Episode 104: Lily (I should have gone on a diet…)
Amidst the stench of burnt meat, I confirmed that all the monsters within sight had been incinerated, and I let out a sigh of relief. It seemed I had managed to adjust the range and power well, and fortunately, the flames didn’t spread to the forest. Nor did it seem like any of my classmates were caught up in it.
Even though I was used to using [Ignition] in tests and classes, this was the first time I had used it in actual combat. I was inwardly nervous that something might go wrong.
“That’s amazing, Hugh!”
“You’re something else, Hugh!”
Brown, Ann, and the other classmates around me showered me with praise. I haven’t stood out much in class, so it’s kind of embarrassing…
“Thank you, Hugh. You saved me.”
Lily approached, looking relieved.
“I’m glad you’re safe. Are you hurt?”
“No. I was just giving instructions from the back. It’s thanks to everyone holding their ground that we managed.”
“Isn’t it also because Lily’s instructions were accurate?”
When I said that, the other classmates also praised Lily in agreement.
Lily’s instructions to focus on defense prevented the front line from collapsing, and my rescue arrived in time. If Lily had run away or ordered a reckless attack, who knows what would have happened.
“W-Well, it’s embarrassing when you say that…”
Lily blushed, playing with the ends of her hair, looking shy. Then, as if to regain her composure, she shook her head vigorously.
“Hugh, were you okay…?”
“Well, I guess…”
I nodded slightly to Lily, who had asked. I answered as if it was all according to plan, so the surrounding classmates wouldn’t notice anything.
The kidnapping plan of Lecty and the involvement of the traitor might come to light eventually, but telling the classmates now would only cause unnecessary confusion.
“More importantly, what were those monsters just now?”
The monsters that had attacked Lily and the others were a mix of different types, with features of animals like bears, boars, and rabbits. I wanted to think they had overflowed from some dungeon, but…
“I haven’t heard of any dungeons nearby. This forest is used not only for the Inter-Class Tournament but also for training by the Knights Order and the military, so the possibility of an undiscovered dungeon in the forest is low.”
“Then, those monsters from earlier…”
I couldn’t say the rest of the words out loud right now. For now, it seemed better to prioritize our safety rather than think about it.
When I had Lily use her Skill to check the surrounding situation, it seemed there were still several monsters in the forest. It was the right decision not to leave Rouge behind…
“The opposing class seems to have already withdrawn from the forest. As soon as the injured are treated, we’ll withdraw too! Idiot and Brown, focus on the perimeter with the personnel who can move!”
Everyone nodded at Lily’s instructions and began to move.
Fortunately, there were no seriously injured people, so the treatment of the injured took less than three minutes. During that time, there were monster attacks, but only a few attacked sporadically, and Idiot and the others dealt with them without me even needing to step in.
After confirming that all twenty-nine people, excluding the traitor, were present, we began our march out of the forest.
Brown and Ann took the lead, followed by Prince Slay’s faction and Prince Brute’s faction, who split to the left and right to be on guard. Idiot was at the rear, and I was placed in the center of the formation with Lily, Lecty, and Rouge.
With a large group of twenty-nine people, it was inevitable that nearby monsters would notice us. However, Lily could sense the approach of monsters with her Skill before they got too close, so it was easy to deal with them.
The only concern was that I had to carry Lily on my back all the time…
I didn’t have time to switch my Skill from [Ignition] back to [Ninja], so I couldn’t receive the benefits of [Physical Enhancement], which was quite tough. Lily had said, “You don’t have to push yourself, you can have someone else take over,” but I couldn’t give in on this.
Even now, I kept shooing away the male classmates who asked, “Should I take over?” and continued to walk while carrying Lily on my back with sheer willpower. Why was I trying so hard? Because I didn’t want any other guy carrying Lily, it made me feel uneasy.
“You’re surprisingly possessive, aren’t you?”
“Is that bad?”
“(No, it makes me like you even more.)”
I almost fell forward when she whispered that in my ear. My mind was already about to go blank from the soft, bouncy feeling on my back. Don’t make me feel so flustered during this emergency…!
While being glared at by Rouge and Lecty walking beside me, I somehow managed to get out of the forest with Lily on my back in about 30 minutes. Since I no longer needed to constantly activate [Strategist] now that the view was clear, I finally put Lily down from my back.
From there, we headed towards the spectator stands.
It seemed that the monster attacks had not only occurred in the forest but had also reached the spectator stands. By the time we arrived, all the monsters had been defeated, but the devastated spectator stands and burnt-down stalls told the story of the extent of the damage.
There were probably a considerable number of injured people.
“Oh, you’re all safe, huh?”
Alissa-san, covered in blood, greeted us.
“Well, I was busy dealing with the scoundrels who were disrupting the Inter-Class Tournament when suddenly monsters jumped out, and I was surprised. It seems like you guys had a hard time too, but I thought you could handle it, so I went to escort the visiting nobles.”
“Well, we did manage somehow…”
What would she have done if something had happened to Rouge? Alissa-san was dispatched as a liaison between us and Prince Lucas, so she wasn’t exactly Rouge’s bodyguard, but still…
Alissa-san seemed to notice my dissatisfaction and winked at me. …For now, I’ll take it as a sign of her trust in me.
“Alissa-sensei, what should we do now?”
Lily, representing the class, asked Alissa-san. Alissa-san crossed her arms and pondered for a while.
“For now, let’s split up and rescue the injured—”
That’s what she was about to say when it happened.
Thud… A sound of something falling came from behind us.
When I turned around, I saw a woman with navy blue hair collapsed a little ways away.
I recognized that hair color and the white chest guard with red lines she was wearing.
“Cicely-san!?”
Why was the Holy Knight who was Rosalie’s bodyguard here…? Could it be that Rosalie had come to watch the Inter-Class Tournament!?
Rouge and I rushed over in a panic, and we saw that Cicely-san’s body was covered in several wounds. Blood was still flowing endlessly.
“Lecty, heal Cicely-san!”
“Y-Yes…!”
Called by Rouge, Lecty immediately began treatment. The bleeding was severe, but with Lecty’s [Holy Maiden] Skill, she should be saved.
“Holy… Maiden…”
“Don’t worry, Cicely-san! Lecty will heal you now!”
“Rouge, can I leave this to you…? Rosalie might have come. I’m going to look for Rosalie.”
“Okay. Be careful, Hugh!”
I left Cicely-san’s treatment to Rouge and Lecty, briefly explained the situation to Lily and Alissa-san, and then set out to find Rosalie.