Chapter 11: Alone at the training camp
I just practiced the Dragon Blade Dance in the end until the day went dark & I returned home。
「Hey、have you truly prepared everything?」
I understand my mother’s anxiety。Since tomorrow shall be the start of my first camping training but I just spent my time in the forest of Dragons until the day became dark。
But it’s alright。Mistral-san has prepared everything that I needed。Since I also had the emergency rations on hand & I’m a bit happy that it didn’t cost much money。
I confirmed the things that Mistral-san prepared in my shoulder bag and went to bed。
A lot of things changed on this tiring day。
When I fell on the bed、I went to sleep at once。
Before the sun rose up on the next morning、my mother woke me up and I went up from my bed。
I firmly took my meal & headed towards the ruins。
The a.s.sembly for the ruins investigation is at the actual place。
I carried the heavy bag which had everything that I needed & hurried towards the site。
Commuting everyday to the forest of dragons & thanks to my everyday escaping from the demonic beast even if I was unwilling to do so、I surprisingly got a lot of physical strength now。
When I arrived at the a.s.sembly point、there were already a number of students which were on the same grade as me there。
It seems like a number of them has already camped in here from yesterday。
They’re too excited for this。
When the boring me went inside、other students also arrived in succession and the a.s.sembly point became lively。
「It’s time、We’ll be having a roll-call」
When they looked at the time、the teacher gave an order。
When the attendance was taken、they checked if anyone didn’t forget anything。
When the roll call and the explanation of things have ended、we finally departed to the ruins。
The preforming of the camping practice will be held at night of course。But since the groups would be searching for things and preparing stuff then we were sent within earlier。
Sequentially、the students entered inside the ruins。
The first formation that went inside was the Hero group of Ristia by the way。
Someone who is alone like me is placed to enter in the second half。
I settled myself in the second half & it was obvious from the eyes of the teachers that they were speculating if some of us in this second half would get a companion here。
Our turn came when I waited for a bit & we from this half who were alone went inside。
Those who were thinking of not going in an adventure or those who were just gonna spend their 1 year in a neighboring village would just be part of this second half alone。
Even if they paired up with someone、they would still have to find their own daily employment privately 。
When we moved towards our destination、it would be best for me to just pa.s.s a bit money and ask for them to accompany me。
I looked over the people who were alone too。
About 1/3 of the students of my cla.s.s were alone。
However、I was surprised to find the shrine maiden Ruiseine。
Did Ruiseine not go together with Inea who was a shrine maiden like her?
(TLN: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Target lock on)
Within the girls in our cla.s.s、I think that I mostly spoke with Ruiseine。
Did the other girls completely think of me as a foolish child since they wouldn’t even talk to me。
Ruiseine at that topic、is a friend of mine from the opposite s.e.x that I can joke with。
Since my eyes met with Ruiseine’s by chance、I should just talk to her。
「To be honest、I became alone today」
Ruiseine gave off a troubled smile。
Ruiseine is a beautiful girl。
With her soft emerald colored hair which is long like what a shrine maiden should have。It seems like it reaches down to her hips。
Though the unique clothes of the shrine maiden is really showing off her body outline but she didn’t have any b.r.e.a.s.t.s。
It seems like beautiful women like her and Mistral-san mostly don’t have any b.r.e.a.s.t.s 。
「May I ask as to where are you looking at?」
Ruiseine stared at me with her eyes as I panicked and averted my gaze from her chest & urged her to continue our talk。
「Inea has recently been acting together with Ristia-kun」
Ruiseine seems to be a bit lonely。
「Pe-pe-, Perhaps、she would be a new bridal candidate for Ristia……」
Such a frightening Hero-sama。Surely、for him to lay his hands on the two shrine maiden that he is with。
It is certain that Inea’s loveliness is within Ristia’s taste but he already has Kiri as his bridal candidate。
Don’t tell me that he is planning on getting more。
(TLN: Dear Ristia, Please give Ernea-kun even a single Shrine maiden – Missere Meow)
Hero-sama、that’s too much。
With me who gave off a wry smile、Ruiseine also smiled。
The other people who were alone to attentively listened to my conversation with Ruiseine as all of them were surprised。
We entered the ruins in the meantime and came to the first hall。
In this place is where everyone will be heading off into different directions。
There are a lot of pa.s.sages in the hall and ahead of those were various places within the ruins。
I chose an appropriate pa.s.sage way and advance in it。
There weren’t anyone here who would get lost by choosing a wrong pa.s.sage way so everyone advanced into the pa.s.sage ways as they liked。
Would Ruiseine choose the same pa.s.sage way as mine too is what I secretly hoped for but that wasn’t so。
Ruiseine has chosen another path。
When getting inside the depths of this ruins then one would be having a rough time in there。
This ruins already existed even before this nation was founded and some say that this place was from the distant past race which has flourished the whole place。
