Chapter 59: The First Year at the Academy - First Semester Field Training 2
The destination of the field exercise was the western forest.
We set out and headed west along the road in a string of beads.
We arrived near the forest in the morning, took a short rest there, and entered the forest.
Soon after, we arrived at a clearing.
It was large, and there were still remnants of campfires here and there.
This was our campsite for the first day.
Desindo instructs us to pitch our tents.
Leaving the site selection and setup to Lambert and the others, I, as a scout, decided to take a look around the plaza.
In the center of the square, the instructors build a large bonfire with the help of adventurers. A cooking area had already been set nearby.
They're fighting over it.
The aristocrat-centered group dominated the area around the bonfire. Although the teachers were not taking a forceful approach, they could not resist the silent pressure. The group of commoners headed for the perimeter with their shoulders slumped.
Such a struggle was going on even among the nobles. After exchanging names, they exchanged euphemisms, and one side maturely backed away. It seems that superiority or inferiority is determined by family rank, economic power, and the influence of the donor parent, but this is a world I don't understand it.
I looked back to see what happened to Lambert, one of the nobles and saw that he had taken up a position near Seren, just before the perimeter of the plaza.
A good choice. It was a good choice. In an emergency, there would undoubtedly be chaos in the center. It was an easy place to retreat to without getting caught up in the chaos.
But still, you are throwing a lot of energy into your students.
In this world, the power of the individual is so great that tactics have not developed, but of course, the military exists. We learn about military tactics and the chain of command. We decide who the student leader will be. So you're throwing it all in my face, whether I'll decide or not. I don't know how much more laissez-faire you can take.
I'll keep this quiet.
Leaders are determined by their status, and if they are of the same rank, there will be a struggle. And a ten-year-old with no real combat experience, the chain of command would not work. It would only confuse them even more.
After taking a look around, I returned to the tent.
Lambert and the others had unloaded and were resting.
"Oh, you're back. Can you bring me some water?"
They fill the pot offered to them with "Pure Water".
Lambert and the others poured from it into wooden cups and refilled their water bottles.
I think the reason the campsite is not in the northwest, where there is a river, is to teach them the preciousness of water. When the group was divided into groups, those with good eyesight actively brought in water magic users. Those who were not would bring in large quantities, and those who were unaware would need water tomorrow.
Since I can use water magic, we also brought in little water. Anyway, the water was heavy.
After unloading, I also quenched my thirst.
Most of the mixed-group teams had two tents. Lola refrained from doing so because it would add to the bulk of our luggage, but I was too worried about it.
"Well, what about Tobias-san?"
"I heard that the advisors are in another tent. If you need anything, call on him anytime."
"That would be great. Frankly, four people in this tent are a bit cramped."
I looked for Tobias and the other advisors and found them running around.
Nearly half of the students were still struggling to set up their tents.
They look busy, so I won't call on them unless they're not busy.
After a while, when all the groups had finally settled down, one of the instructors called out, "The representatives should gather."
Lambert returns as if it wasn't a big deal.
"The alchemy students will do some hands-on collecting, and the combat students will patrol the perimeter. Alter, I want you to prioritize the collecting."
"Understood."
We parted ways, and Lola and I headed for Rackendale.
Weaving between the countless tents and luggage, I spoke to Lola.
"Do you have any experience in collecting?"
"This is my first time. But I think I can tell the difference. We have a store."
"Heh, I didn't know that. In Selen?"
"Yes. It's a small store."
It's called Breos Trading Company, a small but well-established business that's been around for over a hundred years.
Come to think of it, Danil also said he learned it while helping out at the store.
If people learn "Mixing" they can raise the value of your products. Perhaps the commoners are learning with a clear purpose.
We arrived at the outskirts of the square where they instructed but Rackendale had not arrived.
The alchemy students were almost all there, chatting away at hand.
One of them, Elphimia, notices me.
She turns down the first one, who is making an impassioned speech about something and walks up to me.
