The second day of the Istor Magic Academy’s field training for the students. Aside from Zweit, all of his teammates, including Dio, were unable to move due to the level up’s aftereffects.
The Venom Raptors were stronger than the goblins, and of a much higher rank, and so, after killing many of them, they were still suffering from severe fatigue on the second day.
The only one who is in good condition is Zweit, and this makes it impossible for them to go out for field training.
“I didn’t think we’d all end up in bed…… It’s going to take a while for our bodies to adjust.”
“Ugh…… sorry about that, Zweit……. I think I’ll feel better tomorrow.”
Leveling up is a phenomenon in which the power of the soul obtained from defeating the living creatures of this world is absorbed to rapidly improve one’s abilities.
The details of the process are not yet known, but it has been common knowledge for a long time, so people don’t think it’s strange. In addition, some say that if you become stronger, your abilities will improve and there is no need to train your body.
Nevertheless, that is not correct; the more you train your body, the greater the range of physical abilities allowed by leveling up, and the greater the benefit. Also, when you are training your body, your level will increase to an extent, and the more you train, the greater the upper range of your physical abilities.
In addition, other skills will improve, and the weariness that comes with it will gradually lessen. The ability to adapt will increase.
However, there is also a drawback, those who train their bodies tend to have a harder time gaining a higher level. The choice of whether to raise one’s rank without training or to take some risk and train one’s body is a matter of personal choice.
This is the reason why the monsters inhabiting Far-Flung Forest are so strong.
The harsher the environment, the easier it is to train one’s physical abilities, and the higher the level, the stronger one becomes due to the effects of that growth. However, aside from the monsters that have adapted to the harsh environment, humans are not very adaptable to the drastic changes in their abilities.
Even if you train your body, the environment in which you live is much calmer than Far-Flung Forest, so your body will not be able to adapt well to the sudden physical changes that occur when you level up.
Also, especially if you are dealing with a monster of the same level, the increased level will be different depending on the environment.
This is because the harsher the environment, the stronger the soul of the monster will be. If you defeat a monster in the vicinity of a human habitat, your level will not improve much, and the monsters in the same habitat will grow stronger with time. This is a fact that has been proven through actual experiments.
This is the reason why Celestina and Zweit became stronger so quickly. In gaming terms, the monsters that live in Far-Flung Forest have more experience than those that live nearby human habitats. This may be the reason why there is a wide variation in the way an individual’s character level rises, leaving a huge difference in physical ability.
Consider twins with the same level of ability, one goes to Rahmuff Forest and the other goes to Far-Flung Forest to raise their level, the one who goes to Far-Flung Forest will naturally be stronger. Also, it seems that if more than one person defeats a single monster, the experience value is evenly distributed, which is still a mystery to everyone.
Some researchers are studying it, but the risks are so great that the research is not progressing.
“Well…… go back to sleep for today. Instead, expect tomorrow to be tough, okay?”
“Please take it easy on me…… To be honest, it’s hard to travel in this condition when returning home……”
“I’ll think about it……”
Zweit’s party was disabled for the second day. Thanks to them, the whole day was now free.
“Well…… I’ve got some free time. I wonder what should I do……”
Aside from being forced to participate, Zweit originally joined this training in order to gain combat experience, but in his current state, it is meaningless. In addition, his level has not increased.
It was unpleasant to have a whole day free after just one battle to gather information that would help him test his coordination with his comrades and plan his strategy. Even though rest was necessary for battle, it was still uncomfortable to be left alone.
“…… Maybe I should go to Celestina’s place. I’m sure she is in a similar situation.”
With nothing else to do, Zweit headed to his sister, who was probably just as bored as he was.
The three cuckoos followed, but the people around were looking at them with wariness. They were wary of them because of their rampage the day before.
The cuckoos are becoming famous without even knowing it.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
Zweit continued walking through the campsite and eventually found Celestina’s tent.
Beside the tent, Celestina and Uruna were boiling something in a small pot. They were probably gathering medicinal herbs to make healing potions.
Nearby were Kreuz and Makarov, who were also doing something similar, though they were shaking tremendously.
An unpleasant feeling came over him, and he went to see what was going on.
“Kreuz…… you’re shaking so badly……. You’re supposed to be sleeping.”
“Ah…… brother, is it……. Yesterday, I got some good ingredients. I couldn’t help myself and started to concoct a magic potion……. My hands are shaking and I’m afraid I’m going to mix it wrong……”
“No, go back to sleep! You can’t work like that……”
“I’ve got good ingredients right in front of me, and I’m supposed to sleep and do nothing? Impossible…… There’s not even an option. If you take research away from me, there will be nothing left……”
“…… Sad thing to say! I feel so sorry for you……”
The researcher, Kreuz-kun. He continues to work on the magic potion as if he’s beating his trembling body with a whip, enduring the fatigue that his body feels.
However, when his brother said ‘I have nothing else but my research,’ Zweit felt a little uneasy about his future. If he is aware of it, then he should try to change it.
“Zweit…… stop Kreuz. I can’t stop it…… I can barely stand up… If you don’t, I don’t know what kind of dangerous potion he might create.”
“Macallan has also been one-upped…… Why are your hands shaking like an old man’s?”
“It’s Makarov…… Come on, please remember my name. I don’t even have the strength to say it again……”
“That’s what I said.”
Most of the students who had experienced battle were in similar conditions, and the campsite looked like a field hospital. The only ones in good spirits were the students who hadn’t been in combat with the mercenaries, and they were joyfully heading for the forest.
“The party is already set up, so I can’t go into the forest with the others. I can’t change the members, and I have no time to waste. I’ve left all my compounding equipment behind～.”
“We’re here to raise our levels too, but this guy brought a lot of equipment and a lot of baggage. Half the wagon is filled with it.”
“You brought way too much…… with you, Kreuz…… What are you concocting? What’s that weird smoke coming out of the bottle?”
“Oh? Did I put in a little too much Mocona grass? There are also bubbles coming out…… I think I may have messed up!”
Kreuz was talking nonchalantly as he scribbled something on his clipboard with a trembling hand.
The chemicals he was mixing began to bubble up like lye, and soon a pungent smell spread around him.
“Kreuz, what the hell have you been making! Kuh…… my eyes……”
“I was trying to neutralize the toxins in the poisonous herbs to make a high medicinal concoction material…… When I added the magic stone powder, I got a strange reaction…… Weird. I’ve never had a reaction like this before……”
“Hey…… Kreuz. That thing in the mortar you’re holding in your hand…… doesn’t seem to be magic stone powder, right?”
“Oh? It’s the root of the spider plant……. The color was similar, so I must have made a mistake.”
