rotations vary by party since headcounts differ.
Without clocks to track time, some preset firewood counts and switch after burning that many; others go by conscientious feel for the watcher's fatigue.
"The instructor will stay awake here anyway, so no overburdening one person harshly or skipping shifts. Parties caught doing that will be seen as volunteering for nighttime training with me."
I added a caveat that the injured or ill are exempt, then wrapped up.
Sure enough, some cadets averted their eyes guiltily—they'd clearly been thinking that way.
The academy preached equality among cadets, but no one bought it; family prestige wasn't something you could ignore post-graduation. Obvious stuff.
"Any questions?"
A male Swordsmanship Department cadet shot his hand up.
"I'm curious if we just have to sit still during watch."
"The basics are no noise, guarding the fire and position... but writing in a journal or standing to stay alert is fine, as long as it doesn't disturb others."
"...Then personal training is impossible?"
"Techniques requiring full focus, impossible to interrupt for enemies? Obviously not. Same for other concentration-heavy training. Vigilance must face outward."
The guy looked disappointed but understanding as he lowered his hand.
"No more questions? Set your watch order and prep to sleep! Dismissed!"
-
I spectated as Rike and Seria forcibly stuffed half-asleep Chloe into her sleeping bag.
'Getting along well~'
Rike seemed to be enjoying herself too, and the trio's bond looked tighter than expected.
As a gamer, I wanted to savor this unseen scene forever, but nagging sensations kept pricking my nerves, so I pulled my butt off the chair.
'About half the parties aren't done prepping yet...'
Quick round trip should be fine.
Not assassinating a noble outright still meant marking yourself as a target.
You had to be prepared to die, no question.
Who'd believe you if caught pleading no intent to kill?
Plus.
Big payouts always backed by mana contracts nowadays, so folks figured you couldn't extract info from assassins anyway.
No drawn-out trials—just quick capture and beheading. The tearful treatment modern colleagues got.
'That damn money... money...'
Cursing her past self, she crawled through the brush.
She hated work to death, but spending money was too damn fun.
One big score like this, and her spending spiraled out of control.
Living normally, she'd stretch years of luxury money over one or two months. Her daily life.
'Why's Platinum slumming it as an academy instructor...?'
First time spotting the legend Platinum, and of course, as an enemy.
One lunatic made her hesitate on the job, but the unprecedented payout turned her head—that undeniable truth.
Still, she wasn't some suicidal fool without an ace.
Her skills might make an assassination attempt viable even against top-tier Platinum.
Worst case, he was an adventurer who loved women—wouldn't kill her on sight for her looks.
Men were slaves to lust, no matter their strength.
She'd escaped knights and Sapphire adventurers before with just her body.
Power level or rank aside, intel on womanizing was gold.
Click—
The cage opened, and a black snake slithered out.
Her eyes shifted reptilian, sharing the snake's vision.
Flower-Feeding Snake - D
▷ Success rate increases when seducing the rational mind.
▷ Control one snake with sufficient affinity.
▷ Share senses with controlled snake.
▷ Skill deactivates beyond range.
Regular viper venom couldn't reliably kill mana users.
Dosing fangs sacrificed the snake after days, but success skyrocketed.
Hiss—
"Hic—!"
Grabbing the snake's head for injection, she tossed it toward the encampment.
Time to show this human-smart serpent was trickier than imagined.
As far from camp as possible, she prone in thick grass and activated the skill.
Slither... slither...
Controlling the snake's senses was still hard to adapt to.
Scraping earth and grass with belly and thighs... this was why she hated jobs.
'...See? They won't notice.'
Finally relaxing, though she knew.
The academy brats were rushing bedtime prep.
Target post-makeover—Basti heir—clearly visible.
'Rich family, but no upkeep? Damn ugly.'
Obvious Knight Department cadet. No clue who hated him or why.
Maybe no grudge at all?
Sentiments end there.
Black scales blending into night, snake crept slowly.
'Huh...?'
Swiveling snake head, no Platinum adventurer anywhere.
Chair empty—maybe bathroom, or in a tent.
But chills from veteran instinct.
'...No way.'
Distance to her body was visually invisible from here.
Impossible, she repeated mentally, deactivating the skill.
Vision snapped back.
Lifting her head from prone...
A man sat right in front.
'Goddess preserve me...'
She'd found a goddess she'd never sought.
Muscles swords couldn't pierce... crimson-black eyes glaring vivid even in dark—she nearly soiled herself.
Clank—
"...!!"
Chain coiled in one hand.
Familiar colleagues there—throats bound tight, tongues lolling, eyes rolled back.
"W-Wait a sec...!"
Seeing his free hand fist, she half-rose to kneel.
Normally, she'd tease to arouse, spread legs pronto.
But her judgment was spot-on.
Those eyes held no interest in her.
Just appraising an object.
Rattle—
Chains snaked up, tightening her throat.
Crack!
Dumping the bodies in one spot, I returned to camp—most prepped, first watch personnel out.
I sat in my chair, signaling Rike with eyes and hands for the fun of it.
Needless, but entertaining.
Second: Seria.
No chat partner, lips twitching like itchy.
Tortured more by silence than sleepiness.
Last: Chloe, somewhat recovered.
Stacking firewood at the bonfire, she glanced around, then approached me.
'...?'