"Mmn～! Hmmn～! Mmm～!" ［Yuna］

A soft and joyous melody rang in the air, a young lady humming and whistling as her gentle steps and strides parted the forest winds. Her slender figure dashed in the sea of evergreen, silver strands fluttering in the wind like a curtain of light.

Her face was dyed with happiness, excitement traced evidently in her smile as her eyes sparkled like the rays of sunlight seeping from the canopies. She streaked like a free bird, the lush and harmonious forest as her playground.

Behind her was a young man, steps light as hers and following her without making a single sound. His eyes lingered around the excited young lady, only able to heave a sigh as he remembered how their conversation went just a few moments ago.

『Hey, Grey... Do you want to go somewhere interesting?』 ［Yuna］

It was a sudden question, Grey then stopping on his tracks. He was walking by the corridors, and a sudden voice came ringing in his ears. It was none other than his beloved, a tinge of mischief and excitement present in her voice.

『Somewhere interesting, huh... Is there places in Darius like thatー No, shouldn't you greet me first before asking that question?』 ［Grey］

『Fufufu! It's okay～! We'll be meeting later anyways!』 ［Yuna］

『Hey now, don't make it sound like I always have free time. I also have a couple things to do after lunch break. We're students now, remember?』 ［Grey］

『Then, how about we head there after class! An after-class date, if you will! I'm sure you won't be bored! Alea said they're really interesting!』 ［Yuna］

There was no stopping her, acting as if Grey had already agreed to whatever playful mischiefs she was planning to do. Grey could also sense a bit of trouble coming their way. Either way, things were sure to get interesting.

『Haah... Fine... Where do you want to go?』 ［Grey］

『Yaay～! Thank you, Grey! Let's meet later, okay? I'm going to investigate a little bit first. I'll tell you what I find sooner or later.』 ［Yuna］

『Sure, but just make sure to not get caught up in a mess.』 ［Grey］

Though, in the end, all Grey could do was agree to the young lady's words. Like his fiancée, he was also one with quite a bit of unbridled curiosity, now that Yuna's words had caught his interest, there was no way he'll back out without finding out what it is.

Time passed by quickly, and Yuna soon sent a couple more statements, telling Grey about what they would be doing. And as expected, it really was one which was bound to get them in trouble. Just hearing what happened to the poor rabbit was traumatizing.

But now that he's agreed to Yuna's request, all he could do is follow suit and make sure to watch over the latter. With her alchemist blood excited as can be, there was no way he could just leave her alone. It might cause a ruckus or two.

The seconds continued to pass and the bells rang all over the academy once again. The students were soon dismissed and the Professors headed back to their offices. Grey and Yuna also met up, now dashing through the forest.

"Hmm... This sure reminds me a lot of my school days." ［Grey］

"Hm? Did you cause a lot of trouble back then too, Grey?" ［Yuna］

"Hey, don't make me sound like I was some sort of troublemaker. I was a pretty diligent student back then. I even got good grades, mind you," ［Grey］

"Ehh～? My fiancé sure is amazing～." ［Yuna］

Or so Yuna said, but there was a clear lack of enthusiasm in her voice. She looked ar Grey with eyes filled with doubt, staring quite intently as if she was about to swallow him whole. Stares of disbelief and distrust.

"Anyway, I'm talking about the adventures. Me and my friends would often hang out by the open fields and have fun. You know, like running around and stuff." ［Grey］

"You mean like what we're doing right now?" ［Yuna］

"Yeah. They were the fun days. We had so much fun, we don!4 even notice time pass by us. Ah～. Those were the days." ［Grey］

Said Grey, reminiscing about his school life. He may have gone through quite a bit of hardships in his past life, but it was also one filled with enjoyment and fulfillment. It was full of memories, sparkling in his mind clear as day.

To his words, Yuna could only take a vague grasp and speculate what Grey was talking about. It has only been a week since she started school, and having made some wonderful friends, she could confidently say it was a great time.

It was a shame that they would only be there for a couple more weeks left, but there was only so much she could do about it. She needs to savor her time there, and do everything she could, be it studies or fun. Just like what she's doing right now.

"Well, I say that but... Being with you is still the most fun I've ever had. My days with you are the best of them all." ［Grey］

A quick and unexpected jab. Grey said such words without any warning, all the while poking Yuna's soft cheeks ever so gently. There was a soft and warm smile blooming on his face, one bright enough to melt Yuna's beating heart.