“”Oi!””
Zweit evacuated the area as fast as he could.
Fortunately, the poison was neutralized and did not affect the body, but the pungent smell was so strong that it kept him in tears for a while. Makarov became the first victim of the incident……
In addition, many students and mercenaries were affected by the spread of the smell. Zweit evacuated to the windward side, near Celestina’s tent, to get out from the effects of the pungent smell.
“…… I’ve had a terrible time. That Kreuz, he shouldn’t be doing experiments in that kind of physical condition……”
“Zweit-Niisama, are you alright? And Kreuz-Niisama…… do you always do that kind of thing?”
“I guess. That Macbeth guy is having a tough time……”
“Um…… Wasn’t it Makeron-san? …… Was it Makenro-san?”
They were siblings who still couldn’t remember Makarov’s name.
“By the way, have you seen Shishou?”
“I was wondering the same thing, but apparently he hasn’t been back since yesterday. Iris-san and the others weren’t worried, though……”
“Not back? How do you know that?”
“I am not sure, but one of Iris’s friends, Rena, said, ‘My lovely Sweet Boy…… has not returned’. I heard her say that……. So how do they know about Sensei?”
“That woman…… is bad news, isn’t she? There’s something about her that smells like a criminal……”
Zweit’s intuition was sharp.
Nobody would think that Zeros’ acquaintance —his mentor— would be someone obsessed with young boys*. However, he could tell that was the truth from Celestina’s words.
(*Enkiros: Kind of a wordplay? Apparently, in Japan using terms like shounen ai or shoujo ai —love for boys and for girls respectively— which is what it’s said here, implies that you fancy diddling kids instead of liking boys or same-sex literature or whatever, and I believe that’s the innuendo here.)
“But I’m not sure if Shishou will be back…… Are they alright? My juniors…….”
“Don’t tell, did he return to [That Time]?”
“Yeah, that’s probably it…… Also, my juniors believe that the teachers’ naive lectures are right. It’s not surprising that he decided that it was a good opportunity to learn about reality…… Plus, when he goes into the forest, all his cold-heartedness starts to show.”
“It was probably unavoidable, though, since the food was stolen from us when we went to Far-Flung Forest…… In this case……”
“Some of them were proud, naive guys……. It would be a good chance for them to know what they’re getting themselves into, but they will have their spirit thoroughly beaten out of them.”
The ossan who survived in Far-Flung Forest understands first-hand the wonders of nature.
If you’re thinking that you can just use a little bit of strong magic, you’ll be the first to experience the error of that thinking.
You will feel how weak the human body is and how easily it can be destroyed. That fear is not something to be taken lightly.
You’re forced to the extremes between life and death.
“Oh, by the way, I heard you took down a big one? I think it was [Crusher Rabbit] or something like that……. How did you manage to beat it with the team you have now?”
“We had a mage in our escort who was like Sensei…… She was the same age as me…… I’m kind of surprised.”
“Oy…… Don’t tell me, does she know Shishou?”
“Yes…… chantless multicast magic. She doesn’t look like a mercenary. She is as good as a court mage …… and maybe even better!”
“The same age as you……? Genius? No, I don’t think so. She is like Shishou. …… I don’t want to even think about it.”
The existence of Iris is as surprising as Zeros.
In a sense, she is in the same category as the ossan, but she is not a [Great Sage]. Iris is a [High-ranking Female Mage].
“It was dangerous at some points, but the mercenaries were there to help us. …… Huh? Nii-sama…… just wondering, why are there two mercenaries escorting us? I’m sure there’s only one escort per party.”
“Some idiots, including Samtroll, disappeared, but it seems that some of the underclassmen decided to withdraw before they left the academy. Moreover, the overprotective parents of those nobles sent out an escort request through a different channel, which caused the number of mercenaries to increase too much.”
“We are grateful for the support, but will the academy be able to pay for the escort requests? I’m pretty sure I’ve heard that they are currently struggling financially……”
“It’s definitely going to be a huge cost…… It’s because they accepted the nobles’ requests that their necks are tied. I think it’s just stupid.”
Most members of Istor Magic Academy’s administration department are mages belonging to the various factions.
Even the top brass of the administration had no choice but to obey the noble mages in the upper echelons of the faction when they asked them to do something unreasonable. That’s because these mages were ranked higher than them, and if they say: ‘Send the Mercenaries to guard our heir,‘ they had to lobby the Mercenary Guild to accept the request.
These mercenaries were asked by the nobles to guard the students of the academy, and at the same time, asked by the guild, so this job is very profitable. As a result, the number of mercenaries will increase, and the expenses will also increase, which will result in a deficit. This is an annual event, but Celestina, who is taking part in it for the first time, did not know about it.
In addition, with the disappearance of the lineageists led by Samtroll, there was an increase in the number of escorts for the student party. There were now two or three guards per party, five at the most.
“Anyway…… what’s with that beast girl that looks so cheerful? She went hunting with you, didn’t she? They’re all supposed to be suffering from side effects and unable to move……”
“Isn’t it because she’s a beastman? Sensei told me that the beastman race adapts quickly to their environment. Her body must have already adapted.”
“It’s way too fast……. Even we were sluggish for three days when we were in Far-Flung Forest……”
For some reason, Uruna had started fighting with Wu Kei. In the meantime, those who were affected by Kreuz’s experiment were collapsing on the ground.
Kreuz, who was the reason for this, was somehow unaffected and had begun experimenting with a new and different magic potion. Maybe he has a pretty high poison resistance, or maybe he has the [Poison Nullification] skill.
Zweit saw his brother’s bottomless perseverance.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
The boys continued walking through the forest.
After surviving on a fierce battlefield where monsters of every kind were rampaging, they were about to return to their campsite, looking exhausted and whipping their tired bodies.
“We’re almost there…… We’re almost at the campsite……”
“I am…… not afraid of anything anymore. After all, this is a dog-eat-dog world…… Peace is an illusion, like a piece of paper that can be easily torn……”
“Defeat your enemies…… Protect your allies, there is no such thing as God in this world……. The only thing you can believe in is your own strength and the people you have suffered with……”
“I was mistaken…… Titles of nobles are worthless……. This world is hell, and if you don’t become a truly powerful person, you will only get eaten……”
Exhausted, but with a strange look in their eyes.
Like a ferocious beast, they gleamed; battered, and bruised, yet they had not lost their will to fight.
Their faces were as grim as a wounded beast, and even if they were to encounter a monster, they would continue to fight until the end. As warriors of the past, they showed no signs of weakness, reacting to the slightest noise and forming a battle formation.
There is not one shred of boyishness in it.
