Chapter 62

Good morning from in front of the 4th building of the Illusionary School. I'm aware that this is an unusual spot. Today is April 25th. I'm Herman. I'm about to attend a lecture from the Iron Welcome School, but I was invited by Ed, who I took classes with before, to go to the Magic Realm again. So, I came to the front of the 4th building as instructed. The front of the 4th building is close to the Clear Water Dormitory, and since no one else comes here, it's a perfect spot for a meeting. The meeting time is 3 PM, but it's only 2:30 PM now. I thought it would be better to arrive early rather than late, but it seems I came too early. No one has arrived yet. This is actually my third time attending the Iron Welcome School's lecture. Yes, I went into the Magic Realm with a new party.

...Why is there no description of that time? That was a miserable party. The formation was four front-line fighters and one hindrance. Only two of us, including me, had combat talent, so we were only dealing with goblins, orcs, and Gamira Clubs. ...But that wasn't the worst part. The four front-line fighters were commoners, and the one hindrance was a noble in a robe. It was pretty bad.

First, the noble said that all the rewards would be his. Honestly, what a fool. I was about to dissolve the party and go home, but when I got there, one person was already gone. So, we decided that each person would keep what they obtained, and we formed a party of five. The movement was silent, and the time spent just walking was pretty tough. This time, I was also invited to the raid. ...And during the night watch, the noble didn't wake up. I thought about getting angry, but the four commoners discussed and decided that one of the other combat-capable commoners would be the leader during the night watch. The four of us took turns on night watch, but it already felt more like four people were there rather than working together.

The morning combat was cooperative, but basically, I fought alone. Gathering was also done alone without any cooperation. The formation was a free-for-all, with four people in front and one in the back. Needless to say, the noble was in the back. He didn't fight or even pretend to gather. What was he doing?

We moved towards the North Gate and stayed there for another night. The combat and gathering were mostly done in the shallows. We secured the bodies of goblins, orcs, and Gamira Clubs, and since there was no distribution, we gathered a lot. I focused more on gathering than combat. I only joined the combat when it was necessary to prevent the front line from collapsing. In other words, I only joined when there were more than four enemies. Three people could handle one-on-one battles, so I didn't see a problem. I gathered more than the first time. Since the distribution was individual, I gathered enough. ...But it wasn't enough, and I wanted to come back.

During the night watch, one person didn't wake up again, but it was expected, so the four of us took turns. This time, I was the leader and handled the combat. ...It was combat without any formation. Honestly, commanding was impossible. I realized it wasn't my forte. Giving orders was slower than moving my body. So, we spent the night. In the morning, we discussed dissolving the party during the night watch. When the former noble said he would allow offerings to those who wanted to offer, the four of us, including me, ignored him. The noble just stood there. That's how the second Iron Welcome School lecture ended. I was angry, but I gathered enough, so I was satisfied. Annoying noble? I don't care. I bought about ten high-level potions. If this kind of party happened often, it would be unbearable, but I don't want to die. I'll treat it as a necessary expense. I could make them myself, but I don't think I can yet.

Before the second Iron Welcome School lecture, I went to the Alchemy Academy's academic library. There were so many books. The building's structure, recipes made by other alchemists, and books on gathering materials were abundant. I think there were books on all the spirit grounds and Magic Realms in the country. There were even books on the Selrolus Viscount's territory. I found a lot. Among them was a comprehensive book on herbs. It was a three-volume set, and I read volumes 2 and 3. This means I can gather 20 more types of materials. I probably won't use them much, but they will be useful eventually. There were three water attribute materials and four wind attribute materials. I will have the opportunity to gather them. ...I confirmed the water attribute materials during the second trip, but not the wind attribute ones. ...I don't plan to go there.

After that, Ted came after me, followed by Silvio, Glen, and Ed, who arrived almost at the same time. It seems that the habits of nobles are similar because they attend noble schools.

"Thank you for gathering today. I've attended a few lectures, but they didn't feel right. That's why I gathered you all."

"I also formed a party once, but you all fit better. It's easier to coordinate."

"I haven't gone since then. I've been visiting the spirit grounds."

"I went once. It was terrible."

"I haven't gone since then. I met Glen at the spirit grounds."

"Yes, thank you for teaching me a lot that time."

