Final Exam Preparations
Another substantial amount of time had passed.
During that time, Rudell and Leje's daily lives hadn't changed much.
Every morning, they went to the academy together, ate the same meals, studied together, and returned home together.
A simple, yet enjoyable routine.
However, that routine was now facing a new phase.
"Haaaaaat!!"
Leje's voice echoed through the forest, previously only filled with the rustling of leaves and the chirping of birds.
"Heup…!!"
Simultaneously, Kurt raised his axe, blocking her attack.
Leje's sword and Kurt's double-handed axe clashed, creating a powerful shockwave. In a brief few seconds, the two exchanged dozens of blows.
[A-Amazing…]
Silfier uttered nervously, observing the scene.
[C-Compared to them, I'm…]
"You just need to do what you can do. Those two can't create effective Potions or mechanical devices."
Everyone had their own strengths.
If Kurt and Leje excelled in combat, Silfier's talents lay in support and development.
In fact, thanks to her help, they had overcome several critical situations.
Her battlefield wasn't here but in the laboratory.
[Th-Thank you for saying that…]
Steam puffed out from Silfier's suit, a sign of her heightened emotions.
"..."
Speaking of which, he needed to talk to her about her suit sometime…
Getting her to take off the suit was related to her trauma.
Rudell groaned softly, recalling the incident in the original story where the protagonist helped her overcome her trauma.
Just then.
"Uryaaaaaaa!"
"Kgh!?"
Along with Leje's shout, a loud clang!! resonated through the forest.
At the same time, Kurt lost his grip on his axe…
[I-Is that… flying towards us…?]
"Seems like it."
Seeing the spinning axe hurtling towards them, Rudell calmly replied and stomped his foot on the ground.
His shadow surged from the ground, shielding Rudell and Silfier.
Another metallic clang echoed as Kurt's axe was deflected.
"Are you two alright!?"
"Yeah! We're fine!!"
Hearing Leje's shout from afar, Rudell dispelled the Shadow veil and called back.
'Pairing those two up was definitely the right call.'
Since he'd put them together, their skills had improved dramatically.
Both possessed exceptional talent and similar combat styles, so they served as excellent mentors for each other.
"I think I need to spend more time on strength training."
"Hmm… Maybe you should focus on honing your technique. Like this."
He didn't need to worry about those two anymore.
Rudell's role was simply to help them overcome the trials and tribulations that lay ahead.
"How's the feedback going?"
"Of course."
"She's definitely strong. It's good practice."
As Rudell approached them, he asked, and both nodded.
It meant they were both serious about getting stronger.
"With this, the final exams should be no problem!"
"Confident, aren't you?"
Rudell chuckled at Leje's confident snort.
Indeed, with Leje and Kurt's current skills, they could easily take first and second place if they were separated.
Of course, since the final exams were team-based, it was a meaningless assumption.
"By the way, I never imagined the second-semester exam would be a team survival."
Unlike in his previous world, Pilsberg Academy held two exams a year.
A midterm exam in the first semester and a final exam in the second.
And unlike the theoretical exam of the first semester, the second-semester exam was a practical one.
Its content was none other than a wilderness survival.
Students were released into a vast area designated as the testing ground and tasked with completing assigned missions.
There were no restrictions, and it was even possible to attack other teams to earn points.
It was truly an exam befitting the name "survival."
"Still, with our skills, first place is a given."
"Not necessarily."
Rudell smiled faintly at Leje's confident words.
Naturally, the strong individuals in this world weren't limited to just those present here.
There were plenty of hidden talents in other classes and years.
And Rudell knew of at least three.
Each one, though not quite on Leje's level, was at least as strong as Kurt.
One of them might even rival Rudell in magic.
"What? Are you saying you're not confident now?"
"That's not it. This is a team survival. Teamwork is more important than individual strength or ability."
No matter how strong the individuals, if they didn't work together, it wouldn't be much different from acting alone.