“…… It seems that you have learned the truth of life well and you’ve leveled up. I’d say the results this time are passable～♪.”
“……..Isn’t this serious? They don’t look like kids at all.”
“People have to grow up eventually. They learn the harshness of the world early on, and they become warriors…… Kukuku…”
“…… Isn’t that just brainwashing? Doesn’t it look like you’re feeding them an extremist ideology?”
“It’s called education. If you take even one step outside of the world, it’s eat or be eaten……. Well, education is also a kind of brainwashing, isn’t it? In fact, Cabruno-kun was actually rotten.”
“…… I have to agree with you on that one…”
The boys, who had fought all night in the forest to stay alive despite being exhausted, had successfully awakened as warriors.
“It doesn’t matter your environment or innate qualities…… If you are weak, then fight. Only by fighting and surviving that you can become strong……”
“There are no shortcuts. The secret to being strong is the determination to jump into danger…… There is no shame in cowardice. Be cunning and calm…… Know your enemy and don’t be overconfident in your own strength……”
“Learn more knowledge, train your skills…… Sharpen your mind…… Timidness is not disgraceful…… It can also be an advantage to deal calmly with enemies……”
“The common sense of people is tiny compared to the harshness of the world…… Death will always be around us, and it will always be with us. I am a fool for not realizing such a simple thing…… No wonder you called me a little boy.”
The boys had achieved some kind of enlightenment. However, their appearance was so bad that they looked broken to the outsider. They made it to the campsite. They had made it back safely.
They were so exhausted that they wanted to rest in their tents right now, but someone approached them. It was an elderly man dressed like a butler.
“Cabruno-sama! Thank God…… you’re alright…… this old man, this old man was worried!”
“I made you worried, huh, Zuross*? I’m alright now.”
(*Enkiros: ズロース: bastardization of the word drawers, as in, old people underwear. I still chuckled tho)
“”Zuross!? You sure it’s not a joke!? No, hold on, why is there someone unrelated to the academy here?””
This field training is part of the academy’s curriculum. The servants, who were outsiders, were not supposed to be there, but the old man with the beard and mustache, Zuross, was there for some reason and came running up to Cabruno with tears in his eyes. He was holding a piece of bread in his right hand…….
“You’re hurt! Have you eaten? This old geezer was so worried about Cabruno-sama that…… he couldn’t even eat……”
“…… What’s that bread in your hand? Well…… old geezer, I was a fool……”
“Y, yes?”
“I’ve been foolishly spending my time without thinking about myself, proud of my position as part of a count’s family…… and thinking that I will eventually inherit the family name……”
“But wouldn’t that be natural…… Are you sure you are well, Cabruno-sama……?”
“However, it was a mistake…… A weak position like that of a count is nothing in the face of nature’s fury…… If I remain foolish, it will eventually disappear and turn into garbage that will not even be named in history……”
“Cabruno-sama? Did you eat something bad? It’s just, you’re becoming more like this old geezer……”
Zuross, who knows the usual Cabruno, was confused by his unexpectedly awakened adulthood, but somehow he felt excited……. There is something wrong with this old man too.
“Watch me, old geezer! I’m…… going to make the Pantisky family into one of the most famous families in history! Ah…… I feel like a new man. I feel reborn. Even this weariness is refreshing when I think that I have overcome one of the obstacles to glory.”
‘No, please don’t do that. …… It’s embarrassing! But more importantly, old geezer, your hips are acting weird!’
The ossan and Rhasus are sincerely touched.
Zuross, the butler, was so happy with Cabruno’s growth that he moved his hips even more enthusiastically.
Strange. And suspicious…….
“Let Father retire in the…… near future. He’s an embarrassment to my family! Nobles is not a position, but a duty to his people. We need a vassal we can trust first. If we don’t reform, we will rot in our own land. No, it’s already corrupted!”
“Cabruno-sama! How…… dignified…… this old geezer, this old geezer is so happy!”
‘…… What’s with that old geezer and his weird hips? No way……’
‘…… Takeda Shingen? Are they going to plunder and annihilate the surrounding nobles and push forward into a world of war?’
(*Takeda Shingen (December 1, 1521 – May 13, 1573), of Kai Province, was a pre-eminent daimyō in feudal Japan. Known as the “Tiger of Kai”, he was one of the most powerful daimyōs with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period. Shingen had been a ‘Warlord’ of great domestic skill and competent military leadership.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takeda_Shingen)
Awakened by the pride of nobility, Cabruno-kun began to look at what needed to be done and walk towards that vision.
The naive young lord has lost his arrogance and is instead overflowing with the responsibility and honor befitting of a noble.
Regardless of his name, Carbruno now without a doubt looks more appealing.
“Just leave it alone…… If you get involved, you might get into trouble.”
“……I agree.”
Zuross is not the only one who is astonished by the boys’ return and changes.
The teachers and the other students of the same grade were speechless at their transformation after their return from hell and did not dare to speak to them. However, seeing the boys in such changed states, a woman shuddered and stared at Zeros.
“Zeros-san!”
“What is it…… Rena-san? I’d like to have a proper meal right now…….”
“What have you done to my sweet boys? They were so…… cute, but now they’re glaring at me like warriors who survived the battlefield…….”
“I don’t know when those guys belonged to Rena-san, but I’m pretty sure they survived a deadly battle, right? Fu~…… They’ve come back from the world of death~. The simplest and most horrible of worlds……”
“What the hell …… has happened to those kids!!”
“I wonder……”
The ossan told the story of their hell.
That is……
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
Before the boys’ eyes, hungry predators swarmed around the monster’s remains.
They attack with magic from inside the pillbox, rest, recover their magic power, and attack again; a simple routine.
But that could not continue for long. No matter how well camouflaged they were, even the most unintelligent of monsters would notice if they were repeatedly attacked from inside a pillbox.
The monsters naturally swarmed the pillbox.
“Kukuku…… is a good place to start. Now, you must defeat them to survive…… This is reality, the world you live in, outside of your everyday life. If you don’t kill them, they will kill you. Even the corpses are devoured, the world order is really simple and easy to understand.”
“He, Help me…… I’m running out of magic……”
“If your magic is exhausted, attack with your weapon until it recovers. The staff can be used as a weapon, right? Simply hitting them is also effective. If necessary, I can make a hole in the wall there and make you fight even if you don’t want to.”
“”””Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!?””””
The Demon King had descended.
The boys simply thought, “I’m going to raise my level and look down on the people who are making fun of me!” That’s all they had in mind.
It would have been enough to raise their level even a little bit, but they were surrounded and isolated by a flock of monsters, wondering what they had done wrong. The mercenary and the ossan would not interfere unless they were in real danger.
