Chapter 4 |Entering the Forest of Disconnection.

I think this event will help us quite a lot. With that much money, buying the carriage and the goods we need to sell would give us the foundation we need. We simply have to act.

“Guikyume!”

“Tell me.” I turned around.

“Are we taking Majestic?”

The amount of affection we had grown for that horse was ridiculously impressive. He had become an essential part of the team.

“Of course. I’m sure he’ll be a great help.”

“I see.”

I looked at the dragon-shaped clock. There wasn't much time left until the appointed hour for the actual recruitment. I took the scroll out of my bag... and stared at it carefully.

To be honest, I was quite worried about the Black Hat Knights. We hadn't seen them again in quite some time.

Perhaps it was simply because entering the city was too dangerous for them?

We hadn't encountered any others, either. I put the scroll away and secured my bag to my belt for extra protection.

“Once we finish this and work with the group, we'll leave this place.”

“Yeah. We've gained some experience, after all. We could even join another guild, right?”

“We should check the rules of other guilds, but I think so.”

“Hey, didn't you say we'd only stay for a month?” Itsuki laughed. “Did the capital win you over?”

“I think it did.” I smiled faintly. “Besides, it was probably better to stay longer so we could properly settle in.”

“Alright.” He nodded. “Shall we go?”

He adjusted his bow on his back while I tightened the straps of my daggers. I took one last look around the room.

“Yes.”

At that moment, several loud knocks suddenly echoed from the door. When I opened it, I found Erika and the others standing there. I looked them up and down. It was still very early. Hadn't they understood what I said about leaving with plenty of time?

“You're ready, huh?” Erika said kindly.

“I think so.”

“Alright!” She stepped closer and gave me a few pats on the shoulder. “Let's go! Oh, by the way... we need to talk about the strategy we're going to use later.”

“Yes.”

“I'll go get Majestic!” Itsuki announced as he ran toward the stables.

...

As we headed toward the guild, Erika brought her horse alongside ours. She reached out and gently stroked Majestic's forehead.

“Where did you get him?” she asked.

“Well... Itsuki...”

“Me!” he suddenly interrupted. “He was given to me. Yeah, that's right.”

“It was a gift, huh?” I glanced at him with a hint of disdain.

“Oh, interesting... Cliff, do you know where this horse is from?”

“Probably from the northern regions of Zure,” Cliff replied without slowing his horse. “He isn't from around here. It's a rather rare breed, a high-performance black steed suited for combat areas. It's unusual for a couple of youngsters to have one of these. Its value is equivalent to fifteen gold coins from northern Zure.”

Itsuki, looking nervous, tried to come up with an excuse, but ended up letting out an awkward laugh.

“Hmm... Don't tell anyone, alright?” he said sarcastically.

“Sure. Honestly, he's beautiful,” Erika commented with a tenderness that made me rather uncomfortable.

It felt strange being surrounded by a group. Even though we barely knew each other, I had to be honest with myself: deep down, I believed they were good people.

“Hey, Guikyume,” Frodenher's voice came from behind me.

“Yes?”

“When I first saw you... you barely had any mana,” he said kindly as he moved alongside us. “You've been training, haven't you?”

“That's right. I've been training, but I didn't think I'd improved enough for you to be able to sense it now.”

“Of course. Sensing someone else's mana also requires prior training, you know?”

“I see.”

“And what exactly have you been practicing?”

“Attack magic and containment.”

Frodenher burst into laughter as if I had just told him a joke, which completely bewildered me.

“Why didn't you train something less destructive for the time being?” he said with a smile. “It's very interesting progress, but remember that you have to be careful.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” I replied. “I just wanted to be well prepared for the event.”

“I understand, truly. But magic isn't only meant for defending yourself or destroying things. It's also meant to be enjoyed, to have fun with.”

“Alright.” I looked at him with complete indifference.

“If you ever need help with that, don't hesitate to ask.”

“I understand. I'll keep that in mind,” I agreed. In truth, an extra

 hand wouldn't hurt.

He smiled with satisfaction and returned to his position in the formation.

...

The guild continued as usual. We checked a few requests like we always did... until they arrived.

The knight from before entered with an air of authority, followed by Captain Harold, who headed directly toward the mission board.

