Chapter 5: Monster Hunting Festival
With the troublemaker currently under suspension, life at the academy was peaceful for a while after that.
Rest attended classes, hung out with friends after school, and worked hard as a member of the Student Council Executive Committee to crack down on misbehaving students.
They had midterm exams as well... but there were no major issues there either.
Among the first-year magic department students, Rest ranked fourth overall. The only ones above him were Celestine, Primula, and Viola.
Yuri bursting into tears after failing a subject was a minor hiccup, but Rest and the others stuck by her side to tutor her for the retake, barely saving her from flunking.
Time flew by like an arrow.
Days and months slipped away in the blink of an eye... until at last, the problematic event arrived.
The day came when Rodel's suspension ended, coinciding with the opening of the Monster Hunting Festival.
◇ ◇ ◇
The day of the Monster Hunting Festival arrived.
Blessed with clear skies, it was a perfect day for hunting.
The venue for the festival was the Subnock Plains east of the royal capital, a region notorious as one of the kingdom's primary monster-spawning grounds.
Although officially royal territory, it remained an untamed wasteland beyond effective crown control.
Several development efforts had been made in the past, but every pioneer expedition ended in catastrophe, wiped out by Subnock—a massive magical beast that claimed the center of the plains as its domain.
Known as a Devil's Den due to its high concentration of mana, the plains harbored countless formidably dangerous monsters besides Subnock; left unchecked, their growing numbers would spill out and terrorize surrounding lands.
The festival was held here to provide academy students with real combat experience while simultaneously culling the plains' monster population.
At the entrance to the Subnock Plains, management tents had been set up, in front of which participating students lined up in orderly rows.
The rules of the Monster Hunting Festival could be summarized as follows:
1. Form a party of up to five members to enter the monsters' lair and hunt them down.
2. Bring back body parts such as horns or fangs from defeated monsters, which will be used for scoring.
3. If you encounter danger, fire your assigned signal flare into the sky, and rescue staff will immediately rush to your location.
4. Do not enter any designated off-limits areas under any circumstances.
5. Participation is voluntary, but those who choose to join must accept full personal responsibility for all outcomes.
Even if one suffered severe injuries or lost their life, it was brushed off as personal responsibility, giving the impression of an excessively harsh rule for a school event.
However, most students attending the academy were nobles or aspiring government officials. Fighting monsters was considered a duty, and dying in the line of duty was simply accepted as a risk of the trade.
Areas inhabited by powerful beasts were marked off-limits, and everyone had been issued magic item signal flares to call for help. Having provided these safeguards, the academy maintained the stance that it bore no liability for whatever happened beyond that.
(This feudal society really is ruthless. It seems harsh, but I suppose if you're aiming to bear the weight of the nation, you need that level of resolve and conviction. This fantasy world doesn't play around.)
Inside the management tent set up at the entrance to the Subnock Plains, Rest reflected deeply on the situation.
(On the flip side, students who perform exceptionally well in the Monster Hunting Festival get scouted as knights or court mages. It guarantees a fast track to elite status, so risking life and limb is definitely worth the gamble for them.)
"Listen carefully, everyone," an instructor announced to the assembled students. "This festival will take place strictly within the boundaries marked on the maps distributed beforehand. Under no circumstances should you step foot into the restricted zone deeper in the plains. That area is inhabited by formidable monsters, including the master of the plains itself."
The teacher carefully explained the key safety instructions to the lined-up students.
Around two hundred students were participating in the festival. Most were from the Magic and Knight Departments, with a handful from the Cleric Department. While first- and second-year participants were scarce, a considerable number of third-year students desperate to secure future employment prior to graduation had turned out.
Important national figures were also present as distinguished guests. Seated inside the management tent were the Chief Court Mage and the Knight Commander, both responsible for national defense. Catching the eye of either figure by hunting numerous monsters offered a career boost, driving the participants' motivation sky-high.
"If you find yourselves in danger, immediately launch the signal flares distributed to you," the instructor continued. "Rescue personnel will deploy at once. Past festivals have seen casualties and severe injuries, so do not let pride get the better of you—call for help the moment you feel threatened. That is all."
With the instructor's briefing concluded, the Monster Hunting Festival officially commenced.
Splitting into their pre-arranged groups of up to five members, the participants began marching into the plains.
"Now then... shall we get to work as well?" Student Council President Andrew called out, clapping his hands inside the management tent.
Standing inside the command center, the president addressed the assembled Student Council members.
"General officers, handle the behind-the-scenes administration," Andrew instructed. "Executive Committee members, maintain close communication with the faculty while patrolling your assigned sectors. Focus on rescuing anyone in distress, and do everything in your power to ensure no one dies."
"Yes, sir!" the committee members chorused in unison.
"Then let's move out," Andrew said with a nod. "I wish you all good luck!"
Taking Andrew's command as his signal, Rest set out into action.
Turning back toward Viola and Primula, he raised a hand in farewell.
"Well then, I'm heading off," Rest called back to them. "See you both later."
"Right! Do your best out there, Rest!" Viola cheered with an encouraging smile.
"Please don't push yourself too hard..." Primula murmured softly, her eyes full of concern.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure to come back in one piece," Rest assured them with a calm smile. "I'm off."
Viola and Primula were assigned to operational support as general council officers.
Their primary duties involved managing participants—logging monster materials brought back, treating the injured, and accounting for all returning students. If monsters somehow broke through toward the entrance, they were also expected to assist in defense.
Since Rest was joining the rescue personnel as a member of the Executive Committee, he had to separate from the two sisters.
Academy faculty members were present alongside his future father-in-law, Marquis Rosemary. While major trouble was unlikely, Rest couldn't help feeling a small tug of concern.
"Rest-san, are you heading out already?" Celestine Crocus called out, stepping toward him.
"Ah, Rest! So here's where you were!" Yuri Catleia chimed in, rushing over beside her.
"Celestine... and Yuri?" Rest blinked, turning to face them. "Are you taking part in the festival too, Yuri?"
Just as he parted ways with the Rosemary sisters, Celestine and Yuri approached him.
As a student council officer, Celestine was involved in management alongside Viola and Primula.
However... why was Yuri here? Rest hadn't heard anything about her participating in the festival.
"Yuri-san is helping out on the staff side as well," Celestine explained with a polite smile.
"I actually wanted to join the hunt, but none of my classmates would party up with me," Yuri said with a wry pout. "Besides, Viola, Primula, and Celestine were all working staff!"
"Ah... I see," Rest replied with a wry chuckle.
Rest gave a faint, sympathetic smile.
Thanks to her cheerful and innocent nature, nobody truly disliked Yuri, but she was notoriously difficult to handle. Combined with the delicate circumstance of having run away from House Catleia, many classmates preferred to keep a cautious distance.
"I was feeling pretty lonely being left out of the fun," Yuri continued perkily, "until Celestine asked if I'd help out with event operations! So now I'm running all sorts of errands!"
"Is that so? Well, thanks for your hard work," Rest said, chuckling softly.
"Yep! I'll be supporting everyone in my own way, so do your best out there, Rest!" Yuri declared, puffing out her chest. "If any monsters show up here, I'll protect everyone myself. You can rest easy as if you're on a mud ship!"
"...Did you misphrase that?" Rest deadpanned, his mouth twitching. "Because that sounds terrifyingly unreliable."
