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Chapter 72

“Let’s just buy four water bottles, one per person.”

“Hmm...”

“Honestly, if we can find a river that’s clean enough to drink from, we could save these points as well...” Sharyl looked at me. “Just in case, how well do you know the Forest of the Butterfly’s terrain?”

I thought she had forgotten because she treated me so differently from Hector, but it seemed she still recognized me as a Bednicker.

“Not well,” I replied.

Of course, even as a Bednicker, there were still things I didn’t know.

Hearing that, Sharyl looked at me with eyes that said “As expected” as she continued, “Anyway, since the situation like this, water is a necessity, but there isn’t anything else we need. We can starve for a day, so we don’t need to pack food, and it’s not like we’re going to be there for many days, so lamps or tents aren’t needed either.”

“What about bandages and potions?”

“Just don’t get hurt.”

She wasn’t wrong, but wasn’t this too extreme?

“I disagree!” Mir shouted as if she had been waiting for a chance.

A vein appeared on Sharyl’s forehead.

“...Why?”

“You are underestimating the hunt! Do you think you can find high-quality prey in just one day? That’s impossible!”

Oh ho.

I’d thought she was disagreeing just to fight Sharyl, but she had a solid reason.

Mir continued, “More than anything, the instructors didn’t give us a time limit!”

Sharyl’s expression hardened a little, and I was surprised; I hadn’t expected Mir to catch the fact.

Maybe it was just the way she spoke, but was she actually pretty smart?

It was as Mir said.

We lacked far too much information about this special test.

We didn’t know how we would be marked either.

The most important thing was what the maximum points were for this special test...

Since this test was being done in teams, the points should also be obtained as teams.

If my guess was correct, then first place in this test could obtain at least 50 points.

It would average to about 12–13 points per member, so it wasn’t that shocking of an amount.

“One day is not enough! Be it two days, three days, or even more, we need to invest the greatest amount of time to achieve the greatest hunt! That’s how we will obtain first place!”

“Hah! And what if you fail during that?”

“If we can’t produce results here, we won’t be able to catch up to the others anyway!”

“How can you know that?! This is only the second week!”

“Stop fighting, you guys.”

We must be wary of Sharyl when her speech changes.

I vowed to remember that rule as I stopped them.

When I did, the attention fell back on me.

“Hah! Then give us your opinion, captain! What do you think?”

“That’s right! Gold-Hair Bednicker! Tell us your plan!”

“Are you two going to follow my plan?”

The two of them nodded at once.

Honestly, my decision had been set from the start.

“We’ll save our points, but we won’t be as extremely frugal as Sharyl suggested.”

At that, I could see the expression on their faces split down the middle.

I looked at the depressed Mir and spoke to her.

“Mir.”

“Yeah?”

“I agree with most of what you said, but there is one thing I disagree on.”

“What is it?”

“Time.”

Mir tilted her head.

“...Time?”

“No matter how much time the instructors give us, our team will plan to return before the sun falls on the first day.”

“Why?”

I thought for a moment about how I should explain it to her before suddenly remembering a quote.

I looked toward Charon for a second.

“The Strongest Ranger in the Empire, Hyde Woodjack, visited the Forest of the Butterfly, and he said this about it: ‘Even as a first-class ranger, surviving a day inside the Forest of the Butterfly is a challenge’.”

“...”

“‘Dangerous’ doesn’t even begin to explain what we’ll see inside the forest at night. Sir Hyde called it ‘hell’, and he lives in the swamp, one of the Four Forbidden Areas.”

“Hmm...”

“We’ll try our best during the day and return before night falls. That shall be our one absolute rule.”

Mir and Sharyl both looked a little shocked for a moment before they finally nodded.

“...Got it.”

“Okay.”

It was something of a relief. Thankfully, these two knew when to stop being stubborn.

“Then rest well today. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

***

Early in the morning, at a time when the majority of the young heroes were asleep, the instructors' lodge was as bright as day and just as noisy.

The instructors had all gathered together for a meeting.

“...We no longer have any dropouts during the morning runs. A few of them have even started gossiping while running. I think we should start raising the intensity of the training.”

“I agree. Familiarity breeds negligence.”

“The theory lessons aren’t progressing as fast as expected. I’m thinking we should maintain tempo in them for now.”

“The spar results are being recorded properly, right?”

No education was equally effective for everyone. Each person had a different way of learning that fit them best.

That was why the instructors of the training camp examined the levels of the young heroes they were teaching and how the young heroes were progressing, and they used that information to actively alter and develop the young heroes’ schedule and its intensity.

The young heroes weren’t aware of this, but the instructors actually rested less than them and worked even more.

“Hear, hear! Attention, please.”

Juan, the Instructor of Martial Arts, clapped and gathered everyone’s attention.

Even the ones who had been raising their voices closed their mouths and turned to him.

