Chapter 47 : Chapter 47

Chapter 47: Terror(4)

Dawn breaking at daybreak.

I hadn't slept, but my mind was clearer than ever.

In the middle of my room.

A strange man was staring at me.

A man with messy blond hair full of knots, skinny to the point of looking even more sinister.

Clatter!

It's Clatter.

“Clatter. When the operation starts, that jaw has to stay still.”

Clat!

“No. Just stay still from now on. Don't open your mouth at all. Okay? If you understand, nod your head.”

Clatter nodded.

“Good. First, let's see here…….”

I glanced and rolled my eyes to look at the desk clock.

06:00 AM.

The time left until the operation is four hours from now.

“First, take a look at this.”

I pointed with my hand to the academy map spread out on the desk yesterday.

“There's a forest over here on this side. Later, I'll summon you here at 10 o'clock. Ah, so…….”

I opened the pocket watch and manipulated the hands arbitrarily to make it 10 o'clock.

“……When the hands look exactly like this, you just need to go around the forest here and there sprinkling the beast pouches. Got it?”

Nod─!

“Smart one.”

Clatter's mouth splits open long enough to show his teeth.

It's good that he has skin now, so his expressions are varied.

But it also gives me a slight chill.

It feels like looking at something in the uncanny valley.

“Hey. Don't smile.”

Clatter closed his mouth.

Instead, he pouts his lips.

“Yeah, whatever. Do as you like.”

Grin.

“Let's do a rehearsal once. Ah. Since it's practice, don't infuse death energy into the beast pouches, just pretend. You know what I mean.”

I handed Clatter the pocket watch and the bundle containing the beast pouches.

“This is inside the forest and it's just turned exactly 10 o'clock, operation time. So what do you have to do from now on?”

Suddenly, Clatter lowered his posture sharply and hid his body behind the bed.

Then he took out one beast pouch from the bundle and threw it, moved to another spot and threw again, repeating that about ten times.

Since he didn't infuse death energy, the beast pouches didn't burst.

I collected the beast pouches rolling on the floor, put them back in the bundle, and praised Clatter.

“Good job.”

Now the final check remains.

“Death energy. Can you raise it?”

As soon as the words ended, black smoke gathered in Clatter's hand.

With this, the preparations were perfectly complete.

“Good. Then let's do the practice twenty more times for the last time.”

“…….”

After tormenting Clatter until 8:30, I left the dormitory.

The place my steps were heading to was the faculty office on the second floor of the main building.

I knocked lightly, and a clear voice came from inside.

“Come in.”

Creak.

“Ah. You're here, Gerard?”

“Yes.”

“Here. These are the teaching materials for today's class. I would have carried them myself if possible, but as you can see, there are too many.”

“It's fine.”

The teaching materials Professor Ilai pointed to were flower pots.

The number is six.

Even if Professor Ilai and I carry two each on both sides, one person would have to make one more round trip.

“Sorry.”

“This much is only natural to help with.”

I lifted the large flower pots, tucking them under both arms.

Except for the pungent scent and the leaves tickling my cheeks, there was no discomfort.

“Let's go.”

“Yes.”

The eastern outskirts forest where the 1st period [Herbology] class is held.

I placed the flower pots in the clearing used as the classroom and turned my body.

Because I had to go bring the remaining two flower pots.

“Gerard? Wait a moment. I'll go with you!”

Professor Ilai tried to follow, so I quickened my steps.

I wanted to go alone.

I had to.

“No. I'll just go and come back by myself.”

In case she might follow, I quickly left the clearing.

Tadak!

At some point, I stopped and looked around.

Hm. This should be about right.

I summoned the subspace and called Clatter.

Clatter, wearing a blue robe on the outside, lowered his posture immediately upon exiting the subspace.

Just like the form practiced in the room earlier.

In one hand, the brown bundle containing the beast pouches and in the other hand, a bottle I hadn't seen before.

That was the Hydra venom obtained from the necromancer's lab before.

I was so busy I forgot about that too.

But why did he bring that out?

“What's that you're holding?”

