Chapter 3 | The Royal Academy Expedition.

Two months had passed since we arrived at the Adventurers’ Guild. We had managed to rent a cabin for a month, and during that time, we took on basic jobs: gathering medicinal herbs, running errands, accepting odd jobs, and selling animal pelts. Thanks to our efforts, we had risen in rank.

We were now Intermediate Rank.

That afternoon, everything at the guild was proceeding as usual. After finishing a rather interesting stew, we headed over to the quest board to see what jobs were available.

“What if we take the day off?” Itsuki suggested, stretching a little.

“I don’t think so, Itsuki. We’re getting closer to being able to afford the carriage.”

“I see…”

A group of adventurers greeted us from the back of the guild. Apparently, they had noticed us. I returned their greeting with a slight nod. Over the past few weeks, our names had earned a certain amount of respect. I suppose it was thanks to our constant efforts.

Still, I reconsidered the idea of resting and gave Itsuki a subtle signal to head toward the exit.

Just as we were about to reach the door, it suddenly swung open, and a group of four people entered.

A dark-skinned woman wearing light armor, a man who appeared to be a mage, an archer, and a muscular man who immediately reminded me of Einer.

The woman stepped forward without taking her eyes off me.

Does she want something from me or what?

Itsuki frowned when he noticed how intently she was staring at me. The woman approached even closer and extended her hand.

I shook it. After all, our names were already well known around here.

The handshake was rather uncomfortable and lasted several seconds before she finally let go. Thinking about it, I didn't recognize any of their faces.

Were they adventurers passing through?

“Can I help you with something?” I asked, breaking the awkward silence.

“I believe you can. Guikyume, Itsuki… Would you mind joining us at a table for a little chat?”

“Uh… Sorry, but we have things to do,” Itsuki replied, taking a step back.

“It won’t take long, I promise,” she insisted, maintaining her composed posture.

“I see… All right.”

We made our way to a table toward the back of the guild. The members of her group remained serious as they sat down. The woman then ordered some meat and beer from the waitress, who watched them with a certain degree of suspicion.

“Well! I apologize for not introducing myself earlier,” the woman began. “My name is Erika. I’m the leader of a group called Counter Sword Method.” She paused briefly. “Or, as you might say, the Sword Counterattack Method. Now, introduce yourselves.”

“Yes… My name is Sarah,” the archer replied coldly.

“My name is Frodenher. I’m the mage of the group,” the man said, giving a slight bow, which I returned. “I’m in charge of support.”

“Nice to meet you, young Guikyume. My name is Cliff,” the muscular man said. “I’m the swordsman of the group, and I’m on the front line alongside our leader, Erika. Excuse Sarah; she’s a little shy,” he added, the sarcasm in his last words being quite obvious. “She’s our scout. She focuses on the front line, and since she’s also an archer, she sometimes protects the rear.”

“I see... I think we should introduce ourselves as well. My name is Guikyume, and this is Itsuki. We both combine tactical positions; however, he handles the rear, while I handle the front.”

“Yeah... Well, why all the introductions?” Itsuki interrupted, getting straight to the point.

Erika raised her legs onto the table, leaned forward, and crossed her arms, staring intently at us.

Why all the mystery?

“Would you join our group?” Erika continued. “I think it would be necessary. I looked into both of you. You, Guikyume, have a particular skill with your daggers, and you, Itsuki, have quite a talent with a bow.”

I thought about it quickly. Joining a group wouldn’t be a bad idea. We could earn more money by taking on several requests together.

“I see. How much of the earnings would we receive?” I asked seriously.

She gave a faint smile.

“Alright. We’re a higher-ranked group, so our earnings are greater. Don’t be surprised, but I can offer you twenty percent.”

“Guikyume...” Itsuki called quietly, trying to get my attention.

“I don’t think that’s fair,” I interrupted immediately. “Our share should be based on how much we contribute to each mission. We’ll join as collaborators. Do you agree?”

