[V2C22] Cleanup
Translated by Jodas 2: Daily Lives of a New Teacher and the Apprentice MagesEncounter with a Monster — Several hours after confirming the smoke signal sent by the Investigation Office, three mages moved through the forest.
A tall, thin man wielding a spear; a muscular man with small irises wielding an axe; and a woman with a long staff. All three were aged in their twenties. These men and women were mages of the Extermination Office.
This afternoon, it appeared that a team from the Investigation Office that had set out alongside a group of apprentices for a mana density survey had encountered Monsters in the surrounding area.
According to the reports, there was one greater Monster and at least three of the magic beasts known as Snow Boars.
They were told that, among those Monsters, the greater Monster and one of the Snow Boars were defeated by the apprentices by use of a magical device.
Ordinarily, it should not be so easy to defeat a greater Monster with the use of merely a single magical device, but it was foreseeable that they had been in a weakened state after leaving the bounds of the Crystal Territory, or at least that was the conclusion drawn by the Investigation Office.
Afterwards, eight survivors were safely recovered: three mages of the Investigation Office, three apprentice mages, one Instructor of the Guidance Office, and one mage of the Protection Office who accompanied them as an escort.
“……The recovered individuals all suffered minimal injuries. Considering the strength of the Monsters they encountered, that’s what I would call beginner’s luck.”
One of the three from the Extermination Office, the axe-wielding man with visible sclera, mumbled.
In response, the silver-haired woman wearing a robe and holding a long staff spoke in a timid voice.
“Surely they were blessed by the benediction of God. But, it’s sad…… it’s so sad……. To think Monsters would appear in a place like this……it’s so sad……The more I get sent out on these night missions, the more it cuts into my sleep and my skin starts to peel…….Ah, it’s so sad……it’s so sad……..”
The silver-haired woman complained with a face that looked on the verge of breaking out in tears, but as ‘It’s so sad’ was something of a catchphrase of hers, the other two paid her no mind.
At that point, the third member of their group who took the vanguard position suddenly stopped. Taking his spear to bear, he whispered “Found it.” and began to chant an incantation. The incantation for flight magic.
Flight magic was an incredibly difficult type of magecraft to use. One mistake could mean falling to death.
Despite that, this man did not hesitate to activate his flight magic, even on a night with poor visibility and in a forest filled with obstructions.
His long, thin body lifted into the air, then sped off in an instant.
After weaving back and forth through the trees in his path, he locked eyes onto his prey.
A white-furred, unusually massive boar. Also known as a Snow Boar. Its fur had signs of burning in various places. Those were likely the result of attacks from the Protection Office’s Otto’s magic sword.
Monsters could see better at night than humans could.
The Snow Boar quickly sensed the incoming threat and growled.
“Too slow!”
Muttering, the man impaled his spear into the back of the Snow Boar. His attack, accelerated by a flight magic-assisted dive, stabbed about halfway into the Snow Boar’s abdomen.
“Unfortunate. I thought I was going to run it straight through like a kebab……”
Muttering in a soft voice, the man laughed.
A cruel smile rose upon his kind and gentle face.
Even with its back impaled, the Snow Boar was still alive. If anything, it growled louder than before and broke into a run.
The man used flight magic to leap to the sky, avoiding being thrown off by its force.
With a spear impaled in its back, the Snow Boar looked at its prey that escaped to the sky with naked hostility—its body became trapped in a rope made of transparent water.
This was the silver-haired woman’s magic. Her staff let off a pale blue glow.
“Ah, it’s so sad……It’s so sad…………………My peers are such worthless pieces of trash that know nothing of teamwork.”
The man with the axe stepped forward.
“Do you want me to deliver the finishing blow, Frederik?”
“That’s okay, I can do it.”
Saying that, the man using flight magic—Frederik—descended while chanting, landing on the back of the rampaging Snow Boar.
He retrieved the spear from its back, then activated his magic.
“……Devour, Wind Fang.”
In the next moment, the sound of a creature’s death throes echoed out.
Originating at the gaping wound made by Frederik’s spear, he made a series of scythe-like blades and sliced apart the Snow Boar from within.
Blood poured out from all throughout the Snow Boar’s body, coating Frederik in a sheet of red. The fresh, warm blood covered Frederik’s face.
“Disgusting. Now I’m going to spend all night smelling of fresh blood. How am I supposed to sleep like this?”
As he complained, Frederik twisted his grip on his spear as if to release his anger.
His female peer made a show of lamenting the sight.
“Ah, what a cruel way to kill…….It’s sad, it’s so sad……..I am so, so sad that my peer is such a cruel, inhumane devil of a man.”
“Would you stop that? When you say devil, that’s basically calling me a Monster.”
