I checked the watch on my left wrist.
The time was 9:00 AM. Three hours had passed since the exercise officially began at 6:00 AM.
Despite hiking through the woods for that entire time, we hadn't made a shred of progress.
"Look. It's the tree I marked earlier."
"You're right," Amelia said, her voice tight.
"Whoa, are you serious? I could’ve sworn we were walking in a straight line," Evi muttered, scratching his head in disbelief.
"...I-It’s incredible... There really is magic covering the entire forest..." Elisa whispered, her eyes wide as she adjusted her glasses.
We had been using a knife to leave distinct marks on trees to serve as landmarks. Yet, despite our best efforts to maintain a straight course, we had ended up right back where we started.
I spread the map out once more and hummed thoughtfully.
"Something the matter, Ray?" Amelia asked.
"No. Our coordinates are completely unknown. Our current location and intended direction are both a mystery. However, one thing is certain."
"And what’s that?"
"Every one of us is under the influence of magic. This forest is governed by Code Theory... but prima materia is not an infinite resource."
Amelia nodded. "I see. Which means this disruption magic can't be active indefinitely."
"Exactly. Perpetual motion remains one of the great unresolved challenges of our field. Of course, Ainsworth has published a theory regarding Code Connect, but..."
"But that... was still just a hypothesis... wasn't it?" Elisa chimed in.
"As expected, you're well-informed, Elisa."
"Yeah... I try to keep up with Ainsworth's research papers..."
"I see. Well, let's return to the matter at hand. The problem is that we are currently in a time window where the magic is being actively exercised. Therefore, the best course of action is... to take a break."
Having reached that conclusion, we decided to rest.
We had been on the move constantly since our encounter with the Huge Bee. Even before formulating my hypothesis, I had already intended to suggest a rest stop.
I was accustomed to this level of exertion, and while Amelia and Evi still looked capable, it was clearly taking a toll on Elisa.
We took the opportunity to hydrate using the canteens we had brought.
"Hmm... where do we go from here?"
I muttered to myself, trying to organize my thoughts. To be blunt, there was a way to dispel this magic—a very simple one, in fact. But I couldn't do that. We were operating as a party, and I couldn't simply use a shortcut like that.
Besides, there was the question of whether my body could even handle it right now.
"Ray-kun..."
"Elisa. Is everything alright?"
"Um... thank you."
"For what?"
"You were being considerate of me, weren't you?"
"So you realized? You're quite sharp. But please, don't apologize for it."
"...You can tell what I'm thinking after all?"
"Yes. You were about to apologize to me and the others, weren't you?"
"I was, but..."
"There's no need to worry. I had planned to take periodic breaks from the beginning."
"But... if it weren't for me, we could have gone so much faster!..."
"They say 'more haste, less speed,' don't they? There is a fundamental truth to that. Rushing through everything is rarely productive. Settling down like this is a good way to clear one's head."
"I see... You're right. Thank you, Ray-kun..."
"Don't mention it. If I was able to help you, Elisa, then I'm happy."
After we finished resting, we established a new plan and set off once more.
However, I had a lingering concern. Naturally, I shared it with the group as we walked.
"Regarding this practical exercise..."
"What about it?" Amelia asked.
"If we encounter other parties, is cooperation permitted?"
"...It wasn't explicitly listed as a violation in the briefing... so I assume it's fine?"
Amelia responded, followed by Evi muttering under his breath.
"Ah... I get it."
"You see it, Evi?"
"Yeah. That means interference is also on the table, right?"
"Precisely. Personally, I suspect it won't be long before we run into someone. At this hour, almost every party is likely wandering aimlessly. It wouldn't surprise me if navigating social friction is also part of the curriculum."
I was, for better or worse, a pariah at the academy. I knew that Evi and Elisa, as my frequent companions, weren't looked upon favorably either.
Amelia was a different story, but there were surely students who felt slighted when she chose our party.
They would wonder why the top student of the Three Great Noble Families would join a party led by a Withered Wizard. Because of that, any encounter with another party was likely to result in conflict.
"Hm, what's that?..."
"Spiders," Amelia noted.
"There's an awful lot of them. Are they heading somewhere?"
"Yeah... they seem to be in a hurry..." Elisa added, her voice trembling slightly.
I felt it. It was a peculiar sensation—not a magical perception, per se, nor did I have any concrete proof. But my intuition was screaming at me that something was going very, very wrong.
"Forgive me! I'm going ahead!"
"Wait, Ray! What's wrong!?"
"Catch up with me later!"
I didn't wait for a response. I activated my physical reinforcement magic, layering it onto my body as I had done countless times before. I sprinted across the forest floor, chasing the swarm of spiders.
I kept my blade low, sliding it almost perpendicular to the ground. I sliced through the swarms of spiders boiling up from the earth, though my objective wasn't their total annihilation.
There was something up ahead.
Driven by that premonition, I tore through the woods, following the wake of the swarm. I wove through the trees, maintaining my momentum without slowing down, until... I saw them.
"Hieeeeeeeee!"
"Stay away! Get back!"
"N-Noooooooooooo!!"
"D-Damn it! What the hell is happening!!?"
Four students were there. Among them was a familiar face—Mr. Alium. They were backed into a corner, paralyzed by panic.
It was understandable. No matter how minor the monsters might be individually, there were simply too many spiders. Furthermore, they were already entangled in webs, and they were desperately wasting magic trying to tear themselves free.
Mr. Alium was the only one still standing at the front, attempting to fight.
But I could tell his defense was seconds away from a total collapse.
"I'll back you up!"
"What?! The Withered Wizard!?"
I took a split-second to gauge the numbers. There were roughly a hundred of them... but since they were clustered together, exterminating them would be easy, even with a single sword.
I had been using physical reinforcement primarily for speed, but now I added the code for inertia control to my magic area, letting the Code Theory run at full tilt.
"...First ten."
I blurred forward. In the same instant I passed them, a mountain of spider corpses appeared in my wake.
"...Eh?"
I heard a dazed gasp, but I didn't have time to indulge it. I used my inertia control to make a sharp, right-angle turn without losing velocity, delivering another sweeping flash. Controlling the inertia of the blade itself, I chained one continuous attack into the next.
Sensing a threat, the spiders lunged at me all at once. It was exactly what I wanted.
"That's fifty..."
I sliced through their soft abdomens and pivoted to strike again without a moment's pause.
Roughly a minute later, every last spider lay dead.
"Are you alright, Mr. Alium?"
I gave my blade a sharp flick, snapping the monster fluids onto the ground. I slowly sheathed my sword and addressed him.
He looked stunned, his mind clearly unable to process the sudden shift in the situation.
"I—I could have managed that on my own!!"
"Is that so? Did you have a secret plan?"
"A... Ah, yeah! If you can do it, there's no way I couldn't have!"
"I see. My apologies for intruding, then... Hm?"
Suddenly, the forms of Mr. Alium and the other students began to fade, as if they were being swallowed by a rising mist.
Was this truly a scripted event for the exercise?
If so, it felt excessively dangerous. To be honest, I suspect at least one of them would have been eaten if I hadn't intervened... and that mist was suspicious.
"Ray!"
"Hey! You're way too fast!!"
I turned to see Amelia and Evi shouting as they approached. Further back, Elisa was panting, trying her best to keep pace.
I felt a nagging sense of dissatisfaction with how things had ended, but for now, I moved to rejoin my team.