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Someone said. The sky had already darkened. Especially because it was in the forest, it was even darker.

But suddenly, Ricardt alone walked steadily towards the moonlit cabin.

“R-Ricky.”

Volka called out, but he paid no attention.

Without much caution, Ricardt opened the cabin door. Inside was a mess, but it didn’t seem like anything had been taken. It meant they had purely come to kill people.

He picked up a lantern that was rolling on the floor, lit it, and quickly scanned the interior of the cabin. Aside from the mess, there were no corpses, and it looked like it could serve as a place to stay for the night.

Ricardt then stepped back outside and looked at the bodies scattered around the cabin. The equipment had been stripped off, and the limbs were bent or stretched out haphazardly. There were a total of twelve bodies.

He brought the lantern closer to the corpses and examined them carefully, estimating the cause of death and the time of death, though not precisely.

The bodies hadn’t been killed instantly by a stab or cut to a vital point, but they had been butchered. It meant there had been some sort of fight.

Flies buzzed around the bodies, but there were only eggs visible, with no maggots yet. Since there were no signs of birds or animals having pecked at the eyes or lips, it seemed only a day or two had passed.

Based on the rough estimation of the timing, it seemed the incident here occurred before Ricardt himself was attacked, about a day or two ago.

Maybe, during the process of killing the adventurers here, they got word that reinforcements from the Academy were coming, so they hid and ambushed us? The route was obvious, after all.

Ricardt tentatively concluded as much and thought that, as a result, the enemies must also be quite exhausted.

But the students, watching Ricardt’s actions with uneasy eyes, didn’t dare approach him. Ricardt looked back at them and said,

“Judging by the looks of things, it seems the situation ended a few days ago, so there’s no need to be so scared. We can stay here for a day.”

Is that so? But even if what he says is true, how can he be so calm?

However, the students gradually began to recognize and accept the reality. They were indeed fucked, but they couldn’t just stay there doing nothing.

“Lay Molty on the bed and take care of the bodies as best we can. Then, we’ll assign the night watch and… we should have a meeting. Go inside the cabin and check your equipment.”

Ricardt calmly gave instructions. The students followed his orders without complaint.

They gathered the bodies in one place and neatly covered them with a cloth. Digging a grave wasn’t an option, as their stamina was now directly tied to their survival.

Ricardt quickly organized the area outside the cabin and then went inside. Only one lantern on the table illuminated the dark interior of the cabin.

Since the cabin was used as a hideout by the guild, it was spacious enough to comfortably accommodate nine people.

Ricardt found a spot among the students, drew his sword, and carefully inspected the blade in the dim light to ensure it wasn’t damaged.

Then, he wiped it down properly with a cloth, took out camellia oil from his bag, and oiled it again.

As he was quietly polishing the blade, he suddenly felt someone’s gaze. When he looked up, everyone was staring at him.

“What? What is it?”

“…No, I was just wondering if you had anything else to say.”

Volka spoke.

“Get some sleep, even if just for a little while. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Rest while you can.”

“By the way, are you sure it’s safe to stay here?”

“You saw the bodies outside, right? They’re not swarming with maggots yet. Given that the eyes and lips are still intact, only a day or two has passed. Do you really think the ones who killed those people are different from the ones who attacked us? I don’t think so. So they’re probably just as tired and worn out as we are. They likely don’t have the strength to move. And since I killed the one who looked like the leader, there’s probably no one to give orders until a new commander arrives. So it should be fine to stay here for a day. But of course, since we don’t know what might happen, let’s make sure the night watches is set up properly.”

As Ricardt spoke fluently like a flowing stream, the students listened with slightly dazed expressions. How did he know all that? His ability to assess the situation was on another level.

Volka blinked a few times before asking,

“…Ricky, have you had this kind of experience before?”

“Let’s just say I have.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Ricardt sighed inwardly and changed the subject.

“Has everyone checked their equipment? Do it while you still can. Blood might have caked up and could cause the blade to stick in the sheath. Make sure to clean it thoroughly in advance.”

At that, everyone hurriedly pulled out their weapons and began to inspect them. Seeing this, Ricardt thought to himself that they were still just kids after all.

On the other hand, the fact that they hadn’t immediately fled when attacked but had managed to put up a decent fight was praiseworthy, and the fact that they hadn’t completely lost their composure made him realize that they hadn’t become high-ranking students for nothing.

“So, what do we do now?”

Volka asked while examining a sword that wasn’t originally his own.

After a moment of thought, Ricardt offered his suggestion.

“We have two options. One is to head back to the Academy tomorrow. The other is to first stop by the village. By doing that, we can get a better grasp of the current situation and then decide whether to fight the enemies or not before continuing with the commission.”

Plans often go awry, but having one was always necessary. Because without a plan, it was difficult to decide on a course of action.

When a plan falls apart in the middle of a mission, it’s important to come up with a new one on the spot.

Ricardt’s opinion was sound, and ultimately, they had to choose between the two options: return or move forward.

Volka looked around at the students to gather their opinions.

“Raise your hand if you want to go back.”

Three out of the eight students, excluding Molty, raised their hands. Two were female students, and one was male.

“Raise your hand if you want to go to the village.”

This time, Ice and his two friends raised their hands. It was three to three. Ricardt and Volka did not raise their hands.

“Ricky, what about you?”

Once again, all eyes were on Ricardt. At this point, Ricardt was someone the others trusted almost completely in situations like this.

