Chapter 23
“Oh, right. El, you know about that, right?”
“Hm?”
Ian, whom I ran into on my way to school, asked me.
For some reason... Ian always seemed to be on my way to school?
Anyway.
“What are you talking about?”
“The outdoor training exercise starting today.”
“Oh, that.”
The outdoor training exercise was basically a school trip.
Except we weren't going for fun—we were going to hunt monsters.
“Of course. Are you all prepared?”
“Naturally! I brought tons of things to do.”
“Heh.”
Aside from the monster hunting, it really did feel like a normal school trip.
The kids would hang out, do whatever they were told, and have a bonfire.
“Doesn't it sound fun?”
“Yeah.”
Other students might be scared or nervous about hunting monsters, but we had nothing to worry about.
There was no way we'd get nervous over the monsters you ran into on a school trip, right?
Besides, since students were going there, the academy had already killed off all the dangerous monsters.
Especially with the Imperial Knights on guard this time, it would be safer than ever.
Ah. Naturally, when Uncle Luke took up a teaching post, the entire Imperial Knights force became guards at the academy.
I did wonder who was guarding the imperial family... but the Imperial Guard would handle it, I guess.
“Aah! You two are going to school together again!”
“Oh, Arin. You're here?”
“Tch.”
That was when we ran into Arin on the way to school.
…I thought Ian clicked his tongue, but surely not.
More than that, I was more concerned about that huge bag Arin was carrying.
…One wrong move, and that bag might be bigger than Arin.
“…Arin. What's with the bag?”
“Oh, this? We have the outdoor training exercise starting today, right? I brought it for that.”
“…All this?”
“Yep!”
I mean, even if it felt like a trip, the official purpose was monster extermination. Was it really okay to bring all this?
…No, wait. Since we were going to hunt monsters, maybe there was a reason to bring so much? Weapons and maintenance tools and...
“…What did you bring all this for?”
While I was lost in thought, Ian asked Arin what was inside, and Arin answered readily.
“Clothes, a tent, a multipurpose tool kit…”
“Wait, wait, wait. A tent?”
“Yes!”
…Why would we need a tent?
“You didn't hear? They said we have to bring our own tents for this outdoor training exercise. Apparently, the academy isn't providing lodging.”
“…”
I never heard anything about that?!
I looked to the side. Ian's face had gone pale too.
“…Should we go buy one now?”
“It won't do any good…”
Fair enough. If we went shopping now, we'd definitely be late.
“Heh heh heh. Don't worry.”
“…Arin?”
Arin gave us a triumphant smile as she spoke to us, both looking dejected.
“I brought a two-person tent, no less! El! Let's sleep together!”
…Huh?
“Wait. What about me?”
“You can fend for yourself and sleep outside, Ian!”
“That's so cruel?!”
Um... setting aside how pitiful Ian was.
“Sleep... together?”
“Yes!”
Sharing a tent...?
As someone who believed there was still a male self left inside me, this was a problem.
Arin was quite beautiful. And had a great figure, too.
…Would I be okay?
“…Thanks.”
“Hehe! It's nothing!”
…Still, I couldn't sleep outside, so I just had to keep myself under control.
Ah. I'd lived in a woman's body for twenty years, but I still... felt lust when I saw a woman's body.
It was like some imaginary thing was getting a little bigger.
It wasn't as bad as when I was a man, but sleeping in a tent with a woman... I wasn't sure.
Whatever. I'd figure something out.
“We'll be late. Let's hurry.”
“Yes!”
“Sigh… Fine.”
…
After chatting with the others, we had reached the academy before I knew it.
The students were already lined up on the field.
…This really feels like getting on a bus before a school trip.
Though instead of taking a bus, we're going by teleportation.
“Is everyone here!”
-Yes!!!
The Class A students answered Cain's shout with vigor. It had been a while since I'd seen him.
For the record, students outside Class A weren't allowed to participate in the outdoor training exercise on the grounds that it was dangerous.
I wonder what I would've done if I hadn't made it into Class A?
“Then we're off!”
…Did he not even take attendance?
Of course, he could sense that everyone was here, so it didn't matter. Still, if anyone got left behind, that'd make for an interesting situation.
-KIIIIING!
Anyway, when Cain shouted, a mechanical-sounding noise rang out, and the ground began to glow.