Clatter scratched his head.

He also looked like he didn't know why it was in his hand.

A habit from life, perhaps.

I decided to just leave it.

He probably doesn't know how to use it anyway.

After that, Clatter burrowed into the bushes like a nimble squirrel.

Now the guy will hide in there and wait for the time.

I slightly pushed aside the branches, and inside the bushes, Clatter was staring intently at the pocket watch.

I nodded satisfactorily and left the place.

“This plant is called ‘Aurike,’ and though it looks ordinary on the outside, if you cut the stem like this…….”

Time passed quickly.

Professor Ilai, diligently teaching the class.

As her assistant, I was standing right next to her, listening to the lesson.

Occasionally assisting.

“Gerard? Could you bring the golden Aurike?”

“Understood.”

While carrying the golden Aurike pot, I gauge the time.

How much is left.

My mouth is parched.

I wanted to check the time, but being on the platform, I was conscious of eyes.

The numerous gazes of the 890th class juniors sitting in front were directed toward me and Professor Ilai.

It should be about time for the terror to happen soon.

I trust Clatter, but as some time passed with nothing happening, my anxiety started to burn.

And around that time.

The awaited reaction came.

“The golden Aurike here is exactly the same as the Aurike I just showed. But why is it called golden? The reason is…….”

The first to detect the suspicious sign was me, who had been waiting tensely.

Exactly to the right in my field of view.

Beyond the dense forest in the darkness, elongated shadows approaching our side came into view.

Like a pod of dolphins leaping above the water surface, they leaped over the bushes and approached quickly.

Then at some point, they went into the bushes and became quiet.

Having spotted the prey, they were lowering their bodies as much as possible while approaching.

I slowly looked around.

The place I'm standing now is on the platform.

The position where I can first notice the war-wolves' ambush and face it head-on.

At the same time, the position where I can stand out the most to the cadets and Professor Ilai.

If I stop this terror, not only will I succeed in the request, but I'll also gain trust as a cadet.

In other words, it was an intentional position selection.

While I was waiting for the terror like that, fiddling with the longsword at my waist.

Shwaaa──

The bushes shook violently.

On a windless day, the suddenly shaking bushes were enough to evoke a strange sense of unease by themselves.

So the lecture stopped abruptly.

Professor Ilai, sensing the unusual atmosphere, closed the book and looked around with a hardened face.

As the lecture stopped, the cadets tilted their heads.

Three war-wolves leaped into the air.

Shwak!

The cadets blankly stared at them.

The appearance of the war-wolves was so sudden and out of nowhere that their brains couldn't process it.

I, who was at the very front,

Keeng!

Drew my sword and swung it.

Three dog heads rolled on the ground.

That was the start.

Numerous war-wolves simultaneously burst out of the bushes all at once.

Kuhung!

The scene turned into pandemonium in an instant.

“M-Monsters aaaah!”

“It's war-wolves! Why are these bastards here……!”

At that moment, the war-wolves charging from the front line bounced back as if hitting something.

The barrier Professor Ilai had deployed.

“Gerard!”

Professor Ilai called me in an urgent voice.

“I can't hold it for long!”

I know.

It was hastily deployed, and dozens of war-wolves are pounding on the barrier.

But that alone was enough.

“Everyone, attention!”

The cadets' gazes gathered on me.

“Don't panic. Don't look pathetic.”

“……!”

“Once or twice is fine, but this is the third time. It's time to get used to it. Right?”

Perhaps surprised by my leisurely appearance that didn't fit the situation.

The kids all blinked their eyes.

“During the last swamp orc incident, I thought this. If the same thing happens next time, then I'll act like this. You guys are the same. You must have imagined in your heads the best actions you can take in your positions.”

A junior who met my eyes nodded.

“Yes. I did.”

“Me too!”

“Now is the time to realize those imaginations.”

The momentum changes.

Now week 3.

It's not even a month since entering the academy, but indeed, the best study is real combat experience.

The kids' responses were swift.

Considering their positions and situations, they started mutually complementing each other, filling in the gaps, and taking positions.

