Evan vanished without a trace after that day.
Not a single rumor was heard about him.
Fortunately, it seemed Lucien’s warning had worked.
Following the incident, Renya also bowed repeatedly, expressing her deep gratitude.
But this peace was likely only temporary.
There was no telling if they had kidnapped someone else to proceed with the ritual.
Anakin sat quietly on a bench at the training grounds, recalling the memories of that day.
Today was the day for a practical exercise conducted in pairs.
The 47th class children were gathered together, waiting for Chris.
Since it was their first outdoor field exercise, everyone seemed a bit more excited than usual.
‘Lana will probably partner with Henry, and Roque with Hess. Who will the others pair up with?’
Since Anakin was automatically paired with Lucien due to their promise, the remaining students were Mantis, Kayla, Hilde, and Lute.
“Hilde. Who are you going to partner with?”
Normally, she would have been Hilde’s partner.
She was curious who the picky Hilde would choose instead of her.
When Anakin looked at Hilde with an expectant expression, Hilde began to scan the surroundings apathetically.
Mantis, Lute, Kayla. As she looked at the remaining children, Hilde’s brow furrowed.
“I assume going solo isn’t an option.”
“Hey, probably not.”
She wasn’t on good terms with Lute, and Kayla also quite avoided Hilde, so there was only one choice left.
“You can just do it with Mantis.”
“I suppose that’s better.”
Just then, Mantis arrived at the training grounds, and Anakin waved her hand toward him.
“Mantis!”
Mantis, who was walking from a distance, spotted Anakin and ran over happily.
“Anakin, you’re early.”
Anakin asked the panting Mantis:
“Yeah. By the way, have you found a partner yet?”
“Not yet. Anakin, what about you……?”
Mantis looked at Anakin with a gaze containing a shred of hope.
Come to think of it, Mantis wasn’t there when she made the promise with Lucien.
Anakin spoke with a bright smile.
“I already have one…… so I don’t think I can. If you haven’t found one yet, there’s someone I can introduce you to.”
“Ah…… really? Who is it?”
Mantis looked around, trying his best to hide his disappointment.
Watching him, Anakin answered in a lively voice:
“Right next to you!”
“Huh……?”
Mantis turned his gaze toward Hilde, who was leaning against a wall with her arms crossed, with a look of disbelief.
“No way…… you mean her?”
“Yeah. Hilde.”
Mantis’s complexion turned rapidly pale.
“Anakin, then who are you going with?”
Mantis, who had naturally assumed Hilde and Anakin would be together, asked with a trembling voice.
“I’m with Lucien. I agreed to partner with him today on the condition that he helped with yesterday’s matter.”
“Ah…….”
“Hilde just doesn’t smile much, but she’s not a bad person.”
Anakin comforted Mantis with a strained smile.
“Her combat power is definitely guaranteed. You won’t lose, for sure.”
Mantis, who knew Hilde’s skills very well from the last practical exam, nodded stiffly.
“She was…… certainly strong. But will I be okay for her?”
Mantis hesitated slightly, gauging Hilde’s reaction.
It seemed a bit burdensome to be paired with Hilde, who might be the strongest among the 47th class.
Then, Hilde blinked and stared intently at Mantis.
Her sharp golden eyes, which seemed capable of piercing through everything, were fierce.
Mantis swallowed hard.
Mantis thought he had become an expert at dealing with overbearing nobles because of Dorman, who had bullied him until now.
However, Hilde exuded an atmosphere on a completely different level.
Her unruffled posture, calm gaze, and disciplined charisma made it seem as though she had never stood below anyone since birth.
Even though she was just staring quietly, he felt an instinctive sense of intimidation.
‘So this is what a high-ranking noble is like,’ he thought.
She was definitely different from the ordinary nobles he had encountered so far.
‘Dorman was nothing.’
Hilde, who had been watching the frozen Mantis, spoke in a low voice.
“Do you lack confidence?”
“……It’s not that.”
Mantis frowned.
Then, Hilde threw out a single remark to provoke him.
“I suppose the spirit I saw when you crushed that Dorman guy was all an illusion.”
At those words, Mantis’s eyes snapped wide open.
The thrilling sensation when his name was called during the apprentice disciple selection exam was a feeling he still hadn’t forgotten.
It was the first moment he had stood above Dorman.
‘……Was I being too discouraged?’
The moment he heard her words, Mantis questioned himself.
He was someone who had occupied the same seat as them; was there a need to be this intimidated?
Even if he had lost the match, of course.
They must have seen potential in him that surpassed Dorman’s.
Mantis clenched his fists and spoke while lowering his head.
“I…… entered Pasadian to win.”
