Chapter 91

Part 16: I'm Coming to Save You (1)

While managing the pain that came after being revived, the group also recovered from their nausea and regained their composure.

They looked around with startled eyes.

Trees, shrubs, and vines. The Sealed Zone was a dense forest, almost like a jungle.

"Is this the Sealed Zone?"

"It just looks like a dense forest..."

"It feels a bit hotter, though."

I heard the same words I had heard in the previous life, right in front of me.

The repetition of this conversation no longer felt strange to me.

I waited for the group to regain their composure and reviewed my plan.

The ultimate goal of my plan was to save Catherine and to take down that guy, Raid.

Both objectives were tight on the schedule.

There were parts that seemed impossible and parts where time was tight, but I had no intention of revising the plan.

After the group looked around, Professor Niel instructed them to form a formation.

While doing so, Professor Niel, as before, stuck close to the princess and gave various explanations.

Once the preparations were roughly complete, Professor Niel instructed me to climb up a tree.

Last time, he asked what I was looking for, but this time, I climbed up without any questions.

The view from the treetop was no different from before.

In the distance, a pillar of light soared up to the sky.

I came down and said, as I did last time:

"I saw the pillar of light."

And I pointed in the direction.

It was a bit off from the direction of the pillar of light.

"The chancellor shot the light from the artifact at the assembly point. Since it's confirmed, let's head out."

We set off immediately without reconfirming, just like last time.

As before, I stood at the front, not leading the group but blocking the monsters.

However, there wasn't much difference between blocking monsters at the front and leading the group.

I walked a bit faster than before.

From behind, I could hear Professor Niel's voice explaining to the princess.

Explanations about the Sealed Zone, the air, mana, and magic energy.

While listening to the explanation, I shouted to the back:

"Monsters ahead!"

Last time, Professor Niel said he didn't believe it, but this time, I didn't bother to explain.

Since we didn't stop, we would meet them soon.

Roar!

Even after changing direction, the first monsters we encountered were the same as before.

It seemed this entire area was their territory.

Two monsters resembling black leopards.

This time, I didn't wait.

Thud.

I pushed mana into my feet and rushed forward.

Then I swung my greatsword at the monster.

Swish!

I cut off the monster's head and dodged the falling body.

Meanwhile, just like last time, another monster was being electrocuted by the electricity Manuel had cast.

Last time, I waited to see the other members' skills, but now there was no time for that.

I pushed mana into my greatsword and threw it.

Thud!

The sword embedded itself in the monster's back.

Unfortunately, it didn't hit a vital spot, but it was enough to help Manuel.

Crackle!

The electricity that had been flowing over the monster's skin now coursed through its body via the sword.

Clang! Clang!

The monster fell, emitting a strange scream.

Unlike last time, Manuel had taken down the monster on his own.

"That was unnecessary help!"

When the monster died, Manuel shook his head at me.

His personality is really strange.

I could see him smirking, yet he was making unnecessary comments.

Last time, I helped him when his mana was depleted and he was just a burden, but now he thinks he did it all himself.

There was no time, and his antics were cute, so I decided to let it go.

Although I didn't get to see the group's skills in the first battle, there were many monsters in the Sealed Zone.

Moreover, our movement speed was faster than before, so we encountered monsters more frequently.

"Professor Niel!"

"I'm holding them off, hurry up!"

"Valea, well done!"

"Princess, step back!"

"I can do it too!"

As the battles increased, surprisingly, the group's coordination improved.

No one was slacking, and both Valea and the princess actively participated in the fights.

Even Professor Niel, who had intended to say something about my fast pace, closed his mouth when he saw the group's rapid improvement.

While quickly traversing the Sealed Zone, we discovered a corpse leaning against a tree.

When I pointed to the corpse, everyone was surprised and approached it.

"Is it a knight?"

At the princess's question, everyone nodded.

It was a skeleton in armor with a crest, so it had to be a knight.

"That's a familiar crest..."

When Manuel tilted his head, I stepped in.

"It's the crest of the Chevry family. The family of Prince Raid."

At the mention of a familiar name, everyone's eyes widened.

"A knight of the Chevry family?"

Manuel frowned at my words.

"Did he fight in the Great War?"

"There was no Chevry family during the Great War."

At Valea's words, Piaar shook his head for the first time in a while.

"Even if it's covered in dust and vines, it's not that old. At least 50 years, maybe?"

In the midst of the group's conversation, I subtly provided the facts.

"From the dust that has been wiped away, it seems another group came through here. The sword is also missing."

