BXBX NOVEL Chapter 41 – Trouble Instinct (2)
“Where are we really going?”
Knightley asked, her voice tinged with irritation as she followed me up the hill.
“You’ll see when we get there.”
“You’re planning something weird again, aren’t you?”
“Weird? I’m just trying to teach you in an environment similar to the real field.”
Knightley didn’t ask further but couldn’t hide her suspicion.
“Head Professor, over here,”
A voice called from above the slope. It was Waver.
But we could only hear his voice; he was nowhere in sight.
“Where are you?”
“Here.”
We looked around and spotted Waver’s camouflaged face peeking out from the shaded underbrush.
He was covered in mud, with twigs and leaves stuck to him.
“Come in here.”
He lifted the cloth covering the entrance, revealing a small observation hole facing the valley.
“Is it still there?”
“Yes.”
I peered through the observation hole and saw something sprawled out in the depths of the valley.
It was a troll, a grotesquely elongated creature covered in filthy fur, with limbs like muscular, dirty sticks.
It had just finished devouring its prey, as evidenced by the flesh-strewn bones nearby. The troll was snoring loudly, its mouth hanging open.
The troll seemed at ease in the urban outskirts, much like I had been living in Brunswell.
“Where do you think it came from?”
“Not sure exactly, but considering everything, it’s likely from Honebe.”
“The basis?”
“They’re opening a new mine over there. I’ve heard they’ve even hired mages, so it’s a big operation.”
“So, it lost its habitat and ended up here. Makes sense. This is the only suitable place for a troll nearby.”
While Waver and I discussed the troll’s origin, Knightley alternated her confused gaze between us.
“Sorry to interrupt, Head Professor, but shouldn’t we be on our way? We don’t have time to waste here.”
“Waste time?”
“Yes, hunting the troll is Professor Waver’s job. You’re supposed to be giving me a private lesson…”
Knightley trailed off, meeting my eyes, then turned her gaze to the still-sleeping troll before looking back at me.
“Lies.”
“It’s true.”
“Stop it.”
“This is what you wanted.”
“I didn’t want this. I didn’t want to hunt trolls…!”
I covered Knightley’s mouth before she could shout and held up three fingers.
“Quiet. If it wakes up and escapes, it’ll be hard to track it down again.”
“Hunting a troll… this is insane…!”
“Not hunting, capturing.”
“Same thing…!”
Knightley muttered angrily, and Waver chuckled.
“Student Knightley, what did you think we were doing?”
“I thought we’d learn effective killing methods or kidnapping techniques!”
“That’s what the headmaster teaches you. No one knows which organization you’ll join after graduation, so it’s good to master dealing with great monsters in advance.”
“But how can I catch that thing alone? It’s not even human!”
I put a reassuring hand on Knightley’s trembling shoulder.
“Don’t worry. You’re not doing it alone. Waver and I are with you. Trolls are always caught by a team.”
“I bet you two will just assist while I’m forced to stand in front.”
“Now you’re getting it.”
Knightley started to argue more but then sighed in resignation.
“I chose this, so I have to tough it out.”
Waver smiled, and I patted her shoulder.
“You’re growing little by little.”
“Fine. What do I do now?”
“First, you need to camouflage yourself. To get close, you must mask your scent.”
Knightley looked at Waver, who was covered in mud and leaves.
“No.”
“Do it.”
“I’m not going to.”
“Then go back.”
I pointed outside the hideout, and Knightley bit her lip.
“You can graduate with decent grades and get a suitable administrative job. You can live comfortably enough. If you’re okay with that, go ahead.”
“Yeah, Student Knightley. Not all graduates become field agents. Supporting the field is also very valuable.”
Waver chimed in, and Knightley glared at me, full of anger.
“I’ll do it. But promise me one thing.”
“What promise?”
“You said we’re doing it together. So, don’t leave me to do it alone like last time.”
“Haha. I have enough sense to distinguish truly dangerous situations. I promise. This time, we’ll do it together.”
Finally, Knightley began smearing the mud Waver had gathered on her face and arms.
“Why capture instead of hunt? Do you need it to move something heavy?”
“We’ll capture it and draw its blood.”
“What?”
Knightley turned to me, looking shocked. Her golden eyes shone beautifully even through the dirt.
“Draw its blood…?”
“Troll blood is a rare ingredient for healing potions. So, we’ll cage it and draw blood to make potions.”
“That’s…”
“That’s how it’s done. It’s legal, and trolls are low-intelligence, cruel monsters that eat anything in sight, including humans.”
“I-Is that so…”
“Leaving it alone would cause human casualties. It’s much more valuable to use its blood to save many lives through potions.”
Knightley slowly nodded, unable to find anything to argue against.
“Here’s how we’ll catch it.”
I explained while observing the troll through the hole.
“Trolls are big but have great strength and flexibility, so they can run fast.”
“So, we should block its escape routes first.”
“Exactly. The only escape route for it is the opposite end of the valley. I’ll cover that. You take the front. Use this.”
I handed Knightley a few hunting bolas. Bolas are about a meter long, with weights at both ends, designed to entangle the legs of prey.
Trolls, despite their overwhelming strength, have a weakness: their flimsy lower bodies compared to their upper bodies.
Once the legs are entangled, you can kill them by stabbing a vital spot or striking with a blunt weapon.