They had to fight in order to survive, so they forced their bodies to move, crying and beating the monsters with their staves. Then…… 12 hours passed.
“If you can’t survive this, you’ll be killed by goblins in 10 minutes in Far-Flung Forest. The strength is much different there…… Be strong, even stronger than you are now…… Fufufu…”
“To defeat them quickly, you need to work together…… Pay attention to your surroundings……”
“With limited forces, the loss of a single teammate can be fatal……. Protect each other and handle it properly……”
“Magic is your trump card…… Physical attacks are more effective now……”
“The enemy must be defeated…… or else we will die……. After all, this is a world where the strong eat the weak……”
“DIE!! For the sake of our peaceful life!!”
The boys were awakened as warriors. No, they had to.
From there, the next stage was terrible. They would kill goblins, take their weapons, use them to kill other monsters, and then attack more of their prey. The boys were desperate to survive.
The only way to defeat the monster is to become a monster. Human ethics are powerless in the face of the natural order, and the boys who become warriors put what they don’t need in a corner of their minds and continued to fight, optimizing their experience as they fought.
The boys, who prioritized returning home alive above all else, had their minds stimulated abnormally by the increase in magic power caused by leveling up, and they used their mental strength to overcome the weariness and focused on defeating the monsters as efficiently as possible. It was truly an extreme situation.
And …… soon realized that there were no more monsters moving around. Well, the ossan also made sure not to let them die, but the results were horrible.
“This will make them stronger. They are now stronger than the other students in the Academy……”
“…… I’ve never seen such a horrible field training.”
Rhasus was also speechless.
He had escorted this training many times before but never before had he seen the boys so exhausted and pushed to the limit. Moreover, while eliminating the monsters to ensure that the boys did not die, he never forgot to push them mentally, forcing them to awaken their fighting spirits.
It’s not something any sane person would do.
After confirming that there were no more enemies around, the boys made their way to the campsite albeit unsteadily.
But even though they were tired, they had not lost their vigilance. Getting home alive is what they wanted now.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
“They’ve become stronger than before…. Hahahahahaha”
“You demooooooon!! Zeros-san destroyed the boys’ simple minds and brainwashed them into vicious warriors.”
“Disgraceful. The original purpose of this training was to make them stronger…… I was just helping them, right?”
“But that doesn’t mean you have to destroy the boy’s pure heaaaaaarts!!”
“You can’t live solely by being pure. They have learned…… that when you go out into the world, it’s life or death……”
“Is that something they needed to know now?”
“The sooner you know, the better, don’t you think? After all, there is a very dangerous zone right next to this country…….”
Next to the Magic Kingdom of Solisthea is Far-Flung Forest.
Most of the territory is adjoined to it, and if a vicious monster appears, no one can fight it. Dragons, for example.
In fact, no one can defeat a Wyvern by themselves. Not only are their levels low, but many of them are satisfied with their half-hearted strength and indulge in it.
If monsters were flooding in from the Far-Flung Forest, they would not be able to properly fight and would be killed one-sidedly. That’s how extreme the difference in strength is.
If you are killed without the ability to take any action during an emergency, your survival rate will be higher if you become stronger now.
“That doesn’t mean…… that……”
Rena’s gaze shifted to the boys.
“Ah…… How comforting it is to be at peace. How blessed I am……”
“I will destroy whatever disrupts this peace by any means necessary.”
“There’s nothing God would do. So, we must keep getting stronger…… To protect this peaceful time.”
“That’s right. But there are also human threats. In a way, the monsters are probably more innocent than us…… If we don’t get rid of these monsters, of this Evil, we may just end up being used.”
“”””Annihilate the enemy, monsters and humans are no different!! Stand up for the peace of the citizens, the Citizens!!””””
“Cabruno-Samaaaaaa, you’re fantasti―――――――――――c!”
The boys’ targets are not only the monsters, but also the thugs who do evil things in the shadows.
It’s like a textbook that teaches people morality that gets overhyped and eventually becomes the scripture of a religion. Zeros’ [How to Survive in a Dangerous World] was about to become the bible of justice for the boys.
They embed things that were not even taught to them and then shifted them to another level. It is very similar to the situation where a special force created to disrupt the situation in another country transforms into terrorists and returns before you know it.
And the scary part is that it is rapidly becoming a radical ideology.
“Oh my…… did I overdo it? I was just trying to teach them how to deal with the monsters, but somehow they’ve become like a militant radical right-wing organization…… How?”
“Don’t ask me that!? Isn’t it you Zeros-san who did that!!!”
“No, this is an unexpected development. I’m sure they’ve been frustrated with the current situation at the Academy. I’m more concerned about…… that old butler. I’m not sure if he can handle it.”
“……That man, he seems just like me. But, I’d hate to admit it……”
“I didn’t want to know that. I secretly knew that deep down and was planning to ignore it…… I wonder if Cabruno-kun’s chastity will be safe?”
Rena’s sexual preferences are known by the ossan. The reason why Rena is unable to accept Zuross is that he’s gay, while Rena is a heterosexual who follows the laws of nature. She can never accept him.
Even though what they were doing was the same, there was a wall there that prevented them from understanding each other.
“Homophobia…… The world is full of absurdities. We are all the same, yet we never interact.”
“I’m not comfortable with being lumped together with him……”
From the ossan’s point of view, they were both the same.
The only difference between heterosexual or homosexual is that they are unwilling to accept it in terms of extending their venomous fangs to young, innocent boys.
“Well…… I’ve been up all night and I’ m sleepy, so I think I’ll take a nap in the tent.”
“Wait, Zeros-san!? I’m not done talking to you yet. You have to turn those kids back to normal!”
“Impossible. Once a man makes his move, there’s no stopping him.”
Though he takes responsibility for teaching people the means to survive in the harsh environment for survival, he cannot do anything about those who have come to a new level of thinking by mixing strange ideologies.
Irresponsible as it may sound, it was the boys who made the decision. They went in a different direction than the ossan had expected.
“”””One for all, all for one!!””””
The boys make a pact like a certain trio of musketeers.
It was up to them to decide whether they would become outstanding human beings or extremist terrorists.
“Cabruno-sam～～～a, please hold m―――――――――――e!!”
There was one strange guy, but the ossan pretended he didn’t see him.
The sight of an old geezer with an ecstatic expression on his face, sniffling and screaming as if he was overcome with emotion, is not something you want to keep even in the corner of your mind.
He wanted to forget about it immediately, so he quickly left the place.
Afterward, the ossan finished his meal at the campsite and then went to sleep in his tent.
