Chapter: 117
Stuck in a corner of the gym with Yoon Si-woo for a while, I heard Martina’s voice, who was watching over the kids.
“Alright, that’s it for today’s class… you two over there taking a break, it’s time to gather!”
Still dazed, Yoon Si-woo got up, and we squeezed ourselves between the lined-up children.
Standing in front of the assembled kids, Martina looked over them and shouted loudly.
“Thanks for following today’s lesson well! Honestly, I didn’t have much expectation from you at first, but most of you exceeded it. If you can make what you learned today your own, you’ll become stronger. I might drop by occasionally for more lessons, so I hope to see even better progress next time!”
“Yes!!!”
At the kids’ thunderous response, Martina nodded in satisfaction.
I thought the atmosphere was wrapping up, but our eyes met as she scanned the children’s faces.
Her gaze fell on me, and she flinched, walking over with a gloomy expression.
“Uh, I’m sorry about today. I made you spar… I just wanted to give you a chance to use what you learned in a real setting…”
It stung.
I was the one at fault, so why did she keep apologizing?
I waved my hands and replied to her.
“You don’t need to apologize. Thanks to you, Martina, I learned a lot today. It must have been tough to pay such close attention to each student’s weaknesses. I appreciate the great class you gave us.”
As I bowed in gratitude, Martina’s face twisted slightly.
She seemed both touched and frustrated.
“…Damn, I can’t win here… You’re just too nice…”
Martina muttered something while nibbling her lip. I stared at her, and she looked back with a sly smile.
“…Thanks for saying that. But I still feel bad, you know. I can’t just let this slide for my pride. So, as an apology, I’ll grant you any request I can fulfill. Is there something you’d like to ask?”
Inside, I screamed.
Aah! It’s my fault! Why are you so eager to help me?
But looking at her, I figured she wouldn’t let it go unless I said something.
And asking for something felt wrong…
After a moment’s hesitation and a sigh, I spoke to Martina.
“Well… I don’t really have any requests, so could you fulfill one of the other kids’ wishes instead?”
With a sigh, Martina gently patted my head.
“…You should know that someone like me can fulfill just about any request… but I don’t dislike dumb altruistic people like you. If that’s what you want, understood. Kids, if you have something you want to ask me, go ahead.”
Upon hearing this, the kids exchanged glances at me.
Please, just ask for anything…
I nodded vigorously, hoping they’d make a request.
“What should we ask for? Should we ask to take a picture together? Or for an autograph?”
“Ugh, I’m so conflicted… what request would earn us praise?”
The children buzzed, debating what to ask.
Amidst their chatter, a hand shot up.
It was Florene, the girl with pink hair.
With all eyes on her, she shouted.
“Me! I want to see what strong heroes do up close at the frontline!”
“…Florene, that sounds like too much pressure for Miss Martina…”
“Eww~ don’t do that, I wanna see in person! I’m curious how they fight demonic beasts!”
Florene’s enthusiasm pulled strange expressions from Marin who tried to rein her in, but most of the kids looked captivated by her words.
Astrafe, where Martina worked, was a place only the strongest heroes could enter—a dreamland for the kids.
Of course they’d want to see it for themselves.
As the atmosphere pushed toward asking for a tour at the frontline, Martina muttered, deep in thought.
“An on-site tour, huh… If it’s just observing from a distance and not actively participating, I don’t think it would be a huge disruption. Experiencing the atmosphere could definitely help…”
After a brief contemplation, she turned to Ms. Eve, who was watching from the side.
“What do you think, Teacher?”
“Hmmm… If it’s an on-site tour, I can allocate class time for it as part of the curriculum. But since it’s a dangerous place, I’ll have to ensure nothing happens to the kids. Martina, can I trust you with this?”
At Ms. Eve’s question, Martina replied with a smile, reassuringly.
“Just trust me. Even if a high-tier beast were to attack, not a single hair on these kids will be harmed. Now that I have the teacher’s permission, everyone, look forward to it. I’ll show you how the heroes you aspire to be protect the city.”
The children roared in excitement.
And days later, we headed for a frontline tour.
*
“Alright, I’m Kanna, the Deputy Commander of the 4th Squad, and I’ll be your guide today. We’re heading to the Northern Border Area’s frontline, and it’s a dangerous place, so don’t do anything rash and don’t step forward. We’ll watch over you, but if you recklessly dash out, you might actually die. Now, I’m sure you all got that, so let’s move out.”
Several days after the special lesson, the day of the tour had arrived.
Gathered at the school, we followed our guide to the city’s teleportation gate, headed for the outskirts, and walked past the magical barrier protecting the city.
The intangible magical barrier safeguarded the city from miasma intrusions.
Although the barrier itself was invisible, once we crossed the heavily marked lines on the ground, we clearly knew we had left it.
What we saw around were colossal tower-like structures scattered everywhere.
“Those buildings aren’t ordinary; they’re large magical tools. Think of them as huge versions of the magical tools used to deal with beast corpses. They gather miasma from the air and contain it, preventing beast manifestations—a structure that’s essential in the Boundary Area. The stored miasma is then transferred to purification facilities for cleansing.”