"No, I thought you would go to the spirit grounds at the noble school. I'm glad it was helpful."

"Do noble schools not go to the spirit grounds?"

"No, they don't. They were told not to go because of the risk of fire. ...Some people went secretly, though."

"Is that so? I didn't know, but it makes sense since I didn't plan to go."

Hmm, noble schools don't go to the spirit grounds. ...Maybe it's because they are still nobles and can't die. When you start attending the Alchemy Academy, you are removed from the noble registry. After all, 13 is the age of adulthood. It's impossible to be removed from the registry at that age. ...I think the age of adulthood in this world is too early, but I'm 185 cm tall at 13, so I'm growing faster than in my previous life.

"Shouldn't we go soon? It's almost time to recruit for the raid."

"There are probably others like us. Let's go ahead."

So, we discussed our recent activities and headed to the Northwest Gate, where a raid was already being recruited. I thought we were early, but it seems to be a 200-person raid. ...It seems that people who are used to it come early. It could also be a raid on a certain day for upperclassmen. ...Some people might not return for a long time.

We successfully joined the raid, and our group was assigned to the night watch. It was lucky, but at this scale, goblins would probably be hunted out before they even appeared. Night watch wouldn't be boring, though. It ended without any problems.

And then, in the morning. After breakfast, we packed up the tents and had a brief discussion. We confirmed the plan for the journey from the previous day.

"Our target is the Kokodoriro. We'll gather as much as possible. Kerpie is still too difficult, and Carabuncle is only possible with good luck. We'll actively target the Kokodoriro. ...Any questions? If not, let's go. Some people are already leaving."

Everyone's goal is the same. We want the dragon core of the Kokodoriro. In the dissection class, we are supposed to bring the bodies of goblins and orcs, but we can also learn dissection from the other prey we kill. ...Mainly from the upperclassmen around here. The Iron Welcome School has a strong sense of unity as a faction, and assistants are even assigned across seminars.

By the way, the Dawn School seminars have a mix of good and bad relationships. It seems that even those who don't get along well attend Melanie's tea parties, and they are eagerly waiting to see the things I've made. ...I haven't had a tea party yet. However, women maintain relationships even with those they don't get along with, while men don't. Women have a wider social circle. Men seem to have many acquaintances in the Iron Welcome School, but not much in other areas. ...It's rare for men to have acquaintances left by the time they reach Serena's level. Men seem to have an easier time without social obligations, even former nobles.

So, this time we went relatively deep. We've taken down a few Kokodoriro, and it feels manageable. It's good to have a sense of ease. Let's move quickly. ...That's when Silvio noticed a figure running from a distance and was shocked.

"!? He brought a Kerpie! Hurry and deal with it!"

"What!? Can we escape in time!?"

"No! We noticed too late! Glen, switch to a two-handed shield! Ed, Herman! You two will be the main attackers. Glen, hold them off! Ted and I will control the situation! Light will also help control! Let's go!"

Well, this is a Kerpie battle without any preparation. We have more confidence in our combat abilities than in early April, but it's still the end of April. It's a bit too much to ask. But the most challenging part is Glen, who has to stop the charge. It's scary. We'll do our best! Don't hesitate to throw knives. Aim for the eyes. If they hit, it's a bonus. The large body won't miss. It's the talent's turn. ...After throwing, I wondered if it was effective. The knife hit but didn't hit the eye. It's a bit disappointing, but the charge's momentum has slowed. The Kerpie was shaking its head to avoid it. So, Glen, hold on.

"Haahaaa!"

With a thud, Glen managed to stop the charge. There's a 3-meter-long skid mark on the ground. Well done. Now it's our turn to do something. I aimed for the neck and swung my broadsword with the intention of cutting it in half. Ed swung his Zweihänder from above on the opposite side. ...Seriously? The broadsword only cut a quarter of the way through. But it's not over yet. I followed up with a swing, maintaining the momentum, and cut a quarter more! After stepping back to gain momentum, I swung again, but the Kerpie shook its head. ...I can't get close. I managed to cut a quarter of the way through. Halfway to the neck bone.

"Ed! How's it going on your side?"

"I took off about a third with one hit! I think it will take two more hits!"

"I took off half! I'll go for a thrust, even if it means breaking it!"

"I'll leave the gamble to you! I'll steadily cut through!"

"Ted