Ch.379379 – Hector’s Vassal Group 2

<379 – Hector’s Vassal Group 2>

Merchants are the treasure goblins of the human realm.

They carry valuable goods in abundance, yet their combat power is so weak they die with a mere poke.

In this land, there were far too many men who couldn’t sleep at night thinking about the treasures they let slip away if they didn’t rob such delicious prey.

“That’s why your father has spared no expense to prepare this solution.”

“An artifact? Couldn’t we just hire mercenaries instead of spending on something so expensive?”

“Remember this, Yuie. Mercenaries can abandon their employers and flee when situations turn unfavorable. In the end, only you can protect yourself.”

Betrayal by subordinates.

Betrayal by business partners.

Betrayal by mercenary groups hired for escort.

Having grown up watching her father suffer through countless betrayals, Yuie craved power more than any other merchant.

That’s why she possessed numerous artifacts.

Shoes of marching that never tire the feet.

Eagle’s mark that sees far distances.

Ogre gauntlets that grant tremendous strength.

These were items she couldn’t use during the entrance exam.

During that fierce pre-admission test, there were too many stronger competitors, and too many plunderers trying to kill her and steal her artifacts.

Using artifacts remained difficult during the first semester as well.

Points were required for “possession permits” to carry artifacts around, and additional points were needed for “usage permits” to actually use them.

She couldn’t waste points like that when she needed capital for her business.

But now in the second semester.

Now that she had infiltrated the organization called Hector’s Vassal Group and gained the opportunity to exert her influence.

Yuie had long since acquired both “possession permits” and “usage permits” for her large collection of artifacts.

Possession permits to carry her artifacts in case of emergency.

Usage permits to use artifacts for academic purposes like exams and assignments.

Having obtained both, Yuie had regained the powerful strength that had once driven her to lead her merchant group into one of the Three Great Forbidden Forests.

“That’s the power of treasures!”

“Where did all those treasures come from?”

“I’ve heard treasures choose their owners—to meet all those strict conditions and still be able to handle them!”

Treasures are items enhanced to +5 or higher.

Even those unaware of this fact due to imperial taboos know about the side effects caused by such enhancements.

The enormous mana consumption required by highly enhanced items.

To compensate for this, each item often includes restrictions that reduce or eliminate mana consumption.

Restrictions that prevent removal once equipped.

Restrictions requiring the taking of a life before a drawn sword can be sheathed.

Restrictions that make the wearer appear repulsive to the opposite sex.

The rarer the item, the greater the mana consumption it eliminates, and thus the heavier the accompanying restrictions.

That’s why artifact collectors who gather items for actual use carefully select only those with similar restrictions or restrictions they can manage.

There are even people who make their living as artifact trackers, specializing in identifying the owners and locations of artifacts with specific restrictions and introducing them to clients!

Since not everyone was born with tremendous mana like Titosoga, those who equipped multiple artifacts were inevitably impressive.

It was proof they either trained hard enough to overcome numerous restrictions or possessed enough wealth to carefully select artifacts with similar restrictions to minimize penalties.

Yuie belonged to the latter category.

With all her hidden artifacts equipped, she exerted her strength directly, pushing back the massive roots before they could crush her.

Boom boom boom!

“Gasp! The side! The ground is shifting from the side!”

“I’ll try to block one side!”

The angered pet tree pushed the soil by moving another root.

As Hector imbued his sword strike with magic to expand its range and increase its power, the soil couldn’t overcome the slash and was pushed back like waves hitting a breakwater.

“We’ll try to block this side!”

Deiphobus and the few students still able to move placed their hands on a mana barrier to hold back the soil advancing from behind.

“Nobody move!”

Three rings on Yuie’s hand simultaneously emitted light.

<Ring of Mana Amplification>

<Ring of Phase Transition>

<Ring of Output Enhancement>

She supplemented her insufficient mana, changed the position of the advancing soil, and increased her output to expand the effect range.

As a secondary effect of the spatial exchange, dazzling light burst forth as sand and rocks colliding like bullets and cannonballs.

<Projectile Velocity Adjustment Bracelet>

<Auto-Targeting Gloves>

<Mana Spear Beads>×25

The beads she pulled from her pocket by the handful transformed into mana spears, flying out to counter the pet tree Popi’s follow-up branch-stabbing attack with equal force.

The enraged Popi lifted even the deepest roots it had laid beneath the forest floor, beginning to reveal the massive body hidden underground.

