Chapter 14: Is This a Crisis or an Opportunity? (3)
If there’s a problem, it’s how well these kids will actually listen to me.
I looked up and ahead.
Twelve juniors, standing in a carefree, disorderly line, were staring at me.
These are my team.
The group Professor Ilai fairly divided into units of twelve, starting from the front row.
But from my perspective, it doesn’t feel all that fair.
Their faces are already clouded with defeat.
Looking like they’ve lost before we even started—if it’s like this, they’ll be more of a hindrance than a help.
“Ugh. Should’ve sat in the front. Sitting in the back just pisses me off.”
Right then, someone muttered from behind.
I glanced over, and the cadet who met my eyes quickly clamped their mouth shut.
Hmph.
While they’re at it, they should tuck that flapping mouth back in too.
You’d think I was dragging these kids to hell or something.
Damn it.
I’m a bit annoyed, but I swallow it down.
Now’s not the time for anger; I need to assess the situation calmly.
The silver lining, at least, is this:
“Watch your mouth, Reinz. That’s our senior.”
I’m not completely without allies in this group of twelve.
It’s surprising.
To think there’s a junior in the 890th class who’d back me up!
But when I look at her face, it makes sense.
It’s Yuria.
My one and only mentee.
A small stroke of luck in this mess—she’s been assigned to my team.
And she’s not the only familiar face.
Our protagonist, Ivan. Turns out, he’s on my team too.
I don’t know how the teams ended up like this, but it seems my luck isn’t entirely rotten today.
He’s been oddly avoiding me, but Yuria will follow my lead and Ivan doesn’t seem like the type to judge someone based on rumors alone.
Hmmm.
So, the only ones I can rely on right now are these two?
I spoke up, watching Yuria and Reinz, who were now locked in a glaring match.
“Cut it out. Everyone, come over here.”
The only ones who moved at my command were Yuria and Ivan.
So, I had no choice but to go to them.
What am I gonna do with these kids, seriously?
“Hmph. I’ll keep it short, so listen up.”
I snapped a branch and started drawing on the ground.
“Here’s the center, the clearing where we are now. This area around it is the outer forest. The places where we think the Dawnflower might be are here and here. Two spots.”
Just then, someone snorted.
It was the same cadet who’d been acting passive-aggressive earlier.
His name’s Reinz.
“What? Why do you think that?”
“You know anything about Dawnflowers?”
“Huh?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself just because you heard me. How much do you know about the environment they grow in and how they grow? I’m asking twice. Don’t make me ask a third time.”
“Uh. Well… that’s…”
“You don’t know?”
“Yeah. I don’t.”
“Then why do you keep mouthing off? If you’d just shut up and stay quiet, I’d spoon-feed you the answers. Got it?”
Reinz’s expression hardened.
I didn’t care and drove the point home in a calm, steady tone.
“Keep your ears and eyes open and stay quiet. Don’t open anything else. Understand?”
“…”
“Oh, you’re making me ask twice again.”
“Ah! I… uh…”
“Answer.”
“…Yes.”
Reinz bit his lip.
The atmosphere around us had already frozen over, and teamwork was out of the question.
Doesn’t matter.
Thanks to that, all the scattered attention of these kids is now fully on me.
Since it’s come to this, let’s establish some discipline first.
“I don’t know how you all see me, but I’m not some soft, saintly guy who’s gonna coddle people who don’t like me. So, if you’ve got a problem, step forward right now.”
“…”
“I said step forward. No one?”
No one came forward.
They either glanced at each other or quietly stared at the ground.
“Then I’ll assume there’s no issue and keep going. Don’t interrupt me from now on.”
Carrying that tension forward, I continued my explanation.
The Dawnflower’s traits: it grows in damp, shady areas where sunlight doesn’t reach.
Its habitat is typically near water, like lakeshores or streams, often found in the crevices of large trees or rocks.
“So, in the eastern outer forest, the only place like that is this valley, about ten minutes west from the clearing.”
When I finished and scanned the group again, the kids were completely engrossed, staring at the drawing on the ground and the branch in my hand.
“Oh.”
“That makes sense…”
Some were nodding, even swaying to a rhythm.
I felt pleased.
Even I thought my briefing just now was spot-on.
“But why did you say there were two likely spots at first?”
“Huh? Yeah, good point.”
“Ask him.”
“What? No way, you do it.”
“…He doesn’t like being interrupted. I don’t wanna get chewed out.”
“Same here, you lunatic.”
Then someone raised their hand.
It was Ivan, who’d been silent the whole time.
“Senior. May I ask a question?”
“Yeah, go ahead.”
