Chapter 113
“Hmm.”
Teiti fell into thought.
For now, there had been no contact at all, and he couldn’t feel any damage to the World Tree, so nothing must have happened.
But that made him even more anxious.
He wanted to go to the village right away.
Even though, as a healing-type, there wasn’t much he could do if he went, he still wanted to see with his own two eyes that his family was safe.
“Should I talk to lady Daphne about it?”
“About what?”
“Kyaaaah! Aah! Aaaah!”
Teiti screamed in fright at the sudden voice.
Shio, who had spoken to him, also jumped in surprise.
“Ah! Why are you screaming!”
“Aaah! Why do you appear out of nowhere!”
Teiti panted heavily while clutching his chest.
“My heart is really weak. Be careful from now on.”
“Why would an elf have a weak heart…….”
“I don’t know. It’s been like that since I was born.”
Shio burst into laughter at Teiti’s shameless attitude.
Then he sat down beside him.
“Anyway, what were you going to tell lady Daphne?”
Before answering, Teiti glanced around again.
Bunny, who had been there earlier, was nowhere to be seen.
She must have left when Shio arrived.
“I was thinking of visiting the elf village once. I wanted to ask if it’s okay to step away for a bit.”
Shio tilted his head for a moment before noticing the newspaper Teiti was holding.
“Ah. Because of the disaster?”
Teiti nodded.
“Hmm. In that case, I don’t think you need permission at all.”
“Why not?”
Shio smiled brightly and jerked his thumb backward.
Toward the training ground.
“The fourth-week exam is coming up soon.”
He recalled what Rache had told him earlier and continued.
“It’s a treasure hunt.”
***
The academy holds exams every Friday.
Final rankings upon completion are determined by these exam scores.
That’s why the children always approached each exam with utmost seriousness.
Daphne was no exception.
However, compared to the abilities she had shown so far, her scores hadn’t been particularly good.
The reason was simple.
She was the youngest, and her originally frail body lacked stamina, plus the other children, conscious of Daphne, intensely checked and blocked her.
As a result, Daphne had barely managed to place 5th or 4th.
‘This time I have to take first place no matter what.’
That way she could rank in the top three at the completion ceremony, and only by ranking in the top three could she form her own knight order.
‘Absolutely!’
She had made that resolution just ten minutes ago.
“…….”
Daphne stared at the posted exam details with her mouth wide open.
Several other children were the same.
“As you can all see from the bulletin board, the location for this exam is the original academy before coming here.”
The original academy.
In other words, the academy in the Ansiha Mountain Range that had been attacked by chimeras and black mages before coming to the ducal family’s villa.
Only then did the rest of the children properly grasp the situation and gape in shock.
But Kenrick didn’t stop speaking.
“Each instructor has hidden an ‘item’ somewhere in the academy. There are a total of thirty. Rankings will be determined by how many ‘items’ each person possesses. In other words, it means you may take items from each other. Understood?”
The exam content was simple.
Find the hidden items within the time limit.
The child who finds the most gets the highest rank.
In short, it was a treasure hunt, but in truth, such details didn’t reach the children’s ears.
The important thing was the location where the exam would be held.
Amid the hesitating children, Rachel raised her hand high.
Kenrick looked at Rachel and raised one eyebrow.
“Trainee Rachel. Ask your question.”
Huu. Rachel took a deep breath and raised her voice.
“Wouldn’t the location be dangerous? It was attacked by chimeras and black mages not long ago!”
Kenrick didn’t seem particularly flustered, as if he had expected the question.
With an impassive expression, he looked around at the children.
“Does everyone think the same?”
“…….”
Most of the children were nodding.
Even though time had passed since the day of the attack and the location had changed, the fear engraved in the children’s minds didn’t disappear easily.
They had walked the line between life and death before even reaching adulthood.
That’s why the children didn’t want to go back there and wanted to avoid it as much as possible.
It was a natural reaction.
Kenrick had anticipated as much.
However, to truly face black mages, one must throw away such fears.
To take one more step forward despite being afraid.
Isn’t that the true appearance of a knight?
Kenrick scanned the children who were bowing their heads deeply, then spotted Daphne and Joshua standing with their chins held high.
He fixed his gaze on Joshua.
“Joshua. What do you think?”
Joshua, who had been lost in other thoughts, flinched before focusing.