Frederik frowned, looking gravely offended. He muttered in a voice filled with hate.
“Don’t compare me to them. I despise that.”
Late at night, four people gathered in a room somewhere in the First Spire: White Smoke.
There was the chief administrator of the First Spire, White Smoke Spiremaster Abel; the Director of the General Affairs Office: Schacht; the Director of the Finance Office: Eigen; then finally the Director of the Guidance Office: Hegelich.
One of the Mages from the Guidance Office, Caspar Hütter, had been on the site of the Monster attack.
Thus, Guidance Office Director Hegelich, who heard a report of the events from Hütter, then came to pass that report to the leaders of the First Spire.
“That concludes the situational report delivered to me by Dream Mage Caspar Hütter.”
Once Hegelich finished the report, General Affairs Office Director Schacht hardened his wrinkled face.
“That seems hard to believe. It seems unlikely that Apprentice Mages would be able to defeat a Monster with only a magical device.”
“Furthermore, the report mentioned that a greater Monster was present as well, did it not? Even should it have been in a weakened state, would such a thing even be possible….?”
Finance Office Director Eigen also groaned with a difficult face, while stroking his plump chin.
Abel, who had been listening to the report with a peaceful expression, spoke up.
“Caspar Hütter himself claimed to have never encountered the Monster personally, correct?”
“Indeed. He said he had gone off to water some flowers, then when he returned, his students had already defeated the Monster…..”
As he nodded, Hegelich cast doubt on Hütter’s account.
(Is it possible to have such convenient timing?)
Perhaps Hütter had hid in the shadows and defeated the Monster himself?
Then, to conceal his own abilities, he claimed that it was all his students’ own achievements?
Hegelich supposed that Spiremaster Abel was thinking the same thing.
“Certainly, there must be something at hand. The Dream Mage, Caspar Hütter………I believe it would be best to continue to be cautious of him, Director Hegelich.”
“As you command.”
Hegelich internally held his head.
A Monster had appeared somewhere they ordinarily never should have. And a Greater one at that.
That alone made his head hurt, but he also still had to deal with the biggest problems among the Apprentices, Princess Adelheid and Julius Löwenich.
On top of all that, he also had to stay on guard regarding his subordinate, Caspar Hütter.
(How did I get myself in this situation……!)
For the time being, Hegelich decided he should go to the Medical Office and get some stomach medicine.
Sitting on the top level of a bunk bed, Tia returned the remaining candy balls from the small vial to a larger bottle.
She brought five with her today. She used three of them. She returned the remaining two to the bottle, then lifted up that bottle full of round candies.
(It’s gone down a little, but I still have a lot……)
At that point, Tia reconsidered her line of thinking.
It wasn’t just ‘a lot,’ she had better think about actually counting them.
(A good grasp on numbers is, super important, for increasing my chance of survival)
She lifted the bottle up and counted. One, two, three…..But it was hard to count while they were still in the bottle.
Grumbling, Tia puts the bottle of candies back in her bag. She would count them tomorrow. She was too tired today.
Since she sang a lot today, she could still feel the reverberations in her body. She wanted to sing a lot, lot more. If possible, while flying. At least while somewhere high up.
With her sister and friends.
“……………”
Just thinking about them made her feel lonely, so Tia peeked her head down at the bunk below her.
“Hey, hey, Sevil.”
“What is it?”
“Can we sleep together tonight?”
“Go ahead.”
“Thanks!”
She grabbed a pillow and jumped down to the bottom bunk. She wasn’t used to human culture yet, but pillows were a good culture. When she had a pillow to sleep on, she became that much happier.
Tia placed her pillow next to Sevil, then crawled under the blanket. “Pefufuu…..” She made a delighted sound.
“A lot happened today.”
“Indeed. You have been nothing but surprises, Tia……but,”
Sevil rolled over and looked at Tia.
Sevil’s expression was as focused as always, but perhaps out of exhaustion, her eyes drooped a little. It was cute.
“You weren’t the only one that surprised me, Tia. Absolutely everything here has been a new experience to me.”
“Are you having fun, Sevil?”
“Yes. Are you, Tia?”
“I’m having fun! Sevil and Wren and Mr. Hütter are all so fun!”
“Then that’s good.”
Sevil closed her eyes, so Tia did as well.
The warmth of her body, and the sound of her sleeping breaths so close to her, that was happiness.
That night, Tia dreamt she was in a cave in Breakneck Gorge, sleeping huddled up with her sister and friends. When she thought it was strange that she was dreaming about sleeping, her sister smiled beside her and patted Tia’s head.
“—…………..”
Her sister said something. Tia couldn’t hear what it was, but she was just happy to have her sister there, and fell softly asleep in her dream.