"Over the past 5 weeks, I have taught you about common enemies found in this region of the Forest of Kresh and the environments surrounding the city. We have discussed equipment, supplies, team composition, and small unit tactics. This has just been the basics. Many of your former classmates have dropped out of this class as the realities of serving as an adventurer and delving into dangerous places were made clear." Professor Galimund said seriously.

The exodus of the first day had been the single largest one, but handfuls of students had simply stopped showing up over the last month and what had started as a class of well over 400 students dwindled until only a few dozen remained.

"Those who have left this class voluntarily have done so without penalty and been allowed to register in other classes more fitting to their needs and interests, however today is the last opportunity to do so. In today's class you will be making a team with your classmates and the remainder of the term shall be spent in the field. This is not to be taken lightly. Students have died in this portion of the course. If you are unwilling to take this risk, now is your last opportunity to leave this class without penalty. Should you remain, you will become part of a team that will depend on you to keep them alive just as you will depend upon them. If you leave after you have joined a team, you will be abandoning them to their deaths, and the penalties shall be severe." Professor Galimund's aura descended upon the remaining students, feeling as if one of his gauntleted meaty hands rested upon each of their shoulders. "You have 10 minutes to make your final decision." The intimidating Vice Guild Leader sat down in his chair and began to work through several documents, seemingly ignoring the remaining students though his aura remained focused upon them.

Murmured conversations broke out around the room, conversations that slowly grew louder as Professor Galimund continued to ignore them. Jun turned to Aya sitting next to her and nodded at her friend, who smiled back at her.

"Are you planning to stay?" Jun asked quietly.

"I am... I don't mind a little bit of risk. It's part of life and I'd rather face monsters head on rather than wait for them to come for me in my bed," Aya said as a far away look came over her. Aya stayed quiet for a few seconds before continuing as the look faded. "Besides, I can't let all our spell practice go to waste, now can I?" she said with a tight smile.

"You do have a talent for breaking things," Jun said with a quiet giggle. Her friend's fiery personality seemed well suited to becoming an adventurer, and Aya's skill with magic was in a league of her own among the first year students. Even Shiori had privately acknowledged to Jun that her friend was "skilled for a kitten."

"What about you Jun?"

Jun shrugged. She wasn't a stranger to violence, but the thoughts of fighting dangerous monsters and sentient beings still gave her pause. As far as she'd come since leaving the Forest, she still had complicated feelings over the idea of killing. She'd talked it over with Shiori and her friends, but received contradictory answers.

Shiori said that killing was part of life and inevitable. Jun had hunted for food to eat in the Forest and even though her Master was with her and had saved her several times, the cat made a point of saying that one day Jun would need to rely on her own skills and abilities. She wouldn't be a kitten forever, and needed to be ready to kill to protect herself.

Her friends had given different responses. Gareth and Lane had insisted that she could stay in a city and be protected by the guards and nobles who oversaw it if she wanted, and could live a life in peace. She could marry a man and raise a family, take up a trade, and stay safe behind high stone walls and powerful soldiers.

Corin had suggested that she could take her talent in magic and learn to heal, even offering to tutor her in it. Despite the Academy having an entire course of study to train healers, the skill was rare and expensive. Several international churches provided healing to the masses, and there were even orders sponsored by the crown within Moros, but dedicated healers were uncommon. Training was expensive and mana was always in short supply. As a result, healers almost always wound up inducted into a church, order, service to a noble, or uncommonly the International Adventurers Guild. Independent healers didn't remain independent for long.

Cecilia suggested she could become an adventurer like her friends. She could protect others as an adventurer, pushing back the wild things from civilization and traveling where she wanted. She wouldn't be restricted to a single role, dabbling in healing and all manner of combat, exploring lost ruins and distant places, and getting rich while doing it.

Sara didn't give a suggestion, only saying that life was long and whatever Jun chose to do, it should be something she enjoys doing.

Both options offered by the men would see her safe, comfortable, and protected, possibly even happy. But they were gilded cages. Either option would leave Jun at the mercy of whoever she served, be it her husband, a church dedicated to a god she'd never heard of, a noble, the country, or an order dedicated to charity. As much as the idea of romance and safety intrigued her, she couldn't see herself settling down with a man, not for long anyways; and while she loved the idea of caring for others, it wasn't her either. If she were a healer, she would want to heal others, but she felt like she would grow exhausted and numb healing wounds and diseases until her mana drained. She would feel rooted to a single place, never able to leave in case of an emergency that required her. Even if she traveled around as a healer, it wouldn't really change the fact that she'd be taking on the responsibility of healing others permanently. She would feel guilty taking time for herself if she dedicated her life to the path of a healer. How many people could she heal for the mana cost of continuing to cultivate her Path? How many would die because she took a day off, her mana regeneration going to waste while she rested? The path of a dedicated healer was a noble one, but not one for her.

