"Phew... dealt with the orc... and next..."

Thinking there was no need to see blood, the method he chose was to freeze it to death.

Lucas, who had thrown the frozen solid orc far away with magic, turned his eyes to Paula and Skire, who were still sprawled out in a deep sleep.

"You're good, huh?"

"?!"

"Ha! Did you really think a pixie would just drop and sleep from a human's sleep magic?"

"True. You have a point. I underestimated you. So, are you asking me to kill you now?"

As Lucas's eyes turned fierce, Allin quickly shook her head.

"N-no! I didn't s-see anything!"

Allin, who had shaken her head so fast she felt a little dizzy, stared blankly at Lucas for a moment.

"Good thing you're quick-witted. If you run that acorn-sized mouth of yours incorrectly, I'll shove an acorn into that mouth and... your head..."

"St-stop! I get it, so stop! You cruel little kid!!"

"Fine."

Lucas, curling one corner of his mouth, beckoned to the pixie with his finger.

"Come here."

"...Why?"

She had asked back out of fear, but seeing Lucas's gaze made her even more scared. Allin quickly brushed off Skire's hand and trotted over.

"...This far?"

"Closer."

Allin, who had asked again from about two steps away, walked to Lucas's feet, and he bent down.

"Aaaah!!!"

"Shut up."

Allin, who had gotten scared preemptively, wrapped her arms around her head and promptly sat down on the ground.

"...Huh?"

The pain she had felt in her wing joint was gone.

"You can use healing magic too?"

"What are you talking about? Wasn't your wing fine to begin with?"

"Ah! R-right! It was fine!"

She was a pixie with ridiculously good intuition.

"Then get lost now. Scurry back to your village."

"O-okay!"

Allin, who spread her wings once, slowly began to flap them. Just as she seemed to turn and leave, she came back and cautiously approached Lucas.

"Um... he did break my wing, but... I was also impressed by how hard he ran to protect me... so..."

"So?"

One of Lucas's eyebrows went up at the sight of the pixie hesitating to continue.

"I-I want to give him a little present..."

"Do it."

"Is that mana stone in your pocket precious?"

"What the hell. Shouldn't you be the one giving the present?"

"W-well, that's true, but... the situation isn't like that right now, is it?"

Lucas let out a short sigh and took out a mana stone, handing it to the awkwardly smiling Allin.

She placed her hand on the mana stone and muttered something. When she finally removed her hand, a faint light flickered on the mana stone.

"Phew! All done."

"You're showing useless kindness. Unlike other pixies."

"Actually, I like humans. Especially young humans."

"Why don't you try saying that to the elder of your village?"

"Ahem... anyway! Please give this to him."

Lucas gave a short nod at her request and rummaged through Skire's pocket, pulling out a pebble.

Tossing it behind him, Lucas carefully put the mana stone he was holding back into his pocket.

'What an idiot, can't even tell the difference from a pebble.'

The sun was already setting, and the sky was turning red.

"Wake up!!!"

At Lucas's shout, Paula's eyes shot open, and she looked around, panting.

"Wh-what happened?"

"Wake him up. We have to go back."

"Th-that monster?"

"It went home."

***

"So you guys met an orc, fainted, and when you woke up, the orc had gone home?"

"Yes! That's right!"

"Ha! That's hilarious!"

The group, having returned to the campsite, was being interrogated by the surrounding students. As the interrogation began, Paula seemed excited and was eagerly chattering about what had just happened.

"Hmph! Are you saying you don't believe her right now?"

When Sament sneered at Paula's words, Skire crossed his arms and stepped forward.

"Hmph! Then are you telling us to believe her right now?"

Sament, perfectly mimicking Skire's expression and pose, took a step forward.

"A-are you mimicking me right now?!"

"W-well, who else would I be mimicking?!"

"Eeeek!!! You bastard!!!!"

"Eeeek!!! How scary!!!"

Lucas could only sigh as he watched them bicker.

Of course, that guy wouldn't believe Paula and Skire's words.

Sament had been a mercenary for a long time before he discovered his talent after placing his hand on a mana stone, an item he was commissioned to retrieve. He then quit his mercenary life and enrolled in the academy.

However, that talent was so minimal that he had already been stuck in the basic class for three semesters.

The number of orcs he must have seen in the field surely reached the tens, no, hundreds. Orcs were common monsters, and they appeared in many places, so he would have encountered them everywhere.

For such an orc to have these delicious preys in front of it, and they were even unconscious, and it just obediently went back home?

The answer was set. It either wasn't an orc, or it was a lie.

"Now, now, that's enough. Since everyone is gathered, bring me what you've found!"

Aman appeared at the right time and put an end to their fight.

Everyone took out the stones they had found from their pockets and had them inspected by Aman.

What Paula held in her hand was a mana stone. What had been in Paula's pocket was also, in fact, an ordinary pebble. But Lucas had taken the stones from their pockets and replaced them with the mana stones he had found.

It was Skire's turn, who had been fuming for a while, and he was clearly very nervous.

"Oh, you found one! It's a mana stone, Skire."

Skire's face brightened. He grinned and looked at the mana stone once, then at Aman's face.

Aman, who responded with a smile, directed his gaze towards Lucas.

It was a look that seemed to say, 'I know what you did.'

Seeing his gaze, Lucas subtly avoided his eyes and stared into the air.

"Now then, Lucas? Will you bring your mana stone?"

"I don't have one. I couldn't find any."

Hearing his words, Aman narrowed his eyes.

"Really? That's a shame. I'm sure you'll find one next time."

Aman, grinning, scanned Lucas's group.

***

The group, who had a simple dinner in front of their respective tents, gathered for the campfire that would be the grand finale of the camp.

