Chapter 28

On that day, with Merin joining us to help with the training, we had dinner as a group of four.

Until dinner time, I had been helping Meisa with her studies, but it seemed that she was struggling with math, to the point where steam seemed to be coming out of her head.

“Grrr… I hate arithmetic… It’s so unfair that Kent can solve problems so easily just because he’s Kent!”

“Hahaha, if you’re having trouble with such a simple problem, Meisa, you still have a long way to go… Hahaha”

“Grrr… Kent, Kent, Kent!”

Meisa, who is three years younger than me, should be around the fifth grade in Japan, but the math problems were even simpler than that.

When I was in Japan, I was at the level of a struggling student, but I should be able to solve problems of this level without any trouble.

“Really… If you can’t do calculations, you’ll make mistakes with change and won’t be able to run a business. You have to buy good products at the lowest possible price to keep the store running, so study hard.”

“Ugh… I know…”

It seems that Meisa still needs to study a lot if she is to take over the restaurant from Amanda.

“But, I was surprised that Kent is good at arithmetic…”

“Yeah, even Mom is surprised…”

“Grr… If you can’t do it as well as someone as bad as me, I’m worried about Meisa’s future…”

“True, now that Merin is helping, we need to make Meisa study a lot more.”

“Grrr… Kent, Kent, Kent…”

Fufu, I have no intention of losing to Meisa tonight.

“Why don’t we have some of the Jibura I brought for dessert?”

“Sure, sure! Mom, can we?”

“Sure, sure, you really have a thing for Jibura, don’t you?”

The Jibura that Merin brought as a greeting for her training is a fruit that looks like a slightly elongated watermelon with a purple skin.

It has a citrus-like sweet and sour taste, but the texture is like a watermelon.

“I’ve never seen this fruit in my country, and it seems to be harvested in a much hotter season…”

“Is there no Jibura in Kent’s country? Yes, it’s harvested in a much hotter season, but you have to wait for the bitterness to go away after soaking it in water.”

“Hmm… The bitterness goes away when you soak it in water?”

“Yes, but it’s not just any water; it has to be water with a healing effect applied by water magic.”

According to Amanda, the timing of harvesting, the quality of the water used for soaking, and the timing of removing it from the water are all important.

If the timing of harvesting is missed, the texture becomes bad, and if the water is bad, the bitterness remains. If the soaking time is insufficient, the bitterness remains and the taste is poor.

“This one has a good texture and no bitterness at all, so it must be a good one, right?”

“Yes, this is a good one. Merin, was it expensive?”

“No, I bought it from a supplier that my father used when he ran the restaurant, so it wasn’t expensive.”

“I see, those connections are important. When you reopen the store, you’ll need to rely on them again.”

“Yes, I always try to visit them when I can because they treat me very well.”

While we were talking, Meisa was chewing on the Jibura.

She’s usually a bit noisy, but the way she chews it with a crunch is cute, like a rabbit.

“Meisa, you can have half of mine.”

“Really? Thank you!”

Oh… the brat has turned into an angel.

Meisa received some from Merin as well and seemed to thoroughly enjoy the Jibura.

After Merin went home, I returned to my room, and from here, things get busy.

Tomorrow, I have to use the practical training in the Demon Forest to rescue my classmates.

I need to prepare for that.

Fred and Bastian have also returned.

“So, Fred, tell me what you found out about tomorrow.”

“Understood… Five people will be sent to the practical training in the Demon Forest, and three soldiers will be in charge of escorting them.”

“Five is a small number, but having three escorts is a bit troublesome.”

“No problem… Two of them will only go as far as the entrance of the forest.”

According to Fred’s investigation, two of the three knights in charge of escorting them will act as the coachman and the supervisor.

They will transport the five people by carriage from the garrison to the entrance of the Demon Forest and then return to the garrison.

“Wait a minute, if that’s the case, weren’t the five people sent there to be killed as an example from the beginning?”

“It’s close to that… If you don’t want to die, you have to walk back on your own.”

They know that monsters will appear, and there are five people, not just one, and they have received some training, albeit half-heartedly.

Compared to being thrown into the Demon Forest alone without even being told that monsters exist, the chances of survival are higher, but it’s still a life-threatening march.

“Sir Kent, there’s no need to worry. With only one escorting knight, it’s assumed that dangerous monsters won’t attack, meaning they won’t go deep into the forest. The probability of encountering dangerous monsters before the rescue is low.”

“I see, if there were only one, and if there were multiple Rock Ogres, I wouldn’t be able to protect them.”

“No, Sir Kent, I don’t think that knight intends to protect them at all.”

“Oh… I see, he’s only thinking about escaping safely himself.”

