Chapter 12: First Class (4)

Contrary to my worries, the night had been somewhat bearable. It was thanks to Iris’s blessing and the makeshift bed I had crafted with branches and leaves, using the survival skills I had learned during my mercenary days. It hadn’t been comfortable by any means, but it was manageable.

Still, compared to the other cadets, this is a luxury, I thought.

At this moment, most of them were probably exhausted, barely holding on. Camping without proper knowledge often drained more energy than simply staying awake.

That was probably part of the lesson as well.

If this were merely a practical tracking exercise, they wouldn’t have released such an unreasonable type of demonic monster. Feline-type monsters were notoriously swift and left almost no trace, which made them far harder to track than other monsters with the same number of eyes.

They must’ve anticipated that the cadets wouldn’t be able to capture all the demonic monsters in a single day, I surmised.

That was why Professor Kane hadn’t given the cadets any warning to prepare thoroughly. The true purpose of this class wasn’t just giving the cadets experience in tracking demonic monsters but also teaching them how to survive, set up camp, secure food, and endure.

This meant that keeping watch for potential dangers while observing Iris as she slept peacefully was also part of the lesson.

I recalled the way her face had lit up in pure delight the previous night as she had excitedly kicked her feet while eating ramen. It only reaffirmed something I was already sure of. Even if all our memories together were erased, Iris is still Iris.

It was such an obvious fact, and yet, it filled me with an overwhelming sense of relief. I can’t wait to see the others too. Yuren, Berald, and Senior Sophia, I wonder what they are all up to now?

As I reminisced about my old comrades, lost in thought, Camilla’s voice snapped me out of my reverie. “What’s with that creepy smile?”

“What, am I not allowed to smile now?” I replied.

“Hmph! That was definitely a suspicious smile!”

“Stop spouting nonsense and wake Iris up. We should get moving.”

“Tsk.” Camilla hesitantly approached Iris and gently shook her shoulder. “Milady, it’s time to wake up—Hyaaak?!”

Still half-asleep, Iris pulled Camilla into an embrace, nuzzling her cheek against Camilla’s chest as if she were a pillow. “Annghh… Just a little more.”

“M-Milady, this isn’t proper!”

“Mm… What is this? So stiff,” Iris sleepily said.

“Wake up already, you idiot.” Camilla snapped and smacked Iris on the back, making her eyes flutter open. Then, she said, “Are you awake now, Milady?”

Yawning, Iris replied, “Yeah, I’m up. But why does my back feel sore?”

“Well, you did sleep on the ground with just some leaves as padding,” Camilla replied.

“Oh, right, we camped out. No wonder something felt stiff and flat against my cheek earlier,” Iris said.

Looking at Camilla’s reaction to that remark, I thought, Calm down, Camilla. She’s your master.

“Now that you’re awake, let’s get moving,” I said.

“Moving? Where to?” Iris asked.

“I found some monster tracks while scouting earlier this morning,” I answered.

We had gained enough experience camping out in the wild. It was time to resume tracking for the demonic monsters.

***

After a quick wash-up at a nearby stream, our party followed the tracks carefully. A few hours passed before we finally spotted a demonic monster drinking water from the stream in the distance.

Another feline-type demonic monster, huh, I thought. It didn’t have a beak-like mouth like the one we captured before, but their overall appearance was quite similar. The key difference? This one had four eyes instead of three—a step above the one we captured the previous day.

Now that I recall, I heard about this. In my previous life, one of the three demonic monsters released into the forest was said to be particularly fast and difficult to capture. It was the reason the cadets had taken three whole days to capture all the demonic monsters.

The sight of this high-level demonic monster right before my eyes was yet another reminder of how much I had changed since my return. Back then, my party couldn’t even catch a three-eyed one, let alone a four-eyed one.

In a slightly tense voice, Camilla said, “It has an extra eye.”

“Want me to take this one?” I asked.

Determined not to back down, Camilla stepped forward. “Hmph. Three eyes or four, it makes no difference.”

I shrugged and moved to block the escape route, just as I had done the previous day. Camilla also repeated her actions, sprinting toward the demonic monster at my signal.

The monster, which had been focused on drinking, jerked its head up in alarm. It quickly turned, attempting to flee, only to find me blocking its escape route. As it hesitated, glancing between Camilla and me, it finally made its decision and charged Camilla.

It’s trying to break through. I glanced at Camilla, who was already drawing her sword with a confident smirk.

“If you’re going to come, then come!” she said.

The monster lunged at her. The soul stigmata on Camilla’s chest glowed, enveloping her blade in white light. She aimed for the monster’s neck, but suddenly, a red warning notification flashed on her Hero Watch.

[Warning. If you kill the training-purposed demonic monster instead of capturing it, all bonus points will be revoked.]

“Ugh!” Camilla hastily twisted her sword’s trajectory. However, stopping a swing mid-motion was impossible.

Clang!

Her sword barely grazed the monster’s neck. Frustrated, she glared at the flashing warning on her Hero Watch. “Damn it! They should’ve warned us about this beforehand!”

She was so distracted by the message that she failed to realize what exactly she had cut.

“Grrrr!”

The restraint-type magical device on the monster’s neck split in two, falling to the ground. The monster’s four eyes gleamed with a menacing red light.

“Grrrrah!”

Freed from its restraints, it bolted forward, much faster than before.

Stunned at first, Camilla turned to follow its movement, but it had already passed her.

The direction it was now charging toward, its glowing red eyes locked on target, was none other than that of our remaining party member.

Forgetting all formalities, Camilla screamed, “I-Iris!”