Shiori's and Cecilia's advice were similar. To be an adventurer was to survive, hunt, and kill. She would be placing herself in danger to protect others, but she would have freedom. She could pick her own tasks, beholden to her own choices and skills. Putting herself in danger scared her, but a part of her enjoyed the thrill. She enjoyed sparring with her friends even though she would never be a weapon master. She loved the idea of adventure, and while she didn't like killing, she knew she was capable of it even if the act made her nauseous. But most importantly, she loved magic. Shiori's lessons and her practices with Lane and Aya were the high points of her weeks. Whatever she did, she wanted to continue learning magic from her Master for as long as she could, but that would require freedom. They'd come to Forest's Edge for her education, but she was sure Shiori would eventually want to leave, and when she did, Jun wanted to go with her. That would require the power to keep up and protect herself so she wouldn't be a burden to her Master, and the freedom to do so. It felt like the right step to take on her Path.

"I want to stay, but... I'm a bit scared," she confessed to Aya.

Aya gently rubbed her back and smiled at her. "Do what makes you comfortable, but... if you stay behind a few of your barriers, I don't think anything can hurt you. Especially with that new spell of yours that you still haven't told me where you learned!" Aya said with a joking pout.

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Feeling more secure in her decision, Jun and Aya quietly talked about what the teams might be like and who each of them might get grouped up with. As the minutes passed, a few students seemed to come to a decision and quietly left. Professor Galimund didn't say a word as they did. After 10 minutes the Professor stood and slowly stretched, clearly dragging his feet as he walked to the door. None of the remaining students moved as he quietly stood by the door and eyed the remaining students. After a few seconds his oppressive aura lifted as Professor Galimund whistled into the hallway.

Footsteps and the jingling of armor could be heard as more than a dozen adventurers filed into the room in a variety of armor and carrying all kinds of weapons, each of them proudly displaying a gold IAG medallion somewhere on their person. Most of them were human, though Jun noticed a couple elves and even a woman with animal ears and a fluffy tail, her face covered by a steel fox mask. As the last adventurer filed in, Professor Galimund shut the door and turned to address the remaining students.

"These are all Gold ranked members of the IAG who have experience in training and leading new adventurers. They will be your advisors charged with keeping an eye on you in the field, As new adventurers, you will need to join an established team or form your own. The team you're on is both responsible for your life and depending on you for theirs. As such, your assignment is to form a group of at least 4, but no more than 6, and choose a team leader. Once you have chosen a team, report to me and you will be assigned an advisor. Begin."

Chatter broke up around the room as people turned to their friends first and started to break up into teams. Jun and Aya looked at each other at the same time and nodded.

"Partner up?" they both asked at the same time. Jun giggled as Aya smiled widely.

"Excellent! So if we're going by the standard roles we have two mages and just need a front line fighter, a scout, and hopefully a supporter?" Aya said, pulling out a paper and pen and jotting down a quick list.

Jun opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted as a trio of boys approached them. The lead boy put his hand on Jun's shoulder as he leaned in, getting way too close. "Hello ladies," the lead said with a leering smile. Jun couldn't help but notice his eyes flick down to her chest as he tried to look down her shirt, sending her skin crawling. "I'm Ivar, son of Alexi. I couldn't help but overhear that you're both mages, well you're in luck! Me and my friends are all warriors, so we could protect a couple of pretty mages likes you girls," he said, licking the side of his mouth. Out of the corner of her eye, Jun saw the two boys behind him casually smirk and flex their arms, showing off their muscles.

It was a struggle for Jun to keep a straight face as her stomach roiled in revulsion. Ivar's breath was bad, his close proximity filling her nose with the smell of poor hygiene and cheap cologne. "No thank you," Jun said, shrugging Ivar's hand off her shoulder.

The boy frowned at Jun's rejection as he moved closer, pushing deeper into her personal space. "Are you sure? It can be dangerous out there. Wouldn't you want a big strong man to protect you at night?" The boy flexed his impressive arm muscles at her, but Jun still leaned away in her seat.

"She said no," Aya spoke up from behind her, iron in her voice, "so back off."

"A couple girls like you will be dinner for goblins if you go out without men like us," Ivar said, his gaze hardening.

"Yeah, you know what those green skinned bastards do to women they capture don't you?" One of Ivar's friends spoke up while the other snickered. "Or maybe you want to be captured?"

