“We need to split our forces.”
The moment we reached the starting point, Lucia spoke to our dazed-looking classmates.
“Split our forces? Why?”
“Wouldn’t we be at a disadvantage if we move in smaller groups?”
Voices dissatisfied with Lucia’s orders immediately rose.
Only a few hours ago, they had decided to put her in command, yet the moment she gave an order, they would not obediently follow it.
Spoiled little brats, the lot of them.
“The goal of this Mock Battle isn’t to wipe out the other side. Even if we lose a fight, we win as long as we defeat the Orc. The Department of Martial Arts will be aiming for that.”
Lucia explained patiently.
We had one more Reincarnator, and mages had the advantage in battles between large groups.
Judging by fighting strength alone, the Department of Magic clearly held the advantage.
If even one of the fifty Department of Martial Arts students had any common sense, they would avoid a head-on battle.
“The problem is that it is nearly impossible for us to keep up with the Department of Martial Arts’ speed if we all move together.”
Even if the Department of Magic students’ stamina was not as far behind as one might expect, they were still pathetically frail compared to the muscle-made lunatics in the Department of Martial Arts.
If the Department of Martial Arts quickly claimed the objective, we would lose without even getting a chance to fight.
“I think the most reasonable approach is for a small detachment to keep the other side from taking the objective while the main force joins them and fights.”
The larger a group became, the more the terrain affected it. And unless they abandoned stragglers as they moved, a group’s speed could never be faster than its slowest member.
Therefore, even if a smaller group could not outpace the whole Department of Martial Arts, it should be able to reach the objective without arriving too late.
How long they could delay the enemy would depend on the detachment’s ability, but the Mock Battle area itself was not so vast that they would need to hold out for very long.
We had more than enough chance of winning.
The problem was.......
“......Who is going to take that role?”
The idiots from the Department of Magic were busy watching each other’s reactions.
Simply reaching the objective while maintaining as much speed as possible would be grueling enough.
And even if they arrived in time, limiting the enemy’s movements with fewer people would require a dangerous, high-wire act.
On top of that, the result would be directly tied to victory or defeat.
A role that was difficult, dangerous, and came with responsibility.
Of course everyone wanted to avoid it.
“For now, me.”
Lucia answered without hesitation. I had a feeling she would.
“That won’t do. The person who needs to lead the main force cannot leave it to join the detachment.”
I cut in immediately.
At first glance, it might seem that we would not need a commander as long as the main force joined the objective before it was too late.
But that was only when we were truly lucky.
The Department of Martial Arts could easily anticipate a plan at our level.
Naturally, they would not let our main force join up smoothly.
If we were disrupted by the Department of Martial Arts with no commander present, who would bring that chaos under control?
“But there is no one else who can serve as the detachment.......”
Lucia frowned.
She was right.
If we sent any ordinary students to face the Department of Martial Arts, it was obvious they would be overwhelmed in an instant by the numerical disadvantage.
To achieve results with a small number of people, you needed ability to match.
That was why she was volunteering for the difficult and dangerous role herself, but.......
“Do you really think so?”
I smiled at Lucia.
Look. There was someone competent, perfectly suited to lead the detachment, right in front of us.
“.......”
Lucia’s gaze wavered.
She must have understood rationally that I was the right person for the role.
But if she wanted to leave a difficult and dangerous task to someone else, there had to be a price.
“Just think of it as owing me a favor.”
Lucia’s face twisted even more.
Was it really so awful? What if someone as sensitive as me got hurt?
“This affects your grades too. It’s not as though I’d be the only one owing you a favor.......”
Lucia bit her lip and tried to put together a rebuttal.
“I wouldn’t care even if our department lost.”
I had to care about my grades too, but.......
I knew how other people saw me.
They probably thought I had gone to the trouble of entering the Academy just to set up shop, and that I did not care about grades.
There was no reason to correct that impression.
“......I really hate you.”
Lucia had been trying any way she could to avoid receiving help from me.
If only her own grades had been at stake, she would have chosen defeat rather than rely on me.
But now everyone else’s grades were on the scales too, and she held the power to decide.
It was a painful moment of choice.
“So?”
“......I’ll leave the detachment to you.”
