Chapter 118
『Translator: RainTL』
༺ The Good, the Crazy and the Bizarre (1) ༻
Each year, the freshmen students were required to undertake a prac lesson at the Hunting Grounds.
A select few of the skilled 2nd year seniors would be placed throughout the forest to interfere with the freshmen students, and the new students, who were forced into the forest of unending battles, were assessed on their rational thinking and fighting skills.
It was a prac lesson design that suited the purpose of a Guardian Academy, which aimed to nurture fighters.
“Today, you will be assessed on your survival skills in the Hunting Grounds.”
Chairman Eriu.
The young man with a pair of eyes that were as clear as running water explained to the new students the prac lesson that would be happening shortly in the Hunting Grounds.
“Inside the forest are some of your 2nd grade seniors. You, fellow freshmen students, need to defeat them using every means possible to take their armbands.”
Wasn’t that… too favorable for the freshmen students?
That was what the students were thinking to themselves. In a way, they weren’t wrong because there were 400 of them, which far exceeded the number of 2nd grade students that were in the forest.
However, what they weren’t aware of was that there were monsters in the current 2nd grade.
There were many named characters, who had already reached their final level of growth due to one boy.
- Kwaaang!
“Uaahkkk! A giant! It’s a giant!”
“The tree’s moving! W, what is this…!!”
“I’m losing my mindddddddd…!!”
One of them was Yuel, who learned how to summon a Wickerman, the secret hidden technique of druids.
“The swords are flying arounddddd!”
“This can’t beeeeeee!!”
“Mommyyyy!!”
There was also Dorron, the Mercenary of Flying Swords, who was now wreaking havoc with more than ten expensive magic swords that he was able to afford after a successful investment.
“A golem! It’s a golem!”
“Why are there so many of them!?”
“What is with that massive walking golem!!?”
In addition to that was the Golem Mage, Kranel Luden, who was able to create two-legged super golems thanks to the successful investment and a quick acquisition of golem creation techniques.
“Umm… Are you okay?”
“Ughh… She’s smiling…”
“That’s scary… She’s giving me goosebumps…”
“I, I don’t think I’m that scary though?”
“She’s still smiling…”
Successor candidate of the Arden Family, Alicia Arden.
“......”
As for Hua Ran, the Heavenly Yaksha, there was no need to even bother talking about her. Her might was proven by the tens of unconscious people around her.
And last of them all was him.
“Why so serious?”
Inside the forest was a clown with funny makeup.
****
A freshman student this year, Germain Luther, gave a faint smile while looking at the words, Grade 2 Knight written on his ID Card.
He was a devout believer, who never strayed from the path of faith ever since he was born and raised at the Saint Mikaela Monastery of the Old Faith.
The young man was quite proud of the title on his ID Card.
He wasn’t at the top of the grade because of the Grade 1 Mage, Princess Miruam, but that was by no means anything to be ashamed of, considering how Princess Miruam was another faithful believer of the Old Faith.
However, one thing that didn’t sit well with him was the fact that there was a dirty pair of furry siblings, who also entered the Academy as Grade 2 Knights.
It was incredibly unpleasant that he was attending the same Academy as the pawns of the disgusting demons, but he couldn’t do anything about it, because Germain had a noble matter to attend in the Academy.
‘Captain Laurent…’
Last semester, there was a noble battle in the Academy, where the secret ops of the Old Faith that were trying their best to defeat several monsters had been captured by the evil hands of the Academy.
Sadly enough, Bishop Renault Lusignan denied his relations with them, but that didn’t mean that the Old Faith had discarded its devout followers.
The reason Germain Luther entered the Academy was exactly because he needed to identify their locations and look for ways to save them with the help of their collaborators.
But first off, there was the need to conceal his identity and avoid the watchful eyes of the Academy. Hiding his true identity of being a believer of the Old Faith, he pretended like a diligent student.
This time around, Germain was also planning to stay diligent throughout the Hunting Grounds prac lesson.
Raiding a 2nd year senior. In order to fulfill that objective, Germain had formed a temporary party with a few other students. They were worthless second-rates at either Grade 3 or Grade 4, but he believed that they should be able to serve as expendable baits that could create a gap in the 2nd year students.
“I, I found one! He’s right there, Germain!”
They proved the effectiveness of large numbers, which was their only worth in the first place. They managed to find a 2nd year prey.
“It’s over there!”
Inside the forest, the man was haughtily standing there by himself. He was standing there with his back towards them, while wearing a strange purple-colored suit and shoes that clearly did not suit the forest in any way.
