Chapter 147 : Chapter 147
Chapter 147
“Hey! Good morning, everyone!”
Anette arrived at school. Her friendly greeting to the entire Class A was… quite pleasant to see. Since the World Tree said it could extract only the pure power from the Soul Stone for her, we’d need to have a serious discussion about it.
Naturally… the World Tree came to mind.
‘…This world is real.’
Not a novel.
“Great to see you all! Cadet Adela! Cadet Luri!”
Anette, betrayed and killed by most of those she trusted, only to cast off a thousand-year mission and the fate of the Tyrant Empress to live as an ordinary student—real.
“Don’t act friendly with me. It gives me goosebumps.”
Adela, the Golden Princess of madness who lost loved ones to schemes and secluded herself for over a decade, only to escape the fate of the Golden Empress through me—real.
“Hello, Cadet Anette! Your hair looks lovely today!”
Luri, who was destined to be devoured by her friend Helaine but evaded that fate to contract with the Fire Spirit King, becoming the continent’s only spirit wielder—real.
‘Not just these three.’
Lilac. My love. My cherished maid. She, too, is real. I was overwhelmed with emotion.
‘Nerjin. Bianca. Savo.’
They, now like family, are real too.
‘And those guys.’
I glanced around. Kazaks, Muller, Shuga, Lina, Elisha, Bord, Mary. All real.
‘And Gilbert.’
Even that protagonist guy—real.
‘I don’t know.’
It’s confusing.
‘How should I treat them now, especially Gilbert?’
If they’re real people, is it okay to be so harsh? Isn’t it wrong? Shouldn’t I…
‘No way.’
We’re already too entangled, a knotted mess.
‘Like an idiot.’
No need to overthink. Whether they’re real or not, what does it matter? I’ll act according to my conscience.
‘Whether I’m a conscientious person is another matter.’
Just then, the front door slid open, and Hailey walked in. The classroom, filled with autumn’s chill, warmed with a spring breeze.
“Good morning, everyone! Another new morning has dawned!”
Standing at the podium, she smiled, scanning the room. Her pale pink eyes met mine.
“And… welcome back to the cadets who worked hard on the long conquest. I can’t tell you how glad I am that you all returned safely. You even received the Humanity Alliance plaque and medal at the conquest banquet—truly proud! Come on, everyone, clap!”
A dry clap clap clap echoed. Well, twelve of Class A’s twenty students were part of the Fog Island conquest team, so the remaining eight’s applause wasn’t loud.
“Now, let’s go over the announcements from while you were away!”
After sharing Academy notices, Hailey discussed the curriculum and was about to leave.
“Oh, Cadet Martin, could you step out for a moment?”
“Yes.”
In the hallway, closing the door, I saw Hailey’s back.
“Teacher Hailey?”
“Assistant teacher, I said!”
Turning to me, Hailey furrowed her brows cutely, feigning anger.
“You’re not an assistant teacher.”
“…Oh, right. I’m a full teacher.”
Tapping her forehead, Hailey then tapped mine. I muttered dryly,
“Ouch.”
“Do you know how worried I was?!”
Her pale pink eyes met mine. …No need for Wild Instinct to know she was sincere.
“I told you to be careful because it wasn’t practice, it was real! And you suddenly dive into a Level 5 Time Chaos Dungeon?! One that was recommended for reconsideration?!”
“I’m sorry.”
Now that I thought about it, Hailey must have been deeply hurt. We succeeded, but until then, she likely faced criticism for failing to manage her cadets.
“Do you know how shocked I was?!”
“Really, I’m sorry.”
Yeah, I couldn’t just brush it off. I led the charge, after all.
I braced for a storm of scolding, but it stopped abruptly, like a lie.
“…”
“…”
What? Why’s she silent? Looking up at Hailey, spring embraced me. She hugged me tightly, gripping my back.
“Do you know how much… I was worried? My heart felt like a lead weight.”
“…”
“I’m just glad you all came back safe.”
“…”
“I won’t say more, but don’t ever do something like that without consulting me again. Got it?”
“…Got it.”
I caused her worry. Releasing me, Hailey continued.
“You know, I had a tough teenage life myself, not something I’d call great even as flattery. I told you before, right? Why I decided to become a teacher.”
“…Yes.”
Her desire to spare other kids the misfortunes she endured, her resolve to be a righteous educator guiding them on the right path—that’s why Hailey stands here now.
“I know I’m still lacking in many ways. But I want to help however I can. So, rely on me, Cadet Martin. Okay?”
She shone. Her radiance was blinding, and I stared at her face in a daze.
This person, truly… a profoundly good person. Spring. The peak of beautiful spring. A motherly figure nurturing all life.
“Got it.”
“Good.”
Hailey smiled brightly at my dazed reply.
“Now, let’s go back. Class is about to start.”
