Father, I Won’t Do Anything

Observing the assembled students, the instructor spoke in a booming voice.

“Is everyone ready?”

“Yes!”

While some were already trembling before entering the training grounds, and others seemed on the verge of fainting, most wore much brighter expressions than before.

The notion of being better off with a partner than alone wasn’t entirely misguided.

“Although the training grounds’ difficulty level is higher than before, having two people might actually make it easier. Don’t be intimidated; just focus on coordinating with your partner. Good luck.”

After reciting the necessary preparations and safety precautions, the instructor stepped back and activated the training grounds.

Jjing-

Finally, a portal leading to the training grounds materialized in midair.

In pairs, the students leaped through their respective portals, with Jaina and Rosian following suit.

Shwaa-

A blinding white light enveloped them, and when they opened their eyes, an unfamiliar landscape greeted them.

Before the two, who had emerged in the barren training grounds, lay a path marked by red lines.

To pass the test, they needed to reach the destination within the allotted time by following this path.

“It shouldn’t be too difficult. We just need to do what we did before.”

As if to ease her tension, Rosian spoke soothingly, prompting Jaina to nod.

Maintaining a calm yet focused demeanor, Jaina elicited a subtle smile from Rosian, who felt his earlier concerns had been unfounded.

The two then channeled their mana.

‘Who knows when traps might be triggered…’

As Jaina chanted the incantation for a haste spell, a blue mist enveloped her body.

Subsequently, a reddish aura swirled around Rosian’s legs as he summoned his mana.

“Let’s do our best, Miss Jaina!”

“I’m counting on you, Your Highness!”

With a light fist bump, Jaina and Rosian prepared for the imminent practical exam.

3, 2, 1!

As the countdown in midair disappeared, the hastened pair swiftly propelled themselves forward without hesitation.

Pishoot!

The moment they took their first steps, massive thorns came hurtling towards them without warning.

Having anticipated this, Jaina calmly ducked to evade.

“Impressive, Miss Jaina.”

Rosian’s voice praised her from the side, prompting Jaina to respond with a gentle smile.

‘The purpose of the training grounds exercise isn’t simply a race to the destination.’

“If we continue like that, there shouldn’t be any major issues. That trap was too elementary for a first-year exam…”

However, Rosian’s words trailed off abruptly.

Pishoot!

Pishoot!

Despite having just entered the training grounds, a barrage of thorns immediately followed, one after another.

‘Huh…?’

The difficulty level surpassed their expectations. Without the haste spell, evading them would have been utterly impossible.

Yet, that was merely the beginning.

“Miss Jaina! Be careful!”

This time, thorns came hurtling from three directions simultaneously, aimed at her head, torso, and legs.

Even with the haste spell, swiftly maneuvering to evade such rapid attacks from multiple angles was unfeasible.

Pages seemed to flip through Jaina’s mind.

‘Surely, when practicing magic with Brother Mikael…’

Recalling the combat techniques she had learned from him over the past few years, Jaina remembered Mikael’s advice.

‘He said it’s easier to counter an opponent’s attacks by preemptively setting up defensive barriers at the anticipated strike points.’

Jaina swiftly erected barriers at the three locations where the thorns were expected to hit.

Although the incoming thorns were only fist-sized, making them easy to spot, their destructive force belied their diminutive size.

Baaaang!

Baang!

The shattered remnants of the thorns scattered in the wind conjured by Jaina.

Her eyes narrowed.

‘This is no simple challenge to take lightly after passing the previous exam.’

Rosian, who had been running alongside her, moved closer.

With attacks coming from all directions, it was wiser to remain in close proximity.

And before they could catch their breath, the next assault began.

Swoosh-swoosh-

Ten thorns simultaneously rushed towards them.

Realizing defensive barriers would be insufficient against such an onslaught, Rosian brandished his sword and unleashed a mana-infused strike.

Swoosh-swoosh-swoosh!

Accompanied by a loud roar, large fragments scattered, forcing them to evade the shrapnel from Rosian’s powerful attack.

“This isn’t the end of it.”

Furrowing his handsome brow, Rosian had barely finished speaking when he seemed to hold his breath.

Shhaaa, an unidentified purple smoke was seeping up from beneath the ground.

Wheeeng!

Jaina conjured a gust of wind to disperse the purple smoke, then grabbed Rosian’s hand and began running.

“Run!”

Following the purple smoke, other unidentified fumes trailed them. Jaina continuously unleashed fierce winds to evade the smokes.

While uncertain of their nature, inhaling them seemed inadvisable.

Glancing back as they ran, she noticed the training grounds’ walls were corroding and melting where touched by the yellow smoke. She had no desire to discover the effects of the other colored fumes.

“Failing to evade the traps results in immediate failure, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, you’re automatically transported outside. But don’t let your guard down. I’ve seen many students suffer serious injuries and require transportation.”