“Is there another place with a similar environment besides the valley?”
I nodded.
“There’s a small pond on the eastern side, the opposite of the western valley. I actually think that place is more likely. Why? Because it’s somewhere people rarely go.”
“Oh! So that means…”
“Right. It’s a place the other teams probably don’t know about.”
A secret spot only we know, unknown to the other teams.
At my final words, the kids’ eyes sparkled with excitement.
* * *
“Let me emphasize again! Stealing through force or intimidation is absolutely unacceptable! Understood?”
“Yes!”
The four teams, each with their chosen destinations in mind, looked at Professor Ilai, ready to sprint.
A flash of light burst from her hand.
“Begin!”
The sight of over fifty cadets launching forward at her signal was quite a spectacle.
In the blink of an eye, they dove into the forest, quickly grouping up with their teams and racing toward their targets.
Toward the western valley.
Yeah, it’s basically a race.
There’s no way Gwyn or Karina wouldn’t know the Dawnflower’s ecology, so they’ve likely pinpointed the western valley as the prime spot too.
From there, it’s a matter of who finds the Dawnflower first.
“Slow down. Save your breath.”
But our team didn’t rush.
As a result, the gap widened between us and the teams sprinting toward the valley, and soon, they were out of sight.
I glanced to the side and saw Yuria running with a relaxed expression.
Suddenly, I recalled the moment before the lecture started, when I first ran into Professor Ilai.
She had clearly walked out from behind where I was standing.
And she said she’d come early to prepare for the lecture.
And that she’d just finished that preparation.
—That was the hint.
If you trace the direction she came from in reverse, where does it lead?
The eastern pond.
A place with an environment similar to the western valley, deduced to be a Dawnflower habitat.
If Professor Ilai was preparing for the lecture there, the Twilight of the Dawnflower must be there.
No doubt about it.
At that moment, Yuria turned her head and met my eyes.
The instant our gazes locked in midair, I mouthed the word ‘now.’
Simultaneously, Yuria pivoted sharply in the opposite direction.
Her speed was incomparable to the leisurely pace she’d kept earlier.
Five juniors followed close behind her.
The remaining five, including me, headed for the valley.
Why?
Because, obviously, there’s no Beast Pouch in the east.
If there had been a Beast Pouch there, Professor Ilai, who was searching for the Dawnflower, would’ve found it already and if that had happened, this lecture wouldn’t have proceeded normally.
Sure, she’s human, so she might’ve overlooked it.
But everything comes down to probability, and when you consider the odds, it’s more likely the Beast Pouch is hidden in another area.
So, while we search for the Beast Pouch, Yuria’s group at the eastern pond will find the Twilight of the Dawnflower.
Ha.
I don’t know who came up with this, but it’s a damn perfect plan.
When we reached the valley, I saw kids already scattered around, eagerly rummaging through piles of underbrush.
I turned to my team and reminded them of the final precautions.
“It’s unlikely, but if you find anything that looks like a fruit, bring it to me first. Other teams might try to steal it.”
“Yes.”
Ivan answered first, and the others nodded.
“Good. Spread out.”
Now alone, I immediately used the low-grade thievery skill [Detection].
This Vision, which senses all energy within a five-meter radius around me, is incredibly useful in situations like this.
Since the Beast Pouch is a conglomerate of dark magic, I’d definitely pick up an anomalous signal if it’s nearby.
With that, I moved along the valley.
Ten minutes passed, and I hadn’t picked up anything.
That means the Beast Pouch isn’t in this valley area.
It’s a shame, but also a relief.
At least it won’t fall into someone else’s hands.
So, where is it?
I left the valley and moved to another area.
It’s only a matter of time before I find it.
At this rate, it’s guaranteed to be mine or so I firmly believed.
Thirty more minutes passed.
I felt something was wrong.
“…”
By now, in game terms, the Remnants of Terror event should’ve already happened.
And that means one thing.
The Remnants of Terror has already occurred.
Somewhere else.
My supposedly perfect plan had gone awry.
* * *
I thought it was an especially unlucky day.
The gloomy, overcast weather didn’t help and because of it, I overslept and nearly missed the first lecture.
Up until then, I brushed it off.
That is, until I saw him.
The protagonist of the Academy’s legendary rumors.
The disgrace of the 888th class, Gerard.
He arrived after the lecture had started, causing a stir in the classroom.
Get this—he was late because he was taking a dump.
The professor, who seemed to have been informed, let it slide generously, but Reinz wasn’t having it.
Reinz was dumbfounded.
Oh. So the rumors were true.
