Chapter 18: Mandragora Hunt (2)
As announced, the cadets left the Academy for the new evaluation, led by Head Instructor Everhart.
“Welcome to Roten! Lansed Academy, everyone!”
Starting with Elder Holman’s warm welcome, all the villagers came out to greet them.
As if celebrating the return of war heroes.
“Elder, you didn’t have to go this far.”
Head Instructor Everhart met the Elder at the forefront.
“You came too, Head Instructor! It’s even better to see you here.”
“How’s your health?”
“Same as always. Thank you for caring so much.”
“It’s nothing. Just something we have to do. Circumstances aligned for us to do it together.”
“Haha! Help is help, so we’ll treat you accordingly.”
As the Elder said, the welcome was just the beginning.
The village square was set up as a banquet hall, filled with meticulously prepared dishes made from local specialties.
The Elder had decorated it as if recreating a divine feast.
“Wow…”
Not only commoner cadets like Jack but even some noble cadets couldn’t hide their amazement.
The Elder was that sincere in his hospitality.
“I heard the test is tomorrow. So enjoy what we’ve prepared today!”
“As the Elder says, enjoying is fine. But everything in moderation. Remember, the test is tomorrow.”
A brief speech from the Elder and Head Instructor.
The cadets responded in unison.
“Yes!!!”
With that resounding reply, they began enjoying the banquet.
“Wow, Young Master! Can we sit over there? I want to try that food.”
“Why the rush? We’ve got time, so let’s eat slowly.”
Evan prepared to enjoy the banquet with Jack.
Until the Head Instructor spoke.
“Well, it’s best to sit with your group to bond!”
***
The next day,
The sweetness of the banquet vanished like a mirage, and it was time to face the test.
The cadets gathered at the village entrance, receiving Brook’s instructions.
“As announced, this forest will be your test site. Put the mandragoras you catch in the sacks provided to each group.”
The so-called Roten Forest.
The area was tightly controlled by a human fence of instructors and assistants.
“So don’t worry about external monsters or threats. Only mandragoras are in here. Maybe a rabbit or two.”
Brook reassured the anxious cadets.
“Still, if an emergency arises, use the scroll without hesitation. Safety is more important than the test. There’s no penalty for calling us with it.”
But most cadets wouldn’t use the scroll unless facing mortal danger.
Group 9, including Evan, was no exception, so Jaina handed the scroll to Evan.
“Here, take it. If you think it’s dangerous, it’s beyond our ability to handle.”
“Alright.”
“Be the leader for now.”
Acknowledging his skill, she gave him the leader role, which Evan accepted readily.
“Now, follow me in order. The test starts at noon. Before that, we’ll tour the forest to assign starting points. Group 1 stays here with an assistant.”
The other cadets followed Brook with assistants for logistics.
“Group 2, here.”
“Group 3, here.”
“Group 4…”
Brook assigned spots as they circled the forest, And Evan’s group settled at a point with an assistant.
At the promised noon, a blue flare shot into the sky.
The signal to start the test.
“Let’s go.”
At Evan’s command, Jaina and Jack entered the forest.
“Good luck, everyone! Stay safe!”
The assistant at their spot cheered them on.
Leaving the encouragement behind, Evan unwrapped the chain from his arm.
“I’ll keep it short. Unless you were zoned out at the banquet, you saw what Nakoa looks like? First, find Nakoa trees…”
“And find mandragoras.”
“And find mandragoras.”
Jack and Jaina answered simultaneously.
“You know well. I’ll find the ones hiding underground. You two catch them.”
“Can you sense them? Got a method?”
“Method? Leave that to me.”
This test.
Evan planned to take it seriously.
Partly to avoid deep talks with Jaina by staying busy, But more because monster hunting itself intrigued him.
In the Empire, you’d rarely see a monster’s shadow. This place is crawling with them.
The continent had no fewer monsters than the island Kingdom.
But the Empire’s road maintenance and extermination policies made monsters scarce.
By the time Evan left the arena to face the world, spotting monsters was tough.
So hunting them was a pipe dream.
“Remember, don’t miss a single one.”
Evan approached the hunt with a child’s excitement.
“Young Master! I see a Nakoa tree!”
Standing under it, Evan took off his shoes and closed his eyes.
Jaina and Jack nodded, keeping silent.
They hide underground, right? Like the tunnel unit from the first war.
He had no memory of hunting monsters but had fought countless wars.
In those, he’d faced all sorts of enemies, Like the Lem Kingdom’s guerrilla tunnel unit.
They dug tunnels and popped out, driving Empire soldiers to madness and sleep disorders. The effort to detect them…
As always, Evan and his unit bore the brunt at the forefront against such foes.
He believed the solution that worked then would work now.
Even an ant moving underground causes faint tremors. If eyes and ears can’t catch it, the answer is feeling it with your skin.
Evan amplified his Qi, heightening his sense of touch.
He could feel the breeze brushing his hair.
“…”
Rustle.
His sharpened senses soon detected a faint vibration underground.
“There.”
He flicked the chain, striking the spot.
“I’ve got it!”
Jaina thrust her sword precisely where the chain hit.
A scream erupted from the ground.
“Kyeee!!!”
The piercing scream made them wince.
It was a mandragora’s cry.
Jaina, knowledgeable about monster habits, spoke.
