Ch.3131. Capturing Test Demons

The protagonist’s training wrapped up more smoothly than expected.

Even in the lower class, they had decent basic physical abilities.

“Is it really okay to just do this much and get a free meal?”

Since they seemed to find it manageable, I decided to make them do three sets starting tomorrow.

Am I thinking about increasing the intensity? That’s something they should figure out themselves once they taste growth.

After finishing that day’s training, the timing was a bit awkward, so we decided to have an early dinner.

When Artes asked if he could have two bowls, I told him to go ahead. Without exaggeration, he practically swallowed without chewing.

Is this how characters gulp down consumable items in games? Well… at least it’s rewarding to buy food for someone who enjoys it so much.

Just as I was about to start eating, I noticed Celia quietly moving a piece of meat from her plate to mine.

“Ludion. Eat this too. I get full with just one piece.”

“Then why do you always order double portions?”

“…I don’t know. Just hurry up and eat.”

She always does this.

I accept it because it would be awkward to refuse, but there’s really no need for this.

I have plenty of money too. I tell her she can order more if she wants, but she never changes.

Maybe it’s because she doesn’t need to worry about money. She doesn’t seem to think about how much she eats and just chooses the most expensive option.

At this rate, she’ll never develop money-saving habits. Though I suppose that’s fine for an imperial princess.

Anyway, just as I thought today’s schedule was coming to an end—

Ding!

The messenger in my bag rang again.

Reflexively, I thought it might be Celia, but she was eating beside me, so that couldn’t be it.

Wondering what it was, I took it out and saw… finally, what I’d been waiting for.

[Reina: Come to my private lab right away.]

It was a summons from Reina, who hadn’t contacted me even once until now.

But calling me during dinner was a bit much.

I couldn’t just throw away the food I’d received, so I quickly finished eating and got up.

Celia asked what was wrong, but with my mouth stuffed with the last few bites, I couldn’t answer and just showed her Reina’s message.

“After worrying about having nothing to do, you’ll finally get to do something.”

Mmm. I couldn’t respond verbally, but I nodded to affirm her statement.

I’d received money again when the month passed, and it had been very uncomfortable having nothing to do after that. I wondered what kind of work she was going to assign me.

“Come back safely. Make sure to message me when you return to the dormitory.”

“Mmm.”

“Don’t just say you understand and then forget. If you forget this time, I really won’t let it slide.”

Perhaps because of Celia’s sincere magical bombardment today, her threat felt particularly heavy.

I exchanged brief greetings and left.

Reina’s private lab was located in the advanced class building.

It used to be elsewhere, but it seemed she had moved here after becoming the professor in charge of the advanced class.

When I entered, Reina was already waiting for me with various items packed up.

“You’re here?”

“Why did you call for me?”

“The midterm exams are coming up soon.”

Saying that, she naturally handed me a luggage bag.

Judging by its considerable weight, it seemed to contain not just magic scrolls but various special tools.

“I’m going to catch some magical beasts for the practical exam. Let’s move quickly so we’re not too tired tomorrow.”

“Couldn’t we have left earlier then?”

“Those creatures only come out at night anyway, so leaving early wouldn’t have made a difference.”

I see.

…Wait a minute. Are the magical beasts that Reina wants to catch for the exam the kind that only come out at night?

“They’re not liches and death knights, are they?”

“Oh, how did you know? Did I mention it before?”

Is it appropriate to bring those for first-year students?

Liches and death knights are at least second-year advanced class final exam level.

And even then, they’re impossible to handle alone—you’d need a party of 4-6 people.

“Whatever you’re thinking, that’s not it. I’m just looking for sturdy punching bags.”

“Ah, I see.”

So the professor has it all figured out.

Liches have high magic defense, and death knights have high physical defense, so she’s probably planning to use them to measure the students’ attack power.

Having understood the purpose, I headed outside to depart.

Following Reina to the academy entrance, I saw a carriage waiting right in front.

The carriage departed as soon as we boarded and moved at quite a fast pace.

Reina looked out the window at the passing scenery and explained:

“We won’t go too far. I’ve heard there are many undead appearing near the empire lately. We should be able to get what we need there.”

The sudden appearance of undead suggests a necromancer is active in the area.

I immediately knew which episode this was connected to.

The Necromancer’s Attack.

Early in the first semester of the second year, undead attack the protagonist as they leave the lower class building.

However, by that time, the protagonist has become quite strong and easily fends off the attack, only to be challenged when suddenly stronger undead creatures swarm in.

After managing to hold out for a while, Celia happens to pass by and blasts them all away, and the professors arrive late to arrest the necromancer, ending the incident.

The necromancer caught at this time never appears again. They’re truly just an early-game villain.

‘I was planning to pay attention to this in the second semester.’

I didn’t expect to be involved like this.

While I was thinking about this, Reina suddenly turned her gaze toward me and spoke:

“So, how are things with Celia these days? I hear rumors that you two get along well.”