“Hehe, that’s what my family, the Dolos, is involved with.”
Florene said with a smile.
Managing and processing miasma.
Florene’s family, the Dolos Family, had been handling this since ancient times when people were threatened by miasma.
This is why the Dolos, the family of the great hero Aegis, and Sylvia’s Astra family were known as the three great families holding power within the city.
Of course, their ancestor was a hero known for putting an end to the Witch of Lust.
Regardless, it was clear that without such structures, the outside world could easily turn into a desolate land where people couldn’t roam due to miasma at any moment.
This was my first time voluntarily leaving the barrier, which made me realize how dangerous this world truly was.
As I walked around taking in the scenery, I soon spotted the teleportation gate to the Boundary Area.
“Once we pass through here, we’ll be at the frontline, so pay attention to my commands.”
I saw the children nervously gulping in anticipation.
I felt a little anxious myself as I stepped through the teleportation gate, revealing a seemingly endless line of fortifications in the distance.
Just then, a loud bang echoed from somewhere.
“Oh no, I guess they’re at it again.”
The woman, Kanna, the deputy commander, muttered in annoyance.
Upon realizing from where the explosion came, the kids’ anxious expressions grew tense.
Looking at them with an amused glance, Kanna said to the kids.
“Well, since we’re on a tour, we should at least check it out, right? Follow me.”
With that, Kanna marched toward the fortifications, and the kids followed.
The closer we got to the fortifications, the louder the faint sounds became.
The roars of beasts, the explosive sounds of magic, and the cries of people.
When we finally reached the top of the fortifications, from there we could see Martina observing the situation on the other side.
“Captain, I brought the kids with me.”
“Alright, you’re just in time, it’s almost over. Now, everyone, take a look.”
Martina pointed her finger beyond the fortifications.
As expected, a battle was underway.
Flashes of magic lit up the area while heroes wielded their weapons, cutting down demonic beasts.
But among them, there was something else that caught everyone’s attention.
I heard someone called in a gasp.
Everyone must have been witnessing the same scene.
A horde of beasts gathered beyond the fortifications, and in the middle stood a boy in white.
He looked just like a lamb being eyed by a pack of wolves.
However, the one being hunted wasn’t the boy.
To sum it up, it was slaughter.
The boy swung his sword with fearsome vigor at the beasts.
He looked mad, as if stating that they were mere targets for his fury.
He switched swords, mercilessly tearing them apart, smashing and slicing.
Another wave of beasts charged at him, but a massive fireball created by Martina fell from above.
Instantly, a flash of light, an explosion, and shockwaves rattled the ground.
And as it passed, not a single demonic beast remained standing.
This was indeed a place reserved for top-tier heroes.
In the silence that followed the children’s astonishment, Martina’s voice rang out.
“Welcome to the frontline, everyone.”
*
“As you just witnessed, fighting against the beasts is a daily occurrence on the frontline. They don’t attack every time, but it’s not rare either, especially nowadays. The Fury Beasts are rampaging at all hours, leading to an endless stream of beasts coming our way.”
Even while Martina spoke, the children stared blankly.
They must have been shocked.
I certainly was too.
They witnessed heroes who were several times, several tens of times stronger than themselves in action.
If they didn’t feel anything, it would have been odd.
Seeing the kids quieted down seemed amusing to Martina, who grinned and continued.
“Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s dangerous. As you saw, the people here are strong. Not just me and the Deputy Commander, but even Yoon Si-woo, who just attended lessons with you until recently.”
Not arrogance, but confidence.
Martina had just shown the kind of ability that warranted such words.
Yet because of that, it made me wonder if I could ever reach that level.
“So, aim for us and train hard. I’ll be looking forward to the day when we fight together. Don’t worry about anything else. Until then, we will protect you.”
However, what came from her mouth was nothing but encouragement.
An assurance to protect.
The relief of knowing such a strong person was looking out for us filled the kids’ eyes with a burning ambition.
Someone gasped in admiration, and applause erupted among the students.
Cheers and applause then rained down on Martina.
Martina blushed slightly, taken aback by their reaction.
“Wow, that was wonderful. I almost felt fluttery when you said you’d protect us.”
Before long, a voice rang out, causing her face to stiffen.
Nearby, the heroes, who finished the fight and were cleaning up, grasped their weapons.
I turned my head.
When had she arrived? A woman in a hood stood beside me.
From under the hood, her eyes sparkled as she looked our way.
“…Who are you? Unauthorized personnel aren’t allowed here.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’m not suspicious.”
At Martina’s questioning, the woman seemed to rummage for something to prove her identity, reaching deep into her robe.
What came out in her hand was—
The same pitch-black orb I had seen in the gym.
And then, a chill raced down my spine.
It was a sensation faintly similar to what I felt when searching for the witch who had hidden away during hide-and-seek a month ago.
No way. That can’t be. Why are you here…
An impending sense of danger crawled down my back.
And before I could shout out the woman’s identity, she smiled and said.
“Not a person—but”
“A witch.”
[[[[■■■■■■■■■■!!!!!!!]]]]
A shriek rang out.
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