There were hardly any encounters with monsters while walking back up the path.
“Why are they fighting so loudly?”
“I guess they’re envious of the massacre achievements!”
“It’s such a crazy world. Just look at those who aren’t even assassins, going mad over blood and rampaging.”
“Indeed! Is the war generation upon us?”
“War generation?”
“…It’s nothing!”
The sounds of presumable masters from the Empire slaughtering monsters that were trying to seize treasures sleeping in the Underground World and battling named beasts echoed from afar.
Thanks to this chaos, Jiang, who had been itching to taste combat this time, found himself returning to the surface empty-handed once again, without a single kill.
The monsters didn’t have a reason to pay attention to the goo trio meandering in their backyard when there were human monsters holding a slaughter outside their front yard.
“Well, you managed to return to the surface after facing that Emperor. Oknodie first-year, tell me honestly, what sort of wicked trick did you use on the Emperor? Hypnosis? Or brainwashing?”
“Not anything like that. Emperor Papa is just so kind! He might be a tyrant who caused economic crises and food shortages for all the citizens of the world, but to his adopted daughter, he’s a warm-hearted emperor!”
“The question has turned upside down. From my perspective, it’s obvious that the first-year Oknodie was either hypnotized or brainwashed by the Emperor and is definitely not in their right mind.”
Sweating profusely under Professor Bronze’s suspicious gaze, it had been about an hour of Jiang’s desperate explanations before they finally arrived safely at the transfer station, marked by the magic circle.
Perhaps due to everyone’s attention being drawn to the Underworld, sneaking into the city was slack enough that even Titosso, sparkling with their light stand, could easily manage it.
“Oh right. Where’s Titosso?”
“…Ah.”
Jiang, feeling a late twinge of conscience, fidgeted while clutching the mask.
“I left it at Jeido.”
“What?! Then what do we do?”
“…It wasn’t intentional. I was being kidnapped by the Emperor back then, so there was no choice.”
“What if you can’t find your way home and end up crying at the free distribution center?”
“Even if Titosso is a total idiot, a fool, a low-tier monster, we shouldn’t disdain them like that. They’re our friend! Oknodie, you need to learn how to cherish friends.”
“Didn’t Jiang just say something far worse?!”
“Since there are Revolutionaries at Jeido, it should be fine. Jezel would have likely not missed that eye-catching light stand and gathered information already.”
“Really?”
“Oknodie, what about the monster horde? Did you just leave that behind? What are we going to do with all those monsters?”
“Ah, my sacrifice… sniff Such a waste.”
“Was it meant to be a sacrifice?!”
“It is a waste, but there’s nothing that can be done. Masugaki also has Dark Mana, so they’ll surely use it well in my stead!”
Professor Bronze shook his head.
“I feel the urge to prioritize character education over teaching techniques for you lot. When we return to the Academy, we need to create an obstacle training ground where we can pass through killing obstacles while protecting Titosso on our backs so that we don’t get hit!”
The professor is the worst.
As soon as Jiang and I exchanged glances, we thought of the same thing and shared a look of empathy.
Titosso.
I hope Jezel returned to the Academy first so they could enjoy the remaining vacation happily…
Next year will be hell!
*
At the same time.
While the Empire’s Elite Corps and the Empire’s Twelve Strong pulled all the aggro and fought against unidentified entities in the Underworld, a group of people was dashing underground.
“This way. There’s a path that only small animals use. It’s clear from the traces of edible grass being nibbled on.”
“Raise the alert from here. The fruits picked at reachable heights show it’s a patrol zone for human-type monsters.”
“This river isn’t used as drinking water, but there are signs of people passing through. There aren’t any traces of animal fur scattered about, so it’s clear. It’s highly likely a magical route, so let’s detect it.”
Whenever Isabel chose a path, she found the correct one and even demonstrated the ability to find magical shortcuts beyond the spring, leaving Titosso in awe.
“Wow! At this level, you might have better guiding skills than the Forest Master Dorothy!”
“Pfft. This is just basic level of skill. Anyone aiming to become a Dark Chef can do this.”
“What chef can gather ingredients, hunt, and act as a guide? Don’t mistake chefs for some amazing occupation, Titosso.”
“Eh? Is a chef not amazing?”
“Lady Isabel has a multi-class in archeology, so don’t think of her as an ordinary Dark Chef.”
“I see…”
If Isabel demonstrated surprising talent in finding paths, the one showcasing skills against occasionally encountered monsters was Son Ohchun.
[Doppelganger Technique]
[All-Out Charge]
[Seventeen Encirclement Formation]
“Request for support is out of the question.”
“It’s a fair confrontation.”
“Let’s go 17 against 1!”
Even if each doppelganger were to charge with a club, it was possible to engage in one-sided group assault, as four or five could cheer from the back while pretending to hit or just messing around!
“Ha ha ha! Until coming to the Empire, my doppelganger technique exploded with small shocks, but somehow it’s gotten stronger! This is the doppelganger technique of the Revolutionary Army General!”
“That’s some blatant nonsense, what does fair confrontation even mean?! Please, say a few words!”
The monsters facing Son Ohchun were so furious they looked like they would burst from the injustice.
