Chapter 15: Is This a Crisis or an Opportunity? (4)

Reinz suppressed the surging thrill and tucked it into his pocket.

It hadn’t even been ten minutes since they arrived at the pond.

‘But why is only the fruit lying there?’

The Dawnflower that should have been there was nowhere to be seen.

Reinz decided not to think too deeply about it.

After all, the key to winning the bet was the fruit, not the flower.

‘Maybe the heavy rain made only the fruit fall. Whatever.’

It was an utterly trivial detail.

‘So, how should I paint this picture now?’

Reinz sank into thought.

The moment he found it, he was already a hero within the team.

Imagining how he’d boast to his teammates, Reinz briefly curved his lips into a smile.

And that wasn’t all.

With this, he could flatten the nose of that jerk Gerard, who had humiliated him.

“Come to think of it, where is that guy, and what’s he doing? I ended up finding the thing we were supposed to look for.”

As expected, he was a nobody.

If I’d known it’d turn out like this, I should’ve seriously run for the candidate spot.

Reinz clicked his tongue in regret.

Anyway, what’s done is done.

Reinz sauntered toward the pond where his teammates were, chuckling to himself.

“Heh heh. These guys are still rummaging around. They don’t even know I found it…”

Then, a sudden thought made him stop in his tracks.

‘Wait a sec. Do I really have to hand this over to that guy?’

The thing in his pocket was not only a spiritual herb but also the key to deciding the assistant role.

In other words, the authority to choose the assistant was currently in his hands and Reinz couldn’t tolerate someone as un-senior-like as Gerard taking the assistant position.

‘In that case?’

A face popped into Reinz’s mind.

A new friend he’d made at the Academy, Gwyn Gaiard.

A guy with not only skill but also a solid background—his best connection.

In Reinz’s opinion, no one was more suited for the role.

Of course, he’d have to give up the extra points.

But the reward from the Gaiard Ducal House would surely make up for it.

“Alright.”

Having sorted his thoughts, Reinz took advantage of his distracted teammates and started heading toward the valley.

But there was no need for that.

“…Huh? What’s that? Gwyn?”

Three teammates emerged from the dense bushes.

One of them was the very Gwyn he’d intended to meet.

“As expected. There’s a water’s edge here too. That’s why those guys weren’t visible.”

“Damn it. So we were just fooling around in the valley like idiots, knowing nothing?”

Gwyn’s face hardened.

“Ugh. If I’d known, I would’ve brought everyone along.”

Gwyn quickly scanned the surroundings.

His eyes caught Yuria rummaging around the pond.

“The good thing is, it looks like they haven’t found it yet either. Let’s move fast. Karina will be here soon.”

“Yeah.”

Just as Gwyn and the two cadets were about to move, Reinz called out to him.

“Gwyn!”

“…Reinz? What are you doing over there?”

“Come here for a sec. Just you, quietly.”

Gwyn furrowed his brow.

They were competitors right now.

“What’s this about?”

“Hey, what’s with the suspicion between friends? Don’t you trust me?”

Gwyn looked at Reinz with suspicion but eventually nodded.

“Alright. You guys start searching first. I’ll talk with Reinz and be right back.”

“Yeah, but hurry back, Gwyn.”

Gwyn followed Reinz into the thicket.

Gwyn got straight to the point.

“You guys haven’t found it, have you?”

Reinz was still grinning.

“We haven’t found it.”

“…We haven’t found it?”

“Yeah.”

Even in his urgency, Gwyn quickly noticed something off about Reinz’s words.

“Then you? Are you saying you found something?”

“Pfft. As expected, your instincts are sharp as hell, Gwyn! You really picked the right friend.”

Reinz opened the fist he’d been clenching.

Seeing its contents, the corners of Gwyn’s eyes twitched momentarily.

“…You. This is.”

“Yep. Twilight of the Dawnflower. I found it!”

Reinz looked at Gwyn, laughing.