It was the light from a massive teleportation magic circle spread across the entire field.
Since the academy's field was about three times the size of an ordinary high school field, you could tell just how huge the magic circle was.
I heard they spent nearly as much as the Empire's annual operating budget just to make that thing.
“Wow! So this is the famous academy magic circle! How amazing!”
“Yeah. It flashed for a moment, and we're already here. Amazing, isn't it?”
Just as Ian said, the magic circle flashed briefly, and we were already in a forest.
But… why just the three of us?
[Ahem. Can everyone hear me?]
Just then, Cain's voice rang inside my head.
Is this... communication magic? The thing they call telepathy in martial arts novels.
[You were surprised when you suddenly got scattered, weren't you? Even if this is an outdoor training exercise, I thought you were all getting too relaxed, so I prepared a little surprise gift.]
…So he planned it that way, then?
[I teleported nearby students in groups of three. Those three will make up a team, and I'll give each team a score based on how you perform during this training exercise. It won't affect your grades, but I'll give a prize to the teams with high scores.]
Why pull a surprise like this out of nowhere, when even in the original story, with the Demon King still alive, they never did this…
[For the record, there are also some monsters that are a little stronger than usual. Of course, if things get dangerous, the safety personnel will protect you. But in that case, you're disqualified. So do your best to survive!]
And with that, the communication magic cut off.
…What the hell.
“Aah! My carefully laid plan…”
“What kind of plan did you make…?”
“My plan to get El drunk and cuddle together in my tent all night…”
“…What were you planning to do to El? And were you even carrying alcohol?”
“Yes! I brought the kind that's sweet and goes down smoothly, but has a high alcohol content! The kind people call ‘lady killers’!”
…What the hell was Arin planning to do to me, going that far?
“…You crazy bitch.”
Apparently I wasn't the only one dumbfounded, because Ian was wearing an unusually contemptuous expression too.
…Kind of cool, actually.
“Hm? El, your face is a little red.”
“N-no, it's nothing!”
And here I was, thinking all that?!
“Ahem. Anyway, let's find a place to pitch the tent first. Before the monsters show up…”
-KRAAAAA!
“…before.”
Damn, that was impeccable timing.
The monster that appeared the moment I opened my mouth was a D-rank monster, a dire wolf.
But since they traveled in packs of at least ten, a pack was classified as a C-rank threat.
And what we had in front of us… at least thirty.
On top of that, their numbers were still increasing.
“…Don't they usually never gather in packs of more than fifteen?”
“…That's right?”
“…Then what are those?”
“…Who knows?”
Leaving Ian and Arin's banter behind, I immediately got ready to dash forward.
“I'll handle them, so take a break.”
“Hm?”
“Yes?”
“Fifth Form.”
Sleet usually falls evenly over a wide area.
So the sword technique modeled after it also focuses on cutting a wide area with uniform force.
-SWISH!
Amid the dazzling swirl of sleet, flowers of red blood scattered.
Red blood burst from the necks of more than thirty dire wolves at once.
“…Whoa.”
“Amazing, El!”
Did that take about three seconds?
After swiftly taking care of the dire wolves, Arin hugged me as usual.
I'm used to it now.
Ian's face, on the other hand, was filled with shock.
“H-how…?”
Ah. Come to think of it, was this the first time Ian had gotten a proper look at my swordsmanship?
During the team battle, I'd only roughly used the relatively simple Third Form, and Ian hadn't been there when I fought ‘Glory’ or sparred with Uncle Luke.
Well, I'd be shocked too.
I suddenly cut down thirty monsters in three seconds, and all their wounds were exactly the same.
Anyone who'd learned swordsmanship—or even someone who hadn't—would know how ridiculous that was.
And a classmate was doing it? It'd blow anyone's mind.
“Heh. Do you finally understand how amazing I am? You won't be too scared to fight me during midterms, will you?”
“…Who said I was scared!”
Regardless, I couldn't just let Ian off the hook after seeing that expression!
“Hee? Who was it that was staring at me with a shocked look just a moment ago?”
“…Ghk.”
“Paaathetic.”
“Youuu…!”
“El's acting weird…”
I could hear Arin saying something behind me, but I must've imagined it.
This is how I normally am!