CHAPTER 36: OUTDOOR SURVIVAL TRAINING BEGIN

Three weeks later, all the academy students gathered at the edge of the forest just outside the city. They were divided into several large groups. The first-year S-Class Group—Ard, Eva, Alicia, Milia, and Beatrice—was leading three A-Class groups, consisting of fifteen people, and four B-Class groups, consisting of twenty people. Everyone was carrying a dimensional backpack to hold their respective group’s camping gear and food.

The purpose of the outdoor field exercise, which looked like an expedition and survival training in the wild or on a front line, was to sharpen the abilities of the academy students who would one day become knights. After the briefing, the instructors began separating the teams and taking them to the locations where they would undergo their training.

Ard, Eva, and their group stood at the edge of the forest, preparing to go in. The A-Class and B-Class groups went in first, while the S-Class group, which was Ard and his friends’ group, followed behind them.

"Where do you think our other friends went?" Milia asked.

"I don’t know. We’re lucky we only have to go into this forest," Alicia replied.

"Yeah, true... though having to go into a forest like this is kind of annoying, ugh," Beatrice muttered, rubbing her arm.

"Don’t be spoiled," Eva said, turning to look at Beatrice behind her.

"Who’s spoiled," Beatrice replied, annoyed and embarrassed.

"Remember Rosalind’s instruction, Princess? Don’t push yourself too hard," Ard said.

"I know. You guys don’t have to worry about me; I can handle it," Beatrice retorted.

"Hehe... you guys sound like parents watching over their spoiled kid who insisted on coming along," Milia added.

"Who’s a spoiled kid? Don’t talk nonsense," Beatrice shouted at Milia.

"Hehe... my apologies, Princess," Milia replied casually.

"For now, we’re just observing, right?" Alicia asked.

"We only intervene if it gets dangerous," Eva answered.

"Hmm... got it. I’m just gonna take it easy, haha," Alicia replied.

Ard felt someone staring at him from the front. He looked toward the two A-Class groups, and it turned out Brylee was turning around to look at him continuously. Ard smiled. He walked a little faster, pushing his way through the ranks in front of him. He then walked beside Brylee, who seemed surprised and wanted to avoid Ard.

"Hello, noble lord," Ard greeted.

"S-Shut up. Don’t talk to me," Brylee replied, looking straight ahead.

"I’m going to walk here. It seems more fun," Ard replied deliberately.

"Grr... S-Class stays in the back," Brylee retorted.

"S-Class is free to be anywhere, hehe," Ard countered.

Suddenly, "thwack," Ard caught an arrow aimed directly at Brylee’s face. Of course, Brylee was scared half to death; his eyes widened, and his breathing became instantly ragged.

"We have visitors," Ard said, glancing toward the trees ahead.

"Kik,"

"Screech," several goblins, carrying weapons and wearing leather protective clothing, jumped down from the trees in front of them. The A-Class and B-Class students immediately prepared themselves. Brylee drew his sword, ready to kill the goblins.

"Hey... don’t forget the ones still up there with arrows," Ard warned.

"I know... thank you (looking at his friends) Let’s go... kill them!" Brylee shouted.

"Uoooooh!"

The A-Class and B-Class students began to charge, with some shooting wind and water or ice magic toward the trees to knock down the archers. Meanwhile, on the ground, the sword-wielding students began fighting the goblins. Ard stood still, just observing, as was his duty. Eva, Alicia, Milia, and Beatrice approached Ard, then watched the A-Class and B-Class fighting the goblins. The familiars belonging to the A-Class and B-Class also helped their masters by attacking with their magic.

After 15 minutes, the battle started to show results. Many goblins lay dead, but many of the A-Class and B-Class were also panting heavily. Finally, seeing the remaining goblins still fighting, Beatrice grew impatient. She summoned her Carbuncle, and the cat-like familiar immediately darted out, killing all the remaining goblins. Seeing this, Ard, Eva, Milia, and Alicia turned to look at Beatrice.

"Why did you interfere, Princess?" Alicia asked.

"Yeah, we weren’t supposed to get involved unless it was an emergency," Milia added.

"It was taking too long. I’m already getting itchy in this forest," Beatrice replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

Eva just shook her head without saying anything and returned her gaze to the A-Class and B-Class students, who were walking back and trying to help the wounded. The students who could use healing magic immediately helped cure their friends. Everyone looked exhausted and worn out. Brylee approached Ard.

"Why didn’t you help us?" Brylee asked, his body covered in goblin blood and dirt.

"The instructor said we only had to observe, so we were just observing," Ard replied.

"Kyaaaaa.... a Trent!"

Brylee turned, and Ard also looked in the direction of the scream. It turned out a tree was groaning, with a face, and its roots began attacking, trying to ensnare the A-Class and B-Class students, who were desperately trying to avoid it.

"Now this is our business. Come on, Milia," Alicia invited.

"Okay, let’s go," Milia replied.

"Swoosh," the two immediately shot forward. Alicia summoned her Salamander, and her mouth mumbled a spell.

"Flame Spear!"

Alicia fired a Flame Spear simultaneously with her Salamander shooting a fireball from its mouth. "Creeaak," the Trent immediately caught fire when hit by the massive fireball, a combination of the spell and the Salamander’s blast. Then Milia also chanted and released,

"Freeze!"

Milia released a blizzard, and her Sea Serpent shot a blue beam from its mouth. When the two combined and hit the Trent, the Trent’s body immediately froze, with huge flames writhing and burning its body inside. After that, Alicia and Milia walked toward the now-frozen Trent, and "ting," they thrust their swords into it. "Crack," "pling," the entire ice shattered, along with the Trent’s body, which had turned to ash with the fire still burning.

"Wow!"

The A-Class and B-Class students looked amazed to see the action of Alicia and Milia, who walked casually back to their spot while chatting and sheathing their swords. Ard turned to look at Brylee, who was frozen beside him.

"A Trent is considered an A-Class monster and is hard to fight, so they stepped in. I think you get it now, right?" Ard said casually.

Brylee didn’t answer, but he nodded. He then walked back to help his friends regroup. After everyone was healed and able to walk again, they continued their journey deeper into the forest to reach the designated spot for their camp.

The A-Class and B-Class students, who had been walking ahead earlier, began walking alongside the S-Class students and talking to them. Ard and Eva, who weren’t surrounded, stepped forward, walking ahead of everyone else at the very front. They glanced back for a moment, then looked forward again.

"Hopefully, there won’t be any trouble, huh," Ard said, glancing to the side.

"Yeah, let’s hope so," Eva added, also glancing to the side.