In the end, Lucia accepted a loss of her own for the benefit of the many.
“Excellent choice.”
It was unfortunate that she kept throwing herself into hardship, but perhaps people like her were why the world was still worth living in.
I liked people like that.
They made life very convenient when they were nearby.
“Who else will go.......”
Lucia turned a tired face toward our classmates.
“.......”
“.......”
Silence fell.
“I’ll be fine on my own.”
I lightly patted Lucia’s back as she wore an awkward expression.
They might have talent, but they were only half-finished mages for now.
There was no need to bring people who would only hold me back.
“Will you be all right?”
I had no idea how the Department of Martial Arts would divide its people, but they would not be stupid enough to wander around one at a time.
At the very least, I might have to face two or more of them. In the worst case, I could end up facing nearly the whole Department of Martial Arts.
“It’ll cost some money. So I’ll collect this favor at a rather steep price.”
I smiled and loosened up.
Lucia still looked deeply uneasy.
*[Are you all ready?]*
The teacher’s voice came from somewhere.
*[Before we begin, I will count the participants. Do not leave the glowing area.]*
The ground at the starting point glowed.
I did not know the principle behind it, but it seemed they could count the people within this area.
It was probably a measure to prevent anyone from making a false start.
*[Department of Martial Arts students, it seems someone has left the starting point. You cannot do that. Return to your position.]*
The need for the count was proved immediately.
What cowardly bastards, without even a shred of fair-play spirit.
It was also proof that the Department of Martial Arts was excessively enthusiastic about this Mock Battle.
Kyle must have riled up his classmates quite a bit.
*[Good. We will begin the Mock Battle immediately. Everyone, prepare yourselves.]*
Tension passed over the children’s faces at the teacher’s words.
At last, the time for the decisive battle.
*[Begin.]*
“I’m going ahead.”
The moment I heard the teacher’s declaration, I kicked off the ground and ran.
***
Forest.
That single word described the space where the Mock Battle took place.
It might bring to mind nothing but densely packed trees, but the actual terrain was more complex.
It was not entirely flat, with slopes and declines. There was a cliff on one side, while elsewhere rocks that had risen from beneath the ground blocked the way.
Moving in a straight line was close to impossible. That was why the route marked on the map wound back and forth.
If you left the route, you were likely to lose your direction or reach a dead end.
But conversely, if you could avoid the dangers, it meant you could greatly reduce the time it took to travel.
“Come out.”
I bought a Monster Summoning Scroll from the Shop and tore it open.
Something like a lump of black mud plopped onto the ground, then wriggled as it gradually took shape.
A wolf with one large eyeball planted squarely in the middle of its forehead.
The One-Eyed Wolf, as it was called for its appearance, was not much different from an ordinary wolf except for its single eye and its poisonous saliva and blood.
“You can track the Orc’s scent, right?”
Bark.
The One-Eyed Wolf ran off without hesitation, and I followed behind it.
We left the route in an instant.
With the agility peculiar to a four-legged beast, the wolf advanced while completely ignoring the terrain.
I ran while pushing myself to my limits, but the distance between us kept growing.
Each time, the One-Eyed Wolf would stop and wait for me, as if it were mocking me.
“I should have summoned a monster I could ride too.......”
Regret washed over me when I was gasping for breath.
But monsters capable of carrying people were valuable precisely because they had so many uses, and their Summoning Scrolls were expensive too.
Investing that much in something like a Mock Battle was clearly a waste.
According to the map, a not particularly tall cliff lay on the direct path to the Orc.
Sure enough, a cliff appeared before me not long after.
It was roughly as high as a three-story building.
“Phew.......”
I caught my breath at the base of the cliff.
This was the critical point.
The orthodox route was to go around the cliff. Saving time depended on how quickly I could get past this obstacle.
The One-Eyed Wolf made a few hopping leaps up the nearly vertical incline and was already at the top.
The One-Eyed Wolf’s expression as it looked down at me was truly doglike.
“Do not underestimate humans, you son of a bitch.”
I immediately bought a ladder and climbed the cliff.
It was slightly too short, so I had to jump from the top of the ladder at the end, and the ladder fell over beneath me.
“It would have been a disaster if I brought someone else.”