If they intended to bring them back alive, the knights on the carriage would have stayed as guards.

“And he might be there to witness the outcome of the practical training in the Demon Forest.”

The small number of five people being sent to the practical training might be a number that won’t hurt much even if they all die.

In that case, we can use this to our advantage and pretend that the five people are dead and rescue them.

With five people, the escort to Volzard should be easier.

“Sir Kent, let’s first report to Mr. Donovan and then contact the Holy Maiden.”

“Right, let’s start with Mr. Donovan…”

I slipped into the shadows from my room and moved to the guild.

The guild’s business hours were already over, and the only people around were in the attached tavern, or so I thought, but Mr. Donovan was still working alone in a room behind the counter.

He was reading some documents, illuminated by a magical light.

If I suddenly appeared, I might receive a fatal blow without any questions, so I decided to call out before stepping out of the shadows.

“Good evening, Mr. Donovan, it’s Kent.”

“Huh… Is the practical training tomorrow?”

“H-how did you know…?”

“If you appear at such a time and place…”

Seeing me emerge from the shadow of the desk, Mr. Donovan smiled.

“Ah… Yes, we should be able to reach Volzard in two or three days.”

“How many people?”

“There are five people.”

“Tch… They really intend to make an example of them.”

“Even so, I’ll get there first and rescue them.”

“Right, take the initiative, don’t be reactive. I’ll prepare the reception, so don’t worry about it.”

“Thank you.”

“Kent, can you use the shadow movement regardless of distance?”

“Yes, as long as I’ve been to the place before, I can move there regardless of distance.”

“Then, contact me when the rescue is complete.”

“Understood. Please prepare the reception.”

After a firm handshake with Mr. Donovan, I returned to my boarding house.

Next, I need to contact the chairman, who is in Lastock.

I planned to use a letter to contact the chairman, but there’s no time to write one, so I have to find a moment to talk to him directly.

Using shadow movement, I went to the Lastock garrison, where the chairman had already finished treating the classmates and returned to his quarters.

The chairman’s room is in the dormitory where those with high magical power, as determined by the ‘Magic Eye Crystal,’ are gathered.

The dormitory is a three-story building, with a few classmates’ individual rooms on the first floor, the second floor occupied by the handsome guy, and the third floor reserved for the chairman.

The spacious living room, luxurious bedroom, private bathroom and toilet, and a room for the caretaker Elna are all part of the setup.

A female knight is stationed at the top of the stairs to alert in case of any unusual activity, and multiple knights are stationed on the first floor of the dormitory.

The chairman had already finished dinner and bathing and was preparing to go to bed.

“Is there anything else you need, Holy Maiden?”

When the caretaker Elna asked, the chairman didn’t even look at her, let alone speak.

The cold atmosphere was far from the warmth they shared in the examination room, where they held hands and rejoiced.

“Then, I’ll come to wake you up at the usual time tomorrow. Good night.”

Even when Elna bowed deeply, the chairman only looked in another direction without responding.

To reach the chairman’s room, one must pass through the living room, and Elna’s room is just on the other side of the wall.

Moreover, the beds of the chairman and Elna are placed side by side, separated only by a wall.

If I talk to the chairman, it might be heard through the wall.

“Sir Kent… the opportunity is coming…”

According to Fred, Elna will report to Camilla after this, a habit that has been established since the chairman and Elna’s relationship cooled after Yamasan’s death.

In any case, it’s convenient for me.

“Fred, listen to what Elna reports to Camilla and let me know when she returns.”

“Understood…”

The chairman, after Elna left the room, remained expressionless for a while but then sighed deeply, sat on the bed, and covered his face with his hands.

“Ugh… Ugh…”

The chairman, suppressing his voice, was crying, and Elna was listening from the other side of the door.

Eventually, Elna quietly left the door and went through the living room to leave the room, apparently heading to Camilla.

“Fred, take care of it on your end.”

“Understood…”

I entrusted the surveillance of Elna to Fred and returned to the bedroom, where the chairman was wiping away his tears and getting ready to go to bed.

“Chairman… Chairman…”

“Huh… Who is it?”

“Shh, Chairman, be quiet…”

“…Who? Where are you…?”

The chairman, who was startled and spoke loudly at first, quickly lowered his voice and started looking around.

“First, let me say that I’m not a ghost.”

“Not a ghost…? Huh, could it be… Kunitaka?”

“Yes, it’s me. I can use dark magic now and can move through the shadow world. I’m coming out now, is that okay?”

“Yeah, of course, it’s fine.”

I appeared from the shadows in the moonlit window, visible to the chairman.

“Good evening… Chairman… Wah!”

“I’m glad… I’m so glad you’re safe… Ugh…”

As soon as I appeared, the chairman hugged me.

