Chapter 79

I clicked my tongue and checked on our kids again.

"Chesier! I'll hold it as tight as I can, so...! Got it?"

Gemi, who had mana infused in his gauntlet, punched through the thick stem of the man-eating flower.

The flower's movements slowed down.

Seizing the opportunity, Chesier quickly climbed up by stepping on the stem.

"What, what do I do…."

I stomped my feet as I watched.

The man-eating flower, which seemed ready to open its mouth and swallow Chesier at any moment, wriggled.

My heart pounded, unable to look away, yet terrified to keep watching.

―Krekk!

As Chesier plunged his sword into the plump flower bud, the man-eating flower writhed in pain.

His sword, sharpened with mana, quickly sliced through the flower's leaves.

―Kyaah!

The flower bud opened with a strange sound, and Gerard, drenched in the flower's sap, fell out.

'Made it, made it! Saved him!'

As soon as Gerard safely emerged, Chesier ignited the sword he had plunged in.

The man-eating flower burned to ashes in an instant.

"Gerard! Are you okay?"

When I got closer, Gerard's expression was not good.

'He must be in pain.'

Even though he was trying his best not to show it, it was obvious from his face.

It seemed the man-eating flower's sap contained something harmful.

'Something like sulfuric acid?'

The white smoke rising from his body looked quite painful.

"Right, Rom!"

"Wh-What? L-Lilith!"

Rom ran over as if he had been waiting.

"...What?"

Gerard was on guard.

"I-I'll heal you!"

"Gerard, you're in pain right now. There's no healer in your group. Don't let your pride get in the way and let Rom heal you."

Gerard, panting, looked up at me.

"Rom, quickly. He looks really in pain."

"Okay!"

Rom immediately crouched down and started casting a healing spell on Gerard.

At that moment.

A shadow crept from behind.

All our eyes turned to it.

Silently.

Bruce was approaching the core that had come out of the man-eating flower.

"That, that thief?!"

Gemi was shocked.

Bruce, caught red-handed, tried to lunge for the core—

Whoosh!

"Ah!"

As if it were a warning line, a black flame bloomed in a straight line on the ground, blocking him.

It was Chesier's doing.

"Hey, Chesier, you crazy bastard! You almost burned my head! Don't you know the rule that ability users shouldn't attack each other?!"

"What, you thief? You've got some nerve!?"

Gemi huffed and puffed, not backing down.

"Thief? You lowly commoner, who are you talking to...!"

"Hey!"

At that moment, Gerard shouted.

Bruce clamped his mouth shut like a clam.

"Don't touch it, leave it alone."

He has a conscience...

Following Gerard's command, Bruce immediately slumped his shoulders.

"Okay."

Then Chesier walked over, glaring at Bruce, and picked up the core.

"You thief!"

"That, that's!"

Gemi stuck out his tongue, taunting Bruce again.

"...Here."

Chesier, who had returned, wiped the sap from the core on his clothes and handed it to me.

"Um…."

I was moved.

Since entering the field, I hadn't caught a single monster.

"Thanks, Chesier."

Chesier not only said it but really made sure not to get my hands dirty at all….

"I'm moved…."

"……"

"But we have to graduate together! You said you saved C-grade cores for me, right? Eat them all now!"

"Okay, I got it."

I watched contentedly as Chesier absorbed the remaining cores.

"……"

Next to him, Rom was still healing Gerard.

"Rom, how's it going? Can you handle it? If you can't finish, I'll take over."

"N-No! I-I can do it!"

Rom, with his minuscule mana, was sweating profusely, and it looked quite pitiful.

"It's fine now. Stop."

"O-Okay? A-Are you sure?"

It seemed Gerard could move enough to limp up.

"Gerard, are you okay? Do you need more healing?"

"...Yeah."

When I asked, Gerard answered while avoiding my gaze.

'He must feel guilty.'

With little mana, Rom had used it all to heal him.

I nodded and said to Rom.

"Rom, Gerard says he's fine. Good job. You did really well."