"Your place looks like fun."
"You too."
"You want to switch?"
"I'm sorry."
I immediately apologized. I can't stand that kind of suffocation.
Elphimia slumped her shoulders.
"Huh. …… why is this happening? You know that guy, talking on and on and on? He's talking about which sweets are good, which clothing store has bad taste, and which prince is good-looking. Do I look interested?"
"Odd. I've had similar experiences. But this one is worse because I'm interested."
That's why I get caught so often.
We sighed, and Lola asked us if we were okay.
Elphimia turns her slightly disheveled face to Lola.
"You–Lola, was it?"
"Yes, Elphimia-sama."
"You can call me Elphimia. I'm sure they're doing something strange to you."
"Don't talk nonsense. We are gentlemen.
"Yes, they are, and they're all very kind to me – oh, …… but they asked me to watch their backs."
Instantly, Elphimia looks at me coldly.
"What is that, a confession?"
"Of course not. Lola is going to be my bodyguard in the future. As a double Roland."
"I will not! Don't talk nonsense to a merchant's daughter!"
"Haha, little Roland is so humble. Don't worry, I'll train you."
Lola cheerfully declares, but Lola clings to Elphimia's back and begins to shake and tremble.
She shouldn't be so frightened, though. She'll get stronger if she dies a few times.
After Elphimia scolded me for "making fun of Lola" Rackendale finally arrived with Cody in tow.
After sitting down on the folding chair he brought with him, Rackendale pointed out the materials in the vicinity with a pointer and explained how to collect them, the proper time to do so, and the precautions to take.
Once that was over, it was time for hands-on training in the collection.
We spread out inside the patrol and did our collecting.
We didn't find anything unusual, but we did find some Ranim grass, which was a good harvest. Since we had already secured Soglio berries, we could make our alchemical solution with them. Only young leaves with deep reddish brown spots can be used as materials, not large leaves. As long as they are not overburdened, we can collect them again.
Everyone seemed to be able to collect as they wished, and Luckendale inspected them.
"Then, you can take care of the materials. We will use them in future lectures. If the materials are difficult to handle, we will find easier materials again tomorrow. This concludes today's lecture."
While all the students were moving at once, Rackendale glanced at me.
I pretend not to notice and return to the tent with Lola. I'm pretty sure he's bringing it with him. Alchemy equipment I mean.
"We've found the Serton grass."
I shake off Rackendale's silent invitation, and Lola happily shows me the dark green leaves.
The Serton grass is the raw material for healing potions. Demand is stable, so it will sell quickly if we "mix" it.
She asked me how to manage it, and I told her what I knew.
"Hey – isn't it a little noisy?"
In the middle of this, Lola stopped abruptly.
The students on patrol were in a hurry.
It seems that a monster has appeared.
With so many people, "Presence Detection" is useless.
"It looks like a monster has appeared. Oh, don't be afraid. The students of the art of combat will deal with them, and the instructors and adventurers are standing by."
"That's right."
Still, Lola swept her gaze uneasily.
The flow of people is to the south, so that's the center of the commotion.
"Go back to your tents. If something happens, Lambert and the others will come running, so don't move carelessly. I'm going to check on them."
"Isn't that …… dangerous?"
I'm also a student of the art of combat. I'm also a student of the art of combat.
I said that urged Lola, and I headed south.
There was nothing unusual in the square, and I could hear cheers coming from the forest.
The students on patrol must have crossed paths.
As I walked through the forest with the students heading that way, a crowd of people appeared.
And then there was the smell of blood.
There was no sign of fighting, so it seemed to be over.
Since my vision was blocked, I jumped on a branch.
Goblins.
In the circle, three goblins were dead.
Nearby, there were about ten students who were wounded. It looks like they had a hard time.
It was as if they were tortured to death.
The goblins were covered in wounds. Since there were no fatal wounds, they seemed to have been cut down little by little and died. The cause of death was exsanguination. The students who fought had little experience in actual combat.