To be honest, Chairman, your chest is pressing against me…

“I’m glad… Camilla said there was no way you could be saved… that you were eaten alive by a monster… I’m so glad…”

Well, I was once eaten alive by a goblin, but it’s better not to mention that.

Finally, the chairman calmed down and invited me to sit on the bed to talk.

That’s fine, but the chairman is only wearing a thin nightgown.

“Chairman, you might catch a cold, so you should put something on…”

“Yeah, you’re right…”

The chairman put on a blanket, but why is he trying to wrap me in it too?

If you get this close, I’ll be even more aware of it.

“Haha, Kunitaka, you’re warm…”

The chairman smells of soap, and the way he tilts his head and looks at me is incredibly cute and dangerous.

“So, Kunitaka, how did you survive?”

“When I was attacked by goblins, I unconsciously used dark magic to summon skeletons, and they saved me.”

“I see, what happened after that?”

“Yeah, I’ll explain in order.”

I explained to the chairman, step by step, everything that happened from being sent to the Demon Forest alone to the present day.

I told him about my ability to use dark magic, how I teamed up with powerful skeletons to traverse the Demon Forest, that the other side of the Demon Forest was another country, how I infiltrated Volzard, found a boarding house, looked for work at the guild, talked to the lord Claus, and secured a promise to accept everyone.

“Amazing… You did all this preparation on your own…”

“No, it wasn’t just me; Reinhart and the others helped me.”

“But it’s still amazing. I couldn’t do anything… If I had been better at magic, Yamasan wouldn’t have…”

“No! It’s not your fault, Chairman. I couldn’t save Yamasan either, and it’s the responsibility of Camilla and the others, not you.”

“Kunitaka… thank you.”

“Chairman, about the future…”

I explained that shadow movement wouldn’t be useful for the rescue operation, that I would use the practical training in the Demon Forest to rescue everyone, and that I wanted everyone to get stronger to traverse the Demon Forest.

“I think it would be more convenient if I’m presumed dead for the rescue operation.”

“Yes, Camilla and the others wouldn’t expect you to be planning a rescue.”

“Right, so for tomorrow’s rescue operation, act as if it’s not happening.”

“Huh? Tomorrow’s rescue operation…?”

“Huh? Oh, right, you didn’t know that the practical training in the Demon Forest is happening tomorrow?”

“Wh-What? Practical training tomorrow?”

The chairman, who hadn’t been informed about the practical training, was surprised.

“Shh! Chairman, you’re being too loud…”

“S-Sorry, but… practical training…”

“Yes, they’re sending five people as an example.”

“That’s… They can’t handle practical training yet.”

The chairman’s face turned pale, and his arms started to tremble.

“It’s okay, don’t worry. I’ll definitely save the five and bring them to Volzard first.”

“Really? Are you sure?”

“Yes, I have three powerful skeletons helping me, and they can also move through shadows like me. I’ll protect everyone, so you can count on me.”

“Kunitaka… I’m so glad… I’m so glad you’re here…”

Oh… The chairman is hugging me and leaning his head on my shoulder, and the level of closeness is getting dangerous.

“Sir Kent… Elna is coming back…”

“W-What timing is this…?”

“Chairman, Elna is coming back, so I’ll go. I’ll pretend the five are dead and bring them to Volzard, so make sure to act so Camilla and the others don’t find out.”

“Okay, be careful, Kunitaka.”

“Yeah, I’ll contact you again.”

“Yeah, I’ll be waiting…”

If you hug me this tightly, I don’t want to leave.

“Sir Kent… come back…”

“U-Uh… Okay…”

As Fred pulled my leg, I returned to the shadow world just as the door was knocked.

“Holy Maiden, I’m sorry to disturb you…”

Elna entered the bedroom without waiting for a response from the chairman.

The chairman, pretending to have been asleep, directed an annoyed gaze at Elna.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, but there’s something I need to tell you urgently…”

“Not again… Did someone else…?”

“No, it’s not that… It’s not that…”

“What is it? Just say it.”

Wow, the chairman is quite the actor.

Or is this all real?

“Actually… practical training will be held in the Demon Forest tomorrow, with five people.”

“What! Sending five people to practical training right away? Are they going to kill five more?”

“No, it’s not like that…”

“Even if I know, what can I do? They’re just trying to make me feel helpless and do as they say. I can’t do anything, so laugh if you want.”

“That’s not what I meant when I told you…”

“Get out! I’m uncomfortable, so get out!”

Elna, hit by a pillow from the chairman, gently placed it back on the edge of the bed, bowed, and left the room.

“Why… Why do we have to go through this… Ugh… Ugh…”

After making