“I read in the newspaper that Guardians and mages are gathering in the Ansiha Mountain Range to track the black mages’ traces.”
He continued slowly.
“The black mages must know that too, so I judge they won’t move easily. Rather, that place might even be safe.”
Kenrick’s lips curved into a smile.
“Correct.”
Ooh…… Small exclamations rose around Joshua.
Ever since he had manifested sword aura earlier, the children’s attitude toward Joshua had changed slightly.
Noble-born children wanted to pull Joshua into their families, common-born children wanted to become friends with such Joshua.
Each had their own motives and treated Joshua kindly.
Joshua, who understood their intentions very well, didn’t shy away or feel embarrassed at the repeated exclamations.
“Focus!”
Kenrick gathered the children’s attention.
“While taking the exam at the academy, you must also observe the active Guardians and mages on site and learn from their attitudes and abilities. Understood?”
“Understood!”
“The next week’s lessons will be based on that, so do not take your eyes off them.”
“Understood!”
Kenrick grinned and pointed toward the main gate.
“We depart now.”
“Waaah!”
The children, simple-minded and completely swayed by the words “it’s safe” and “you’ll learn something,” began running toward the main gate where the luggage wagons were lined up.
And Daphne,
“They’re all completely and utterly insane.”
was groaning with a deeply furrowed brow.
Others might not know, but Daphne knew.
Having dealt with dozens of black mages over decades — the ones who suddenly called her a god, worshipped her madly, and followed her around obsessively — she knew better than anyone.
“It absolutely won’t be safe.”
Those lunatics were the twisted type who do what they’re told not to do, and don’t do what they’re told to do.
“They’re definitely in the mountain range.”
Daphne shook her head and muttered.
“I have to deal with them before they cause any damage.”
Let’s forget the days when I was sad about lacking stamina.
I need to grow my mana through black mages — or rather, lunchboxes.
Hehehe.
Daphne’s sinister laugh spread far and wide.
***
Rattle!
The luggage wagon, originally made for carrying cargo, shook violently without any consideration for the passengers’ rear ends.
Depending on the direction of the shaking, the children went “Whoa whoa,” falling over and “Ughhh,” staggering.
“Ah, ugh. Motion sickness. I’m gonna die.”
“If you throw up here, I’ll really kill you.”
“Uweeeek!”
“Aaah! Die!”
Friendly conversations echoed inside the wagon pulled by two horses.
Hiiing! Along with the horses’ neighs, the barking of wild dogs — woof! woof! — rang through the mountain path.
Daphne, sitting in the coachman’s seat, propped her chin on her palm and glanced sideways.
“Slave No. 2.”
Then she spoke to Shio, who was sitting beside her.
“Why did you suddenly become the coachman?”
“Of course it’s to escort lady Daphne safely.”
“Oho. Don’t bullshit me.”
“Hng.”
Daphne naturally held the reins while looking at Shio, who was grinning, and let out a hollow laugh.
“You seem to have some ulterior motive. Tell me within three counts. One, three.”
“Eek! Why did you skip two!”
Shio, who had received a flick to the forehead, pursed his lips before glancing at Daphne and smiling brightly.
The two vertical marks at the corners of his eyes twitched along with his smile.
“There’s no ulterior motive. I just volunteered because I thought if I’m the coachman, I could make lady Daphne’s travel more comfortable. Look right now. Isn’t it comfortable? Thanks to my magic. Haha!”
“…….”
Something feels off.
Daphne felt a strange unease.
Okay, making my travel comfortable — I get that. But why? Why go out of your way? It was puzzling.
“Since I told lady Daphne everything, my heart feels at ease. Now I can like you without holding back.”
At the words that followed immediately after, Daphne frowned.
“Like… like what?”
“Lady Daphne.”
“……?”
Daphne blanked out for a moment before snapping back.
No, no. It can’t possibly be that.
Her shoulders trembled as she swallowed dryly.
“You mean you like me as your master. Okay. Got it. I’ll try to like you as a slave too…….”
“No, that’s not it?”
But Shio rudely cut off Daphne’s words.
Then he turned his head and stared straight at Daphne.
More precisely, at Celus — the soul inside Daphne.
“I fell for lady Daphne that day.”
Shio said with a brighter and more radiant smile than ever before.
“That’s what I mean by liking you.”
Hiiing!
Woof! Woof!
……There was no bullshit quite like this bullshit.
☆▪︎▪︎▪︎☆
