Chapter 23
At the moment of despair, a hand shot out from a blind spot, grabbing the teacher’s arm and pulling her back, aiming a gun forward.
Bang!
The black monster targeting the teacher writhed in pain, leaping back.
The teacher was saved. The one who saved her was none other than… the academy’s troublemaker, deemed trash. Someone who shouldn’t care if others died before him… Martin von Targon Ulvhadin.
With one hand holding the teacher’s arm behind him, he fired relentlessly at the monster with a tense, desperate expression.
“Ah!”
The harsh, unyielding gunfire shattered her daze. The childhood trauma that had crept up to bind Elisha shattered.
The trauma wasn’t fully healed. But for now, she could forget it.
This wasn’t the time!
Martin and the teacher had only bought a moment’s safety; countless tentacles were rising from the lake, thrashing. It was like a scene of a demon crawling from the abyss, horrifying.
To save them, now was the only chance.
“Awaken, Harmadun!”
Elisha von Tresha Harmadun gripped her red longbow tightly. In an instant, she wove mana into an arrow, nocked it, drew, and fired.
A red streak shot past her charging allies, striking the lake’s center with fierce precision. An explosion erupted, bursting the black tentacle monsters, followed by a second explosion that tore them apart.
“Great job!”
Bord charged with his shield, ramming a monster crawling toward the teacher.
Gilbert and Lina swung mana-infused swords, weaving through the monsters.
Mary conjured a compressed storm cloud, firing a water pressure cannon.
The battle seemed to tilt in their favor.
“There’s too many!”
Bord gasped, gripping his shield tighter. Black monsters poured endlessly from the lake.
Elisha, observing the battlefield from afar, knew best.
Bang! Bang!
A discordant note rang out. Gunshots. The teacher was preparing a massive spell, and Martin was holding off the swarming black monsters to protect her. Astonishingly, he occasionally shot monsters lurking behind Gilbert, Bord, or Lina.
“Look! Monsters!”
“The heirs of the Four Great Ducal Families are fighting?!”
Other cadets touring the orphanage heard the commotion and joined in. They weren’t much help, but their growing numbers bolstered the group.
And then, the teacher completed her large-scale nature magic.
[Grow, entwine and restrain, ivy vines!]
Thick vines sprouted from the ground near the lake, selectively binding the monsters.
No matter how much the monsters strained their black tentacles, the vines neither broke nor loosened.
“Phew, it’s settled for now. Thank you for protecting me, Cadet Martin.”
“It’s nothing.”
The saved teacher smiled innocently and thanked Martin.
Of course, her magic barrier would’ve protected her even without Martin’s help.
But Martin, saving and protecting someone? It felt unfamiliar. Him receiving thanks?
The irredeemable delinquent Martin from the start of the semester.
The Martin who conquered the Time Chaos Dungeon in the sewers.
The Martin who rejected an apology and offer to get along.
The Martin who saved and protected the teacher from danger.
“What’s his true self…?”
***
The situation was finally resolved. Teacher Hailey began handling the aftermath, checking cadets for injuries and contacting other teachers via her student teacher handbook.
“Are you okay? Your bone’s broken.”
“Ugh, I got hit by a tentacle…!”
“It’s fine. I’ll heal you.”
[Grow, regulate recovery, Hybanes flower.]
Soft stems rose from the ground, injecting into the cadet’s broken arm like a syringe, beginning medical treatment. In ten seconds, the bone realigned and started healing.
“Th-Thank you, Teacher Hailey!”
“It’s okay.”
Hailey was indeed like a gentle, warm spring flower. Her approach to cadets was different from other teachers.
“Hey, you!”
No one would call me.
“Hey!”
It couldn’t be for me.
“Martin of Ulvhadin!”
But what was this?
A cadet was calling me.
“What is it?”
The cadet seemed reluctant despite calling me.
“Uh, for the support fire earlier, th-thanks.”
Support fire? Oh. The cadet must’ve been helped by the chaotic shots from my Wild Instinct, Know-It-All, and Firearm Comprehension combo.
“I-I said it!”
The cadet fled, and I let out a wry chuckle.
“Found it.”
The protagonist party’s tense voices pierced through the post-battle clamor, reaching my ears.
Thanks to the Wild Instinct skill. Eagle-like vision, bat-like hearing. Superhuman senses caught the sound.
Turning, I saw the protagonist party staring down at the lake, just like Hailey earlier.
The difference? The lake was now empty.
“Found it.”
“Yeah, we found it.”
Gilbert and Bord dove in without hesitation.
“Hey!”
Teacher Hailey shouted in panic, but it was too late.
As Lina, Elisha, and Mary followed, she froze, arm outstretched.
“Th-This can’t be…?!”
