Chapter 427 – Chapter 427 Magic School Shutra (3-38)
“I will go alone. I want you two to lead the rest of the troops and head to the right.”
At the same time as the dean’s words, Karin bowed her head to the dean with her back straight.
“Provost, I hope you will reconsider that order.”
“Hmm… Aren’t you trusting me?”
The dean was smiling as usual and spouting lines that put the other person in trouble.
Did you hear the fun of that man?
Or, I thought that it might be the line that I spit out like a habit.
If you don’t say things like that, people will keep bothering you.
However, despite such a deadly line, Karin immediately tried to convince her by expressing her intention of denial after a moment of silence.
“Absolutely not. However, I am the representative of the Brandrup family, and I have brought the dean with me. Please, I sincerely hope that you will understand my rudeness.”
“Hmm… Then give me a good reason.”
“Reason… Are you talking?”
“I made this decision not just for me to play alone.”
The dean’s reasoning was this.
It was said that moving through only one of the two forked roads could not be called a search.
Like the battle, the search had to be deployed efficiently, and the decision was made by the dean according to the situation on the left and right.
Where it was rugged and difficult to move, the dean went alone, and where large-scale movement was smooth, the rest of the troops moved.
And above all, the dean is a person with real talent. Going alone would be much more efficient.
“This search isn’t just about missing people, it’s about rescuing comrades kidnapped in battle. We must not be bound by the formalities we see on the outside. Efficiency is the only thing to consider.”
While Karin tried to pay attention to her external appearance, the dean only focused on efficiency.
It was a natural difference in thinking because the times and locations were different.
“….”
“Nevertheless, if there is a good reason, I will listen. Let me tell you.”
“There are two reasons.”
Karin immediately began to explain without being weighed down by the dean’s momentum.
“There is no guarantee that our schedule will be completed in one day.”
The mission of rescuing a nobleman kidnapped by bandits could not have been completed in just one day.
Even if the dean made up his mind and made an effort, he expected that it would take some time to save him.
Even this place is the hideout of thieves.
You won’t be able to feed yourself in a place like this, and you won’t sleep well because of the enemies around you.
That said, I couldn’t let myself go to a place like that.
“If you don’t have soldiers carrying the bare minimum, it will have a big impact on your diet and sleep. So….”
“No worries about that.”
“… ?”
“I starve for about two months, and there is no problem even if I do not sleep.”
“….”
As if the dean’s words were dumbfounded, Karin was also showing a dumbfounded look.
“In the first place, even when I am at school, I do not eat or sleep unless there are special occasions.”
“….”
That was a fact I didn’t know.
This gentleman… He seemed to have lost his appetite and desire to sleep while doing all sorts of things because he wanted to die.
“This… There is also a second reason.”
After Karin recovered her moment of bewilderment, she calmly began to explain her second reason.
“Right away… It’s because of Seong Soo-ho.”
“Are you Seong Su-ho?”
Karin glanced at me, and as the dean said my name, she looked at me with questioning eyes.
Why is this woman suddenly mentioning my name?
I’m starting to wonder what they’re going to talk about as an excuse for me.
“No one doubts the dean’s skills. However, Seong Su-ho, who accompanies us, is a student. If he is still a freshman, he will still be out of combat.”
“Ohh… So, do you mean that Seong Su-ho will be in danger if he leaves me?”
“… That’s right.”
It was great courage.
Now Karin’s words, if you look closely, were warning the dean.
It was meant to accompany you in case the disciple you liked might get hurt.
While causing inconvenience to the other party, he mentioned a reasonable reason.
It contained a calculation that the dean would not be uncomfortable with this much.
As Karin intended, the dean heard the story and she smiled without any sign of discomfort.
However, an unexpected answer came.
“I wouldn’t worry about that either. Seong Soo-ho has excellent skills.”
“Even if you say that, if you are a first year, the combative side is….”
“I will vouch for his skills. More than anything… If there is a talented person who will surpass me in a short time, there is no one other than Seong Su-ho.”
“!?”
Karin, who had been armed with an expressionless expression and a pretentious smile until now, turned her head to look at me with her astonished eyes.
Looking at Karin’s surprised expression, I shouted a joyous ceremony through her communication.
‘Five… I can feel the joy!! Awesome!!’
[I think I captured the sincerity in the dean’s expression.]
There must be some sincerity in what the dean said.
From his point of view, I am an unknown being and possess unknown powers.
I’m not strong enough to beat him with rain, but….
And there were also wishes.
The dean wanted me to surpass him.
It should be It will increase your chances of killing yourself.
The dean must have said that with sincerity and expectation.
However, Karin, who had a hard time understanding this sincerity, couldn’t hide her tension as she moistened her dry lips with saliva while looking at me.
After coming to her senses with a moment of silence, Karin finally nodded and raised the white flag.
“All right. All of my reasons turned out to be meaningless. I have fulfilled the dean’s word and here… Together with Seong Su-ho, we will proceed with the search in the valley on the right.”
“Good. Then, let’s leave tomorrow.”
Having decided on the search method, I went to the barracks and began to rest.
As soon as I lay down on the bed, I smiled involuntarily.
