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When engaging in outdoor activities like war or hunting, there were a few essential items one needed. One of them was gloves, and the other was sturdy shoes.

This was because if you lifted heavy objects or handled rough materials without gloves, it was common for your hands to get scraped or your nails to peel off.

The reason sturdy shoes were necessary was that there was nothing more troublesome in the field than getting a hole in your shoes during a field operation. After all, it wasn’t like you could easily find a new pair right away.

Therefore, shoes made of tough leather and with strong soles that could withstand rough terrain were crucial.

Additionally, it was important to have a coat or a cloak in case of sleeping outdoors. As for food, since this wasn’t a real war, just bringing along a few personal necessities should suffice.

This was the content that Volka elaborately explained in front of several people.

But since everyone already knew this, they were rather uninterested. Consequently, Volka also wore a deflated expression.

“…Ah, and a dagger is essential too. You need it for all sorts of things. Ricky, you already have a dagger, so you’re good… Anything else to add?”

A dagger wasn’t just useful as a weapon; it was also a tool used frequently in everyday life. The difference between having one and not having one was significant.

Ricardt, who was quietly listening to Volka’s explanation while wearing the new gloves and boots, thought that the preparations hadn’t really changed much compared to a hundred years ago.

In fact, when it came to these aspects, Ricardt knew better than Volka, who was still inexperienced.

Even so, Volka was the leader. No matter how close a friend he was, Ricardt believed that in public settings, it was important to respect his position and authority, so he didn’t interrupt, add to, or interfere with Volka’s words.

The total number of students participating in the current commission was 14. Ricardt, Volka, Molty, four female students he didn’t know, two male students, and five members of the Ice’s gang.

Just as the Adventurers’ Guild was composed of various clans, these students naturally divided into three groups.

Ricardt, Volka, and Molty formed one group, the four female students and two male students formed another group, and Ice’s gang made up the last group.

Still, on the surface, they were one team supported by the Academy.

“So what’s the content of the commission?”

One of the unfamiliar male students asked Volka with a grumpy face. He used to be one of the students who received tribute money before, but now he was keeping low profile.

The students generally accepted the results of a contest well, so there hadn’t been any particular trouble or resistance. After all, everyone knew the value of life, even without being taught.

“As I told you before, it’s just about taking the heads of some deserters. There seem to be quite a few deserters. But we’re just support, so first, we need to join the Yakt Clan. The rendezvous point is our guild’s hideout on the outskirts of Griffinswald. Does anyone know where Griffinswald is?”

Two or three people raised their hands. Since Volka wasn’t asking because he didn’t know, he explained for those who didn’t know.

“It’s not too far from here. About a two-day walk to the southeast. If we march quickly, we can get there in a day, but we still have a week before the rendezvous, so we have some time. I’d like to leave tomorrow or the day after. Anyone have a different opinion?”

Volka certainly had leadership qualities. Leadership came in many forms, and in Volka’s case, he seemed to be the type who actively listened to the opinions of his members.

After gathering opinions, he would set a goal that everyone could agree on, allowing the members to follow voluntarily. It was good leadership. After all, even coercive or forceful methods were a form of leadership.

However, no one really voiced their opinions. It was because everyone was still a bit awkward with each other.

Then Volka looked at Ice and asked.

“Ice, don’t you have anything to say?”

Ice just shook his head. But the female students looking at him had dreamy expressions. He was that unrealistically handsome.

And the four students who hung out with him were also remarkably handsome boys.

As usual, Ice remained silent, prompting Ricardt to ask.

“By the way, I’m curious. How did you end up becoming the number one ranked student?”

When Ricardt, currently ranked number one, asked this question, the atmosphere became awkward in an unintended way. This was because the two had never actually fought each other.

Ice looked at Ricardt for a moment before answering.

“Just because.”

“By the way, you’re really good-looking. Are you perhaps a descendant of an elf or something?”

“I don’t know.”

His answers continued to be brief.

“Do you not want to talk to me?”