"Wh-What are you talking about all of the sudden, Grey?! S-Sneak attacks are unfair! You should warn me first before you do that!" ［Yuna］

"Then it wouldn't be a sneak attack anymore, wouldn't it?" ［Grey］

"Th... That's... Uuu... You meanie! I hate you!" ［Yuna］

Meanwhile, Yuna's face was flustered as can be, red than what is humanly possible, all the way to the tip of her pointy ears. Her heart was leaping and racing, thumping ever so wildly as her face continued to burn a fierce red color,

She quickened her steps and ran away from embarrassment, leaving Grey on his own. She may be one who often acts clingy and needy, but she is weak to such sneak attacks where she hasn't prepared her heart yet. It was a critical hit.

"Yuna, wait for me. You're going to trip if you don't watch your steps!" ［Grey］

"No! Go away! You're just going to tease me again!" ［Yuna］

"Well, that's because my fiancée is just too cute." ［Grey］

The charade of flirting and teasing continued, two figures bolting all throughout the forest. Grey and Yuna continued on their way, jumping from branch to branch and running atop the high canopies of the deep and lush forest.

They soon arrived at their destination, an even greener scenery greeting them the moment they landed their feet. There was a serene ambience playing in the air, their eyes swimming throughout the scenery, sparkling under the sun.

The trees could barely be seen anymore, thick and luscious vines wrapping around their trunks and branches. They looked normal at first glance, but they were definitely the man-eating poison ivies Kale was flaking about previously.

"So this is the Man-Eating Grove... It looks more normal than I imagined it to be. I thought there would be bones and skeletons around." ［Yuna］

"Yuna, don't make it sound like something straight out of a horror movie. The place is already eerie enough. It doesn't need any more scary things." ［Grey］

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"I guess that's true..." ［Yuna］

It was an expansive area, stretching a few hundred meters from all directions, and covering all areas from the rocks and boulders on the ground all the way to the dense canopy of the forest filled with all sorts of parasitic plants and vegetation.

It wasn't just as simple as calling it "infested". The whole place has been "dominated" by the so-called "Man-Eating Poison Ivies". Just by a quick glance, and could easily tell they were all over the place. If they were as dangerous as Kale claimed them to be, it was very understandable why it was a forbidden area.

Grey also checked with his appraisal and surely enough, the vines identified as the notorious ivies. Their leaves were laced with poison and packed quite a sting. But there was just one problem that Grey couldn't ignore...

"Hm? That's strange..." ［Grey］

"Is there something wrong, Grey?" ［Yuna］

"Well, that's... It's their poison. Unlike what the rumors say, it isn't lethal at all. Even if normal people touch it, it will only cause rashes." ［Grey］

"Eh?! But Kale definitely said that he saw a rabbit explode into blood and gore right in front of his eyes! The other students said the same thing too!" ［Yuna］

There was no mistaking it. Though the God who gave Grey the abilities was a bit of an idiot, his abilities were the real deal. No matter what situation he was in, it always came out right without even the slightest margin of error. It was flawless.

However, no matter how much he tried, the results came out the same. The very same man-eating poison ivy before them was not deadly at all, only as painful as any other kind of poison ivy. There are even worse things than it.

And even though it does have some mana, making it a magic plant, it was so weak, it would barely be worth much. It would still be useful in alchemy, but the way it is right now, there was no way it could even kill a little bird, much less a rabbit.

CHIRP CHIRP TWEET CHIRP TWEET

"Ah! Grey, look!" ［Yuna］

Just as their heads were filled with question marks, a sudden melody played out in the air. A number of birds suddenly descended from above and into the Man-Eating Grove. They were bright blue in color, songs sweet as can be,

They flew around the place, turning their heads left and right. Their feathers were even bluer than the sky above, their noisy cries turning into a wonderful ballad if listened to closely. It was a wonderful orchestra to behold.

"Waah～! How beautiful～! It's like we're in a theater! With birds like these, shouldn't this place be called a paradise instead?" ［Yuna］

"That's still impossible. We may be able to handle it, but normal people would get rashes if they try to stay here. I'm sure it will sting a lot." ［Grey］

"Fufufu! I guess you're right." ［Yuna］

There was no need to think about it. With things the way they are, it was futile to think too deeply about it. Grey and Yuna simply enjoyed the show of blue and green before them, subtle smiles slowly springing up on their faces... Smiles which didn't last long.

As Grey and Yuna continued to watch, one of the little blue birds started hovering over the poison ivies. It flew left and right, watching the green vines before it, inching closer and closer.... All until it got too close...

The bird accidentally pecked on the poison ivy, and like the rabbit from Kale's story, it quickly fell towards the ground, spiraling down helplessly. The poison ivy's poison had started spreading all over its miniature body.

A second passed, and it shed its beautiful blue feathers. Another second passed, and rashes appeared all over its body. With yet another second, the rashes turned to red and painful blisters, bloating up with the passage of times.

The poor bird chirped in pain and convulsed on the ground, its whole body soon swallowed up by the inflamed blisters. It soon exploded with a pop, its reddish skin and charred insides exploding all over the place.

