Chapter 31
The bandit's body trembled.
The direction the conversation was taking was serious.
He calmed his beating heart and glanced at the pit next to him.
The pit was created by the magic the boy had just shown earlier.
Only the unresponsive corpse of a student remained at the center.
'Think carefully.'
The boy in front of him was different.
Students of that age had considerable resistance to murder.
Nobles were no exception.
Even nobles who looked down on commoners and regarded slaves as insignificant utterly hated getting their own hands dirty.
But not this boy.
The moment he accepted that it was necessary.
He executed it with a frightening coldness.
It was as if his emotions were playing out separately.
'I must hold back for now.'
The bandit put the arrow he had nocked on the string back into the quiver on his back.
The opponent was four people.
If the skills of the other three were similar, he had no chance of winning.
"Hey, my brother. Why don't we calm down and talk for a bit?"
The bandit smiled.
To survive, one must be able to smile in any situation.
"I have a fantastic proposal I want to make."
The boy remained silent.
The bandit continued speaking, gauging the atmosphere.
"Our presence is getting in the way of your search of the building, right? I have a way to wipe out the other guys. I can go back to our hideout and poison the food. I know them, so I can do it!"
The three students standing by Joshua grimaced.
The bandit had just said he would kill all the comrades he had lived and suffered with for a year, with his own hands.
It made them feel sick.
It might have been a lie to survive.
But the strong feeling that the bandit would actually go through with it was intense, judging by his excited expression.
"Do you have the poison?"
"Huh?"
"You need poison to poison someone, do you not?"
The flustered bandit quickly pulled something out of his pocket.
It looked like a plant leaf.
Joshua tilted his head.
"I cannot see it well. Come closer and show me."
"Do you, a student, know a wild plant just by looking at it?"
"Your hesitation is suspicious."
"Damn it, fine! I will come over there."
The bandit slowly approached Joshua.
The distance between them was close enough for a punch to land.
"Look!"
The bandit held out the leaf he was clutching with a confident voice.
It was a mysterious leaf that shifted between red and yellow depending on the viewing angle.
"I read in a book that you should avoid plants with flamboyant colors or unusual patterns."
Tania muttered beside me.
The two boys nodded, supporting her opinion.
"Regardless of whether we trust that person or not, it seems to contain poison."
"It looks dangerous."
"Is it really poisoned?"
Despite the students' whispering, Joshua was lost in his own thoughts.
To play a survival game well, information about objects that only exist in that world is necessary.
Medicinal herbs are no exception.
It was one of the most basic ingredients needed for alchemy.
[Clever] awakened the sleeping memory.
I know the efficacy of this herb.
"It is a Fire Herb. It is used to raise body temperature, right?"
The bandit trembled.
Even nobles with some knowledge rarely recognized the Fire Herb instantly.
It was a herb known only to those in the know because it was a wild flower.
Yet, a student, not a hunter, had correctly identified it.
"My luck is utterly bad today huh. To be caught by a smart, studious guy like you."
The bandit thrust his dagger forward.
It was the item he had taken from Talleon a moment ago.
The gleaming blade was aimed at Joshua's Adam's apple.
Clang!
The blade was blocked by the wall of light Joshua created and ricocheted.
The bandit staggered, losing his balance from the impact.
Talleon, who was right next to him, did not miss that moment.
He raised the axe he was holding high and swung it down hard.
"Aaaaargh!"
The bandit's wrist was severed.
A scream burst from his mouth.
The boy covered his mouth to prevent his voice from spreading far.
"Mmmph!"
"Huff, huff."
Talleon also gasped for breath.
His body reacted before his mind.
He felt killing intent from the opponent, and the thought of having to block it took precedence.
Did he do well?
As he was reviewing his own actions,
"Well done."
He felt immense relief at Joshua's praise.
"It would have been better if you had taken his head off completely though."
"I thought he might be worth keeping alive."
"We have enough information gathering now."
