If You Do Too Well, It Gets Troublesome...
If You Do Too Well, It Gets Troublesome...
"No... Why is that thing here?"
It was just a detection spell. It could've been a false reading, a stray animal passing by.
Professor Rowen rubbed at his eyes with his sleeve.
He must have seen wrong. He had to have.
"Huh?"
But there it was, clear as day.
The rabbit was shown moving toward them.
He blinked a few times, but the image stayed.
And then the two figures dragging the rabbit into view became unmistakable.
No... this can't happen.
The core of this exercise had been the giant magic-resistant rabbit. The problem was, Rowen had planned to use it not just for the Magic Faculty students, but later for the Reconnaissance and Knight Departments as well.
In his mind, since it was a "magic-resistant" rabbit, he could mess with the magic students and then seamlessly recycle it for the knight training.
But now two magic students had killed it, and were dragging the carcass back.
"......"
Professor Rowen silently shut his mouth.
I thought Sharon from the Knight Department was the only one who could handle it.
Her swordsmanship was considerable even by his standards. Her promotion to the Aether class next semester was all but certain. She could've stepped onto a real battlefield without embarrassment.
And now it's not Sharon—it's those two?
Did that mean they were on Sharon's level?
No. If they were that talented, why were they in a standard department class? The academy gathered its top students into the Aether class and managed them separately.
No, that's not the point. How in the world did Mezai's student... catch that thing?
While Professor Rowen was flustered,
the rabbit had already reached the edge of the clearing where the students were gathered.
A few students spotted it and shrieked.
"What the hell is that?"
"...That's that insane rabbit!"
"Ahhhhh! It's crawling this way!"
"Run awayyyyy!"
The Mezai students, who'd been resting in the shade, scrambled to their feet, ready to bolt.
Watching them, Professor Rowen let out a sigh.
Same class. One pair hunts down a monster, and the others are terrified of just its corpse.
Well, part of being a student was learning that kind of mental fortitude. After a few encounters, you grew accustomed.
But the gap between a student who stood out from the very beginning and one who didn't was enormous.
Professor Rowen watched the two approaching figures closely.
It was only then that the eliminated students, who'd been holding their breath, also noticed the pair.
"...What? Danya?"
"And next to her, is that Ian?"
"What on earth happened?"
"You don't think... they killed the rabbit?"
"......"
"No way."
Murmuring rippled through the crowd.
Meanwhile.
—Thud!
Ian and Danya dropped the rabbit in the clearing.
One thing stood out.
The giant rabbit was a little smaller than before.
The creature, which had easily looked four meters tall, had shrunk by half. Still enormous, though.
I didn't realize the cleanup effect would be this pronounced.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Ian marveled.
The blue mushroom growing from the rabbit's head.
The moment they removed it, the magic power he'd sensed from the rabbit vanished entirely. Danya said it didn't seem toxic, so they'd brought it along for now.
A Reconnaissance Department professor would be able to accurately assess the rabbit's condition.
Which means I don't have to worry about protein for a while.
Rabbit meat tasted reliably similar to chicken. He'd gained Authority, meat, and maybe even a colleague.
It had been a rewarding exercise in many ways.
"Phew, that was tough."
"With something this big, we're going to get so much meat! Slurp."
"I'll go talk to the professor about it."
Ian swept his gaze around the clearing and stopped in front of Professor Rowen.
"Professor, I'd like to ask your permission for something."
"...Permission?"
Professor Rowen had been about to ask how on earth they'd hunted it. But Ian's sudden question caught him off guard.
"Yes. If we've caught an animal during an exercise, are we allowed to eat it?"
At Ian's question, Rowen felt a swell of emotion.
Field procurement...!
A reconnaissance unit was always supposed to operate with minimal arms and supplies. Hence, as you studied reconnaissance more deeply, the importance of "procurement" only grew.
A superb reconnaissance agent was one who could sustain their mission through procurement in even the harshest environments.
