(POV Font Lechamp)
Gods damn it!
Had I known earlier that this….girl who showed up had been the one that father had warned me about, then I would have been much more civil towards her, and known about her strength.
I had gotten word that the Silver family had taken in a half-breed, and let her use their name and everything about two months ago. Similarly, about a month before I had heard about it, the elven royal houses had also found out about it, and complained greatly to the current Empress. However, instead of backing down, and killing the half-breed like the nobles wanted, she defended the thing, claiming it would be an asset to the empire as a whole.
Apparently, the royals were gathered, and the half-breed met them, and demonstrated her abnormal strength. After that, they agreed to legitimize her under the Silver name, though they kept the whole situation from reaching the ears of the common people.
Father had cautioned me to be wary of any half-breeds I might see, since the chance of it being her was quite high.
I just hadn’t expected to run into her in this type of situation.
I mean, why the hell is she trying to become a teacher?!
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(POV Kai)
Well, I’ve gotten a good grasp of the situation now.
Those who are fifth years in the academy are required to take a two month long survival and combat exam. It can take place anywhere, with some of the worst places being plain-land, the site of an active volcano, or a desert. Apparently, this year’s group had lucked out somewhat, since the exam was held in a forest rife with resources.
The entire fifth year class had been split into seven teams of around twenty to twenty-five, and been given objectives to complete while they stayed in the forest. If they complete their objective then it counts as passing the exam.
However, in the spirit of competition, you can raid nearby dungeons for points, and the team with the most points in the end wins the competition.
The black team, which I had been transported to, had already finished their objective and now needed to start raiding dungeons.
In fact, they had been just about to enter one, when the stick they had been given had started glowing and drawing mana from the surrounding area.
When they had been given the stick, they had been told that at some point someone strong would be joining them, and that the other teams would get something similar.
I outright told the black team that I wouldn't be interfering in their fights, unless another person taking the teacher’s exam shows up. I would be willing to teach them stuff, though, and guide them through difficult situations.
I could tell just by looking at it that the dungeon they wanted to enter was simply a second tier. While this wasn’t impressive to me, who had practically spent the last five months in a tier six dungeon, by using〖Analyze〗I could see that the highest level among these students was twenty-five, from that Az kid.
This was actually fairly good among people under twenty.
Anyway, this dungeon was a good match for them at the moment.
They didn’t need much help in it though, since they had the basics of teamwork already down, and their tactics already set up. For the most part, I just hung around the back, keeping an eye out for any danger.
I watched as the group made their way deeper into the dungeon, meeting several floor bosses along the way. They were handled almost entirely by the mage Font Lechamp, the second strongest in the group, and Az, who beat them to death with a vengeance.
I think he’s venting from what happened earlier.
They went straight down to the dungeon core found on the twentieth floor, and removed it. It was placed into a leather bag, where all future cores would go. These would be fed to the academy’s dungeon, in order to strengthen it. This was also the way the teachers judging the student’s exam would know who won the contest.
Since the dungeon didn’t have any teleportation runes in it, we had to walk back through the dungeon. Thankfully, nothing spawned after being killed by the group and because the core had been removed, so there was nothing to slow us down on the way back up.
The group set up camp right outside the entrance of what had been the dungeon. Their fire was banked low to not draw any attention to them, while I sat up in a tree, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight due to my vitality.
Well, I went up onto the tree branch after having confiscated a bottle of wine the students had smuggled into the exam. Why they had wanted to drink on an exam where people had died before, I didn’t know. I mean, if it comes to it, I can cleanse my system of alcohol in a heartbeat. They don’t have such skills, and would be vulnerable to attack afterwards.
Suffice to say though, I put the bottle to good use. I had to drink the entire thing to get even a little tipsy, even with my current small constitution. The wine, like any good alcohol, let my mind drift a bit. I began recalling old memories while watching the night sky, and reminiscing about all the different stars I’ve seen. I’m still slightly nostalgic for the first one though, even while they were much less visible due to light pollution.
I really thought that I had come far from that time though, but not nearly far enough.
At first, I had fought to return to my first home. Then, I fought for those around me. Finally, I fought to survive.
What should I fight for now, I wonder?
Maybe I should just fight without a cause, seeking out adventures and fun as I go. But that doesn’t seem to fit me. I had achieved so much while fighting for grand causes, even though most of that fighting had turned out to be worthless in the end.
Am I even capable of fighting for something anymore?
The last time I felt a strong emotion, it had been hate—When I first unlocked〖Demonic Transformation〗. Even while that had been only about two years ago, I hadn’t felt anything for a while before that either.
Ah damn it. I suppose I should just keep doing what I have been.
I’ll get this teaching job, and convince everyone that mixed race people are also strong. After that, who knows. I’ll figure it out once I get there.
Probably.
Actually, as it turns out, it had been a good thing that I had set up in the tree, since it afforded me the best view of the forest surrounding the camp.
Because of this, I was definitely the first person to see another group of students, these ones with red armbands, sneaking up on the black group I was in charge of. Quickly, I set up a barrier around the camp, and was greatly amused by the sight of several of their students running straight into the invisible ward with a dull bonk.
(Kai) “Everyone grab your weapons! You have company!”
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Immediately, some of the group panicked, coming awake to someone yelling. The leaders quickly emerged though, as both Az and Font gathered together smaller groups of students, ready for combat. Not a moment too late either, as it looked like the green team had gotten someone taking the teacher’s exam as well. Whoever it was, their energy bombarded my ward, weakening it significantly.
