157: Unexpected

The teleportation was business as usual.

The duration this time was only three days—shorter than the last exam—but that was still far too long to go without food or water. And since this was a Tag Match, communication was going to be our lifeline.

Just like in the Forest of Demons, this place was crawling with monsters. I had no idea if we’d even get a wink of sleep.

"Shari, what are you doing?"

She was hunched over a map. It was a crude, simplified thing, but the scale was daunting—this was the most vast play area we’d ever been thrown into. Come to think of it, she had perfectly pinpointed the final safe zone during the last exam, too.

Even in the Original Story, the spawns and zones were supposed to be random. How does she do it?

"This is a secret, okay?" she whispered.

"What is?"

"Look."

Shari beckoned me over with a small wave of her hand. We had been warped into a dense thicket of trees; so far, I couldn't sense any monsters or other students nearby. I leaned in to look, and Shari used her magic to mark the map with tiny, glowing arrows.

"I think we were dropped somewhere in the north. Based on the timing, we were probably in the middle of the pack to be teleported."

"Okay, and? What does that tell us?"

"Teacher Chloe wouldn't drop anyone directly onto a monster right at the start. If you assume she’s filling the map starting from the south, that would put us right here."

"...I see."

"Most people are going to gravitate toward this settlement in the center. Teacher Chloe mentioned there would be 'something' hidden there, after all. But instead of looking for loot... let’s hunt the people searching for it."

I stared at her, genuinely impressed. Maybe I’d spent too much time around Duke and Allen and had lost my perspective on her. She wasn't just a combatant; she was analyzing the terrain, the emotions of the other students, and even Chloe’s hidden intentions.

I guess her predicting the zone last time wasn't a coincidence after all. She really is a professional when it comes to setting traps.

"Weiss?"

"Ah, sorry. Yeah, that’s a solid plan. Let’s go with that."

"...Are you sure? Your grades are always higher than mine—"

"A good proposal is a good proposal, regardless of who makes it. I’m not too proud to follow a smart strategy. Let's move."

"Hehe... As I thought, you really are strange, Weiss."

"What? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing! Let's hurry."

---

Inside the settlement, two Intermediate-year Students had already claimed a dilapidated house. They were searching the rooms, their eyes darting around warily.

"—How's it looking?"

"Seems clear. But don't drop your guard."

After a slow, methodical search of the ruins, they found something tucked inside a wooden basket. Their voices rose with excitement.

"Oh! Man, is this food—?"

"Wait, it's a trap!"

At that exact moment, Shari unleashed her magic. It started with a simple Magic Thread, which snared them instantly, tangling around their limbs.

I lunged from the shadows. I didn't have a proper weapon yet, so I was swinging a sturdy-looking wooden stick I'd found on the way.

"Crap! It’s Weiss and Shari!"

"I've got this—!"

One of the boys surged his mana, firing a blast directly at me. I reflexively used the wooden stick as a shield, but it shattered into splinters instantly.

Tch. Seriously? Talk about flimsy.

"D-Dammit!"

"Well, I guess a little close-quarters combat won't kill me."

Taking advantage of the fact that he was still tangled in the threads, I drove a kick into his side before slamming a palm strike into his jaw. I was about to deliver an axe kick to finish the job when the guy next to him managed to dispel the magic.

Hoh, he’s actually decent.

The partner slammed a spell into the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dust to cover their retreat. Their forms began to vanish into the haze, but I lunged forward and snagged a passing ankle.

"You're not going anywhere."

[Eripol Todel: First elimination via Mana Leakage. Nameplate transferred to Weiss Fancent.]

The other student managed to slip away into the trees. Shari had fired a Mana Cannon to intercept him, but she’d dialed back the power so the blast wouldn't broadcast our location to the entire forest. Pursuing him would be too dangerous.

Still, we had secured our first point.

"He got away," Shari noted.

"Nothing we could do. They got here before us, after all. At least we secured their food. Though, I have to say... this exam is looking a lot tougher than I expected."

"Yes, I'm surprised too."

If I surge mana into a sharp blade, it works great. But because I have too much power, that wooden stick just couldn't take the strain and crumbled. If I had my Dual Swords, that would've been a one-hit KO. Instead, I’m stuck playing survivalist.

Then again, this was as "practical" as combat gets. You can't always choose your tools.

Heh. Typical Noblesse. This is actually getting interesting.

If I can overcome this, I'll definitely be stronger. I'm going to win. No matter what.

Wait, but first things first.

"Shari, what was the food they found?"

Please, let it be a Melo-Melon. Give me one Melo-Melon and I can fight for seventy-two hours straight.

But what Shari pulled out was... a small pouch.

"What is that?"

"Strawberry jam! With this, we can make anything taste delicious."

"...Great. Now we just have to find some bread."

I had intended to target Allen and Cynthia, but I was starting to realize that the most dangerous pair on the field might be someone else entirely.

---

At the western edge of the forest, Duke's nose was twitching.

"Oh! Lilith! Look, it's bread! And it’s actually piping hot!"

"It really is! Wow, it’s so warm!"

They tore off chunks of the bread and stuffed their faces, grinning happily. Lilith watched Duke with a soft, adoring smile.

"Duke-san... let's definitely win this."

"Yeah. This time... we're taking it all the way."

They didn't notice the pair watching them from the shadows of the trees. The hidden duo watched the scene, manifesting their Dual Swords in their hands.

"Cynthia-san, let's go."

"Right, Allen-san. I won't be holding back."

Twenty minutes later...

[Allen, Cynthia Violetta: First elimination via Mana Leakage. Nameplates transferred to Duke Billian and Lilith Scarlet.]

Hearing the announcement, Weiss and Shari stared at each other in shock.

"Weiss..."

"Yeah. The points went to the most troublesome people on the map."

Before the match, Shari and I had run through countermeasures for every student. Out of everyone, we had flagged Duke and Lilith as the biggest threats because their combat effectiveness didn't depend on found equipment.

If Allen and Cynthia respawned, they'd likely just go right back after them. We were looking at a total quagmire.

If things go south—wait, what is that? It’s sweet.

"...What are you doing?"

"Testing the jam for poison. It's Teacher Chloe; I thought it was possible."

Shari had just shoved a finger full of the strawberry jam into my mouth. I chewed reflexively. Yup. That's definitely strawberry.

"Seems safe enough," she chirped.

"You... seriously?"

"We've got three days, Weiss. We have to take it easy. Now, let's get moving."

"Good grief..."