ALL NOVEL Chapter 171
It was a peaceful night.
With finals starting soon, I was wondering if I should stand guard, but thankfully, we were told we could rest easy the night before the actual start.
So, of course, stealing or taking stuff from other groups was prohibited. The professors took turns to stand guard, and we had a very, very peaceful night.
In fact, only our group and Stella’s group were peaceful.
Our group had a wagon. Inside the securely locked wagon, three of us were sleeping, while two others were snoozing in a tent enchanted with cold magic.
The ones sleeping in the wagon were Yurasia, Silina, and Gailan.
The ones in the tent were me and Pina.
As someone who can sense movements even while asleep, I took the tent by default, and the rest was decided by a lucky draw.
Other than Yurasia throwing a fit about having to sleep separately, everything was peaceful.
And Stella’s group? I didn’t know the details, but from a distance, I could see five of them huddled together in their tent.
I heard them chatting and giggling hee hee—definitely a peaceful night for them too.
Meanwhile, the other students who lost all their belongings were, well…
They were sleeping on makeshift beds made of grass or, those with some crafting skills made hammocks between trees.
Those sleeping on the ground weren’t able to sleep comfortably due to bugs and heat, while those in hammocks lost their sleep worrying about insects or potentially falling.
And so, morning came.
We peacefully had a hearty breakfast, brushed our teeth, and tore apart our Cleanse Scrolls to wash our bodies.
As for the other students…
They engaged in some pretty entertaining antics.
Noble sons who were bitten by bugs and couldn’t stand the dirt went around looking for students who could use Cleanse spells, trading their supplies for some. Meanwhile, commoners took baths in a stream they found in the middle of the night.
Of course, there were noble brats who stole commoners’ supplies in the process and some boys who got caught peeping at the girls bathing.
And breakfast.
It seemed they were famished after eating a makeshift dinner the night before.
Some claimed they were skilled foragers and nibbled on random weeds in the woods. Most ended up with stomachaches, and a few had to be treated by the priest accompanying the professors for poisoning.
The other students quietly munched on their hardtack while watching that spectacle.
The awaited bathroom.
It was chaotic.
So, I’d rather not dwell on it.
There were students who got stomachaches from eating weeds. Starting from those unfortunate souls, um…
Anyway.
With such events happening even before the exam began, could the professors really keep everything under control?
I had my doubts, but I didn’t bother seeking an answer.
It wasn’t my concern.
Our group wouldn’t have to worry about that.
Sure, we might find the bathroom a bit inconvenient, but we had super soft toilet paper. We even packed wet wipes.
Just in case of emergencies, we prepared a magically enchanted shovel that spreads dirt if you just scoop it a little.
And to ensure the adolescent girls didn’t feel embarrassed, we also brought some deodorant spray.
To top it all off.
We included a sound-canceling artifact.
I’m just that well-prepared and considerate!
“The world has really changed. Anyway, what do you think about these?”
I proudly showed my fellow group members.
“Well? Huh? With this, it’s not the woods but a hotel, a hotel! Right? Isn’t it awesome?”
“Hii!”
“Oh my gosh…”
Pina clapped enthusiastically, Gailan despaired at the thought of having to use those items, and Yurasia tilted her head.
“Young Lady. You didn’t buy all these things when you went to the artifact shop with me, did you?”
“Yep. Why?”
As Yurasia mentioned, I bought these based on recommendations from the shop owner who custom-made artifacts for Stella and Yurasia.
The owner had enthusiastically recommended them, saying they’d be essential for survival during finals, but at first, I hadn’t intended to buy anything.
However… as I paid closer attention to the shopkeeper’s words, I figured Yurasia, Pina, and Stella would definitely need them.
Since I was spending money anyway.
Isn’t it better to buy the best possible?
So, I bought the very best from the shop.
“When did you get these?”
“Three days ago, I think?”
“…Young Lady.”
“Yep?”
After a pause, Yurasia smiled and whispered.
“Next time, um… let’s go together.”
“Why? It’s a hassle.”
“No. We absolutely must go together.”
“…Fine, whatever.”
I replied casually, trying to shift my gaze as Yurasia spoke with an unusual calmness and frustration…
Silina looked pale as a ghost.
“Hey, just in case, you might want to take one too.”
“…A princess wouldn’t need such things.”
Still denying reality.
She’s been like this since yesterday.
When Yurasia, Pina, and Gailan all went off to take care of their business in the morning, Silina remained stiffly seated, completely obstinate.
“Isn’t a princess also a human?”
“Your statement is quite rude and insulting.”
“Insulting my foot. Just let me know when you need it. Don’t make a fuss. Got it? It’s embarrassing enough.”
“…I’m fine. I don’t need it. I must not need it.”
Silina pushed back what I offered and shook her head resolutely.
“Suit yourself.”
I chuckled snicker and handed out necessary items and opened the wagon door.
“But… do we really not need a plan? As we go toward the center, the monsters get stronger, and the magic grows denser… We should probably think about safety and such.”
