"Whoa! What is this mountain of corpses!?"
"Ugh... this is pretty gruesome..."
"Uuu... this is... a bit much..."
The three of them had finally caught up. They were looking on with visible revulsion.
Ah, I see. I understood then. Looking down at the ground, I saw the gruesome remains of the Spiders. Their mangled bodies were scattered about, fluids splattered everywhere. It was certainly enough to turn the stomach of anyone unaccustomed to such sights.
"Ray, did you do all this alone?"
"Yeah, I did..."
"Is something wrong? You look troubled."
"Earlier, Mr. Alium’s party was being attacked by these Spiders."
"Wait... really?"
"Yes. I stepped in to help, but a strange mist appeared and they vanished."
"Maybe that’s just some kind of magic native to this forest."
"...Still, it doesn't make sense. The sheer number of those Spiders was abnormal. This exercise is supposed to be managed by the faculty. We can assume the ecosystem is controlled to some extent. But that was clearly overkill. To be honest, it wouldn't have been strange if at least one of them had ended up as spider food."
"...Is there something going on with this exercise?"
"...Perhaps."
I let my thoughts layer over one another.
As I had just mentioned, I felt that the situation was more than a student could handle. It was an intuition I’d felt from the moment the swarm of Spiders began moving. Coincidentally, that intuition had been correct, but why would they do such a thing?
If the ecosystem had simply gone a bit haywire, resulting in an unforeseen event... that would be one thing. I wondered if my concerns would end as mere needless anxiety.
"Ray-kun..."
"What is it, Elisa?"
As I was lost in thought, Elisa approached me. Meanwhile, Evi was gathering the carcasses into a pile so Amelia could handle their disposal.
"Your clothes..."
"Ah. Sorry. It’s not a pleasant sight, is it?"
A small amount of spider fluid was stuck to my clothes. Elisa stared fixedly at it and then invoked magic.
"Oh! You dispersed only the liquid on my clothes!"
"Y-Yeah. If it worked... then I'm glad."
"No, it’s a huge help. You seem to be quite skilled with delicate magic, Elisa. Or rather, you're quite good at handling Code."
"You... think so?"
"Yes. Until now, your brain likely just couldn't keep up with processing the Code."
"I see... You really are knowledgeable, Ray-kun."
"Heh, well, I don't dislike studying."
I didn't dislike it now. But there was a time when I had grown to hate it. All of that was due to Master’s education... though now, it was a fond memory.
"Ray. We're finished."
"Phew... that was pretty exhausting."
"Sorry for leaving the disposal to you."
"You're tired from the battle, right? At least let us handle that much."
"Yeah! It’s all about helping each other out, right?"
"Yes. You're exactly right. Thank you."
Even though only a little over a month had passed since we met, I was glad to have met such wonderful companions. At the same time, a part of me couldn't help but think.
My past, and these days spent hiding it. It was about time Master's "all-purpose countryside forest theory" started looking suspicious.
However, would it be okay... to tell them the truth?
Doubt. Impatience. Those feelings flickered briefly through my mind.
The "me" that interacted with them now was by no means a false image, but I felt that one day, I would have to face reality.
I had a premonition that such a time was coming.
◇
We continued forward after that.
Defeating the monsters that appeared, we tracked the cycle of the forest's magic to ensure we didn't wander. We had noticed that there was a time period roughly every three hours when the forest's Prima Materia grew thin.
That was likely when the forest's magic was at its weakest. Slipping through those windows of time, we steadily made our way forward, taking breaks along the way.
"Let's rest here for today. Let's aim for... six hours of sleep."
It was currently midnight on the first night. Eighteen hours had passed since the start of the exercise. If we added six hours of sleep, that left exactly one full day. We had to clear the exercise within that remaining time. It would have been possible to push through without sleeping, and the group's atmosphere suggested they were ready to try.
But fatigue and sleep deprivation were nothing to scoff at.
Physical decline was one thing, but more importantly, it would make invoking magic difficult. Magic is a phenomenon brought about primarily by using the frontal lobe of the brain. That area is called the Magic Area, and if you push yourself too hard, a Magic Area Overheat will occur. That was why careful rest was more important than anything.
"This is my first time sleeping outside..."
"I've got some experience! Well, I had a tent back then, though..."
"M-Me too..."
"I'm sorry, but it would be difficult to construct something like that now. It’s best to lay down some grass and lie on that. As for the dirt... we'll just have to accept it as unavoidable."
"You really are used to this, Ray."
