Chapter 424 – Discipline.

“It went better than expected, but the damage to this place… They aren’t going to complain about it, right?”

As Roland approached the fallen Magic Swordmaster, he noticed that the once thick forest now bore the scars of their intense battle. Broken branches and scattered debris were everywhere around, and the artificial moonlight seemed to cast an eerie glow over the aftermath. He took a moment to catch his breath and survey the area before turning his attention to the matter at hand.

He assessed the battle that he had gone through. It had ended with minimal damage to his side, all thanks to his tactics and his opponent’s overconfidence. The man didn’t know that he was up against someone who could utilize various hiding spells and the environment to his advantage. Also, disabling magical equipment was not a common occurrence, which allowed Roland to deliver the final blow quite easily. His opponent was now out cold and in a crater with some broken bones but still alive. It was not that easy to kill a tier 3 class holder, even when they suffered seemingly critical wounds.

“Three defender units were damaged but can still be restored, not bad…”

His golemic creations had suffered some damage as the magic swordsman was still quite powerful. However, their task was mostly to distract and not act as the main force. While most knights and nobles would frown at the way he utilized the dark forest area, it allowed him to be victorious. In his mind, there was no shame in using underhanded tactics if the stakes were high. The area was mostly destroyed now, and the monsters occupying it had all fled, which presented an issue.

“… The scared monsters are heading for those brats… I need to hurry.”

After glancing at Elythaes one last time, he decided to move out. This man wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon, but a monster stampede was inbound in the direction where his sister was. While this place was supposed to mimic a dungeon, it didn’t have a dungeon core to control these beings.

In a regular dungeon, sounds of battle would actually attract these beings and not repel them. Monsters in the dungeons didn’t really have survival instincts; they would attack anyone or anything that didn’t belong to their dungeon. Here, on the other hand, the monsters behaved more like animals. They had their own territories and would only attack if someone encroached on their borders or if they were hungry enough.

The power Roland and the half-elf displayed was not something these tier 1 and 2 monsters could contend with, so their instincts were activated. They were fleeing but would probably attack any weaker beings like his sister and the other students if they encountered them on the way. There was no time to lose, so he decided to contact Arion to report this matter. This commotion had probably been noticed by others, so it was better to have someone aid him during the explanation. Even though he was in the right to defend himself and had proof, there was some unknown backer that could make things difficult.

“Arion, can you hear me?”

“Wayland? Yes, I can hear you. How are you enjoying your position? Probably boring to patrol that place at this time; you should…”

“There is no time to chat; I need you to do something for me.”

“Oh, is there a problem?”

“Yeah, probably a big one…”

“Oh my, do tell.”

As the two mages were talking, the group of students that had decided to trespass on this training area was having a bad time. During the battle between Elythaes and Roland, a lot of sound had been produced. It then all culminated in a large explosion that even sent a small shockwave in all directions. At first, the group didn’t make anything of it as they knew that their protector was out there, but soon things turned sour and they found themselves in some trouble.

“Lady Castellane, it’s dangerous; we need to head back!”

“No, we are not heading back, not again. I’m getting those damn Blood-Vulture feathers!”

“My Lady, please reconsider…”

“Just take care of it, that’s what you are here for!”

Two young men stood with their weapons drawn, facing an ever-increasing horde of monsters. Several lifeless wolven creatures lay strewn about, but more approached. The two knights successfully dispatched some, and the young mage ladies provided limited support. However, the situation was dire. The mages, though talented, lacked refinement in their casting. Faced with the possibility of injury, fear overwhelmed them.

“No… stay back!”

One of the young mages shouted as a peculiar creature, resembling a giant cockroach, advanced towards them. It was not as massive as a wolf but displayed remarkable agility. Despite the girl managing to release a bolt of mana at the creature, it swiftly sidestepped, persistently closing in. To complicate matters, it wasn’t the sole threat; several similar insect monsters were rapidly following in its wake.

“Firebolt!”

Fortunately, just as one of the roaches was about to get too close, a surge of fire magic intersected with the creature. Startled by the sudden burst of flames, the others that caught sight of the inferno hastily dispersed to the side and hastily chose an alternate route.

“L-lady Castellane, t-thank you.”

It was Viola Castellane who cast the magical spell, with the other two ladies cheering her on. However, unlike the jubilant expressions of her companions, she neither smiled nor joined in the celebration. Instead, she wore a frown, without displaying any happiness, she took out a peculiar-looking charm and directed her gaze intently toward one of the girls in the group.

“Lucienne, take this and run in that direction!”

“This is… A luring charm?”

“Tsk.”

Viola clicked her tongue in response. Her scheme was obvious but instead of changing it, she decided to double down to get her point across.

“Just take it and run, be useful for once!”

“But…”

“Just shut up and do as you’re told! Who do you think you’re talking to?”

“I…’

As Lucienne examined the charm she had been given, the others began to gather. The plan seemed rather rudimentary; she would utilize the charm to entice the monsters away, allowing the rest to make their escape. It became apparent that the well-being of this girl was of little concern to these individuals, and Viola Castellane’s orders were not open to refusal.

“I’ll do it…”

She replied in a weak voice while clutching onto the charm that would activate immediately when given some mana.

“Good, start running!”

Lucienne nodded in agreement with Viola, and together with the two knights and two other girls, they began moving in the opposite direction. Not a single complaint was voiced, as if this action were the most natural thing on the planet. Despite feeling disheartened that her well-being was not even considered for a second, Lucienne couldn’t bring herself to refuse the order. She understood that a lot was at stake.

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However, even though she took off running, the sprint was short-lived as a large stampede of carnivorous stag creatures was heading her way. This wasn’t like last time when she was lucky; far more monsters were now loose. The charm proved quite useless, as luring these panicked monsters seemed impossible.

The group of five that had left Lucienne behind found themselves in a precarious situation as various other monsters identified them as prey. Before they could make their escape, they were surrounded from all sides. Caught between a rock and a hard place, there was nowhere to run, and it seemed that no one was coming to their aid. Viola shouted out in rage while also tapping a brooch she was wearing, as if trying to elicit some kind of response.