032: The Survival Training Begins

Hours had already ticked by since the start of the survival exercise.

In my left hand, I gripped the sturdy new whip Zebis had fashioned for me; in my right, I held the masterwork blade passed down through the House Fanscent for generations. Using both in tandem, I spent my time exterminating monsters I’d never laid eyes on before.

The first to appear had been a small rabbit. It looked pathetic and weak, but a wicked horn protruded from its forehead, and it aimed for my throat the second it saw an opening. To make matters worse, it could blend into the scenery like a chameleon. At the moment, its fur was pure white, making it nearly invisible against the snow.

If I didn’t have Dark Eye, this would have been a lot more of a pain.

One, two, three of them—I snared them with the whip before finishing them off with the sword. It was a simple combo, but a deadly one.

From behind me, a boisterous, deep voice roared.

"Raaaah! Hup! Take that, you bastards!"

Duke caught a monster’s horn with his mana-reinforced body and obliterated it with a counter-punch.

...He’s basically a wild man.

『Points awarded to Weiss Fancent and Duke Billian.』

Thanks to the magic cast on us beforehand, a voice resonated directly into my brain. The point total displayed on the back of my hand shifted.

"Next one. Let’s move."

"Wait a sec, Weiss! Let’s take a breather already..." Duke huffed. "This training lasts three days. It’s supposed to include finding food and shelter, not to mention clothes. I mean, every other pair starts with the 'survival' part of survival training. Why are we just slaughtering monsters like maniacs? You’ve got the order backward!"

For some reason, I’d been paired up with Sasami.

It wasn’t like this in the original story. It was most likely a result of our grades. I didn't know the exact criteria the academy used, but as far as partners went, he was a solid choice. In a survival situation where physical stamina was everything, having more muscle was an objective advantage. I just wished he’d shut up once in a while.

"What, you can't manage three days without sleep?"

"...Are you for real?"

His jaw dropped.

Ah, Duke really is a riot. His lack of a filter is his best quality.

"The weaker a monster is, the more cautious it is," I explained. "This forest is already crawling with underclassmen. As time passes, the small fry will hide, and only the formidable ones will be left. If we want to rack up points, we have to move now. Do you still want to nap?"

"I... No, you're right! I’m in! Why didn’t you just say so, Weiss?! You gotta keep me in the loop, buddy!"

He threw a thick, heavy arm around my neck. Why was he being so damn overfamiliar? I was trying my best to project an intimidating aura specifically to keep people at a distance. Mingling only hindered point efficiency.

Apparently, it didn't work on him.

"Don’t touch me. Don’t brush against me. Don’t even get close to me."

"Aw, why not? We’re buddies who've got each other's backs!"

"...Heh."

"Ah! Weiss laughed! Dammit, I should’ve had a magic camera ready. Hey, wait! Don't leave me behind!"

What a cheerful idiot.

However, that explanation I gave him was just a spur-of-the-moment fabrication. I had no intention of telling him the truth.

I was... conflicted.

---

Early morning, day two of the survival training.

I never imagined the blizzard would get this bad. I knew how terrifying magic clouds could be, but this was beyond my worst expectations. We had been forced to dig a snow cave to shield ourselves from the elements.

I wonder if Allen is doing okay...

"Shari-san, I’ve melted some fresh snow and warmed it for you. Please be careful not to drink too much, or you’ll upset your stomach."

"Thank you, Lilith-san."

My partner was the maid of that infamous Weiss Fancent.

To be honest, I was stunned. I’d expected her to be as awful as her master, but her movements were refined, her bearing polite, and most of all... she was terrifyingly strong. Even though the snow was deep enough to swallow one's legs, she moved through it as if it were nothing, slaying monsters with incredible speed.

She’s amazing.

"Even so, your magic is quite impressive, Shari-san. It’s only thanks to your enchantments that we’re able to rest safely like this."

"No, I’m the type who has to wait for an opening, so I’m just glad I was paired with a vanguard like you."

Right then, the magic trap I’d set outside flashed. Lilith-san and I hurried out to find a pure white deer monster struggling on the ground, its legs bound.

The spell I’d applied to the terrain was Magic Rest. My affinity allowed me to bestow magic onto objects and people. The effects varied, but it was incredibly effective against monsters. Unlike humans, they lacked the intuition to see through the traps and walked right into them.

Lilith-san silently stepped forward and took the monster’s head.

"Hehe. Food secured."

"...Ah."

She really was a professional; her survival skills were top-notch. I assumed we were eating venison tonight.

By the morning of the third day, Lilith-san and I were racking up points at a steady pace. Between my traps and the enchantments I placed on her, we were taking down monsters with zero risk. We made a great team, but more than that, I appreciated that she didn’t treat me like a sheltered noble.

No... that’s a bad way to think. I’m only thinking that because I’m being arrogant.

With about five hours left in the exercise, we were on track for a high score. But then, a casual remark of mine caused Lilith-san to snap.

"...There are some things that are unforgivable, even if they're just suggestions."

"Wait, no, I just meant the rumors said—"

"Master Weiss is a wonderful man. I am here by my own choice, not because I am being used as a convenient tool."

"I... I see."

I had suggested that she might be better off leaving Weiss Fancent’s service. In response, she had glared at me with eyes so cold they sent a shiver down my spine. Seeing her like that, I finally realized just how much she adored him.

I really have become a stuck-up noble without even realizing it.

I claimed to despise the aristocracy, yet somewhere deep down, I had been looking down on Lilith-san as "just a maid." That was why I’d overstepped.

