Ch.112112. Advance Preparations (1)

*Squeak!*

A boar-type magical beast, Willos.

I just dispatched this wild boar that had been ruining an innocent rice field, hoisted it onto my shoulder, and pulled it out.

I see an elderly woman clapping her hands in front of me, looking relieved.

“Oh my, thank you, student! Those creatures were trampling all over my field, and I couldn’t do anything about it.”

“I guess no one accepted this request until now?”

“That’s right. I asked a few people wearing robes, but… they didn’t want to take on this kind of request. My husband and I couldn’t handle it ourselves, so I was thinking we might need to hire mercenaries.”

Those guys… tsk.

I clicked my tongue inwardly.

The first semester had ended, and we were already into the second semester.

After a one-day break that barely qualified as a vacation, the second semester arrived with the sweltering summer heat, granting academy students one new privilege.

That was the permission to accept personal requests, which had been prohibited by other professors until now.

The academy had devised a system that would be mutually beneficial, reasoning that students who were learning various skills and developing their abilities at the academy could have a considerable impact on society, even with their modest powers.

For students helping the weak by accepting requests, their grades now directly reflected their achievements.

The academy introduced a request rank system and created a “page” to record the names of those who accepted requests.

While it was mostly under the pretext of maintaining class divisions, I thought it might be meant to give us a closer look at society.

But you wouldn’t know these circumstances unless you actually took on requests yourself.

“Ma’am, how about setting up a fence?”

“Huh? A fence? Wouldn’t those wild boars just break through it anyway?”

“Not necessarily. Just having a fence alone might not work, but if you grow some plants they dislike around the perimeter, they’ll be less likely to invade.”

“Oh… really?”

“Of course, setting up the fence might be difficult for you, so you’ll need to leave that part to others. I’ll gather the necessary lumber for you.”

“Oh my, I’m sorry… That would be wonderful, but I feel bad about it…”

Gathering lumber wasn’t difficult since I could use magic, and I was used to chopping wood from my time working at the workshop.

If I report this situation to the front desk, there shouldn’t be any more Willos entering this field from tomorrow.

“Don’t worry about payment. Instead, may I ask you a few questions? I heard you migrated from Lemtert Village in Shute Province.”

“Ask away! I know Lemtert Village like the back of my hand!”

“Haha, thank you. Then… when you were in Lemtert Village, when and where did you ever see rat-type magical beasts?”

I don’t really care about request ranks anyway. The growth methods for Mizar-types aren’t widely known…

Rather, I was gathering information for the upcoming Shute Province extermination operation.

The common thread among the clients I’ve met is that they know at least something about Shute Province, whether it’s their birthplace, workplace, or hometown.

I was trying to collect even small pieces of information from them to figure out how to overcome this challenge.

But…

-‘No, we never saw rat magical beasts. Most were moles. I don’t think there were any rats in Lemtert Village at all.’

I can’t help but sigh at yet another fruitless search.

“Hah… only one day left.”

There’s nothing I can do about this.

I can only hope those guys have made some progress.

I headed to the Mizar building with a small hope that today might be different.

Looking at the two people through the door crack… it seems like…

No. I should at least ask.

“…How did it go?”

At my question, the two exhausted-looking guys turned their gazes toward me.

And then those tired faces… rapidly changed as soon as they saw me.

“Junon… you don’t have any grudge against us, right? Huh?”

John let out a hollow laugh as he said this. There’s no reason for me to have any grudge, yet he says such things.

Noel joined in with a crying voice.

“Uhuhuung… I wish I hadn’t been curious…! I wish I hadn’t tried to find out!!”

“Hey. Don’t cry. That guy is just an evil instructor, an evil instructor. He’ll whip you more if you cry!”

“I’d rather be whipped unconscious! What is this even about?!”

…John and Noel were treating me like a madman who only trains them.

To explain, the two of them came to see me one day.

I don’t know what possessed them, but they suddenly bowed their heads, saying they wanted to take me as their master.

I figured there must be a plausible reason for their sudden behavior, and I thought something serious might have happened, but they said that wasn’t the case.

“What happened to ‘we’ll learn anything you teach’?”

“”That was then!””

John and Noel, who had once unanimously asked for my guidance, jumped up and objected.

“I still wonder if what you showed us is even possible. What exactly are you, doing such things as easily as eating?”

“And you say what if it’s hard? Just catch Cud Rats using only the method you demonstrated? Normal students can’t do either of these things!”

“…Is that so?”

“Hey… what do you mean ‘is that so’…”

“Ha, seriously, how can your reaction be so bland…”

John and Noel whined as if frustrated. But there’s a reason for all this.

It seems they’re not making progress either, despite not being pushovers.

It might be manageable for me since I’m used to it or have experienced it before, but it seems too much for these guys right now.

If John and Noel can’t do it… the others probably can’t either.

They might not look it, but those two are among the top in C class. They’re flawless compared to other vanguards.

They have their shortcomings, but they complement each other and grow together, earning praise even from Professor Jake.

The fact that these two can’t master these techniques is not good news for me.

‘This is quite troublesome.’

We’ll be heading to Shute Province starting tomorrow, and at this rate, things won’t be any different from before.

What should I do? I needed to come up with some strategy.

In the midst of this.

“Senior Junon.”

“You…!”

Cain had come.

***

The rapidly rising prices had burdened people of all ages and genders, and there was no sign of relief until the empire secured enough resources for self-sufficiency.

