CH 16

Camouflage

On the way back from the Guild.

After leaving Elysia and the others, I was dealing with some bandits.

“Gwah!?”

“What the hell are you!?”

After defeating two of the bandits with <Bullet>, I proceed to deal with the rest.

At the very least, any enemy who has caught wind of me needed to be eliminated immediately.

Apparently, the bandits had placed multiple people in hiding in the castle town while we were undergoing tests at the Guild.

There is a painstaking amount of them. Nevertheless, I have to do it.

Clad in a black cloak which hides my face and body, I continue disposing of the enemies as quickly as possible.

“Da-damn it, there really was an escort…”

I kill the man before he says another word.

I wipe the blood from the dagger with my cloak.

“…It seems they are aware that there is an escort.”

They shouldn’t have realized that I was the escort, but it seems they know that Mize has one.

The bandits are probably trying to discover the identity of the escort. For me, this is the moment of truth. I have to be more careful than ever.

After defeating the bandits lurking nearby, I enter a back alley to shrink the cloak and pocket it.

I walked out onto the street, avoiding the eyes of the public, and headed towards my dormitory.

“…Oops.”

It’s been some time since I’ve walked around the castle town.

As I looked around the scenery and listened to my surroundings, I felt something out of place. I soon realized what it was.

Someone in the crowd was tailing me.

Apparently, the enemy has suspected that I was the escort.

— They have good intuition.

I didn’t mean to do such a rough job but…maybe someone remembered my repeated contact with Mize a few days ago when I was trying to investigate her daily routine.

All the bandits around the area should have been dealt with.

Therefore, the one tailing me should be a reinforcement. He might have come out here since he was suspicious, probably because he lost contact with the others. He probably spotted me on his way and began tailing me.

After this, I was planning on staying near the girls’ dormitory to keep an eye on Mize if she went out.

But I can’t act as an escort if I’m being watched by the enemy. I have to make them less vigilant of me.

I can kill the bandit tailing me right now, but it would be pointless if they just send more reinforcements.

The ideal solution…is to convince the enemy that I’m not the escort.

“Hey, Common Courser.”

As I was thinking about my course of action, I was approached from behind.

When I turned around, there were three boys from the Hero Course that I had encountered at the Guild. Sieg was with them too earlier, but now he’s gone.

— Perfect timing.

Seeing their provocative smiles gave me an idea.

This was a chance meeting but, let me take advantage of them.

“You cheating bastard. How did someone like you pass the exam!?”

The boys from the Hero Course were understandably angry.

“Do you have any proof that I cheated?”

“Cut the crap. You can’t even use D-rank magic, so how can you get a B rank in Magical Ability without cheating?”

It was an argument that could not be further from the truth.

It may be true, according to the common sense of this world. Gran, Mize, and Elysia know about my <Bullet> and have conveniently interpreted my magic power for themselves. But the people in front of me are students who know nothing about me.

Apologizing to them might make things easier.

But— I won’t do that.

“How unsightly.”

“What?”

“It’s just like the Guild Master said. Don’t take your frustrations out on others just because you failed.”

At my comment, the boy got enraged.

“Y-you dare— !”

He concentrated magic power at his palm.

I instantly recognized the magic from the mass of wind that appeared.

Long-range shooting magic, <Wind Cannon>.

I’m not sure why he was shooting at this point in time, but…I’ll take it with all my might without evading it.

“Guh!?”

I used the close-quarters combat magic, <Rage>, to strengthen my body.

But I still couldn’t withstand the blast of wind, and I was blown back with great force.

“You! I’m in great condition! Don’t get carried away!”

Before I could regain my bearings, the boy continued to attack.

He’s lost his composure. The wind blasts weren’t as powerful as they should have been, and it was very unstable, but it was impossible to withstand a series of shots at close range. As I listened to the screams of the passers-by, I felt my consciousness slowly slipping away.

“Oi! You’re going too far! Any more than this and you’ll attract more people!”

One of the tagalongs stopped the boy from firing his magic.

He stopped attacking, breathing heavily with his shoulders moving, and he smirked at me.

“Remember this. This is what happens when a student from the Common Course gets carried away.”

After looking down at me, who was lying on the ground, the three boys from the Hero Course turned around and walked away.

I slowly get up and dust my clothes as the passers-by shout in concern.

Well— this should be enough.

I walked back to my dormitory, frowning at the pain I felt at every step.

◆

In the midst of the crowd, there was someone who was carefully observing the fight between the two boys.

After witnessing the results of the fight, the man entered a nearby alley, avoiding the eyes of other people.

When he was sure that there was no one else around, the man took out a [Communication Paper] from his pocket.

Through the magic of the device, the man contacted his allies.

“That brat…isn’t the escort. It’s impossible for him to be one.”

“I see, then get out of there. We don’t have time to deal with small fry.”

“There are still two other candidates for the escort. What about them?”

“They both have an alibi. They’re clear.”

“Tsk. We’re back to square one!”

The man clicks his tongue.

Since things weren’t proceeding according to plan, the man’s frustration became evident.

“Switch out. Tomorrow, we’re going to make a showy move.”

“Yeah…I know.”