It really felt like boarding a sinking ship, making Rest grimace inwardly.
"Well then, until later. Please take utmost care," Celestine said, offering a gentle bow.
"Good luck on patrol! I'm definitely joining the hunt next year!" Yuri shouted with an energetic wave.
"Yeah, take care over here too," Rest replied, waving back lightly.
Rest raised a hand in farewell and parted ways with the two of them.
The rescue personnel operated in five-person squads. Rest rendezvoused with his assigned teammates at the meeting point.
"Alright, first-year kid! Over here!" an upperclassman called out, hailing him.
The senior student heading Rest's squad beckoned him over.
Their squad leader was a second-year Knight Department student on the Executive Committee. He was tall with a somewhat slender build and decent facial features, though his harsh, glare-prone eyes ruined his appearance.
"Allow me to introduce myself," he announced sternly. "I am Jack Yugroot, second-year Knight Department, commanding Team E."
Jack Yugroot was ranked second overall among second-year Knight Department students and was widely renowned as a master spearman.
Despite still being a student, his exceptional talent made his future induction into the Royal Guard considered a foregone conclusion.
The committee members gathered under Yugroot consisted of four first-years: Rest from the Magic Department, two students from the Knight Department, and one from the Cleric Department.
"Let me make one thing clear," Yugroot barked, sweeping his sharp gaze across them. "My orders in the field are absolute. 'No' is not an acceptable response, so keep that in mind!"
"Yes, sir. Understood," Rest answered obediently.
"Tch..."
While Rest nodded submissively, one of the Knight Department first-years grimaced in obvious displeasure.
The one who clicked his tongue so blatantly was Danila, a first-year knight student. Rest certainly hadn't expected to end up on the same team as him.
"Hey, don't start picking fights here," Rest muttered under his breath.
"I don't need you telling me what to do..." Danila snorted softly. "I'll follow orders just fine."
When Rest quietly cautioned him, Danila scoffed dismissively.
Rest felt like telling him he ought to show a bit more respect toward a senior from his own department.
"If you have complaints, feel free to stay behind," Yugroot warned, glaring cold daggers at Danila. "In the Order of Knights, a superior's order is everything. As squad leader for this mission, I have no intention of bringing along soldiers who cannot obey."
"...I'll obey," Danila grumbled, raising his hands in surrender. "I've got no complaints."
Spurred by Yugroot's sharp threat, Danila reluctantly backed down.
"If there are no objections, we move out," Yugroot declared, turning toward the perimeter. "We're assigned to the area surrounding the plains entrance. While danger is low here, nothing is guaranteed on a battlefield. Stay sharp!"
Although Rest and the others were committee members, they were still just first-year students.
As such, they had been assigned a relatively safe zone for their patrol duties.
"Alright, let's move out!" Yugroot ordered.
Following Yugroot's command, Rest and his teammates stepped into the plains and began patrolling their assigned sector.
"Grrrrrrr...!"
Even as rescue personnel, entering monster territory naturally invited attacks.
Shortly after entering the plains, three gray wolf monsters materialized before them. Having spotted the squad, they bared their sharp fangs and growled menacingly.
"Alright, let's see what you first-years can do," Squad Leader Yugroot instructed promptly. "Danila, Thomas, Rest—take down one wolf each. Nacooa, stay back and heal anyone if they get hurt."
Yugroot laid out the division of labor with practiced efficiency.
Thomas was the other Knight Department student, while Nacooa belonged to the Cleric Department.
While both were fellow committee members, Rest had barely spoken to either of them before.
"Alright! I'll take out the one in the middle!" Danila shouted eagerly. "Thomas, take the left! Rest, take the right!"
"Understood," Rest replied calmly.
Rest had no idea why Danila was taking it upon himself to bark orders, but seeing no reason to argue, he agreed. The grey wolves before them were roughly equivalent in strength to the targets Rest had slain during routine training.
"Let's wrap this up quickly... [Wind Cutter]!" Rest invoked.
"Gyah..."
Rest unleashed the spell before the monster could even make a move.
The flying blade of compressed wind sliced vertically through the right wolf's head, felling it instantly.
"Take this!" Danila roared, lunging at the central wolf.
"Gyai!"
As the beast snapped its jaws at him, Danila nimbly side-stepped its fangs and swung his longsword. The sharply swung blade severed the wolf's neck deeply, ending its life on the spot.
"Kh... Hah! Take that!" Thomas yelled, swinging his weapon fiercely.
"Gyau! Gyau!"
The third member, Thomas, wasn't as composure-filled as Danila or Rest, but he managed to dispatch his target without taking any damage.
"Good. Looks like there are no problems here," Yugroot commented, clapping his hands together lightly.
He offered a brief round of applause as they finished off the monsters without a hitch.
"You kids can handle yourselves at a bare minimum," Yugroot said, turning to Rest. "By the way, Rest... how many more shots of that magic can you fire?"
"How many shots...?" Rest repeated, blinking in confusion. "Why do you ask?"
"Just answer me quickly," Yugroot demanded curtly. "Consider it a squad leader's command."
Letting out a quiet sigh at his abrupt tone, Rest answered truthfully.
"...If it's just that spell, I could fire a hundred shots without running out of mana."
"Hoh, that's reassuring," Yugroot muttered with an impressed brow. "Alright, let's resume the patrol."
Rest and his squad were, after all, rescue staff first and foremost.
While they eliminated aggressive beasts in self-defense, they refrained from actively hunting monsters for points.
Maintaining vigil over their surroundings, they kept their eyes glued to the open sky for emergency flares.
"Ah...!"
Thirty minutes into their patrol, a plume of red smoke billowed into the eastern sky.
It was a distress signal launched from one of the issued magic items.
"Alright, move out! Hurry!" Yugroot barked, breaking into a sprint.
Yugroot dashed ahead, and Rest and the others sprinted close behind him. Yugroot appeared to be employing physical enhancement magic, maintaining an impressive speed.
(I could easily overtake him if I used [High Accelerator]... but we're operating as a squad right now. Acting independently without orders wouldn't be right, even in an emergency.)
Moderately enhancing his physical capabilities to match his teammates' pace, Rest galloped across the plains, soon arriving at the flare's point of origin alongside the others.
"Gaaaaaaraaaargh!"
"Ugh... N-no..."
"Damn it... You filthy monsters...!"
At the scene, four students were cornered by two terrifying monsters. Two of the students were barely holding off the beasts, one lay collapsed on the ground, and the fourth was desperately attending to their fallen comrade.
The two fighters were visibly injured and bleeding, their collapse appearing to be only a matter of time.
They were confronting horned bears—monsters vastly larger and fiercer than the grey wolves from earlier, and there were two of them.
"We're assisting! I'll take the right one, you three handle the left! Nacooa, tend to the wounded!" Yugroot ordered briskly.
Issuing swift instructions, Yugroot unsheathed his blade and charged toward the horned bear on the right.
"Thomas and I will take the front!" Danila barked, drawing his weapon. "Rest, cover us from behind!"
Danila stepped forward alongside Thomas to confront the left horned bear head-on.
When knights and mages team up, standard tactics dictate that knights take the vanguard while mages provide rear artillery. Danila's call was textbook correct.
(I wouldn't have any trouble fighting in the vanguard myself... but I'll let the two Knight Department guys take center stage here.)
