NOVEL NEXT Chapter 42
#042 A Very Ordinary Group Project (4)
Princess Laila gave a faint smile.
It was a beautiful smile, yet it also served as a mask that concealed her true feelings. She seemed both annoyed by my provocation and intrigued at the same time.
“Well, we are both students and competitors, so it’s only natural to engage in a rivalry,” she said, adding, “However, it seems the obstacles to overcome aren’t just up to me.”
“Agreed, you child of a nouveau riche,” a confident voice echoed as a young man made his entrance. With a high nose and tightly pressed lips, this arrogant gentleman was none other than Eagle Pendevig, the eldest son of the distinguished House of Pendevig, known for its prowess in the magical kingdom of Morian.
Beside him stood his twin sister, Hau Pendevig, crossing her arms with a smug expression.
“Just because you achieved decent results through shortcuts doesn’t mean you can mistake that for your actual ability. To be discussing first place without considering us is outrageous,” she sneered.
Chrome shrugged nonchalantly in response. “Isn’t it a bit ridiculous to bring up status at the academy?”
Eagle’s eyes twitched at the difference in tone Chrome used when addressing Princess Laila.
“What’s so wrong about calling a spade a spade? I didn’t mention commoners, so it’s all good.”
“I’d call that mere wordplay, but whatever,” Chrome muttered, internally grateful for the opportunity to spar with someone beyond the wild boar level.
As he scanned the area, he noticed Crow Bain, the dual blade master from the Duchy of Nahat, grinning confidently at his group. Next to him, the youngest paladin, Akasha, waved a hand as if to greet.
Alphonse Betuar, a tall young knight from the former royal family of Spero Kingdom, with his blond hair and striking blue eyes, glimmered silently, accompanied by two knights and a mighty, muscular giant who bared his upper body.
Among them, some Chrome had already met, others he only knew by reputation as mere ‘knowledge’, and some were strangers entirely.
One empire and three duchies. And yet, there stood those who didn’t belong to any faction.
In the center of it all, the empire’s princess finally spoke up.
“It seems this will be an interesting competition, Chrome.”
<><><>
Once the brief back-and-forth subsided, students began to disperse, and other teammates claimed they were tired and headed back to their lodgings.
Roto appeared dazed, possibly from the overwhelming events, while Pino grumbled about being dragged into trouble but quickly changed his tune when he heard bonuses would be paid based on the final project grades, suddenly showing enthusiasm.
Indeed, if Vern Midas had seen this, he would have been applauding the talent on offer.
Rabaul seemed a bit flustered but surprisingly showed no signs of fear, and Fiore looked excited, declaring it might become entertaining. Courage seemed to be a natural trait for his sister.
Finally, after everyone left, it was just the two of us when Ligret, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up.
“I told you when we first signed the contract. Here, you’ll encounter monsters that outshine me.”
#042 A Very Ordinary Group Project (5)
“That’s true,” I nodded willingly, then added, “But that’s just the story about a ‘girl from a mere mercenary background.’ You’ve changed since then. You’ve been preparing for two years to get to this point.”
Even if Crow Bain, who possessed the top-tier physical attributes among the candidates of “Planetarium,” faced off against Ligret, I was confident that the current Ligret could secure a victory if she gave it her all.
Fights always come with variables, so it’s not like Ligret is invincible, but at least among the students, there were hardly any whom she couldn’t guarantee victory against in a one-on-one showdown.
And there’s a huge gap between saying ‘hardly any’ and ‘none.’
Ligret was probably aware of that.
“That princess is a monster. I haven’t seen her fight directly, but her spell completion and magic control are on a different level.”
There’s no doubt that she was gifted. There would be environmental influences at play, and being older than us, she must have had a bit more time to develop too.
Yet no matter how you slice it, the fact remains that she was indeed a monster.
