Chapter 98
HEL SCANS
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“……”
He tried to say that wasn’t true.
But there was something else to do first.
Swoosh-
The boy dragged Leciel into the bushes where he was.
With half of Leciel pinned to Ban’s chest, she looked up at him with eyes that seemed betrayed.
“What are you doing?”
“Uh, sorry. Your hair color was too noticeable.”
Leciel soon understood the meaning of those words.
Kikirurururu-!
It was the forest path they had just encountered and the tall tree not far away.
Something large flew and perched on top.
‘…A demon?’
It was a bird-type demon.
The unfolded wings seemed to exceed a diameter of three meters.
Its appearance was very strange…
Not only were eyes attached only to the silky head, but also a giant pupil was embedded in the bulging stomach.
The mouth was unusually large compared to its size.
Degrururu.
The crimson-eyed pupil moved around, guarding all directions.
Leciel felt a little embarrassed after the misunderstanding.
“Well, I again.”
Ban whispered, lowering his voice.
“Don’t move.”
“Do you know what kind of demon that is?”
“I know. I learned about it.”
“……”
…Theory is difficult.
While Leciel kept his mouth shut, Ban cautiously observed the demon, poking only his head out.
The creature’s name was ‘Vitor.’
It wasn’t an individual with exceptionally strong combat power, but it was a demon that was quite challenging to subdue or capture.
Its excessive wariness made it prone to escape at the slightest provocation.
When fleeing, its habit of relocating an entire nest in its mouth made it difficult to identify its habitat.
“…Look at that.”
In the middle of the tree where the creature was perched, there was a crudely constructed nest.
The two quickly realized what was in the nest.
Since the mana emitted from the mana stone was being detected there.
Leciel looked at Ban again.
“Do you have a good idea?”
“Well… actually, it’s quite simple with two people. One attracts attention, and the other catches the mana stone.”
Leciel nodded.
“Okay, let’s cooperate.”
“C-Can we really?”
“Will you do it, or should I?”
It was a story about attracting attention as bait.
Ban swallowed his saliva.
“I’ll do it. You’re better at climbing trees than I am.”
“Okay.”
Although he was somewhat worried, asking if it would be okay here would hurt his pride.
Leciel swiftly turned his body.
Charak-!
The longsword held in Leciel’s hand transformed into a short dagger.
The operation was about to begin.
…Shh.
Ban slowly emerged from the tall grass.
Deliberately not looking at Vitor, he walked forward.
Pretending not to notice.
Pretending to be an easy prey.
However, he mobilized all the mana in his body, skillfully weaving a dense mana net.
Vitor was very agile.
It would be too late to capture its movements with all senses.
‘Carefully….’
Flutter-!
Before the faint sound of its small wing flaps could reach his ears, Ban’s senses detected its movement one step ahead.
“Uaaaah!”
With all his strength, Ban stabbed the dagger in the direction where the creature was descending, propelling his body backward.
Squelch-!
…He avoided it!
In the nick of time, Vitor’s claws clenched the ground, making a chilling sound as it shattered.
On the other hand, Ban’s swung dagger hit precisely on the creature’s vulnerable spot.
Kikirurururu-!
Perhaps angered, bloodshot veins appeared simultaneously in the creature’s white eyes.
Ban recoiled in horror.
‘Disgusting!’
…Meanwhile.
As Vitor flew towards Ban, Leciel threw the ‘Shape Shifter’ transformed into a dagger towards the tree where the nest was located.
Thud-!
The dagger stuck halfway into the trunk.
Leciel quickly ran, kicked the ground, and leaped up.
There was no need to climb that was out of shape.
Whoosh-
Because the mana gripped her body heavily, her leap was lower than usual.
But it didn’t matter.
Everything was calculated in advance.
Leciel stepped precisely on the dagger located under her foot and leaped again.
It was a graceful and skilled movement reminiscent of gymnastic exercises.
Chin-!
Leciel, flipping her body in mid-air, swiftly grabbed the mana stones inside the nest.
With her head facing the ground during the fall, it was a precarious position where her neck would undoubtedly break if she landed as is.
Thud-!
While pulling out the Shape Shifter stuck in the trunk with her foot, Leciel forcefully kicked the tree, raising her body again.
“Wow.”
Ban, forgetting the creature in front of him, watched the performance that resembled an acrobatic feat.
Thump-!
The trunk of the tree swayed significantly, and Leciel shot forward like an arrow.
Simultaneously, the Shape Shifter took on a spear-like form.
Clang-clang-clang-! The spear sparkled from a distance, and then…
Keyeeeek-!
The sharp tip pierced through Vitor’s neck, scattering black blood in all directions.
The creature slumped sideways.
Looking down at Ban from above, Leciel raised an eyebrow.
Ban opened his mouth, then closed it again.
‘…She could have easily obtained the mana stones on her own.’
Ding-!
