episode_0018

After receiving guidance for the first time, Knightley entered the dark forest alone with a light heart.

A mountain in the middle of the night. There is no control assistant and no accompanying team members, but there are no major problems.

Although Principal Kirin has controlled field training due to the risk of accidents, he has put a lot of effort into theory classes.

Therefore, the students are very proficient in the basic Dokdo method, and Knightley in particular has studied separately, so he can roughly guess the direction just by looking at the shapes of constellations and trees.

There may be a difference between what you’ve been doing at your desk and actually stepping on the ground, but it’s a minor problem that you’ll get used to after a few times.

So finding your way in the mountains near the academy is not a big problem.

Moreover, isn’t this Professor Dian’s private lesson?

If you give private lessons openly, negative comments may spread, so we are trying to set up a separate place to teach.

Professor Dian will probably be waiting for you if you go a little further.

One hour to do that. Knightley noticed something strange going on.

The path, which had been following a gentle ridge, gradually turned sideways and the terrain began to become increasingly rough.

At first, it was an incline that required some body balance, but soon it was at such an angle that it felt like I would fall sideways if I didn’t hold on to something like a tree.

As he grew out of breath and sweat rolled down his chin and neck, Knightley stopped and looked at the map again. I wonder if I might have taken the wrong route.

However, even if you turn the map around and check the compass, this direction is correct. We have to keep going through this damn terrain all the way to the academy.

For now, let’s keep going. There’s a little flat ground in front of me, and I think Professor Dian might be there.

Another hour like that. Knightley ended up swearing while climbing up a slope that was almost like a cliff.

“Damn, damn, damn! Where on earth is this damn professor?! Why hasn’t he shown up yet!!”

However, the only thing that answers him is Knightley’s echo, reflected here and there.

“Come out right away! I know you’re watching!”

There is no answer either.

Knightley wiped the sweat from his hands and took out a map.

There is still about a third of the way to reach the Academy border, and there are almost no gentle sections or detours in between.

You really planned an amazing route. As if he was really trying to tease me.

At this point, Knightley thought about going back the way he came. But that seems difficult.

I don’t want to give up like this. What would Professor Dian think if you go home empty-handed after boasting that having a dedicated tutor for you will definitely help your career?

They will think that she is a vain noblewoman who is arrogant and makes loud noises that she cannot protect herself.

Moreover, when you return, you have to return with an infiltration professor or another teaching assistant, and you cannot ignore the gaze of other students who have already arrived at the academy.

It’s not because I’m ashamed or embarrassed, but because I hate being talked down to by such lowly people.

And on the other hand, Knightley wanted to test his abilities and limits.

Clearly, she is the top student at the academy, excelling in all subjects, but that only applies to theory classes and written exams.

Knightley does not yet know his level in rough terrain.

If I can’t even climb the mountain near the academy, I can’t become the special agent I wanted to be.

It is no longer possible to live like the imperial special agent in the story that her brothers often told and that captivated Knightley’s heart.

If you are excluded from the field because you are not up to par and are transferred to an office job, you might be caught by your father right away.

Then, the whole past of running away to the academy to avoid an arranged marriage, causing a bitter feud with my father, becomes meaningless.

Goes. Even if I die soon, I will go. If Professor Dian was a thoughtful person, he would have put in place the minimum safety measures.

Knightley stuffed the map into his arms, touched the ground, and raised his upper body.

Knightley, who had missed several times and almost fell, soon regained his balance and began to crawl up the slope.

# # # # #

“Damn, damn, damn! Where on earth is this damn professor?! Why hasn’t he shown up yet!!”

When I heard Knightley’s scream of anger from the top of the slope, Survival Professor Waver turned to me and grinned.

“It looks like the class president is very angry.”

“You’ll be pissed. I came here expecting private lessons, but I just kept riding mountains.”

Waver and I are currently sitting on a tree at the bottom of the slope where Knightley is sitting halfway down.

We have been following Knightley ever since he received separate guidance and began infiltrating on his own.

Almost two hours have passed since then, and Knightley still hasn’t noticed our presence.

“It looks like the class president is going to take a break for a while. Shall we have a late-night snack?”

Waver took out two large pieces of beef jerky from his waist pocket and handed one to me.

“This is lamb jerky. I made it myself. The taste is amazing.”

“Hmm, that’s right. It’s really delicious.”

Waver asked while chewing the beef jerky.

“By the way, senior professor. I thought I was second to none when it came to hiding and tracking. Today, I see that the head professor is no slouch either. Where did you receive separate training?”

“I didn’t receive any formal training, I just learned it through hands-on experience here and there.”

“Is that so? According to rumors, he is a war veteran. Where were you in the military?”

“Here and there too. So what did you do during the war?”

When I changed the topic, wondering if I should go into detail about the past, Waver answered.

“I was active in the militia.”

Survival Professor Waver was a hunter in the Qirana region in the eastern part of the empire. When the Four Years’ War broke out and the Demon King’s army invaded, they formed a militia with local people and fought to the death.