As if to forget the unpleasant things from his memory……
The second day of the Istor Magic Academy’s field training for the students. Aside from Zweit, all of his teammates, including Dio, were unable to move due to the level up’s aftereffects.
The Venom Raptors were stronger than the goblins, and of a much higher rank, and so, after killing many of them, they were still suffering from severe fatigue on the second day.
The only one who is in good condition is Zweit, and this makes it impossible for them to go out for field training.
“I didn’t think we’d all end up in bed…… It’s going to take a while for our bodies to adjust.”
“Ugh…… sorry about that, Zweit……. I think I’ll feel better tomorrow.”
Leveling up is a phenomenon in which the power of the soul obtained from defeating the living creatures of this world is absorbed to rapidly improve one’s abilities.
The details of the process are not yet known, but it has been common knowledge for a long time, so people don’t think it’s strange. In addition, some say that if you become stronger, your abilities will improve and there is no need to train your body.
Nevertheless, that is not correct; the more you train your body, the greater the range of physical abilities allowed by leveling up, and the greater the benefit. Also, when you are training your body, your level will increase to an extent, and the more you train, the greater the upper range of your physical abilities.
In addition, other skills will improve, and the weariness that comes with it will gradually lessen. The ability to adapt will increase.
However, there is also a drawback, those who train their bodies tend to have a harder time gaining a higher level. The choice of whether to raise one’s rank without training or to take some risk and train one’s body is a matter of personal choice.
This is the reason why the monsters inhabiting Far-Flung Forest are so strong.
The harsher the environment, the easier it is to train one’s physical abilities, and the higher the level, the stronger one becomes due to the effects of that growth. However, aside from the monsters that have adapted to the harsh environment, humans are not very adaptable to the drastic changes in their abilities.
Even if you train your body, the environment in which you live is much calmer than Far-Flung Forest, so your body will not be able to adapt well to the sudden physical changes that occur when you level up.
Also, especially if you are dealing with a monster of the same level, the increased level will be different depending on the environment.
This is because the harsher the environment, the stronger the soul of the monster will be. If you defeat a monster in the vicinity of a human habitat, your level will not improve much, and the monsters in the same habitat will grow stronger with time. This is a fact that has been proven through actual experiments.
This is the reason why Celestina and Zweit became stronger so quickly. In gaming terms, the monsters that live in Far-Flung Forest have more experience than those that live nearby human habitats. This may be the reason why there is a wide variation in the way an individual’s character level rises, leaving a huge difference in physical ability.
Consider twins with the same level of ability, one goes to Rahmuff Forest and the other goes to Far-Flung Forest to raise their level, the one who goes to Far-Flung Forest will naturally be stronger. Also, it seems that if more than one person defeats a single monster, the experience value is evenly distributed, which is still a mystery to everyone.
Some researchers are studying it, but the risks are so great that the research is not progressing.
“Well…… go back to sleep for today. Instead, expect tomorrow to be tough, okay?”
“Please take it easy on me…… To be honest, it’s hard to travel in this condition when returning home……”
“I’ll think about it……”
Zweit’s party was disabled for the second day. Thanks to them, the whole day was now free.
“Well…… I’ve got some free time. I wonder what should I do……”
Aside from being forced to participate, Zweit originally joined this training in order to gain combat experience, but in his current state, it is meaningless. In addition, his level has not increased.
It was unpleasant to have a whole day free after just one battle to gather information that would help him test his coordination with his comrades and plan his strategy. Even though rest was necessary for battle, it was still uncomfortable to be left alone.
“…… Maybe I should go to Celestina’s place. I’m sure she is in a similar situation.”
With nothing else to do, Zweit headed to his sister, who was probably just as bored as he was.
The three cuckoos followed, but the people around were looking at them with wariness. They were wary of them because of their rampage the day before.
The cuckoos are becoming famous without even knowing it.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
Zweit continued walking through the campsite and eventually found Celestina’s tent.
Beside the tent, Celestina and Uruna were boiling something in a small pot. They were probably gathering medicinal herbs to make healing potions.
Nearby were Kreuz and Makarov, who were also doing something similar, though they were shaking tremendously.
An unpleasant feeling came over him, and he went to see what was going on.
“Kreuz…… you’re shaking so badly……. You’re supposed to be sleeping.”
“Ah…… brother, is it……. Yesterday, I got some good ingredients. I couldn’t help myself and started to concoct a magic potion……. My hands are shaking and I’m afraid I’m going to mix it wrong……”
“No, go back to sleep! You can’t work like that……”
“I’ve got good ingredients right in front of me, and I’m supposed to sleep and do nothing? Impossible…… There’s not even an option. If you take research away from me, there will be nothing left……”
“…… Sad thing to say! I feel so sorry for you……”
The researcher, Kreuz-kun. He continues to work on the magic potion as if he’s beating his trembling body with a whip, enduring the fatigue that his body feels.
However, when his brother said ‘I have nothing else but my research,’ Zweit felt a little uneasy about his future. If he is aware of it, then he should try to change it.
“Zweit…… stop Kreuz. I can’t stop it…… I can barely stand up… If you don’t, I don’t know what kind of dangerous potion he might create.”
“Macallan has also been one-upped…… Why are your hands shaking like an old man’s?”
“It’s Makarov…… Come on, please remember my name. I don’t even have the strength to say it again……”
“That’s what I said.”
Most of the students who had experienced battle were in similar conditions, and the campsite looked like a field hospital. The only ones in good spirits were the students who hadn’t been in combat with the mercenaries, and they were joyfully heading for the forest.
“The party is already set up, so I can’t go into the forest with the others. I can’t change the members, and I have no time to waste. I’ve left all my compounding equipment behind～.”
“We’re here to raise our levels too, but this guy brought a lot of equipment and a lot of baggage. Half the wagon is filled with it.”
“You brought way too much…… with you, Kreuz…… What are you concocting? What’s that weird smoke coming out of the bottle?”
“Oh? Did I put in a little too much Mocona grass? There are also bubbles coming out…… I think I may have messed up!”
Kreuz was talking nonchalantly as he scribbled something on his clipboard with a trembling hand.
The chemicals he was mixing began to bubble up like lye, and soon a pungent smell spread around him.
“Kreuz, what the hell have you been making! Kuh…… my eyes……”
“I was trying to neutralize the toxins in the poisonous herbs to make a high medicinal concoction material…… When I added the magic stone powder, I got a strange reaction…… Weird. I’ve never had a reaction like this before……”
“Hey…… Kreuz. That thing in the mortar you’re holding in your hand…… doesn’t seem to be magic stone powder, right?”
“Oh? It’s the root of the spider plant……. The color was similar, so I must have made a mistake.”
