Chapter 49: Ruins Exploration (2)

At present, the hottest topic in Bayern was the field training scheduled for the fifth week.

It wasn’t just any training—it had been announced that it would carry a significant weight in the grades, so everyone was preparing for it with burning determination.

Even Maximilian, who had originally decided to just maintain an upper-rank position, had been swept up in the atmosphere and was going to bed late every night.

By the time the third week had passed and the fourth week began, the fervor had not only failed to fade but had intensified even more.

“……”

Laysis was no different in giving her all to prepare for the training.

She had meticulously studied the terrain and environment of Erendal, the training site, and had even reviewed the records of the subjugation battles from the previous two years to build up data.

‘If I want to keep second place, I have to push beyond my limits.’

Over the four weeks since the semester began, she had earned quite a lot of bonus points.

Adding to that the top score she had earned in the Understanding of Combat lecture, she could now realistically compete with Nerian, who was ranked first.

However, other cadets were also climbing the ranks at an alarming pace, so it was far too early to relax.

‘Especially Cadet Louis.’

He had originally been considered, like Nerian, a strong candidate for first place.

Although his ranking had dropped unexpectedly due to the terrorism incident during the entrance exam, he had been racking up points with great momentum, as if to make up for it in this test.

Worse, his group was deliberately pooling points toward him, so the gap was expected to narrow soon.

‘Still, I have no intention of giving up my spot so easily.’

Laysis woke earlier than anyone else and went to bed later than anyone else.

She always gave her best and always kept her eyes on the top.

The Ruins Exploration Club, which she visited from time to time, was the one place where she could catch her breath when things truly became overwhelming.

If she was lucky, her schedule would align with Carl’s, and they could exchange a few short words.

“……”

Today as well, she used the brief free time after lunch to drop by the club.

Unfortunately, it seemed her timing didn’t match Carl’s.

So she was quietly flipping through a book when the door opened, and the senior members entered.

It was the same as always—Seniors Dane and Ubel, who were always together.

“Hm, only Cadet Laysis is here?”

“Hello.”

“Have you eaten?”

“Yes. I just did.”

“That’s good to hear.”

That question about whether she had eaten was a standard greeting from those two seniors.

By now, she was used to it, so she answered with a smile, but they quickly averted their eyes and clamped their mouths shut.

‘……’

Seeing this, Laysis let out a faint laugh inwardly.

Ever since she had joined the club, the two seniors had always seemed oddly awkward around her.

At first, she had wondered if she’d made some kind of mistake and had asked Carl about it, but the answer she got was that they simply had very little experience talking to women, so they were just awkward.

She had found it strange that they could speak so casually to Senior Susan, but apparently, Susan almost never replied, so conversation didn’t happen, and there was nothing for them to be nervous about—a rather sad truth.

“Ah, I forgot to inform you about something, Cadet Laysis.”

“…?”

Just as she was about to turn her focus back to the book after the greetings, Senior Ubel approached her.

When she looked up in curiosity, he pulled out a sheet of paper from his coat and slid it onto the table.

“This weekend, we’re planning to explore an undiscovered ruin near the capital. As the name suggests, it hasn’t been made public yet.”

“…Will this be the first exploration?”

“That’s right. Most of the ruins near the capital have already been excavated, but this one is new to us. We stumbled upon it purely by chance while going through the records left by previous seniors. We finally managed to pinpoint its coordinates after decoding the cipher.”

“Won’t it be dangerous?”

“Hm. That’s a reasonable thought, but this place seems more like a temple of high academic value than a ruin meant for storage or with traps. Because it has a strong religious nature, the possibility of danger is extremely low.”

“I see.”

An undiscovered ruin.

Laysis’s interest was piqued.

“We’re planning to go on the first day of the weekend to investigate. What do you think, Cadet Laysis?”

“Hmm.”

If it were just up to her feelings, she wanted to go.

Who wouldn’t be curious about an undiscovered ruin?

But the large-scale training was coming up next week.

She couldn’t justify spending her precious weekend on a club activity driven purely by interest, so she let go of the idea.

“I think I’ll have to pass because of the training next week…”

“I see. That’s a shame.”

Ubel nodded knowingly.

He collected the paper, checked the list of participants, and muttered almost to himself.

“Then the only first-year coming along is Carl.”

“…W-well, with the training coming up, I guess it’s difficult.”

“Hm?”

Ubel turned his head at the sight of Laysis trailing off.

“An undiscovered ancient ruin… it sounds interesting. You said Saturday, right? I’d like to join.”

The moment she heard Carl’s name, Laysis’s attitude shifted instantly.

It was only a one-day trip, after all.

She had been working hard all this time, so taking a day off for a change of pace wouldn’t hurt.

When a person focused too much on only one thing, it was natural to become worn out.

Everyone needed a breather.

‘…And Carl’s going too.’

Not that she was going specifically because of him.

She was just going along—coincidentally.

“I’m curious to see what’s inside an undiscovered ruin.”

Laysis wrapped her answer neatly with that excuse.

The first day of the weekend.

Before dawn even broke, Carl, already fully prepared, left the dormitory in light gear with a backpack on his shoulders.

Several people were already waiting at the gates of Bayern Academy.

They were all members of the Ancient Ruins Exploration Club.

Although he had arrived slightly earlier than the promised time, it seemed everyone was eager for this exploration.

