Chapter 46. Swamp Serpent Hunt (3)
"Did you get them all?"
"Yes! I've gathered every single one!"
Radel examined the scale fragments Armandy brought over. There were quite a few for something found in a pile of ash.
"Is it not enough? I will look for more!"
When Radel paused, Armandy turned his back and ran towards the Swamp Serpent's remains.
His attitude suggested that every minute, every second was precious.
He should have been like this from the start.
Seeing the reborn Armandy after his physical therapy, Radel felt pleased.
"I found it, Your Highness."
From a distance, Gusto could be seen carrying the Swamp Serpent's severed tail. Gathering the byproducts, there was enough to process and sell.
Ingredients for the Detoxification Potion could be sold to the academy freshmen, but to sell monster byproducts, one had to go to a shop outside the academy.
‘I can only go out after the freshman adaptation period is over.’
Was there a way to get to Marcellent before then?
Radel decided to look for a way.
* * *
The opportunity Radel had been waiting for came sooner than expected.
"To be the first among the fledglings to finish the evaluation!"
Donton, the Cryptozoology professor, laughed heartily.
He seemed genuinely pleased.
"Well done! Haha!"
Professor Donton's hand patted the backs of Radel, Gusto, and Armandy.
Every time his hand struck their backs, an alert sounded in Radel's ear.
Thwack!
Ding.
[The user's body has sustained some damage.]
[The trait, Troll's Heart, is activated.]
[Caution! A wave of pain is coming!]
Radel silently endured the professor's touch, which was shocking enough to activate his Troll's Heart. Looking to his side, it seemed Gusto was also casting Heal on himself.
Was this professor a real monster, not a human?
"Anyway, I must give you a reward for being the first to defeat the Swamp Serpent! Tell me what you want!"
At Professor Donton's words, Radel quickly asked.
"Is anything possible?"
"Unfortunately, no. But things like wanting to see a rare magical beast, or getting a ride on a wyvern's back are possible!"
That wasn't what Radel wanted.
With a sliver of hope, Radel opened his mouth.
"Then what about an outing to Marcellent?"
* * *
Alchemy class.
"I heard you're going out to Marcellent this weekend!"
Inette, who must have heard the news from somewhere, approached Radel.
Gusto, who was next to Radel, nodded.
"That's right."
"Apprentice holy knight, are you going too?"
Since Professor Donton's reward was given on a team basis, Gusto and Armandy were also scheduled to go out with Radel.
"Yes, it is all thanks to His Highness."
The news that Radel's team was the first to defeat the Swamp Serpent was the hottest topic these days.
It was because the freshmen Radel had saved were spreading the rumor.
"I heard it too. That the 8th Prince defeated the Swamp Serpent with his god-given swordsmanship. Something about him hiding his skills all this time."
Inette talked about the rumors as if she found them amusing, then soon started to grumble.
"Ah, I should have caught the Giant Poison Bear sooner. Then I could have gone to Marcellent too!"
"Did you make the Detoxification Potion?"
When Radel asked, Inette's expression crumpled.
"I couldn't go because I couldn't make it. If I had been on the same team as you, we could have just caught it."
As soon as Inette's words fell, her followers appeared from somewhere.
"Princess, we are sorry! We were lacking……."
"Ugh, to be of no help to the Princess who trusted and entrusted us! What a deplorable thing this is!"
Radel could guess the situation from the followers' words.
It seemed Inette had included her followers as members of her Cryptozoology group project team.
"If you know that, then you should make it quickly! Go and pull weeds right now!"
Inette, who had snapped at her followers, chased them off to the herb garden.
"My team members are like that, so they're no help. I pull way more weeds than they do."
Seeing Inette, who had become an excellent worker in no time, Radel was at a loss for words for a moment.
Followers…… are they really necessary?
Perhaps sharing the same thought, Gusto was the first to make a suggestion to Inette.
"Is there anything you need from Marcellent? I can buy it for you."
"Really?!"
Inette was overjoyed, but then she realized something and frowned.
"Wait, you're not pitying me, are you? It feels like you're doing this because you don't think I'll pass quickly……."
"Oh dear, have I been found out?"
"Hey!"
While Inette got angry as usual and Gusto apologized obediently, Radel subtly looked around, sensing a gaze from somewhere.
He could definitely feel that the number of eyes watching him had increased.
'They're starting to become conscious of me.'
Whether as a rival or something else.
It was certain that he was getting more attention after catching the Swamp Serpent.
‘Hiding his skills all this time, huh…….’
He had caught it thanks to his past life's experience and the Hayden-style Beginner Potion, but since Radel, who had ranked last in the entrance exam, was now pulling ahead, rumors were bound to spread.
However, he had no intention of explaining himself.
He had no thought of trying to not stand out now.
Hadn't he already tried that for the past 17 years?
Even so, he would just die somewhere where no one was.
If he was going to stand out anyway, it was better to do it properly.
* * *
Transformation Magic class.
Seeing Radel, who had turned a handkerchief into steel, Professor Thomas Arcane cleared his throat with a "harrumph."
"I'd like to ask if you've decided on a major yet."
"I plan to decide slowly after attending other classes as well, Professor."
Seeing Radel answer politely, the group that was jealous of him ground their teeth.
