Doggone Academy

I took out Cecil’s Stitch. The Stitch itself showed no reaction; it was the parchment stored with it that was emitting light.

Something must have happened to Cecil. There seemed to be something hidden, but I had no immediate way to find out what it was.

Could it be a call for help? I had no intention of contacting Cecil in the danger zone. Calling for her would be like summoning the entire group.

Joining forces with redundant personnel in the danger zone would only add to the burden Luna and I had to bear. Our actions would be restricted, and it would be more difficult to draw the cursed sword immediately in a crisis. Besides Cecil, there was nobody else whose presence would benefit us.

In the current situation, with a top predator of the circulatory system as our target, they were nothing but dead weight.

I put the Stitch and the magical parchment back into my pocket. I’d only respond after the joint class was complete.

“It’s nothing significant.”

As I was about to leave the cave, Luna stood up and awkwardly waved her hand.

“That… have a safe trip.”

Though likely not her intention, the sight made me feel like the head of a household setting off to earn a living. It was an odd feeling.

“By the way, do you like pork?”

Luna nodded twice.

What does that mean? Usually, she doesn’t nod more than once. Does nodding twice indicate a strong affirmation?

“I’ll be back.”

I took off my outer garment, hanging it on the cave wall, and stepped outside in just my thin shirt.

The downpour made it difficult to see.

My body was soaked, sending a shiver down my spine. I uncorked a bottle of Griffin Potion and took about half of it to stimulate my heartbeat and raise my body temperature.

The reason I mentioned pork was that while gathering firewood, I had discovered traces of wild boars.

I headed straight for the place I remembered.

The light leaking from my pocket grew stronger, but I intentionally ignored it and continued my search.

Although the rain had washed away the footprints, the paths formed by the creatures’ heavy bodies moving through the forest remained until plants reclaimed them.

As I prowled through the woods, I felt a presence behind me and turned my head.

About thirty steps behind me, one of Luna’s wolf spirits was standing there.

Had Luna sent it?

“Don’t worry about me, go protect Luna.”

The creature showed no reaction, as if not understanding my words.

I moved again, and it followed. It seemed that Luna really did send it. I appreciated the sentiment, but with such a large creature at my heels, the pigs would run off before I could do anything.

Looking back again, the creature sat down, sticking out its tongue and panting.

“Stay further back. You’ll scare away the prey.”

It didn’t seem to listen, clearly following Luna’s orders alone. I gave up and continued my search.

The path used by the wild boars was wider than expected. It looked like a carriage could have passed through. Tufts of hair were stuck to tree barks, and there were traces of blood here and there. Heavy footprints that hadn’t been washed away by the rain indicated that they moved in groups, not alone.

I was nearing the habitat of the wild boars. To prepare for sudden developments, I drew my wooden sword.

Suddenly, the wolf spirit began to bark, startling something in the underbrush aside the path.

Something splashed across a puddle towards me. The footsteps lacked the heaviness of wild animals, and it was not on four legs.

I instinctively knew a person was approaching and gripped my sword tighter.

Before they could emerge from the bushes, I called out.

“Who’s there?”

The rustling stopped at my question, and someone spoke from the other direction.

“…Who are you?”

The voice was familiar—a woman’s.

“…”

Suddenly, the Stitch in my pocket started thrashing as if trying to escape. Upon opening the pouch, it flew out towards the mysterious woman.

“It’s really you, Candy.”

Then, Cecil emerged from the bushes, her top buttons undone, thoroughly soaked, her clothes clinging and revealing underneath.

She was alone, which suggested something had happened.

“What brings you here?”

“I had nowhere else to go. Can you… help me?”

Cecil’s skin was pale from being in the rain for too long, lips devoid of color.

As her legs wobbled and she stumbled, I caught her by the shoulders to support her.

“It’s lucky I found you… I wanted to surprise you, actually. Had no idea I’d end up soaked like this.”

It seemed she had attached a tracker to Stitch. If Stitch hadn’t been stored in the labyrinth, it could have been a real issue. I had just avoided a misfortune due to carelessness.

Her condition was too serious for idle chatter. We had to return to the cave before hypothermia set in.

“Can you walk?”

“No… No, wait!”

I lifted Cecil up in one swift motion. Embarrassed, she punched my chest softly and covered her face with one hand. A slight blush returned to her pale face.

“Next time, give me a warning before picking me up.”

“…But what about the other group members?”

I casually asked, wondering if something had happened to Trisha.

“The river swelled suddenly, and we got separated. The others are fine.”

***

Luna was drying Damian’s coat by the fire when she occasionally glanced outside the cave, but the heavy rain and mist prevented her from seeing anything.

Not long after, though, a figure approached the cave. The silhouette had a sword at the waist and carried something in its arms. Luna recognized Damian’s distinct aura coming back from the hunt.

When Damian entered the cave, Luna was shocked at what he brought.