“Of course, young man! Agreed!” Erika accepted with a hearty laugh. “Would you like to know why I need you?”

“Tell me.”

“Every so often, the nobles from the academy have to undergo a trial of endurance and survival. The Royal Knights recruit adventurers to accompany them, but there’s one condition: a royal knight must be assigned directly to the group. The reward is quite generous—fifty gold coins just for crossing the forest. But... if the team manages to find the treasure, the payment rises to one hundred gold coins.”

She paused for a moment.

“The treasure could be hidden inside abandoned ruins, or it might be guarded by a creature. Either way, it’s a grimoire. In short, we have to cross the forest while protecting them, but we can also search for the treasure along the way.”

Everyone at the table nodded. The reward was simply too high to turn down.

“I see. I accept.”

We stood up, sealed the agreement with a handshake, and said our goodbyes to the group.

“We’ll see you in a week, when recruitment begins!” Erika called from the guild’s main entrance.

“Yes, alright. See you then!” I replied.

...

Night had fallen. We finished eating a bowl of soup and then prepared to sleep. There was only one room in the cabin, with no beds, just a few sheets spread out across the floor.

Itsuki seemed restless, shifting from side to side.

“Are you all right?”

 “Yeah.”

“Hmm, I see. I think I can't sleep because... I'm overthinking things.

“Yeah... I can’t sleep either,” he admitted, looking at me through the dimness. “What are you thinking about?”

“About the academy event. I’m afraid to bring the letter with me.”

“You have to take it. Leaving it here would be worse.”

“Yeah, I thought about that, but... I’m afraid the royal knights might notice it for some reason.”

I vividly remembered the black knight's words: under no circumstances was I to allow the royal knights to get their hands on the letter.

“I understand,” Itsuki said, trying to reassure me. “Just try to stay calm.”

“Hmm... yeah. I’ll try.” I remained silent for a moment before changing the subject. “We should practice magic, don’t you think?”

Itsuki immediately looked at me with sparkling eyes.

“Yes! Although... I don’t really remember how to do it.”

Einer had taught us how to practice Containment, which meant learning how to use our vital energy. However, vital energy and spell magic were two completely different things.

Vital energy exists within every living being, although very few people know how to channel it. Spell magic, on the other hand, works through mana. But we had never actually practiced it.

I had written down a few spells in my journal; however, they could not be properly cast using only vital energy. It would be fascinating to study the ranks and laws of magic in depth...

“When I was a child, I was able to cast a fire spell... but I don’t really remember how it worked,” I said, staring at my hands.

“That’s right!” Itsuki exclaimed, sitting upright. “Try doing it again.”

“Hmm... All right. Let’s go outside.”

...

We went into the forest. I sat down on the grass, thinking about how I could make it work.

“If vital energy is different from mana... then how do I activate mana? I see... If I was able to do it as a child, that means I must have been born with a certain amount of mana.”

I stood up and took a deep breath. The connecting thread was the sensation of the wind, the vital energy. Magic spells could be cast as long as the wielder possessed internal mana, but the real trick lay in the ability to believe, in the capacity to visualize it clearly.

I extended one hand and placed the other over my shoulder. I took a deep breath, feeling that connecting thread once again as I relaxed my body.

“Fire that ignites my will, destroy my enemy! Brilliant light, energy of power! I command you to do my bidding and destroy my enemy! My will stands against the laws of the world! There are no rules!” I shouted.

Nothing happened.

The silence of the forest slowly calmed me.

“It didn’t work... I’ll try without saying the words. I’ll just focus on the thought.”

I tensed my body for a moment, then relaxed completely.

Suddenly, my body felt much lighter. The air around me seemed to come to a complete standstill.

What was this feeling?

My breathing changed, becoming rhythmic and deep. The veins in my hand began to glow with a warm light, like living flames. A current of wind enveloped me from head to toe before dissipating into the air... 