“We’ll discuss the training schedule later. First, let’s talk about the young heroes. What are everyone’s thoughts about the batch this year?”

When Juan said that, the instructors turned to look at each other. The first to speak was one of the knight instructors.

“I feel that, individually, they are the best we’ve had, even considering that the training camp was directly after the Blessing Ceremony. Although their lacking experience can’t be helped due to their young age, they are adapting at an incredible rate.”

“We’re only going into the second week, but it’s incredible that no young hero has died or been seriously injured.”

“And even though they’re born of the Great Houses, they listen to our instructions properly.”

Most of them gave positive reviews.

Even though they berated and insulted the young heroes at every chance, all the instructors acknowledged that the kids this time were very talented.

Juan nodded.

“It seems everyone has similar sentiments. I also regret that only three people can receive the position of hero.”

The Instructor of Survival brushed his beard.

“Only three... I’m also at a crossroads as to who should hold that honor. Well, except for one person.”

When he said that, all the instructors thought of a single person.

Juan, their representative, spoke up.

“Are you talking about Charon Woodjack?”

“Yes. The skills Charon has shown are incredible. To be honest, this training camp may not mean much to him.”

At that, the grand masters who had remained quiet all gave their opinions.

“During the hunting lessons, he was the first to find traces of the prey, track it down, and hunt it. I suppose it’s only natural for the son of Sir Hyde.”

“He has maintained his position as first in the morning runs, and he has never lost a spar either.”

“He is lacking in a few areas in theory lessons, but his academic ambition is amazing. During breaks, he focuses and studies on the parts where he is lacking.”

Juan nodded to all of them and agreed with their sentiments.

“Sword, spear, dagger, ax, bow... He knows how to wield most weapons, and his proficiency with each of them is passable.”

At that, there was much murmuring about how Charon Woodjack was guaranteed to obtain first place.

Juan continued, “Does anyone stand out other than Young Hero Charon?’

“Hmm... Honestly, it has to be Hector Bednicker and Sellen Goodspring.”

They were the two young heroes with as many expectations placed upon them as Charon.

“In terms of swordsmanship, Hector Bednicker is a head above. He is definitely one of the strongest in this cohort.”

Even among the children of the Lord of Blood and Iron, Hector was known as a genius, and he was showing that incredible talent in this training camp.

In addition to his swordsmanship, he also had excellent leadership skills, and the haughty nobles all followed his words without resistance.

“Sellen Goodspring... We still don’t know the reason she joined this training camp, but her talent cannot be doubted. One special note is that she seems quite proficient with her blessing. She is showing skills comparable to an active hero.”

The instructors shared the names of many other young heroes they were paying close attention.

“Ryud Chevalier’s overall balance is excellent.”

“Sharyl Rubyeta’s performance is beyond our expectations, but she is a bit too aggressive. I feel she needs to cultivate a little before continuing her training.”

* * * * *

* * * * *

Of course, just as some were praised, others were not.

Even with an incredible cohort, this didn’t change.

“Other than them, Bruno Hammer, Sho Greenwood, Evan Helvin, Mir Giant... they’re performing below expectations.”

“Hmm. It seems the nonhumans are a mess.”

Humans weren’t the only race in the training camp.

The Great Houses were the descendants of the heroes who had saved the continent in the past, and naturally, the races of the heroes had been varied.

To start with, the ancestor of House Bednicker had been a black fairy, though the blood had thinned quite a bit.

“Evan Helvin...” Juan said.

His mouth twisted a little more than usual, and that was enough to make him look much colder.

“His talent and blessing aren’t bad, but he is too focused on his house. He’s still trying to learn a trash martial art like Raven.”

At the Instructor of Martial Arts’s overly aggressive tone, the Instructor of Survival’s brow furrowed.

“Aren’t you going too far?”

“Not at all. I’m sure you’ve heard of the Knight of Total Defeat.”

“...Lord Doz Helvin, the creator of Raven, naturally suffered a lot of humiliation through that process. However, enlightenment is better obtained through defeat than victory. I don’t believe that Raven, born through such defeat, is deserving of such an opinion.”

Juan nodded.

“I see. But in terms of martial theory, am I not more specialized than you?”

The mood immediately cooled as the Instructor of Survival lowered his voice and said, “Are you saying my martial knowledge is lacking compared to yours?”

However, Juan didn’t seem to care about the colder atmosphere as he smiled brightly.

“Everyone has something they’re good at.”

At that, other instructors agreed with him.

“That’s right.”

“Everyone needs to respect everyone else’s specialties. Isn’t that why there are ten grand masters?’

“Instructor Soimond, Instructor Juan isn’t called the Instructor of Martial Arts for nothing.”

“Instructor of Martial Arts? Ah, are you talking about the title that he dared not use when the Instructor of Swords and Blades was around?”

“...”

For the first time, Juan’s face hardened.

It could be said that the Instructor of Swords and Blades, Calzark, had been Juan’s direct enemy.