There were times you had to eat anything, and times you had to eat nothing. That was what made procurement one of the most mentally challenging and difficult tasks.
And these two, without even being taught that far, were trying to learn it. Students of Magic, a field worlds apart from Reconnaissance, no less.
What a beautiful spirit this student possessed!
"You caught it. By all means, you may eat it."
"Then, in your expert opinion, does it look safe to eat?"
"You want me to check if it's poisonous, and its general condition."
"Exactly."
"This kid!"
Honestly, Rowen wanted to ruffle Ian's hair right then and there.
But his persona was that of a somewhat grave professor, so he restrained himself.
Outstanding.
Where had a mage like this come from?
Perhaps the academy's very first Reconnaissance Mage was about to be born.
"Professor?"
"Ahem! Let's go."
As Ian urged him forward, Rowen resumed his thoughts while walking.
It wasn't just excellence for a mage.
Even among the Reconnaissance Department students, none had this level of survival instinct. Rowen's eyes, fixed on Ian, began to tint with greed.
"You."
"Yes?"
"If you join my research lab right now, you'll receive a discount on your academy tuition. A rare opportunity."
"......"
"That includes your dormitory fees, naturally."
Ian's eyes minutely flickered left and right.
Why does everyone act like this the moment they see me?
Did he have some kind of face that screamed "recruit me as a research student"? Or maybe it was just the lingering patsy aura of Pongpongi oozing out of him.
"Ah, yes, of course. For a student of your caliber, I'll even cover all the textbook costs. So, what do you say? Care to join my lab?"
Ian's face clouded over.
◆
Meanwhile.
Rina was walking alone along the forest's edge.
Her head was already full of Ian.
I failed to approach him.
Because of that, she'd ended up alone.
But she was a spirit mage.
The forest was something she was fairly accustomed to.
—Growl!
Without even venturing deep, she could use her spirits to locate the mana orbs scattered along the outskirts.
—Plink!
She had another focus entirely.
The ingredients strewn about the forest.
She couldn't compare to Danya, a beastkin, but Rina, too, was familiar with the woods. Her family had once administered part of the great forest.
"Hehe, delicious..."
She happened to be alone, without team members. Even if she got caught, she had an excuse. Without needing to worry about being watched, Rina was eating everything that looked edible.
Truthfully, Rina hadn't expected it to come to this either.
"If I hadn't rejected Ian's lunchbox so harshly, I really wouldn't need to... No, what am I thinking again."
Shaking her head back and forth, Rina's eyes landed on a premium ingredient.
"A mushroom!"
A beautifully colored blue mushroom.
"Hehe. Grilled mushrooms are delicious."
If it was poisonous, cooking it over fire would make it fine, right?
Although she was familiar with the forest, Rina was, after all, a noble. She'd only lived near the woods before her family's half-ruin, so she had no real experience procuring food from the forest.
And while Professor Rowen had already warned them about the blue mushrooms, she'd been too shocked by Danya stealing Ian away to hear a word of it.
"Ifrit."
Rina summoned a basic fire spirit.
"Could you cook this for me?"
The Ifrit seemed to hesitate.
What's wrong with you?
"I'm hungry. Just help me a little."
Whoosh!
The mushroom was now ash.
"Ifrit, you! Why are you being spiteful? You never used to be like this. You've gotten weird too."
Beeeeeh!
The basic fire spirit vanished with a pop. Rina sighed and looked around.
Mushrooms usually meant more mushrooms nearby.
"Found one."
This time, a slightly larger blue mushroom.
Gulp.
Licking her lips, Rina summoned a different spirit this time.
A higher-ranked one, more obedient.
"Please."
—Fwoosh!
The flame was just right, and the mushroom browned nicely.
The earthy aroma unique to fresh mushrooms tickled her nose.
Without a second thought, Rina brought the mushroom to her mouth.
"Mmm! So moist. The meaty texture is so delicious!"
