[Vol. 7] Chapter 181: The Soul of a Hardworking Person!
The blue-haired girl was momentarily stunned. She hadn’t expected the exam proctor, who was supposed to maintain neutrality and fairness, to casually join them by the fire, eating and drinking as if it were nothing. Even more surprising, she was now showing interest in this minor, insignificant matter during the competition.
She glanced at the princess beside her, but since Her Highness didn’t seem to find it inappropriate, she simply explained.
"[Nightshadow Monkeys] use illusion magic to blend into their surroundings when they hunt, so I never actually saw what it really looked like. To me, it just appeared as a shifting, dark-gray mist, constantly moving at high speed."
"As for why it felt familiar… I can’t quite say. It’s just that the energy it gave off seemed somewhat recognizable. Also, [Nightshadow Monkeys] are usually very cunning creatures. If they start losing a fight, they escape quickly. But this one acted like it was provoked. Completely relentless, fighting with unusual aggression. Maybe it was mentally unstable, which is why its troop kicked it out."
"Oh..."
The priestess simply nodded thoughtfully without saying more.
Rosie, noticing her reaction, felt a bit puzzled and couldn’t help but ask, "Miss Violet, you seem particularly interested in this. Earlier, when Orluk fired her magic gun, you also sensed something unusual before it even happened. Is there something strange about all this?"
The black-haired girl just smiled and shook her head.
"Just an old grudge that came to mind. Don't worry, Sainz and I will take care of the investigation and handling of this matter. You guys just focus on the competition and relax."
……………………………………………
That night.
Deep within the tenth floor of the [Morst Underground Labyrinth], far from the Frederick Royal Academy’s campsite, another temporary camp had been set up.
Inside one of the tents, a blonde-haired girl was sleeping soundly. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open, revealing golden slit pupils that seemed to burn with an eerie glow in the darkness. As if sensing something, she turned her gaze toward a distant part of the forest.
After a moment of contemplation, she sat up.
She glanced at the tent beside hers, where another girl with brown hair was fast asleep, her clothes still on. Drool covered her face as she mumbled in her sleep, occasionally murmuring "So tasty… so tasty…" in delight.
Shaking her head helplessly, the blonde girl quietly lifted the tent flap and stepped outside alone.
Outside the tent, Yogg, a member of the [Magic Rock] Tribe, and another female classmate from the [Experimental Class] were keeping watch by the campfire. Based on the agreed shift schedule, it was already the second half of the night.
When their team captain, a blonde dragon girl, suddenly appeared, Yogg, who had been getting drowsy, instantly became alert. He quickly jumped off the rock he was sitting on and hurried over to the petite girl, who barely reached his chest. Scratching his head awkwardly, he asked,
"What's wrong, Sister Light? It’s not time to switch shifts yet, right?"
"I'm just taking a little walk. You guys stay here and keep watch as usual."
"Huh? But outside is—ow!"
Before the simple-minded Yogg could finish questioning her, the girl who was on guard with him immediately kicked his knee, cutting him off mid-sentence.
"Got it, Light. You go ahead, just don’t wander too far from the light."
"Mm. While I'm gone, be extra careful. Something foul-smelling is lurking in this forest… I won’t be long."
After giving them a few simple warnings, the little dragon girl quickly disappeared into the shadows of the trees, leaving the two behind to watch her go.
Only then did Yogg, still stunned from the sudden kick, finally turn back, looking annoyed. His single eye glared at his partner, a purple-haired girl who, despite looking mostly human, had small bat-like wings on her back and strange magical markings covering her skin. For some reason, her appearance had an unusually alluring charm.
"What was that for…? Didn’t they say this place is dangerous at night? How can we just let Light wander off alone?"
However, the girl's overwhelming charm seemed to have no effect on the rock-headed Yogg. Rolling her eyes at him, she replied with pure exasperation.
"Are you an idiot? That’s [Scorching Dragon Golden Flame] we’re talking about. Even those [Magic-Devouring Ant Swarm] couldn’t do anything to her. Do you really think the monsters here can? Ever heard of respecting a girl’s privacy? What if she just needed to, y’know, relieve herself? You gonna follow her and watch? Since when did you care so much about girls? Or wait… are you only into little lolis like her?"
"Huh? W-What!? Hey, don’t make stuff up! It’s respect! What’s wrong with respecting the strong!?"
Unaware, or perhaps simply uninterested, in the nonsense being whispered behind her back, the dragon girl walked further and further away from the temporary camp. Only when the firelight had completely faded and the deep, dark forest was filled only with the sounds of insects and the rustling of the wind did she finally slow her steps.
Ahead, in the dense forest, two figures were having a secret conversation under the cover of night, as if conducting some kind of shady deal.
"Alright, I understand. I'll head back now and report everything to the Headmaster. Also, about Miss Light, today she actually—"
"Rustle~"
The soft sound of bushes being pushed aside and bare feet stepping on fallen leaves abruptly cut off the speaker's words. He immediately turned around, wary of an intruder, only to freeze in place when he saw who it was. It wasn’t an enemy, it was the very person he had been about to report on. His face quickly turned awkward.
The demon man, whose forehead was adorned with hard, scale-like protrusions, turned to glance at the black-haired girl behind him. Under the faint glow of the floating light spirits, she simply gave him a knowing smile. Sighing helplessly, he shook his head with a wry smile.
"Next time, can you at least give me a warning? You scared the hell out of me…"
"Oops, sorry, sorry! But you just kept talking and talking, so, ahem, I mean, next time for sure!"
Seeing the girl grin mischievously, clasping her palms together in a half-hearted apology, Ismael, the other exam proctor, had no choice but to drop the matter with a sigh.
"Fine, fine. You two, mother and daughter, go ahead and chat. I’ll go report back to Sainz. Just make sure you’re back at the camp before sunrise. No slacking off, alright?"
"Yeah, yeah, I got it~ Mr. Ismael really loves his work, huh?"
"Tch! Who loves work?! I’m doing this so I can retire early with full benefits!"
After declaring this with full seriousness, the ever-diligent assistant to the Headmaster pulled out a small, finger-length silver magic crystal. With a firm snap, he broke it in half. A surge of silver light instantly engulfed him, and by the time it faded, he was already gone.
This was a portable magic tool issued to every event staff member by Sainz Academy. Similar to a magic scroll, it would teleport the user back to a designated room beneath the Tower of Space when activated, a crucial emergency escape item. Ismael had one, and so did the two girls still present in the forest.
"Hmm… this thing actually seems pretty useful. Maybe I should try it out later…"
Then, spreading her arms wide with a playful smile, the black-haired girl cheerfully called out.
"Alright, come here for a hug! Hehe~ Did you have fun today?"