"What’s going on!?"
"Distress signals are going up everywhere... It’s a stampede!"
At the entrance to the Subnock Plain, the festival’s management tent was a hive of frantic activity.
Flares were rising from multiple points across the plain. According to reports from fleeing students, rescue squads, and supervising faculty, a tide of monsters was surging out from the deep interior.
Though the Subnock Plain was a monster-infested 'Magical Wilds,' it wasn’t typically a death trap for those with proper training in martial arts or magic. As long as one didn’t stumble into the territory of the Master of the Magical Wilds—the inner sanctum of the beast known as Subnock—it was supposed to be a safe place for hunting.
That was precisely why it had been chosen for the Monster Hunting Festival. Now, however, that very plain was transforming into a literal hell.
"A stampede from the depths... It reminds me of twenty years ago."
The words were a bitter mutter from a middle-aged man seated in the management tent. He was a large man with a frame like a mountain of rock; in the darkness, one might easily mistake his massive silhouette for a gorilla or an orangutan.
He was the Knight Commander of the Aiwood Kingdom, Marquis Irjas Catreia.
"Could the Master have emerged? Just like it did back then..."
Twenty years ago, during the reign of the previous King—a man remembered as a tyrant—a massive pioneer group had been formed to purge the Subnock Plain.
The soil in these 'Magical Wilds' was rich with mana. While this caused it to birth powerful monsters, it also made the land incredibly fertile. Had the reclamation succeeded, the region would have become a granary belt capable of feeding the entire Kingdom.
Of course, the tyrant who commanded the mission hadn't cared about the prosperity of the people. He simply wanted the glory of conquering the plain, a feat that had eluded every King before him.
The result had been a catastrophic defeat.
The soldiers who ventured into the depths were slaughtered to a man by the Master, Subnock, and its kin. After trampling the pioneer group, the beast had pursued the survivors all the way to the Royal Capital, nearly inflicting irreparable damage on the heart of the Kingdom.
A young Irjas had been part of that campaign, one of the few who lived to tell the tale. He had been a mere recruit then, losing countless comrades in the slaughter. He had used the bitterness of those memories as a springboard to climb to the rank of Knight Commander.
"...Someone must have stepped into the depths and provoked Subnock. Though I find it hard to believe any student could be that foolish."
"............"
"What is it, Albert? You’ve been awfully quiet."
Irjas turned to the other guest seated beside him: the Court Mage Captain, Albert Rosemary.
While the Court Mages and the Knight Order—representing the rival powers of magic and martial arts—were often at loggerheads, Irjas and Albert were close personal friends. They had been companions since their Academy days, when both served on the Student Council Executive Committee.
"Well... it seems we have a bit of a problem," Albert said, his face shadowed with gravity.
"I’ve lost contact with the Court Mages assigned to His Highness Third Prince Rodel. On His Majesty’s orders, I had them monitoring the Prince to ensure that fool—excuse me, to ensure His Highness didn’t do anything reckless. But now..."
"What?" Irjas narrowed his eyes.
Rodel was a Prince, but having been thoroughly coddled by the Queen Dowager, he had grown into an arrogant, witless youth. Because he had recently caused trouble at the Academy, the King had ordered Albert to keep him under constant surveillance. They were supposed to receive periodic reports via 'Communication' magic during the festival, but those reports had ceased.
"They aren't responding to my [Transmission] magic. I can only assume something has happened."
"You don't think..."
"Mmu..."
The same grim thought clearly occupied both their minds. They fell into a tense, brooding silence.
Was it possible that Rodel had wandered into the depths and provoked Subnock?
"If Subnock has truly emerged, the Royal Capital itself could be in danger. It will be a repeat of twenty years ago."
Irjas stood up, his massive frame casting a long shadow.
"We can't leave this to the Academy faculty anymore. I’m going to take command of the Knight Order and prepare for an interception."
"I’ll handle the information gathering and student evacuations. Honestly... and to think my daughters are out there."
With a shared sigh and a final glance, the Knight Commander and the Court Mage Captain sprang into action.
Even as they moved, a steady stream of injured students was stumbling back from the plain. Monsters were leaping out of the tall grass in pursuit of them, and teachers and Student Council members were already locked in combat to hold the line.
The chaos continued to escalate. Like an spreading wildfire, panic began to surge through the crowd.