Germain and 33 other freshmen students immediately encircled him.
“HA. HI. HO. HI. HO.”
The new students all looked at the 2nd grade senior, who was slowly turning his head along with a strange laugh. In contrast to the pale makeup that was covering most of his face were his overly vivid crimson lips.
“Is he a clown or what…?”
They wondered how there could be such a strange senior in their Academy, but despite his appearance, they couldn’t deny the fact that the silver spear in his hand was shining with an intimidating light.
“I don’t know who he is, but there’s no way he’s going to be my opponent—”
It took less than 3 minutes for most of the students to lose their armbands.
……
…
“U, ughh…”
Germain couldn’t comprehend what just occurred to him.
Flames and a bright ray of light had suddenly filled the forest, which was then followed by a ferocious scrimmage. The clown carrying a spear immediately broke through their ranks and pushed the new students into confusion.
He was exceptional at fighting - he was an experienced and capable veteran unlike what his appearance suggested.
“Little junior. Are you still alive?”
Germain held his ground quite well, but in the end, he was helpless before the persistent stabs of the clown that aimed at his weak points. On his bum, he watched the clown walk up to him. Germain was extremely humiliated by the fact that he had lost to that ridiculous clown.
“Kuht! Kill me!”
“HU, HI, HA, HI, HA, HA, HA.”
The senior let out a bizarre laugh full of scorn.
“Why so serious?”
“Sorry?”
“WHY! SO! SERIOUS!!??!?”
“What are you even talking about!?”
After saying that, the clown walked into the forest. Leaving behind Germain who was the only one with his armband intact, he…
“ONEEEE~ TWOOOOO~ THREEEEE~”
“Fuck!”
The clown started counting, as if giving him time to run away.
‘That crazy fucker!’ While swearing at him in his head, Germain started sprinting across the forest.
………
……
…
Germain felt like he was stuck in a bottomless quagmire.
It had been an hour already since he started dashing through the forest, running away from a crazy purple clown. What he couldn’t understand was that this madman was persistently chasing him and only him.
“HA. HI. HO. HI. HO. HO. HO.”
“Uahhhkk…! Stop! Please stop!”
I don’t want to hear that stupid laugh anymore! Why is he laughing like that?
The madman was too strong for Germain to dismiss him as a simple lunatic. The purple clown constantly bashed him up, attacked him with his spear and mocked him before letting him run away without taking his armband.
- Slam!
Germain’s feet were caught by the silver spear, and he fell straight on the ground.
“Kuhkk…!”
He tried to stand back up but his exhausted body refused to listen to him. It shivered and fell back down.
In the end, Germain erupted in fury.
“J, just stop! Are you a madman or what? Why do you keep laughing like that?!”
“...”
Suddenly the sound of the laughter dwindled as the clown walked out of the forest.
“Ughh…”
Germain didn’t have the energy to fight back anymore.
There was an overwhelming gap between his and the opponent’s ability. It wasn’t limited to just strength, aura or mana - his opponent was simply of a higher quality than him as an experienced warrior.
Despite his laughable appearance, the man in front of him was definitely strong enough to enter the category of ‘strong people’.
“Alright. That’s enough acting.”
“Huh?”
“You were a lot more resilient than I thought.”
“Huhh?”
Seeing that the clown who had been harassing him like crazy until just then was suddenly smiling at him and helping him stand back up, Germain was lost for words.
The purple clown even dusted his clothes for him.
“You are the best out of all the freshmen students this year. Ah, of course that’s excluding the princess.”
“Sorry? Wait, you mean…”
“That was sort of a test. Great job. You passed.”
“A test?”
“Let me introduce myself first. I am the leader of Korin Guardians, Korin Lork.”
“Ah…”
Korin Lork.
He wasn’t that well-known to the public, but he was famous among those that were interested in the industry.
He was the one who went through an unconventional growth, going from Grade 5 to Grade 1 in just one semester - the skilled expert who had a head-to-head fight against Sword Master Lunia Arden.
There weren’t many clues about him that were revealed to the public, but it was said that the people from the Guardian Alliance who attended the grading test were marveled at his performance.
Besides, he was one of the top guardians who received permission from the Alliance to form an official Guardians Guild despite still being a student.
“I was looking for some skilled 1st grade students. You were the best apart from the princess.”
“U, umm… Right.”
Germain felt slightly better after receiving a compliment. That was when the 2nd year senior rested his arm on his shoulder like a close friend.
“What do you say; any plans on joining our team? Our doors are always open for those with enough skills.”