“Carl.”

Standing alone in the corner, Laysis greeted him with a light nod.

Leather top and bottom, long boots, and a sword at her waist—

It was a practical outfit designed for easy movement in real situations.

“I didn’t expect you to come, Miss Laysis. Everyone’s been busy preparing for the training.”

“…I’m interested in the undiscovered ruin too. It’s supposed to be related to ancient heroes, right? I decided to research heroes alongside you, remember?”

“That’s right. That’s why I’m looking forward to this as well.”

Carl gave a short nod.

That was why he had been surprised when he first heard the story from the seniors.

‘An undiscovered ruin near the capital?’

Of course, there was a possibility it could exist.

The problem was that over the course of hundreds of years, more than dozens of ruins had already been uncovered through active exploration.

But this undiscovered dungeon they had deciphered this time was something that didn’t even appear in the records, so even Carl couldn’t help but feel expectant.

‘More capable than they look.’

Carl turned his head to observe the club seniors.

Unlike him, they truly loved ancient ruins, studying and researching them out of genuine interest.

This dungeon had been discovered by connecting extremely minor clues and passing references together.

It was a realm of intellect he himself would never have noticed.

‘Ancient heroes each had deep ties to the Empire. In the ruins and strongholds they left across the Empire, relics and records of heroes have been found.’

What Carl wanted was the trace of 《Justice》.

It was already a known fact that he had been from the same Central Plains as Carl himself.

So if he had left behind any kind of record, wouldn’t he have also left writings that only someone from the Central Plains could read?

If it had been him, he certainly would have done so.

“Alright, since everyone’s here, let’s depart.”

At the words of Dane, the club president, everyone boarded the carriages.

There were eight people in total, and apart from Carl and Laysis, all were senior cadets.

They split into two carriages, four to each, and Carl and Laysis were assigned to the same one thanks to the seniors’ consideration.

Even though she hadn’t gotten proper sleep from waking up early, Laysis looked out the window with a smile.

“This is my first time exploring an undiscovered ruin, so I’m excited.”

“There shouldn’t be anything particularly dangerous. But just in case, we hired a guide. We’ll be meeting him on-site.”

“There’s a guide as well?”

At Carl’s question, Dane nodded.

“I was going to introduce him when we arrive. He’s a historian and treasure hunter who specializes in this kind of dungeon exploration. Carl, you’ll soon be hearing his name often.”

“I see.”

The carriage rolled swiftly through the capital’s streets, which were just beginning to wake.

Their destination was the Lamidra Forest, northeast of Polfoardel.

After running for just over an hour, the carriage began to slow, signaling they were close.

Creak.

The cadets stretched and stepped out of the carriage one by one.

Some, having gathered at such an early hour, had taken the chance to nap along the way.

“Then, I’ll see you later, Young Master.”

“And you as well.”

The driver, after exchanging farewells with Dane, respectfully took up the reins again.

From his demeanor, he seemed to be a hire from the family’s merchant group.

“Let’s see… the others should be arriving soon…”

It was a morning where the pale blue of dawn had given way to the bright rising sun.

Just as Dane narrowed his eyes to scan the horizon, the faint sound of hoofbeats drifted in on the wind.

“Ah, here they come.”

“Hey—!”

Carl looked up toward the approaching figure.

It was a slender man on horseback, waving his hand.

He looked to be in his early thirties.

His chin was dotted with a patchy beard, and his head was wrapped with a loosely tied headscarf.

To be honest, he looked more like a carefree drifter than a historian.

“Professor Luiden!”

“Yo.”

The man called Luiden skillfully brought his horse to a stop before them.

With an easy motion, he dismounted, then patted the horse’s rump twice, sending it galloping off until it vanished from sight.

“A professor?”

In response to Carl’s question, Senior Ubel, who stood nearby, answered.

“Everyone who knows him calls him ‘Professor.’ He likes being called that. When it comes to knowledge about ruins, he’s as good as any real professor. The man’s well-versed in many things.”

“I see.”

By then, Luiden was already greeting Dane.

“Lord Dane, has it been half a year?”

“We last met during last year’s joint exploration, so about that long.”

“I’m glad to see you’re still in good form—it means you’ve been well.”

“Haha, keeping my body like this isn’t cheap, you know.”

“I can believe that. By the way, who are those over there? Faces I don’t recognize.”

“Ah.”

Dane turned and pointed toward Carl and Laysis.

“They’re first-years. They recently joined our club.”

“Oh-ho, first-years in such a dusty, stuffy place? Truly open-minded people.”

“Quite a few have joined, actually. We’re a fairly solid club. If it weren’t for the Academy’s schedule, we could have brought a few more.”

“As expected of Lord Dane. You’ve got a knack for this.”

Shaking his hands lightly, Professor Luiden strolled over and gave an elegant bow.

“My good sir, and our lovely lady. I am Luiden—my friends call me Professor. Won’t you grant me the chance to become your friend as well?”

“Carlos. Please call me Carl.”

“I’m Laysis.”

“Then Carl it is. And for Miss Laysis… how about ‘Lay’?”

“Haha.”

Laysis replied only with a dry laugh.

“Well then, since everyone seems ready, shall we be off?”

With a broad grin to her, Professor Luiden gestured theatrically toward the front and started walking.

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