“Very good morning, everyone!” He cleared his throat firmly. “We are pleased to announce that fifteen out of the twenty-five groups have signed up to participate. Captain Harold will approach each of you and give you a brief signal to accompany us, alright?”

Everyone nodded in silence.

Harold began moving from table to table. The selected adventurers quickly stood up and made their way toward the exit. He approached us and studied us carefully. He stepped forward and raised his hand. It was the signal.

“Let’s go!” Erika ordered.

We went outside with the others. About five armored carriages were waiting for us, decorated with delicate and elegant details.

“Itsuki, go get the horses. Sarah, you too.”

“Alright,” Itsuki immediately replied to Erika’s order.

“Right away,” Sarah nodded as she readjusted her bow over her shoulder.

...

Some on foot and others on horseback, we began following Captain Harold, who led us toward the training grounds.

As we advanced, the structures became more extravagant and the roads wider, creating a clear contrast between the central capital and the outskirts. The imposing Royal Academy could be seen to our right, with hectares of land surrounding three enormous buildings. Directly ahead were the training grounds. The Royal Court was also supposedly located somewhere around this area.

We came to a sudden stop.

Harold dismounted in one swift motion and signaled for the rest of us to do the same. Several guards approached to take the reins of the horses.

“See you later, Majestic,” Itsuki murmured, gently stroking his back.

We proceeded toward the gardens, where they divided us into groups. Several knights were seated behind wooden tables, organizing documents.

“Order and attention!” Harold shouted with a commanding voice. “Place your weapons on the desks. Everything will be inspected to prevent the use of demonic arts or unauthorized magic, such as corrupt magic.”

The letter... I thought quickly. I turned around.

“Itsuki,” I whispered, brushing his shoulder. “When you see the signal...”

He nodded slightly.

Erika went first, and her inspection proceeded without any problems. When she finished, she approached me and gave me a friendly pat on the shoulder.

“Go ahead. I hope all of this isn’t too boring.”

“Yes.”

I approached the table and took a deep breath.

“Name?” the evaluator asked without looking up.

“Guikyume.”

“I see. Place your equipment on the desk.”

“Uh... yes.” I placed my daggers in front of him. The knight examined me from head to toe with a stern expression.

“Your bag.”

“My bag?”

I discreetly moved my hand toward my back. Immediately, Itsuki stepped beside me and leaned over the table.

“Hey, I have a question...”

“What do you want?” the knight growled irritably.

“I want to know if it’s true that the women around here are... you know, easy to approach,” he said with complete naturalness.

Itsuki, seriously? I thought to myself, holding my breath.

“Could you... just let me do my job?” the man replied, glaring at him.

“I see. No sense of humor around here, huh? How boring,” Itsuki said mockingly.

The knight frowned and gave me a disdainful look.

“Come on, your bag, young man.”

“Yes.”

He examined it carefully, took out my notebook, and stood up to consult with another guard. What was going on? After several minutes of uncertainty, I stole a quick glance at my bag: the scroll was no longer there. I turned my face again, and Itsuki gave me a satisfied smile while discreetly hiding the manuscript beneath his clothes.

The knight returned accompanied by a mage, who placed his staff over my notebook while the guard opened it page by page. That notebook was simply the one I used to write down my daily questions, ideas about the event, or impressions of the city; there was nothing suspicious in it.

“Alright, there’s nothing strange here. You may leave,” the mage declared. The knight looked at me skeptically. “By the way, are those your only daggers? Young man, you do realize this expedition is quite difficult, right?”

“No problem,” I replied, collecting my weapons.

Itsuki extended his hand behind me with practiced agility, and I took the scroll back, securing it inside my pocket.

I moved away toward where Erika was waiting, watching the scene.

...

“What’s wrong, Guikyume?”

“Oh, nothing at all. It’s just that...”

“What?! You bastard!”

“What was that scream?”

I looked toward the other inspection stations in confusion. A few meters away, a demi-human, apparently a warrior, was attempting to confront one of the evaluators.

“Guards, take this criminal scum away!” the officer in charge ordered.

“Scum? Damn it! That doesn’t have any contract!” the warrior protested, struggling against their grip.

Apparently, his sword had been detected as carrying a contract involving corrupt magic or demonic arts. The two guards holding him began dragging him away with extreme force.

“There’s no need to treat him like that!” someone shouted from the back.