“This is just the start. That scream spreads fear to their kin.”
“What? Can’t hear you over the scream.”
“They’re about to pop out!”
With Jaina’s shout, things burst from the ground.
Like wooden dwarfs.
Mandragoras emerged, fleeing from their kin’s scream.
“Don’t miss a single one.”
“Got it!”
Jack rushed forward, swinging his gauntleted fist at a fleeing mandragora.
“Hah!”
“Kyeek!”
But the small monster leaped, darting between trees.
“Huh?!”
“They’re fast, so they’re hard to catch. Use your head or body!”
After her explanation, Jaina threw her sword instead of approaching.
It sliced the fleeing monster in half.
Crack!
Satisfied, she turned, But Evan was already whipping his chain, pinning small monsters.
“Haha!”
Thud! Thud!
Like catching moles, each swing drove one into the ground.
How does he wield the chain so freely? It’s not even a whip.
When a clever one climbed a tree to escape, Evan spun the chain, wrapping it around the tree.
Dash!
He ran, climbed the tree, and grabbed the mandragora.
“That’s six.”
His panther-like agility caught even the fastest ones.
In total, Evan captured ten, all bound alive.
There was a reason for not killing them.
“A sudden thought: if screams are contagious, louder is better, right?”
“Huh? Probably?”
“Then cover your ears.”
Evan lifted the bound mandragoras and slammed them into the ground.
Boom!
A deafening chorus of screams echoed through the forest.
“Kyeee!!!”
The forest stirred, birds taking flight.
Flock, flock.
Faint screams echoed from various spots.
Hidden ones had emerged.
“This’ll cause a ruckus. Let’s go before others steal ours.”
“You’re so crude.”
“My ears aren’t working!”
Group 9 ventured deeper into the forest to hunt.
“Don’t miss a single one!”
“Kyeek!”
Midway through the test, they’d caught about a hundred.
Compared to other groups averaging five, it was a stark contrast.
“Where’s the next one?”
“Huh? What?”
“Oh no, his ears aren’t really shot, are they?”
Having caught so many, their sack was bursting.
Seeing this, Jaina subtly suggested to Evan.
“Evan, let’s take it easy. This should make us first. So let’s rest and talk until the test ends.”
“There! There!”
Ignoring Jaina, Evan ran off.
He’d spotted another mandragora.
“Hey, Evan…”
“Jack! Don’t you see it?”
The sack was already full.
As they worried about carrying it back, wishing for a cart, Jaina’s patience snapped.
“Hey, idiot! Is talking to me that bad? Fine! I’ll reconsider! Dating you seriously!”
“Ah!”
“No! No!”
“It’s not that… This time it’s real. My stomach…”
Perhaps from the greasy banquet food, Evan felt an urgent signal from his gut.
“Wait, last night’s food is hitting now. Hold on, I’ll be quick.”
“Hey, the instructor said not to separate.”
“What, you want to watch me do my business?”
As Evan reached for his belt, Jaina freaked out.
“No, no!”
“And don’t worry. I don’t sense any assistants nearby. Even if there were, what lunatic stops someone from using the bathroom? It’s quick. Stay put.”
“Come back fast.”
Evan left the two and stepped away.
Jaina and Jack were left alone.
“Jack, can you hear now?”
“…?”
“Guess not…”
They sat in heavy silence.
Then, bushes rustled, and a mandragora’s head peeked out.
“Huh? We caught so many, and there’s more?”
“Where are you going?”
“Let’s catch that. Evan’ll throw a fit if he sees it.”
She wanted a serious talk when Evan returned.
So she aimed to eliminate distractions like mandragoras beforehand.
“It won’t take long. Let’s go.”
“Uh… Okay!”
Jaina led, and Jack followed.
They broke their promise with Evan and moved on their own.
Toward the rustling bushes.
Perhaps they were enchanted from the start.
They’d meant to stay close but had wandered far.
“Got it! Now let’s head back…”
Jaina lifted the dead mandragora triumphantly.
“Huh? Where are we?”
“Gah!”
Jaina saw a massive shadow envelop her.
At the same time, Jack looked horrified, as if seeing a ghost.
“Why…”
Turning, she saw a monster so tall her head tilted back.
It dwarfed the mandragora in her hand by dozens of times.
“Alraune!”
Recognizing it, Jaina pushed Jack and swung her sword.
Clang!
The sword struck the Alraune, sounding like metal.
Despite its plant-like form.
“Ugh!”
Nearly dropping her sword, Jaina and Jack backed off.
“Humans… I’ll kill… All of you…”
In this dire situation, Jaina reached for the scroll.
Oh! Evan has it.
Realizing it was gone, she signaled Jack to flee.
But the quick Alraune stomped, and root walls shot up.
Crackle.
Trapped in a wooden prison, Jaina exhaled, her voice trembling.
“Jack, sorry, but we need to fight it.”
She was glad Jack’s hearing was off.
He might’ve noticed her fear otherwise.
But Jack already knew.
Years in the Count’s household taught him to read moods from actions and eyes, as easy as eating cold soup.
“Hold on. Until help comes.”
“Who?”
“You know who’s capable in this situation.”
Hoping that someone arrived soon, Jaina and Jack gripped their weapons.
“Humans… I’ll kill…”