“There are many hunters in Qirana who have continued the family business for generations. As soon as they were able to walk, they learned how to shoot arrows and set traps, and most of the terrain was mountainous, so the Demon King’s army had a very difficult time.”

I know about that well. In the early stages of the war, the Demon King’s army swept across most of the continent, but struggled in a few places, one of which was Qirana.

A mountain battle in a place teeming with hunters skilled in bows and traps. It’s scary to even think about it.

“So, did you have some fun?”

“It’s a bit hard to say this, but even so, I have received a medal.”

“That’s right? What medal did you receive?”

“This is the Third Class Military Service Medal. I received it after hitting the hundredth arrow into the head of the hornman.”

“Wow, it’s really amazing. A civilian hunter, not an active duty soldier, shot and killed 100 demons.”

“Haha. Thank you.”

Then I heard a rustling sound and looked up to see Knightley staggering to his feet.

“Oh, it’s happening. Will the class president go forward or turn back?”

Waver and I watched Knightley with bated breath.

Knightley, who was a little hesitant, soon began to climb up the slope, placing his hands on the ground.

Waver saw that and expressed low admiration.

“I thought she couldn’t endure any more hardships just because she’s a noblewoman, but she’s amazing. I am also the class president student.”

“Then, Waver, you go ahead first and wait for Knightley. I’ll follow you.”

“Okay, head professor. See you again at the academy.”

Waver shoved the remaining beef jerky into his mouth and quickly climbed the slope, silently hopping from tree to tree like an owl.

I waited until Knightley was far enough up the slope and then quietly followed him.

# # # # #

“Ha… .”

As the lights of the Academy appeared in front of him, Knightley sighed wearily and knelt down.

Now she had just come down the rock cliff. The gloves are already worn out and the muscles of my entire body are trembling.

Even though it was her first practice, Knightley was able to come this far thanks to the physical training she did on her own.

Although I don’t know the details of how to overcome the terrain, I ended up reaching the final point of the infiltration route because my basic stamina supported me.

“Good job, Knightley.”

When I lifted my head with difficulty, I saw Professor Dian looking down at Knightley with a smile.

“Professor… . Why are you doing this to me? .”

“Why are you like this? This is the first private lesson held once a week.”

“Something like this… .”

Knightley forced his dry lips to reveal his teeth.

“Something like this… It’s called private lessons… ?”

“You came alone, away from the other students. And I followed behind you and continued to supervise you.”

“Follow me… ? I didn’t feel anything… ?”

“You probably don’t know yet. If you keep learning, you will be able to feel it. however… .”

Professor Dian pointed behind his shoulder with his thumb.

“The final destination is not here, but inside the academy. It’s infiltration training.”

“Damn it… .”

Knightley gritted his teeth as he got up on his knees and stepped forward with his shaky legs. And then he fell forward.

Dian caught Knightley, who was falling, just in time.

“Are you okay?”

Since there is no answer, Knightley in the body appears to have completely fainted with his eyes closed.

I guess it will be difficult to proceed any further. I have to stop here.

When Dian gestured, Waver, who was up on the academy watchtower, gave a hand signal indicating that he knew and withdrew from the watchtower.

The original plan was to climb over the wall while being bombarded with Waver’s ‘narrowly missing’ arrows, but this is enough.

The reason Knightley was forced into such a dangerous place alone was to test her will and patience.

If Knightley gives up on something as simple as breaking through difficult terrain, there will be no point in continuing to teach him.

I just call them once a week, spend some time, and send them back, right?

So I tested it.

Until now, you’ve been bragging as if you can do anything based on your theoretical grades, but once you’re actually thrown into the field, your thoughts will change.

I have seen many platoon leaders who graduated from military academies with excellent grades become entranced after their first battle. Theory and field are completely different things.

But fortunately, contrary to concerns, Knightley did not give up and came this far.

Actually, I’m really glad that I also wanted to teach Knightly.

Knightley is an excellent student in many ways, and I was curious to see how far he could grow under my guidance.

And if we produce outstanding agents among the graduates, the Second Princess will not have any doubts about the current system, where Kirin is the principal and I am a professor.

Okay, Knightley. Let’s keep going.

# # # # #

“Hello, priest.”

The Maya priest, who had stayed up late at the infirmary for a night infiltration class and was writing a patient diary, looked up.

Dean, the head combat professor, was entering the medical center carrying a blonde female student with a disheveled appearance.

“I am a student who took infiltration classes. I came to receive divine treatment because I was completely out of stamina.”

“Lay it down there.”

While Dian laid the girl down on the empty bed, Priest Maya quickly made notes in the new patient’s log.

After confirming that the patient diary he wrote was based on completely objective facts, Priest Maya got up from his chair and turned to the patient.

[In the middle of the night, Professor Dian carried a beautiful female student with an embarrassed smile, her clothes in disarray, her body wet with sweat and unconscious].

[As the other students who participated in the class did not visit, it is presumed that some kind of intense physical activity occurred between the two that deviated from the previously planned class content].