Positioning himself behind his two squadmates, Rest quietly analyzed the horned bear's movements.
Horned bears possessed substantial combat prowess. For students lacking actual battle experience, getting overwhelmed by one was a very real possibility.
(Stealing their kill by taking it down solo would be insensitive, so I'll limit myself to supporting them.)
"[Wind Cutter]!" Rest incanted softly.
Unleashing a blade of wind, Rest sliced straight across the hind leg of the reared-up horned bear.
"Gugyah!?"
While it didn't sever the limb entirely, the unexpected blow caused the beast to lose its footing and stagger violently.
"Nice one!" Danila yelled approvingly.
"A-Alright!" Thomas stammered, emboldened by the opening.
Seizing the opening, Danila and Thomas kicked off the turf together.
Flanking the horned bear from both sides, they delivered a flurry of sharp sword slashes.
"Gugyaaaaaaaaaaaargh!"
Though riddled with deep lacerations, the horned bear lashed out frantically with its razor-sharp claws in resistance.
"[Ice Lance]!" Rest cast next.
"Gyau!?"
Rest promptly discharged another spell to seal the beast's fate.
Two crystalline ice spears pierced cleanly into both of the bear's eyes, blinding it completely.
"Whoa, first the legs and now the eyes?!" Danila let out a wild laugh. "Mages really are merciless!"
Shouting at the top of his lungs, Danila thrust his sword forward with deadly precision.
Slipping beneath the bear's wild, blind flailing, his blade drove deep into the creature's chest, piercing its heart.
"Ga... ah..."
The horned bear collapsed onto the grassy earth, growing completely still.
Dark red blood trickled slowly into the grass, bringing the engagement to a close.
"Good, looks like you guys finished your side too," Yugroot called out, stepping over.
Just as their target crashed down, Yugroot walked toward them wiping his weapon.
Glancing in his direction, Rest saw the horned bear Yugroot had engaged already lying dead on the turf.
He had dispatched a formidable beast entirely on his own without taking a single scratch.
(Second-year upperclassmen aren't just for show... He's definitely stronger than Danila, at the very least.)
"Hey, are you guys alright? Any serious injuries?" Yugroot asked the rescued group.
"...Yugroot, huh?" one of the rescued students exhaled, catching his breath. "Thanks for coming to our rescue."
The party ambushed by the two horned bears appeared to be second-year Knight Department students.
While Rest didn't recognize them, Yugroot clearly knew them as classmates.
"We got ambushed while fighting another monster..." the student admitted bitterly. "Things were about to get really ugly."
"Sounds like tough luck," Yugroot remarked calmly. "Once emergency first aid is done, we'll escort you back to the starting staging area."
"No... we're fine," the student replied, shaking his head. "There's no need for that."
The battered students slowly pushed themselves up to their feet.
Even the fallen classmate had received basic treatment from Nacooa and seemed able to walk.
"We won't burden you any further," their spokesman stated quietly. "We appreciate the rescue, though."
"Hmph... do as you like," Yugroot grunted nonchalantly. "Just make sure you don't end up dead."
Without pressing the matter, Yugroot silently watched his wounded peers walk off.
"Is that alright?" Rest asked, looking at Yugroot. "Should we really let them go back alone?"
"It doesn't matter," Yugroot scoffed, snorting softly.
He gave an indifferent shrug in response to Rest's concern.
"They're Knight Department students too," Yugroot explained coldly. "Knights are meant to protect others, not be protected. Being saved by us and escorted back like helpless children would hurt their pride... I can understand how they feel."
The Knight Commander himself was present at the plains entrance as an honored guest.
If they were seen being babied back to base by rescue staff, it would undoubtedly hurt their evaluation if they applied to join the Royal Knights later.
"Yeah, that's just how knights are," Danila chimed in, nodding in agreement with Yugroot. "I get where they're coming from too."
Danila shared the exact same mindset.
It seemed members of the Knight Department possessed a unique sense of pride and dignity exclusive to their craft.
"Pride, huh...?" Rest muttered under his breath. "Throwing away one's life over vanity doesn't seem very sensible to me..."
"I... I feel the same way..." Nacooa from the Cleric Department nodded timidly in agreement.
Nacooa concurred with Rest's pragmatic perspective.
"Well, enough of that," Yugroot cut in, turning a sharp gaze back toward them. "More importantly, you three..."
He fixed Rest and the others with a stern glare.
"Your coordination during that fight was impressive," Yugroot admitted. "Not bad at all for a group of first-years."
"Ah, yes... thank you," Rest replied, caught somewhat off guard.
"Good work," Yugroot added with a firm head nod. "Keep up that standard for the rest of our shift."
To Rest's surprise... he actually praised them.
Despite his rough demeanor and severe expression, Yugroot possessed a surprisingly open-minded and fair character.
So long as you delivered solid results, he was willing to give credit where credit was due.
◇ ◇ ◇
Three hours had passed since Rest and his squad began patrolling as rescue personnel.
During that time, distress flares went up twice. One turned out to be a false alarm fired by mistake.
The second involved a reckless first-year squad lacking skill and experience who were being chased around by a weak monster—a rather pathetic reason for dispatch.
Other than those incidents, their shift remained quiet, spent mostly walking their patrol route.
However... smoke plumes from emergency signals flared up in the sky once more. This time, from two different locations simultaneously.
"...The pace is faster than last year," Yugroot remarked, frowning at the sky before turning to Rest. "Rest, can you use healing magic?"
"Yes, I can," Rest replied promptly.
"Alright," Yugroot ordered briskly. "Nacooa and I will handle the eastern side. Danila, Thomas, and Rest will respond to the western flare. As soon as your rescue is complete, head toward the other side."
"Understood," Rest nodded.
Allowing them to split up indicated Yugroot trusted their capabilities more than before. Heading out alongside the two knight students, Rest sprinted toward the western signal origin.
"Rest, Thomas! Let me race you to see who gets there first!" Danila shouted with a grin.
Danila had blurted out out of the blue.
Enhancing his body with magic, he bolted ahead, leaving the other two far behind in his dust.
"Hey, Danila!" Thomas yelled out in dismay.
Despite Thomas's panicked shouting, Danila showed no sign of slowing down.
"Good grief... What a pain," Rest muttered, shaking his head.
Rest let out a tired sigh.
Running off independently like that was bound to earn him a harsh scolding from Yugroot, yet Danila maintained his reckless sprint.
"...Well, I suppose I can play along," Rest murmured under his breath with a faint smirk.
When it came to sheer speed, Rest was extraordinarily confident in his abilities.
Being looked down upon grated on his nerves, so he decided to show Danila what real speed looked like.
"Hey, Thomas. We're catching up to him," Rest instructed, grabbing Thomas's collar. "Make sure you don't bite your tongue."
"Huh...?" Thomas squeaked in confusion.
"[High Accelerator]!" Rest shouted.
Grabbing Thomas firmly by the back of his collar, Rest shot forward like a fired cannonball.
"Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!?" Thomas shrieked in absolute terror.
The surrounding landscape melted into a violent blur of wind. The insane velocity drew panicked screams from the terrified knight student in Rest's grip.
Within mere seconds, they caught up to Danila ahead, blowing past him so fast he was left frozen in awe.
"Whoa... H-Hey, wait up...!" Danila yelled from behind, his jaw dropping in shock.