“”Oi!””
Zweit evacuated the area as fast as he could.
Fortunately, the poison was neutralized and did not affect the body, but the pungent smell was so strong that it kept him in tears for a while. Makarov became the first victim of the incident……
In addition, many students and mercenaries were affected by the spread of the smell. Zweit evacuated to the windward side, near Celestina’s tent, to get out from the effects of the pungent smell.
“…… I’ve had a terrible time. That Kreuz, he shouldn’t be doing experiments in that kind of physical condition……”
“Zweit-Niisama, are you alright? And Kreuz-Niisama…… do you always do that kind of thing?”
“I guess. That Macbeth guy is having a tough time……”
“Um…… Wasn’t it Makeron-san? …… Was it Makenro-san?”
They were siblings who still couldn’t remember Makarov’s name.
“By the way, have you seen Shishou?”
“I was wondering the same thing, but apparently he hasn’t been back since yesterday. Iris-san and the others weren’t worried, though……”
“Not back? How do you know that?”
“I am not sure, but one of Iris’s friends, Rena, said, ‘My lovely Sweet Boy…… has not returned’. I heard her say that……. So how do they know about Sensei?”
“That woman…… is bad news, isn’t she? There’s something about her that smells like a criminal……”
Zweit’s intuition was sharp.
Nobody would think that Zeros’ acquaintance —his mentor— would be someone obsessed with young boys*. However, he could tell that was the truth from Celestina’s words.
(*Enkiros: Kind of a wordplay? Apparently, in Japan using terms like shounen ai or shoujo ai —love for boys and for girls respectively— which is what it’s said here, implies that you fancy diddling kids instead of liking boys or same-sex literature or whatever, and I believe that’s the innuendo here.)
“But I’m not sure if Shishou will be back…… Are they alright? My juniors…….”
“Don’t tell, did he return to [That Time]?”
“Yeah, that’s probably it…… Also, my juniors believe that the teachers’ naive lectures are right. It’s not surprising that he decided that it was a good opportunity to learn about reality…… Plus, when he goes into the forest, all his cold-heartedness starts to show.”
“It was probably unavoidable, though, since the food was stolen from us when we went to Far-Flung Forest…… In this case……”
“Some of them were proud, naive guys……. It would be a good chance for them to know what they’re getting themselves into, but they will have their spirit thoroughly beaten out of them.”
The ossan who survived in Far-Flung Forest understands first-hand the wonders of nature.
If you’re thinking that you can just use a little bit of strong magic, you’ll be the first to experience the error of that thinking.
You will feel how weak the human body is and how easily it can be destroyed. That fear is not something to be taken lightly.
You’re forced to the extremes between life and death.
“Oh, by the way, I heard you took down a big one? I think it was [Crusher Rabbit] or something like that……. How did you manage to beat it with the team you have now?”
“We had a mage in our escort who was like Sensei…… She was the same age as me…… I’m kind of surprised.”
“Oy…… Don’t tell me, does she know Shishou?”
“Yes…… chantless multicast magic. She doesn’t look like a mercenary. She is as good as a court mage …… and maybe even better!”
“The same age as you……? Genius? No, I don’t think so. She is like Shishou. …… I don’t want to even think about it.”
The existence of Iris is as surprising as Zeros.
In a sense, she is in the same category as the ossan, but she is not a [Great Sage]. Iris is a [High-ranking Female Mage].
“It was dangerous at some points, but the mercenaries were there to help us. …… Huh? Nii-sama…… just wondering, why are there two mercenaries escorting us? I’m sure there’s only one escort per party.”
“Some idiots, including Samtroll, disappeared, but it seems that some of the underclassmen decided to withdraw before they left the academy. Moreover, the overprotective parents of those nobles sent out an escort request through a different channel, which caused the number of mercenaries to increase too much.”
“We are grateful for the support, but will the academy be able to pay for the escort requests? I’m pretty sure I’ve heard that they are currently struggling financially……”
“It’s definitely going to be a huge cost…… It’s because they accepted the nobles’ requests that their necks are tied. I think it’s just stupid.”
Most members of Istor Magic Academy’s administration department are mages belonging to the various factions.
Even the top brass of the administration had no choice but to obey the noble mages in the upper echelons of the faction when they asked them to do something unreasonable. That’s because these mages were ranked higher than them, and if they say: ‘Send the Mercenaries to guard our heir,‘ they had to lobby the Mercenary Guild to accept the request.
These mercenaries were asked by the nobles to guard the students of the academy, and at the same time, asked by the guild, so this job is very profitable. As a result, the number of mercenaries will increase, and the expenses will also increase, which will result in a deficit. This is an annual event, but Celestina, who is taking part in it for the first time, did not know about it.
In addition, with the disappearance of the lineageists led by Samtroll, there was an increase in the number of escorts for the student party. There were now two or three guards per party, five at the most.
“Anyway…… what’s with that beast girl that looks so cheerful? She went hunting with you, didn’t she? They’re all supposed to be suffering from side effects and unable to move……”
“Isn’t it because she’s a beastman? Sensei told me that the beastman race adapts quickly to their environment. Her body must have already adapted.”
“It’s way too fast……. Even we were sluggish for three days when we were in Far-Flung Forest……”
For some reason, Uruna had started fighting with Wu Kei. In the meantime, those who were affected by Kreuz’s experiment were collapsing on the ground.
Kreuz, who was the reason for this, was somehow unaffected and had begun experimenting with a new and different magic potion. Maybe he has a pretty high poison resistance, or maybe he has the [Poison Nullification] skill.
Zweit saw his brother’s bottomless perseverance.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
The boys continued walking through the forest.
After surviving on a fierce battlefield where monsters of every kind were rampaging, they were about to return to their campsite, looking exhausted and whipping their tired bodies.
“We’re almost there…… We’re almost at the campsite……”
“I am…… not afraid of anything anymore. After all, this is a dog-eat-dog world…… Peace is an illusion, like a piece of paper that can be easily torn……”
“Defeat your enemies…… Protect your allies, there is no such thing as God in this world……. The only thing you can believe in is your own strength and the people you have suffered with……”
“I was mistaken…… Titles of nobles are worthless……. This world is hell, and if you don’t become a truly powerful person, you will only get eaten……”
Exhausted, but with a strange look in their eyes.
Like a ferocious beast, they gleamed; battered, and bruised, yet they had not lost their will to fight.
Their faces were as grim as a wounded beast, and even if they were to encounter a monster, they would continue to fight until the end. As warriors of the past, they showed no signs of weakness, reacting to the slightest noise and forming a battle formation.
There is not one shred of boyishness in it.