A notification sound echoed from the score tracker on her wrist.
The score for subduing Vitor was 15 points.
Ban received an impressive 5 points.
Swoosh-
Leciel unexpectedly extended the hand holding the clenched fist.
‘Is she challenging me to a fist bump?’
There was an unexpectedly easy going side to her.
Ban cautiously extended his fist and bumped it against hers.
However, he met Leciel’s grimaced face.
“No, take it.”
“…Huh?”
Ban blankly stared at the three mana stones on his palm.
…9 points.
Considering the subjugation score, he had earned 14 points in less than 10 minutes.
But instead of joy, there was more confusion.
‘There were five mana stones in the nest.’
Even if he taught her the strategy, Leciel should have taken at least 3… no, about 4, right?
‘Leciel was also ambitious about her score.’
Indeed, she was looking at the mana stones on her hand with eyes shedding disappointment.
Ban promptly extended his hand again.
“It seems like you should take more.”
“Never mind.”
Ignoring his outstretched hand, Leciel turned away.
It was an unexpected situation.
Soon, another unexpected situation unfolded.
Leciel didn’t leave first; instead, she stood as if waiting for him.
Startled by the red hair that almost brushed against his nose, Ban took a step back.
“Come with me.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll be hunting demons, and you can look for mana stones on the side.”
…Why?
Baffled by the unexpected party proposal, Ban couldn’t help but wear a puzzled expression.
As he hesitated, Leciel drove her point home.
“Why are you just standing there so cluelessly? Don’t you need points?”
Whether it was a taunt or a favor, he couldn’t tell.
But he couldn’t miss this opportunity.
Ban quickly caught up with Leciel, who had started walking ahead.
“I’ll share the mana stones if I find any.”
“…I’ll manage that myself.”
Leciel, gritting her lips, sprinted towards the depths of the forest.
It was a complex and subtle expression.
…Taking care of Ban.
A few days ago, she overheard a conversation about the boy’s mother in the garden by chance.
.
.
.
This somewhat regrettable decision.
She had no idea that this would end up saving her life.
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* * *
Meanwhile, a bit further away from them, in the forest, a demon resembling a giant mantis stood tall.
Its two scythe-shaped front legs plunged towards the ground, and between them, a crescent-shaped ice blade pierced through.
The creature’s head fell off abruptly.
“…Huh?”
But that wasn’t the end.
Its front legs rose again.
Cuculli, who ignored the theory, didn’t know this fact.
Insect-type demons could still move for a short time even if their heads were severed.
Due to their extremely slow metabolism and narrow blood vessels, they could briefly survive such fatal injuries.
At that moment—
“Get out of the way.”
Sharruk-sharruk-!
A hefty iron chain wrapped around the mantis’s front legs and pulled them away forcefully.
Thunk-!
Following that, Phegon’s head, wiggling between the creature’s torso, shattered it into pieces.
“Oh, I’ve never seen a demon like this in my entire life. I didn’t expect this.”
“…We learned about it in class.”
Cuculli let out a deep sigh.
“Luke, men who cling to trivial things aren’t popular. Men who secretly follow ladies are even less popular.”
“There are two errors in your statement just now. You’re not a lady, and I didn’t secretly follow you.”
“Hmph, then how long are you planning to keep following me?”
Even though a dangerous situation had just unfolded, Cuculli lazily stretched and yawned as if it was nothing.
Even a demon several times larger than her and a fellow student who had followed her since the start of the exam didn’t seem like significant threats to her.
“Well, who knows? I might follow you for another hour.”
Luke replied while staring intently at the ice crystals floating near his cheek.
Crackling sounds echoed around, and the surroundings looked drastically different from before.
Frozen leaves covered the forest floor like a blanket, and a thin layer of frost covered the ground.
Sunlight filtered through the branches, revealing a peaceful winter forest.
Except for the fact that the bodies of demons, more than a dozen of them, were rolling on the ground.
‘…There’s really no reason to leave.’
Following Cuculli proved to be a highly efficient strategy.
She consulted the map and targeted high-scoring demons first.
Instead of discreetly handling them, she boldly unleashed her mana to crush them.
Due to the aftermath of the mana storm, various lesser demons were drawn to the commotion, and Luke could effortlessly subdue them, earning high points.
Except for the fact that he was now accompanying Cuculli in tackling the demons she faced during the remaining time.
“Hmm, are we in a crocodile and crocodile bird relationship?”
Cuculli jokingly remarked.
She didn’t particularly dislike it either.
Thanks to Luke, the speed at which they dealt with demons increased, and there were times when he provided assistance, like just now.
Moreover, these demons were not formidable opponents who would willingly sacrifice their lives for a fight, so there was no sense of interference with the duel.
…Thunk.
So, naturally, they found themselves walking with a certain distance between them.
Occasionally, there was some conversation, mostly initiated by Cuculli.