Danila's bewildered screams echoed from behind, but he was the one who proposed a race in the first place.
Leaving Danila far behind in the dust, Rest arrived at the source of the distress flare in the blink of an eye.
"Ugh... Everything is spinning..." Thomas groaned, collapsing to his knees.
"Hey, are you alright?" Rest asked, looking down at him.
"Bleh..." Thomas gagged, clutching his stomach.
Doubled over on the turf, Thomas began dry-heaving violently from motion sickness.
Even though Rest had kindly ferried him here at top speed... he was completely out of commission.
"Well, whatever..." Rest muttered to himself. "Honestly, working solo is much easier anyway."
Reaching the target clearing, Rest spotted a trio of students pinned down by a massive buffalo monster as large as an elephant.
"Save us!" a female student among them screamed in desperation upon seeing Rest.
"Of course, leave it to me," Rest replied calmly.
Spotting Rest, the ambushed female student had called out for help.
Giving a succinct reply, Rest unleashed a spell straight toward the giant buffalo.
"[Wind Cutter]!" Rest invoked.
"Gyau!"
The wind blade struck the giant buffalo directly across its snout, slashing its face.
However... the wound barely bled. Its thick, armored hide had deflected most of the sharp impact.
Still, the attack successfully drew the beast's aggro away from the female student. Its malice snapped squarely onto Rest.
"Come at me!" Rest taunted, gesturing forward.
"Gaaaaaaaaraaaaaaargh!"
Though unlikely to understand human language, the giant buffalo thundered toward Rest with the overwhelming momentum of a runaway dump truck.
"[Earth Wall]!" Rest shouted.
Rest constructed a thick stone barrier directly ahead. The giant buffalo slammed into it at full speed, shattering the earth wall with its massive horns and skull.
"Gah...?"
However, behind the crumbling wall, Rest was nowhere to be seen.
"I see... That's quite a powerful monster," Rest remarked coolly. "No wonder average students couldn't handle it."
Rest muttered nonchalantly as he looked down at the giant buffalo.
Floating in the air by manipulating wind, Rest watched the beast frantically swing its head to locate him, and began weaving magic once more.
"This one's going to hit much harder than before... [Wind Cutter]!" Rest declared.
The spell unleashed downward was nominally the same basic [Wind Cutter].
However, this iteration was a quartet combo layered with three supporting spells: [Amplification], [Compression], and [Accelerate].
Augmented to rival the destructive force of high-tier magic, the sharp blade of wind sliced down like a guillotine.
"Gah..."
The giant buffalo's massive head slid off its neck, dropping to the turf with a heavy thud.
"Alright... that takes care of that," Rest muttered, landing lightly on the ground.
"Look out!" the rescued girl screamed in horror.
Even as the buffalo collapsed, she shouted a frantic warning.
A giant serpent as thick as a utility pole lunged out from nearby thick bushes, snapping straight at Rest's exposed back.
"Shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
"Yeah, I knew you were there," Rest replied calmly without turning around.
Rest didn't panic for a single microsecond.
"[Earth Bind]!" Rest cast swiftly.
"Shah!?"
The ground erupted beneath the serpent, forming thick earthen ropes that tightly bound its massive body.
The ensnared giant snake writhed and thrashed frantically, but it couldn't break free from the firm earthen bonds.
"Sorry, but I don't leave openings," Rest said, eyeing the trapped beast. "I knew you were hiding in the brush the entire time."
Thanks to his [Life Search] skill, ambush attacks were entirely useless against Rest.
"Shaaaaaaa..."
"Don't glare at me like that... [Wind Cutter]!" Rest incanted smoothly.
Rest flicked a wind blade straight at the neck of the serpent, which was flicking its tongue resentfully.
Decapitated, the serpent's tail thrashed violently against the dirt for a few moments before going completely still.
"Targets neutralized... That should do it, right?" Rest said, brushing off his sleeve.
Scanning the surroundings with his mana perception, Rest detected no other monster presences nearby. Combat was over.
Turning around, Rest faced the three Magic Department students standing a short distance away.
"Is everyone alright?" Rest asked gently.
"Y-Yes..." the female student stammered, staring in disbelief. "Who... who are you?"
"I'm Rest from the Executive Committee," Rest replied politely. "I saw your distress flare and came to assist."
When Rest introduced himself, the trio exchanged astonished looks.
"Um... aren't you a first-year?" she asked, her voice trembling. "To defeat those massive monsters all by yourself..."
"I-I guess Executive Committee members really are on a whole different level, even as first-years..." another student muttered demoralizedly. "The three of us couldn't even scratch them..."
The trio slumped their shoulders, visibly disheartened.
"It's nothing special, really..." Rest demurred modestly before casting healing magic over the three of them.
Though all three had suffered minor injuries, none were severe enough to cause lasting harm.
"More importantly... how did you run into monsters like that?" Rest inquired, raising an eyebrow. "Creatures of that strength shouldn't be wandering anywhere near the entrance."
The Subnock Plains were a dangerous Devil's Den where monsters lurked. The closer one got to the center, the more terrifying the beasts grew, whereas only weak creatures inhabited the outer margins.
The giant buffalo they just fought was a high-threat monster that rightfully belonged near the core region.
"We don't know..." the male student confessed, shaking his head helplessly. "We had no intention of fighting something that strong, but it suddenly appeared and attacked us out of nowhere."
"I thought we were dead... Thank you so much..." the third student choked out, tearing up.
"I'm glad you're safe. Well then, I'll be heading toward the other flare location—"
"Haa, haa... Rest, I finally caught up to you, you bastard...!" Danila wheezed out, stumbling into the clearing while panting heavily.
Danila, whom Rest had blown past earlier, finally arrived on the scene.
"Y-You're ridiculously fast..." Danila gasped for air, glaring. "Don't just leave me in the dust like that...!"
"You were the one who suggested a race in the first place..." Rest retorted flatly. "More importantly, something feels off about the plains. We need to regroup with Senior Yugroot immediately—"
Rest froze mid-sentence, cutting his words short.
A distress flare shot into the sky once more.
And it wasn't just a single streak of smoke. Two, three... flares launched in rapid succession into the clouds.
"Hey, those are distress flares...!" Danila exclaimed, staring upward.
"They just keep rising!?" Thomas shouted, having recovered from his nausea and pointing into the distance. "And they're coming from deep inside the plains!"
Danila yelled, and Thomas—who had finally recovered from his motion sickness—stared up in horror as well. Rest gazed up at the sky, his brows furrowing in suspicion.
"This is clearly abnormal," Rest muttered under his breath, squinting at the rising smoke. "What on earth is happening out there...?"
No matter how dangerous the festival was touted to be under the self-responsibility rule... this was an undeniable emergency.
"Danila, Thomas," Rest ordered, turning to face them. "Escort these three students back to the plains entrance."
"Back to the entrance...?" Danila frowned in confusion. "Hey, what are you planning to do?"
"I'm linking up with Senior Yugroot to seek instructions," Rest replied firmly. "You lost the race, so stop complaining and follow my orders."
Laying down the law to a grimacing Danila, Rest activated physical enhancement magic and sprinted off across the field.
◇ ◇ ◇
Rewinding time slightly, to two hours after the Monster Hunting Festival began.
While Royal Academy students engaged in battles against monsters across the region, one boy had ventured far deeper into the Subnock Plains than anyone else.