Though the underground only had 10 layers but the depth is vast and this place was called a labyrinth according to the hierarchy。
Though it was only ten years ago that the 3 layers were found above ground but it was destroyed by the invasion of the flying dragons。
The flying dragons would occasionally part from the flying dragon hunting grounds in the north & would likely invade the kingdom’s capital。
Every time they invaded、there would be a ton of commotion and the number of victims were many which made it very scary。
Now then、I’m within the ruins。Though it is vast but it’s safe for us novices to explore it & our safety were secured。
Since I made an entire map of the ruins & some places had signs so if I would just match up the signs and my map then I won’t get lost。
However、some low cla.s.s monsters would occasionally go out。
Therefore、it wouldn’t be good for me to let down my guard。
The camping training for this time is about wandering in the ruins in the daytime & defeat any monster that would occasionally come out by ourselves。We would use our tools and the food that we brought to cook a meal for ourselves when it is night time as we would alternatively be on a lookout。That is what the outline of our training was。
But even if you say that、there’s no need to obediently wander around all day long。
When I found an appropriate small room、that is where I placed down my baggage。
Since I had a lot of time now、I thought that I should continue my training。
I sat down immediately and started my meditation。
(TLN: f.u.c.k training by battle like some mainstream JP manga. I’ll go with training through meditation like some mainstream CN novel – Missere Yun Che Meow)
Nowadays、I’m now able to feel the Dragon pulse even if I was outside the plaza of moss。
「Ernea’s meditation is really mysterious when I look at it」
Kurishio previously saw my meditation and said so。
It’s since Kurishio can feel magical power but can’t feel the Dragon pulse。I think that she felt something different from my appearance while I was feeling the Dragon pulse。
When I entered into a deep meditation、it felt like my consciousness would get separated from my body as I would proceed to swim in the dragon pulse。
And at my presence seemed to be a genuinely large river。
Though the stream of the large river looked very dreadful but when I would go near and scoop some Dragon pulse、I felt a contradiction as the flow of the life power was warm while it was strong yet gentle。
Though Mistral-san taught me yesterday but it seems like the demon beasts can dive and move in this Dragon pulse。
Therefore if I could aquire the power to ascertain the flow of the Dragon pulse then would I be able to find my targets like that demonic beast?
Though there is still so much for me to study before I reach the peak。
While I was resting on the way、I kept on meditating。
At the first time that I practiced my meditation outside the plaza of moss、I couldn’t feel the Dragon pulse at all & though I felt sleepy most of the time because my eyes were closed but such things didn’t happen anymore right now。
Since this ruins is on the underground、the light of the sun won’t reach me。
The only light that would emit in this small room that was enclosed with a stone wall is this portable lamp that I brought & outside of the room was completely dark。
Though there were light attribute magic stones set up on the big pa.s.sage ways but the only thing that was giving light in the place that I was in was the light that I brought with me。
Therefore、when a commotion occurred on the pa.s.sage way ahead of me、I panicked as I went out of the room with the light that I had。
Though I went out to the thin pa.s.sage way but I didn’t understand the situation with the small range of the light that was being illuminated。
A little bit away from the pa.s.sage way、it seems like a commotion happened in the pa.s.sage way besides the place that I was in。I heard the shrieks and roars which exceeded the stone walls。
「RUN AWAY!」
「Run inside! 」
I could hear the voices and clamors of schoolboys。
But it wasn’t a trivial thing。
Even if a commotion occurred if a monster came out、they wouldn’t be in a panic and scream for anyone to run away。
What might it be、
I was worried as my whole body became nervous。
This is bad、I can’t see the situation with just this light that I brought。
I killed off the light that I brought without hesitation。
And I deepened my consciousness as I felt the Dragon pulse。
I took a necessary amount of Dragon ki from the Dragon pulse and poured it on my eyes。
I became able to see the indie of the ruins which was completely dark。
Alright、I can use the Dragon ki。
When I packed all my luggage together in a hurry、I ran off to the place where I heard the screams from。
I should have taken my stuff and ran away too in reality。However、my usual intuition made me run towards the place of strife。
There were some bends in the pa.s.sage way as I ran towards the direction where I felt some people’s presence。
The noise became closer as I saw the students from my cla.s.s on the corner ahead with their lights。
I rushed towards where the light was。
I suddenly came out to where the light was illuminating & a schoolgirl raised a scream。
「What happened」
I shook the schoolgirl’s shoulder as I tired to confirm the situation。
「It’s Ernea huh。Stupid、go and run quickly」
Other schoolboys pushed me however as they ran to the pa.s.sage way that I went from。
The school girl also panicked and ran in haste。
「Run away! Run away!」
Though other three students were in the pa.s.sage way but fear was thoroughly on their faces as they ran away at full speed。