He didn’t enter Pasadian just to remain as an apprentice disciple.
He had taken the exam with the determination to leave everything behind.
Family and friends. Mantis stood here now because of their support and expectations.
When he spoke with a voice full of suppressed emotion, Hilde let out a smirk and muttered:
“Now you finally have the eyes of a person.”
“…….”
Anakin stared blankly at Hilde, who was instilling spirit into Mantis.
‘So Hilde has that side to her, too.’
In Anakin’s view, it seemed she wouldn’t have to worry about these two.
Once Hilde and Mantis were set, Lute and Kayla naturally paired up.
And finally, Chris entered the training grounds.
He looked around for a moment and then spoke.
“It seems the groups are already formed. Shall we take the warp, then?”
At the teacher’s abrupt instruction to take a warp, Anakin raised her hand.
“Lucien hasn’t arrived yet.”
Chris frowned.
“……Is he absent?”
Anakin shrugged as if she didn’t know either.
‘Wait, what do you mean he’s not coming after he even set a condition?’
She thought it was very much like Lucien.
Just as she was about to go look for him, she saw Lucien walking from afar with a smile on his lips.
Chris spoke in a stern tone.
“Why are you just arriving now? The start time should have already passed.”
“I was in a good mood, so I went for a little walk.”
“……?”
Looking at Lucien, Anakin’s expression briefly turned puzzled.
‘There’s red blood on the hem of his robe. What kind of walk did he take to leave bloodstains?’
Chris issued a warning to Lucien, who was giving a nonsensical excuse.
“If you’re late next time, I’ll reflect it in your score.”
“Yes. I’m sorry. I won’t be late next time.”
As Lucien grinned brightly, Chris turned his head as if he didn’t even want to deal with him.
Even for Chris, Lucien seemed difficult to handle.
Lucien was the type to settle the question of whether human compatibility exists in a single stroke—because everyone was equal before him.
When Anakin glanced at the late Lucien, he smiled shamelessly and approached her.
Without delay, Chris created a warp gate.
“I’ll explain the rules once we get there. Go.”
As he gestured for them to enter, the children stepped into the warp gate one by one.
They arrived at a forest filled with dense trees.
“This is the Nerugal Forest in the northern part of the Empire. Monsters appear frequently, and the place is filled with traps. Civilians who cannot fight are prohibited from entering in the first place.”
“…….”
Perhaps because it was the North, it felt a bit chilly.
A forest where monsters appeared frequently.
The Nerugal Forest was so notorious that it was impossible not to know it.
Not a small number of humans had died after entering here without knowing any better.
To put disciples in such a place. And right from their very first outdoor practice.
It was definitely Pasadian. Haha…….
The massive trees boasted an overwhelming majesty that made humans seem insignificant.
And the ominous aura flowing from within was bizarre and unsettling.
Furthermore, it grew thicker the deeper they went.
“The task is simple. You just need to find all the artifacts hidden here. Keep in mind that the higher the grade of the artifact, the higher the difficulty of the traps.”
“……Are you telling us to search this entire forest?”
“No. Since it would be impossible to control if you went too deep, we’ve decided to set some limits. There will be a red line, so I recommend not going beyond it.”
Chris replied with a smirk.
Then he added in a kind voice:
“Of course, stealing artifacts is also possible. The rule is that the moment an opponent’s body part touches the artifact, it is immediately handed over to them. Also, once you steal it, it cannot be touched for five minutes.”
‘Stealing is possible?’
The children’s eyes widened at those words.
To make that possible meant they were meant to fight like crazy to obtain the artifacts.
“The time limit is two hours. You just need to return here within that time.”
Mantis, who had been listening to Chris’s explanation with empty eyes, whispered quietly:
“Isn’t this just going to turn into a dogfight?”
‘……Maybe that’s the goal?’
The children also began to fire off questions one by one.
“Um, is it okay to knock them unconscious?”
“How much injury can we inflict?”
“How many artifacts are there?”
To the fierce barrage of questions, Chris answered gently without any sign of annoyance.
“I won’t tell you the number of artifacts. You’ll have to find a reasonable amount on your own and return by the time limit. If you don’t arrive on time, you’ll be disqualified.”
“…….”
Chris, who was thinking for a moment while touching his chin, continued:
“The degree of injury…… well, as long as they don’t lose their lives? Do as you wish.”
Because Chris was smirking, the children’s expressions crumpled.
‘Was there really no minimum safety device?’
It was clear that the moment someone had an artifact stolen—after painstakingly obtaining it through traps—they would be beyond furious.
‘It’s going to be a long day.’
Anakin let out a small sigh and looked toward the unpleasant forest teeming with countless monsters.