“…… It seems that you have learned the truth of life well and you’ve leveled up. I’d say the results this time are passable～♪.”
“……..Isn’t this serious? They don’t look like kids at all.”
“People have to grow up eventually. They learn the harshness of the world early on, and they become warriors…… Kukuku…”
“…… Isn’t that just brainwashing? Doesn’t it look like you’re feeding them an extremist ideology?”
“It’s called education. If you take even one step outside of the world, it’s eat or be eaten……. Well, education is also a kind of brainwashing, isn’t it? In fact, Cabruno-kun was actually rotten.”
“…… I have to agree with you on that one…”
The boys, who had fought all night in the forest to stay alive despite being exhausted, had successfully awakened as warriors.
“It doesn’t matter your environment or innate qualities…… If you are weak, then fight. Only by fighting and surviving that you can become strong……”
“There are no shortcuts. The secret to being strong is the determination to jump into danger…… There is no shame in cowardice. Be cunning and calm…… Know your enemy and don’t be overconfident in your own strength……”
“Learn more knowledge, train your skills…… Sharpen your mind…… Timidness is not disgraceful…… It can also be an advantage to deal calmly with enemies……”
“The common sense of people is tiny compared to the harshness of the world…… Death will always be around us, and it will always be with us. I am a fool for not realizing such a simple thing…… No wonder you called me a little boy.”
The boys had achieved some kind of enlightenment. However, their appearance was so bad that they looked broken to the outsider. They made it to the campsite. They had made it back safely.
They were so exhausted that they wanted to rest in their tents right now, but someone approached them. It was an elderly man dressed like a butler.
“Cabruno-sama! Thank God…… you’re alright…… this old man, this old man was worried!”
“I made you worried, huh, Zuross*? I’m alright now.”
(*Enkiros: ズロース: bastardization of the word drawers, as in, old people underwear. I still chuckled tho)
“”Zuross!? You sure it’s not a joke!? No, hold on, why is there someone unrelated to the academy here?””
This field training is part of the academy’s curriculum. The servants, who were outsiders, were not supposed to be there, but the old man with the beard and mustache, Zuross, was there for some reason and came running up to Cabruno with tears in his eyes. He was holding a piece of bread in his right hand…….
“You’re hurt! Have you eaten? This old geezer was so worried about Cabruno-sama that…… he couldn’t even eat……”
“…… What’s that bread in your hand? Well…… old geezer, I was a fool……”
“Y, yes?”
“I’ve been foolishly spending my time without thinking about myself, proud of my position as part of a count’s family…… and thinking that I will eventually inherit the family name……”
“But wouldn’t that be natural…… Are you sure you are well, Cabruno-sama……?”
“However, it was a mistake…… A weak position like that of a count is nothing in the face of nature’s fury…… If I remain foolish, it will eventually disappear and turn into garbage that will not even be named in history……”
“Cabruno-sama? Did you eat something bad? It’s just, you’re becoming more like this old geezer……”
Zuross, who knows the usual Cabruno, was confused by his unexpectedly awakened adulthood, but somehow he felt excited……. There is something wrong with this old man too.
“Watch me, old geezer! I’m…… going to make the Pantisky family into one of the most famous families in history! Ah…… I feel like a new man. I feel reborn. Even this weariness is refreshing when I think that I have overcome one of the obstacles to glory.”
‘No, please don’t do that. …… It’s embarrassing! But more importantly, old geezer, your hips are acting weird!’
The ossan and Rhasus are sincerely touched.
Zuross, the butler, was so happy with Cabruno’s growth that he moved his hips even more enthusiastically.
Strange. And suspicious…….
“Let Father retire in the…… near future. He’s an embarrassment to my family! Nobles is not a position, but a duty to his people. We need a vassal we can trust first. If we don’t reform, we will rot in our own land. No, it’s already corrupted!”
“Cabruno-sama! How…… dignified…… this old geezer, this old geezer is so happy!”
‘…… What’s with that old geezer and his weird hips? No way……’
‘…… Takeda Shingen? Are they going to plunder and annihilate the surrounding nobles and push forward into a world of war?’
(*Takeda Shingen (December 1, 1521 – May 13, 1573), of Kai Province, was a pre-eminent daimyō in feudal Japan. Known as the “Tiger of Kai”, he was one of the most powerful daimyōs with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period. Shingen had been a ‘Warlord’ of great domestic skill and competent military leadership.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takeda_Shingen)
Awakened by the pride of nobility, Cabruno-kun began to look at what needed to be done and walk towards that vision.
The naive young lord has lost his arrogance and is instead overflowing with the responsibility and honor befitting of a noble.
Regardless of his name, Carbruno now without a doubt looks more appealing.
“Just leave it alone…… If you get involved, you might get into trouble.”
“……I agree.”
Zuross is not the only one who is astonished by the boys’ return and changes.
The teachers and the other students of the same grade were speechless at their transformation after their return from hell and did not dare to speak to them. However, seeing the boys in such changed states, a woman shuddered and stared at Zeros.
“Zeros-san!”
“What is it…… Rena-san? I’d like to have a proper meal right now…….”
“What have you done to my sweet boys? They were so…… cute, but now they’re glaring at me like warriors who survived the battlefield…….”
“I don’t know when those guys belonged to Rena-san, but I’m pretty sure they survived a deadly battle, right? Fu~…… They’ve come back from the world of death~. The simplest and most horrible of worlds……”
“What the hell …… has happened to those kids!!”
“I wonder……”
The ossan told the story of their hell.
That is……
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
Before the boys’ eyes, hungry predators swarmed around the monster’s remains.
They attack with magic from inside the pillbox, rest, recover their magic power, and attack again; a simple routine.
But that could not continue for long. No matter how well camouflaged they were, even the most unintelligent of monsters would notice if they were repeatedly attacked from inside a pillbox.
The monsters naturally swarmed the pillbox.
“Kukuku…… is a good place to start. Now, you must defeat them to survive…… This is reality, the world you live in, outside of your everyday life. If you don’t kill them, they will kill you. Even the corpses are devoured, the world order is really simple and easy to understand.”
“He, Help me…… I’m running out of magic……”
“If your magic is exhausted, attack with your weapon until it recovers. The staff can be used as a weapon, right? Simply hitting them is also effective. If necessary, I can make a hole in the wall there and make you fight even if you don’t want to.”
“”””Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!?””””
The Demon King had descended.
The boys simply thought, “I’m going to raise my level and look down on the people who are making fun of me!” That’s all they had in mind.
It would have been enough to raise their level even a little bit, but they were surrounded and isolated by a flock of monsters, wondering what they had done wrong. The mercenary and the ossan would not interfere unless they were in real danger.
