episode_0085

“So, are you ready to attend the banquet? There are about ten days left, so it might be time to start paying attention.”

“…10 days?”

“A banquet commemorating the restoration of the system. It said 10 days later, but I guess you haven’t received the invitation yet? Or maybe you haven’t seen it yet because you’re reading other letters?”

Friede shrugged her shoulders.

With a commemorative banquet ten days later, has the restoration work progressed to the point where something like that is already happening?

I thought it would take at least another month…

“I don’t want to go…Do I really have to go?”

“Well, maybe so, right? All nobles within the system would have been invited. You are also the protagonist of this incident.”

okay. let’s go.

All you have to do is refuse the dance request and stand in the corner.

Fortunately, it seemed like the knights could attend in uniform rather than a dress.

This means asking to be treated like a knight rather than a lady. It seems like they are treated as something different.

When I came back and checked, there was definitely an invitation.

Although it was buried quite naturally among other letters.

It was natural that I didn’t notice it like this.

Who can I blame? The person who put all the letters I received in a corner was none other than myself.

—-

Four days later.

It’s been a while since I attended a lecture again.

Originally, I didn’t plan on coming up, but I was very curious about what the ‘Anti-Monster Battle Virtual Experience Practice’ written in today’s syllabus was about.

Honestly, how can I tolerate VR lectures?

The number of students has decreased significantly. About sixty or seventy people.

Even excluding the aspiring priests at the aid station, there were quite a few empty seats.

Did you quit? Well, that might be possible.

The actual horrors they faced before their eyes must have been quite different from their expectations.

No wonder I couldn’t endure ptsd.

Rather, those who still remain are children with exceptionally strong will.

Although he was still a little agitated when he saw me.

“Those guys are still glancing at me. Aren’t you scared? Slowly, almost all of my strength recovered.”

“Well, everyone is probably already familiar with your face. It’s different from when I was so scared that I couldn’t even look at it, right?”

Damian explained why.

In the past, I couldn’t even see the face properly because of the force and the eyes, so it would have just been scary…

Because now you already know my face.

Therefore, even if my energy and eyes become stronger again, I will not feel any fear because I will first notice the appearance that remains in my memory.

“Also, Hashal, your mood has changed a bit since then.”

Millia added.

Unlike the harsh past, the atmosphere seems to have become a bit softer these days.

I understood what it meant.

I guess it means that the momentum of murder that was flowing out of control has subsided.

As I realized my karma, it became possible to naturally store that power.

In short, it means that those views are always followed within the Academy…

As long as you don’t reveal your murderous intent.

Still, I’m glad that it’s a little better than when I was completely weak.

Unlike back then, those eyes were closer to longing or admiration rather than lust.

okay. I’ll have to get used to it.

Let’s think positively. Admiration is better than sexual desire or disgust, right?

—-

After some time, Professor Kaline came in and began lecturing.

“As announced in advance, today’s lecture is an experiential training in preparation for battles with monsters. Since the academy’s policy has changed, you also need to become more familiar with subjugating monsters and demons early on.”

That’s right.

Since the first year has not yet been properly refined, it would honestly be a bit uneasy to send it out right away.

Even if the role is merely to assist second graders… there is no way to know what will happen in a real situation full of variables.

“However, it is true that it is difficult to conduct practical training right away due to the current circumstances. Therefore, after discussion, the academy decided to introduce a new teaching method. That is virtual experience practice. It is training that uses hallucination-type mental magic to experience combat similar to actual combat. The Department of Magic put in a lot of effort.”

Professor Kaline held up a magic tool that looked similar to a helmet.

“MT-V. The official name is Manipulate Tantibus-Visor. The effect of the magic tool is to force the person wearing the helmet into a state of sleep and then dream of a preset nightmare. In addition, we plan to add the magic of seeing dreams to check and evaluate your officers’ responses. Just in case, I heard that the pain perception part has been drastically reduced, so don’t be afraid and fight.”

The professor pointed to the huge white cloth hanging behind his back.

It was a piece of cloth that was empty in the middle and had various spells written on every corner.

“The headquarters argued that combat training with beasts rather than monsters was needed…but unfortunately, this was rejected.”

What’s so sad about it?

I can’t believe they were already trying to make the kids who are still suffering from beastman PTSD fight against beastmen.

Are you trying to get all academy students to resign?