And at the center of that was me.

“Those who can't use magic, fall back. Check if there are any running away. Or if there are any sneaking through gaps.”

“Yes! Senior!”

“Gwyn.”

“Yes!”

“You protect the psychology department kids with your friends. The rest, join me at the front to block the war-wolves.”

And then.

Crack, the barrier broke.

Kuhung!

The war-wolves charged all at once.

I led the martial arts department kids and ran to meet them.

The war-wolf faces gradually getting closer.

Sharp eyes and teeth.

Spiky fur and rough wildness close enough to touch the skin.

Boom, with an explosion, the two forces collided.

“Kill them!”

“Don't get pushed back!”

War-wolves are smaller in size and weaker in strength than swamp orcs.

But they were agile and flexible.

With my high agility, it doesn't matter how many, but if the number to face alone exceeds three, it's burdensome for the cadets.

So I looked toward Professor Ilai and shouted.

“Professor Ilai!”

“I know!”

As if waiting, dazzling radiance filled the clearing.

Kyaaak!

Kyaeng!

The war-wolves' momentum weakened further.

Her divine power sweeping the battlefield momentarily slowed the monsters' movements.

Conversely, it increased the allies' stamina and strength.

“Sweep them all away!”

It was the start of the massacre.

“Haaah!”

“You dog bastards! Die! Die!”

“Don't get excited! There are variants mixed in!”

“Huh? Ah. H-Here! Uwaaa! What is this guy! Why is it so big!”

A war-wolf standing on two feet is fiercely pressuring one cadet.

I immediately ran that way.

“S-Senior! Be careful! This guy's hide bounces off swords!”

It's not the hide.

The special ability of variant war-wolves is [Guardian of the Wind]

[A thin wind membrane protects the guy's hide.]

But my sword imbued with mana easily pierced through it.

Puwahak!

The war-wolf pierced by the sword convulses once.

I kicked the guy away and shouted.

“When a variant appears, dodge! Me and Ivan! Yuria! And Karina will handle them!”

“There's a variant here!”

“Here too!”

“Yuria! Over here!”

“Uwaaaaah! Help me, Ivan!”

After that, it was a melee.

The ground was dug up and trees fell in droves from the aftermath of the battle.

The cabin used as a rest shelter during breaks had a hole punched in the wall, exposing the inside, and the rock used as the platform was split in half.

Running until my soles were soaked in sweat, before I knew it, the only one left alive was one variant.

The guy was felled as my sword pierced through its [Guardian of the Wind] and forehead simultaneously.

Thud.

As soon as the last war-wolf fell, the cadets burst out with the tension and excitement they had been holding back and cheered.

“Waaaah! We wonnn! We won!”

“We blocked it ourselves! Different from last time!

“Wow. I thought I was gonna die, for real.”

“Idiot. Die? How? With Senior Gerard and the professor here!”

I looked at that scene contentedly.

Though it was a result I already knew, happiness is good whether you know it or not, good at any moment.

So when Professor Ilai's murmur reached my ears, I wanted to deny it.

“……Why is one person missing?”

I turned my head to look at her.

Her face, who had been counting the headcount, was pale.

As if saying ‘It can't be,’ she checks the numbers again.

I felt the same.

Right.

It can't be.

Because I checked everything.

Clearly, there are no casualties.

There shouldn't be any in the first place.

Even if there are a hundred war-wolves, in a battle with Professor Ilai, who is a healer and supporter like a gas station.

The battle might take long, but casualties? They can't happen.

‘Then what went wrong?’

It was then.

“Um…….”

One cadet timidly raised her hand.

A familiar face.

‘Luna. Filler.’

One of Karina Zain's followers.

And as soon as I saw her, I could realize who the missing person here was.

A faint unease flows down my spine.

Come to think of it, in the battle just now, I have no memory of seeing ‘flame.’

No.

Then who is the thief that Karina saw.

saw?

“Gerard──!”

Professor Ilai's shout came from behind, but I ignored it and ran.

To the place I had agreed to meet Clatter.

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