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Gomon liked Hersel. He took his eyes off him and looked at the assembled units.

‘The ratio of the knights’ division to the magic division is well balanced. Considering each individual’s abilities and personality, it’s an efficient setup. The top priority seems to be the mage’s head. The unit with Limberton, who has excellent vision, must be the one chasing the mage. And the barbarian Aslay, with his exceptional mobility in the forest, makes this a solid plan.’

Gomon, as a professor, knew all the characteristics of his outstanding students. Their talents matched well with the enemies they would face.

“Alright then, Hersel Ben Tenest. I’ll leave Berme to you. Let’s go and chase down the other two.”

Gomon waved his staff. Blue footprints began to appear in three directions along the forest path. This was a tracking spell that combined Earth Elemental Magic and Shaping Magic.

Ricks’ eyes lit up.

“Professor, you’re incredible! When can I learn that magic?”

“You’ll learn it in your second year. But don’t get too excited. If your opponent is determined enough, they can erase their traces even with this magic. In this case, they left the traces on purpose, probably hoping you’d follow.”

At that moment, Hersel took the lead, walking ahead. Gomon liked that too, the way he took initiative. However, he was going in the wrong direction.

“Hersel Ben Tenest, the mage went to the right. Your target is to the left.”

The professors led their students on the chase. Left alone at the edge of the forest, Hersel frowned as he watched Gomon’s back.

“Does he have some grudge against me?”

***

I stood idly at the edge of the forest, turning my head to look around. Then, I gazed at the Schlaphe camp, a clearing created through logging, with a distant look in my eyes.

What would happen if I just turned back now?

I cut off the pointless question. The chances of being discovered as an empty-headed fool would only increase. If I didn’t want to contribute to bringing the nightmares I’d been having for days into reality, I had to keep walking. Besides, the strategy I had devised was now completely messed up, so there was a need to supervise things directly.

Ten minutes after entering the thicket, Donatan spoke up.

– The situation we feared came sooner than expected.

“Indeed.”

– You seem surprisingly calm. Do you have a plan?

“Of course. Just pretend I was chasing him and lost track. That should be enough.”

Such neglect would inevitably introduce the variable of increased difficulty. But that was a problem to be dealt with when the time came.

“For now, let’s leisurely pretend to search.”

Slowly, I cast the basic White Light magic at the tip of my staff. Nothing happened.

“What was I thinking?”

I had momentarily forgotten that after casting a self-destructive spell, I couldn’t use magic for three hours. I had no choice but to take out a small lantern from my backpack and light it.

Ping!

As expected, a transparent thread near my feet reflected the light. These guys were known for being good at setting traps to eliminate their competitors. It was a quickly set up trap.

Hmm, even while fleeing, they set up something like this.

“They’re experts at killing pathfinders. Crazy enough to develop their own tools.”

Zap!

There was a device embedded with magic stones at both ends of the thread, from which lightning was emitted. If not for my ‘one-second invincibility,’ my organs would have been fried.

-…Why did you stop walking again?

“Just taking a minute’s rest.”

I planned to gather some excuses, like being caught in a trap, so I could say I lost them. I made my clothes look a bit messy and bought some time for my mana to recover. I kept walking, searching for traps like a treasure hunt.

Whizz-

There was even a beehive trap, which was difficult for knights to handle. These bees were raised on venomous honey, and their sting could be fatal. But as long as you knew how to deal with them, it was easy.

Slash!

I swiftly killed three scouting bees and pulled out a sack. I quickly covered the hive with the sack and brought the lantern’s flame close to it. Listening to the crackling sound, I continued forward.

-Your quick thinking always surprises me.

“One needs to know such things to survive, don’t you think?”

-Haha, I suppose so.

I was a bit surprised because it was the first time Donatan had laughed.

“Why the sudden change? You’re giving me chills.”

-It’s just that I realized something.

“What?”

-Did you know? I used to think of you as nothing but a treacherous villain. All your schemes were cunning tricks far removed from honor.

Now he was insulting me. I didn’t know how to respond.

-But as I kept watching, I realized something. You were doing your best in your own way. Despite your poor health, you never despaired, nor did you become lazy. And in the end, you achieved something, didn’t you?

It seemed he was referring to the swordsmanship exclusive to mage-swordsmen.

“Are you talking about the Mana Blade?”

-Yes. That is truly admirable.

“Weren’t you the one who always complained that you had the wrong master.”

-Which is why it’s all the more meaningful.

Donatan’s voice was filled with excitement. Now that I think about it, when I first demonstrated it, he was happier than I was.

“But what does it matter? It’s just an imitation that falls slightly short of the real thing. What I learned from Hetherson is nothing more than coating the sword with a small amount of mana.”