“Hey, enough! What the hell are you doing?!”

I approached the knights with firm steps.

“I’m serious. If he’s carrying a weapon containing prohibited arts, I understand. But there’s no need to treat him like a beast.” I stared directly at them, refusing to break eye contact.

“Return to your place, young man,” the knight ordered coldly.

“Enough! Attention!” Harold’s imposing voice cut through the air. “The group belonging to this young demi-human, report to me and follow me.”

Erika and I exchanged confused glances. Several minutes later, we saw the demi-human’s group return. Apparently, it had all been a false alarm or a reading error. They certainly weren’t taking the weapon inspections lightly.

“The inspection ends here!” Harold announced, raising his voice. “Follow me for the skill tests. Mages, head to the western sector. Archers, to the northern sector. Swordsmen, form a separate group here.”

“See you later. Don’t worry, I’ll do my best, alright?” Frodenher said goodbye with a smile before heading toward the group of mages.

“Alright,” Sarah nodded, having remained silent until then. “Itsuki, let’s go.”

“Yes,” he replied, adjusting the string of his bow.

“Guikyume, Cliff, move out,” Erika ordered, pointing toward the combat area.

“Let’s go.” I nodded, preparing my daggers.

...

The area was extremely spacious, with the ground covered in fine sand. The evaluating knights had put on heavy, sturdy armor. There were about fifteen swordsmen waiting for the signal to begin.

“Attention!” Harold’s voice echoed across the field. “You must fight against a knight and demonstrate your best strategies in the combat area! This is not a fight to the death. Afterward, you must demonstrate how to counter your opponent’s defense! When I give the order, we will begin! Understood?”

We nodded in unison.

“Guikyume, Cliff, we’ll execute a counterattack strategy, alright?” Erika instructed us.

“Yes.”

“We’ll see... There are only three of them, although, to be honest, they look pretty easy,” Cliff remarked with a hint of sarcasm.

“Now!” Harold shouted.

Erika moved to the front line, charging toward her opponent and stopping him in his tracks by blocking his first strike. Cliff gathered momentum and confronted his opponent with brute force. Immediately, Erika gave me a quick signal with her head.

I nodded. I watched my opponent approach with a firm stance. He came at me quickly, but I managed to evade him with ease. I took a deep breath. I effectively detected the flow of his mana; his attacks were direct, meant to test my agility. I jumped backward, gathered momentum, and slid across the ground, landing a precise kick against the back of his knee.

The knight stumbled but managed to recover. Our weapons clashed with a metallic snap, the tension in my muscles becoming apparent. Taking a step back, I spun around and hooked my foot against the hilt of his sword, sending it flying through the air. In the blink of an eye, I had the edge of my dagger firmly pressed against his neck.

Beside me, Erika stopped a crushing blow, breaking her opponent’s stance. With a fluid counterattack, she delivered a horizontal slash across his breastplate. The sound was sharp and metallic. With her back turned toward him, the leader placed the edge of her blade against the officer’s throat.

Cliff, meanwhile, split his knight’s sword in two with a single slash and stared at him with complete indifference as he placed his own blade against his neck.

Several other warriors also managed to win. However, from an analytical perspective, I deduced that the evaluators were only trying to measure the applicants’ endurance, since the knights limited themselves to predictable attacks.

“Counter Sword Method, winners!” Judge Harold announced.

Erika smiled, and we looked at each other. To be honest, it had been a quick formality.

...

For the next test, several guards prepared a tactical war barrier: a straight line of overlapping shields, one placed over another, imitating a phalanx formation.

“You must break through or cross the defense and attack the mannequin located several meters behind it!” Harold ordered. “Begin!”

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. How am I supposed to get through that? I thought, frowning. I’ll see what I can do.

Other warriors literally threw themselves against the wall of shields, relying purely on brute force or clean sword strikes. Erika signaled for me to jump while we were still moving.

“Go! The barrier has an inclined angle!” she shouted without slowing down. “Guikyume, you’re the most agile one in the group! Show us what you can do!”

“Eh? Alright...”

She talked as if she had known me my entire life... Still, she was right. If I stopped to attack a defensive wall, they would move forward and crush me under its weight.

I gathered aggressive momentum, stepped onto the base of the first shield, balanced on the tips of my toes against the second, and propelled myself into the air. Spinning horizontally through the space, I visualized my target.