I also reluctantly ran away with them。
The effect of the Dragon ki that I used has already faded & I couldn’t find the place where the student’s lights have illuminated on。
Is it because I was always being chased by the Demonic beast? Everyone is in a state of panic as they ran away but I was awfully calm。
Besides、I couldn’t feel any presence that was chasing them even when they said that I should run。
I ran to the interior with the students anyways。
When I met up with some of the students while running、they just told me to run away together with them。
The sounds of an uproar resounded within the ruins as some of the students who approached were rolled on & the students who were running exceeded a number of 10 when I noticed it。
We turned to a lot of corners & we got out to the hall。
We ran towards the room where a door was attached。
We confirmed that everyone who ran was there and closed the door。
Did they calm down when we entered the room since the schoolgirl began to weep。
The schoolboys that were still a bit energetic like me took the stools and desks in the room and used it as a blockade for the door。
Though I didn’t understand on what happened but I somehow moved while matching up with everyone。
Everyone began to settle down as time pa.s.sed as I heard the situation from the schoolboy who was crying out to run away。
The schoolboy was Kijirumu。
Hahaha、n.o.body noticed it from the commotion。
「What on the meow has happened?」
Kijirumu is one of the people who Ristia practiced with a blade。He had a superior rank with the blade skill from our cla.s.s。
It was a situation where he was in panic and told everyone to run away。I can understand that it is not something ordinary。
「I-、I can’t understand it myself too」
Since Kijirumu was still in a panic state、he was pa.s.sed with a flask of water。
When Kijirumu drank it up in a dash、her took a deep breath and told us about the situation at that time。
「We were wandering inside the ruins。Then though we encountered our teacher。We spoke with the teacher while moving inside the ruins」
The teachers and the knights of the kingdom would spread apart inside the ruins and observe that all students are safe for three days。
They have likely met a single teacher from those。
「When we moved about while talking、those fellows then appeared at the entrance」
Did he recall anything、Kijirumu’s face became pale as his body trembled。
「That was a demon sword you know。I’m not wrong。I could already understand it by just seeing it’s ominous aura」
A DEMON BLADE！？。I was shocked。
Demon blade。
It is a cursed weapon that the demons kneaded with their magic。Since it’s a weapon that the demons made for the demons、other races would be cursed if they would use it。
Especially the ones who were ill-nature were natural victims of the kind of curse it had that would charm a person to use it。
When someone is cursed、they would lose their control of themselves and would proceed to ma.s.sacre everything。
「For it to be a demon blade、did the demons like last time come again？」
I also shuddered。
Even if you say that how many times have I trained in the forest of dragons but I had no actual combat experience。
Though I practiced with Mistral yesterday but a.s.suming that I was attacked、I thought that an actual combat is impossible。
The sword the was on my waist today was just an average sword that I borrowed from my teacher a while ago。
「No……that was a demon sword user。it’s a cursed human」
In a trembling voice、Kijirumu said so。
「Th-、that is……」
I found no word to say。
In that situation、did that cursed person come to this ruins to make a ma.s.sacre?
「T-、Though the teacher and Ruiseine confronted them but that is an impossible to win battle。For just the two of them to face five enemies……」
「Wha……」
What the h.e.l.l is that。For them to face 5 cursed demon sword users。That might be a hopeless situation。
Moreover、just Ruiseine and the teacher facing them is too much of a despair filled battle。
I understood why the students ran while in the state of panic。
「A-、and what became of the teacher and Ruiseine?」
I timidly asked ahead。
「I saw the teacher being enclosed and got cut。Though Ruiseine was using a barrier to block the pa.s.sage way but I’m unsure of what is happening right now」
If he said it like that、Kijirumu held his hands on his head and crouched down like he didn’t want to remember。
I’m sure that he was really scared of the Demon blades and the sight of the teacher being cut。
Since I was often attacked by a demonic beast、I understood his feelings even if the situations were different。
However、I can’t just stay like this。
I was really worried about Ruiseine。
She’s closing off the pa.s.sage way as she is buying the students some time to run away。
She couldn’t keep the barrier on forever and when her holy power runs out then it would be gone。
I have to go and save her。
I decided on that without hesitation。
Though I can’t fight off 5 Demon blade users but I’m sure that I can run away with Ruiseine。
I recovered my luggage as I pulled down the things at the entrance & I tried to go out。
「Hey you、What are you doing!」
Though the schoolboys that noticed me tried to obstruct me、I shook them off and pulled down the items in the entrance and went outside the door。
Please be safe。
I wished for the safety of Ruiseine as I deepened my consciousness。
Is it because I’m nervous since it’s an emergency。I could feel the Dragon pulse easily unlike from the usual。
While taking the Dragon ki from the Dragon pulse。And I poured it on my feet then thus, I started to run。