“……”

Ice turned his head and closed his mouth as if he didn’t want to continue the conversation any further.

What could Ricardt do if Ice didn’t want to talk? While Ricardt didn’t particularly feel bad, there was something else that bothered him.

The reason Ricardt had bothered to start a conversation was that he believed that since they were about to engage in something similar to a military operation, they needed to have a certain level of camaraderie.

After all, they were in a profession that involved handling weapons and risking their lives, so they needed to be able to trust each other in all sorts of emergency situations.

In such situations, there wouldn’t be time to think and make judgments. They would have to trust each other and charge ahead or escape together if necessary.

However, aside from the fact that they were all students from the same academy, Ricardt had no other connection to Ice’s group, so he couldn’t tell if he could trust them or not.

If he knew in advance that they couldn’t be trusted, he could at least keep his guard up, but Ice’s group remained a mystery.

Volka seemed to understand why Ricardt had tried to talk to them, as he quietly observed Ice and his group before speaking.

“They’ll handle themselves. So, let’s plan to leave tomorrow.”

Once the decision was made, Ice and his group left without looking back. The other students also dispersed.

Only Ricardt, Volka, and Molty remained behind. The three of them wandered around the city, purchasing various necessities like potions, herbs, bandages, and travel rations.

They had to buy these items with their own money, and Ricardt ended up covering most of the expenses. As a result, he was left with almost no money.

The next day, Ricardt left the academy and headed toward the place called Griffinswald.

Molty carried the luggage, and his backpack was so large that it covered his broad back entirely. The weapons he used were a one-handed axe and a shield. His helmet and round shield were strapped securely to his backpack.

Since they might have to camp out, all the students wore cloaks, concealing their gear to prevent others from seeing their equipment.

All five members of the Ice’s gang were wearing pitch-black cloaks. They looked like some death knight order from a fairy tale.

The other students also wore dark-colored or deep brown cloaks, but Ricardt’s bright red cloak made him stand out.

Even though the weather was a bit warm, the students wore thick coats because these served as a substitute for armor.

Weapons, armor, and horses could be incredibly expensive. Metal armor was still something they could only dream of, and helmets were as expensive as armor because, while they required less metal, they demanded advanced forging skills.

So, what was often worn for both daily use and combat was a padded outer garment called a gambeson. Unless you were a knight or a wealthy mercenary, most people wore this.

Only Molty was the only one carrying a helmet, but he hadn’t bought it because he had money. It was a gift from the blacksmiths at the forge, who wished him good luck.

In any case, the academy students were as well-prepared as they could be and set out to support the adventurers.

Volka, as the leader of the reinforcements, led the way, the other students followed in the middle, and Ice’s gang followed at the rear. They didn’t deliberately arrange themselves this way; it just naturally happened.

Ricardt walked down a road that stretched southeast, different from the one he had taken with Sandy.

The road he had taken with Sandy was a main road, so it had better security, but the road stretching southeast looked ominous from the start.

Along the roadside, old bones could be seen in the grass. They didn’t seem to be animal bones but rather human shinbones. Once again, he had come out into a world where death was close at hand.

However, perhaps because the group had been selected from the upper ranks, no one seemed frightened by the sight. They just kept walking silently.

After setting out in the morning, by midday, the path led into a forest. The group entered the forest, and it was a peaceful place with the sound of birds chirping. At least on the surface.

Since Beringen was a frontier region, the forest wasn’t entirely safe. If they were unlucky, monsters could appear at any moment.

Everyone walked while being cautious of their surroundings in their own way. Fortunately, nothing particular happened until sunset.

As night fell, the group lit fires at a suitable campsite that seemed frequently used by travelers. There were three fires in total, and the three groups of students sat slightly apart from each other.

It felt like they were a group, but not really a group.

Ricardt used the dagger he had used many times to break opponents’ swords and kill people to cut slices of ham and cheese. Then, he called out to the female students.

“Hey. You.”

The female students looked back at Ricardt but didn’t respond.