Nom nom.
Rina closed her eyes and savored the flavor.
Come to think of it, how long has it been since I last had meat?
She could picture Ian's lunchbox... No.
Right now, she'd focus on the rich taste of this mushroom.
—Pop!
A small mushroom spore sprouted on top of her head.
It was nearly imperceptible to the human eye.
Rina, naturally, didn't notice, and finished her meal.
"Mmm. Now, let's find a few more mana orbs!"
Rina's voice brightened considerably.
This "Basics of Reconnaissance and Search" class was, for Rina, a credit vending machine where she absolutely had to score well.
After finding a few more mana orbs, Rina smiled in satisfaction.
"This should be enough."
◆
The official exercise schedule ended.
"Alright, I'll now announce the results of the exercise."
Rina, who had returned late and had no idea what had transpired, looked on with anticipation.
I have to get first place here, no matter what.
It was a core credit class.
To maintain her eligibility for the dormitory she currently lived in, Rina needed good scores in subjects where she could efficiently leverage her spirit magic.
One by one, the scores were revealed.
Rina's face grew brighter as her turn, near the very end, approached.
"Next, Rina. Five mana orbs. Excellent."
"Thank you!"
At Rina's beaming smile, Professor Rowen's brow creased.
"I meant excellent for the Mezai class. I'd heard you had a talent for spirits, so I expected more. It's disappointing. You'll have a difficult time advancing to Aether like this. Apply yourself going forward."
"Ah... yes!"
Rina answered with a bright smile for now.
But inside, she was utterly bewildered.
Why on earth...?
Wasn't she the best in Mezai?
"Danya, eight. Ian, eight. And they achieved an unexpected harvest on top of that. Hunting a magic-resistant rabbit. You two receive full marks for the exercise."
"F-Full marks?"
Rina involuntarily muttered aloud, then hurriedly covered her mouth.
Danya and Ian got full marks?
She couldn't believe it.
That Ian?
She'd had a vague feeling he'd grown. But she couldn't accept this. There had to be some other scheme behind it.
What on earth is going on...
To shine like that in the class she herself considered the most important.
Growing anxious, Rina chewed her lip.
If only she hadn't eaten those fruits and mushrooms, and had looked for mana orbs instead... Could she have beaten them?
What am I even doing...?
A shadow of self-loathing fell across Rina's face.
◆
"Haaaaah..."
Lichten Academy, women's dormitory.
Rina threw herself onto the bed and buried her face in the pillow.
"This place is in danger too now."
It wasn't a high-grade dormitory, but it was the only place she could live for free on a scholarship.
...Food, she could figure out one way or another.
But a place to sleep was hard to find.
"Aaaah, seriously!"
At first, she hadn't been able to believe it.
The fact that Ian had changed so much.
But now...
"...I can't help but acknowledge it."
Ian had changed.
Whether it was because he fell from the rooftop,
or because of whatever happened during that week he didn't come to the academy.
"Mmmpf!"
Rina, who had buried her face until she was almost suffocating, lifted her head vacantly.
Then her eyes caught sight of an unopened envelope.
"...Request for Preliminary Hearing by the Disciplinary Committee."
She'd put off checking its contents for a while.
Rina opened the envelope as if hypnotized.
—In relation to the recent suicide threat incident involving student Ian Blackangus, a disciplinary committee will be convened. As a victim in this case, Student Rina is requested to attend a preliminary hearing prior to the committee's convening.
"Ah..."
Right, the disciplinary committee was still pending.
Rina herself was the victim. The perpetrator was Ian.
That was how the document read.
—Please prepare a statement regarding Ian's usual conduct, the process by which he left a threatening suicide note and jumped, and any other details you may suspect.
"All statements will remain confidential and your anonymity is guaranteed..."
—For the protection of the victimized students, this disciplinary committee will be convened with only relevant parties present. Please take care not to let this become known to others. End.
The document ended there.