He realized immediately that this was a god-given opportunity. Korin was a Grade 1 Guardian; the members of his group were all powerful, and their group was relatively free from the constraints of the Academy.
It would be of tremendous help for him when releasing his comrades and importing items from their collaborators in secret.
“T, thank you very much. It’s an honor, Senior.”
“Haha. Yeah yeah. All’s good if you’re happy.”
With a hearty laughter, the senior, Korin Lork, tapped Germain on his shoulder.
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
****
Ren and Ron sprinted across the forest in half-beastified states.
“Wow. Look, Ren. Look. I have this much already.”
“Don’t lower your guard. The seniors are strong.”
The two of them had yet to come across the named 2nd year characters. In fact, they did their best to avoid them.
Yuel, Kranel, Dorron, Alicia, Hua Ran and Korin.
Each and every one of them was stronger than themselves. And Ren’s idea was that it would be better to defeat those that were comparatively weaker, instead of trying to go big by aiming for the seniors.
“Besides… the seniors aren’t our only enemies.”
“Die, you damned beasts!”
One of their freshmen peers suddenly shot out of the forest. The non-lethalized sword in his hand gleamed sharply as it fell towards them.
“Knng…!”
- Bam!
“Huh?”
However, Ren fended it off with her bare body. She was unbelievably strong, considering how her body was smaller than a 10-year-old’s.
“Ron.”
“Okayy.”
Ron casually threw a fist, but the peer flew all the way back after allowing a direct hit by his punch.
“Take his armband. That’s also going to be a point.”
“Alright!”
The siblings, Ren and Ron, had received Grade 2 during their grading test. Therefore, the two of them were wearing armbands that were worth a lot of points, which in turn resulted in a lot of people aiming for their bands.
“There are… more and more people attacking us?”
“Is that bad?”
“Of course it is!”
At the start, it was pretty much all about raiding the 2nd year seniors. The freshmen had been confident with the sheer difference in numbers, and had gone up to attack their seniors in groups.
However, everyone in the Golden Generation, that is the current 2nd year students, were monsters. A straight-forward numbers advantage was not enough to beat them.
After realizing that the 2nd years will be hard to defeat, the freshmen started turning to their peers.
[Die you beast!]
And Ren and Ron were targeted the most because of the two of them being demi-humans. Despite everything positive going on, it was hard to get rid of the general vigilance and hostility against demons.
………
……
…
“We’re about mid-way there. Most of the weaklings should be disqualified already.”
Dorron Warsky, who recently got promoted to semi-Grade 1, gathered the tens of magic swords that were rotating around his body.
The one who was in charge of commanding the 2nd year students in this Hunting Grounds prac lesson was none other than that spearman. And that very spearman had told him at the start to gather North 1 hour after the start of the prac.
“Fua~. They are all energetic!”
“I gave up on most of the golems. Was that worth it?”
It seemed that Dorron wasn’t the only one who heard that. Everyone ranging from Alicia Arden to the Golem Mage Kranel Luden;
“I came because you told me to, but what is it?”
As well as Yuel the Druid were all there.
“All I want is to simply have a more exciting finish to the game.”
Waiting for them at the venue was Korin in the bizarre outfit and makeup of a clown, and Hua Ran who was yawning with her head resting on his lap.
Practically every one of the 2nd grade’s Golden Generation had gathered before the shed, the final destination.
“By the way, Mr. Korin, what’s with that strange appearance?”
“You wanna know how I got these scars?”
“...That’s just makeup, isn’t it?”
“Some men, just want to watch the world burn!”
It was just one of the same old crazy things that Korin did so Yuel and Dorron ignored it but Kranel commented because he just couldn’t let it be.
“And people call that crazy.”
“I’m not crazy. I’m just… slightly ahead of the curve.”
“Haa~”
This wasn’t the first time he was doing things like that. It was Immortan Lork last year, but there seemed to be something else that he was addicted to this year.
“So, Boss. What are you going to do?”
Hearing Dorron’s straightforward question, Korin gave a smirk. In his hand was a bottle of oil and a burning matchstick—
“I will teach them a lesson; that everything can burn!”
Flick!
He tossed the matchstick to the shed as the shed was then immediately swept away by tall scorching flames.
“Ah…”
The freshmen students that arrived at the shed after a long and arduous journey were appalled at the sight of the burning shed.
“Crazy! They must be crazy!”
“Some lunatic set the final destination on fire!”
Unbeknownst to most of the freshmen, there was unfortunately a lunatic in the 2nd grade.