Monster Wave (4)
[Practical Training Day 1, 7 AM. Northern Monster-Contaminated Zone of Ludbekia Marquisate. The Great Wall.]
"Whoa."
Unia let out an exclamation of awe the moment she stepped down from the carriage.
"Impressive. At this height, it could handle even ten thousand wolf-type monsters charging at once."
"...Yeah. Makes you wonder how much budget they poured into building this thing."
Rydmila viewed the Great Wall from a hunter's perspective, while Evangeline appraised it from a princess's standpoint. Would this wall, towering well over 30 meters, truly hold back the monsters? Would it prove worth the massive expenditure?
"Looks like everyone got a good night's sleep."
As various worries swirled in my mind, Instructor Esta dismounted from the coachman's seat and approached me.
"Normally, practical training starts by heading to the city's center, touring the town, and then meeting the local nobility at the appointed time for greetings. But we're skipping all that and coming straight here to the Great Wall."
The reason was obvious: the monster outbreak.
"We'll walk along the wall from the western side toward the center. There, we'll rendezvous with the 'Ludbekia Marchioness' who's waiting for us."
"I have a question, Instructor."
"What is it, Phoenix cadet?"
"After the greetings, do we head down from the wall to fight the monsters?"
"Probably."
To catch a tiger, you enter its den. Where monsters swarm, you hunt them directly.
"No need to worry too much. Because right now, hunters from all over have gathered here."
Instructor Esta manipulated her magic panel, playing some footage.
Hunters on the wall intercepted the wolves in their own ways. Most seemed around C-rank, but raining attacks from above had clear advantages.
"As you can see, the on-site hunters are already engaging the 'Black Wind Wolves.' So far, they're C-rank at most, and fortunately, their weakness was quickly identified."
Boom, boom, KABOOM.
Explosions erupted one after another in the magic-recorded footage on the panel.
"Miss Unia. From the footage, name two inferences you can make."
"Uh, does this mean we're having lessons like this even during practicals?"
"It's practical training. Relax. Absolute evaluation—no failing for wrong answers."
"...One is that these Black Wind Wolves, named as such, are C-rank with a weakness to fire."
Unia swiftly judged the creatures—'Dark Wind Spirit Wolves' in the academy game's terms.
"Why fire?"
"The hunters already fighting them—even the pros, not cadets—are only using fire magic."
"Correct, Unia. And the other?"
"Physical attacks don't work."
"Correct again."
Instructor Esta nodded vigorously and swiped to the next screen.
"Core strikes," said Rydmila, her sharp eyes catching it immediately.
"Right, Rydmila. Their bodies are presumed to be mana winds, but a precise core hit through the gaps eliminates them."
"That's high difficulty..."
Evangeline gestured to her body.
"Among the ones that popped just now, the cores seemed in totally random spots?"
As Evangeline noted, the wolves pierced by arrows (physical passes, core hits) had cores everywhere. Mostly hearts, but some heads, foreheads, or lower bodies. For flesh-and-blood creatures with blood, nine in ten would core at the heart. But Black Wind Wolves hid theirs meticulously, wind "skin" opaque like leather.
The only way to pinpoint: attack vitals, read patterns, spot "not there" reactions.
And we had to face them amid Ludbekia forces and incoming hunters—hundreds, thousands spawning wildly.
"Team Zhuque, focus. How would you solve this?"
Instructor Esta posed the question.
"Well..."
"[Wind Fart] is forbidden. You know the answer."
"...Yes."
Rydmila tried to answer as rep, but Esta shut it down.
"Evangeline. Do you know?"
"The entity endlessly spawning them... Eliminate the one codenamed [Wolf Boy], right?"
"Why?"
"Because taking out [Wolf Boy] ends the outbreak."
Straightforward, impeccable logic.
"Correct. That's the Di Ershi Empire's way: swiftly eliminate the source to protect citizens."
But the world isn't so neat.
"The most righteous often gain the least. Bitter, isn't it? Miss Unia, understand?"
"...Ah."
Unia glanced between Evangeline and me, swallowed, and answered.
"It's not because of 'farming time,' is it?"
"......"
"They wouldn't deliberately let monsters multiply almost infinitely during an outbreak, right up to the brink of overwhelming defenses, just for that? I mean..."
"In other words."
I spoke for her.
"They delay boss hunt for mana stone farming. Right?"
"Yes."
"That's insane!"
Unia shouted as Esta confirmed.
"People could die from the monsters...!"
"If civilians were at risk, they'd prioritize elimination. Calm down, Miss Unia."
I approached, stood behind her, and supported her mana pouch as usual, steadying her breath.
"Under full control, no civilian harm—risks are hunter-only. Weigh that against massive gains from farming. The people on-site judged accordingly."
"......"
"That's monster hunting reality."
World's how it is.
"Monster outbreaks are like raising chickens. Catch 'em scrawny day-old chicks vs. fat and ready? Worlds apart."
"...Chicken meat being mana stones."
"Metaphorically."
"But monsters aren't chickens. Though some look like ones..."
"Yeah. I think so too."
Risk vs. reward. I'd minimize risk. And since mana stones? I had infinite sourcing.
"Instructor Esta. How long will they farm mana stones? Precisely, when do they take out the boss, that Wolf Boy?"
"...Once confirmed?"
"Huh?"
"Not quite 'confirmation,' but this Ludbekia territory was once Hapsderk County. Ten years ago, the count's family had one heir. A young boy."
"No way..."
"Someone thinks so."
Esta shook her head.
"The 'dead young master' returned as king of the wind wolf pack leading the monsters."
"......"
I harbor a wind wolf, but he's right here.
[Shall I go check it out real quick, nya?]
'No.' No need to reveal mana.
"So, what to do with him? Eliminate? Or seal somehow?"
"We'll eliminate."
Someone atop the wall answered my question.
"Send him off completely."
"...Long time no see, Marchioness."
Ludbekia Marchioness. Regiph's mother.
"Eliminate meaning...?"
"Exorcism."
She gave a wry smile, shaking her head.
"Because... that's not my son."
"......"
How'd she know?