“Do you guys have a ranking system too?”

“No.”

One of the female students replied.

“Then?”

“We have classes. It’s a bit complicated, but broadly speaking, there are maidservants, handmaidens, ladies, and princesses. Maidservants and below only serve, they don’t train. Training is for ladies and princesses only.”

It was utterly childish. What were they talking about—ladies and princesses—when they were just commoners or illegitimate children? Of course, Ricardt didn’t particularly care about that.

“So, are you guys princesses or ladies?”

“None of us are princesses.”

“Did they stay back at the academy?”

“No. They died. They participated in a commission like this one and didn’t survive. If we make it back safely, we’ll probably become princesses.”

Even the girls were ruthless. So, that meant there hadn’t been a princess among them for a while. In the case of the male students, if someone above them was gone, they would automatically move up in rank, but that wasn’t the case for the girls.

“What happens if you become a princess?”

“Just that it feels the best? Our dorm is divided into five rooms, unlike yours. The princess is like the top of each room. You can do whatever you want in the dorm, you’re the nicest, the prettiest, the strongest—it’s all about being the best.”

“…That’s ridiculous.”

Volka muttered as he cut a baked potato with his knife. He knew this kind of stuff because he had dated a female student before, but hearing it again, it was still absurd.

“So, the maidservants and handmaidens just serve others until they graduate?”

“If they’re lucky, they can keep serving even after they graduate.”

“……Lucky? That’s considered lucky?”

“Yeah. What else are they going to do to survive? They’re ugly, they have no skills, and they’ve already been abandoned by their families. They have nowhere to go.”

“Yeah… I suppose that’s true.”

It was a bitter reality. Ricardt felt sorry for them but didn’t think there was anything he could do.

Teaching them swordsmanship wouldn’t make them good at it, and he wasn’t about to marry all of them and take responsibility for their lives.

“By the way, aren’t you interested in girls? Or is it because you’re still young? How old are you?”

One of the female students asked.

“Eleven.”

“Then you’re about the right age to start being curious.”

“Sorry, but I don’t believe in things like love.”

At Ricardt’s words, the girls widened their eyes before bursting into laughter.

“We don’t believe in it either!”

Ricardt laughed awkwardly.

“Haha…”

“Don’t talk to bitches like that. You need to be a bit tougher. Ricky, no matter how good you are at fighting, you might get eaten alive without even realizing it, you know?”

“Yeah… I’ll be careful.”

Ricardt laughed awkwardly again at Volka’s words. He wasn’t offended. But didn’t Volka used to date a female student himself?

Still, it was true that these girls seemed to have strong personalities. It wasn’t likely that girls who trained in swordsmanship and combat would be just ordinary.

Sure enough, even the boys who hung around with them seemed a bit intimidated.

By the way, the female students were incredibly pretty, at least when it came to their appearance. There was a common saying that bastards tended to be good-looking.

This was because if someone was going to have an affair, they would do it with someone attractive, not just anyone.

It seemed that there was some truth to this saying. Many of the bastards from noble families had mothers who were high-class courtesans.

“By the way, shouldn’t we set up a night watch?”

Molty suggested.

“Since we have a lot of people, how about choosing six? Two from each group.”

Ricardt offered his opinion. Volka nodded in agreement, and no one, including Ice’s group, had any objections. So, they decided to pick two people from each group to take turns on watch.

Taking or standing watch meant that you were protecting and trusting one another. In this way, they were gradually beginning to grow closer.

They spent the night like that and set out for the rendezvous point early the next morning. Perhaps because the first day had passed without incident, everyone seemed a bit more relaxed.

Ricardt carried the sword, which was large for him, slung over one shoulder and walked alongside Volka.

However, even after starting yesterday and walking through the afternoon today, the forest path didn’t end. This was because Griffinswald itself was a village located in the forest.

Just as Ricardt thought they should be encountering locals like herbalists or hunters soon, something caught his eye.

At first glance, it seemed like a bush swaying in the wind, but to Ricardt, it felt unnaturally placed.