The burdensome prices began to be resolved with the discovery of resources that enabled self-sufficiency in Shute Province.

If it had been delayed even a few days, the damage would have extended not only to residents but also to students. They might have fallen into the hands of nobles like himself.

Thanks to the time bought for discovering resources, after counting the number of students attending classes, no academy student had ended up as a plaything in gambling dens.

Only Cain knew this fact.

From the establishment of the gambling den to the Octagon event, from the point when they reached out to students to the arrest of the gambling den and nobles.

The whole process seemed to have been handled too cleanly.

‘You must have planned it all. It doesn’t make sense otherwise.’

Moreover, the Lemtert plague that Junon had mentioned was not known to the public. Even when doctors were asked about such symptoms, they said they knew nothing about it.

In other words, this was information that only Junon knew?

So Cain dared to approach Junon with a request.

If he could devise such a plan and arrest a gambling den that even evaded the empire’s eyes, he could surely help Lumia.

Cain’s footsteps stopped at the Mizar building.

This must be the place where he spends the most time, consistently developing himself.

As expected.

He was here, as anticipated.

Cain politely called out to him, ignoring John and Noel whining in the background.

“Senior Junon.”

“You…!”

Black eyes filled with surprise. As if he hadn’t expected Cain to come here, he ran a hand over his face, sighed, and asked.

“You haven’t forgotten, have you? Cain.”

There’s no way he could forget. But it was because he hadn’t forgotten that he came.

“I don’t intend to trouble you, senior.”

“Then why?”

“I was hoping you could spare some time. There’s something I really need to tell you…”

“Cain.”

It was a firm interruption. But what could he do? He couldn’t back down now.

Cain had already come knowing what he wanted.

“If it’s about Shute Province, I know someone who knows it well!”

“…!”

Appealing to emotions wouldn’t work on Junon, who was trying to draw a firm line like before.

So Cain bet everything on the one thing that currently interested Junon.

Whether he had heard it by chance or eavesdropped secretly, that wasn’t important.

“Now… are you willing to listen to me?”

Even as he said this, he was afraid.

He swallowed involuntarily at the thought of being rejected.

If his only way forward was blocked, his mind would go blank, not knowing what to do.

All he heard was a voice saying, “This is maddening,” in frustration.

With his eyes closed and his back bent, Cain just kept waiting.

“…”

Junon glanced at the two people watching blankly from behind, then turned his head back, scratching his black hair and said.

“Fine. But let’s change locations.”

“Thank you…!”

***

Although I suggested changing locations, a different proposal came up.

If we were going to talk anyway, he said his familiar place would be best.

And judging by the direction, I could guess where it was.

“Lumia. Senior is here.”

“Even though I said I was fine, you brought senior… No, hello. Haha… As you can see, I should get up to greet you, but it’s difficult. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. Just stay as you are.”

Although time had been bought, blue spots were gradually beginning to appear on Lumia’s skin again.

No wonder Cain came looking for me in anxiety.

“Cain.”

“Yes.”

“Are you prepared to maintain your composure regardless of what comes out of my mouth?”

“…”

To be honest, it would be fine even if I refused.

Obviously, this was for Lumia, and I ended up here due to the counterproductive effect of showing that I knew about this disease after directly intervening once.

I know best how many fruitless trips I’ve made because I couldn’t get any information about Shute Province.

So Lumia is no exception.

I’m already prepared to come up empty-handed this time too. How Cain will take it is what matters most.

“A negative answer is inevitable. I already warned you about this when I first helped Lumia.”

“…That’s right.”

His voice lacks conviction. He’s not fully prepared for harsh words yet.

But it seems she is ready.

“Please tell us.”

“Lumia?”

“They say it’s better to take the beating quickly. Honestly, I don’t deny that my condition is getting worse.”

“Hmm…”

“I won’t resent you whatever answer you give. Come on, Cain, promise too.”

Lumia’s extended pinky urges Cain to hook his quickly.

After reluctantly getting Cain’s promise, Lumia held his hand to ensure he would listen attentively.

Now, all I have to do is spit out this story.

“A treatment method exists. If you make a remedy from a certain blue flower, recovery is possible within a week.”

“Then if we just find that…!”

“Yes. Lumia could recover too. Back to how she was before the disease.”

However, it’s not as easy as it sounds.

“The problem is that no information is known about which month this flower grows in, what climate it needs, or at what altitude. All I know is that it’s a blue flower.”

I may have seen it just once with my own eyes. I know what it looks like, but even as a regressor, I don’t know much else about it.

How many blue flowers are there in the world? Finding an unrecorded plant based solely on appearance is nearly impossible.

“Ah…”

There’s actually one more problem, but it doesn’t seem necessary to mention it.

“As I said before, try to hold on with something that has a mana neutralizing effect. There’s nothing else we can do until we find it.”

Thinking there was nothing more to say, I turned to leave.

“Wait, where are you going?”

“Why? Do you have something else to say?”

“Of course I do. You’ve been looking everywhere for information about Shute Province, right? I know it very well.”

Come to think of it, Cain did say he would introduce someone who knows Shute Province well.

Lumia was the daughter of Baron Penarib from Shute Province, wasn’t she? But still… it seems predictable.

What business would a noble lady have dealing with rat magical beasts…

“This disease, I contracted it while directly confronting rat-type magical beasts in Shute Province. I clearly remember when and where it first appeared.”

…What?

“Tell me more about that.”

It seems I’ve come to the right place after all.