Chapter 139

The school function in question was a survival course to be held outside the capital. There were several reasons why this coincided with the tourney. First of all, since adventurers and other skilled individuals gathered in Felskeilo during the tourney, the threat of monsters around the capital decreased significantly. Lodgings also filled up fast during this time, so most adventurers booked an extended stay and paid for their room by taking on local monster requests. Their safety wasn’t guaranteed, but it was easier to take out multiple enemies as a group. In addition, excitement rose to a fever pitch around ten or so days prior to the tourney. The Academy took on a festive air, and classes were the last thing on anyone’s minds. Eager to join the jamboree, volunteer students set up stalls on the school grounds for public enjoyment. Aside from those tasked with supervision, the instructors had plenty of free time and were sent to oversee the survival course instead. Since the tourney had fizzled out like a balloon this year, a secondary festival was held to ease the citizens’ disappointment. As far as the Academy was concerned, this just meant more time to party. The survival course was completely optional and included a liability waver that stated any loss of life during the survival course was not the responsibility of the Academy. It was, in other words, a last will and testament. Even with the instructors and adventurers acting as minders, countless lives were lost each year due to unfortunate accidents. The Academy kept a watchful eye, but not everyone was accustomed to the great outdoors. Moreover, the adventurers doubled as both guards and guides, since most of the school’s faculty was composed of reclusive researchers. Mai-Mai was their headmistress and a former Imperial Mage. She could be counted on for firepower in a pinch, so leaving the capital was easier said than done. The training camp was primarily spearheaded by former adventurers and knights who had turned to teaching upon retirement. “You have adequate guards, don’t you?” Skargo asked. “The princess will participate this year, so several Imperial Knights will accompany her. Our usual volunteer adventurers also made inquiries before registration even opened, and I’ve asked Mother to join as well.” “Do you intend to hire Mother Dear for a pittance? Curb your expectations, Mai-Mai.” “I always pay the adventurers a fair sum! Mother is among their number, so I’m certain she’ll accept the same amount.” “Well, I suppose I can’t argue with that…” His sister’s emphatic response overwhelmed Skargo. Indeed, their mother was not one to disregard her children’s wishes. “Those whom we accepted into the church last year are keen to participate. As former apprentices, they’ll use their experiences to shepherd this year’s initiates.” “I’m glad to hear your priests are growing up well, Brother.” “That is thanks to recent events. However, very few people still count as apprentices after all the activity over the past year, such as the attack on the capital.” The church sent healers to events to provide potions and the like, but their main objective was to cultivate their members. By assigning three or four apprentices to one veteran monk or nun, each novice could become more acclimated to working on the front lines. Aside from those who chose to embark on a pilgrimage, most in the church never left the capital. A survival course was therefore an excellent opportunity to train. The tension from dealing with both a monstrous rampage and an ambush in a single year had undoubtedly accelerated the personal growth of all involved. “Still, the Imperial Knights are going to escort the princess?” Skargo asked Mai-Mai. “The knight captain has been busy since the tourney.” “Well, I must admit even I was dumbfounded.” When disaster struck the Battle Arena like a typhoon, even Skargo had to frown. His mother’s unbelievable feats had convinced the High Priest he’d seen it all, but in that very moment, he felt there was still extraordinary talent hidden in this world. The knight captain in question was responsible for the incident and had apparently been relieved of his post. He carried out assistant-type duties for the time being, which meant mountains of extra work for the co-captain. The knights as a whole were a jumbled mess. After leaving Opus and flying off to Felskeilo, Cayna appeared in a waiting room of the cathedral via the whale Guardian. Skargo had said the magic rhymestones would message him whenever someone (mainly Cayna) entered this room, and she steeled herself for his imminent arrival. However, the tall effect-happy weirdo never came. Suddenly suspicious, Cayna left the cathedral and headed for the Academy next door. The gatekeeper let her enter without argument and informed the headmistress. “We dropped by at the last minute, but it was nice of them to give her a heads-up,” said Cayna. “Heads-up, heads-up!” Kuu parroted her and flitted happily through the air. The school building was mostly empty, so she wasn’t too concerned about flying around in public. “Oh, Miss Cayna!” “Hi there, Lonti.” As Cayna walked down the hallway toward the headmistress’s office, Lonti appeared in front of her with a bundle of papers. Kuu didn’t bother hiding; she’d met Lonti a few times before (mostly when she was still invisible) and was likely used to her by now. “You’re still studying at a time like this?” Cayna asked Lonti. “Huh? Ah! N-no, this is different!” As Cayna eyed the documents with a smile, Lonti quickly explained herself. There was no reason to act so flustered, but she felt an odd urge to set the record straight. “My grandfather told me I should learn how to run events for future reference. This time I’ve been put in charge of procuring supplies…” “Whoa.” “I’m on my way to bring some materials to the school storehouse.” “Can you manage all this okay by yourself?” “Yes, I have the help of a few students who also plan to become civil officials.” “I seeeee. That’s fantastic,” Cayna said with a smile, nodding repeatedly. Lonti’s face grew beet red. “R-right. Well then, are you visiting the headmistress?” “Bingo. I got asked to be a guard for your school event.” “Both the princess and I will be very relieved if you’re an escort!” Lonti broke into a wide grin. Cayna picked up on a certain word in her response and pressed a hand to her forehead. “I knew it,” she replied. “I heard from Mai-Mai that Mye is going to participate, too. It’s strange enough that you would enter, Lonti. She’s your future queen. Is this really such a good idea?” Lonti paused for a moment but soon determined it was safe to answer. “Yes. It is reasonable for those unaware to be concerned, but royals must learn to stand on their own two feet.” “And that includes camping outside the city?” “Y-yes, it does.” Lonti herself didn’t sound entirely convinced. She looked away and didn’t refute Cayna’s exasperated comment. “Huh… So it’s like a custom?” “Custom? Well, yes and no…” Lonti put a hand to her cheek and looked briefly confused, but she panicked when she remembered the load in her arms. “Ah, I’m sorry. Please excuse me, Miss Cayna.” “You’ve gotta deliver that, right? Sorry for holding you up.” “Not at all. I’ll leave the escort matter to you. Please take care.” Lonti bowed several times before heading to the stairs. Cayna saw her off with a wave. “Guess I’ve got no choice,” she muttered, clenching her fist. “You’re gonna be a guard?” asked Kuu, already perched on Cayna’s shoulder. “Mai-Mai is counting on me, and how can I say no after what Lonti said?” “Hmm.” Kuu tilted her head curiously. Cayna nodded. Her Skill Master name would be sullied if she didn’t give 110 percent, but she wasn’t too gung ho about the idea, either. Her work environment would be the straw that broke the camel’s back. She knocked on the headmistress’s door. “Come in!” Mai-Mai called from inside. Cayna offered a cursory “Pardon me” before entering the room. Two other people, presumably faculty members, were present as well. Kuu sensed them and immediately hid behind Cayna. When her mother peeked out from behind the door, Mai-Mai paused their discussion. Her solemn expression melted into a puddle. “Mother!” ““What?!”” “Ah, wait!” Mai-Mai skirted around her desk like a ninja and ignored the stupefied instructors, lunging at Cayna with arms wide open for an embrace. Cayna intercepted this by seizing Mai-Mai’s face in a viselike grip. “Agh-gah-gah-gah-gah?!” ““Headmistress?!”” “I told you not to cling to me in public!” Mai-Mai crumpled as Cayna squeezed her face and broke into a lecture. Cayna then bowed to the two guests. “You’re so harsh, Mother!” “And you mustn’t ingratiate yourself at work,” Cayna said, utterly fed up. Surprisingly enough, the two faculty members wholeheartedly agreed. Their headmistress’s frivolity had apparently put these two through the ringer as well. Mai-Mai urged them to resume their earlier conversation, but both insisted on some other time and turned to leave the office. “Headmistress, please do not leave the room when you are finished.” Despite their smiles, this request was distinctly intimidating. Exhausted, Cayna turned to her downtrodden daughter and asked, “What did you do now?” Once the door was closed, she scratched her cheek awkwardly. “Maybe this was a bad time…” “Bad time, bad time! ” “Not everything is a song, Kuu!” Cayna glared at Kuu when she came out of hiding and broke out in singsong. The fairy ignored this with a cackle and landed on the recovered Mai-Mai’s shoulder. “Ouch, that hurt. Mother, please be a bit gentler.” “But I totally was. Otherwise your head would’ve been crushed like an apple.” “Eek!” Mai-Mai made a show of gripping her face and trembling. “Your acting skills could use some work.” Mai-Mai then offered Cayna a seat on the sofa. She sat across from her. “Thank you for coming, Mother.” “Why didn’t you act like this from the get-go?” “You might call it a conditioned reflex or perhaps my love for you…” “Well, at least you don’t sparkle like Skargo.” Her adult children (Kartatz excluded) really needed to find new love languages. The mental gymnastics made Cayna let out a heavy sigh. “So were you able to look into that thing you mentioned?” Mai-Mai asked. “Yeah, I guess. The situation only went downhill from there, though.” “Is there another issue in Felskeilo?” “No, no, this is personal business. I’m fine with the escort job, but I’ve got a few conditions.” “Conditions? Can you only accept the job for a day or so?” “Something like that. I’m free for now, so I can tag along on an outdoor excursion for two or three nights. However, I’d like permission to step away for a minute if necessary.” Mai-Mai closed her eyes and contemplated for a moment. Then she nodded. “If you can find a replacement, I believe we can accommodate you. I will inform the assigned faculty members, but please speak with the princess yourself.” “You’re okay with it?!” Although Cayna had brought it up, she didn’t expect her daughter to readily agree. “I don’t grant most adventurers such freedom, since they only wish to slack off, but I will make an exception for you, Mother. After all, you are not one to leave a job undone. You do have a good reason, yes?” “Oh, totally! It could even change the fate of the continent! Yeah!” As Cayna quickly explained herself, Mai-Mai frowned. “The fate of the continent! Is our situation so dire?! Shouldn’t that take priority?!” As far as Mai-Mai was concerned, no one was stronger than Cayna. If such a heavyweight was claiming something could “change fate,” one could only imagine it was a heart-pounding race against time to prevent some unprecedented disaster from befalling this world. Mai-Mai leaned forward, and Cayna took hold of her shoulders. “I’m saying we’ll deal with it when the time comes,” she told Mai-Mai. “By ‘we,’ do you mean that someone else is involved?” “To be fair, Opus is the one running the show. I’m free until he gives the signal.” “Uncle Opus…? Forgive me for prying, then.” Mai-Mai quickly backed off. She clearly had great faith in Opus, which bothered Cayna to no end. Sure, Cayna had introduced Mai-Mai to him as “your father’s older brother,” but Mai-Mai was way too trusting of this person she’d only just met. “Are you certain it is not simply because he has a calm, collected appearance and radiates a different sense of security?” Kee, are you calling me childish? “Are you not a literal seventeen-year-old girl?” Nghhhh. I hate when I can’t say anything back… “M-Mother?” Cayna’s self-awareness had been cranked up to eleven. Mai-Mai noticed her sudden visible frustration and ducked for cover, fearing her mother’s wrath, but there was no need. “Venting one’s anger is improper.” Cayna then realized Mai-Mai was afraid. She took a small breath and suppressed her irritation. “Sorry about that, Mai-Mai.” “What was that all about, Mother?” “Nothing, I was just a teensy bit jealous of Opus, since you seem oddly attached to him… A-anyway, forget about that. You basically want me to shadow Mye, right?” “Yes, please remain by princess’s side as much as possible. If you have time, please check on the other students as well.” “But other adventurers will join, too, right? Can’t you leave the rest to them?” “There will be two adventurer parties and several Imperial Knights.” “‘Imperial Knights’? Those don’t sound like regular knights. Royals really are another breed.” Mai-Mai’s expression soured at this, and Cayna questioned her curiously. However, the answer wasn’t at all what she’d expected. “The knight captain is currently busy atoning for his actions, so the knights as a whole have been overwhelmed. A last-minute decision was made to entrust this task to the Imperial Knights. Ah, these knights will be female, so there is no need for decorum.” “I heard the adventurers and knights have always butted heads, thanks to Shining Saber.” “My apologies, Mother. I’m afraid I don’t have many details on the subject.” Apparently, even the Academy headmistress wasn’t in the loop. Cayna’s only information came from the vague hearsay she’d picked up in the Adventurers Guild when she’d first become an adventurer. Unbeknownst to Cayna, Shining Saber had cleaned up his act after getting pushed around by Arbiter. Thanks to this, the relationship between the knights and adventurers was on the mend. “In any case, what’s the highest level of these students who need guarding?” “‘The highest level’…? Compared to you, anyone else is no more than a baby chick.” “No, I mean what level of monster can they safely take on?” For some reason, Cayna smiled as she recalled the times she would watch over grinding newbies from behind. Just as she wondered if it was something that innocent, Mai-Mai heaved a grand sigh. “This isn’t combat training. It’s a camping trip! Over half of the participants are non-combatants, so we’d like the adventurers to clear out any danger.” “Ah, it’s that kind of training. Gotcha. I’ve been thinking it was a monster-hunting course this whole time. You should’ve said so to begin with, Mai-Mai.” “Sigh. I apologize for the oversight, so please lend us a hand.” “Leave it to me! I’ll return Mye and Lonti without a scratch on ’em!” “…I’m more nervous than ever.” “Whyyy?!” Cayna moaned when Mai-Mai held her head in her hands. “Will we leave early in the morning?” Cayna then asked. “That is still up in the air. I believe they’ll gather throughout the morning and arrive at camp before evening. Probably…” “You’re sure playing things fast and loose.” “That’s because there are nobles involved. You don’t have to worry about keeping a strict schedule during the course itself. Please ask the adventurers who will be traveling with you for more details. I’m sure you’ll find them easier to talk to.” Cayna had assumed they’d leave at the crack of dawn, so Mai-Mai’s response was a bit of a letdown. Apparently, the school trip basics in Cayna’s old world didn’t apply here. On the way out, Mai-Mai instructed Cayna to formally accept the Academy’s request at the Adventurers Guild. After walking across the river toward her destination, Cayna greeted the fishermen mending their nets along the bank and realized something. “I get it now. Are players hiding from me because I stick out like a sore thumb?” “It is very likely. They’re not afraid of being exposed as players but rather have no desire to be lumped together.” “I guess they haven’t accepted their avatars as part of themselves yet? At any rate, now we know why everyone’s been keeping their distance.” Cayna thought maybe Cohral or Shining Saber knew of any hidden players, but she soon came to the conclusion that they were likely just as clueless. After all, neither had spoken a word about it so far. “Actually, I bet they know and just decided to leave people alone.” “Maybe they think you might go chargin’ in!” Kuu chirped merrily as she poked her head out from Cayna’s hair. Even Cayna didn’t have the guts to visit a random player’s home. “I’d be shocked if they took me for a troublemaker like that.” She and Kuu arrived at the Adventurers Guild. When Cayna looked around and failed to see Cohral or any other familiar face, she headed over to the counter. Almana had recently become Cayna’s go-to employee, and she quickly processed the Academy’s request. “There. You’re all ready to go.” “Thanks, Almana.” “Miss Cayna, were you asked to do this job personally since your daughter is the headmistress?” “Yep. They practically begged me to do it.” It was a bit of an exaggeration, but Cayna didn’t feel like going into detail and tried a bit of humor instead. The joke didn’t land, though; the guild staff twitched and replied, “Ha-ha-ha… I see,” with hollow laughter. “Come to think of it,” said Cayna, “I didn’t even ask where this thing is. Do you know the location and when I should get there?” “It’s two days from now in front of the western gate,” Almana told her. “You ought to ask about those details ahead of time.” “Right. Sorry.” Cayna offered Almana a sincere apology for annoying her. The guild had recruited earth mages to fill in the giant hole carved out during the earlier attack, so the road was once again open to traffic. “If you meet other adventurers, I think you should use communication to create a good first impression,” Almana advised Cayna. “Strong relationships are built on solid foundations.” “Ohhh. Yes, yes, I see.” Cayna had mostly formed parties with her fellow guild members and pretty much gone solo in the last days of the game, so she could respect that sort of advice. Her automatic secretary (Kee) took note of Almana’s comments and filed them away for future encounters. After exiting the Adventurers Guild, Cayna realized the supplies in her Item Box were dwindling and headed to the market to buy staples like fresh meat and vegetables. “Phew, that was a close one. I always hand over any food to Cie after I go grocery shopping, so there was hardly anything left.” “We never use it!” “Your food’s in there, too, Kuu… Anyway, what about you? There’ll be lots of strangers at this event, but do you want to come along?” “Hmm…” Although the fairy boldly flitted around the remote village, she wasn’t used to people. If Kuu went on this mission, she’d probably have to stay in Cayna’s hair the entire time. “Would you like to watch the house with Lu?” “What? Nooooo!” Cayna had proposed the idea so Luka could keep Kuu company, but the fairy started throwing a fit in midair. She was like a tantruming toddler. “No! No! No! No!” “Right…” Cayna was at a complete loss. Kuu grabbed her hair and yanked it back and forth, screaming “Nooo! Nooo!” “Ow, ow, ow, ow?! I got it! I understand, okay?! Ouch! You can come along, so stop pulling my hair already!” As soon as the pain forced Cayna to backtrack, Kuu did a complete 180. Her tears dried in an instant, and she broke into a huge smile. “Yippee!” “Hmm. Is the subsystem ineffective on its own? Is that why you roam around the village alone but stick to me like glue anywhere else?” Cayna watched Kuu curiously as the fairy hopped up and down and cheered. Just to be safe, Cayna later informed Opus of her plans: She’d go to that thing, check on the barrier along the way, and be done in three days. It was all a bit thrown together but better than nothing. In any case, the point was to make sure the Abandoned Capital didn’t interrupt her escort assignment. “I should’ve asked Mai-Mai for a trip itinerary,” said Cayna. “Don’t expect the Academy to provide the kinds of materials that schools in our previous world would,” Opus replied. “Looks like I’ll have to take the brunt of the attack if any high-level monsters pop out.” “Well, I’ll show up unannounced if necessary.” “Wouldn’t be the first time you’ve thrown a wrench in my plans.” “Really? I wasn’t aware.” “You’re not foolin’ anyone.” Back in the Game Era, Opus was constantly interrupting Cayna’s plans, whether she was practicing a dry run for a secret scheme to invade a large army with her small party or laying traps in enemy territory before the next war. Now that she thought about it, absolutely no good came out of it. “Do-do-do-doooo! Da-da-do-da-do-dooo! ” Despite an unpleasant stroll down memory lane, the sky was blue and put some pep in her step. Captivated by the fine weather, Cayna’s mood lightened. She felt the sudden urge to break into a run. “Oh yeah, I used to hear kids running around the hospital courtyard whenever it was nice outside and wonder, ‘What’s so fun out there?’ Now I see what all the fuss was about.” Cayna quietly sighed as she recalled the days she spent watching the sun dye the wall of her hospital room from white to yellow. A friendly younger girl who would come to play with her used to ask, “You can come outside, too, right?” She’d simply reply, “Maybe one of these days.” However, she had been paralyzed from the neck down, and every ounce of muscle had shriveled from her limbs. Despite the full life ahead of her, rehabilitation was a distant dream if she couldn’t even move. Empty promises only went so far. It was more or less possible to heal the entire body, thanks to advancements in regenerative medicine, although the costs were astronomical. Her uncle had suggested they give it a try, but Cayna had no intention of burdening him with that kind of debt, nor did she ever expect to regain full mobility. Considering the places she’d been since then and her current situation, life was truly unpredictable. “Guess this crowd is feeling pretty upbeat, too.” Cayna took a good look around her. Even Felskeilo’s western shopping district felt different than usual with all the people milling about. Rows of vendors dotted the roadside, and passersby in search of food or rare goods took turns poking their heads in. The capital’s main road wasn’t so bad, but there wasn’t even a cobbled path in this area. The well-trampled ground was uneven and a bit awkward. Since Cayna was short and likely to be buffeted in the sea of people, every step was a chore. “We just need to get a little higher.” Certain she’d fare somewhat better on the rooftops, Cayna slipped into a narrow alley and away from the masses. There was no escaping the public eye, so she would also need Invisibility to cross the buildings. But traversing a side street was tricky for a different reason altogether. Vagabonds in tattered rags leaned against the walls, and a huddle of orphans looked up at Cayna with piercing eyes. Others stared blankly at the sky and muttered nonsense. Sometimes life throws you a curveball. In this case, she encountered some unneeded ruckus when a sketchy clandestine group (or not-so-clandestine, since the Covert spell was useless against Cayna’s Passive Skill ESP) dressed in all black crossed her path. “Whoa, shady people at ten o’clock!” she yelled. “Ngh! Foul wench!” the shadowy gang’s leader cried. “How could the likes of you detect us?!” “Uh, what period drama did you walk out of?” He drew his short sword and prepared for battle. Behind him, the rest of his group likewise wielded their chain-sickles and shurikens. Cayna wasn’t really sure what they expected to accomplish. The leader mistook Cayna for a threat and struck without warning. “We can’t let her report us! Everyone, attack!” Having decided the narrow street was inconvenient, Cayna clung to the wall like a spider. Then, channeling her inner flying squirrel, she attacked to the left and right from above. Players higher than level 500 used to come at her during wartime in the Game Era, so these guys were small fries by comparison. Magic Skill: Electric Paralysis Net Zam Parat: Ready Set “Time to zap some bugs.” “““Gweh?!””” Cayna went easy on them, of course. A web of paralyzing lightning shot from every direction, and flickering yellow sparks lit up the corner of the back street as each shadowy figure fell to the ground in convulsions. Like mosquitoes doused in repellant, the poor ruffians didn’t have a single member left standing. They were a bit burnt and scraped up, but at least they were alive. Cayna kept her would-be attackers on the ground with a gravity spell and prepared to call any soldier on patrol. However, when Kuu gleefully pointed and announced that she’d done the honors, Cayna instead found a red arrow floating directly toward them from the main road. When several curious onlookers sneaked a peek, Cayna said she had captured a suspicious group and asked them to call the guards, which they promptly did. She didn’t know what to do about the people who saw her and said, “Oh, you’re that young lady who walked across the river.” The guards rushed to the scene, and Cayna showed them her registration ID before handing over the sketchy men. Several guards had either recognized Cayna or surmised what happened and didn’t keep her very long. “We’ll send you a reward via the Adventurers Guild,” one guard told her. “Thank you for upholding the peace,” said another. Their gratitude made Cayna blush, but she bowed and hurried to the meet-up location. “Why’d I have to run into trouble now?” “Wouldn’t you say this is a common occurrence?” “I don’t remember turning into a rabble-rouser…” Cayna was getting sick of Kee’s usual biting commentary. If incidents like this kept happening, she might as well stick to the crowded main road. Cayna neared the public square by the western gate and finally managed to escape the crowds. She loosened up her shoulders, which had been bumped and jostled by various items and people. “Phew…” She sighed. “Darn, why didn’t I just hop on the rooftops regardless of who saw?” Beyond the western gate, there was a cluster of several Academy students. Noon was still hours away, and Cayna watched everyone chat with the instructors. A group of fully equipped adventurers stood a short distance away from them. Cayna showed the gatekeeper her registration. Once the departure procedures were complete, she waved to a familiar face and walked over.