The slow mage hopefuls would most likely have slammed into the ground together with the ladder.
If I had taken a break from exercising just because I entered the Department of Magic, I would have been no different.
Building stamina took a long time, but losing it happened in an instant.
I never imagined that forcing myself to train alongside Radeos would help me like this.
But I had only a moment to sigh in relief.
How much time had I saved? Five minutes? Ten minutes? It was still too soon to relax.
I ran again.
After a long while of jumping over tree roots and ducking under branches, I finally heard an Orc’s cry nearby.
A roar like a scream filled with pain.
It meant someone had arrived before me.
“......Is this possible?”
I was late even after I had run across the forest?
No matter how crazy they were about physical training, how could that be?
The answer came sooner than I expected.
Kyle was facing the Orc alone.
His clothing was a mess and torn in places, while his hair was covered in every kind of leaf.
It showed that Kyle had not had an easy trip here.
He had run here while ignoring the terrain too.
He had abandoned every last classmate from his department, driven by the sole desire to win the Mock Battle.
It was astonishing that he had found his way straight here without using a guide like I had.
Maybe he had an excellent sense of direction, or maybe his sense of smell was as remarkable as the One-Eyed Wolf’s.
Either way, that was not what mattered right now.
“Bite!”
I ordered the One-Eyed Wolf.
If Kyle hunted the Orc like this, the Mock Battle would end with the Department of Magic’s defeat. I could not let that happen.
Whoosh.
The One-Eyed Wolf pounced upon Kyle from behind like the wind.
Just as its gaping jaws were about to bite the back of Kyle’s neck.
“Hmph.”
Kyle ducked his head and avoided the wolf’s attack.
Kyle’s movement did not end with evasion.
He grabbed the One-Eyed Wolf and threw it away.
While the One-Eyed Wolf’s body flailed in the air, a dagger Kyle had thrown pierced its neck.
By the time the wolf’s body hit the ground, it had already stopped breathing.
“As expected. I thought you would arrive first. But you are late.”
Kyle smiled broadly when he spotted me.
Even though Kyle had been left open while dealing with the One-Eyed Wolf, the Orc could not attack him.
Blood flowed from the wounds carved across its body. Its limbs hung limp, and its body heaved with effort. It looked as though it might stop breathing at any moment.
Kyle had left only the final blow and was taking his time.
“Says who?”
I opened the Shop, bought an item, and immediately threw it at Kyle.
“You think I’ll fall for the same trick again?”
Kyle scoffed.
Perhaps he still remembered getting thoroughly punished after carelessly cutting down the Wing Frogs before, because he quickly avoided what I threw.
“Why did you think I’d use the same trick?”
He really was simple-minded.
Even beasts could learn. Naturally, I had considered that Kyle, who was at a beast’s level, would have some ability to learn too.
When I saw him put distance between himself and the One-Eyed Wolf by such a cumbersome method before killing it, that became a certainty.
That was why I threw it expecting him to dodge this time.
“What......?”
At my words, Kyle seemed to realize something was wrong and turned around.
The bottle had already struck the Orc’s tough body and broken, scattering its contents over the Orc.
White steam rose from the Orc’s body as its wounds healed. It planted its feet on the ground with its strength restored and picked up an absurdly large club.
“It works better than I expected.”
This Orc seemed unusually responsive to potions, displaying miraculous recovery with merely a Low-Grade Potion.
Now, there was no danger of the Orc losing its head immediately.
It was fortunate that I did not have to use an expensive potion.
“You crazy bastard, what the hell are you doing......?!”
“There’s no rule that says I can’t heal the Orc, is there?”
The rules of the Mock Battle were simple: each side started from its own position and hunted the Orc.
Interfering with the other side was not merely allowed. It was encouraged.
Grrrr.......
The Orc did not so much as glance at me and glared at Kyle.
It seemed to recognize only Kyle, who had attacked it until now, as an enemy.
We could not communicate in words, but its fervent desire to kill the opponent in front of it came through clearly.
An Orc trying to kill Kyle, who was hostile toward me.
The enemy of my enemy was what?
“Let’s go, friend!”
ROOOAR!!
Fully recovered, the Orc roared fiercely.