After all, the students here were all from the Royal Academy.

With just this much information, they could guess who had been here.

"If they took the sword, it means they were from the same family. Did Prince Raid come first?"

At Valea's words, the princess's eyes sparkled.

"Prince Raid's group, or rather, Professor Catherine's group."

The princess was happy, but Professor Niel looked at me with a frown.

"Could it be that our path has intersected with another group's?"

She glanced at the princess and then gave me an order.

"Go up and check the destination again. Our paths shouldn't overlap with another group's."

There were only two of us from the Knight Department here: the princess and I.

I couldn't send the princess, and I couldn't send a female student or a student from another department to the treetop, so I had to go up again.

Honestly, it was convenient to send me, an illegitimate child.

Manuel could easily climb to the treetop, and with the use of his domain, Valea could do it too.

Regardless, I climbed up the tree again at her request.

When I confirmed the pillar of light, it was slightly off our path.

We had run in a large semicircle just in case, but it seemed unnecessary.

I was a bit worried, but fortunately, we found the knight's corpse.

From the traces, it seemed we weren't far from the group that had come before, Professor Catherine's group.

So far, everything was going according to plan.

When I came down, I clearly told them this time.

Professor Niel glared at me pointing the direction, but since I had given the correct information, I had no qualms.

We started moving again and soon stopped.

It was because of the monsters.

In front of us were the corpses of monsters.

"Seems our paths have intersected. Another group must have taken care of them."

Valea was right. Since I had deliberately led us this way, our paths had to intersect.

"These seem to be the sword marks left by Professor Catherine."

I pointed to the wounds on the corpses.

Everyone knew I was close to Catherine, so no one questioned my claim.

Professor Niel's expression brightened.

Intersecting paths meant we were on the right track.

However, I was about to make Professor Niel feel guilty.

I left the group and examined the surroundings.

I checked the direction the grass had fallen and touched the marks on the trees.

The group looked at me, puzzled by my sudden actions.

"It seems there's a problem."

"A problem?"

Professor Niel glared at me.

She must have sensed something was off.

Moreover, since I had brought up another issue, it was understandable that she glared at me.

It seemed I had earned her disapproval...

But there was nothing I could do.

"The problem isn't with our group, but with Professor Catherine's group."

"What do you mean?"

The princess was startled by my words.

"From the traces, Professor Catherine's group changed direction here. They're heading in a different direction, not towards the pillar of light."

"What? What do you mean...?"

"That's impossible."

The group was bewildered by my words, but they eventually agreed when I showed them the evidence.

"I'll go up and check again."

"Thank you."

Manuel also climbed up and came back down.

Professor Niel was pleased with Manuel's offer, but the result didn't change.

"What's going on?"

"I don't understand."

"Are they being chased by monsters?"

The group was surprised by the unexpected situation, but the princess was more anxious than surprised.

Catherine was as close to the princess as a queen.

Knowing Catherine was in danger, she couldn't help but worry.

"Shouldn't we follow them?"

The princess asked Professor Niel, but the professor firmly refused.

"No. We need to arrive before nightfall. We don't have time to look for another group."

Indeed, the night in the Sealed Zone was terrifying. I completely agreed with Professor Niel.

"A search party will be formed. Leave it to them. I can't put other students, or the princess, in danger."

The princess looked at the other students, but they avoided her gaze.

Even if another group was in danger, there was no way to help them.

Everyone avoided her gaze, but I didn't.

Looking into the princess's desperate eyes, I spoke.

"I'll go and follow them."

The princess's eyes widened.

"I'm the best person to follow Professor Catherine's group. We've come far enough, and you can all reach the assembly point without me now."

Professor Niel looked troubled.

It seemed she had some connection with the princess or Catherine.

"That... You have a reason to go..."

Manuel started to say something but stopped when he saw the princess.

It seemed the princess had won the balance between the illegitimate brother and the princess.

Valea stared at me intently, and Piaar, who knew Mirisa was in the same group, even asked me to go.

Finally, Professor Niel reluctantly agreed.

Everything went according to plan.

To avoid falling behind, I moved alone.

I changed the path to find the knight's corpse that Catherine's group had discovered and revealed that the wounds on the knight's corpse and the subsequent monster corpses were from Catherine's group.

Then, I revealed that Catherine's group had gone in a different direction, and as expected, the princess stepped forward.

"I'm leaving. See you later."

"Please."

Leaving the princess's words behind, I started running, following the traces of Catherine's group.