"Hmph... Lowly beasts have no right standing before a monarch!" Prince Rodel Iwood sneered arrogantly.
"Gyauuuuu...!"
The magic cast by that man—Rodel Iwood—blew a gaping hole straight through a monster's chest.
The creature collapsing with a pierced torso was a black horned bear monster.
Though a formidable beast in its own right, Rodel's high-tier spell had snuffed out its life in a single strike.
Standing behind Rodel, his usual pair of sycophants watched the fight with obsequious awe.
"Magnificent work, Your Highness Rodel!" one of the followers praised, clapping obsequiously.
"As expected of Prince Rodel!" the second sycophant chimed in with enthusiasm. "Taking down a large monster in one strike is truly unbelievable!"
The pair clapped their hands eagerly while shouting praises.
Though blatant flattery, Rodel looked thoroughly pleased, puffing out his chest with self-satisfied pride under their adulation.
"Of course!" Rodel declared smugly. "There is no way I could possibly lose to a monster of this level!"
Rodel Iwood, the third prince of the Iwood Kingdom.
That man had ventured deep into the plains soon after the festival began, quickly reaching the inner depths.
He bolted ahead at a staggering speed, leaving the other students far behind. Setting aside his personality, his raw skill was undoubtedly the real deal.
"Still... are you truly certain about this, Your Highness?" asked one of his cronies.
The buzz-cut male student walking beside him spoke up with a puzzled look.
"Was there really any need for you to participate in a trivial child's game like this Monster Hunting Festival? A personage of your stature, Your Highness, shouldn't have to compete against common filth."
It was no mere flattery; the boy voiced his genuine admiration.
While the vast majority viewed Rodel as nothing more than a selfish nuisance, he nevertheless enjoyed fanatical support from a selective few—including his two sycophants.
Part of it stemmed from the authority of the late Queen Dowager, but it was also because Rodel possessed a rare, undeniable talent for magic.
Rodel was a genius—at least when it came to spellcasting.
He possessed massive mana reserves and immense output. Despite still being a student, he had already mastered several advanced spells, and under normal circumstances, he would have carried the full expectations of leading the next generation.
Reaching the depths of the plains in a mere two hours was by no means a fluke. It was a feat accomplished purely through his natural talent.
Curiously, even his violent, reckless nature won praise from a certain subset of people.
There were always those who admired domineering figures unburdened by rules or common sense. If one were to cite historical giants, names like Napoleon Bonaparte, Julius Caesar, or Oda Nobunaga came to mind.
Men who brushed aside the opinions of parents and superiors, trampled tradition, and forged a new world held a strange fascination for certain impressionable youths.
His two sycophants were textbook examples of this phenomenon. Mistaking his tyrannical arrogance—which ignored even the King's decrees—for the majestic demeanor of a conqueror, they followed him with blind devotion.
"Hmph! Is that not obvious?!" Rodel scoffed loudly.
"Obvious... Your Highness?" the crony pressed.
"Between that bastard who defied me in the classroom the other day and those wretched teachers who dared to suspend me... there are far too many fools in this world who fail to recognize who truly deserves their reverence!"
Rodel raised his right hand toward the sky, thrusting his index finger high into the air.
"I must force even the common plebeians to understand who is meant to stand at the pinnacle! Is the one destined to be King merely our eldest brother who happened to be born first? Or our second brother, who lacks all magical talent? Absolutely not?!"
He declared arrogantly, as if expounding upon the fundamental truths of the universe.
"I, Rodel Iwood, am the true sovereign destined to rule above the heavens! I shall demonstrate that undeniable truth with results that no one can deny!"
He would deliver undeniable results in this Monster Hunting Festival. Merely winning wasn't enough; he would claim an overwhelming victory.
He would etch that reality into the minds of those blind commoners through an unquestionable triumph.
That was the sole reason Rodel had deigned to participate in this event in the first place.
"You two need only follow me! I shall show you my ascent to the throne!"
"Your Highness...!" his followers gasped in awe.
The two sycophants caught their breath at Rodel's grandiose, unfounded declaration.
With the First Prince widely expected to be named Crown Prince and next in line for the throne, no one other than Rodel Iwood would dare utter such words so brazenly.
In a sense, Rodel possessed the qualities of a king. He held ambitious ideals and possessed the stubborn drive to charge through barren wasteland in absolute conviction of his future success.
However... one must not forget: no matter how fiercely a ruffian believes himself to be a king, talent alone does not guarantee success.
To succeed and forge a new world, one also requires wisdom and luck. Whether a man like Rodel Iwood possessed either remained highly questionable.
"Alright, moving on! A mere bear like this won't suffice. I'm going to bring down far bigger game!" he declared.
"Understood... But Your Highness, what of this carcass?"
"Leave it. I have no interest in it," Rodel spat dismissively.
Rodel charged forward, plowing straight down his chosen path without a moment's hesitation.
He marched onward, blissfully unaware that the road he walked led not to glory, but to utter destruction.
"Good grief... That foolish prince is really going to blow it," a man muttered with a heavy sigh, watching Rodel from afar.
The middle-aged man clad in black robes stood hidden in the shadows of the trees scattered across the plain.
Utilizing illusion magic to blend into his surroundings, he tailed Rodel without making a single sound.
"No wonder His Majesty was so worried... He's already about to step foot into the monster territory. I suppose that makes monitoring him worth the trouble, in a sense."
The man was a royal court mage—a direct vassal serving Rodel's father, the King.
When Rodel announced his entry into the Monster Hunting Festival, this man had been dispatched as a supervisor to ensure the prince wouldn't cause any severe incidents.
"His Majesty's fears were spot on... Just as expected, Prince Rodel is charging straight into the off-limits zone. He never fails to disappoint in the worst way possible."
If Rodel continued on his present course, he would enter the deep reaches of the plains—the forbidden territory of the demonic beast Subnock.
"I'd almost prefer to just let the monsters feed on Prince Rodel, but... I suppose that wouldn't fly," the supervisor sighed once more.
He shook his head in exasperation at his grim duty.
The reason the King had neither executed Rodel nor confined him to a detached palace was because the prince remained a volatile political spark.
Should anything happen to Rodel, the faction loyal to the late Queen Dowager might make a drastic move. Unable to foresee the full fallout of Rodel's potential death, even the King could not handle him carelessly.
"At any rate... time to put a stop to that idiot prince," the monitor murmured.
Stepping out from the shadows of the tree trunk where he had been lurking, he prepared to intercept Rodel by force.
"I'm afraid I cannot allow you to do that," a voice rasped from terrifyingly close behind him.
Before the supervisor could step into Rodel's path, a sinister whisper chilled him to the bone.
"Gah...!?"
The monitor whipped around in panic, but a violent blow struck the back of his neck before he could react. A brutal shockwave pierced straight into his brainstem, dropping him to the ground without even a scream.
"Kahah..."
Lying prone on the dirt, the man coughed weakly, struggling for breath.
Summoning every ounce of his remaining strength, he forced his head up from the soil—only to behold a face he knew all too well standing over him.
"You... are... Marquis Eiger...!" he gasped out.
Berlio Eiger. He was Rodel's patron and the supreme leader of the late Queen Dowager's faction.
Though reputed to be a famed mage in his youth, he had effortlessly taken the back of an elite court mage handpicked by the King himself.