Aman gathered dry firewood in the center, lightly started a fire using magic, and called everyone over.

"Alright! Everyone come and sit down."

As everyone took a seat following his words, Aman raised one hand high.

"Light."

Aman, creating a large ball of light from his fingertip, began to embroider letters in the sky.

"A... rant... Magic... Academy... Basic Class... Welcome, welcome?"

Lucas, watching the letters slowly embroidering the sky, let out a sigh as if he was dumbfounded.

'Crazy bastard. What kind of lizard is so cheerful and sincere about amusement?'

He had never seen one in his half-millennium of dragon life. Such a cheerful and again, cheerful dragon.

"Today's camp, created for the harmony of our basic class students! Did everyone have a good time?"

As Aman cupped his hand to his ear and waited for a response, disgruntled answers came from here and there.

"Yeees..."

"The sound is too small! Is this all our basic class has got?!"

"Yeees!"

As if he was dissatisfied with the small response, he induced another answer like an event host and then smiled broadly with satisfaction.

"Alright! Good. Then today's highlight!! The campfire begins!!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the campfire flames flared up greatly.

"Ooooh!"

***

Aman, who was watching with a pleased expression as everyone gathered in groups of three or five in their seats, munching on snacks and chatting, approached Lucas's group.

"Our young friends can't drink alcohol... so, I'll give you this specially."

Aman revealed the hand he had hidden behind his back with a 'ta-da'.

"Hmph! Isn't this a cookie? You're treating us like children..."

"Hey, you noble scrap. When an adult gives you something, you should say thank you and accept it. Tsk tsk... so rude."

"Wh-what?! Noble scrap?!"

"Yeah! Scrap!!!"

Paula and Skire growled at each other whenever their eyes met. As if finding the sight quite cute, Aman laughed out loud, "Haha."

"Now, now, that's enough, hurry up and take the cookies. Do you want to see your professor's hand fall off?"

"Crazy..."

At Aman's detestable appearance, a rough word slipped out of Lucas's mouth without him realizing it.

"Ha, haha... you weren't talking to me, were you..."

"N-no, sir. I was just thinking about something..."

Both Lucas and Aman were flustered, their faces turning pale.

"W-well then, have a fun time!"

As Aman hastily left, Paula and Skire, who had been growling at each other, approached Lucas.

"Hey. You saw it clearly earlier too, right? The orc."

"Right! You saw it too, didn't you?! So why didn't you help when those guys were mocking us!"

"Yeah! We were the only ones who looked like fools!"

The two, who had been at each other's throats, were now trying to eat him alive. A deep sigh rose from the tips of his toes.

"Hah... are you idiots? Do you think it makes sense that an orc just went back?"

"What?"

"Idiot?"

At their sharp words, Lucas let out a long sigh and opened his mouth.

"Yes. I asked if you were idiots. What do you think an orc is? Do you think it's just some passing rabbit or squirrel? It's a monster. We were nothing but small prey to that orc. And easy-to-eat prey at that."

Startled by the word 'prey', Paula shivered slightly.

"You saw it, right? How big that orc was. Even if we stacked the three of us vertically, we would only reach its chest. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Tsk... you're so smart. Fine."

Paula, who pouted her lips at Lucas's logical rebuke, plopped down next to him.

"Hey. You're a noble too, right? Right? Then why aren't you friendly with him?"

"Hmph, do you think all nobles are the same? This body is none other than..."

"Yes, yes, I'm sure. Aren't you the very great young master of the O'Neil ducal family!"

Paula, who had heard it so many times she cut Skire off before he could finish, stuck out her tongue and teased him.

"Y-you! What about you! How could a lowly commoner like you come here!"

"I walked! Why!"

It was a fight with no end in sight. Lucas's head started to hurt.

"Enough. Everyone shut your mouths and just open and eat your cookies."

"Hey, and we're two and four years older than you, you know?"

"So?"

"What do you mean, so?! Call us older sister and older brother!"

Lucas, who smirked at Paula's words, got up and approached her.

"Hmm... did you hit your head when you fell earlier..."

Skire laughed out loud, as if finding his teasing, where he pretended to examine Paula from side to side, satisfying.

"Hahaha! Serves you right!"

As their fight started again, Lucas turned his body and left the spot.

***

Lucas, who had returned from a walk along the back trail, was utterly shocked.

He didn't know where they got it from, but in the large cups next to them, the almost completely consumed 'Raculrus's Leaves' were piled up at the bottom.

Raculrus's Leaf. It was also used to treat depression patients, but it was a popular leaf used in food and various candies to create a more enjoyable mood at festivals and events.

But it seemed that they had only ever encountered processed Raculrus's leaves and had never drunk the raw leaves like this before.

"Hey~ you arrogant little kid~"

Skire, who was so happy his mouth was full of laughter, beckoned to Lucas.

"Kyahaha! Don't tease the little kid~"

How much tea had the two kids sat and sipped...! He was at the point of resenting himself for leaving his seat for a moment.

When used in small amounts, Raculrus's leaf was so good at making one comfortable in mind and body that it was perfect for confessing truths, but...

It seemed that all the truths that needed to come out had already come out of those kids' mouths.

"Where on earth is Aman and what is he doing?!"

Lucas looked around with an annoyed expression. The walk had only been about an hour long.

"I... will definitely defeat my brother. I will definitely win."

"Hey, you can do it. Really. Trust me, trust me. You know what? I want to bring a lo~t of money to where I used to live~"

A strange sense of pity filled Lucas's eyes as he watched the kids exchange words with silly grins.

"Where you used to live~? That money... should I give it to you?"

"Pfft... forget it. I can earn it, you know? Once I become a magician~ huh~?"

A total madhouse party. This was definitely hell's camp.

(End of Chapter)