Chapter 88
Cilia ended up in the same group as Morris, Nicole, Lily, and Joseph.
The group leader naturally became Morris.
Not only was he the oldest among them, but he also looked visibly strong, so without any opposition, he ended up wearing the armband.
However, Cilia felt a bit regretful.
‘Lily would know the mountain better.’
Lily was a child born into a woodcutter’s family, running around the mountain as if it were her backyard.
She always ranked within the top 10 during physical training sessions as well.
But since Morris was also a child with good stamina, consistently ranking within the top 3… it might not be bad, but the regret was unavoidable.
“{Alright, from now on, it begins. Teams that are ready to depart may leave.}”
As soon as those words were said, several teams shot off like arrows.
But Morris’s team did not do so.
“For now, we won’t depart immediately. Let’s observe the movements of the other groups from behind and then move.”
“Yeah. That’s not a bad idea.”
Cilia agreed with Morris’s words.
She also judged that departing first would only be harmful, if anything, and offer no benefit.
“Uh, uh…….”
However, Nicole seemed to disagree with their thinking.
“W-Well, won’t the kids who go first like that take more of the balls?”
Cilia and Morris’s gazes met.
Cilia lifted her chin, gesturing to Morris as if to say, you explain it.
Morris sighed and looked at Nicole.
“The exam time is 24 hours.”
“……Yes?”
“It means we have to stay on the mountain the entire 24 hours.
This implies that ‘living on the mountain’ is also part of the exam content.”
“Ah, ahh!”
“We must avoid overexerting ourselves to get the balls and losing stamina, leading to dropping out.”
As soon as Morris finished speaking, the other children began raising their hands one by one and speaking.
“Then, it would be good to head to the water’s edge first.
We can secure drinking water and also obtain food.”
Cilia said,
“They said the balls are ‘hidden,’ so we should keep an eye out for such places as we go.”
Lily said, and
“I’m good at climbing trees and have sharp eyes.
I’ll take on the role of climbing up and scouting the surroundings.”
Joseph added.
Morris muttered that it was quite a good combination and turned to Nicole.
“Nicole, what will you do?”
“Y-Yes? Ah, I will…….”
Nicole’s eyes rolled around frantically.
He thought of Thomas and Emily, who were in the same group as him but had been separated into different teams.
If only they were here, he wouldn’t be so intimidated like this…….!
Nicole swallowed hard and barely answered.
“As a noble, I will command the other children!”
“…….”
Morris’s expression crumpled harshly.
The look in his eyes as he gazed down at Nicole held no expectation whatsoever.
It was merely a gaze as if looking at an inanimate object.
Hic! Nicole started hiccuping.
“For now……. okay.Let’s depart now.”
Morris walked past Nicole.
The other team members did the same.
No, why?
Did I answer wrong?
Isn’t it proper for commoners to handle the hard work and for the noble to command them?
I didn’t do anything wrong?
Nicole somehow felt wronged and hurt.
“If someone saw, they’d think you’re the only noble.”
So,she got even angrier at Cilia, who was sarcastic.
She was already an eyesore for sticking around that spoiled lady, but seeing her act so arrogantly made him think she needed a proper beating.
In fact, the anger should have been directed at Morris for not acknowledging him, but since Nicole was a pathetic child, he turned the arrow of his rage toward the opponent he could vent on.
Damn bitch.
This time, I’ll properly crush you!
Nicole’s eyes burned fiercely.
***
The forest was impenetrably dense, so dark that even though it was morning, sunlight didn’t penetrate, making it gloomy.
The children in Morris’s group began cautiously entering the forest, reading the traces left by the children who had run ahead.
“By the way, does anyone know which group was the one that ran out first earlier?”
Cilia asked.
Then, Joseph, standing behind, answered.
“It, it was the group with Lady Daphne.”
“……Daphne was in it?”
At Joseph’s answer, Cilia tilted her head.
No matter how much she thought about it, observing from the rear like her group was a hundred times more rational than recklessly entering the forest.
“She wouldn’t do something that stupid. Was the leader someone else? No. Even if the leader was someone else, she wouldn’t stay quiet, right? That’s strange.”
Is there some other intention?
Cilia muttered and pondered.
At that moment.
“What are you talking about. She’s originally stupid.”
Nicole, walking diagonally from behind, snickered and said.
“Isn’t it stupider to ask why a stupid kid did something stupid. Sigh, idiots.”
Huh?
Cilia snorted.
Nicole was one of the bunch who always hovered around Daphne saying weird things.
She had been thinking about bumping into him at least once, but for him to personally pick a fight like this.
The corners of Cilia’s mouth twitched upward.
“At least smarter than the one going on about noble duties or whatever.”
“Wh-What? You crazy bitch…….!”
“What. You gonna hit me? You can hit me?”
Cilia openly sneered, looking at Nicole’s fist.
As if recalling how Nicole always got beaten by her in martial arts classes.
“…….Just wait. I’ll make you regret today’s events to the point of pounding the ground later.”
“Bullshit. No one who says ‘just wait’ actually waits.”
“Hey! You’re crazy!”
Nicole’s resounding shout echoed through the forest.
Then, Morris, walking at the very front, furrowed his brows sharply.
“Nicole.
Be quiet.”
“Ah……. Sorry.”
“We’re in the middle of tracking. The basic of a tracker is silence. Don’t forget.”
“…….Yes.”
“Tsk.”
Morris now completely let go of Nicole in his mind.
A fool like that guy.
That was his evaluation.
“The path should go that way. Seeing the vines tangled, it seems like there’s a cliff ahead.”
“I’ll climb up and take a look.”
“Morris. Look at that. It looks like a torn piece of cloth caught.”
On the other hand, the other team members were moving very satisfactorily.
Morris’s eyes sparkled.
“Huh? There’s something over there.”
Joseph, who had climbed the tree, pointed to a certain spot and said.
“Hmm. I can’t see clearly what it is. It seems like something is wrapped tightly…….”
“Wrapped, you say?”
Morris glanced at his watch briefly.
It had been a full 2 hours since entering the forest.
At this level, finding at least one rubber ball wouldn’t be bad.
“Let’s check it out.”
Everyone agreed with his words.
So, they walked in the direction Joseph indicated.
Not long after, as Joseph had said, the ‘thing wrapped tightly’ appeared.
It was dangling from a branch, looking suspiciously suspicious at first glance, and if searched properly, it seemed like a rubber ball might be there.
However, there was a problem.
“…….?”
“…….Huh?”
“Tho……. Thomas? Y-You, why?!”
The fact that it was a person.
Moreover, it was Thomas, who was Nicole’s soulmate best friend.
“It’s a trap! Everyone run!”
Morris’s shout was late.
The ground they were standing on collapsed with a rumble.
“Uwaaaah!”
“Kyaaak!”
Cilia and Morris barely grabbed vines and avoided falling, but the remaining three fell straight down.
“What is this…….!”
Into the ears of the astonished Cilia came a very familiar voice.
“Hehe.
Hehehehe.”
There was only one child who could make such a vile laugh.
Cilia and Morris abruptly raised their heads.
Then, they saw Daphne sitting on a branch, giggling.
“The first way to come in first place.”
Daphne said, slamming down the thumb she had raised.
“Eliminate the competitors.”
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