Conversely, even a team of weaker individuals could achieve more than the sum of their parts if they worked together effectively.
Even in war, knights and mages could win battles, but they couldn't win wars alone.
If they could, why would anyone bother spending money to train soldiers and build armies?
That was the power of a collective.
"Hmm…"
Of course, it was a difficult concept for her to grasp, having lived a life free of hardship due to her exceptional abilities.
Smiling gently at her, Rudell addressed Kurt and Leje.
"Alright, that's enough training for today. Let's eat."
* * *
Deep darkness descended upon the sky…
A bonfire blazed in the forest.
"Is this enough?"
"Just what in the…"
Rudell stared dumbfounded at Kurt, who had returned with several deer and wild boars.
[I-I brought edible plants and mushrooms.]
"Oh, thank you."
Silfier, who had gone into the forest with Leje, returned with an armful of edible herbs and mushrooms.
Using his knowledge from his past life, Rudell clumsily butchered the meat and began cooking…
"I always wonder, where did you learn to do that?"
"Did you forget our territory used to rely on hunting?"
Rudell casually brushed off Leje's curious question.
Meanwhile, the meal was ready.
The menu consisted of stew with herbs, mushrooms, and venison.
Wild boar and mushroom skewers.
Quite a luxurious meal for something cooked in the wilderness.
"Here, everyone eat. I'm not sure if the seasoning is right."
Serving the stew in wooden bowls, Rudell spoke.
"Thank you for the food!"
"Let's eat."
[L-Let's eat…]
As the group began their meal, Rudell watched with a nervous expression.
He had been worried that Leje and Silfier, both nobles, might show some aversion to the food, even though Kurt, a Nord tribesman, was used to the wilderness.
However…
"D-Delicious…!!"
"Delicious."
[I-It's really good…!!]
Relieved by their positive reactions, Rudell secretly sighed.
And Silfier, how do you even eat with that suit on?
With that thought, Rudell also began to eat.
After the meal…
"Watch closely. In the wild, eliminating scents is paramount. Animals and monsters have an incredible sense of smell. If you don't want to be attacked in your sleep, erasing your tracks is essential."
"Hoo…"
[I-I see…]
Kurt also shared his knowledge of wilderness survival, and Leje and Silfier nodded with interest.
It might have seemed trivial to them as nobles, but they listened attentively to every word.
It might seem useless now, but it would surely come in handy someday.
Rudell smiled with satisfaction as he watched them listen to Kurt.
A short while later, some free time arrived…
Kurt climbed a nearby tree to keep watch, while Silfier tinkered with the mechanical devices she had brought.
Rudell and Leje sat by the bonfire, simply enjoying the warmth and the flickering flames.
"Haaaawm…"
Leje, seemingly relaxed by the fire, yawned and leaned against Rudell's shoulder.
"Sleepy?"
"Yeah… A little."
At her words, Rudell pulled out his pocket watch.
It was past eleven o'clock at night.
It was understandable that she was sleepy, as it was past her usual bedtime.
"Why don't you sleep first?"
"No. I want to stay like this a little longer."
Rudell groaned softly at her stubborn refusal.
But regardless, Leje closed her eyes and showed no sign of moving from his shoulder.
A little more time passed…
"Kuuul…"
"Leje?"
Rudell chuckled at the sight of Leje fast asleep.
Honestly, why did she insist on staying awake if she was just going to fall asleep anyway…
With that thought, Rudell carefully got up and lifted Leje into his arms.
[Y-You don't have to worry about keeping watch… I've deployed a lot of surveillance golems…]
"Thanks."
So the devices she had been tinkering with were surveillance golems.
Rudell bowed his head to Silfier and gently laid Leje down on a blanket he had prepared earlier, covering her with it.
"Well, I guess I'll get some sleep too."
He had a lot to do tomorrow, so Rudell stretched out and lay down next to Leje.
"Goodnight, Leje."
He didn't know if she could hear him, but he murmured those words and slowly closed his eyes.
And so, the night deepened.
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