I thought it was doing well for something with so little effort put into it.
Finally, it shattered like a great glass dome, the shards raining down as little disintegrating bits of mana.
When the green group entered the camp area, they were met with stiff resistance from my black group. I even saw a familiar face among them. It was the one who had broken my ward, who was taking the teacher's exam. Somewhat angry, I called out to him.
(Kai) “Oi! What do you think you’re doing, fighting students!?”
The man turned, and saw me jumping out of the tree and landing with a slight stumble.
Huh. That’s odd. Normally, I shouldn’t stumble from that height.
He laughed when he saw me.
(???) “If it isn’t the demon girl who thinks she can be a teacher! As for what I’m doing, what does it look like, idiot? I’m helping my group win!”
(Kai) “That’s not right, as a future teach….”
(???) “Shut it! Only the strong get to decide what is and isn’t right, and after my group has won the little competition, the judges will recognize my strength and hire me as a teacher!”
I sighed. This man must be delusional or something. Especially considering that the judges had said from the beginning that they would be testing our teaching skills and leadership abilities. Wait. Isn’t leading from the front a type of leadership? So is this idiot also right?
I shook my head, keeping myself from thinking about it further. The man however, saw me shaking my head as something different.
(???) “Ha! You’re just angry that my group will beat yours tonight, preventing you from unfairly getting a teaching position at the academy!”
Oh damn. I think Az heard the wold-be teacher’s outburst, because he’s shaking his head furiously at the man, even while fighting the green group’s leader. His eyes were wide with fright and warning.
(Kai) “Oh? Are you implying that you’re stronger than me?”
(???) “Implying? I am stronger than a little demon brat like you!”
Grinning, I drop my bag on the ground, and unsheathe Twilight, similarly dropping the leather scabbard.
(Kai) “Why don’t we test that?”
(???) “I won’t go easy on you!”
Immediately, the man began chanting a spell.
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(POV Cait Vern)
HA!
Never would I have thought that I would luck out so greatly with the first group we attacked!
I was expecting to have to put in a ton of effort disabling the person taking the teacher’s exam in this group, but the one who jumps down from that tree is just that little demon brat!
Though, oddly, she seems a little odd balance, and her face is redder than what I had seen in the waiting room earlier. It’s like she has a fever, or is a little tipsy.
This’ll be even easier than than I first thought.
I will admit I was impressed with the sword she puts out though. It’s nearly as tall as she is, and casts a moonlight glow on the ground around her. It’s beautifully crafted, equal parts practicality and grace. I want to meet the one who had forged such a blade. No.
I want it.
I know what I’ll do. I’ll knock her out quickly and easily, and take the sword while she’s out. If she complains, I’ll just call it a spoil of war. Even if she contests this, why would anyone stick up for a demon?
I begin chanting for a relatively low powered water based spell, one that will seal her feet into one place and allow me to land one precise blow to knock her out.
(Cait) “Oh spirit of water, aid me. Ice Trap!”
Water condensed around the girl’s feet, and froze. She stood there, obviously dumbstruck at my magic mastery.
Then she started laughing, obviously having accepted her fate and descended into madness. Or something like that. Admittedly, I was confused by the laughing. Shouldn’t she be… I don’t know, struggling more?
Slightly perturbed, I continued with the second spell.
(Cait) “Oh spirit of earth, form my arrow and smite my foes, Earth Bolt!”
A solid chunk of rock appeared before me, formed by my mana before shooting off towards the girl, aimed at the side of her head. For all that I said about not going easy, I still don’t want to kill anyone. So the spell’s power was dialed down quite a bit.
Maybe a little too much, since the girl was able to easily cut it apart with her sword while still held fast by the ice trap.
Well, I couldn’t really see her sword move, but since the rock split in two and flew past her, I assume she cut it.
I may have underestimated her a little…
(Cait) “Not good enough for you? Then try this on for size! Oh spirit of earth, hear my plea. Form a spear to pierce my target, Earthen Spear!”
A larger chunk of jagged rock split from the soil in front of me, and molded itself into a large splinter that flew toward the girl at a greater speed than the earth bolt.
The ice trap shattered as the girl took a single step forward. She met the spear head on again, and it split again. This time, her sword was held in front of her afterwards.
(Kai) “Is it my turn? How ‘bout this?! Inferno Strike!”
Oh shit!
I felt a monstrous mana pouring through the thin blade, and forming a column of blue flames before the girl. I dove to the side as the fire raged towards me like a living being, scorching the ground in front of me.
I got up, nervously clutching my staff, looked behind me.
The forest wasn’t on fire. No, instead, a hole two meters wide had been cut through it for a good fifty meters behind me. The edges of leaves were turned to ash form the extreme temperature, even though it had only lasted an instant, and smoke was rising from the ground.
(Kai) “Oh, did I miss? Crap. That bottle might’ve been more potent that I thought… Hold on, let me try again.”
Before she could do something like that again, I threw up my hands.
(Cait) “I surrender!”
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Author's Note:
Well. Never drink too much, guys. Be responsible and all that. In no way do I encourage drinking yourself silly, though I would laugh at you if it happens. Oh, and encourage doing stupid things. Of course, I would also still be sober, and have a camera to record everything.
I'm that kind of person.
—River.