“Volka.”

“Huh?”

Ricardt called out to Volka and gestured with his chin towards the suspicious spot. Volka looked in that direction, and soon the other students also focused their attention there.

At first glance, there didn’t seem to be anything strange, but since Ricardt had pointed it out, it now looked oddly dangerous.

The procession came to a halt, and everyone started surveying the surroundings with wary eyes. Then, from the exact spot Ricardt had suspected, someone suddenly stood up and hurled a spear.

Whoosh!

Simultaneously, people who had been hiding on the opposite side of the road revealed themselves.

Rustle! Rustle! Rustle rustle rustle!

The sound of the grass being disturbed indicated that it wasn’t just one or two people. It was an ambush. The only silver lining was that it wasn’t monsters, but whether it was monsters or humans, the intent to kill was clear.

“Who the hell are you?!”

The students, caught off guard, were thrown into disarray.

Even though they were among the top ranks at the academy, they were so startled by the sudden attack that they couldn’t even draw their weapons quickly. They were simply too shocked and flustered to know what to do.

“Ahhh!”

A scream from one of the female students rang out. At this point, the students started fighting desperately against the unknown assailants.

All the training they had undergone seemed to vanish as they fought almost recklessly using brute force, but at least they didn’t run away, which was commendable.

Of course, surviving was more important than receiving any praise.

One of the attackers quickly approached Ricardt, attempting to stab him with a sword. Ricardt instinctively twisted his body to dodge, grabbed the sword slung over his shoulder, and struck the attacker’s chin with the pommel.

Ughk!

The attacker’s head snapped back, and he collapsed to the ground. Without even checking on him, Ricardt drew his sword and tossed aside the scabbard carelessly.

He then dashed toward the female student he had spoken to the night before. She had managed to fend off attacks but was now in a dangerous position, having fallen on her backside.

Someone raised their sword high to strike her down, and all she could do was lift her own sword like a stick to block it. But if things continued this way, the force of the descending blade would shatter her defense, and her head would be split open.

Whoosh!

Clang!

In the nick of time, Ricardt leaped in and deflected the attacker’s sword. Gripping the ricasso—the base of the blade—like a short spear, he swiftly thrust it into the enemy’s abdomen.

When he pulled the sword out, blood gushed from the wound, and the enemy dropped to his knees with wide eyes.

“Shit……”

Ricardt’s blade was drenched in blood. He shouted at the female student, as if angered.

“Get up!”

It wasn’t the time for kind words. The clashing of blades could be heard all around them, filling the air with chaos.

Ricardt quickly scanned the surroundings, instantly assessing the number of enemies. There were more than thirty of them. Far too many.

“Volka!”

The enemies were so numerous and entangled that Ricardt couldn’t see Volka clearly. But he could hear shouts that indicated Volka was still alive.

“Ricky!”

Ricardt dashed toward the sound.

In the chaos of battle, the enemies also weren’t perfectly coordinated. Amid the confusion, Ricardt realized that these attackers were definitely not mere bandits.

But regardless of who they were, the first thing they needed to do was regroup. They couldn’t keep fighting like this. If the battle dragged on, they would all be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

Rather than trying to kill the enemies, Ricardt focused on cutting and stabbing his way through, creating a path. Screams echoed all around, and people shouted names, though it was impossible to tell who was who.

Ricardt quickly reached the area where Volka was. Volka’s face was flushed, and he was holding a sword that wasn’t even his own. That sword was bent out of shape.

Molty, weaponless, had grabbed his shield with both hands and was using his large frame to bash and shove enemies away.

However, blood was flowing steadily from Molty’s side. He had been hit by one of the spears the enemies had thrown at the beginning of the ambush.

“This way!”

Ricardt shouted. Instinctively, he aimed to break through the weakest part of the enemy line.

Of course, the enemies tried to block him, but Ricardt abruptly halted, then swung his sword in a wide arc, seizing the perfect moment.