-That’s true. There’s still a long way to go.

“Enough. Let’s focus. The enemy isn’t nearby, right?”

“Don’t worry. I only sense small animals.”

Next up was either a cursed talisman attached to a tree or an automated device that fired poisoned darts. Since they could be bypassed, there was no need to deal with them. I continued to follow the green footprints, dismantling similar traps along the way.

Halfway through, the traps stopped appearing. The footprints of Berme veered sharply to the right.

“Hmm.”

I started to read his mind. Even after all this time, I hadn’t shown myself. In this situation, the fugitive’s thoughts would be something like this: They were wiped out by the traps, or the enemies never chased us to begin with. Or maybe, seeing that no one had come for so long, they were observing from afar, but then got scared and ran away when he saw someone crazily charging through the traps.

In any case, all three guesses would lead to one course of action.

“The enemy must have joined the other instructor.”

It was a simple deduction. If he thought we were wiped out, he had no more business here. If he concluded that no one had pursued him, it would naturally lead him to believe we were focusing on hunting the other two instructors. This would eventually drive him to go and offer support.

Well, if he witnessed me breaking through the traps and felt threatened, he would probably say, “That monster!” and run off to ask for help instead…

“Let’s see. This was the left path of the forest, right? Then he must have gone to the instructor fleeing towards the center.”

-That sounds plausible. To join forces, they would need to pass through the center first.

“Exactly.”

There was no reason for Berme to take a roundabout way to meet the right-side instructor. This meant that a battle was likely to occur soon.

“The center was led by that hairy professor, Gomon, wasn’t it…?”

It was a force that would struggle against two instructors. If left unchecked, they were likely to be wiped out.

Swoosh-

I took out my pocket watch. There were 17 minutes left until I could use magic again. I had bought enough time. I followed the footprints to go and help them.

***

Berme was leaping from tree to tree, scowling. Only one was chasing him. It wounded his pride that the professors had only sent a single student to face him. But that was only momentary. When he checked the situation through his telescope, he couldn’t help but agree.

“That absurd bastard…”

Berme was at a loss for words. What kind of lunatic deliberately looked for traps just to step into them? That was horrifying enough, but there was something even more terrifying.

“How the hell is he unscathed?”

Even if he had wrapped his entire body in aura, it didn’t make sense. His legs should have been broken, or at least he should have sustained some fractures. At the very least, he should have had some scratches.

“I don’t want to face him alone.”

Berme put the vial of pills he had been toying with back into his pocket. For now, it was better to join the instructors and deal with Hersel together. If the professors joined forces with that monster, it would become a nightmare.

“Magic swordsman, I’ll take your head after I kill the others first.”

Berme twisted his lips into a grin as he looked at the trees marked with signs of battle. He was close. It was unmistakable that the instructors were currently fighting the Frost Heart group nearby.

***

Gomon wasn’t doing anything. He just aimed his staff and watched in admiration.

“They’re putting up a better fight than I expected.”

The opponent was an instructor. Leana was clearly at a disadvantage in swordsmanship. But occasionally, she managed to advance a step forward, pressing the instructor. While she had recently grown rapidly, it was thanks to the support of Ricks and Gravel, who were backing her up with magic.

The instructor, with shackles on his ankles, gritted his teeth. When he swung his sword, the shackles turned to dust and scattered. Though they were fake, created by Shaping Magic, they weighed as much as the real thing. The instructor readjusted his grip on his sword and pressed Leana again.

Sshhng—

As he thrust his sword, Leana twisted her blade to deflect it. But her technique was still clumsy. The instructor saw an opening.

“Hup!”

Without retracting his sword, the instructor followed up with a horizontal slash. He had wrapped his arm with aura, strengthening his muscles to make the swing as powerful as a full slash.

Thunk.

But then, his arm tingled with a sudden static shock, temporarily paralyzing him. Gravel had electrocuted him with an electric spell. Leana quickly leaped back, escaping the attack range.

“Troublesome brats…”

The instructor swallowed hard.

“For their age, their achievements are impressive. Especially this red-haired girl… doesn’t she ever get tired?”

Even an outstanding student should have been exhausted by now. Yet, Leana wasn’t even panting. The instructor narrowed his eyes, releasing more aura.

His attention wasn’t on Leana but elsewhere.

“This is a troublesome situation.”

Behind him was a professor, holding his staff at the ready, merely observing. If the instructor tried to kill the students with all his strength, the professor would intervene immediately. Ignoring the professor and going for the kill would expose a significant weakness to him. And that was no ordinary Pathfinder—it was the infamous “Stone Owl,” Gomon.