Having regained his composure, Gwyn lowered his head briefly and let out a long breath.

It wasn’t a sigh of frustration but one closer to relief.

When he raised his head again, the urgency in Gwyn’s expression was gone.

In its place was calm rationality.

“Why are you showing this to me, Reinz?”

“I can’t stand the idea of a guy like Gerard becoming the assistant.”

“So?”

“You’re way more suited for it. Obviously. You’re the representative of our 890th class, aren’t you?”

“…But we’re on opposing teams. This is cheating.”

“Ha, Gwyn, you naive friend.”

Reinz shook his head and placed a hand on Gwyn’s shoulder.

“No one else knows. Just you and me. Who’s gonna know it’s cheating? As long as we both keep our mouths shut, right?”

Gwyn didn’t respond immediately.

He fell into deep thought with a serious expression.

It was true.

Reinz’s method wasn’t to his liking, but losing the bet was even less so.

Especially since he had the duty to revive his family.

His deliberation didn’t last long.

“Then I’ll gratefully accept.”

“Heh. No need for thanks between friends. Just don’t forget me later.”

“Right.”

Gwyn took the Twilight of the Dawnflower and stared at it.

‘With this, the bet is over. My victory…’

But his thoughts didn’t continue.

Soon, Gwyn’s expression subtly changed.

Then it began to harden at an alarming rate.

“…Hey, Reinz.”

“Yeah?”

“Where did you get this?”

The sudden question made Reinz tilt his head.

“Where? I found it around here.”

“You found it? Explain exactly.”

“Man, this perfectionist.”

Reinz chuckled and described the situation.

“Then the Dawnflower?”

“No idea. Maybe it got washed away by the rain. It wasn’t there. Just this was lying around. But we don’t need the flower, right?”

“…”

Gwyn fell silent for a moment.

Only then did Reinz sense something off in the atmosphere, lowering his arm cautiously while gauging Gwyn’s mood.

“What’s wrong?”

“Reinz, you’ve never actually seen the Twilight of the Dawnflower, have you?”

“What?”

Reinz frowned.

He felt a hint of condescension in Gwyn’s tone.

“The Twilight of the Dawnflower is a crystal of spiritual energy formed from the forest’s essence. When you infuse it with mana, it gives off a fresh, grassy scent.”

“Really? I didn’t hear about that. Guess you know more than that guy.”

‘But so what?’ Reinz asked, and Gwyn continued.

“But there’s no scent here. None at all.”

“Huh? No way. Try infusing more mana.”

“I am, right now. But…”

That’s when it happened.

Suddenly, a small spark crackled from the object in Gwyn’s palm.

Both their bodies trembled as if struck by lightning.

A heavy silence followed and they knew this wasn’t the calm of the forest but the ominous stillness before a massive storm.

Their eyes met.

They were recalling the same memory.

The entrance ceremony.

The horrific nightmare that had erupted in the stands.

“…Could this be.”

As Reinz mumbled in a daze, Gwyn threw the object to the ground and shouted.

“What are you doing! Run!”

“Huh? G-Gwyn? Damn it.”

Gwyn burst out of the bushes, with Reinz following close behind.

“Hey, why are you guys coming from there…”

Just as Yuria, who had spotted them, opened her mouth, a loud crackle erupted.

Zzzzt──!

Behind the bushes they’d emerged from, black lightning bolts shot up in all directions.

The cadets at the pond screamed in shock.

“W-What’s that! What’s going on!”

“Isn’t that… from the entrance ceremony…?”

Amid the chaos at the pond, a soft sound rang out.

Srrrng──.

Yuria quietly drew the sword hanging at her waist.

* * *

The ‘Remnants of Terror’ had already begun.

Somewhere.

And it wasn’t hard to figure out where that somewhere was.

In this eastern forest outskirts, there was only one place I hadn’t checked.

The least likely spot, so I’d ruled it out from the start.

The eastern pond.

Damn it.

I rushed toward it.

Thud!