"Why... are you... here...?"
"To allow an old man like me to sneak behind you... the standard of our court mages has fallen precipitously of late," Eiger sneered, gazing down at the fallen supervisor. "And to think a mere court mage would dare attempt to impede His Highness..."
He spat out the words with cold, ruthless contempt.
Though his eyes seemed hollow, a deeply unsettling madness gleamed from within their depths.
It was a terrifying gaze—one that appeared to stare through reality itself, transfixed by an abyss beyond mortal comprehension.
"To obstruct the grand design of Prince Rodel—the beloved favorite of Her late Majesty, the Queen Dowager—is an unpardonable insolence. Know your place, petty servant of the King!"
"Are you mad...? Do you truly intend... to rebel against His Majesty the King...?"
"The King matters not! The words of Her late Majesty are absolute truth! Disobedience shall not be tolerated!"
Chanting his fanatical dogma, Eiger raised a single hand into the air.
A jagged icicle nearly a meter in length materialized above his palm. Aiming the sharp tip directly at the helpless man, Eiger's lips quivered with ecstasy.
"Everything shall transpire according to the divine will of Her late Majesty..."
"Stop—"
Eiger thrust the icicle down without a trace of mercy.
A wet, sickening crunch echoed through the glade, splattering warm blood across Eiger's face.
The monitor's body went limp, and a dark crimson pool spread rapidly across the grass.
"Go forth, Prince Rodel. Act as your heart desires. It is all as Her Majesty willed. All things shall fall into their rightful place..."
An ecstatic smile stretched across Eiger's features.
Turning his eyes away from the corpse he had just created, he looked far into the distance.
There, at the edge of his vision, Rodel led his two sycophants deeper toward the heart of the plains.
Watching the retreating back of the prince, who remained completely oblivious to the tail he had shed, Eiger bent low at the waist and offered a deep, reverent bow.
◇ ◇ ◇
After rescuing the trio of magic department students, Rest regrouped with his squad leader, Captain Yugroot, who was engaged in combat with a massive lizard.
The reptile, as large as a tiger, possessed translucent insect-like wings on its back and hovered in midair while lunging relentlessly at Yugroot.
"Shaaaaaaaa!" the beast hissed viciously.
"Hmph!" Yugroot grunted.
He parried the lunging lizard's fangs with a sharp flick of his spear.
He attempted to follow up with a counterstrike, but the creature spewed a stream of venom from its jaws.
"Tch... Pain in the neck...!" Yugroot cursed.
Invoking wind magic, he spun his spear around to blow the acidic spray clear.
Though Yugroot appeared to be forced on the defensive, it was because he was shielding an injured student collapsed behind him alongside Nacooa from the priesthood department.
Had Yugroot been alone, he could have easily dodged and countered, but protecting the wounded prevented him from going on the offensive.
"[Wind Blade]!" Rest shouted.
Taking in the situation in an instant, Rest cast a spell. Enhanced by multi-layered parallel cast, a razor-sharp blade of wind sliced through the air, shearing off the wings on the lizard's back.
"Shaah!?" the beast screeched in surprise.
Deprived of its wings, the giant lizard plummeted to the earth with a heavy thud.
"Got you...!" Yugroot roared.
Instantly springing forward, Yugroot thrust his weapon, piercing the lizard's skull with the tip of his spear.
The creature lashed its thick tail against the ground a few times before succumbing to death and lying still.
"...Rest. You saved my skin," Yugroot panted, pulling his spear from the carcass.
"Don't mention it. I'm just glad you're safe," Rest replied.
Yugroot turned to face Rest, pulling his weapon free.
A slight frown crossed his forehead as he noticed Rest was operating by himself.
"Where are Danila and Thomas?" Yugroot asked.
"They're escorting the injured students back toward the entrance of the plains," Rest explained. "More importantly... did you notice those distress flares earlier, Captain?"
"Yeah... I saw them while dealing with this lizard. Multiple signals were going off deep inside the territory," Yugroot confirmed grimly.
Distorting his expression in irritation, Yugroot nudged the lizard's corpse with the tip of his spear.
"...This beast normally stays much deeper within the plain. I have no idea why it's roaming around out here."
"So... what should we do now?" Rest inquired.
"This must be an unexpected emergency for the academy faculty too. We should fall back to the starting line and—"
"Wait...!" Rest suddenly blurted out, whipping around to face the interior of the plain.
He stared into the distance, his eyes wide.
Nothing looked visibly abnormal across the landscape, at least within immediate sight.
"Hey, hey, are you serious...?" Rest muttered.
Cold sweat beaded down Rest's spine.
His mana-based sensory field, which he had expanded, registered countless approaching presence signals.
"What's wrong, Rest?" Yugroot asked, sensing his tension.
"...Monsters are heading straight toward us. Not just one or two... a massive horde," Rest reported grimly.
Mixed among the approaching beasts were the signatures of students participating in the festival, seemingly fleeing for their lives.
"You need to leave this area right away... I'll act as the rearguard, so please carry the wounded to safety, Captain Yugroot!"
"Hold on! If anyone's holding back the horde, it should be—"
"You're far stronger physically, Captain, and I can fly away using magic! We don't have time to debate, so please hurry!" Rest barked.
"Kuh...!"
Groaning in frustration, Yugroot scooped up the injured students into his arms and stood up.
"Squad leader's orders! Don't push yourself too far, and return alive!"
"Understood... Now go!" Rest urged.
"I'll see you outside the plain!"
Yugroot sprinted across the plain at a speed unbelievable for someone carrying multiple people.
Nacooa hurriedly scrambled after him.
"...Sorry, Captain, but I can't just pull back so easily either," Rest muttered toward Yugroot's receding back.
He watched his squad leader disappear into the distance.
The momentum of the stampeding monsters continued to swell, threatening to spill right past the borders of the plain.
(Viola and Primula are at the entrance of the plain. Celestine and Yuri too...!)
If the monsters overflowed and turned the campsite into a battlefield, the girls would be in grave danger.
(My father-in-law is there as a guest, plus the academy teachers and the Knight Commander. They won't lose to ordinary beasts, but I still want to minimize any danger to those two as much as possible.)
"I don't know what got you beasts riled up, but I won't let you advance an inch further! Time to take this hunt seriously!" Rest declared.
Rest activated [Presence Perception]. Extending his radar field into a long beam rather than a sphere, he picked up the signals of distant beasts far ahead.
(Long-range sniper magic... my teacher pointed out my weakness in precision back during class. I never expected to use the spell I refined through trial and error so soon.)
Using [Presence Perception] to lock onto the target's precise coordinates, he launched his magic to home in on them.
To put it hyperbolically, it was essentially a homing bullet guided by radar.
"[Stone Bullet]!"
A sharp, white stone projectile materialized. Fired from the tip of his outstretched arm held like a sniper rifle, the bullet broke the sound barrier, transforming into a flash of white light.
◇ ◇ ◇
"Haa... haa...!"
"Damn it... why did this happen..."
"N-No... I don't want to die...!"
Breathing raggedly, several students sprinted across the plain while weeping in terror.
They aimed for the entrance of the plain—the sole exit to escape this waking nightmare.
"Hurry! Don't you dare stop moving!" shouted a female student dressed in male attire leading the group.
"B-But... Senior..."
"If you stop, you die?!" she barked. "Keep running unless you want to become monster food!"