Whoosh!

Clang! Crack!

With a sound like the air itself being sliced, the weapons of three enemies shattered like dried cornstalks.

The enemies, shocked by what had just happened, hesitated, and Ricardt used that momentum to charge forward, forcing them to retreat.

In that brief opening, Ricardt cleared a path and led Volka and Molty to safety.

“Over here!”

Volka and Molty, caught up in the frenzy of battle, didn’t have time to think. They simply followed Ricardt’s voice, moving as he directed. The other students followed in a rush.

Ricardt, however, stayed behind, fending off the pursuing enemies until they were finally driven back. Only then did he follow the students.

They sprinted through the forest, running blindly, unsure of where they were going. Eventually, they found their way to the spot where Volka and Molty had taken refuge.

The other students who had fled earlier were already there. The female students’ hair was in disarray, and the male students looked dazed.

Two members of Ice’s gang were missing. When everyone was accounted for, there were only nine of them left. Originally, there had been fourteen.

Ice, usually composed, now looked disheveled, his breathing ragged, and his pupils dilated.

Molty was leaning against a wall, panting heavily. He forced off his backpack and muttered,

“T… take it.”

Ricardt ignored Molty’s words and sat down, pulling out a dagger. He tore through Molty’s clothes to reveal the wound.

In the rush, the spear had been pulled out, and the blade wasn’t visible. However, due to the barbed spearhead, the wound was large. Blood was gushing out.

Ricardt pressed his hand against Molty’s wound to staunch the bleeding. His hand was quickly soaked in blood.

“Potion. Get out the potion.”

Ricardt ordered the other students. But one student’s hands were shaking so badly that he couldn’t even properly retrieve the potion from his bag.

“I said get it out quickly! You bastard!”

Ricardt turned around and shouted fiercely like a wild beast. It was an old habit from his previous life—during critical situations, his nerves became razor-sharp.

Volka was also trembling, but he couldn’t stand to watch any longer. He snatched the bag from the student and pulled out the potion, handing it over.

Ricardt poured water from a canteen over the wound to clean it, then uncorked the potion and poured it liberally over the injury. He made Molty drink the rest. The potion was worth a gold coin per bottle, but Ricardt used it all without hesitation.

After that, Ricardt took out a needle and began stitching up the wound. He nearly emptied a whole jar of ointment, slathering it over the injury, before wrapping it tightly with bandages.

Everyone was struggling just to take care of themselves, yet Ricardt had broken through the enemy line on his own, covered their retreat, and now even handled treating the wounded, all by himself.

After finishing the emergency treatment, he took a moment to catch his breath and looked at Molty. The blood loss was already severe, and it seemed impossible for Molty to keep fighting. Potions were meant for emergency care, not for instant recovery or miraculous healing.

“Huff, huff, huff…”

“Molty, it’s okay. You’ll live. That’s good, right? Hang in there.”

“Huff, huff… haha, hahaha…”

Molty let out a weak laugh, his face pale. He would survive if he could just rest and recover, but the problem was the approaching enemies.

Before they could even worry about whether the other five students were dead or alive, the enemies were already heading their way. Suddenly, Ice got up, ready to leave.

Ricardt’s eyes widened as he asked,

“Where are you going?”

“To complete the commission.”

“Are you insane?”

Ricardt frowned in disbelief, wondering what kind of person would act like this. It was the first time he had shown open hostility toward Ice.

“…”

Ice looked at Ricardt for a moment, then simply turned and left. The other students hesitated, then followed after him.

“Sorry,”

The female student Ricardt had saved said as she left. Was it supposed to be a relief that she at least apologized?

Relief, my ass. Ricardt hadn’t saved her to receive a thank you, but he certainly hadn’t done it just to get an apology either.

The frustrating part was that he couldn’t exactly demand they risk their lives to fight for the injured. Ricardt stared at the retreating students with a bewildered expression.

Volka, also in disbelief, watched the students abandoning them and muttered under his breath.

“Those fucking bastards…”