I aimed coldly and threw my dagger straight at the mannequin’s chest. I landed on my feet in the sand, immediately regained my balance, and looked at the wooden figure. My throw had been so precise that it had cleanly decapitated it.

“Well... Not bad, right?”

At that moment, Cliff and Erika leaped over me as if time itself had slowed down. She landed perfectly while Cliff rolled onto his shoulder. Both of them lunged toward the remaining mannequins and knocked them down with a single strike. Several other warriors managed to break through the barrier by force.

“Very well done, Guikyume!” Erika congratulated me from the back, giving me a wide smile.

I see... I thought as I looked at the remains of the training exercise. They truly live up to their name, Counter Sword Method. Literally.

Itsuki

...

The swordsmen’s tests should have already ended. Sarah and I were waiting for the second test in our designated area. First, they had analyzed our draw speed; now, I assumed they would be evaluating our accuracy while moving.

The knights placed about five mannequins at considerable distances from one another, mounted on rails or pulleys.

“You must shoot the mannequins while they are moving! Understood?” the knight in charge ordered.

We looked at each other. I rolled my shoulders to loosen up and did a few brief jumps in place.

“Itsuki, stop moving already!” she scolded me while adjusting the tension of her bowstring.

“Sorry, Sarah. I just thought I’d like to be a dancer.”

She frowned. I have to admit, her reaction amused me quite a bit.

“Begin!”

“Alright,” I said firmly.

I waited for the others to move ahead. Sarah glanced at me with slight disdain and continued with her task. I gathered momentum and prepared my bow. I would jump from side to side to take them down faster.

I ran with all my strength. I jumped to the side and fired in midair; the first mannequin fell to the ground. I moved in the opposite direction and jumped again. Fwish! The arrow cut through the wind with a dull whistle and struck the second target directly in the head.

I maintained that steady, acrobatic rhythm until I reached the middle of the course. I stopped and watched the final mannequin moving in the distance.

I adjusted my position slightly to calculate the angle, drew the bowstring as far as I could, and fired the arrow upward. The projectile traced a parabola through the air before falling sharply and striking the final mannequin directly in the head. I smiled.

I raised my fist to signal that I had finished. The knight in charge returned the gesture, so I jogged toward him to join the others who had already finished. I turned to look at Sarah. Her direct shooting technique was impeccable; she hadn't missed a single shot. It was absolutely impressive. When she finished, she ran over to join us.

BOOM!

“What was that?” I looked around. Almost everyone present was bewildered.

Suddenly, I saw an enormous sphere of violet mana rising into the sky before detonating and creating a shockwave, followed by several consecutive explosions of fire.

“The mages, right?” Sarah asked the knight.

“That’s right, young lady. They’re in the training grounds on the outskirts, an area prepared for that kind of exercise. They’re evaluating their mana and their control over it.”

“I see. Thank you very much, sir.”

“Attention!” the officer shouted, raising his voice. “These tests were a success! Follow me. You must now wait at the meeting point, where each group will be assigned a student from the academy.”

Guikyume 

...

We gathered in the main plaza of the training grounds. In front of us stood the royal escorts alongside the assigned nobles.

A short while later, the tall officer who had come to explain the recruitment at the guild arrived on horseback. He dismounted and began pacing around with his hands clasped behind his back until one of his subordinates handed him a scroll, which he immediately unfolded.

“Attention! First of all, we would like to thank those who decided to come,” he announced, raising his voice. “I will now announce the selected groups and their assignments. Students, pay attention!”

He began calling out each squad until he reached the final one... which was ours.

Slowly, the royal escort and the assigned student approached us on horseback. Erika stepped forward and greeted them politely. The escort completely ignored her; however, the young noble dismounted from his horse.

His academy uniform, a light outfit with elegant military touches in red and white, seemed somewhat uncomfortable for him. He ran a hand through his ash-colored hair in a gesture that, in my opinion, bordered on ridiculous.

He extended his hand, and Erika accepted it.

“Good afternoon, miss. May I ask your name, if you don't mind?” he said, accompanying his words with a slight bow.

“Oh, what... manners, young man. Of course, my name is Erika. May I ask yours, Your Highness?”