And that means,
“Honestly, you’ve been itching to fight someone capable since you’ve only faced mediocre opponents, right? Let’s gather our strength and take down a boss together.”
It would be the perfect opponent to aim for.
Ligret had this look of disbelief on her face.
“It’s easy to say when you haven’t fought yourself.”
“Hey, if you’re going to bring someone forward, you might as well bring your best. I predict that princess is basically a walking fortress. Does it make sense to ask a person to breach a fortress?”
“What about me?”
“I’m not sure about you! You can probably crumple steel pipes with your grip alone, so it feels like you shouldn’t even count as human… W- W- Violence is wrong!”
I hurriedly stepped back from Ligret, who was cracking her knuckles.
Even if she thought of it as a light jab, for me, one misstep could lead to a broken bone.
I absolutely couldn’t afford to get injured before a significant event.
“So you’re going to pull out?”
“Who said I wouldn’t?”
“Then that’s settled.”
“…You should just shut up.”
It was such a ridiculous conversation, but that was enough.
Just knowing we were heading in the same direction was more than satisfying.
<><><>
The second phase of the project took place in a vast forest located within the academy’s grounds.
At this point, it raised fundamental questions about what group projects really were, especially considering that the academy selected students through high-level special forces assessments right from the entrance exams.
Asking for common sense from outside here was a foolish act.
Professor Istel began the explanation.
“The name of the upcoming project is ‘Treasure Thief!’ The rules are simple! Find and claim the ‘treasures’ scattered throughout this forest. The treasures emit a unique red aura, so distinguishing them shouldn’t be hard. Every day at midnight, any treasures possessed by teams will disappear, and teams without treasures will be immediately disqualified. The project ends when the number of surviving teams is reduced to four or fewer. That’s all!”
The expressions of many students contorted into grimaces after hearing the explanation.
Not only were they to spend several days surviving in the forest, but the structure of the project clearly implied that a fierce competition would break out between teams for the treasures.
The very name “Treasure Thief” reeked of the implication that one must steal from others.
Whether the treasures had originally belonged to “something” or had been claimed by another team, it didn’t matter.
Fiore Midas raised a question.
“If one team possesses multiple treasures, will they all disappear at midnight?”
“No, in that case, only one treasure will disappear.”
Alphonse Betuar inquired next.
“What exactly is the criteria for ‘owning’ a treasure?”
“A student will be marked if they’ve touched the treasure at least once and are the closest to it. That mark will be the benchmark.”
Crow Bain then chimed in.
“Then—”
“Yes, all the remaining details, you’ll just have to experience for yourselves! Move out!”
“No, wait, you’re ignoring my question—Auuugh!”
Whoosh!
With a swift motion, Professor Istel sent Crow soaring high into the sky, where he landed somewhere in the forest.
Brushing off his hands nonchalantly, Istel smiled at the other students.
“Now, head to your designated spots!”
“…………….”
The students pondered.
“Why does someone so annoyingly detailed always end up being the one explaining things?”
“Couldn’t they at least pass out a summary, or delegate their minions to handle it?”
“It feels like there’s more to ask, but if I open my mouth, I’m likely to end up buried face-first in the ground, so I should just stay quiet.”
These were complaints they dared not voice aloud.
The trifecta of authoritarian madness had a way of keeping even the most arrogant students in check.
<><><>
After moving to the designated areas for each team, I spoke up.
“Everyone, first, let’s explore the surroundings to find a solid base. I have a portable kit, so as long as there’s space to pitch a tent, we’re set. We have enough water and food too. So let’s focus on finding a location where we can maximize our defenses.”
Fiore tilted her head and asked, “While it’s true we don’t know when an attack might happen and the defenses are important… shouldn’t we secure some treasures first? If we don’t get any by midnight, it’s instant disqualification, you know?”
I replied, “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of the treasures myself.”
Though it was a bit of a special case, this was also a sort of loot farming.
It was time for “The Greedy Debauchee” to make her move.