But the instructor couldn’t afford to fight on Gomon’s terms. As time passed, his stamina would be drained. Caught in this no-win situation, the instructor had no choice but to reveal his trump card. It was a small box.

“I never thought I’d have to use this precious thing here.”

Gomon grinned as if he had been waiting for this.

“So you’re finally pulling it out?”

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Gomon. Now, let’s have some fun, just us adults.”

Crash!

The instructor stomped on the box, shattering it. Smoke billowed out, seeping into the instructor’s nostrils.

***

Ricks asked Gomon.

“Professor, what is that?”

“It’s like the trademark of the Roaming Band. A potion that allows you to use some of a monster’s power.”

“Is something like that even possible?”

“The resources of the demonic realm are full of mysteries. You can’t think in conventional terms. There are many substances that cause bizarre phenomena.”

The existence of the life herb, which was said to extend a person’s lifespan, had already been proven. That meant they had obtained and tested countless materials. Some of them reacted in strange ways when combined with parts of certain monsters.

“Anyway, as I explained about the traps earlier, the Roaming Band are a bunch of twisted people who only research perverse things. That potion was also achieved through human experimentation. But drinking it can cause permanent damage, so never touch that stuff.”

Gravel, who had been nervous, became even more uneasy at Gomon’s nonchalant explanation.

“This isn’t the time for a lecture, Professor.”

Smoke poured out with every breath the instructor took. Seeing his bloodshot eyes, Gomon began to draw magic circles in the air. Rocks gathered around Gomon, forming a thick suit of armor.

“Ahem. Anyway, staying around here will get you hurt.”

If the students were taken hostage, it would be problematic.

“You should join the unit on the right.”

Ricks seemed to understand immediately, as he began to pull Gravel and Leana away. The students had almost disappeared into the distance when, in that fleeting moment, the instructor charged.

Thud!

The instructor’s sword stabbed into Gomon’s stone armor. Gomon grinned.

“Hmm, judging by its effect, that potion must be made from a Barrovite.”

The Barrovite was a rabbit monster the size of a human. Given the instructor’s eyes and bulging leg muscles, it was likely true.

The instructor spoke.

“The name ‘Stone Owl’ suits you well.”

“Ugh, I hate that name. There are so many cool names out there, but an owl? Really?”

“Haven’t you ever looked in a mirror?”

“Hmm, maybe if I lost some weight, I could have gotten a better nickname?”

“Well, whatever. In your next life, I hope you get a name you’re satisfied with.”

The instructor pushed his sword with all his might.

Crack!

The armor began to split. But something was off. The instructor noticed the strange texture and quickly pulled back his sword, retreating at once. He found that his blade was coated in lime residue.

“A petrification curse?”

Who knew how many enchantments were layered on that stone armor? The instructor enveloped his entire sword in aura, shattering the curse.

Gomon’s expression turned serious.

“With that sword, you might actually be able to cut me down. In that case…”

Stone spears shot up from the ground where the instructor stood.

Whoosh!

The instructor quickly jumped onto a tree. Gomon lazily waved his staff. Rocks shot out in a straight line like cannonballs, and trees began to fall one after another.

Crack!

The instructor desperately slashed at the stone spears rising from the ground. He used rapid aura manipulation to evade when possible and resorted to using invulnerability when he couldn’t. As the reckless onslaught continued, sweat began to drip down the instructor’s forehead. Meanwhile, Gomon, without showing any signs of fatigue, continued his magic as if he were playing a musical score.

“Damn it, his mana reserves are monstrous, just like the rumors say.”

If this kept up, he’d only be put at a greater disadvantage. The instructor released all the aura in his body. He intended to end this in one decisive strike, no matter who won.

Gomon raised an eyebrow and asked.

“Oh? Ending it already?”

“It hurts my pride, but I must admit it. If it weren’t for the potion, I’d have died long ago.”

The instructor channeled all his speed and aura into his sword as he charged.

Tatatat!

He narrowly dodged the stone spears and rock cannonballs. Just as his sword was about to pierce Gomon’s throat, Gomon’s stone armor melted and flowed like a wave, engulfing the instructor.

Crack!

In an instant, the stone solidified again. The instructor was trapped inside, with only his face sticking out. Gomon stared at him with cold, merciless eyes, pointing his staff at his forehead.

“This is a pity. It could have been a great opportunity to teach the students about combat.”

The tip of his staff began to glow. The instructor squeezed his eyes shut, but then his eyes shot open at a voice from above.

“Use every ounce of strength for invulnerability, Gurt.”

“Berme?”

The instructor’s face lit up, and Gomon immediately stepped back, his eyes wide with surprise. Berme was descending from above, aiming to land on the stone trapping the instructor.

Boom!

Crash!

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