"Hehe, no, I-I'm just glad I could help."

"Hihit, you're the best. And, take this."

"Wh-What?"

I handed the 1000-point core I was holding to Rom.

Chesier and Gemi's eyes widened in surprise.

Even Gerard, who was about to return to his group, stopped and looked back at me.

"What? Why are you giving that to him?"

"L-Lilith? You only have 46 points now."

"Lilith."

Gerard, Gemi, and Chesier said in turn.

Rom, who was flustered and wide-eyed, waved his hands in protest.

"N-No! No! I don't need it! I-I didn't do anything!"

"You didn't do anything? You healed Gerard when he was in a lot of pain. I'm fine, so absorb it quickly."

"N-No! P-Please, d-don't! I-I don't mind if I graduate late! R-Really!"

Rom, really flustered, stuttered twice as much as usual.

"Lilith."

At that moment,

Chesier, rarely showing an angry face, grabbed my arm.

"I said let's go home quickly. If you give this to Rom now, you'll have to stay here for another month."

"Um, no."

I smiled and pointed to the bear monster on the 60-meter cliff far away with my magic wand.

"Go get that one."

"What?"

"Rom, absorb it quickly!"

I handed the core to Rom and started walking.

Suddenly, someone grabbed my wrist.

It was Gerard.

"What? Are you interfering again?"

"That one, none of us can catch it now. We need an A-grade casting."

"Wow, you know that!"

I put my hand on my hip.

"Did you catch all the monsters to prevent us from getting points?"

"……"

Gerard blushed and averted his gaze.

I sighed and tapped Gerard's arm, signaling him to bend down.

"Gerard."

When Gerard bent down, I put my short arm around his shoulder and whispered.

"You bastard. You almost got eaten by the flower and almost died, right? Don't forget that our kids ran without looking back to save you."

"……"

"Right, Bruce and your group didn't even flinch when you were eaten?"

Gerard stared at me.

I saw a small cut on his chin and gently brushed it away, healing it.

"Ah."

Finally, his handsome face was clean.

"Such a pretty face!"

"……"

"Wouldn't it be nice if your heart was as pretty as your face? Right?"

I gave Gerard's shoulder a final tap and started walking towards the bear monster again.

Now, all the kids were watching me with their mouths shut.

"Hmm, let's see."

I pressed my body against the cliff.

'My height is 108 cm now…'

I slowly stepped back, gauging the distance.

'About this much?'

Standing in place, I looked up at the bear monster high above.

To catch that, as Gerard said, I need an A-grade casting.

But since we didn't learn A-grade casting at the training facility, I shouldn't use it.

'So, I'll have to use a C-grade casting, then.'

To cast a spell at that height with a lower-grade casting, the formula becomes very complex.

But there was a way.

Everything… can be solved with good math.

That's why the height of the cliff was kindly engraved.

To catch that 1000-point bear monster with a C-grade casting.

I needed the approximate straight-line distance between my current position and the monster's position.

Who would know that distance? No one.

Except me.

'But I can calculate the hypotenuse of a triangle using the Pythagorean theorem, which is part of the K-Middle School 2nd grade curriculum!'

A 1000-point bear monster that the current training facility kids can't catch at all.

But I have been given advanced education by the tower master Oscar.

Using a C-grade casting to catch that is not at all strange.

'Really, thank you, teacher. Did you predict that something like this might happen…?'

After silently thanking Oscar, I aimed my magic wand at the bear monster.

"Yap."

For a flashy effect, it was time for the Princess Lala magic wand, which I had been holding tightly even in life-or-death moments!

"Bang!"

I lightly burned the bear monster's head.

White flames melted the monster, and soon a purple core rolled down the cliff.

"Easy."

I walked over and picked it up.

When I turned around—

"Ahem!"

All the kids watching had their eyes wide open.

I calmly absorbed the core.

At the same time, the score magic tool screen changed.

Lilith Rubinstein: 1046 points

Chesier: 1000 points

Gemi: 1050 points

Rom: 1000 points