“Rather than explaining it in words, it would be quicker to experience it yourself. Training will be conducted in order of student number and evaluation and analysis will be conducted. And…Princess Aishangior should be left out.”

what?

No, why am I the only one left out? I wanted to try it too.

“Can I ask you a question about the reason for the exception?”

“Isn’t that natural? There is no way that offensive mental magic would work on an anti-magic person.”

Oh, that’s right…

Essentially, it is a magic that not only incapacitates but also gives painful nightmares… so it will be blocked.

I had no choice but to accept it.

“In the first place, we did not even prepare an aptitude for a master-level strongman. The enemies prepared today are trolls, ogres, and small monsters, so training would be meaningless for the princess.”

“…I understand.”

I was a little disappointed.

I was really looking forward to it. Another world-style VR experience.

…If this happens, I guess I’ll just have to watch the battle between Damian and Millia.

—-

Watching the training that started like that from a distance, it was quite a strange sight.

A student wearing a shining helmet lies on a mat in front of the auditorium, moaning and twitching.

The other students were quietly concentrating on the screen behind them.

The contents of the dream are vividly projected onto the huge cloth located in the background.

It felt like I was watching a movie or game video.

In a dark cave, a person who looks exactly like the student lying down fights a monster.

Every time an enemy was defeated, a new enemy appeared from the other side of the cave.

First trolls, then ogres. I guess the monsters came out after that…but no students have gone there yet.

Most of them had their backs broken while fighting the trolls, and the rest were torn apart by the ogres.

“Ugh!”

The student whose head was ripped out by the ogre jumped up. The magic tool that had stopped working blinked.

“Heo-eok…Heo-eok…!”

The student took off his helmet and hung himself, gasping for breath.

As if I had not yet escaped the fear of a near-death experience.

…is this okay? I heard it reduced the pain, but the psychological impact seems to be quite significant.

“You had a hard time. Please return to your seat.”

“Yes…”

The student slowly got up and returned to his seat.

Although he stumbled a little, his heartbeat and breathing seemed to be stabilizing little by little.

Hmm…I guess that’s fine. Actually, if I was a student who couldn’t endure this, I would have dropped out a long time ago.

“The response to trolls was excellent. However, just because it is an ogre without regenerative power does not mean that its vitality is weak, so do not let down your guard.”

Professor Kaline gave a brief evaluation. This is an accurate review.

In the case of the troll, I fought carefully, being wary of its regenerative power, but against the ogre, I was caught off guard after fatally wounding it.

“Is Damian next? Please come forward.”

“Yes!”

Is it Damien’s turn? Now we’ll finally see something worth watching.

Damien, wearing a helmet, lay down on the mat.

—-

– Quad deuk!

Rock fragments bounce.

The wall that was struck by the great sword split apart and sparked fierce flames.

The troll’s roar echoed throughout the cave, but it was not a battle cry or a howl of anger.

Rather, it was closer to a scream of fear, like the fierce barking of animals that feel threatened.

He lost his weapon in the first attack, and in the next moment, one of his legs was cut off.

“Gaaa!”

The troll’s right arm swung while shouting and split the air.

A thick gray forearm passed before Damian’s eyes.

Damian, who avoided the attack by rotating half a circle, struck down his greatsword as smoothly as water.

A fountain of blood spurted out and the troll’s wrist fell to the ground.

The great sword, which was about to stick to the ground, draws an arc again, guided by Damien’s rotation.

Repeatedly without interruption. As Friede advised.

The troll’s arm was cut into pieces, like cutting vegetables with a sharp kitchen knife.

Screams are mixed with the rising blood.

Still, the painful time probably wasn’t long.

The next moment, my head flew off.

“Great.”

The students nodded as Professor Kaline muttered to himself.

It takes only four attacks to kill one troll. Even so, it is one-sided.

It was not a bad result.

“Kooo……”

The ogre didn’t last long either.

As their physical abilities were superior to those of the trolls, an attack and defense was established.

Although it had no meaning.

The ogre that lost its limbs sank along with its death.

Damian swung the great sword and shook off the blood that had congealed on the blade.

The only injury he received was that he was thrown off and hit the wall while trying to block the attack with his sword.

So now, finally, is it a monster?

Since I said it was a small paper, it might not be a big deal.

Soon, the background of the dream completely changed.