Iris tried to dodge the demonic monster lunging at her, but avoiding such a sudden charge was impossible for someone untrained in hand-to-hand combat.

Just as the demonic monster’s savage fangs closed in on her, I took action. “See, I told you I’d handle this.”

I stood in front of the demonic monster and used Berald Combat Style: Sky Flip.

Booom!

With the force of its own charge turned against itself, the demonic monster crashed headfirst into the ground, letting out a painful shriek. Seizing the opportunity, I struck the writhing creature’s head with the flat side of my sword.

A dull thud echoed as my sheathed sword slammed into the demonic monster’s skull. At that instant, its red eyes lost their glow. I then turned to Iris. “Are you okay?”

Still dazed, Iris nodded. “Ah… Yes.”

She then took my hand and stood up.

Camilla came rushing over, her face pale with worry. “Iris, a-are you hurt anywhere?!”

“No, I’m fine.”

Letting out a deep sigh of relief, Camilla clenched her teeth and bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle. “I sincerely apologize, Milady! This incident must be formally reported to the Holy Empire. I will receive my due punishment.”

“No, there’s no need for that.”

“B-but!” Camilla tried to retort.

With a gentle smile, Iris placed a hand on Camilla’s shoulder and straightened her up. “I said, it’s fine. I was also unaware that we weren’t supposed to kill the demonic monsters.”

Still looking remorseful, Camilla turned to me. “Thank you. I will make sure to repay this debt.”

“Hmm. And how exactly do you plan to repay me?” I asked playfully.

“I’ll do anything within my power,” she replied.

“Oh? Really? Anything at all?” I said.

“A-as long as it’s not something disgusting, like eating poop!”

“Hey now,” I replied. Just what kind of person does she take me for?

“Forget the whole repayment thing. Just call it even.” I looked at her.

“Call what even?” she asked.

“When I flung you through the air last week.”

“T-that was!” Camilla flustered, fumbling for an excuse about how she had let her guard down.

Ignoring her rambling, I approached the shattered remains of the restraints lying on the ground. “Will it still register in this condition?”

Tilting my head, I held my Hero Watch over it. A clear chime rang, and a holographic window popped up.

[Capture confirmed for the party of Iris, Camilla Vediche, and Dale Han.]

[Since all demonic monsters have been captured, the ‘Practical Combat Training’ has concluded.]

[Cadets, please proceed to the training ground entrance immediately.]

Clicking my tongue, I stared at the floating message. “Looks like another team got to the last one.”

If I hadn’t spent the night camping with Iris and had kept hunting instead, we could have captured all three. But, oh well. No use dwelling on it now.

“Let’s head back,” I said.

“Understood.” Camilla nodded and followed me.

Just like that, the two of us walked in the direction of the training ground. Wait, the two of us? Hmmm?

“Iris?” I said.

“Ah, sorry! I was lost in thought for a moment,” she replied.

“W-wait, don’t tell me you are actually hurt?!” Camilla asked worryingly.

“No, it’s nothing like that,” Iris answered.

Camilla looked at her. “What do you mean nothing! Your face is completely red!”

“I-it’s not what you think!” Iris quickly ducked her head, her cheeks flushed, and hurried her pace.

Camilla immediately chased after her. “Ah! Milady, wait!”

Watching Iris’s retreating figure, I frowned. “What’s this?”

For just a split second, only for a fleeting moment, her gaze had reminded me of the way she used to look at me in our past life.

Let’s stop overthinking and just move. Shaking off the thought, I followed the two ahead.

***

I had approached him out of pure curiosity. I was only wondering why. Why had he looked at me, someone he had never even spoken to before, and cried so sadly like that?

At first, all I felt was discomfort. However, as time passed, that feeling faded, and curiosity took root in its place. Before I knew it, my mind was consumed with thoughts of the man who had gazed at me and said, “Really… I’m so glad.”

What exactly was he glad about? I kept questioning it, but the answer never came. Instead, the more I thought about him, the more a strange realization surfaced. He feels… familiar.

Even though we had never spoken before, even though I had no memories of him, the way he looked at me and the way he spoke to me—somehow, none of it felt unfamiliar.

No, more than that, it felt welcoming. So much so that my heart started racing without me realizing it.

Why am I feeling like this? It was ridiculous, like I was a lost lover reunited with my beloved after lifetimes apart. The thought was laughable. It was absurd.

And then, before the training class, Professor Kane said, “For today’s class, you’ll be forming groups of three. You are free to find your teammates.”

The moment I heard that, before I even realized it, I was walking straight toward him.

When I looked back at it, I realized it was incredibly impulsive—not at all how a Saintess was supposed to behave. But I didn’t regret it. It had only been a day, but spending time with him hadn’t been bad at all. No, if I were being honest, it had made me happy, much happier than I expected.

Tracking demonic monsters with him through the forest, tasting ramen for the first time, and watching him step in to protect me from danger.

Then, he reached out his hand to me as I fell, asking me, “Are you okay?”.

At that moment, a spark of electricity had jolted through me, awakening emotions I had never felt before, feelings that I was not supposed to have as a Saintess.

“Haa! What do I do now?” I sighed, lost in thought.

Then suddenly, memories came rushing back.

“Hey, who the hell do you think you are, calling me by my first name? Do I know you?

“Fine, I’ll let that slide since we’re in the same year. But what the hell was yesterday about? Huh? Who do you think you are, attacking my friend out of nowhere, you crazy fucker?

“Oh, by the way. You’d better forget everything that happened today. Otherwise… You’re dead, got it?

“Oh my God! What is this?! This is fucking amazing! This is crazy!!”

“Wait! Holy fuck?” The words escaped my lips. What the hell am I supposed to do now?

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