I slid down the slope.

My heart was racing.

I couldn’t predict what was happening.

That made my mind keep conjuring worst-case scenarios.

If this were the original story’s flow, I wouldn’t be this worried.

The freshmen, united around Ivan and Professor Ilai, would hold out well until the faculty and seniors arrived.

But not in this world.

This world’s flow had long diverged from the original.

The cadets weren’t gathered—they were scattered all over.

Only a handful were at the pond. Just six from my team.

No Ivan, no Professor Ilai.

“Shit.”

Was it too greedy to aim for the Beast Pouch, the assistant role’s perks, and everyone’s favor all at once?

Should I have canceled the class myself, even at a loss? Or was there another way…?

I shook my head vigorously to clear the stray thoughts.

That wasn’t what mattered now.

Because of me, Yuria was once again in mortal danger.

The same went for the other juniors who trusted and followed me.

Rather than regret, handling the situation was the priority.

Swish swish!

When I arrived at the scene, things were already spiraling into the worst possible state.

The distinctive roars and shouts of orcs echoed everywhere.

“Professor! Be careful!”

What? Professor?

I turned toward the warning shout.

Sure enough, a familiar silhouette was visible not far away.

Professor Ilai, her coat flapping, stood blocking the orcs.

The holy book in her hand radiated a brilliant glow.

“I’m fine, so everyone stay within the barrier!”

Phew. Looks like she was nearby.

What a relief.

Holy Magic, powered not by mana but by divine energy, wasn’t affected by Mana Freeze.

So she could use her abilities to their fullest.

But that didn’t mean I could relax.

She was a cleric.

Her main role was healing, defense, and support.

She might have tons of combat experience, but a cleric surrounded by beasts had clear limits.

She could block or repel them, but she couldn’t kill or eliminate them.

“No, Professor! Behind you! Behind!”

“…!”

I lunged forward.

As I drew my sword from my waist, my body was already closing in on the Swamp Orc’s flank.

I drove the sword into the orc’s exposed waist.

Stab.

The vivid sensation of slicing through muscle, flesh, and bone traveled through the blade to my hand.

My heightened senses, sharpened by increased agility, reminded me they weren’t always a blessing.

I twisted the sword to finish it.

The Swamp Orc, about to swing its club, collapsed dead with its arm still raised.

Thud.

“Gerard?”

As the Swamp Orc fell, Professor Ilai turned to me, her face lighting up.

She looked thrilled to see me, but now wasn’t the time for leisurely greetings, Professor.

I gave her a quick nod and scanned the surroundings.

The first thing I saw was the pond.

Freshmen protected within a golden barrier of divine energy.

All magic specialists, rendered powerless in this situation due to Mana Freeze.

Then, across the pond.

Three cadets were frantically fighting a group of Swamp Orcs.

Hannes, a spear specialist, and Gwyn Gaiard.

And finally, Yuria.

A sigh of relief escaped me.

No casualties.

Thank goodness. With that worry gone, I could take stock.

Gwyn was handling two orcs.

Hannes and Yuria each faced one.

Yuria was staggering, clearly in a precarious state.

The red bloodstains on her shoulder.

That idiot.

Even in this situation, she’s not using magic.

If Professor Ilai hadn’t been intermittently supporting her with Holy Magic, who knows what would’ve happened.

Having assessed the situation, I looked at Professor Ilai.

“Professor, please help them first.”

“What? What about you, Gerard?”

Three Swamp Orcs still surrounded us here.

In terms of danger, this spot was riskier than over there, where they could retreat to the barrier if needed.

“I’ll be fine.”

“…What?”

“Please help them first and come back. I can hold out until then.”

I didn’t wait for her reply.

In times like this, a single decisive action spoke louder than drawn-out words.

I charged at the orc closest to the barrier.

Roar!

The Swamp Orc, wary of my sudden intrusion, let out a bellow and swung its rusted iron sword wide as I rushed in.