Hailey was flustered, but I wasn’t surprised.
‘Those idiots will handle it themselves.’
It was their reckless choice. Who dives in without knowing what’s inside? If it was the original route, fine, but jumping into a hidden piece? I had no obligation to take responsibility.
‘The passage is closing.’
Soil and rocks rose from below, water surged, and the lake began refilling. Likely a restoration magic.
“Teacher Hailey! What’s going on?!”
A teacher rushed over from afar. I recognized him from the disciplinary committee—a first-year teacher.
“Teacher! Monsters appeared! Hear the details from the cadets here and contact the academy and kingdom for support!”
Right, that’s the way. The kingdom would send support, so there was no need to dive in like fools.
“What?! Are you okay?!”
“I’m going to get the kids!”
‘What?!’
Before I could stop her, Teacher Hailey dove into the closing passage.
‘Damn it!’
My body moved before my mind. I followed her into the passage.
‘Ugh, this is insane.’
It was deep, with darkness instead of a floor. Using the walls and floating debris from the restoration as footholds, I descended steadily.
After some distance, I saw a giant mushroom.
Landing on it felt like bouncing on a waterbed, my body springing upward.
‘Nice effect.’
Absorbing the intense gravity, I landed on the ground. My stable movement aided the landing.
Looking up, I saw the protagonist party and Hailey. Their shocked expressions at my unexpected arrival were amusing.
Hailey looked troubled, almost teary.
“Cadet Martin! Even you…!”
“That’s what I want to say. What were you thinking, jumping into a closing passage?”
Soon, the passage sealed shut, and utter darkness enveloped the space.
“Wait, kids. The teacher will secure visibility….”
Then, bang! A gunshot rang out. The muzzle flash briefly illuminated the space.
Martin was shooting.
Hailey was startled.
The protagonist party gripped their weapons and aimed at me instantly.
As the muzzle flash faded, an even deeper darkness blanketed the area.
A suffocating silence followed.
Then, faintly glowing flowers bloomed along the passage.
The protagonist party, weapons aimed at me, saw a monster at the passage’s end, its head pierced by a bullet, collapsed.
***
“…Ah….”
Whose voice was it? Realizing they’d misunderstood again, the protagonist party hurriedly lowered their weapons.
Lina von Tullin Ivlin lowered her sword’s tip. Martin was a potential enemy but, for now, closer to an ally.
“What are you all doing? Raise your weapons.”
Cadet Martin, standing upright, reloaded and fired again. Another monster fell far off. Actually, I didn’t see the monster—just heard its dying scream.
…How did he detect a monster so far away?
“They’re coming.”
As Cadet Martin warned, dozens of monsters appeared around the corner.
The party’s weapons were now properly aimed.
Mary hurriedly summoned a storm cloud, sweeping the monsters away in one go.
Someone fearlessly strode forward over the fallen monsters’ path. Cadet Martin, again.
“Follow him.”
Gilbert joined him instantly. Lina wanted to stop him but, knowing her master’s nature, gave up early and followed.
Surely, he’d say, “I can’t flee when a monster threatens people!” and charge ahead. If I couldn’t stop the danger, I’d protect him by his side.
Following the path, a vast cavern appeared. A small, openable hole was in the ceiling.
Monsters were in the cavern but didn’t attack us despite seeing us.
Lina drew her sword.
Evil must be crushed from the start. I’d eliminate anything threatening Lord Gilbert…!
At that moment, a rifle blocked me.
Turning, I met Cadet Martin’s eyes, sharp like a hound’s, and sparks seemed to fly between us.
…Fine. I’d judge his intentions by watching.
Sheathing my sword, Cadet Martin slung his rifle over his shoulder and walked among the monsters.
The cavern’s monsters were of two types: sitting or standing like idiots, or trembling against the walls.
Martin slowly approached an idiot monster. Touching its slick surface elicited no response.
“….”
Next, he approached a trembling monster against the wall. It flinched and scurried away. The black amorphous mass waving its tentacles as it fled wasn’t pleasant.
Then the monster spoke.
[Pl-Please… spare me….]
A woman’s voice? No, a child’s.
Lina’s eyes widened. Too… late to realize.
The party, also realizing late, was engulfed in shock.
“Th-This… Is it what I think…?”
Gilbert’s mutter was punctuated by Cadet Martin.
“This is a trash bin.”
“What…?”
“A trash bin for discarding failures.”
No sorting whatsoever.
“Those with reason left.”
The monster trembling in fear against the wall.
“Those with instincts left.”
The monster charging recklessly to sate its hunger.
“Those with nothing left but a shell.”
The idiot monster, unresponsive to touch.
“All failures are dumped here. We came through the garbage chute.”