“I may be a noble, but I am not part of the royal family," he said with a friendly smile. "My name is Leifnnår, but you can call me Leif. I don't mind.”

“Oh...” she drawled, clearly impressed.

The escort, meanwhile, kept staring at me, waiting for some suspicious reaction. Eventually, he approached me with firm steps.

“I hope I won't have to draw my sword against you, understood?”

“Hmm... understood, then.”

“You must be from the North, with all that 'then, then' of yours,” he guard remarked disdainfully.

“Ah, sorry. It's just a common verbal habit from the region I come from.”

The man frowned and positioned himself behind our formation without saying another word. Itsuki tried to greet Leif, but the noble simply ignored him and walked past.

“I see... now I understand, hahaha,” Itsuki laughed quietly, brushing it off.

“Incredible. I didn't know Erika had such a talent for dealing with aristocrats,” Frodenher commented with a laugh.

“Attention!” Harold shouted again from the center of the plaza. “In two hours, we will reach the forest's perimeter. It is a somewhat long journey, but it will be worth it. Please remember to preserve your supplies.”

Harold personally arranged the marching formation of each group: the escort in front, the noble directly behind him, and the rest of the adventurers protecting them from the flanks and rear to maintain order along the way.

At that moment, Leif gazed toward the horizon and muttered aloud.

“The Forest of Oblivion... or, in regional and ancient terms, The Villrwood of Åyvbert.”

Everyone around us fell into a deathly silence.

“Erika, what's wrong?” I asked after noticing the change in her expression.

“The forest he just mentioned... Villrwood of Åyvbert... is practically one of the most dangerous forests in this entire region,” she replied worriedly. “The strategy I had in mind won't work here anymore. We'll have to rethink everything properly.”

“I understand.”

“Move out!” Harold ordered from the front of the convoy.

...

Approximately three hours passed. I looked around at everyone: some were openly chatting, while others maintained an awkward silence.

In the distance, the imposing silhouette of the forest began to come into view. Getting closer and closer gave me an extremely strange feeling. Suddenly, we came to a complete stop.

From his horse, Harold handed a map to each group leader. Leif looked at it with complete indifference. Erika took hers and examined it carefully; from what I could see, it was a detailed map of the area.

However, Leif suddenly snatched it from her hand and reduced it to ashes with an instantaneous spell.

“What the hell...?! What's wrong with you?!” Cliff demanded, confronting him.

“That map is inaccurate,” Leif replied coldly. “The Royal Cavalry has only explored the outskirts, but they have never managed to map the territory accurately. Let's not waste time.”

“And how do you know that, huh?”

“I'm one of the academy's top students. And besides that, you have your own purpose, and I have mine; those are two very different things.”

Erika nodded silently.

“You're probably right. Otherwise... you'll have to figure out how to deal with this somehow. If you're such a know-it-all, then tell us what we're supposed to do here,” she said.

He stepped closer to her and whispered into her ear.

“If I say anything else, I'll lose my scholarship.”

Erika's expression changed instantly. I dismounted and walked directly over to Majestuoso to look him in the eyes.

“Listen... If we end up getting lost, you'll help us, right?”

The steed let out a deep snort, as if he had literally answered me. If the map was wrong, I understood, but if that was the case... we would have to construct a mental map as we went.

“Groups one, two, and three, enter The Villrwood of Åyvbert!” Harold's voice ordered.

The clattering of galloping hooves began to echo across the terrain. Majestuoso took the lead; I grabbed the saddle and effortlessly hoisted myself onto my horse's back. Itsuki laughed at my maneuver.

“Let's go!” Erika shouted, leading the charge.

The dense perimeter of the forest rushed toward us at full speed. We accelerated our pace... Suddenly, something felt different. My body became strangely light.

...

I looked in every direction, gripped by growing desperation. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. An oppressive sensation made my skin crawl: someone was watching me. The usual sounds of nature became shrill, distorted, and irritating.

“Itsuki...?”

There was no one beside me. Majestuoso was gone too.

“What the hell...?”

The immense darkness coming from the depths of the forest began to torment me. I felt my breathing become rapid and uncontrolled. I stumbled through the undergrowth, searching for the others, until... a dull impact reverberated through my head!

I dropped to my knees on the damp earth.

“What... the hell...?”

Suddenly, the entire sensation disappeared.

Where the hell am I?