He held a person in his arms—a familiar face. It was Cecil Fontar, someone she had seen a few times in the dormitory. Luna couldn’t comprehend why Damian would return holding her.

Damian carefully sat Cecil down in front of the fire.

“Thank you, Candy.”

Cecil, in turn, appeared stunned upon seeing Luna there.

“…?”

“…?”

Cecil, hesitant, asked,

“Candy, did you meet her by chance too?”

Compared to such an unexpected encounter, Luna’s clothes were pristine.

“She’s my friend. Get some rest. I’m going hunting.”

With those words, Damian left the cave abruptly.

Silence ensued, awkward and lingering.

Damian’s casual mention of “friend” echoed in Cecil’s mind. After always covering his face, hiding his identity, and not talking much, she had assumed he had no friends but her.

Seeing Cecil’s pale face, Luna understood why she needed to be brought here, but Cecil couldn’t fathom Luna’s presence.

Cecil had half-expected Damian might offer to form a group if she asked nicely.

She had even given him a Stitch to keep in touch. But he disappeared after taking care of his own business. Was he behind her back, cozying up with a girl?

Moreover, not just any girl but the top student of the Magic Department.

Although the situation deviated from her expectations, leaving her less than pleased, Cecil was aware that she was strictly an uninvited guest and on the receiving end of help. Thus, she refrained from acting presumptuously.

She continued to warm her soaked body and tentatively greeted Luna.

“You’re Luna, right? I’m Cecil. We’ve crossed paths a few times, but here we meet again. It’s nice to see you.”

Luna received her greeting stiffly.

“…Hello.”

“Candy and you are a group?”

“Yes.”

“So you know about Candy’s identity?”

Luna shook her head.

“No.”

It felt like an interrogation, even though that wasn’t the intention. Cecil needed to assuage her curiosity; otherwise, it would keep nagging at her.

“Really? What did Candy offer in exchange for joining the group?”

Cecil assumed Luna would not simply go into the danger zone with an unknown man without any conditions. However, Luna’s response surprised her.

“Candy is my friend. No reward is necessary.”

“…”

Frustration filled Cecil as her chest tightened. She pulled out a wet strand of tobacco and began to dry it by the fire.

Then a thought struck her, and she posed another question to Luna.

“But… is it alright for Candy to go alone?”

Luna nodded.

Creatures in the circulatory system generally had some resistance to magic. When spells were cast, animals could change their outer layers with magic to defend themselves from various attributes, making it especially tricky to hunt wild animals.

And deep within the danger zone lurked a fierce beast known as the “wingless dragon.”

If Damian wielded an enchantment sword, he might suffer setbacks due to elemental compatibility.

Then heavy, earth-shaking footsteps approached the entrance, and only then did Cecil realize it wasn’t the time to worry about Candy.

***

Not one, but three wolf spirits now followed Damian.

The feeling of being watched candidly intruded on Damian’s thoughts, but he dismissed it and resumed tracking the wild boars.

Their trail was maze-like, disorienting him the deeper he ventured. The signs were becoming clearer, but he had yet to actually spot the boars.

Suddenly, the wolf spirits scattered in alarm, dashing forward with urgency. One stopped, signaling for Damian to follow by wagging its tail fervently.

Sensing an immediate danger, Damian hurried along the path, following the spirit.

He passed through a tunnel-like thicket of vines and at its end was the cave they had been using—a cave that was actually part of the wild boars’ territory.

***

Chiik, chiik

Loud snorts pierced into the cave through the torrential downpour.

Luna and Cecil quickly stood, sensing an unsettling presence.

Something was outside.

A colossal shape, as large as a carriage, slowly approached the cave entrance.

Through the mist beyond, the red glow of the creature’s eyes sparkled ominously.

The beast thudded along, drawing nearer to the entrance. It was a giant wild boar, adorned with distinctive markings. A swipe from its massive head had the potential to crumble even a bull to clay.

What lousy luck to encounter a wild animal of the circulatory system with her recovery incomplete and Candy away.

Cecil pulled out her magical bombs, but their effectiveness against such magically resistant beasts was uncertain.

The boar’s blocking of the entrance meant there was no escape.

The boar’s eyes seethed with anger toward the intruders in its territory.

It began to shuffle its feet, preparing to charge.

At that moment, a brilliant light exploded from one side of the cave’s exterior.

Immediately after, the white light swept over where the boar stood, followed by an ear-deafening blast.

As Cecil opened her eyes, she saw Candy standing there near the entrance, looking calmly at where the boar had been flung away.

The massive wild boar had been blown away without a chance to resist.

There he was, walking into the cave, calmly asking Cecil,

“Do you like pork?”

Indeed, the top overall student displayed undeniable prowess.

He was a man she wouldn’t trade for a hundred others, not for Victor, Gale, Bertang, no one.