BXBX NOVEL Chapter 42 – Trouble Instinct (3)
“Roll left, Student Knightley!”
Knightley threw herself to the left just as Waver’s arrow flew like lightning.
The arrow struck the troll’s wrist, altering the trajectory of the crude club it wielded, aiming for Knightley.
As the troll’s makeshift club, a roughly hewn tree branch, narrowly missed Knightley and struck the ground, a heavy vibration resonated through the earth.
“Good job! Keep it up, Knightley!”
I cupped my hands around my mouth and shouted encouragement to Knightley, who was rolling on the ground, her hair a disheveled mess.
“Damn it…!”
Knightley finally stopped rolling and cursed as she spun the bola in her hand.
She had one bola in her hand and another tied to her waist. The first bola she threw had completely missed and disappeared somewhere.
The troll, enraged by the arrows embedded in its body, roared and picked up its club again.
“Don’t face it head-on! Keep moving! Slow it down!”
“Easier said than done from back there! Aagh!”
Knightley dodged the troll’s next attack and quickly disappeared into the thick underbrush.
The troll followed, crashing through trees and undergrowth with reckless abandon.
“Kegegegegegek!!”
Frustrated by the branches scratching and entangling its body, the troll began punching trees and swinging its club wildly.
Just then, Knightley emerged from the opposite side of the forest, her upper body visible as she signaled to Waver from across the slope. Waver nodded, pulling back his bowstring.
Arrows flew and struck the back of the troll’s head. It howled in pain, clawing at the arrows, and then turned its attention to Waver.
“Over here! Over here!”
The troll dropped the arrows in frustration and started lumbering toward Waver. Seeing an opportunity, Knightley swung her bola and hurled it with all her strength.
The bola narrowly missed the back of the troll’s knees and flew off into the distance. The troll’s running speed was deceptively fast, and Knightley, lacking experience, had misjudged the timing.
Despite the second failure, her strategy was excellent.
She couldn’t face the troll head-on but cleverly used the forest to her advantage, luring the dim-witted monster through the underbrush while using her small frame to maneuver and ambush.
If the bola had been thrown slightly ahead, considering the troll’s speed, it would have tripped and fallen.
Impressive, Knightley. She truly lives up to her academy’s top student reputation.
But first, I needed to rescue Waver.
I picked up a rock from the ground and hurled it at the troll climbing towards Waver.
Araaahh—The rock struck the troll squarely on its back door, causing it to scream and tumble down the slope.
The troll scrambled to its feet, rubbing its behind, then spotted me and charged again.
You can steer it wherever you want by poking it here and there—it’s really that simple-minded.
As the troll neared, I summoned my aura. The troll recoiled, startled, and then fled in the opposite direction.
“Knightley! Finish it this time!”
But where was she? Was she hiding in the bushes again?
There she was, partially hidden but with her clothes visible outside the underbrush. The troll, looking for something to vent its rage on, saw the protruding clothes and charged.
Just as I was about to shout a warning, I realized what was happening and couldn’t help but smile.
As the troll began tearing at the clothes, Knightley, now shirtless, leaped from a tree above and threw the bola with all her might, aiming at the troll’s legs.
The bola wrapped around the troll’s legs like a living tentacle, and the weights clinked together. Knightley landed on her back, shouting.
“Got it!”
The troll stumbled, losing balance, and fell heavily to the side. Arrows from Waver’s bow quickly pinned its hands to the ground, preventing it from tearing the bola off.
I ran over and crouched beside the troll’s head.
“Stay still.”
I flicked my finger against its forehead, delivering a hard blow that knocked it out instantly.
“Great job, Student Knightley!”
Waver slid down the slope, praising her.
“That was brilliant! Using a decoy is a common tactic among hunters, but improvising it during the hunt and succeeding against a troll is truly impressive!”
“Thank you, Professor.”
Knightley, beaming, turned to me, expecting praise.
“Well done, Knightley. Honestly, I didn’t expect you to handle it so well. We thought we’d have to step in, but you actually took it down.”
“Of course. I’m the top student at the academy.”
“Excellent work.”
I gave her a thumbs up, and she flicked her hair back with a proud smirk.
“But aren’t you cold?”
I pointed at her thin undershirt, which she had worn after giving up her top as a decoy. She blushed slightly and turned away.
“Why are you looking so closely?”
“I’m just concerned.”
“If you’re concerned, why not lend me your cloak?”
“What a cheeky student.”
Laughing, I tossed her my cloak, which she caught and wrapped around herself.
“How did you manage that?”
Waver, inspecting the unconscious troll, asked curiously.
“This creature isn’t easy to knock out.”