Jun's eyes hardened as she felt rage begin to boil over inside of her. That these idiots could so casually joke about that was disgusting. She could feel as Aya started to move her mana behind her, and she knew the fiery girl was angry. Things were about to get bad. As disgusting as the creeps were, they probably didn't deserve to get burnt to a crisp.

"Leave us alone," Jun said firmly as she started channeling mana into her spellforms.

"Last warning," Aya hissed.

"Women get riled up and emotional so easily don't they?" the third boy said, elbowing the second.

Ivar smirked. "This is exactly why you should join our team. You're both too emotional to be let loose without a man leading you."

Jun felt as Aya's mana began to flow, but she was faster. A transparent pink barrier winked into existence between Jun and Ivar for a moment and shoved the boy away from her. As the boy went stumbling back into his friends, he let out a curse with a look of rage. "Why you—" he started to snarl, but the boy was cut off as Jun's second spell coalesced. Light blue glowing ropes of mana popped into existence and surrounded the 3 boys, tying them up and gagging them while they struggled. Holding the 3 of them took a surprising amount of effort as they struggled, the mana in her spell slowly depleting.

As Jun's anger faded, she remembered where she was and began to flush with embarrassment. Several of her classmates and the adventurer advisors watched her closely, but Professor Galimund was sitting at his desk reading a document as if he didn't notice the short scuffle. Slowly, the students resumed their conversations as Professor Galimund ignored the 3 struggling boys, though she noticed a number of them casting furtive looks at her and Aya.

Her friend started laughing as Jun felt her mana flow vanish. "Your casting speed always surprises me Jun," she said, snorting at the indignant looks on the 3 bound and gagged boys. "Anyways, let's go find some team members!" Grabbing Jun by the hand, Aya dragged her away from the boys.

As they got some distance from the 3 boys still bound by Jun's spell, a tall, well muscled boy stepped into the aisle, blocking their way forward as he stared down at them. "Nice spell work," he said in a low voice, gesturing at the Ivar and his friends behind them with a nod.

"T-Thanks," Jun said nervously. I just dealt with 3 creeps, I really don't want to deal with another, she thought to herself.

Aya squeezed Jun's hand and took a step forward, putting herself between the boy and Jun. "What do you want?" Aya snapped, crossing her arms across her chest and tapping her foot impatiently.

"My name is Michael," he said, introducing himself. "I wanted to ask if you two were looking for a team to join."

"Why? Are you offering to 'protect' us like those 3 did?" Aya snapped.

Michael raised his hands up placatingly and shook his head. "Not in so many words. Besides," he said, quirking an eyebrow up at the still struggling boys, "it seems more like you'd be protecting me. I'm a healer and was about to search for a group myself."

Jun took a closer look at Michael. The man was tall, well over 6 feet, and had the build of a heavyweight boxer. The way he held himself, Jun could imagine him immediately shifting into a fighting stance, and her instincts screamed that he knew his way around a brawl. "You're a healer?" Aya asked sceptically.

"I am." Michael slowly put his hand under the collar of his shirt, revealing faded scars on his neck as he fished a spell focus amulet out. It was a standard spell focus given to all the student healers who'd been approved to treat others, wrapped in bronze wire. "I just passed my bronze healing certification test," he said, gesturing to the amulet.

"Fine," Aya nodded. "We could use a healer, but try anything and you'll be dealing with me, not Jun"

Bowing his head in thanks, Michael moved to the side as Aya started to march up the aisle and fell in next to Jun as they followed the fiery girl. "So, how long can you hold that spell on Ivar and his cronies?" Michael asked Jun in his rumbling voice.

Jun pulled up the system screen for the latest spell Shiori taught her and smiled. Shiori had said it was the third basic spell Jun needed to learn for a solid foundation, though it was far weaker than the first two her Master had taught her. Despite it being only Novice ranked, it'd quickly become one of Jun's favorite spells as she used the ropes to imitate a supervillain she'd seen in cartoons as a child on Earth.

[Arcane Snare] (Novice 13)

Conjures magical ropes to physically restrain a target. Ropes can be reinforced with extra mana

Mana cost: varies

"Not too long, it's only a Novice ranked spell," Jun said as she calculated the drain she felt from reinforcing it.

"Still, it's impressive you were able to restrain those 3 with just a Novice ranked spell. They're in my Combat Skills section and among the strongest in our class," Michael said. "Let me know when the spell fails, I'll try and distract them."

"Will do," Jun said, finishing her mental math. "I can only maintain it for another hour or so."

Michael could only turn and stare.