NOVEL NEXT Chapter 25
Chapter 25: Astrid is Flustered
The meat was reduced to bones in an instant.
“Hng… I was saving that to eat later…”
After shooting Eranya a sharp glance, Astrid gathered her squad members.
With the squad members now fully rested and looking much more energetic, they surrounded Astrid, ready for instructions.
“Alright, we’re heading out. I’ll give everyone about 10 minutes to get ready before we depart. Does that work for everyone?”
“All good!”
Veracien waved with her usual grin, showing she had no issues with the plan. The other squad members nodded as well.
“Alright, let’s move out in 10 minutes.”
The squad began erasing any traces of their stay, brushing away signs of their presence and reequipping their gear. It was a well-practiced routine by now.
Nearby, Akemilla’s squad, now full and satisfied from the meal, began preparing to depart as well.
Since the test was a competition to hunt monsters, any delay in departure could result in missed opportunities to score points.
Though each squad was in a separate spatial instance, their speed in clearing the mountain would still determine their overall performance.
“Looks like the exit is that way,” Astrid said as she checked a signpost nearby.
The sign had an instruction that she read aloud.
“Upon leaving the checkpoint, you will encounter the split to the test space after 300 meters… so that’s how it is.”
It seemed that the safe zone didn’t begin immediately upon entering the checkpoint, but instead started just before it.
“Squad Leader Astrid, shall we get going?”
Astrid’s gaze shifted to Akemilla, who was still smiling as if she’d just heard some great news. It was strange, considering how uneasy Astrid felt.
‘What’s she so happy about? What’s going on in her head?’ Astrid wondered, staring at her for a moment. Akemilla, noticing her gaze, tilted her head with a puzzled look.
“Is there something on my face?”
‘Yeah, a whole lot of smugness stuck on it.’
Astrid clicked her tongue inwardly and shook her head.
“No, it’s nothing. Let’s go.”
“Since you’re Squad 1, you should lead the way, Squad Leader Astrid.”
‘Only at times like this, huh…’
It was probably just an innocent comment, but to Astrid, everything Akemilla said grated on her nerves today.
“Let’s move,” Astrid said shortly.
Pushing aside her personal feelings, she focused on finishing the training as quickly as possible. She adjusted the greatsword strapped to her back and started walking toward the exit.
Once they left the open space of the checkpoint, they were greeted by the sight of a dense forest.
After walking another 300 meters, they’d enter the split space, a part of the training grounds exclusive to Astrid’s squad.
Looking behind her, Astrid saw her squad following in perfect formation. Behind them, Akemilla’s squad followed as well.
‘Ignore it. No point paying attention to them.’
Why should she care?
She’d come to this academy to escape marriage and find a way back to her original world. Whether Akemilla chased after Leopold’s heart or not, it had nothing to do with her.
In fact, wouldn’t it be better if Akemilla succeeded in winning Leopold’s affection?
About halfway to the 300-meter mark, Eranya’s voice rang out.
“Wait a moment.”
At her words, Astrid’s steps halted. The rest of the squad, following her lead, also stopped. Even Akemilla’s squad noticed something was off and paused, scanning their surroundings.
—Thud. Thud. THUD THUD.
A faint tremor that had been barely noticeable at first was now distinct and clear. Something big was coming. Something heavy and large was moving toward them.
Eranya’s face went pale as she pointed ahead of them.
Astrid followed her gaze and saw it.
At first, it was just a shadow. A silhouette moving between the trees in the forest ahead. The shadow grew larger as the trees toppled one after another. That’s when they saw it—the source of the rumbling.
Its head alone was over three meters tall, and its body grew larger toward the back. Two sharp horns jutted from its head, and its mouth revealed sharp lower fangs that stuck out menacingly. Its neck was covered in thick, scale-like plates that shimmered in the afternoon sunlight like armor.
“W-what is that…?”
There weren’t supposed to be any large monsters in this training.
But there it was.
All ten cadets froze, stunned by the sight before them.
This was no medium-sized monster. It had to be classified as large.
It wasn’t supposed to be here. It didn’t belong here.
The squad’s confusion was shared by Astrid, whose gaze locked with the monster’s bright red eyes.
Her breath caught in her throat.
From this distance, it was far away.
But with that size and speed, if it charged, it would close the gap in moments.
Her heart pounded in her chest. They were still cadets. None of them had completed formal combat training. No one here was ready for this.
Even if they didn’t know exactly what it was, what kind of monster it might be, or if it was even a monster at all, every single cadet felt it—that thing was dangerous. Extremely dangerous.
