Ch.409409 – Following the Trail

<409 – Following the Traces>

The senior from the Production Department regretted it.

‘Was I too harsh on that kid?’

No, it was reasonable caution.

From the beginning, wasn’t it suspicious that such a young child appeared in the leave of absence students’ zone without a badge?

But when she realized the child had left without touching the supplies placed outside the window, she felt sorry.

‘Could I have misunderstood?’

Maybe it really was a first-year who came looking for a close senior out of genuine concern, risking danger.

As she harbored such soft thoughts, a colleague staying in the same area clicked her tongue and advised:

“Get a grip. You’re losing your rationality because they’re a child.”

“Aren’t you worried about that kid? No matter how blinded by points we are, we don’t need to lose our humanity.”

“You think I have no compassion? If they were a proper student on leave after completing a full year, I would have taught them how to get point loans and helped them advance to second year.”

“Then why treat them like that?”

“Have you forgotten the circumstances of their appearance? It’s the middle of the semester. Moreover, they appeared from beyond the turbulent air during what amounts to the most serious disaster we’ve experienced.”

Only after hearing her colleague’s words did she realize what she had missed.

“Someone skilled enough to pass through a disaster?”

“Beyond that, the person who entered might be the one who caused the disaster.”

“No way. They’re too young.”

“Is there a law that says the age you see is real?”

“I… had a conversation with that child right in front of me.”

“They might be so skilled that they could fool you even face to face.”

That was truly… frightening even to imagine.

A skilled person capable of causing disasters alone appearing in the leave of absence students’ zone.

As if this hell-like place wasn’t enough, the thought that a new magical disaster might be added made her feel her carefully maintained resolve crumbling.

This place is too dangerous.

Too dangerous for those without talent to endure with just stubbornness and spite.

“Should I… give up on advancing?”

“Do as you wish. I’m going to try to hold out for one more year.”

Though her colleague said that, from the heavy expression as she turned away, she sensed that one colleague from the safe zone would disappear.

To think that a shoemaker who could safely traverse the thorn-filled mounds causing mutations from magical disasters would be gone.

Surviving here will be even harder from next month.

With a bitter feeling, she reached out to retrieve the supplies she had left outside the window, but her hand swept through empty air.

“Huh? It was definitely here.”

The supplies had vanished without a trace.

Not a single footprint remained on the ground.

As she felt a chill at this ghostly occurrence, several new entrants appeared from beyond the fog.

An Eastern swordsman bleeding profusely from his head but not losing his sharp aura.

A black knight in full armor taking rough steps while not hiding his indignation.

Seeing these students all without badges, she had a terrifying thought.

‘There’s no way first-years could appear in large numbers through that powerful disaster-level mana wave. These must be seniors from much higher classes pretending to be freshmen with their badges removed.’

Where worry had risen, only fear remained now.

Let’s leave with my colleague when she goes.

Today, the dreams of advancement held by two students on leave were folded.

* * *

Zhang “procured” supplies openly placed in the leave of absence students’ zone.

Even examining with his observational eye, there was no sign of contract fraud like Valocassio’s.

‘These seniors are really kind.’

Thanks to this, he discovered that Oknodie was heading toward where the compass pointed.

‘That place… a magical disaster?’

Despite being the shortest in the Academy, her small footsteps are incredibly difficult to follow.

She’s even tougher than the undertaker Hestia, which is astounding.

‘Is she stupid? Walking straight into a magical disaster that others try their hardest to avoid.’

When magic imbued with strong will is repeatedly activated in a space, that will becomes imprinted on the land and space.

When multiple such wills exist and conflict with each other, periodic or permanent magical disasters tend to occur in that area.

Zhang knew typical examples of magical disasters.

In the Thousand Spirit Mountain Range where the Great Sorceress lived, there exists a magical disaster called <Ghost Valley> where spirits of dead monsters wander and cause all sorts of incidents.

It’s a magical disaster hostile to living beings, causing them to get lost in the mountains and fall to their deaths.

Near the resting place of the Great Pirate where pirates hide, the conflicting wills of mermaids and slave mages created a magical disaster called <Nightmare Song>.

It’s a magical disaster where ships lured by the song inevitably crash into reefs and sink, making deaf helmsmen essential.

‘I wonder how dangerous that place is?’