During the Four-Year War, each squad had a designated bola thrower to deal with humanoid monsters like trolls.
“You’ve learned how to use it, right?”
“I practiced a few times in survival class.”
“Good. That’s enough. Aim for its shins with these.”
Knightley counted the bolas in her hand and looked at me with a somewhat hopeless expression.
“Only three…?”
“It’s the standard issue for legion soldiers during the war. Three throws usually ensure one hit.”
“But Professor, I’ve never used this in a real situation before.”
“You won’t always encounter practiced scenarios. Now, let’s go.”
“Ha, seriously…”
The three of us left the hideout and cautiously descended the slope.
Waver positioned himself at a suitable location for observation and shooting, while Knightley and I continued down to the flat ground.
The troll was still sprawled out, snoring loudly. It must have found something delicious to eat, given how soundly it slept. From its size, it seemed to be at its peak strength and activity—a very dangerous period.
Trolls are omnivores, devouring anything when hungry, including humans. The fact that this one appeared near the academy was serious, necessitating its elimination. Fortunately, Waver had discovered its traces while hunting for jerky meat, leading us to this opportunity.
The plan was to cage it and extract its blood for high-quality healing potions. Troll blood is an essential ingredient for instant-healing potions, which would enable more aggressive practical exercises in the future.
“Let’s start.”
“Okay…”
Knightley gripped the bolas tightly, nerves evident in her stance.
I circled around the sleeping troll, moving to the rear of the valley to block its escape route. Once in position, I raised my hand to signal Waver, who nodded and pulled back the bowstring, aiming carefully.
“This is driving me crazy…”
Knightley stood on the opposite side of the troll, muttering to herself. Her legs were trembling slightly.
In truth, a troll was a formidable opponent for Knightley at her current skill level. Honestly, capturing a troll was unnecessary trouble; a single blow to knock it out and drag it back would suffice.
Field agents often avoid direct combat with monsters, usually providing location intel to specialized hunters or squads. But worst-case scenarios and unforeseen circumstances can arise without warning.
If a trained beast guards the entrance to a location during an important mission, one must fight, and Knightley would learn this today.
As I lowered my hand, Waver released the bowstring. The arrow flew straight and embedded in the troll’s abdomen, causing it to jolt awake.
# # # # # #
Meanwhile, back at the academy…
“Hey, I have a question.”
Hindrasta was gathering lower-ranked students from the graduating class.
After thrashing the bullies from class 1, she had become a hero to the students who had been tormented by them.
Naturally, when she asked to talk, they eagerly gathered around her.
“I’m not saying this to cause trouble, but I’m genuinely curious.”
With the students gathered, Hindrasta began to speak.
“About Professor Dian and the Class 1 class president… I’m a transfer student, so I really don’t know. Could you explain it to me?”
“What are you curious about?”
“I just want to know if there’s something special between those two.”
“Special? Did you see something?”
“Could it be that Knightley, that girl, is Professor Dian’s… you know…?”
“His what?”
“His girlfriend.”
The students exchanged bewildered glances.
“Sophie, what’s… a girlfriend…?”
“Seriously? You don’t know? A girlfriend.”
“I don’t know.”
What? Even if they’re lower-ranked students, not knowing such common slang is…
Oh, right. The book where I read that word came out two hundred years ago, so it makes sense they wouldn’t know it.
“I mean, his lover.”
The students burst out laughing.
“No way. You’re mistaken.”
“Professor Dian would never do something like that with a student.”
So, that’s Dian’s reputation, huh?
“Oh, really? Then what was that I saw earlier…?”
Hindrasta stroked her chin thoughtfully, piquing the students’ curiosity.
“What did you see? Did you see something?”
“I might have been mistaken, but… Should I even say this…?”
“Tell us, Sophie!”
Hindrasta waited until the students were sufficiently curious before speaking again.
“I happened to see something near the academy’s eastern gate…”
She lowered her voice to a whisper, causing the students to gasp.
“You saw them go out the eastern gate together? With their arms around each other?!”
“Are you sure?”
“Really?!”
As the students bombarded her with questions, Hindrasta waved her hands with a troubled smile.
“No, no, I’m not sure. I couldn’t see if they were hugging; it was too far away…”
“I’ve had my suspicions for a while.”
Someone raised a hand quietly.
“I’ve seen Knightley go in and out of Professor Dian’s office several times.”
Like wildfire, the rumor spread quickly.
“No way!”
“Calm down, everyone… haha.”
“Are they really in that kind of relationship?”
“Now that you mention it, I do remember seeing them alone a few times.”
“Oh, Professor Dian…”
“That’s a lie!”
“If it’s true, it’s a big deal, isn’t it?”
“What’s going on?”
“Hey, you know what? Sophie saw Professor Dian and Knightley…”
“Be quiet! Don’t say things like that!”
“What about Professor Dian and Knightley?”
“Stop it, I said!”
“What did you say?! Professor Dian put his hand up Knightley’s skirt and groped her butt?!”
“I never said that!”
“No way! My beloved Professor Dian would never!”
“Guys! Professor Dian dumped Professor Anna for Knightley!”
“Why bring up Professor Anna now?”
“Was it Professor Ismera? Or the headmaster? Anyway!”
Hehehe, it’s getting chaotic.
Just let it snowball, hehehehe.