A primal sense of crisis, like a herbivore facing a deadly predator.
Perhaps it was the first time in their lives they had faced such terror.
“…Everyone, retreat, retreat! Quickly, fall back! Return to the checkpoint!”
Leopold’s voice rang out.
They had only just left the safety of the checkpoint.
While it seemed like a reasonable assumption that retreating there would prevent the monster from entering, Leopold failed to recognize one critical point—the area they were in was still technically a part of the safe zone.
“Astrid, get a grip!”
Someone grabbed Astrid around the waist and started running.
Feeling someone’s arms wrapped firmly around her waist and suddenly being hoisted into motion, Astrid glanced up to see Leopold’s tense profile. His face was pale with anxiety as he ran.
“Le… Leopold von…”
“Hurry, retreat first!”
Though Leopold was running while holding Astrid’s waist, the sheer weight of the greatsword strapped to her back significantly slowed them down.
“L-let me go! I’ll run myself!”
At Astrid’s plea, Leopold released her, and at last, the two began running side by side toward the checkpoint.
The other squad members were also running in a panic, desperately heading for the checkpoint.
Astrid, who had been at the front lines earlier, now found herself at the very back, falling behind. And from behind her, the monster’s heavy, thunderous footsteps followed, each thud shaking the ground like an earthquake.
「BUWOOOOOOOOOOOO—!」
A beastly roar boomed through the air, as if the very heavens and earth were being torn apart.
With its enormous size came an equally colossal roar. When its front paw struck the ground, the earth trembled like waves rolling across a stormy sea.
“Ah…!”
The shock caused Astrid to trip and fall. Leopold, seeing this, quickly turned around and ran back to her.
“Astrid, are you alright?!”
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud—
The deafening booms echoed as the monster rapidly closed the distance. Astrid lay sprawled on the ground, and Leopold ran back toward her.
“Your Highness, hurry! Get back to the checkpoint! It’s dangerous—”
“Your Highness!”
A sharp, commanding voice rang out.
It was Akemilla, rushing toward them, dual swords in hand. The other squad members were no longer in sight—perhaps they had made it safely to the checkpoint—but Akemilla had clearly come back because she couldn’t abandon Leopold and Astrid.
“L-Lady Akemilla! It’s dangerous! Go back!”
With the massive monster rapidly closing the distance, Astrid lay on the ground. Leopold was trying to lift her up, while Akemilla dashed toward them with resolve in her eyes.
「BUWOOOOOOOOOOOO—!」
“It’s… it’s jumping!”
With terrifying force, the monster leaped into the air as if intending to crush them completely.
A giant shadow blotted out the sun, and in that moment, Leopold grabbed both Astrid and Akemilla, pulling them close as he rolled to the side.
They tumbled several times, their bodies scraping against the ground, before finally skidding to a stop.
Tree branches and jagged stones jutted out of the ground, cutting and scratching his back. Pain, sharp and burning, coursed through him. But he gritted his teeth and held his position, knowing that if he shifted even slightly, the two women in his arms would be injured.
—BOOM!
A thunderous crash echoed as if the sky had fallen, and the ground trembled violently. The place where they had stood just moments ago was now beneath the monster’s massive legs. If they had been even a second slower, they would have been flattened beyond recognition.
“A-are you alright, Astrid?!”
After being dragged along the ground for a considerable distance, Leopold finally stopped. It was only then that he had the presence of mind to check on the two women he’d been shielding.
“I’m… I’m fine, Your Highness.”
“I’m fine too, Your Highness!”
In the heat of the moment, both Astrid and Akemilla had addressed Leopold as “Your Highness” instead of “cadet.” However, no one seemed to notice.
Relief washed over them for only a moment. The real problem began now.
Although they had barely managed to dodge the monster’s leap, it had now landed between them and the path leading back to the checkpoint, blocking their escape route.
“W-what do we do now…”
—Crack. Crack.
The sound of something breaking echoed as the ground began to tremble.
While the three struggled to maintain their balance, the cracking sound grew louder and louder.
“W-wait…?!”
“Ah…?!”
“O-oh my…!”
Finally, the ground could no longer hold. The terrain, unable to withstand the weight of the monster’s attack and the previous jump, began to collapse beneath them.
Unlike the monster’s visible attacks, which they could see and react to, the sudden collapse of the ground gave them no time to respond. With a sense of helplessness, the three of them fell into the gaping abyss below.