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Stella's office.
Knock knock.
"Come in."
A steward entered with an envelope.
"A letter from the royal palace, ma'am."
"The palace? Bring it here."
A small smile bloomed on Stella's face as she received the envelope from the steward.
The name on the sender was Leo Martiang.
Head of the Swordsmanship Department at Elton Academy, and Stella's mentor.
Stella tore open the envelope and took out the letter.
"Your letter arrived safely.
Thank you for leading the Swordsmanship Department so well in my stead.
It seems there are many interesting new students this semester as well.
I only wish to return to the academy soon.
However, the capital has been very chaotic these days.
Since the death of Duke Derrick, who represented the moderate faction of the Marino Empire, the influence of the hardliners has been growing.
You know that the Marino Empire has long sent many spies to our kingdom.
But lately, that number has been increasing even more.
Moreover, it seems that quite a few of our own people have already been won over by the Marino Empire.
In addition to this capital, Marino Empire spies are scattered throughout the Kingdom of Alkancia.
Perhaps Elton City, where the academy is located, is the same.
But no matter who the Marino Empire guys are, they wouldn't do anything to the academy where the students are.
<Omitted>
I will contact you again when a rough schedule for my return is set.
Looking forward to the day I return to the academy.
Leo Martiang."
A small sigh escaped from Professor Stella's lips as she folded the letter.
The assistant, who was organizing the lesson materials, asked.
"Is it bad news?"
"No, not really. But it seems it will take some time for the department head to return."
"Does that mean his mission has been extended?"
"Yeah."
"Well... Professor."
"Hmm?"
"In a way, isn't this another opportunity? Everyone in the kingdom knows about Professor Stella's skills. But you're always under the shadow of Leo, the head of the Swordsmanship Department..."
Professor Stella's expression hardened coldly.
"Shut up."
"Professor, I didn't mean it like that."
"I said shut up."
"...Yes, Professor."
"Professor Leo is the person I respect most in the world. If you utter such nonsense one more time, you'll be kicked out of the academy, assistant or not."
Thursday morning.
All first-year students moved to the entrance of the Northern Ice Zone through a large magic circle.
"Unlike the entrance exam, you will not be given scrolls to return to the academy all at once. But don't be afraid. It's the Gray Witch's dormancy period anyway. There will be no major threats other than a few beasts or insignificant monsters."
Professor Mateo looked around at the students gathered in groups and continued.
"You will spend one night in this cold, investigating the resources of the north and future threats and submitting a report. I will come back here to pick you up tomorrow at 6 PM. Be back on time. That is all."
The professors and assistants left, and the students began to scatter in groups.
Nubes asked, tightening his collar.
"Ugh, it's really cold. Which way shall we go?"
"Hey, Huge. How can you say it's cold already? Here in the Northern Ice Zone, it gets colder as you go towards the center. Anyway, it doesn't suit you."
"We're going that way."
Davian's finger pointed to an ice mountain far in the distance.
Bellum asked in surprise.
"What? That ice mountain? Hey Davian, it's really cold there. Isn't that the center of the Northern Ice Zone?"
"Didn't we decide to get first place in this group assignment? We need to go to the center to get first place."
"Well, that's true, but do we really have to..."
Latia, who was listening to Davian and Bellum's conversation, interjected.
"Yes. Let's go to the ice mountain. It would be a disgrace if this team couldn't get first place."
Nubes and Bellum looked distressed.
"Hey, Huge. I think we chose the wrong team. Right?"
"I know. It's cold now, and he's saying ice mountain."
Bonita said, walking ahead.
"What are you doing? It's decided, isn't it? Let's go."
"Not that way. This way."
"What? You said we're going to that ice mountain over there."
"It's farther if we go that way. I know a shortcut."
"A shortcut? Davian, have you been here before?"
"Well, let's say I have. Anyway, follow me. No time."
Luna quietly followed Davian first.
Then Bonita and Latia also started to move.
Bellum and Nubes, who were distressed, eventually began to move, following their teammates.
Latia kept looking around and recording something.
Bellum approached and looked at Latia's notepad.
"Latia, what are you writing so much? Or are you drawing? Are you drawing pictures?"
"Mana flow according to changes in the ice quality."
"Uh, huh? What flow according to what changes?"
"We have to write a report. You should observe something too, instead of just talking with the others."
"Ahahaha. I shouldn't have said anything."
Bellum increased his pace and naturally moved away from Latia.
This time, the target was Davian, who was walking at the front.
"Davian! How do you know the way here so well? When did you come to this far place?"
"Oh. I've been here before."
"Anyway, you're so mysterious. You look like a handsome young master, but you talk like someone who has experienced all the hardships of the world. You know a lot of things. You've been to a lot of places. Ah! You're also greedy. Mr. Double Major."
"I'm more amazed by you. How can you talk non-stop like that? Did you cultivate mana not in your dantian but in your mouth?"
"Puh-ha. I've been caught."
Bellum imitated cutting his own neck with his thumb.
"It's our family's secret. You know what happens if you reveal it, right?"
Davian couldn't help but sigh.
"Ugh. Go play with your best friend."