Joshua looked around.
The dagger was still in the bandit's severed arm.
I reached out my hand, picked it up, and plunged it deep into the bandit's chest.
He writhed as blood flowed out.
Talleon, who was holding him, pressed down more strongly to prevent even a death cry from escaping.
Soon, the bandit died.
"There is a group guarding the area near the laboratory and hunting people. Their number is six, and they are armed. They are guys who know how to fight reasonably well."
Joshua repeated the information he had heard from the bandit.
"Since the scout is not returning, they will definitely move."
"Yes."
Talleon left the dead bandit and stood up.
There was blood on his palms.
The sensation of killing a person remained clearly.
The unpleasantness was less than expected, and faint enough that he had no aversion to moving.
"Hey."
Talleon spoke.
"Since I did half the killing for this guy, may I investigate him first?"
Joshua blinked his eyes.
Such a bold attitude was rare for Talleon.
What should I do?
[Cool] advised, "Do not give him the bow, never mind anything else."
The bow had high utility.
It was useful for secretly targeting enemies from a distance.
However, Joshua did not have any traits related to the bow.
'It is right to congratulate Talleon's growth here.'
Joshua turned his back.
He judged that Talleon's growth would be beneficial for survival.
"Do as you wish."
"......Thank you."
The boy stripped the tanned leather clothes the bandit was wearing.
Then, he cut off the ends with a dagger to fit his body.
He did not forget the bow and arrows.
"You two are not failures either."
Joshua's gaze now turned to the two people standing far away.
"I don’t know whether you were afraid of hurting people, or just afraid of the opponent, but make sure at least you know which one it is for you."
People are flustered when unexpected situations occur.
It is fine to be flustered.
Even I, who possesses [Cool] and [Steady Nerves], show reactions such as my eyebrows twitching.
The important thing is how quickly you can overcome the fear.
"If it was not for me or Talleon, you would have died. And we are not always together. You will have plenty of time to be alone. Do not be mistaken that it will end like this next time."
"......Then why did you not kill the barbarian right away?"
Gavinu lifted his head and asked.
"I was just testing you both, and it served a dual purpose. As a result, there was a harvest."
Joshua glanced at Talleon behind him.
"The first time is always the hardest. It is just that survivors do not have many chances to overcome it. Because if you don’t overcome it, you die."
* * *
After proceeding a little further from the place where they defeated the bandit and Roden, they arrived at the laboratory.
Joshua looked at a nearby hill.
It was the highest point in the area.
As expected, the bandit group had set up camp there.
"Focus on checking if any monsters come near."
I gave instructions to the students, sticking close to a rock corner.
The bandit group was not watching the laboratory.
It was highly likely that they were thinking about their comrade who was delayed more than expected.
I need to check the situation.
To do that, I needed to send at least two people as a reconnaissance team.
"Until then, it is time to rest."
It was time to check Roden's group's backpack.
They had managed to take something with them even while people were dying in their group.
The items they took were likely to be of high value.
There is a limit to the weight a person can carry, and things that are naturally low in priority are abandoned.
In other words, the contents of the backpack were the essence of Roden's group.
"Eat."
I distributed the food evenly among everyone.
I planned to reduce the weight by eating it rather than taking it back to the Tower.
As the food that occupied the top of the backpack disappeared, the items underneath were revealed.
A ring with a sapphire.
It is easily mistaken for a noblewoman's accessory, but this was also a magical item.
"To think they had an item like this."
They now had one more means to deal with a situation when it arose.
I confirmed what the magic engraved on the ring was through [Analyze].
[Ring of Thunder]
- Shoots an intense electrical discharge forward. The gem is destroyed when the spell circle is released.
There was no need to regret that it was a one-time use.
As with items of this kind.
The destructive power upon release is beyond imagination.
"Ugh!"
Tania craned her neck and looked at the laboratory.
"You are planning to enter while the bandits are temporarily away, right?"