‘Nice… It’s thanks to the dean, but I saw an interesting scene.’
Karin’s surprised expression… I couldn’t possibly forget it.
Although she was not wearing an elegant dress, her attire did not hide her dignity.
Karin looks at me and makes that kind of expression….
Karin’s surprised expression… I wondered if anyone had seen that expression.
Even Karin, who appeared in Anna’s dream, had never shown such an expression….
[Aren’t you dreaming?]
‘Let’s wait a little longer.’
Even if she was Karin, who was normally armed with caution, if she was outside like now, she would be able to sneak into her quarters.
But the problem was that the defense was tight.
‘No matter how much it is, it’s probably because they’re from the Brandrup family, so the security isn’t too bad.
Now we are facing the thief’s hideout.
The act of betting sleep on the guards was insane.
First of all, I don’t know if Karin meant it, but Karin and I were quite far apart from our tent.
It was an unsuitable environment for sleeping.
‘Rather than gamble, let’s create a certain situation. There are many opportunities.’
If necessary, after summoning Lena and Beatrice from within the valley, he could secretly plot a scheming.
And the point is….
‘Now that I’ve been helped by the thieves, it wouldn’t hurt to get some more help.’
Thanks to the thieves, I was able to see Karin’s funny expression like this.
I felt like I had to decide on a reward for them as well.
..
..
The dean looked at us with his bare body and no luggage.
“Then I wish you luck.”
“Okay, until the next intersection, I hope you don’t get hurt.”
“If there is a problem, please use the flare.”
“Heh heh, I see.”
After the dean said his final goodbyes, he did not mount his horse and began to slowly head towards the valley to the left.
‘What… The dean will take care of himself.’
[He is a person with that level of skill. I don’t see any need to worry.]
I wondered if it would be better for me if the dean got hurt.
At least I found something that could kill me.
Karin looked at me, then she opened her mouth to the soldiers.
“Depart.”
So, like the dean, we started off on foot instead of on horseback.
Due to the nature of Torim Valley, which is made up of rocks and stones, it was unreasonable to ride a horse.
So it seemed that it was used as a base for thieves.
It wasn’t overgrown with trees, but it looked useful for guerrilla warfare because the rows of rocks blocked the view.
One thing is for sure….
‘When will they attack?’
Unless the thieves have a spy in the Brandrup family, they won’t know exactly who we are right now.
At least, if they attacked first, it would be the dean’s side. There’s a high chance that you won’t know the dean’s face or identity….
If you knew at least, it would have been that we were soldiers from Atler.
Lena started answering my question.
[There is little information about the other party, so it is difficult to predict. You can understand their psychology by responding early on.]
We were now in the position of entering the thieves’ home ground.
If they feel threatened by us, they will attack the valley access road to drive them out.
But what if they focus on capturing us?
‘… I’m sure they’ll try to catch it. He’ll be trying hard to get hold of the woman next to me.’
The thieves couldn’t just ignore Karin’s appearance.
There’s no way the burglars who used tombstones would just try to kick her out after seeing such a beauty.
[As the owner said, the possibility is high. Above all, the fact that the combat environment is overwhelmingly advantageous seems to play a role.]
This is a place where steam containing bloody coldness rushes along with the wind as if tearing at the face.
Those who are accustomed to this kind of environment will have quite a bit of confidence.
‘What… That’s something ordinary soldiers have to worry about.’
Now, the soldiers following behind each wore armor, and the armor absorbed cold air, so it seemed that they were already suppressed by the cold.
Even Karin was the same.
‘… It holds up well.’
But Karin was acting like she didn’t feel her cold, except for the occasional goose bumps on the nape of her neck.
Although I prepared for the visit, it was difficult to adapt to the sudden change of environment.
As I watched Karin and the soldiers soften from the cold, I walked lightly as if I wasn’t interested in the cold as usual.
‘Heh heh… Conquest is really the worst?’
The clothes I’m wearing right now are Stra’s conquests.
You might wonder what kind of school uniform it was because there was a battle going on, but Stra’s conquest was a costume that focused on the practicality of a military uniform.
The livery was not easily scratched by physical damage, and it was made strong so that the clothes were not easily damaged by fire and ice.
It was a suit specially designed to maintain body temperature even in such a cold place or in a hot place like a desert.
It wasn’t magic, but it meant that it was a magical outfit.
But even so, it was not to the extent that I could just ignore the cold.
It was just a costume that made it possible to endure in the harsh environment.
‘Hmm… It’s a little cold. Is it time to use your abilities….’
[… ? Among the magic you learned, did you learn the magic that makes your body warm? I remember… ]
‘Armonia.’
[Yes.]
I smiled and put my hands in my pockets.
‘Make me a hot pack.’
[… All right.]
‘Huh… I think my soul will fly….’
The hot pack in my pocket… At the top of Mount Everest, it began to give the same joy as placing her hand on the warm breasts of the goddess.
I made a resolution while feeling the heat of pleasure flowing from the hot pack.
‘Karin, your heart… Someday I will catch it with these two hands….’
[….]
So, after seeing Karin in a good mood because of the cold, I started walking next to her.