“I don’t know about getting along well, but we do hang out together every day.”

“People call that getting along well.”

Is that so? We’re just in the same advanced class, and we spend a lot of time together helping with Lilith’s training.

But… considering that Celia, who is usually cold to others, asks me to go places with her and sends me messages, it is quite rare.

In that sense, saying we get along well might not be completely wrong.

Of course, I wish she would make more friends, but somehow she doesn’t seem interested in doing so.

“Take good care of her. She has trouble dealing with people, but she’s a good kid.”

“I know. There’s probably no one kinder than her.”

In the original work, she doesn’t have many lines, but in every scene she appears, all she does is help others. How could she be a bad person?

From the beginning, the character profile states “Alignment: Absolute Good.” She can’t help but be kind.

Of course, thinking about how she blamed me after blowing up the cafeteria ceiling makes me wonder if even that has changed… but probably not. I hope.

As we talked about Celia, the carriage arrived at the gate leading outside the empire.

We arrived quite quickly, which was possible because the academy was located near the border.

Border… actually, once you pass through the walls marking the empire’s boundary, you don’t enter another kingdom but truly go into the wilderness.

Think of it as game-like geography.

The empire’s interior is like a town, and the exterior is like a hunting ground.

That’s why all the kingdoms are far apart, each surviving on their own.

It makes sense in a world where magical beasts appear.

People need to create safe zones to live comfortably.

Of course, while I call it a hunting ground, there are actually paved roads, so if you follow them, you can reach other kingdoms.

The problem is that it would take several days by carriage.

Thinking about it, Lilith’s escape all the way here seems quite impressive.

“From here on, we’ll go by ourselves.”

“Okay.”

Following Reina’s instructions, I shouldered the luggage bag and got off the carriage.

By now it was late evening, and the sky was gradually darkening.

“Do you know how to ride a horse?”

“I’ve never tried, but I’ll give it a shot.”

Since it would be a waste of time to walk to where the undead were appearing, we decided to ride the two horses that had been pulling the carriage.

I was a bit worried since I’d never ridden a horse before, but my stats weren’t completely low, and since the luggage was heavy, we weren’t going very fast, so it was quite manageable.

After riding for about 40 minutes, I began to see an ominous energy rising from beyond our field of vision.

“We’ve arrived. Let’s get off. Tie the horses here.”

Losing the horses would be a disaster, as we’d have to walk all the way back to the empire.

So I tied the ropes as securely as possible to a tree to prevent the horses from escaping.

…Worried they might come loose, I added a few more knots, which somehow made it impossible to untie.

“…Not very good with your hands, are you?”

I ended up hearing such words from Reina, but… at least it’s secure, right?

If we really can’t untie it later, we can just cut it. Better than having the horses run away.

With the horses secured, Reina and I quickly moved toward the area filled with ominous energy.

As we walked… the ominous energy was now rising from beneath my feet.

Of course, this energy is probably only visible to me, but it wouldn’t matter much even without it.

The ground was stained black, clearly showing signs of contamination by magical energy.

Normally, magical beasts would be generated naturally… but this seemed to be land artificially contaminated by a necromancer.

“Hmm, the energy isn’t that strong… but maybe we can use it all up?”

Looking around, Reina muttered this and then took something out of the bag I was carrying and placed it on the ground.

“Ugh, so heavy. Ludion, could you take this over there?”

What she took out was a glass container holding a sealed magic stone.

I had expected this since she mentioned working near the empire, but seeing a magic stone the size of a human head up close was quite ominous.

Following her instructions, I placed the glass container down and returned, and Reina began pouring her magical power into it.

Before long, the glass container shattered, and the magic stone began to emit light.

Then all the ominous energy rising from the surrounding ground began to be sucked toward the magic stone.

As the contaminated land regained its original color, the magic stone, which had been glowing purple, gradually turned black.

Just as most of the land had returned to its original state—

Crack!

The magic stone began to crack.

Black smoke leaked out from it, gathered together, and began to take shape.

“…Huh?”

Seeing this, Reina let out a surprised sound.

“What’s wrong?”

“No… there should be two creatures coming out, why is there only one?”

That’s right.

Reina had clearly said she was going to catch a lich and a death knight. The magic stone was probably calibrated to generate exactly those two creatures.

But what was forming before our eyes was just one creature.

And that meant… could it be…

“Grrrr… gruk, GRAAAAAAAH!!”

Oh no, they really fused.

It was the appearance of a Lich Knight—a combination of a lich and a death knight.

Seeing this, Reina asked casually:

“Um… Ludion? Is this possible too?”

Excuse me, Professor? A Lich Knight is something that even graduating students would struggle to defeat even with proper preparation.

But I was her direct assistant, and from a graduate student’s perspective, there was only one answer I could give.

“Well… I’ll give it a try.”

When the professor says jump, you ask how high. What else could I do?