When Calzark had been staying at the main house, he had been the one that represented the grand masters, and he had also had a close relationship with the family head, the Lord of Blood and Iron.

The fact that Juan’s position had begun to increase around the time the Instructor of Swords and Blades disappeared was a point of mystery and suspicion.

In any case, with this argument, the mood of the meeting fell considerably.

However, the Instructor of Survival knew that he wasn’t in a favorable position in this downed mood.

But then someone interjected without a care for what was going on.

“I am paying attention to Luan Bednicker.”

It was Instructor of the Hunt, Tanko.

Even as everyone’s attention fell on him, he maintained his calm expression.

“Luan Bednicker...?”

“He did show quite a bit of intelligence during the special test...”

“He hasn’t given any outstanding performances since then.”

In the special test—the morning monster ambush—Luan Bednicker had obtained second place.

His performance during the test had been impressive, so a few instructors had started to pay attention to him, but he hadn’t done anything special afterward.

Rather...

“He seems to find my lessons difficult.”

“He is physically on the weaker side. Objectively speaking, he is the worst among the young heroes here.”

Juan turned his gaze away from the Instructor of Survival and toward Tanko.

“That’s what they say, Instructor of the Hunt. In fact, I have heard rumors that you favor Young Hero Luan.”

“Favor him?”

“Yes. You always let Luan spar against you, and you give him points under all sorts of pretenses.”

A smirk appeared on Tanko’s face.

“All sorts of pretenses... I suppose that says more about your level.”

“You’re saying too much.”

“It’s not too much. Rather, the one who ignores my decisions is crossing the line.”

“...”

“Remember this. As a great warrior of the plains, I do not lie in my assessments.”

Tanko was that type of man.

Unlike most of the grand masters, who took pride in their role as a “grand master” granted to them by the Lord of Blood and Iron, Tanko was most proud of being a great warrior of the plains.

Juan felt friction in his stance, but he didn’t say anything aloud.

“Understood. Since afternoon spars are your jurisdiction, I won’t intervene. However, it will be difficult to accept you giving out any more points like that.”

“Can’t be helped.”

In most cases, Tanko naturally accepted the majority opinion.

It wasn’t because he was magnanimous; it was just because he hated getting into unnecessary squabbles.

Juan remained quiet for a bit before asking, “Are any other instructors paying close attention to Luan Bednicker?”

“...”

“...”

No one raised their hand.

Even the Instructor of Survival, who wanted to oppose Juan just because he was Juan, remained quiet.

Juan looked back at Tanko.

“Instructor, to be honest, there is nothing much I can say about Young Hero Luan either. Honestly, assessing him without any bias is difficult work to begin with. After all, most of the people here... have heard the rumor about how he sold the sword of the house.”

“The rumor, huh? Then didn’t you hear the rumor about how Luan Bednicker defeated Hector Bednicker?”

At that, Juan gave a small smile.

“No one believes that rumor. Most people consider it an act of mercy on Hector’s part to give his youngest brother some face.”

“You’re just saying that you only believe what you want to believe. Then I’ll ask you a different question. During your lessons, no matter which lesson it is, has Luan Bednicker ever failed?”

“You’re asking an odd question. How many experts do you think are gathered here?”

As explained before, the training camp marked the young heroes in only four subjects, but those were only the major categories. The details were much more complicated.

Even within the subject of survival, there was discerning and procuring food and information, making good use of terrain, and even stealth and tracking.

That was why nobody in the Bednincker training camp should have a “perfect” score.

Even Charon, who was heads and shoulders above the level of a young hero, showed weaknesses in a few subjects that didn’t suit him.

The training camp had experts from The Empire on all different subjects, and the range of subjects they taught was even wider and deeper than the Imperial Academy.

It was expected that each young hero would fail at least two or three subjects.

However, no instructors responded to Juan’s words.

They seemed surprised by this as they turned to look at each other.

When the mood shifted a little, Tanko spoke up.

“As you said, Luan’s physical abilities are the lowest among the young heroes. However, he has never failed a single lesson.”

“...What are you trying to say?”

“Nothing. I just wanted to answer the question you asked in the beginning,” Tanko mumbled in a calm voice. “However, since we’re on the topic already, I’ll say it here: I believe Luan will obtain first place in the second special test.”

At Tanko’s declaration, the lodge became quiet.

It was the declaration of a man who didn’t joke.

Due to the weight of his words, the instructors who had taught Luan up to this point began thinking about the gold-haired Bednicker once more.

Juan didn’t seem to get swept up in the mood as he spoke.

“Is that so? I also think the second special test will produce an unexpected result, but my theory is different from yours.”

“What are your thoughts, then?”

“During the first special test, no one died. This was outside of our expectations, but it wouldn’t be odd for something unexpected to happen during the second special test.”

“What do you—”

With a smile, Juan said, “I feel that half the young heroes may die during the second special test.”