The cross-dressing woman at the head of the group shouted encouragement to those behind her.
Though enhancing their physical capabilities with magic, they panted heavily from overwhelming exhaustion, desperately pumping their legs.
The group consisted of about ten individuals, all students of the Royal Academy.
They were fleeing with all their might from the deep reaches of the Subnock Plains toward the entrance.
(Damn it... why did monsters suddenly swarm out like this...?!) she grimaced.
A grim frown crossed the dignified face of the woman leading the flee.
Her name was Isis Carbelt—a third-year student serving as the leader of the Student Council Executive Committee.
Having joined the rescue squad as part of the executive committee, Isis had suddenly encountered a horde of monsters surging from the depths of the plains and was now evacuating the surrounding students.
She had no idea what caused it. The number of monsters emerging from the restricted deep zone numbered in the dozens, if not hundreds. While she had anticipated various accidents in her rescue duties, this was far beyond any expectation.
(Could someone have trespassed into the off-limits area? Did they enter the demonic beast Subnock's territory and provoke the monsters...?)
"Gaaaaaaaa!" a wolf roared, leaping into their path.
"Tch... Out of my way!" Isis yelled, scorching the wolf with fire magic.
She incinerated the wolf blocking her way with flame magic.
She didn't even have time to organize her thoughts about what was driving the monster stampede.
Isis was one of the top students in the third-year magic department, already guaranteed a position as a royal court mage and hailed as the leading candidate on the elite path.
Yet even with Isis's formidable power, escaping was the only viable option in this crisis.
She sprinted toward the plain's entrance while shielding the students she had managed to gather.
"Haa, haa, haa..."
"Hurry! Move faster!" she urged.
"Gawwwwww!"
"Damn it... Just how many of them are there?!" Isis cried out.
Shouting in frustration, she struck down obstructing beasts to carve an escape route.
The fleeing students were completely exhausted, rendered incapable of fighting back.
If Isis didn't protect them, they would instantly become monster prey.
"Kishaaaaaaa!" a screech like a monstrous bird echoed from above.
A giant serpent with wings sprouted on its back—a creature inhabiting the deep zone—swooped down from the sky.
It attacked from above, baring its fangs.
"Ah..."
At that critical moment, a female student running at the rear tripped and fell.
She was a second-year magic student—an underclassman Isis recognized.
"Yuria!" Isis called out.
In that split second... Isis made a fatal misjudgment.
She halted her steps to protect the fallen underclassman.
(What on earth am I doing...?!) she scolded herself internally.
Rationally speaking, she should have abandoned her.
Isis carried the responsibility of evacuating the entire group. Endangering everyone else for the sake of a single student was an error in judgment.
"Tch...!"
"Senior...!" the girl sobbed, clinging to Isis as she helped her up.
"Shaaaaaaaa!" the winged serpent hissed, lunging down.
Holding her underclassman with one arm, Isis raised her guard to intercept the giant serpent.
She prepared to fire an emergency spell with her free hand.
"Gah...!?"
Suddenly, a flash of brilliant white light sliced across the sky.
A ray of light shot out from nowhere, piercing straight through the serpent's snout.
"What...?!" Isis gasped in shock.
Isis could tell instantly that it was a magic spell.
Glancing in the direction the light had come from, she spotted a microscopic silhouette standing far off in the extreme distance.
(Impossible... Did someone snipe it from all the way over there?! At this ridiculous distance?!)
Even with her vision enhanced by magic, she could not identify the figure so far away. The only certainty was that the person possessed spellcasting skills vastly superior to her own.
"Shaa...!"
The serpent was still thrashing around alive.
However, a second and third flash of light tore through the beast's torso, knocking it out of the air onto the ground.
"Run! Hurry!" Isis ordered.
"Y-Yes...!"
Isis pulled her junior's hand and sprinted, chasing after the backs of those who had fled ahead.
Even as they ran, flashes of light flickered endlessly, sniping the surrounding monsters one after another with deadly precision.
"Magnificent... What incredible precision...!" Isis marveled in awe.
Witnessing such breathtaking skill firsthand made her heart throb with excitement.
"Thank you... I will surely repay this favor one day, no matter what it takes...!" she promised in her heart.
She offered her heartfelt gratitude to the unseen savior.
Perhaps the blinding flashes of light had blown away all her fear and anxiety, for her mind felt surprisingly clear.
"Um, Senior... are you alright?" the underclassman asked.
"Y-Yes, I'm fine..." Isis stammered.
In truth, her heart was thumping wildly—for a reason entirely unrelated to physical fatigue.
It would be a long time before Isis finally understood the true nature of that feeling.
◇ ◇ ◇
"What in the world is happening?!"
"Distress flares are going off everywhere... It's a monster stampede!"
At the entrance of the Subnock Plains, chaos reigned inside the headquarters tent.
Distress flares flared up across the plain in rapid succession.
Fragmentary reports from fleeing students, rescue teams, and faculty supervisors confirmed that a massive swarm of monsters was flooding out from the deep territory.
Though the Subnock Plains were classified as a monster-infested "demonic zone," it was normally not a fatal ground for those properly trained in martial arts or magic.
So long as one didn't trespass into the lair of the region's ruler—Subnock—the outer areas were supposed to be manageable hunting grounds. That was precisely why it had been chosen for the festival, yet now it was turning into hell on earth.
"A stampede from the demonic zone... Reminds me of twenty years ago," muttered a middle-aged man sitting in a chair inside the tent with a bitter grimace.
He was an imposing man built like a boulder, so massive that anyone encountering him in the dark might mistake him for a gorilla or an orangutan.
He was the Knight Commander of the Iwood Kingdom—Marquis Irijas Catleia.
"Could the ruler of the domain have emerged? Just like back then...?" he wondered aloud.
Twenty years ago, back when the previous king—hailed as a tyrant—ruled the realm.
A massive reclamation project had been attempted in the monster-infested Subnock Plains.
The soil of a "demonic zone" was rich in mana, which spawned formidable beasts but also made crops grow extraordinarily well. If successfully reclaimed, it could yield a granary large enough to feed the entire kingdom.
Of course... the tyrannical king who commanded the expedition cared nothing for enriching his people, but merely sought prestige by achieving what past monarchs had failed to accomplish.
The project carried out under the tyrant's orders resulted in a catastrophic defeat. The soldiers who ventured into the deep reaches were slaughtered to the last man by the lord of the domain, Subnock, and its kin.
After trampling the reclamation force, Subnock pursued the fleeing survivors all the way toward the royal capital, nearly causing irreversible devastation.
A young Marquis Catleia had fought in that battle and was one of the few survivors.
Having lost many comrades as a mere recruit, he used those bitter memories as fuel to climb all the way to Knight Commander.
"...Did someone trespass into the deep reaches and provoke Subnock? I can't imagine any student being foolish enough to do that, though."
"..."
"What's wrong, Albert? You've been quiet for a while now," Marquis Catleia remarked.
Marquis Catleia addressed the guest seated next to him—Albert Rosemary, Chief of the Royal Court Mages.
Though court mages and the knight order shared a bitter rivalry representing magic versus martial combat, Marquis Catleia and Albert were long-time personal friends.
"Well... it seems a slight issue has arisen," Albert began solemnly.
Receiving Marquis Catleia's question, Albert spoke with a heavy, somber expression.