"Best friend? Luna?"
"No, Nubes."
"Nubes? Why are he and I best friends?"
"You two are always together. And it seems like you communicate well."
"I like muscular men, but not Nubes. He has too much muscle."
"What are you talking about? Who said anything about dating? I just said you're best friends."
"Ah..."
Bellum, who couldn't get anything out of it again, looked around for the next target.
"We're here. The entrance to the cave."
Davian pointed to the pitch-black cave entrance.
Bonita approached.
"What kind of cave is that?"
"The cave where the Gray Witch is sleeping."
Bonita accepted it calmly.
"I see."
Luna was so surprised that she could only open and close her mouth.
And as if they had planned it in advance, Bellum and Nubes shouted at the same time.
"Wh-what? Who's sleeping cave?"
Lastly, Latia looked at the cave entrance with interesting eyes and said.
"It's a cave with tremendous energy. Mana is fluctuating and being sucked in."
Davian turned to Latia with surprised eyes.
Such great mana affinity.
This magical genius girl seems to be able to read the flow of mana.
It was then.
Bonita Fortis shouted softly.
"Everyone, duck down!"
The bewildered group quickly crouched down, and Bonita pointed to the right of the cave.
"There. Someone's there. It looks like they're going towards the cave."
Following Bonita's fingertip, they could see someone walking towards the cave.
"Who is it? It doesn't look like a uniform?"
"There's no way a group could have arrived here before us."
"Then who is it?"
"Let's get a little closer and see."
Davian's group crouched down and quietly moved forward.
As they got closer, hugging the ice rocks, they could vaguely make out the person's appearance.
"Assistant Rubens?"
Luna, who was the first to recognize the face, smiled brightly and tried to get up.
Davian grabbed Luna's shoulder and pulled her down.
"Stay down."
"Why? It's Assistant Rubens? I have to say hello."
"The professors and assistants all went back to the magic circle earlier. The fact that he's here means he came back alone."
"Really? Then why?"
"He must have an ulterior motive. Let's follow him."
"An ulterior motive? Assistant Rubens, who saved our lives at the mana-bullet shooting range three days ago, has an ulterior motive..."
Bonita turned to Luna.
"It's strange to me too. Look at that. He even changed his clothes. It's different from when he escorted us here earlier."
As Bonita said, Rubens, who was escorting the students here with Professor Mateo earlier, was wearing a uniform, but now he was wearing a dark robe.
"It's suspicious indeed. Let's follow him slowly, keeping our distance."
The Gray Witch's dormancy period.
But coincidentally, on the day that the entire first year of the academy came to explore, the Gray Witch suddenly wakes up.
In the first and second playthroughs, more than half of the students were killed or injured due to this, and could no longer continue their studies.
An unprecedented situation in the history of Elton Academy.
That's how this year's class became half-baked.
'I smelled something fishy, and now it seems like I've found the culprit.'
This was the first time I had come straight to the Gray Witch's cave as soon as the group assignment started.
Thanks to that, I was able to discover Assistant Rubens entering the ice cave alone.
Before long, Rubens disappeared into the cave.
Davian's group also entered the cave slowly, keeping their distance.
"Ugh, this is a really cold and unpleasant cave."
"It feels like the cold is getting into my bones."
"But why did Assistant Rubens go in here?"
Bonita replied.
"I don't know. But he definitely looked around several times when he entered the cave. It means it's not something he's proud of."
"Shhh."
The sound of footsteps could be heard from inside the cave.
The sound of footsteps getting closer and closer.
Bonita grabbed the scabbard with her left hand and placed her right hand on the sword hilt.
A sign that she was ready to unleash magic at any time, with Latia also stretching out both hands with eight rings on them.
Thud. Thud.
"Huh? You guys!"
Assistant Rubens, who came out of the darkness, shouted in surprise.
Davian stepped forward.
"What are you doing here? Assistant."
"I, I was just..."
"Didn't you go back to the academy with the professor? Seeing as you came earlier than us, it seems you had a magic circle drawn somewhere nearby in advance?"
Rubens' expression, which had been flustered, hardened for a moment.
His contemplation didn't last long.
An expression of having made a decision.
"...Now that you've seen me here, I have no choice. You'll have to die in this cave."
"Why, are you on your way to wake up the Gray Witch or something? To annihilate the first-year students of the academy."
Rubens' eyes widened.
"Yo-you, how did you know?"
Davian's voice sank coldly.
"The academy wouldn't have ordered you to do this. Which spy are you from? Why did you plan something like this?"
"You don't need to know!"
Wind elemental magic erupted from Rubens' hand.
Sharp magic like blades poured towards Davian's group.
Clang! Clang!
Before they knew it, a thick ice barrier had formed in front of Davian's group.
It was made by Davian.
Swoosh.
Bonita drew her sword and immediately tried to go around the ice barrier.
Davian grabbed Bonita's shoulder and pulled her back.
"What? Let go."
Davian shook his head.
'Anyway, I know you're strong, but it's a problem that you don't care about danger like this. I can't let the strongest close-range dealer die here.'
"Save your strength, Bonita. You have a separate opponent."
"What?"
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