Soldiers are usually the best judge of their commander—whether he is worth following or not. Now, the students were hoping Ricardt would lead them.

“Chasing deserters isn’t something that can be done in a short amount of time. So, the deadline for the mission should be flexible. And we’re a group of nine right now. In my view, that’s not a small number. Except for Molty, we don’t have any serious injuries. As long as we don’t get ambushed like today and if we strike first, we have a good chance of defeating the enemies. Molty should be able to move around somewhat after resting for about two days, and by the third day, he should be able to fight. So, to sum it up, don’t lose your nerve. You all fought well today.”

Listening to Ricardt, it felt as if the haze in their eyes had cleared. The students, who had been too mentally exhausted and scared to think straight, started to realize that they were actually in a decent position.

“The way back is likely to be more dangerous. The enemies could easily focus their attention on that route. They won’t be causing trouble in the village, so let’s head there as soon as it’s light out. If we encounter them in the village, that would be even better. We can find out who they are. And if that happens, we’ll make sure to avenge ourselves, no matter when it is.”

“Avenge?”

“For our fallen comrades.”

“Ah……”

“I know we weren’t exactly close. So, I’m not expecting us to trust each other with our lives and fight together. I won’t ask for that. But I want us to promise one thing: if any of us fall to the enemy, we will make sure to avenge them.”

The mention of revenge enveloped the students in a strange mood. There was a certain desperation conveyed by the word itself.

It wasn’t exactly a positive feeling, but it wasn’t entirely negative either. Revenge had a mysterious power to bind people together, forcibly creating a bond of trust. And it brought with it a peculiar sense of stability.

Moreover, revenge was both a right and a duty of nobles. No matter how many years it took or what methods were employed, nobles were required to avenge any insult to their family or any unjust harm they suffered.

This was how they gained and maintained their privileges, and it was also one of the reasons why feudal society found it so difficult to achieve harmony. There were hardly any noble families that weren’t entangled in some sort of vendetta with other families.

Moreover, revenge wasn’t exclusive to the nobility; it also served as a means for criminal organizations to maintain their internal solidarity.

In short, Ricardt suggested this approach because he believed that these nine people needed to band together if they were to accomplish anything.

If they all went their separate ways, looking out only for themselves, then what was the point of sticking together?

“I’ll go first.”

Ricardt picked up a wooden bowl lying on the ground. Then, he drew a dagger, swiftly cut his palm, and squeezed out some blood into the bowl. The amount of blood wasn’t that much.

Even without saying anything, the students in the cabin understood the significance of Ricardt’s actions. Although it was a somewhat pagan and barbaric method, there were folk beliefs that had been passed down for a long time.

Ricardt handed the dagger to Volka. Without hesitation, Volka confidently slashed his own palm and squeezed out his blood into the bowl. Didn’t he cut a bit too deep?

In any case, using the same dagger, each person took turns squeezing their blood into the bowl. When it was Ice’s turn, he hesitated, holding the dagger and the bowl for a moment.

Then, without a word, he cut his palm. Once all eight of them had contributed their blood, the amount in the bowl was considerable.

Ricardt dipped his finger in the blood, touched it to his forehead and heart, then drew a line across his neck.

“Huh? I thought we were supposed to drink it?”

Volka remarked.

“Why would we drink something so bloody? Isn’t this how they do it in the North?”

“Ricky, are you from the North? I thought you were from the South?”

“In my village, we draw a cross on the face.”

It seemed that the method of making an oath varied from region to region. Ricardt, Volka, and the other students exchanged puzzled looks but eventually followed Ricardt’s lead, marking their foreheads, hearts, and necks with blood.

“From now until this mission is completed, if any of us here suffer an unjust death, or fall victim to the enemy’s weapon, each of us swears to kill those responsible. Anyone who breaks this oath will face divine punishment and will descend into hell after death.”

It might seem like a childish ritual, but seeing the blood and performing the ceremony brought a sense of seriousness and solemnity. The dark setting of the cabin only heightened the atmosphere.

As Ricardt made the oath on their behalf, the students finally began to feel a sense of unity. It might not have been a strong bond, but it was as red as blood.

The night was deep, and though the students hadn’t slept well, it was better than staying up all night with their eyes wide open.

By morning, Molty had regained consciousness, and with some assistance, he was able to walk on his own, albeit with difficulty.

“Did something happen while I was out?”

Molty asked, confused, as he noticed everyone had bandages wrapped around one hand.

“We made an oath. An oath of revenge. Even if we can’t protect each other, we promised to avenge each other. And starting now, we’ll seek revenge for our fallen comrades. No matter who the enemy is.”

At Ricardt’s words, Molty looked around at the students. While they didn’t seem much different from usual, there was a noticeable shift in the atmosphere—an air of seriousness that was hard to describe. It felt like a firm resolve had taken hold of them.

“In that case, I can’t be left out.”

Despite having already collapsed from excessive blood loss, Molty cut his own palm to join in the oath.

With that, all nine of them completed the vow the reinforcements from Beringen Academy set off towards Griffinswald. They did not run away. Whether they would succeed or fail, they resolved to fight to the end.

In the early morning light, Ricardt walked at the front, with the students naturally following behind the youngest among them.

With a violet flower drawn on his chest, a red cloak draped over his body, and a longsword slung over his shoulder, that boy was their leader.

He looked like the leader of a pack of wild dogs.