Chapter 147
“Hey! Good morning, everyone!”
Anette arrived at school. Her friendly greeting to the entire Class A was… quite pleasant to see. Since the World Tree said it could extract only the pure power from the Soul Stone for her, we’d need to have a serious discussion about it.
Naturally… the World Tree ca to mind.
‘…This world is real.’
Not a novel.
“Great to see you all! Cadet Adela! Cadet Luri!”
Anette, betrayed and killed by most of those she trusted, only to cast off a thousand-year mission and the fate of the Tyrant Empress to live as an ordinary student—real.
“Don’t act friendly with . It gives goosebumps.”
Adela, the Golden Princess of madness who lost loved ones to sches and secluded herself for over a decade, only to escape the fate of the Golden Empress through —real.
“Hello, Cadet Anette! Your hair looks lovely today!”
Luri, who was destined to be devoured by her friend Helaine but evaded that fate to contract with the Fire Spirit King, becoming the continent’s only spirit wielder—real.
‘Not just these three.’
Lilac. My love. My cherished maid. She, too, is real. I was overwheld with emotion.
‘Nerjin. Bianca. Savo.’
They, now like family, are real too.
‘And those guys.’
I glanced around. Kazaks, Muller, Shuga, Lina, Elisha, Bord, Mary. All real.
‘And Gilbert.’
Even that protagonist guy—real.
‘I don’t know.’
It’s confusing.
‘How should I treat them now, especially Gilbert?’
If they’re real people, is it okay to be so harsh? Isn’t it wrong? Shouldn’t I…
‘No way.’
We’re already too entangled, a knotted ss.
‘Like an idiot.’
No need to overthink. Whether they’re real or not, what does it matter? I’ll act according to my conscience.
‘Whether I’m a conscientious person is another matter.’
Just then, the front door slid open, and Hailey walked in. The classroom, filled with autumn’s chill, ward with a spring breeze.
“Good morning, everyone! Another new morning has dawned!”
Standing at the podium, she smiled, scanning the room. Her pale pink eyes t mine.
“And… welco back to the cadets who worked hard on the long conquest. I can’t tell you how glad I am that you all returned safely. You even received the Humanity Alliance plaque and dal at the conquest banquet—truly proud! Co on, everyone, clap!”
A dry clap clap clap echoed. Well, twelve of Class A’s twenty students were part of the Fog Island conquest team, so the remaining eight’s applause wasn’t loud.
“Now, let’s go over the announcents from while you were away!”
After sharing Academy notices, Hailey discussed the curriculum and was about to leave.
“Oh, Cadet Martin, could you step out for a mont?”
“Yes.”
In the hallway, closing the door, I saw Hailey’s back.
“Teacher Hailey?”
“Assistant teacher, I said!”
Turning to , Hailey furrowed her brows cutely, feigning anger.
“You’re not an assistant teacher.”
“…Oh, right. I’m a full teacher.”
Tapping her forehead, Hailey then tapped mine. I muttered dryly,
“Ouch.”
“Do you know how worried I was?!”
Her pale pink eyes t mine. …No need for Wild Instinct to know she was sincere.
“I told you to be careful because it wasn’t practice, it was real! And you suddenly dive into a Level 5 Ti Chaos Dungeon?! One that was recomnded for reconsideration?!”
“I’m sorry.”
Now that I thought about it, Hailey must have been deeply hurt. We succeeded, but until then, she likely faced criticism for failing to manage her cadets.
“Do you know how shocked I was?!”
“Really, I’m sorry.”
Yeah, I couldn’t just brush it off. I led the charge, after all.
I braced for a storm of scolding, but it stopped abruptly, like a lie.
“…”
“…”
What? Why’s she silent? Looking up at Hailey, spring embraced . She hugged tightly, gripping my back.
“Do you know how much… I was worried? My heart felt like a lead weight.”
“…”
“I’m just glad you all ca back safe.”
“…”
“I won’t say more, but don’t ever do sothing like that without consulting again. Got it?”
“…Got it.”
I caused her worry. Releasing , Hailey continued.
“You know, I had a tough teenage life myself, not sothing I’d call great even as flattery. I told you before, right? Why I decided to beco a teacher.”
“…Yes.”
Her desire to spare other kids the misfortunes she endured, her resolve to be a righteous educator guiding them on the right path—that’s why Hailey stands here now.
“I know I’m still lacking in many ways. But I want to help however I can. So, rely on , Cadet Martin. Okay?”
She shone. Her radiance was blinding, and I stared at her face in a daze.
This person, truly… a profoundly good person. Spring. The peak of beautiful spring. A motherly figure nurturing all life.
“Got it.”
“Good.”
Hailey smiled brightly at my dazed reply.
“Now, let’s go back. Class is about to start.”