And as if they had been lying in wait, the vines suddenly started twitching, slithering towards the carcass of the little bird, sniffing out its body and absorbing it slowly but surely. It was no wonder why it was feared in the academy,

"What... What just happened...?" ［Grey］

"Ugh... No wonder Kale looked so pale... I can understand it now..." ［Yuna］

Things unfolded all so unexpectedly, Grey and Yuna couldn't even process what just transpired before them. They were both frozen at the sight, unable to react to the little blue bird's suffering. A truly traumatizing sight,

If it wasn't for the fact that Grey and Yuna were used to blood and gore, they would have surely thrown up by now, it was a little bit too visual for normal people, capable of bringing nightmares for days, It really was straight out of a horror movie.

Thankfully, because of the death of one of its kind, the other blue birds became more cautious and started flying away from the poison ivies. They were all vigilant, not wanting to lose another one of them.

"Dammit... What the hell is happening here..." ［Grey］

However, it was because of such a sight that Grey and Yuna are now even more puzzled. Grey was especially confused, wondering whether his eyes actually got it wrong for the first. It was only then that he realized that...

"Wait! Don't tell me!" ［Grey］

... The only things he looked at were the poison ivies. He soon turned his attention to the blue birds before him and appraised them soon after. A wry smile soon appeared on his face, all his questions finally answered.

He felt like an idiot, but now that he's read their description, things finally made a little bit more sense. He already knew something was off before, to think the phenomenon behind it was even more absurd than he imagined... He could only blame himself...

'Hahaha... So that's how it is...' ［Grey］

Grey thought, snickering to himself. He soon told Yuna what he found out, shocking the young lady just as much as he was. They both felt like fools together, a little bit frustrated that they were played by the forest. Nature sure is amazing.

Shock and shenanigans aside, after finding out what the whole deal was all about, Grey and Yuan then collected some samples from the vines and took down some of the birds as well. Their curiosity was still high as can be.

After experiencing Man-Eating Grove, they then headed to the next one, the Blind Man's Graveyard and searched for the Wailing Willow which has been talked about quite a lot in the rumors, said to be located in the dead center of the area.

"Hmm... As I thought... This place is strange as well..." ［Grey］

"Right? I feel an irregular mana flow, but it isn't really powerful..." ［Yuna］

"Yeah. I can't really say it's dangerous though." ［Grey］

However, like the Man-Eating Grave, there were also a lot of inconsistencies about the rumors and the actual experience about the Blind Man's Graveyard. In fact, the Wailing Willow Tree at the center was actually quite beautiful.

"Maybe it's because we have high resistance against mental attacks and illusion magic... Should we tone it down a bit, Grey?" ［Yuna］

"Hmm... I guess we could try that. I already checked the place and I doubt that it would harm us. Let's just do it." ［Grey］

"Okay～! Here I go～!" ［Yuna］

Driven by extreme and unbridled curiosity, Grey and Yuna voluntarily lowered their resistance against such magic, and made it match that of a normal person's. It was a decision they will soon come to regret in a matter of moments,..

"Noo!! Not that!! Please stop it!!" ［Yuna］

"What the hell?! Stop it already!!" ［Grey］

Loud screams and cries echoed all throughout the forest, two figures kneeling on the ground with dark expressions painted on their faces. Horrid scenes played out in their minds, their hearts squeezed in pain and their minds taking in the burden.

It was so severe, they would rather fight a Labyrinth Boss again rather than continue even a minute further. Luckily enough, Grey and Yuna were able to raise back their resistance to their normal states, the nightmares finally over.

The two of them didn't dilly-dally even a second longer in the Blind Man's Graveyard and immediately escaped as quickly as they could. They hurried out of the place, their faces were pale as if they just saw ghostsー nom something worse than ghosts.

"Uuu... That was the worst... I don't want to experience that again..." ［Yuna］

"Tell me about it... That was even worse than hell..." ［Grey］

The two of them vowed to never do the same thing ever again, and tried very hard to wipe their minds clean of what just happened. Yet ironically, they still headed to the last and final one amongst the Three Dangers, still not learning their lesson.

It was not like Grey and Yuna were just stupid, it was just that they couldn't help it with their curiosity. And they already started it, so they might as well finish it. It was the final thing they would be doing for the day.

"Yuna, are you sure there isn't any magic in the next one?" ［Grey］

"Un. Actually, no one has entered inside before so no one really knows what's inside of it. All they hear are loud bellows, hence the names." ［Yuna］

"Haah... What the hell... I just hope it's nothing like before..." ［Grey］

Said the two, their steps echoing in the forest. They continued to thread towards their destination, the trees slowly paring away into a small clearing. They finally stopped their tracks, the two of them looking vigilantly in front of them.