An eerie silence fell over the forest.

A small sphere of blazing fire appeared above the palm of my hand and began to grow rapidly.

Keeping it under control, I gathered my strength and thrust my hand forward.

The sphere shot violently through the air with a sharp whistle, striking the tree directly in front of me. The impact split the tree in two with a deafening crack.

The force of the spell left me breathless. I collapsed onto my knees, clutching my chest as a sharp pain pierced through my heart.

“I... I did it...” I gasped.

“Guikyume!”

Itsuki rushed over and helped me up.

“What are you doing?”

“Huh?”

“I’m just going to sit down and rest. Apparently, using mana without proper training has physical consequences. Now you try.”

“No...”

“Come on. We have to be ready for the day of the expedition. We don’t know what’s waiting for us there. All right?”

“All right.”

Itsuki let go of me, and I went to sit on a nearby rock. He extended his hand and began reciting the words.

Sure enough, it worked.

“I did it!”

“I see. We need to practice more.”

“Yes!”

I raised my head. The fire was spreading...

“Hmm... We should put that fire out, shouldn’t we?”

“I think so. Haha.”

“All right...”

...

Every night, we devoted ourselves to practicing offensive magic and mana concentration. We used a light spell, pushing ourselves to keep the light burning for longer each time.

The day of the recruitment finally arrived.

We were at the guild with the Counter Sword Method party.

“All right!” Erika broke the silence. “They should be here by now.”

The sound of several horses galloping echoed from the street. Through the large window, we caught sight of several members of the royal cavalry. One of the mounted knights dismounted, carrying a sealed scroll.

He entered the guild.

Everyone fell completely silent.

The man took several slow, confident steps toward the center of the guild before unfolding the scroll.

“It is a pleasure to meet you all!” the knight announced in a firm voice.

Everyone nodded respectfully.

“These are the words of the Royal Court. We are pleased to summon you to participate in the Royal Academy’s expedition. With courage and gratitude, His Majesty the King has given his approval for this recruitment. To those willing to serve as escorts for our students, we express our deepest gratitude for becoming part of this magnificent event! Captain Harold will present you with a contract containing the established rules.”

Another knight entered at that moment. He had blond hair and carried a wooden board, which he placed directly over the guild’s request board.

“Pay attention!” the first knight continued. “Captain Harold has presented the document containing the required regulations. You may approach and sign under your party’s name. Tomorrow morning, starting at seven, we will be here to verify the signatures. Afterward, you will be introduced to the students and assigned to them accordingly, in an orderly and appropriate manner.”

He took a deep breath before continuing.

“However, before that, all of you will have to pass an aptitude and performance test. You will be escorted to the Royal Cavalry’s training grounds, where your assigned royal knight will evaluate you, explain the details, and command your group during the expedition. That will be all. We shall take our leave.”

He rolled up the scroll and left the guild with an air of elegance.

Everyone in the guild exchanged glances as though something about the announcement had caught them off guard.

I didn't fully understand their reaction.

“I see...” Erika said without much enthusiasm. “Interesting. All right, let's go sign the contract.”

The entire party nodded.

“Why did everyone react like that, Erika?” I asked, noticing the sudden change in her tone.

“I didn't know we had to take a test... but it doesn't matter, all right?”

“I understand...”

We got up and headed toward the board the knight had set up. Written there was the same information Erika had given us earlier.

As soon as the other adventurers in the room saw the huge reward amount, they began to laugh excitedly and celebrate among themselves.

We signed our group's name and added the names of all our members..

We left the guild and said our goodbyes at the entrance.

“Guikyume, Itsuki! I hope to see you both tomorrow.”

“Yes. We'll be there early if necessary, Erika.”

“Very well.”

We shook hands.

...

On the way back to the cabin, the wind accompanied us in silence.

Once inside, we shut ourselves away and began planning our combat strategy and coordination for the event.

I'll do my best.