“Can I join in your training… I mean, beating up Ban? It looks fun!”
“I’ll consider it negatively.”
Or something like that.
“But you seem to like Evergreen. It’s so obvious when you’re watching from the side.”
“…”
“But it seems like she’ll take a long time to open her eyes to romance. Good luck with that!”
“…”
“Well, come to think of it, it seems like you’re in a similar situation. Hang in there, tough guy!”
“…Shut up, please.”
…These were mostly the kinds of conversations they had.
Since Luke consistently responded with indifference, Cuculli soon became quiet.
After about ten minutes of silence, Luke unexpectedly spoke up.
“But why don’t you challenge me? You’ve forced yourself into sparring with other classmates.”
Cuculli, who had been walking ahead, suddenly stopped.
Turning her head, she stared at Luke and burst into a genuine laugh.
“If I wanted to fight you, would you have accepted? You wouldn’t have fought, right?”
“…What?”
Before Luke could respond, Cuculli continued.
“More than anything, after sparring with Leciel just once, the others seemed just mediocre. And you… well, you’re strong. But still not enough for me.”
“…Ha.”
“You know it too, right?”
Cuculli left behind such provocative words and resumed walking.
Luke, surprisingly, did not deny it and quietly followed her.
She continued with a humming tone.
“Both you and me. We come from a place where if we don’t accurately understand each other’s strength, we can’t survive.”
Cuculli.
Always showing a half-hearted, carefree appearance, but Luke knew well that it wasn’t the whole picture.
Her hometown was at the edge of the world, the Great Snow Sea.
The memories that place left for the boy who had gone near there for the sake of the mercenary group were something he didn’t want to experience again.
For the children who grew up like greenhouse flowers the Great snow sea were an unimaginable place.
It wasn’t all pure and innocent, and living in such a deadly place required a certain toughness.
Perhaps that’s why, for him, Cuculli was the only one among his peers who gave off a sense of kinship.
…Luke changed the subject.
“So, where are you going now?”
“Hmm? Ah, the magical train station.”
“…The magical train station? Why?”
“Why go~! To ride the train, of course!”
Luke was dumbfounded for a moment.
But going there just for the fun of it?
That was a different story.
He knew, of course, that in the Forest of Martial Arts, there were magical trains and railways for transporting goods.
It was also marked on the map handed out by the Hero.
It was a necessary means of transportation, considering the vastness of the Forest of Martial Arts, too challenging to manage on foot.
However, that was for official business.
There was no way students participating in the midterm exam could just use it as they pleased.
“…So, is it allowed?”
“Well, no one told us not to, right?”
“…”
“If you treat every class as a real battle, you have to act like it! Right? You use any means necessary on the battlefield!”
…Why is she like this only at times like this?
Luke thought for a moment about Cuculli’s actions, boarding the magical train at the station, and found it quite absurd.
.
.
.
However, unfortunately, Cuculli’s enthusiasm was thwarted.
At the control seat, she stood before the unmoving train with eyes filled with despair.
“Uh, what should I do?”
“…What can we do when we came without any plans? Honestly, it was absurd to think we could ride a magical train during the exam. Why did I follow you?”
In response to Luke’s sarcastic complaint, Cuculli, standing in front of the control panel, looked at the motionless vehicle with a despondent expression.
“Then we can’t ride it?”
“Ah, damn it, wait.”
Cuculli’s hopeful gaze followed Luke as he went to fetch a toolbox that was visible on one side of the control seat.
He walked around the train once, inspecting it before returning.
“For now, there don’t seem to be any issues with the traction motor or other equipment… We need to check the magical control panel.”
In response to Luke’s somewhat skilled actions, Cuculli’s eyes widened.
“Oh, how do you even know about this?”
“…When you’ve been in the mercenary business, you end up meeting people who’ve done all sorts of jobs. I learned maintenance back then.”
Cuculli’s eyes narrowed as if assessing him, her gaze sweeping from his face to his toes.
“Hmm… Is this kind of skill useless for a mercenary? Why did you bother learning it? Aren’t you someone who likes efficiency?”
“…”
“Yeah? Yeah??”
“…Okay, that’s enough.”
Wooong!
As the light entered the instrument panel, Luke muttered in bewilderment.
“It’s really working. Wait, what? Did they design it to be ready for us to ride?”
“Kyaaaa!”
As if she had forgotten the question she just asked, she shouted, grabbing Luke in a headlock.
“Great! Let’s sweep through the north first!”
—
That was the moment when the classmates were building some teamwork in their own ways.
Evergreen, who was diligently focusing on the exam, looked at a fellow student emerging from the dense forest with a puzzled expression.
…Should I greet them?
Or should I not say anything?
Brief contemplation.
When their eyes met, Evergreen immediately averted her gaze and mumbled.
“…Oh, hello, Lucas.”
Power dynamics were indeed intimidating!
HEL SCANS
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