How is someone from the 888th class attending a first-year lecture? And late because he was taking a dump? What kind of person is this?
Curiosity and disdain.
Then came indifference.
By chance, Gerard sat not far from where Reinz was.
So, Reinz got a good look at his stiff, cold face.
Sneaking glances, Reinz smirked continuously.
‘Why does he live like that? If I were him, I’d have dropped out from shame.’
The only thing different from the rumors was that, surprisingly, he participated in the lecture.
That was it.
So when he was unexpectedly recommended by the professor to be an assistant, Reinz was livid.
Though he’d held back from volunteering out of consideration for his friend Gwyn, if that hadn’t been the case, he would’ve been the first to jump up.
He should’ve done it.
‘Damn it. I’m on this guy’s team!?’
Reinz truly thought it was a cursed day.
“You’re making me ask twice again.”
“…”
“Answer.”
After being humiliated by him, Reinz trembled with shame, clenching his fists.
But he couldn’t do anything.
That cold gaze when their eyes met.
Why does he look so intimidating? And why is he so tall?
Overwhelmed in that moment, Reinz couldn’t say a word and that made him furious.
Of course, he didn’t think he was outmatched in skill.
He told himself it was his ‘last act of respect for a senior.’
Still, it seemed the guy had some knowledge about herbs, and his explanation afterward was clean and engaging.
The strategy to split the team for a diversion was also decent.
This side of him, so different from first impressions, had the other cadets whispering.
“He’s still a senior.”
“Right. Doesn’t this mean there’s hope for us too?”
“Could be.”
But Reinz scoffed.
‘Tch. All he’s got is a bit of random knowledge from two extra years. Pfft.’
Reinz considered himself a smart and talented individual.
He still does.
He ranked 18th in the entrance exam, but that’s just the start.
He knows what matters is the final grades at graduation.
If he’s lacking anything, it’s background.
If he’d been raised like the other noble kids, with elixirs and systematic training and education…
18th? Please.
“Gwyn would’ve been second, and I’d have been first. Heh.”
But background isn’t something you can build overnight.
That’s why, upon entering the Academy, Reinz decided to focus on networking rather than grades—out of insecurity.
His talent and skill were already enough.
Or so he thought.
“What’re you doing?”
It was then.
Someone approached Reinz, who was standing still, and spoke.
“Not gonna search?”
It was Yuria.
Her face was as beautiful as if painted with a brush, but the moment Reinz saw her, he recalled what happened earlier and scrunched up his face.
“Tch. Why do you care?”
“I care. We’re a team.”
“Team, my ass. Just some pointless group activity.”
He grumbled.
“It’s not pointless.”
“What?”
“It’s about us getting better together. How is that pointless?”
“…”
Reinz met Yuria’s eyes and he flinched.
Her eyes were clear and calm, like a still lake.
Seeing his own reflection in them, he suddenly couldn’t look straight at her.
“Whatever! I’ll handle it, so buzz off.”
He said that, but it was Reinz who turned away.
Yuria didn’t stop him.
The pond was really there.
Deep in the outer forest, surrounded by dense underbrush and massive old trees, it was the kind of secretive place you’d miss if you didn’t know to look.
So, when they found the pond, the cadets’ faces lit up.
Gerard’s words had proven true, erasing even the slightest doubt they’d had while running here.
And that doubt was replaced with anticipation.
They immediately rushed to search the area around the pond.
From under damp rocks to the moss on old trees.
One cadet even rolled up their pant legs, waded into the pond, and started scooping water with their hands.
“Hey! Devo! What’re you doing?”
“It rained a lot recently, right? So maybe it’s submerged in here.”
“Crazy! What kind of idea is that? Genius?”
“Heh. That’s me.”
What a bunch of idiots.
Reinz clicked his tongue.
That’s when it happened.
As Reinz turned his head, something briefly glinted in his vision.
He froze.
Then, he slowly approached it.
Something was buried in the mud.
Something red and round.
“…!”
Reinz quickly covered his mouth.
His heart pounded wildly.
Swallowing hard, he whistled casually and began gently scraping the mud away with the sole of his shoe.
“Hey! What’s that?”
He flinched and stopped.
“Dig it up quick! Looks like something’s there!”
“It’s just a rock.”
“Tch.”
It was just the others talking among themselves by the pond.
Reinz let out a sigh of relief.
“Ugh, damn idiots. Nearly gave me a heart attack.”
His crude cursing and downward glance were paired with a bright expression.
He carefully lifted his foot to check.
The thing buried in the mud was now fully exposed.
It was, without a doubt, the Twilight of the Dawnflower, just like what Professor Ilai had shown them.