Rosian narrowed his eyes as he spoke.

“It feels like something lies ahead.”

Heeding Rosian’s words, Jaina heightened her senses. Indeed, she could perceive traces of mana, indicating the presence of traps.

However, the question remained whether they could be circumvented through vigilance alone.

Channeling her mana in preparation for potential barriers, Jaina took a cautious step forward.

“Huh?”

Suddenly, she felt her foot touch empty space.

‘Sure enough, there’s a trap here too!’

Looking down, the ground had disappeared without warning.

Flash!

Far below, sharp spikes glinted menacingly.

Falling from this height would undoubtedly result in severe impalement, or at the very least, grave injuries even if narrowly avoided.

‘For training grounds, the difficulty level seems excessively high… Is this normal?’

Wheeeng!

Jaina infused more mana into her wind, intensifying the gentle breeze that had merely kept the fumes at bay into a powerful gale.

Utilizing the wind, she propelled herself and Rosian away from the trap’s direction.

“Miss Jaina!”

Taak!

Having landed first, Rosian pulled Jaina’s hand, ensuring her safe descent.

Thanks to his assistance, Jaina gracefully alighted.

“Miss Jaina, was the previous practical exam’s difficulty level comparable to this?”

“No, I only faced a single demonic beast. It didn’t take nearly this long either.”

“I see? I only faced demonic beasts during my first year as well. Moreover, even a professor would struggle to pass this practical’s difficulty level.”

“It does seem rather odd. Despite my strength surpassing most academy students and Your Highness’s victory in the martial arts tournament, we’re barely managing.”

“Exactly. No matter how I ponder it, something is amiss. I did pass a two-person practical during my first year, but the difficulty level wasn’t nearly this high.”

Glancing back at the previous trap, Jaina remarked:

“No matter how prestigious Melbel Academy is, they wouldn’t recklessly expose students to traps capable of causing death with a single misstep.”

“True, even if they claim automatic transportation upon failure, this level of difficulty could still be lethal. The training grounds’ difficulty must have been tampered with. It’s best we prioritize leaving this place over taking the test for now.”

As the two belatedly sensed something amiss and attempted to establish outside contact, another trap triggered.

Shoooosh!

While deftly deflecting the incoming arrows with his sword, Rosian swiftly tried contacting the exterior.

“Professor, we have a situation. Professor?”

Piii-

However, an eerie sound accompanied the severed communication.

“Allow me to try.”

Yet Jaina’s attempts proved equally futile.

“The communication magic circle installed within the training grounds itself isn’t activating at all. Just in case, I brought a Magic Tower mana bird, but even that can’t penetrate the training grounds’ barriers.”

For a while, the two struggled to establish outside contact, but some unseen force seemed to block even their mana signals.

Their expressions gradually darkened with apprehension.

“What in the world is this…”

A practical exam with an unexpectedly higher difficulty level.

A space isolated from the outside world.

Could all this truly be a coincidence?

“It’s possible someone intentionally lured us into this trap.”

“Isn’t Melbel Academy a place where even outsiders can’t easily enter or exit due to the grand magicians’ protective barriers?”

“It might not be an outsider.”

After a momentary silence, Jaina spoke.

“Then you’re suggesting an insider targeted us?”

“It’s best to keep an open mind to all possibilities.”

Jaina fell silent, deep in thought.

While Rosian had mentioned many within the Empire harbored ill intentions towards him, Jaina couldn’t shake the feeling that all of this was somehow aimed at her.

A prolonged silence lingered between them. However, they had little time to ponder further.

Soon, an eerie sound reverberated throughout the training grounds.

Kki-eek-

Kki-i-eek-

The creaking of some ancient mechanism assaulted their ears.

Rosian let out a distorted chuckle.

“It seems we’ll have to seriously engage them this time.”

Jaina turned her head towards the source of the sound, prompting Rosian to follow her gaze.

Kwareureureur!

A massive boulder was rolling towards them with enough force to crush them utterly.

The most perilous trap thus far had activated.

Shoooosh!

Jaina immediately conjured wind blades and unleashed them towards the boulder.

Kwareureureureureureureureeur!

However, the attack only produced a deafening roar, leaving the boulder completely unscathed. Instead, it seemed to gain even greater momentum as it bore down upon them.

‘It’s gotten faster!’

The slight incline appeared to be steadily increasing the boulder’s velocity.

Jaina swiftly surveyed their surroundings.

‘Nowhere to evade.’

No matter how formidable the boulder, with ample space, she could have evaded it like the demonic beast. Unfortunately, this training ground’s narrow confines left no room for evasion.

“…Will we be able to escape from here?”

Grasping Jaina’s hand, Rosian urged her forward.

“Miss Jaina, don’t think, just run as fast as you can!”

Channeling their maximum mana into their legs, the two sprinted ahead.