The place was peaceful as can be, only a small cavern, which could barely fit an adult, present at the scene. It extended several dozen meters down, not a speck of light seeping inside and illuminating the cave. It was very dark.

It was also thanks to the silence that the atmosphere seemed more eerie than usual. The more they peered at the cave, the more ominous it seemed. It was just like the saying "If you gaze at the abyss, the abyss gazes back at you"... Or something of the sort.

"Hmm... It looks so dark and cramped... Should we head inside, now?" ［Yuna］

"Wait a minute, Yuna. I'll check it out for a bit." ［Grey］

"Ah! Un! Right! Please do that!" ［Yuna］

Of course, they have also learned their lesson a little bit. Before they head inside such a suspicious looking place, Grey used his eyes first, and scouted ahead to see what the layout of the cave was like, and actually seemed pretty normal,

"Hm? Isn't that?" ［Grey］

Well, it looked pretty normal except for the presence of a single featureー or well, rather than a feature, it would be better to say that it was an entity. It wasn't a beast nor a monster, but instead, a very familiar face.

Footsteps soon started to echo from the cave, and a figure slowly started appearing out of the darkness. His face was unveiled by the light, his dark brown hair waving in the air and his clear eyes sparkling like diamonds.

"Oh. Fancy meeting you here, Grey, Yuna. How are you two doing?" ［Fran］

It was none other than the Headmaster, greeting the two ever so casually as if there was nothing strange with the current situation. He simply smiled at them, heading out of the cavern and stretching his hands out towards the sky.

"Ah, yes... We've been treated very well in the Academy. Thank you for asking. But... What are you doing out around here, Headmaster." ［Grey］

"Oh, nothing much... I was just checking on a magic tool inside the cavern. It's about time to change out its mana crystals, you see." ［Fran］

"Ma... Magic tool...?" ［Yuna］

"Ah, yes... It's nothing too complicated actually. It just lets out a thundering bellow and a couple of painful shrieks every once in a while. Though, it seems like it has been several days since its last cry." ［Fran］

The Headmaster explained with such a gentle smile on his face, but Grey and Yuna's expressions couldn't be any different. They were both confused and shocked, looking at the Headmaster with disbelief brewing in their eyes. They were in bewilderment.

"Headmaster, by shrieks and bellows, you mean..." ［Yuna］

"Oh, yes. You should have heard it by now. It's the reason why the Cave of Bellows got its name. It sounds pretty neat, doesn't it?" ［Fran］

Said the Headmaster, casually confirming Grey and Yuna's suspicions. Now, both of them know that the Cave of Bellows was nothing more than a fraud. It was all a prank by the Headmaster himself, still smiling ever so gently,

And it wasn't just the Cave of Bellows, but the others as well. The Man-Eating Grove was actually not dangerous at all. The reason for its notorious reputation was none other than the creatures suddenly exploding into blood and gore.

Those creatures are called "Goreflies", small beasts at the bottom or H-rank which are adept at making illusions. They take the shapes of other creatures in order to look bigger and protect itself, then exploding into blood and gore the moment they are in danger, then waiting to slip out while the enemy is distracted.

However, these Goreflies also happen to be attracted to the scent of the ivies, and thus they gather towards it. They are so weak, they couldn't even fly away when they get struck by the poison, sniffed out by the ivies soon after.

As for the Blind Man's Graveyard, the Willow Tree was also just for show. There was just an array hidden in sight, showing the darkest and cringiest memories of one's past, playing it over and over again.

From embarrassing moments of failure, to tripping in front of a lot of people, to even something as trivial as having your voice crack in front of a large audience. It was a hell of shame and embarrassment, but not actually dangerous.

"Haah... Does this mean the 'Three Dangers' aren't real at all?" ［Grey］

"Of course. What kind of Headmaster would I be if I just let such dangerous things be in the academy. They're only there to teach them the dangers of the wild." ［Fran］

"Headmaster... There are better ways to go about that, you know?" ［Yuna］

"That's true, but don't you think it's better if they experience it for themselves. One cannot truly learn until they've experienced it, after all." ［Fran］

The two of them wanted to argue with the Headmaster, but having experienced such tiring events in just a couple hours, they neither have the strength nor motivation to do so. They could only smile a wry smile and heave a dry sigh.

"Now, now, don't be too down. Why don't we have tea and snacks in my office? I have a couple of things to tell you two." ［Fran］

And as if their experiences did not matter to him, the Headmaster casually invited the two for a chat over tea. He was still smiling like how he did before, only waiting for the two to give their reply.

"Haah... Sure. Let's do that, Headmaster." ［Grey］

"Un. I could also use some sweets right now." ［Yuna］

"Hahaha. I just have the right things." ［Fran］

CHAPTER 373 END