"I've lost contact with the subordinate I posted to monitor Third Prince Rodel. His Majesty commanded me to keep tabs on that foolish—er, reckless prince so he wouldn't go wild, but..."
"What did you say...?" Marquis Catleia frowned.
He grimaced at Albert's grim revelation.
Though Rodel was a royal prince, being pampered by the late Queen Dowager had turned him into an arrogant fool. Following his recent disturbance at the academy, Albert had attached a monitor to him by royal decree.
They had received regular updates via the [Correspond] magic spell during the festival, but those reports had suddenly stopped.
"He isn't answering my calls either... Something must have happened," Albert sighed.
"Surely he couldn't have..."
"Mmm..."
Both Marquis Catleia and Albert arrived at the exact same conclusion, falling into a grim silence.
Could Rodel have marched into the deep plain and provoked Subnock? Was that what triggered this stampede, driving deep-zone beasts out to the surface?
"If Subnock itself emerges... in the worst case, even the royal capital will be endangered. A repeat of twenty years ago."
Marquis Catleia stood up from his chair.
"We can no longer leave this to the academy instructors alone. I will take command of the Knight Order and prepare for battle."
"I shall coordinate information and student evacuations... Good grief, my daughters are here too..." Albert grumbled.
"Daughters, is it..." Marquis Catleia grunted, his face souring oddly.
He looked unusually bothered by Albert's words.
"Is something wrong?" Albert asked.
"No... I was just wondering where our family's angel flew off to. Well, as long as she isn't here, I can rest easy..."
"Ooh! Tons of monsters are coming out of the plain! I'll help beat them up too!"
"Wait, Yuri! It's dangerous, don't charge ahead!"
"Yuri-san! Charging out alone is far too dangerous!"
"If you run like that, your skirt will... Ah, how improper!"
"..."
Hearing that conversation carried over on the wind, Marquis Catleia froze, completely at a loss for words.
Albert, who heard the voices alongside him, narrowed his eyes in confusion.
"Hm... Are those the voices of Viola and Primula? And with them... Duke Crocus's daughter and one other...?" Albert wondered aloud.
"...Guh... Ugh..." Marquis Catleia groaned in distress.
"Is something wrong, Marquis Catleia?" Albert asked, turning toward him.
"N-No... Right now, we must focus on the task at hand! I have to fulfill my duties as Knight Commander...!" Marquis Catleia stammered.
Sweating profusely from his forehead, Marquis Catleia hurried out of the tent.
Albert tilted his head in bewilderment before standing up to issue orders to his subordinates.
"[Firebolt]!" Viola yelled, casting her spell.
"[Icebolt]!" Primula shouted in unison.
Viola and Primula unleashed their offensive magic.
Fire and ice rained down upon the beasts swarming toward the plain's entrance.
"Gyawwwwww!" a monster screeched in pain.
"Sister, another wave is coming!" Primula warned.
"I know! Let's conserve our mana as much as possible while taking them down methodically!" Viola replied.
Though anxiety laced their voices, the Rosemary sisters dealt with the incoming threats calmly.
The two of them were participating in this festival as part of the staff.
They had been quietly handling behind-the-scenes tasks—logging monster materials brought back by participants and treating the injured.
However, chaos had broken out without warning.
A stampede had erupted, sending a swarm of beasts hurtling straight toward the campsite entrance.
Faced with this sudden emergency, Viola and Primula—who were never meant to stand on the front lines—found themselves thrust into the thick of battle.
"What on earth is happening deep inside the plains? Is Rest safe?" Viola murmured anxiously.
"So many wounded are being brought back... Oh Goddess, please protect Lord Rest...!" Primula prayed.
Praying for Rest's safety, the two sisters fired spells into the oncoming horde.
Their magic was potent, felling monster after monster, but the sheer numbers were overwhelming. The momentum of the advancing horde showed no signs of slowing.
"Protect the wounded! Do not let a single monster pass beyond this point!" shouted one of the instructors.
"Set up a barrage of arrows and magic to hold them off! Warriors to the front, mages support from the rear!"
"[Water Cutter]! [Water Cutter]!"
"You shall not pass beyond this line, dynamic beasts!"
The sisters were not the only ones fighting; teachers and other Student Council officers were engaged as well.
Student Council President Andrew and his aides were locked in fierce combat nearby, holding the line against the beast advance.
"Viola-san, Primula-san... Are either of you injured?!"
Among them was Celestine, who was also serving on the administrative staff.
Firing magic as she ran, Celestine hurried over to the sisters' side.
"[Wind Blade]!" Celestine chanted.
"Kishaa...!?"
Sliced apart by Celestine's wind blade, a monstrous bird attacking from above crashed down onto the ground.
"Thank you, Celestine! You saved us!" Viola called out.
"Think nothing of it... Still, for such a massive horde to pour out... Could Subnock really have emerged?" Celestine wondered aloud.
"Subnock...!" Viola and Primula gasped in horror.
Celestine's words sent a chill through their blood.
They both knew the history—how immense the tragedy had been when Subnock ravaged the reclamation expedition twenty years ago.
Could that terrible disaster be repeating itself right now?
"Standing around over there is dangerous, you three!" shouted a fiery voice.
A sharp command was barked at the trembling trio.
The voice belonged to their friend, Yuri.
"The monsters keep coming! Let's beat 'em down! Go, go, go!" Yuri shouted excitedly.
Shouting as she moved, Yuri leaped at an approaching monster.
Delivering a vicious axe kick, Yuri shattered the skull of a tiger-like beast with a sickening crack.
"Fufufu, hunting sure is fun! It might be improper of me to say at a time like this, but my heart is pounding with excitement!"
"Gyaw?!"
Yuri's follow-up roundhouse kick tore another lunging beast clean in half.
She displayed terrifying power and speed, without even casting physical enhancement magic.
"Y-Yuri! Don't do anything reckless!" Viola yelled in panic.
"I told you charging out alone is dangerous! Ah, good grief!" Primula cried.
"Let's provide cover fire for Yuri-san... [Wind Blade]!" Celestine shouted.
The three girls provided spell support for Yuri as she rampaged on the front line.
The monsters continued to multiply. It was obvious they would be worn down eventually, but reliable reinforcements soon arrived.
"All units, charge! Attackkkkkkk!"
""""""ROOOOOAAAAR!""""""
"It's the Knight Order...!"
The knight order had arrived to support them.
Led by Knight Commander Marquis Irijas Catleia, the knights charged forward to clash with the invading beasts.
Simultaneously, their father Albert Rosemary and the court mages evacuated the wounded and guided students to safety.
"That gives us some breathing room for now, but... I'm still so worried about Rest," Viola confessed.
"It's Lord Rest we're talking about. I want to believe he's safe, but..." Primula added softly.
With the pressure eased, shadows of concern returned to Viola's and Primula's faces.
Students who participated in the festival and executive members who went on patrol were returning one after another following the stampede.
Yet Rest was nowhere among them. Their anxiety grew stronger by the minute.
"Please be safe, Rest...!" Viola prayed in her heart.
"Lord Rest... Please come back to us...!" Primula whispered.
As they stood against the beasts, Viola and Primula prayed from the depths of their hearts for Rest's safety.
Carrying the weight of their silent prayers from afar... Rest was preparing to throw himself into a desperate assault to protect them.
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