Staring intently, he employed <Discernment> learned from Professor Bronze’s lecture.

━━━

[Never-ending Sandstorm]

A localized anomaly limited to a 1.5km radius.

High risk of death due to rapid deterioration of pulmonary function from fine dust penetrating the lungs.

━━━

One must pass through while holding their breath.

Naturally, an ordinary person without mana cultivation techniques could only last about 1-2 minutes before running out of breath and falling victim to the fine dust.

The only option is to use mana cultivation techniques to collect large amounts of oxygen in the surrounding space, then breathe repeatedly within one’s own domain isolated from the fine dust.

‘Now I understand why enrolled students shouldn’t enter the leave of absence students’ zone.’

If a lower-class novice were to wander into such a dangerous place, they’d be perfect candidates for an untimely death.

‘Neither Oknodie nor I are novices though.’

His mana cultivation technique effortlessly draws in the surrounding air.

This is nothing unfamiliar to an assassin.

When jumping down from heights, leaping through windows, or disappearing silently before an enemy’s eyes.

By stealing the air, one removes the medium through which sound travels, securing stealth.

A domain where only oneself can breathe is as familiar to an assassin as solitude.

‘You’re the same, aren’t you, Oknodie?’

* * *

Shortly after Zhang chased Oknodie into the mana disaster, a massive force forcibly expanded the closing boundary and opened the door to the leave of absence students’ zone.

The students on leave who were startled and peering outside from the safety zone windows were greatly alarmed when they identified the intruders.

“None of them have badges.”

“So many first-years entered the leave of absence students’ zone? What’s going on? Are they on some kind of field trip?”

“Idiot, say something that makes sense. Field trips are for inferior lower classes. Do those people look like such lower classes to you?”

First-years without badges but with skills seemingly equivalent to third-years.

Looking at their faces, the students on leave reached a shocking hypothesis.

“Are they really first-years?”

“What do you mean?”

“The badges that distinguish grade levels. Is there a law saying you can’t remove them to hide your grade?”

There is no such law.

Badges are worn as a warning to juniors not to act up.

If one has no intention of warning others, or conversely, if one is full of intent to deceive, they might deliberately not wear a badge.

‘Have fourth-years hiding their abilities stormed in? Even a professor is opening the boundary at the entrance. Could this be a group graduation project raid!?’

Of course, the people causing terror among the students on leave were all first-years.

“The little one called Oknodie is a student of the same class as you. Use your peer bonds to find her somehow. As long as Professor RedMountain’s protective charm lasts, you should be able to catch up at the entrance of the magical disaster.”

“Aren’t you coming with us, Professor?”

“My mana control technique isn’t that great on land. I can force a hole in the boundary and hold it, but I can’t prevent my massive mana from agitating the magical disaster. To leave traces for tracking, you first-years need to go in and rescue Oknodie yourselves.”

Professor El Draco, realizing that Oknodie was missing from the gathered students, immediately tracked the magical traces and discerned that Oknodie had headed to the leave of absence students’ zone.

Tracking Oknodie’s traces in that swirling magical disaster would not be easy.

After all, he was a pirate.

Tracking on land was inevitably his weakness.

That’s why he mobilized many first-years.

Those who were mobilized didn’t refuse the call.

“Did Oknodie know we were fighting Dobby at the coast?”

“Whether she knew or not, thanks to the Kraken’s rampage, Dobby’s magic was forcibly canceled. Once again, we received help from that little squirt.”

“…That’s right. If such an Oknodie has stepped into a dangerous place, we must risk our lives to rescue her.”

Those who had intended to teach Dobby a lesson for Oknodie’s sake couldn’t possibly ignore her disappearance.

Fortunately, traces needed for tracking were found even in the chaotic area teeming with magical disasters.

“Found it. There are small footprints here that seem to be Oknodie’s.”

Morb shook his head at the marks pointed out by Northern Grand Duchess Irene.

“That’s incorrect. Oknodie’s footprints are at least 10mm smaller than that.”

“The tin can is right. I don’t smell Oknodie’s scent here.”

Irene was shocked to see Sing agreeing with Morb’s words.

Those guys really know Oknodie well.

For the same reason, Giselle, Isabelle, and Son Ocheon regarded the two with great suspicion.

Why do those guys know Oknodie so well?