“The forehead is a troll’s weak spot.”
I leaned down and pointed to the troll’s deeply indented brow.
“A shock here will rattle its brain and knock it out.”
“That’s true for any creature, including dragons. The key is the force of the blow…”
“I gave it a proper flick.”
“Of course, the Head Combat Professor can knock out a troll with just a flick.”
I flicked my middle finger and demonstrated the motion, but Waver laughed, thinking I was joking.
“I’m serious.”
“I understand. I won’t ask any more. Hunters don’t reveal their family’s secrets to outsiders, after all.”
Waver turned his attention back to the troll.
“Anyway, if we manage this one well, we can produce several cartloads of healing potions.”
“Exactly. Let’s send those to the Imperial Security Office. They’ll be useful for the field agents. The Princess Second will appreciate it.”
“Absolutely. She’s our superior, after all. It’ll help our graduates get good placements.”
Waver started binding the troll’s wrists and ankles with strong rope made of woven wire, using a unique binding technique from the Quirana hunters. It was impossible to undo without great strength.
“I’ll stay and watch over it. Head Professor, please request backup from the academy. There’s no way the three of us can move it.”
“Got it. Good job. Let’s go, Knightley.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Leaving Waver behind, Knightley and I walked side by side through the forest towards the academy’s east gate.
“So, Knightley, how was it fighting a monster for real?”
“It was overwhelming. Do we really have to do this in the field?”
“In truth, you’ll rarely encounter monsters directly.”
“What?!”
Knightley’s eyes widened.
“Then why did you make me go through this hell?!”
“Honestly, didn’t you feel a thrill when the troll went down?”
Knightley pressed her lips together, unable to deny it.
“It’s not every day you get to face a troll. Plus, as an agent, you won’t always be up against humans.”
“That’s true…”
“Today’s experience will serve you well. You did really well, Knightley.”
“Well… I am the top student.”
Knightley murmured as she wrapped my cloak more tightly around herself.
“But Professor, I’m curious. How did you knock out the troll?”
“I told you, I flicked its forehead.”
“Haha… If you don’t want to tell me, just say so.”
Like Waver, Knightley took my words as a joke and changed the subject.
“One more thing. You were just blocking its path, but why did the troll keep running away from you? How did you do that?”
“I used aura.”
“Aura…? The thing that only high-ranking knights can use…? Ah… I see…”
Knightley sighed as if she didn’t want to ask any more questions.
“So, someone who can knock out trolls with a flick and use high-ranking knight aura is here as a professor? Shouldn’t you be a headmaster or doing something important in the capital?”
“Ah, about that. I was supposed to be the headmaster, but I refused. I didn’t want to come to the academy either, but a friend asked me to cover for him while he was having a child, so here I am.”
“What…?”
Knightley looked at me like I was insane. I couldn’t blame her; anyone would find my story hard to believe.
“Anyway… who is this friend?”
“Sir Linus.”
“Please!”
At the mention of Linus, the hero of the conitent, Knightley finally snapped.
“Can’t you ever be serious?!”
“Huh? I’m serious.”
“How is any of this serious?! You say you knocked out a troll with a flick, used high knight-level aura, and you’re here as a professor because you refused to be the headmaster. Plus, you’re covering for Sir Linus, who killed the Demon King. Who would believe that? Why don’t you just say that you were part of the special unit that killed the Demon King!”
“Oh, yeah. I was.”
“Professor!”
Knightley stomped her feet in frustration.
“Everyone in that unit were given noble titles and rose to prominence. What about you? It doesn’t make sense!”
“I just didn’t want the attention. I took the money and lived a quiet life. It was more comfortable.”
“So, you’re saying you could have had titles, land, and a place in history, but you turned it all down just because you didn’t want attention? Who in the world would believe something like that! You’d have to be crazy!”
“Now that you mention it, I guess so.”
“Forget it!”
Believe it or not, it doesn’t matter to me.
As we passed through the east gate, I noticed something strange. Several students were hiding behind a building corner, peeking at us.
# # # # # # #
“Gasp! Oh my god!”
“Sophie was right!”
The students watching Dian and Knightley enter through the gate were in an uproar.
Both of them were covered in dirt and leaves as if they’d rolled around on the ground.
Their hair was plastered to their faces with sweat, and their clothes were soaked.
Moreover, Knightley was in a thin sleeveless undergarment, draped in Dian’s cloak. And her legs were trembling!
What had they been doing in the forest?!?!?!?!
“Sophie! Sophie! It seems like you were right!”
The students hurriedly sought out Sophie with very suspicious looks on their faces.
However, Hindrastra was nowhere to be seen. They were together just a moment ago, weren’t they?