Among them were strong ones capable of knocking down the multiplied doppelgangers made by Son Ohchun in an instant, so the guy holding a great sword was Hiscliff.
“Huh?”
Before Hiscliff could join in, the named monster Son Ohchun was confronting jolted in surprise.
[Copy: Integrated Activation]
[Sing’s Killing Intent]
[Grand Duke’s Venom]
[Calmness of the Dark Merchant]
[Integrated Function – Spirit Activation]
The doppelganger radiated an intense aura like a hero seeking the path of the blade, startling the named monster, who realized that the doppelganger glowing with energy was the real body! As he swung his sword, a doppelganger from another direction launched a sneak attack infused with that aura.
“I’m the real one!”
“No, I’m the real one!”
“I’m truly the real one!”
As all the doppelgangers unleashed their auras, the named monster couldn’t ignore any of them and had to recklessly respond to all the incoming strikes. In the gap created, the real Son Ohchun swiftly landed a hit.
There couldn’t be a more cowardly fighting technique in the world than this, but Titosso’s eyes were sparkling.
“Wow! That just now looked like Oknodie!”
“Oh really?”
“Oknodie occasionally shows those acceleration shadow sword skills, and it’s hard to tell which one is real! It’s like they’re zipping through, creating multiple bodies and suddenly, one pops up after passing by…”
“That sounds good. I should try it too.”
“Training that involves battle gear sounds nice, but it’s not the right time for it now. Can you do it later?”
“Oh dear. I’m sorry. We need to hurry along. Hey, Sparkle. Make sure you tell me that mouse’s technique later, alright?”
“Just help me with my training later too!”
“Hehe, I don’t know what kind of training could be done with a light stand, but I’m looking forward to it. I’ll help for sure.”
Unlike the seniors scattered long ago, captured by the Empire’s Elite Knights, Jezel’s party had fallen a bit behind but continued tracing their path steadily.
Hiscliff couldn’t believe this party, considered the upper echelons of the Revolutionary Army, was merely comprised of first-year students from the Academy.
‘I knew the students gathered at the Gift Academy had the world’s top qualities. Or at least they were equipped with minimal conditions to challenge for being the best in the world…’
This was different.
There’s a significant gap of decades between the phrase “there’s a possibility of it in the future” and “they’ve blossomed that possibility right now.”
Occasionally, monster-like students already built powerful skills and knowledge at the level of a supreme being in one field before graduating, while the usual expectation was just being commendable for graduating.
The Gift Academy’s dropouts were also no ordinary people.
They could smoothly play the role of a leader for an organization that dominated a region and often held executive positions in gigantic organizations.
Graduates aim for the heads of grand organizations and can rise as influential figures in one country.
But these students went a step further to already secure positions in the Revolutionary Army’s inner-circle.
They achieved what ordinary students would only realize after graduation while still in their first year, gaining even stronger power based on those fruits of labor.
‘Jezel’s party. I can’t even begin to guess how much stronger they’ll be by the time they graduate from the Academy.’
They might very well become elite graduates surpassing ordinary students.
Or perhaps they could become professor-level titans.
Other than anyone else, at least I had a strong conviction that they would become something akin to the second revolutionary Jezel.
Masugaki Princess, no, Emperor’s words rang true.
They are the future of humanity.
They must be protected at all costs.
Especially if Masugaki Emperor is to lead a new Empire as a political partner.
“Hold on… let’s halt our progress for a moment.”
Arriving in the shadowy forest after descending from the spring, Jezel’s party stopped Isabel, who led them, and Jezel examined their surroundings with a serious face.
“There’s a [Measuring Device] augmented with the cooperation of enhancement magicians who escaped from the Imperial Palace, using the Revolutionary Army’s resources. It’s detecting something unusual.”
“How severe is the reaction?”
“Two existences as powerful as Hiscliff are approaching.”
“We can just avoid them.”
“They’re approaching in a straight line through the forest. They’ve already sensed us and are coming at a speed that we can’t possibly evade.”
This might be a much more arduous fight than before.
Of all times, the speed was far too fast.
The strong ones who should have diverted aggro to the Imperial Army might find themselves fighting first this time.
All sorts of ominous thoughts muddled the minds of Jezel’s party and Hiscliff.
The presence of the powerful individuals finally reached an alarming proximity.
“Uh? Humans.”
“Not farm residents?”
A swarm of bats darkening the sky conglomerated into a graceful, noble, black-coated figure with gray skin.
“Vampires…!”
“If you know us this well, even better. You guys, I detected the faint scent of Oknodie’s mana; you know that child, right?”
With a tense expression, Jezel cautiously nodded.
The vampire held out an object in hand.
“Go to the surface and find Oknodie and make sure to hand this over.”
“How do you know Oknodie? No… let’s skip that question. What is it that we need to deliver?”
The vampire answered flatly, with a lackluster expression.
“Lunchbox.”
“Excuse me?”
“Vampy went to the surface to hang out, but it wouldn’t be right to go empty-handed. Shouldn’t you take something along when you’re going on a picnic? Can you imagine how lonely it would be not to have a lunchbox while everyone else enjoys it?”
“…Huh??”
Jezel’s eyes wavered in confusion as she stared at the lunchbox.
What in the world had our little lady done underground?