The blade came down straight for my head.

Its destructive power was threatening, but to my eyes, the attack was slow and obvious.

I tilted my shoulder slightly to dodge, then slashed upward diagonally.

Slash.

The orc’s wrist, along with its iron sword, fell to the ground.

I spun behind it, cut its hamstrings to bring it to its knees, and swung again to sever its neck.

The entire sequence flowed seamlessly, clean and precise.

The orc’s head rolled to a stop.

It came to rest at the feet of Professor Ilai, who stood staring at me in a daze.

“Professor?”

“…”

“Professor! The kids!”

“Huh? Oh, right! I’ll help them first and then…”

Professor Ilai glanced down at the orc’s head again, then ran toward the barrier without another word.

Confirming that, I turned and swung my sword at the remaining Swamp Orcs.

Roar!

By the time I felled the last Swamp Orc, the situation at the barrier was nearing its end.

“I didn’t believe it, but you really handled it all alone.”

Professor Ilai, now approaching, asked with a stunned expression.

“If you’re from the 888th class, this is standard.”

“Is that so?”

No.

Actually, only a few in that class could pull this off.

“But from what I know, Gerard, you haven’t attended classes for a while… Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to dismiss you.”

“It’s fine. I didn’t attend lectures, but I trained in swordsmanship on my own. This is the result. But I don’t think that’s what’s important right now.”

I asked as innocently as possible.

“What the hell happened? Why are these orcs here?”

“Ugh. I don’t know the details yet. But there are more Swamp Orcs.”

“…What?”

My eyes widened.

* * *

Generally, the number of beasts a Beast Pouch can hold depends on their weight.

Heavier beasts mean fewer can fit, while lighter ones allow more.

In this regard, Swamp Orcs were among the most efficient.

Only 4th-grade, yet they boasted combat strength surpassing regular soldiers, excellent stamina, adaptability to any environment, and high intelligence.

A Beast Pouch could hold twenty-five of them.

One of which was a variant.

A champion with the runaway ability of ‘Might of the Giant.’

So I knew.

The number of Swamp Orc corpses here was only eight.

Naturally, no variant among them.

I was just pretending to be shocked.

Anyway, where were the remaining seventeen?

Gwyn knew exactly.

“You sure?”

At my question, Gwyn nodded with a tense expression.

“Yes. We saw it clearly.”

To sum it up, it went like this.

The Swamp Orcs had split into three groups upon appearing.

One group, the eight we fought here.

Another headed west, and the last went east.

The most urgent issue was the group that went east.

East from here led downhill, and if you kept going, there was only one destination.

The royal capital, Icata.

If they reached it.

If orcs suddenly burst into civilian homes, it was obvious how the already tense atmosphere of the empire would react and if the citizens learned the orcs came from the Academy.

It was predictable.

The Academy’s reputation would plummet completely.

That outcome had to be prevented.

No matter what.

Even if it meant sacrifices, the Academy had to stop the orcs from spreading outward.

And the moment my thoughts reached that point, a lightning bolt struck my mind.

What if I, of all people, perfectly resolved this crisis?

How would my standing and reputation at the Academy change?

“But if you go further east from here, isn’t that Icata?”

“Oh no, you’re right, Professor! What do we do!?”

“Ugh. Obviously, we need to pursue them quickly. For now, I’ll go with… who among you is fast on their feet?”

“Me! But, uh, I don’t know the way.”

“Oh, come on.”

No need to say more.

No need to hesitate or think.

Even in a barren desert, flowers bloom.

This was an opportunity to overturn all my missteps and misjudgments.

A hesitant new professor and kids floundering without direction.

I stepped forward through the gap.

“I’ll go.”

All eyes turned to me.

A strange sense of déjà vu washed over me.

Yes.

This was the same setup as an hour ago when I was recommended for the assistant role and stepped forward.

But now, an hour later.

The way the kids looked at me was very different from then.

“Two of you, come with me.”

The real work starts now.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep