“I can’t believe it... Even after you increased the difficulty, they completed the third scenario with four hours to spare... It’s simply preposterous,” Saiphen murmured, shaking his head in astonishment. He had good reason to do so. After Allen had used Godolphen and Tim to thin out the nearby monsters (thereby drastically reducing the difficulty of the second scenario), his brother had responded by escalating the challenge posed by the third scenario instead.
That escalation had come in the form of two main changes. The first had been to increase the number of darkpherrets the students were required to exterminate from fifteen to twenty, which in itself should have been enough to make the third scenario a race against time. The more significant change, however, had been swapping the designated leader of the second scenario from Dan to Allen, forcing the latter to stay at the ruins. The third scenario had been designed under the assumption that Allen—with his abnormal skill in Scouting Magic—would be among the participants. By removing him from the lineup, the difficulty of the third scenario had soared to the point where completing it had seemed utterly unachievable.
“Hmph. After we experienced how the boy’s wind magic could be used for flushing out monsters, I had no choice but to alter the conditions. It would have been mere child’s play otherwise,” Godolphen said, scowling. “I had heard rumors of the Harlonbay’s technique, of course. I simply did not expect it to be so effective.”
As a rule of thumb, the scenarios students tackled during the Royal Academy’s annual camping trips weren’t designed with the idea of being able to achieve a “perfect score.” Rather than matching their level, every scenario was deliberately designed to push them past their limits, thereby allowing the teachers to see how well their students adapted when pressure mounted. When said students then completed said scenarios with ease and time to spare, it understandably left said teacher—in this case, Godolphen—in a rather awkward position.
“I’ve met a few warriors who claimed they could imitate the cry of one beast or another before, Sage. I won’t deny that their screams were tremendous, but I can’t say they were particularly effective—especially when compared to Allen Rovene’s wind magic,” said Tim, clearly dubious.
“I daresay they were just that, Tim—imitations,” Godolphen replied, stroking his beard. “Simian screaming is no imitation, however. Unlike those warriors, Charme Harlonbay did not simply rely on a dash of Strengthening Magic to reinforce her vocal cords. No, her cry was akin to that of a true beast of legend, one which stirs instinctive dread within all who hear it.” He paused. “Indeed, there was a hint of something else in her cry... I speak, of course, of the Dragon’s Roar. It is not a technique one can learn through mere instruction, as I’m sure you both know. Even among the Harlonbays few have ever mastered it.”
“The Dragon’s Roar...?” Saiphen and Tim repeated in stunned unison before falling silent. They knew of it, of course. The Dragon’s Roar—or as it was more commonly known, the Promised Death—was said to invoke enduring despair in those unlucky enough to hear it. Such power did not belong in the hands of a child.
“But we have other matters to focus on for now,” Godolphen said. “How goes Allen Rovene’s progress with the second scenario? I can’t imagine they were able to do much with just the two of them, of course?”
Tim grimaced. “Well... You’re correct, Sage. To be honest, they haven’t done much at all. They’ve spent most of their time so far talking. They’ve gathered a lot of food, and some vines, probably for rope. They seem to be preparing for a siege, but I’ve not seen them actually reinforce anything as of yet.”
Godolphen raised an eyebrow. “Oh? I must say, I didn’t expect Rovene to take things quite so casually... Was there nothing else that caught your attention?”
Tim’s brow furrowed as he tried to recall anything of note. “Nothing in particular, really. There was one incident during the first night—the boys built a small fire, and spent several hours talking beside it before getting into quite a violent argument, at which point Allen stomped off to bed.” He shrugged. “I assume it was merely a disagreement about their approach to the scenario.”
Godolphen let out an amused chuckle. “It’s hard to imagine either of the pair getting so worked up over such matters... Such is the nature of youth, I suppose. A little quarreling is a good thing. Such incidents will teach them how to debate with both passion and respect, and allow them to overcome the far more formidable decisions I fear they’ll come to face in the near future. These scenarios are the perfect opportunity for them to learn how to maintain interpersonal relationships under such stressful conditions.”
Seeing Godolphen’s clear delight upon learning that his students were bickering, Tim let out an amused chuckle of his own. “It’s only natural for tempers to flare in circumstances like this. If anything, Allen probably picked Vesta hoping that their lack of a relationship would prevent things getting too heated. Obviously, it didn’t go as he’d hoped.” He smiled wryly. “They seemed to be on better terms this morning, though Vesta did look incredibly exhausted.”
Godolphen smiled. “Things are beginning to look more promising now. Allocating almost all of their classmates to the third scenario was the correct choice, of course, but without adequate reinforcements, they’ll soon find themselves under an unimaginable deal of pressure... Will those children withstand it, or will they crack? It will be most enjoyable to see it all play out, don’t you think?”
Tim and Saiphen didn’t respond, merely shaking their heads in identical exasperation. The man who stood before them now was Godolphen the Indomitable. He was a figure of legend in Yugria, having held nearly every important position in the kingdom at one point or another. He was also a formidable warrior, feared by not only other nations but even by his own allies. And, right now, he was positively beaming at the idea of thoroughly thrashing a bunch of barely pubescent children. Tim and Saiphen both knew that smile too well. It was a warning, and before the week finished, those children would learn exactly what it foretold. But there was also something different in the old man’s expression—a subtle softness in his eyes, one they’d never seen during Godolphen’s time in the Order.
One day, they’ll thank him for this... For everything, Tim and Saiphen both thought—for at that moment, never in their wildest dreams could either have imagined the shocking outcome of Allen’s first Royal Academy camping trip.