At that moment, one of the students suddenly swung his sword and thrust it at the goblin.
Then he raised both hands and barked.
Was that Kaluas? We had a mock battle during our first lecture.
Kaluas was proud to hear the cheers that rolled in.
I don't know why he looks like he did it all by himself.
The goblin's wounds are all over his body. It is obvious that a large group of people surrounded the goblin and chopped it up into little pieces.
I feel a little sorry
for the goblins, but the opposite could have happened. Killing each other is not pretty. I've been there.
I look down quietly at the students who are so excited.
But do they understand that?
◇◇◇◇
I leave the place and head to the plaza.
I can still hear the cheers.
As I walked through the forest, I was thinking about something else.
The lecturers were there, but they didn't interrupt me and talked amongst themselves.
If it was just an assessment, I'm fine.
But what if they felt the same way I did?
I don't think they would return Kaluas and the others to the city. They would increase their influence.
Should I be prepared?
I stop and look at the treetops.
The presence is rapidly approaching. The direction is around the perimeter of the plaza.
It seems to be reinforcements – or is it them?
"Goblins!"
With a mysterious shout, a skinhead and a scarred man jump out.
Then, upon seeing me, they hurriedly raised their hammers. They hurriedly stopped the hammer they raised.
Don't jinx it up.
Corpus and Ismira also show up.
Only Ismira was not surprised to see me.
"It's Cartilard, isn't it? I didn't expect to see you here."
"I'll just return it. I'll just return it to you. Do you have time?"
"No, we're just here to blow up some goblins…"
We're done.
Zeret and Varden are astonished.
They still don't seem to understand what they are asked to do.
After waiting for them to revive, I take "Everlasting Crop" to a place where there is no sign of life.
There, I asked them not to tell anyone that I was an adventurer.
Zeret and Varden nodded with mysterious faces.
You don't get it, do you?
As I was wondering how to explain, Ismira twisted her head.
"What does that mean?"
"Meaning?"
"Cartilard doesn't prohibit adventurers, does it? It's natural to work for a living, and not everyone is as wealthy as you are – oh, maybe you're a poor aristocrat? Sorry."
"Sorry doesn't exonerate you. Besides, I'm not poor."
I didn't need Ismira to confirm that it wasn't forbidden.
What I'm worried about is if my parents find out I'm an adventurer.
They would increase my remittances. I wrote them a thick letter with a lot of small talks.
"Anyway, I don't want to spread the word too much that I'm an adventurer. Would you please keep quiet?"
"I don't mind. I'm sure you have your reasons."
Ismira and Corpus agreed.
The rest were these guys?
Zeret looked down at me suspiciously.
"Hey, ……, you're an adventurer, right?"
"That's an uneasy start, isn't it?"
I can't predict what he's going to say, which is a problem.
Zeret folded his arms and wrinkled his brow in contemplation.
Then, suddenly, he looks up as if he had been played.
"Then you're an adventurer!"
"So you've thought it through."
Was it a stumble, or was it the end of twists and turns? I'd like to take a peek into his train of thought.
Yet another troubled fellow had also reached a mysterious conclusion.
"Wait a minute, bro! Maybe this guy is a fake–"
"What! What fake?
"I don't know! I don't know who you are!"
"Yes, wait a minute. Let's just calm down a little bit."
I calm them down.
After all, their problem is that they have a lot of assumptions, and they process everything in their world. The only way to get them to understand is to dive into their world.
I think for a moment and open my mouth.
"A man – he has a secret that he can't tell anyone. Right?"
"Hmm."
Zeret and Barden stroke their unshaven beards and chuckle.
I knew it. They seem to like this kind of thing, don't they?
"I have a secret too. So please don't tell me I'm an adventurer."
"Oh, leave it to me. A man's secret!
"I'll protect it too! I'll protect your secret!
Somehow, they seemed to understand.
I breathed a sigh of relief, and Corpus looked at me happily.
I'm not going to be one of them, okay?
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