"Yes. I spent many nights sleeping outdoors."
"Hmm. Is that so?"
Amelia spoke flatly, but she still seemed to find me suspicious.
But that was only natural. It made sense for someone from an Ordinary background to be unable to use magic well, but being better at combat skills than a normal sorcerer must have seemed strangely inconsistent. In moments like this, I remembered Master's words.
"Ray. You are going to become a student."
"Yes."
"But I won't tell you that you must absolutely hide the fact that you are the Ice Sword Sorcerer until the very end."
"But wouldn't it be a problem if it were found out...?"
"That's just for the convenience of the Magic Association. There are some among the Seven Grand Sorcerers who have made their identities public. But your case is special. Besides, academies are surprisingly closed-off spaces. Rumors spread quickly. If you want to enjoy your academy life, it would be better to strive to hide it for these four years. However, neither I nor you are soldiers anymore; we are free to do as we please... just keep that in mind for now."
"Sir. Understood!"
"However... if you find comrades you can truly trust from the bottom of your heart... it might be okay to reveal it. The time may come when you need to speak of your past."
"..."
"It is a loathsome memory. For both me and you. But people cannot live alone. They will inevitably interact with others. That is why you must be sincere with those you can trust, Ray."
"...Master. Thank you for your precious words."
I’d had that exchange before enrollment. At the time, I only understood the meaning of the words on the surface. But within just one month of enrolling, I had already found comrades I felt I could trust.
—What should I do, Master?
Thinking such things, I drifted off to sleep.
◇
"Haa... haa... haa..."
"Man... this is rough..."
"Uu... uugh... my legs..."
Waking up the next morning, we resumed our trek. The merciless sunlight beat down on us, sapping the moisture from our bodies. We managed to supplement ourselves with hydration and breaks, but the fatigue of everyone other than myself was reaching its peak.
—Should we have taken more time for sleep? But any more than that and we might have cut it too close... Did I make a mistake in judgment?
"Haa... haa... haa..."
"Elisa, lean on me."
"Eh, but..."
"I'll support you."
Elisa was in the most precarious state among us. That was why I moved to the rear and lent her my shoulder.
"We'll be in close contact, so my apologies."
"No... I don't mind at all. But... um... thank you."
"Yes. The spirit of helping one another is important."
Evi and Amelia watched us, but neither of them complained. Evi gave a firm thumbs-up and a grin, while Amelia smiled gently.
Everyone understood. They knew what our party needed to do. Besides, Elisa had provided immense magic-related support. Her magic had been vital for generating water and facing off against monsters. In terms of the sheer number of spells cast, Elisa had likely used her magic the most.
There was no doubt she was exhausted, both physically and mentally.
And that magical support was something the current me absolutely could not do. That was why it was time to repay that debt.
"Ah!"
"Hey, look, Ray! Is that...?"
"Yeah. No mistake."
"Yes... finally..."
We had reached the center of the forest. A marker had been placed there neatly. I could also catch a glimpse of Instructor Gray and Instructor Light. That must be the goal.
"HELL YEAHHHHH!"
Evi, seemingly forgetting his exhaustion, began to sprint. Amelia followed suit, and Elisa and I moved forward like we were in a three-legged race... but then I felt it.
This was... the presence of magic.
"Evi! Amelia! Stop!! It's Delay Magic!"
"Whoa..."
"Eh...!?"
The warning reached them in time; Evi and Amelia came to a dead stop.
"Elisa, wait here a moment."
"Y-Yeah..."
I set Elisa down, picked up a nearby stone, and tossed it right in front of me. Then...
"Whoa!!"
"Kyaa!!"
In an instant, the Delay Magic activated in response to the impact. Something like a birdcage emerged from the ground.
"I thought so... that’s a pretty nasty trap."
"Ray, you noticed that well."
"Yes. Really."
"There was a stagnation in the Prima Materia. That’s characteristic of Delay Magic. Now then, shall we go?"
I hoisted Elisa up, and we all arrived at the destination together.
"Congratulations. You are the first ones here."
"Yes, yes. This year's students are excellent. Isn't this the fastest time in history?"
Instructor Gray and Instructor Light were there to greet us.
The time was... currently 5:30 PM. That meant it had taken us about forty-one hours.
"Ohh! We did it, everyone! We're the first ones!"
"Yeah!"
"Mhm...!"
"Yes. This is the result of everyone cooperating."
A lot had happened, but we finished the Practical Training Exercise at the very top.