***
Today was a practical assessnt, the flower of Academy classes. The the: survival.
No need to worry about injury or death. Like during the hunting competition, a device nullified critical wounds and teleported you to the banquet hall.
“You must survive three days on a remote island.”
The proctor was Exploration Studies teacher Jewel. …One of his legs was missing, lost during the Brahmus terror incident.
“Not just avoiding hunger and cold, but hiding from ferocious beasts. You’ll need to run like your life depends on it.”
Chewing a twig, Jewel grinned.
“And find the markers I’ve hidden.”
“Don’t forget to collect rare herbs,” added Herbology teacher Villemon, assisting. He… was missing one eye and two fingers, with a large scar across his face.
“Your score depends on the herb collection rate and the utility of the concoctions you make.”
These two were in decent shape. Three Fire Magic Departnt teachers died that day, halting their classes entirely.
“Now, let’s begin.”
As Villemon set the stage, Jewel concluded,
“We’ll start the simultaneous Exploration and Herbology assessnt.”
With a snap of his fingers, a magic circle activated, teleporting all students from Classes A, B, C, D, and E to the testing ground.
***
‘Tch.’
Frowning, I hurriedly grabbed a thick fur coat.
‘Good thing I packed it, just in case.’
A blizzard raged. The world was engulfed in white snowflakes, like a white hell.
‘Let’s move.’
The fur coat helped, but the cold pierced through, chilling to the bone.
Crunch, crunch. The snow underfoot made soft sounds, but they were faint against the howling blizzard. Clutching my flapping coat, I searched for a hiding spot.
‘Nothing’s visible.’
Just snow. Snowy plains. Snowy hills.
Only I could see this much. With the fierce blizzard and the island’s nightti, ordinary cadets would see nothing.
I tried channeling mana and stellar force, but sothing blocked them.
‘So that’s how it works.’
The safety magic included a spell to suppress energy manifestation.
‘I could break it if I wanted, but that’d disqualify .’
The assessnt demanded survival using pure physical ability. Survive three days in a frigid, white hell where nothing could be found.
‘Tough. Even using all my class knowledge, it’s hard.’
My knowledge has limits. So…
Know-It-All (Lv 4) accesses the great library, studying texts on cold, survival, herbs, and exploration.
Ti to use my cheat code.
‘Moving during a blizzard is suicide.’
Know-It-All (Lv 4) suggests building a snow shelter to rest and resuming activity when the blizzard stops. Given the test’s difficulty, the blizzard will likely stop soon with high probability.
‘Good.’
thods and designs for a snow shelter flooded my mind.
‘Let’s start.’
Drawing a dagger, I began digging into the snowy ground. Soon, a space big enough for was ready. I entered and blocked the entrance, feeling much better.
‘I’ve escaped the blizzard.’
Still cold, though.
‘What can I do now?’
Expanding the shelter could work, making it a base camp.
‘Not a great idea.’
I hadn’t checked the surrounding terrain. If this was a beast’s territory, it’d be wasted effort. I might find a better spot later, so it’d just burn calories. Without securing heat or energy now, it’s a loss in the big picture.
‘I need a fire.’
I always carry torch-making materials in my magic pouch. I used them in the Eudialyte Desert ruins.
‘Not much left. I’ll need to gather firewood once the blizzard stops.’
First, warm up. Freezing to death before the blizzard ends would be bad. I pulled out dry palm husks and lit them with a flint. As the firewood caught, warmth spread.
‘Much better.’
I carved a ventilation hole at the shelter’s entrance. The refuge was complete… for now.
‘The blizzard won’t stop.’
The crackling firewood and the ferocious blizzard. Which would end first? I curled up, closing my eyes to conserve energy. I might fall asleep. Hopefully, when I open my eyes, the night and blizzard will be over…
But boom! A loud roar echoed.
‘Damn it.’
Just as I feared.
Wild Instinct (Lv 4) estimates the opponent weighs at least 5 tons. A bipedal beast.
That wasn’t all. I heard smaller, lighter footsteps.
Four cadets are being chased. Based on the sound, they’re human-sized.
‘I should ignore it.’
They’re the ones being chased, not .
Among them is a familiar presence. Elisha.
‘…!’
I lifted my head from my curled-up position. Moving slowly, I peered through the ventilation hole. In the raging blizzard, a giant white-furred Yeti was rampaging, chasing soone.
“Run!”
“Cadet Elisha!”
“No!”
One cadet was kicked by the Yeti, flying far and buried in the snow. Save them? No, I saw their body shatter on impact—instant death. …Of course, it’s an assessnt, so the safety magic teleported them back to the Academy.
‘Hmm.’
Should I save her? Elisha could be a useful helper.
But is it necessary? I can handle most things, and she might be a burden.
It’s just an assessnt, not real death.
Reviews
All reviews (0)