They were the followers of the 9th Prince, Leon.
"How dare he delay his answer to Professor Arcane, the master of Transformation Magic!"
"He doesn't even know what a precious opportunity this is! That, that!"
Since Leon's followers were Magic Supremacists, they had extraordinary respect for the academy professors who were outstanding magicians.
Seeing Radel's arrogant attitude, casually dismissing the professor's interest, their anger boiled over.
However, Radel didn't care what was being said behind him.
He just went through the evaluation assignments in order.
During Summoning Magic class, he succeeded in the 3-stage transformation of an element and received praise from Professor Marianne.
"Excellent. To start with ice, move to water, and then to wind."
The evaluation assignment for Summoning Magic was to transform an element magic three times within 15 seconds.
Because of the time limit, the ability to quickly visualize the image of the element to be transformed was necessary.
Usually, it was easier to connect elements that were related to each other, like from light to lightning, and from lightning to fire.
It was because they were easy to recall.
However, Radel chose to transform water and wind, which seemed completely unrelated. It wasn't that difficult for Radel, who knew that water was composed of hydrogen and oxygen.
Professor Marianne was impressed and gave him a pass immediately.
"Isn't he almost done with all the evaluation assignments now?"
"He must have really been hiding his skills."
The rumors were becoming truth.
Now, the only subject left for Radel was Combat Magic.
* * *
Deep in the night.
A secluded place in the academy.
Two people who had met in secret exchanged something.
"Is this that report?"
Armandy, hiding his body in the darkness, nodded.
It was the blood-and-sweat-soaked data he had collected while monitoring the royal family all this time.
Armandy's side, where the 8th Prince had hit him for burning up all the monster byproducts, throbbed.
"……It was hard-won information."
"I understand. Missions are always arduous."
At Armandy's words, which came out as if chewed, the agent from the Ability Management Bureau answered as if he knew everything. He too was secretly infiltrated in the academy.
But Armandy's feelings were different.
That's not it!
That lunatic is the real deal!
Armandy wanted to shout it out, but he forced himself to hold it in and shared the information.
"Except for things related to the academy's internal affairs, I've included everything about the royal family members who enrolled as freshmen."
"I'll submit it to headquarters right away. I also have something to relay."
Armandy listened intently to his colleague's words.
"Don't let your guard down. There's information that other organizations besides us have also infiltrated."
"I expected as much."
However, his colleague added seriously.
"There are people targeting the royal family. Depending on the situation, we may have to intervene."
Could it be…… an assassination attempt on the royal family?
Armandy, realizing the seriousness of the situation, hardened his face.
That was a challenge to the Empire.
"To what extent can we intervene?"
Armandy had not forgotten his duty as an agent of the Ability Management Bureau.
Although his main task was to monitor the royal family, their true duty was to act for the sake of the Empire.
That included eliminating beings that were harmful to the Empire.
At Armandy's cool words, his colleague shook his head.
"Don't move yet. It seems they're also looking for unsettling movements within the academy. It's not good for our existence to be known by acting rashly."
"……Understood."
"Since you're near the 8th Prince, it will be convenient to respond."
"What do you mean?"
Armandy had a bad feeling.
"I said they were targeting the royal family earlier, didn't I? There's information that the 8th Prince has become a target."
As expected, the bad feeling wasn't wrong.
Armandy's face hardened.
* * *
Combat Magic class.
Professor Lilian Merchent stood on the platform, smiling brightly.
Her immense magic power, which didn't match Professor Lilian's cute appearance, was as strong as ever today.
"Everyone, today I'm finally going to tell you the evaluation assignment!"
Finally!
It was the moment Radel had been waiting for the most.
Once he finished this, he could wrap up the evaluation assignments for the freshman adaptation period.
"Last class, you wrote down the name of the opponent you wanted to fight, right? I've formed teams taking that into consideration."
Professor Lilian swung her staff at the chalkboard.
Then, a team list, paired up two by two, appeared in an instant.
"There were some people who were too popular, so it was difficult to form teams."
Somehow, it felt like Lilian was looking at him as she spoke, so Radel scratched his cheek.
Surely, it couldn't mean that many people wanted to fight me, right?
'No way.'
Professor Lilian's words continued.
"The evaluation assignment is simple. You just have to enter the dungeon in pairs and pick some glowing mushrooms. Easy, right?"
But the freshmen no longer believed Professor Lilian's words.
The problem was the team formation itself.
To be on the same team as the opponent you want to fight.
It's hard to clear a dungeon even with a well-coordinated colleague.
"The dungeon we'll be going to is a dungeon inside the academy. Monsters do appear, but you all should be able to do it easily. It's not a boss raid, you just have to pick some glowing mushrooms."
Radel thought that much was doable.
However, his classmates' expressions were not good. Most of them had no experience entering a dungeon at all.
It was only natural for them to be worried.
But Professor Lilian's expression was so bright.
"Wouldn't it be great to study and hang out with the opponent you want to fight?"
Professor Lilian, blushing as if she were excited, added.
"And you might even end up really fighting! Isn't it cool just to imagine?"
Does she mean we should fight in the dungeon?
Thinking that she was indeed a dangerous person, Radel looked for his name.