***
Today was a practical assessment, the flower of Academy classes. The theme: survival.
No need to worry about injury or death. Like during the hunting competition, a device nullified critical wounds and teleported you to the banquet hall.
“You must survive three days on a remote island.”
The proctor was Exploration Studies teacher Jewel. …One of his legs was missing, lost during the Brahmus terror incident.
“Not just avoiding hunger and cold, but hiding from ferocious beasts. You’ll need to run like your life depends on it.”
Chewing a twig, Jewel grinned.
“And find the markers I’ve hidden.”
“Don’t forget to collect rare herbs,” added Herbology teacher Villemon, assisting. He… was missing one eye and two fingers, with a large scar across his face.
“Your score depends on the herb collection rate and the utility of the concoctions you make.”
These two were in decent shape. Three Fire Magic Department teachers died that day, halting their classes entirely.
“Now, let’s begin.”
As Villemon set the stage, Jewel concluded,
“We’ll start the simultaneous Exploration and Herbology assessment.”
With a snap of his fingers, a magic circle activated, teleporting all students from Classes A, B, C, D, and E to the testing ground.
***
‘Tch.’
Frowning, I hurriedly grabbed a thick fur coat.
‘Good thing I packed it, just in case.’
A blizzard raged. The world was engulfed in white snowflakes, like a white hell.
‘Let’s move.’
The fur coat helped, but the cold pierced through, chilling me to the bone.
Crunch, crunch. The snow underfoot made soft sounds, but they were faint against the howling blizzard. Clutching my flapping coat, I searched for a hiding spot.
‘Nothing’s visible.’
Just snow. Snowy plains. Snowy hills.
Only I could see this much. With the fierce blizzard and the island’s nighttime, ordinary cadets would see nothing.
I tried channeling mana and stellar force, but something blocked them.
‘So that’s how it works.’
The safety magic included a spell to suppress energy manifestation.
‘I could break it if I wanted, but that’d disqualify me.’
The assessment demanded survival using pure physical ability. Survive three days in a frigid, white hell where nothing could be found.
‘Tough. Even using all my class knowledge, it’s hard.’
My knowledge has limits. So…
Know-It-All (Lv 4) accesses the great library, studying texts on cold, survival, herbs, and exploration.
Time to use my cheat code.
‘Moving during a blizzard is suicide.’
Know-It-All (Lv 4) suggests building a snow shelter to rest and resuming activity when the blizzard stops. Given the test’s difficulty, the blizzard will likely stop soon with high probability.
‘Good.’
Methods and designs for a snow shelter flooded my mind.
‘Let’s start.’
Drawing a dagger, I began digging into the snowy ground. Soon, a space big enough for me was ready. I entered and blocked the entrance, feeling much better.
‘I’ve escaped the blizzard.’
Still cold, though.
‘What can I do now?’
Expanding the shelter could work, making it a base camp.
‘Not a great idea.’
I hadn’t checked the surrounding terrain. If this was a beast’s territory, it’d be wasted effort. I might find a better spot later, so it’d just burn calories. Without securing heat or energy now, it’s a loss in the big picture.
‘I need a fire.’
I always carry torch-making materials in my magic pouch. I used them in the Eudialyte Desert ruins.
‘Not much left. I’ll need to gather firewood once the blizzard stops.’
First, warm up. Freezing to death before the blizzard ends would be bad. I pulled out dry palm husks and lit them with a flint. As the firewood caught, warmth spread.
‘Much better.’
I carved a ventilation hole at the shelter’s entrance. The refuge was complete… for now.
‘The blizzard won’t stop.’
The crackling firewood and the ferocious blizzard. Which would end first? I curled up, closing my eyes to conserve energy. I might fall asleep. Hopefully, when I open my eyes, the night and blizzard will be over…
But boom! A loud roar echoed.
‘Damn it.’
Just as I feared.
Wild Instinct (Lv 4) estimates the opponent weighs at least 5 tons. A bipedal beast.
That wasn’t all. I heard smaller, lighter footsteps.
Four cadets are being chased. Based on the sound, they’re human-sized.
‘I should ignore it.’
They’re the ones being chased, not me.
Among them is a familiar presence. Elisha.
‘…!’
I lifted my head from my curled-up position. Moving slowly, I peered through the ventilation hole. In the raging blizzard, a giant white-furred Yeti was rampaging, chasing someone.
“Run!”
“Cadet Elisha!”
“No!”
One cadet was kicked by the Yeti, flying far and buried in the snow. Save them? No, I saw their body shatter on impact—instant death. …Of course, it’s an assessment, so the safety magic teleported them back to the Academy.
‘Hmm.’
Should I save her? Elisha could be a useful helper.
But is it necessary? I can handle most things, and she might be a burden.
It’s just an assessment, not real death.