Gailan, our class representative, rambled on about things as if he was the model student.
Of course, he couldn’t stop me.
“We’ll ace it without such plans.”
I opened the wagon door. At the same time, a bell rang out in the spacious area. The murmurs dissipated.
The finals began.
*
The midterms had different questions for Signia and Frunt. Naturally, the difficulty was also different.
It made sense, considering Signia was a class of the highest-flying and fastest students.
So, it’s only natural that the difficulty is harder.
However, the finals were conducted on the same day, at the same place, and with the same content as Frunt.
Many students from Frunt were puzzled and worried about why that was so. Yet, the professors didn’t answer.
Thus, the questions remained questions.
But the worries didn’t stay worries.
They intensified animosity and united the Frunt class.
If left unchecked, Signia would likely monopolize the results. So, we had to band together.
Strength in numbers!
With some students rallying others with loud voices, more than 70% of Frunt came together in unison.
Thus, a path for Frunt to surpass Signia had opened up.
If we say there’s a balance, you could say there’s some. Well, it’s basically telling the overachievers to survive and earn points on their own.
Then, how should Signia navigate this obstacle?
I don’t know. I haven’t even thought about it.
There’s nothing to think about.
Whether it’s a hundred or a thousand, they’re just kids.
Showing off my strength and radiating confidence against those, it felt a bit pathetic, um, foolish, and so…
Well, I felt a slight sense of self-loathing.
But hey, am I not a kid myself?
I’m a 17-year-old girl after all.
So… maybe it’s okay to act like this a bit.
Anyway, I didn’t think about such things.
For the next two weeks, or at least until then, my plan is one:
To hunt captain-class monsters.
To do that, first, I need to find a hideout. The summer forest is hot and humid. Bugs are everywhere, it’s sticky. What if it rains in such an environment?
The sound of the person next to you breathing can be irritating, and if you make eye contact, you find yourself thinking, “Why the heck are you staring at me?” But if there’s a nice, secure, cozy hideout, life could be relatively pleasant.
Actually, a hideout is just a place for kids to rest when they’re struggling.
Somewhere slightly remote, with a ceiling, and where we can make a fire whenever we want.
I know a place like that exists.
So, problem solved.
Next, I need to find a captain-class monster.
That’s easy; I’ll just wander around and let my feet sweat.
Plus, in the process, I can snatch points from students blocking the way and gain some insurance by defeating monsters.
And when I find one? I’ll take it down.
That’s my plan.
After four hours since the exams started, I found a place that could serve as a hideout.
It looked like a cave from the outside.
But it’s actually a passage.
On the opposite side, there’s another entrance. The entrance we came through is the mouth of the cave. The other entrance leads deep into Anketin.
Out of all the first-year students, only Yurasia and I could access deeper parts of Anketin.
So, there’s only one entrance that students can come and go through.
But ultimately, it’s open at both ends, allowing excellent airflow. Just casting a slight breeze with magic could easily conjure up a decent campfire.
The ceiling is high, and as long as we don’t make too much ruckus inside, it’s strong enough not to collapse.
“Wow… when did you find a place like this?”
“I stumbled across it by chance.”
Gailan, brushing his hand along the walls of the passage, looked at me with shining eyes, and I replied casually.
“It wasn’t so much luck as it was because of Eliaernes; your steps were too honest, don’t you think?”
Of course, it wasn’t pure luck.
It’s a passage we dug 400 years ago while exploring Anketin. I would’ve thought it would have vanished after 400 years, but it’s remained intact, albeit slightly warped.
“So?”
“I won’t press you about it. Thanks to you… I’ve found a comfortable place to stay, and regardless, if I ask, you’ll just say you read it in a book anyway.”
“Oh. Has our Lady Silina finally matured?”
“…I’m not a Lady; I’m a princess. And… that was a very rude and insulting statement.”
“You really like the words rude and insulting, don’t you?”
I grinned snickered and plopped down, taking out my belongings from the A-Space Pocket.
“Now then, let’s set up our sleeping arrangements first.”
Comfortable hideout, eat, sleep, and… well, aside from the bathroom, it’ll be a perfect final exam.
Yurasia, Gailan, Pina.
Isn’t this like a picnic?
Aren’t we enjoying this a bit too much…? Hahaha
Hiiihii!
The princess… doesn’t need to use the bathroom.
Everyone was happy except for Silina.
Then suddenly.
“Hmm? Oh?”
Something seemed slightly off.
“What’s wrong?”
Hii…?
“Is there something wrong? I can help if I can.”
“Eliaernes. That, could it be…”
Tap tap tap.
“The artifacts aren’t functioning?”
“C-cold… the cold storage artifact?”
I pulled out the hefty cold storage artifact and opened the door.
“Um… it’s broken.”
I scratched my cheek and smiled bitterly.
“Everything’s going to spoil in three hours.”
Everyone’s faces turned ghostly pale.