They had to fight in order to survive, so they forced their bodies to move, crying and beating the monsters with their staves. Then…… 12 hours passed.
“If you can’t survive this, you’ll be killed by goblins in 10 minutes in Far-Flung Forest. The strength is much different there…… Be strong, even stronger than you are now…… Fufufu…”
“To defeat them quickly, you need to work together…… Pay attention to your surroundings……”
“With limited forces, the loss of a single teammate can be fatal……. Protect each other and handle it properly……”
“Magic is your trump card…… Physical attacks are more effective now……”
“The enemy must be defeated…… or else we will die……. After all, this is a world where the strong eat the weak……”
“DIE!! For the sake of our peaceful life!!”
The boys were awakened as warriors. No, they had to.
From there, the next stage was terrible. They would kill goblins, take their weapons, use them to kill other monsters, and then attack more of their prey. The boys were desperate to survive.
The only way to defeat the monster is to become a monster. Human ethics are powerless in the face of the natural order, and the boys who become warriors put what they don’t need in a corner of their minds and continued to fight, optimizing their experience as they fought.
The boys, who prioritized returning home alive above all else, had their minds stimulated abnormally by the increase in magic power caused by leveling up, and they used their mental strength to overcome the weariness and focused on defeating the monsters as efficiently as possible. It was truly an extreme situation.
And …… soon realized that there were no more monsters moving around. Well, the ossan also made sure not to let them die, but the results were horrible.
“This will make them stronger. They are now stronger than the other students in the Academy……”
“…… I’ve never seen such a horrible field training.”
Rhasus was also speechless.
He had escorted this training many times before but never before had he seen the boys so exhausted and pushed to the limit. Moreover, while eliminating the monsters to ensure that the boys did not die, he never forgot to push them mentally, forcing them to awaken their fighting spirits.
It’s not something any sane person would do.
After confirming that there were no more enemies around, the boys made their way to the campsite albeit unsteadily.
But even though they were tired, they had not lost their vigilance. Getting home alive is what they wanted now.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
“They’ve become stronger than before…. Hahahahahaha”
“You demooooooon!! Zeros-san destroyed the boys’ simple minds and brainwashed them into vicious warriors.”
“Disgraceful. The original purpose of this training was to make them stronger…… I was just helping them, right?”
“But that doesn’t mean you have to destroy the boy’s pure heaaaaaarts!!”
“You can’t live solely by being pure. They have learned…… that when you go out into the world, it’s life or death……”
“Is that something they needed to know now?”
“The sooner you know, the better, don’t you think? After all, there is a very dangerous zone right next to this country…….”
Next to the Magic Kingdom of Solisthea is Far-Flung Forest.
Most of the territory is adjoined to it, and if a vicious monster appears, no one can fight it. Dragons, for example.
In fact, no one can defeat a Wyvern by themselves. Not only are their levels low, but many of them are satisfied with their half-hearted strength and indulge in it.
If monsters were flooding in from the Far-Flung Forest, they would not be able to properly fight and would be killed one-sidedly. That’s how extreme the difference in strength is.
If you are killed without the ability to take any action during an emergency, your survival rate will be higher if you become stronger now.
“That doesn’t mean…… that……”
Rena’s gaze shifted to the boys.
“Ah…… How comforting it is to be at peace. How blessed I am……”
“I will destroy whatever disrupts this peace by any means necessary.”
“There’s nothing God would do. So, we must keep getting stronger…… To protect this peaceful time.”
“That’s right. But there are also human threats. In a way, the monsters are probably more innocent than us…… If we don’t get rid of these monsters, of this Evil, we may just end up being used.”
“”””Annihilate the enemy, monsters and humans are no different!! Stand up for the peace of the citizens, the Citizens!!””””
“Cabruno-Samaaaaaa, you’re fantasti―――――――――――c!”
The boys’ targets are not only the monsters, but also the thugs who do evil things in the shadows.
It’s like a textbook that teaches people morality that gets overhyped and eventually becomes the scripture of a religion. Zeros’ [How to Survive in a Dangerous World] was about to become the bible of justice for the boys.
They embed things that were not even taught to them and then shifted them to another level. It is very similar to the situation where a special force created to disrupt the situation in another country transforms into terrorists and returns before you know it.
And the scary part is that it is rapidly becoming a radical ideology.
“Oh my…… did I overdo it? I was just trying to teach them how to deal with the monsters, but somehow they’ve become like a militant radical right-wing organization…… How?”
“Don’t ask me that!? Isn’t it you Zeros-san who did that!!!”
“No, this is an unexpected development. I’m sure they’ve been frustrated with the current situation at the Academy. I’m more concerned about…… that old butler. I’m not sure if he can handle it.”
“……That man, he seems just like me. But, I’d hate to admit it……”
“I didn’t want to know that. I secretly knew that deep down and was planning to ignore it…… I wonder if Cabruno-kun’s chastity will be safe?”
Rena’s sexual preferences are known by the ossan. The reason why Rena is unable to accept Zuross is that he’s gay, while Rena is a heterosexual who follows the laws of nature. She can never accept him.
Even though what they were doing was the same, there was a wall there that prevented them from understanding each other.
“Homophobia…… The world is full of absurdities. We are all the same, yet we never interact.”
“I’m not comfortable with being lumped together with him……”
From the ossan’s point of view, they were both the same.
The only difference between heterosexual or homosexual is that they are unwilling to accept it in terms of extending their venomous fangs to young, innocent boys.
“Well…… I’ve been up all night and I’ m sleepy, so I think I’ll take a nap in the tent.”
“Wait, Zeros-san!? I’m not done talking to you yet. You have to turn those kids back to normal!”
“Impossible. Once a man makes his move, there’s no stopping him.”
Though he takes responsibility for teaching people the means to survive in the harsh environment for survival, he cannot do anything about those who have come to a new level of thinking by mixing strange ideologies.
Irresponsible as it may sound, it was the boys who made the decision. They went in a different direction than the ossan had expected.
“”””One for all, all for one!!””””
The boys make a pact like a certain trio of musketeers.
It was up to them to decide whether they would become outstanding human beings or extremist terrorists.
“Cabruno-sam～～～a, please hold m―――――――――――e!!”
There was one strange guy, but the ossan pretended he didn’t see him.
The sight of an old geezer with an ecstatic expression on his face, sniffling and screaming as if he was overcome with emotion, is not something you want to keep even in the corner of your mind.
He wanted to forget about it immediately, so he quickly left the place.
Afterward, the ossan finished his meal at the campsite and then went to sleep in his tent.
As if to forget the unpleasant things from his memory……