"Yes."
"We need to enter before the situation develops, but a triple formula will take time. Even for you, Senior, it will take about 7 minutes."
Tania recalled when she had unlocked the spell circle on the professor's room door in the dormitory.
It was the same triple spell circle.
It took him a little over 5 minutes to release the spell circle.
However, the possibility of that happening again this time was low.
There was no risk of being attacked back then, but here, bandits were watching their backs.
When a person loses their composure, it becomes difficult to perform at their usual skill level.
"I know what you are worried about."
Joshua shrugged his shoulders.
"But you are mistaken."
"Mistaken?"
"Yes, why do you assume the skill I showed in the dormitory is my full power?"
"What? Well, for a student currently attending the academy, just being able to break a triple spell circle is an amazing feat."
She was not wrong.
Joshua decided that showing was better than explaining.
After a brief period of idleness.
There was movement from above.
Voices were not heard, but the atmosphere was stirred.
Two of the bandits, holding torches, descended the hill.
The light moved further and further away, heading in the direction where the fight had taken place a moment ago.
'We will be discovered soon.'
I should not remain still.
I must execute the plan before the two who left return.
I turned my attention to the three people.
"If we are discovered by the bandits while I am releasing the spell circle, you must confront them. Do not attack first to provoke them."
"What if the opponent attacks first?"
Gavinu replied, considering a contingency.
"The possibility of that is low. The bandit who died earlier said, did he not? That seven people died trying to enter the laboratory. From the bandits' perspective, we will look like moths jumping into a fire."
"So they won’t think we can open it."
"Yes. So, you just need to maintain a confrontation."
"How long will it take to open the door?"
"30 seconds is enough."
"......What?"
Tania, who was listening with them, looked dumbfounded.
Joshua ran forward.
The other children followed him.
The bandit who was keeping watch from above signaled, gathering his comrades.
"Hey, where did those guys come from?"
One bandit discovered Joshua's group, who had appeared suddenly.
He gestured, calling his comrades over.
"If they came from that direction, there’s no way they didn’t run into Ronatel, who went out to scout."
"Do you think Ronatel was dealt with?"
"Probably."
"That idiot. He probably got caught talking too much."
The bandits leaned their heads out and raised their voices.
"Hey, brats! Who gave you permission to stand in front of that door?"
"This is the area we manage. Get our permission before you approach the building."
The bandits were furious and irritated.
They aimed their bows toward us, but they did not release the strings, suggesting they did not intend to shoot.
"The owner of the Royal Academy belongs to the royal family. How dare you trespass and act like the owner here without permission! It seems you wish to lose your heads."
Tania countered, not to be outdone.
The bandits guffawed derisively.
"Keke. It seems the young lady has not heard the rumors outside yet. Not only the territories of famous nobles but even the royal capital, Pardo, is a complete mess."
"......What is that supposed to mean. T-Then what happened to Rainwood territory?"
"Rainwood? Ah, I think I have heard of it. Was it the noble's territory next to the royal capital? I have not heard rumors about that area, but it is obvious, is it not?"
Tania barely stopped herself from collapsing onto the floor.
Tears seemed to well up in the corners of her eyes.
"That is just a barbarian's jest. Snap out of it."
Gavinu said, trying to comfort the trembling girl.
"......Yes, I know."
Do not waver.
Just as Gavinu said, it was nonsense from a man not worth trusting.
Her sister, Lucille, had also told her not to worry about family matters.
She bit her lip and withdrew her attention from the bandit she was confronting.
Surely 30 seconds had passed.
When she turned her head involuntarily.
The triple spell circle of the laboratory, which had caused the death of seven people, was completely released by one man.
"That is impossible. It is really finished."
It was a miracle.
It was not a level a student should be able to achieve.
To borrow Talleon's words, she thought he might really be the Messiah.
And as always.
Joshua's reply was simple, even after performing such a monstrous feat.
"Let us go in."