And in that moment of reflection... I let my guard down.

My magic isn't suited for sudden ambushes. That’s why I rely on traps. I am at my most vulnerable when I am in the middle of enchanting something, as I have to focus every nerve in my body on the task. I can’t pay attention to my surroundings.

I knew that, which was why I usually coordinated with Lilith-san. But because I’d made things awkward between us, I had tried to finish the spell quickly on my own—

"GRRRR-AWWWWR!"

We must have stumbled into a nesting ground. Dozens of massive magic wolves emerged, baring their fangs to intimidate us. And they were strong—their mana was on a completely different level than the enemies we’d faced so far. These were the eyes of predators that reigned at the top of the forest's food chain.

"Kuh—!"

I scrambled to draw my sword and applied a reinforcement spell to the blade. The wolves circled us slowly, waiting for the perfect moment.

They’re smart.

The moment a wolf behind me let out a howl, my body flinched. I instinctively started to turn, and the wolves on my left and right lunged the moment I showed my back.

A feint! Which one do I hit first?!

That split-second of indecision slowed my brain. Dammit!

"Shari-san!"

Lilith-san threw herself in front of me. She took a bite to the right arm to shield me, but she didn't flinch, driving her knife into the monster's throat and killing it instantly.

"I’m so sorry! I—"

"Don't apologize! Just focus on killing them!"

"Right!"

From there, we took down two, three, four of them. I thought we might actually win—until the pack leader howled.

In an instant, more wolves came pouring out of the forest depths. One, two, three... the numbers kept growing. Lilith-san and I were covered in bite marks. We were losing too much blood. Their saliva must have contained an anti-coagulant.

My vision blurred. My knees shook. The thought of death flashed through my mind.

Allen...

"I won't lose! I... I will not die here!" Lilith-san screamed, trying to rouse her failing spirits.

It’s my fault. I can't let this happen. If we die here... it’s all over!

But the wolves surged forward with a momentum that crushed our hopes. If they all lunged at once, there was no way we could stop them. And yet—

"GAWOOO!"

"—Blessing of Healing and Impulse of Destruction."

A voice rang out. It was low, steady, and overflowing with absolute confidence.

A figure stepped in front of me, shielding me from the pack. In that instant, a wave of warmth washed over my body. I could feel the wounds from my blood loss mending. The agonizing pain began to fade.

"Master Weiss!"

"Lilith, stay down. Shari, you too."

"Wei...ss...?"

Why? How are you here?

In this exercise, helping other pairs didn't grant any points. No, he’s here for Lilith... right? No, that’s not it.

Weiss had been worried about me. I knew it deep down, but I’d refused to admit it. I wanted to believe the rumors. I wanted to believe all nobles were evil. I’d realized he was actually a kind person a long time ago, and yet...

"You mutts really think you can take me just because you have the numbers?"

A magic circle expanded across the ground, eroding our enemies while simultaneously knitting our flesh back together. This was the same magic Weiss had used against Allen—no, it was even more powerful now.

He’s been working so hard.

Despite the spell, the wolves continued to multiply. One of them lunged at Weiss’s blind spot—

"ORA-RA-RA! Honestly, Weiss, you love acting like a cool guy, don't you?"

"Shut up, Sasami. You watch the rear. I’ll handle the front."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it."

Duke. My childhood friend. Everyone thought of him as a paragon of justice who got along with everyone, but Duke never truly opened his heart to people he disliked. And yet, here he was, bickering familiarly with Weiss.

I was so wrong.

---

"...Okay, that was actually a lot of them."

"Yeah! No kidding! And 'a lot' isn't the problem! Fighting back-to-back without sleep is brutal, man!"

"Shut up, or I’m demoting your nickname to Protein."

Duke slumped to the ground, gasping for air. He came from the Billian family, famous for their physical reinforcement; he had monstrous stamina. It was my first time ever seeing him look exhausted. Just what had they been through to get here?

"Master Weiss, thank you so much!"

"I did it for the points. It’s not like I was trying to save you."

"Hehe, of course you weren't."

For the points, huh?

"Well, Weiss was right! We got a ton of points for that!" Duke cheered. "It was worth pulling an all-nighter!"

"If you have enough breath to flap your gums, go kill a monster by yourself."

"Give me a break, seriously..."

I slowly approached Weiss. I had to say it. I had to.

"Weiss."

"..."

"What is it?"

"About everything before... I’m really... sorr—"

"GAWOOOOO!"

At that exact moment, one of the dying wolves used the last of its strength to tackle me. My balance broke. Right beside me was a sheer, jagged cliff.

I tipped backward—and fell.

Ah...

So this is how it ends.

In the end... I couldn't even apologize.

"SHARI!"

Weiss lunged after me. In mid-air, he reached out his hand.

Why? Why would you...?

Ah, you really are—

I instinctively reached out and grabbed his hand. In the next heartbeat, my body felt weightless.

Did he... did he just cast Flight Magic on me?!

Using the momentum, he threw me back toward the top of the cliff, where Duke caught me. I scrambled to my feet and ran to the edge. Duke and Lilith-san were right behind me.

But—

"Master Weiss!"

"WEISS!"

Far below, Weiss was plummeting toward the abyss.

No. No, no, no! This can't be happening! Because of me, he’s...

"NO!"

Then, I heard footsteps behind me.

"—I'll save him."

A blur of motion dashed past me and leapt off the cliff. It was Allen.