Chapter 10

Following Shartia as instructed, a forest came into view ahead.

It had been about an hour since leaving Maribel's room. They had been running non-stop from the city, let alone the school, all the way to here.

"......I see, so you can keep up with this pace, huh? It seems you have at least the minimum stamina. If you couldn't keep up halfway, I would have branded you as不合格 right then and there."

"?"

Eder thought, *At this speed, it's not much different from walking, though.*

"Is this the test?"

"No, this is just a warm-up. Well, we've arrived."

She stopped at the edge of the forest.

"From now on is the main event. The time is... exactly three o'clock, right?"

Shartia checked her pocket watch and muttered.

"Please cross this forest and come out on the other side. The time limit is one hour. In other words, until this clock shows four o'clock."

"......Just crossing the forest is enough?"

"It seems you're underestimating it. Even if this were flat ground, it would take three hours by carriage. Of course, you won't make it unless you run at full speed. Moreover, this forest is very easy to get lost in, and there are many aggressive monsters living here. It would be difficult to break through in an hour without the appropriate strength... Of course, if you have the strength to pass the entrance exam, you should be able to achieve it."

While wondering how they would verify if he could break through in an hour, Shartia approached the forest.

"Well, I'm going ahead. ...If you follow me, the journey might be a bit easier, perhaps? Of course, if you can keep up."

Leaving those words behind, she disappeared into the depths of the forest. Eder was left alone,

"......From the way she said it, this forest isn't that easy, is it?"

It's probably like the Demon World's forest, where space is distorted, and you might warp around or keep ending up in the same place no matter how far you go. Eder tightened his resolve, thinking he would have to be careful of pitfalls, landmines, and other traps, not to mention the monsters.

"But, I've trudged through all sorts of forests with grandpa, so I should be fine, right?"

---

Shartia was running through the forest.

"Roar!"

"Ah!"

"～～～～!?"

She instantly cut down a C-class monster, an Orc, that stood in her path and continued running without stopping.

"「Waaah!」"

Further ahead, a group of Kobolds appeared.

"Do you think a pack of dogs can stop me?"

"「Yip!」"

She instantly killed them all.

This was a school for training heroes. It was the Hero School.

Naturally, the teachers who guided the students were all elite. Only those with the appropriate strength were hired.

"However, I set the difficulty a bit too high. At this rate, only 70%... no, at most 50% of this year's freshmen will be able to clear it."

Running through the forest without even breaking a sweat, she muttered to herself. The encounter rate with monsters was higher than expected, and at this rate, it would take her at least thirty minutes to cross the forest.

"But, this is for special admission. I can't afford to have just average strength."

Reconsidering, she thought it was the right difficulty level and continued running through the forest.

Eventually, the end of the forest came into view. She sliced the last Treant that attacked her and burst out of the forest.

"......Phew"

She applied the brakes and exhaled. Then, she turned back to the forest,

"Well, how long will it take for him to come out? ...Given how confident he was, I don't expect him to give up halfway—"

"Ah, you finally made it."

"!?!"

Hearing the voice from behind, Shartia doubted her ears. She turned around hurriedly, and there was the boy who was supposed to be on the other side of the forest.

"Y-You must be joking... You can't possibly have crossed the forest before me...?"