Even Yuie, who had been fighting evenly for a moment, darkened her expression.

“Wait, this is approaching large-species class…?”

Everyone despaired at the prospect of having to offer blood to the untrustworthy third-year senior as the tree, which had been at mid-sized monster level, showed signs of growing even larger.

Tetrapos smiled gleefully.

After blood stones were accidentally released in the Academy and he made significant progress in refining his cruel blood techniques.

After further improving his skills during the break, he began coveting the blood of other students, prompting persistent intervention from the student council.

First-year students who came on their own to this place where he was catching his breath from the meddlesome student council.

To his eyes, it was better than an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Of course, upperclassmen cannot initiate confrontation with first-years.

Even if they do, the permissible range is limited.

However, if the juniors themselves seek help, if they indirectly express willingness to pay blood as a fair price.

If the student council isn’t present at the scene, he could easily extract their blood.

‘Thrash around more, tree. I shall become the most prosperous one in this forest. Your fertilizers will become my blood pouches!’

If not for the unexpected performance of the student named Yuie, he could have drained their blood until they were nearly mummies, but now they would only suffer anemia.

Still, that was enough.

If he pushed the first-years to their limits, there would be plenty of opportunities to extract blood.

In the coming second round.

In the moment filled with the ecstasy of the strong dominating the weak.

“!?”

The pet tree Popi stopped all movement and looked somewhere, as if an overwhelming predator had appeared.

Tetrapos quickly realized what the direction of that intense stare meant.

‘That place is a trial gate connected by dimensional doors, like this shortcut…?’

The difference would be that it’s far from the pet tree Popi, and if one pays enough attention, they can safely exit the forest.

However, the number of prey would be far greater there.

There’s no reason for a small number of people to use such a large path that just takes more time.

Yet the tree monster remained vigilant.

It was evidence that an incredibly strong person was there.

At least someone comparable to Tetrapos himself when he revealed his true nature.

As far as he knew, such an opponent would have to be at least an executive-level member of the student council among the third-years.

Like the unwavering leader of the Western Nobility Alliance.

The possessor of both strength and beauty with an atmosphere like a noble gem, the noble lady Velvet.

‘Tch. Lucky them.’

Instead of enjoying his entertainment, Tetrapos urged the disoriented first-years.

“The monster’s attention is elsewhere. Shall we pass through?”

Only then could Hector’s Vassal Group escape through the gate with relief.

After exiting, they stopped to rest.

Tetrapos grew impatient.

He never knew when he might hear Velvet’s footsteps.

No matter how quickly one flees or how cleverly one hides, the experience of hearing footsteps approaching that never grow distant makes one anxious.

Especially for someone with something to hide.

“We were lucky, but I never expected to pass through three gates safely. You’ve all trained hard, haven’t you?”

“Does this look safe to you, senior…?”

As Yuie said, none of the first-years were uninjured.

Even Hector was sweating profusely, his long hair sticking to his cheeks.

“This is as far as we go. If the next gate is stronger than this one, someone could really die. Honestly, we almost did just now.”

With Yuie’s skills alone, she couldn’t guide them without casualties.

Even breaking through the Monster Forest, one of the Three Great Forbidden Forests, was possible only with the help of a much stronger merchant group’s direct forces—she had no confidence in passing through gates of rapidly increasing difficulty with these weaker companions.

Of course, Tetrapos wouldn’t let the juniors go so easily.

“Turning back now? Haha, juniors. Have you forgotten what path we just came through?”

In response to his reference to the third gate, Yuie snorted and pointed to the route guarded by the instructor that everyone had consciously ignored.

“We can go to the instructor and ask to be escorted back to the dormitory.”

“Hmm. I see. That option exists.”

Tetrapos nodded and quickly extended his hand to collapse the ceiling of the narrow path.

“Not anymore.”

“…”

“Come on, let’s hurry. Don’t worry too much. I’ll faithfully show you the quickest shortcut through the fourth gate too. Hahaha!”

Yuie and Hector had no choice but to follow him, even as they glared at him.

In the gloomy atmosphere that contrasted starkly with the cheerful picnic of Oknodie’s group, Yuie used her fingernail to carve a message on a note in her pocket.

The note was passed through the hands of several vassals before reaching Hector.

━━━

Want to drag this senior to Oknodie’s group.

Nod if you agree

━━━

Using an enemy’s strength against another enemy.

Hector nodded with great pleasure.