Chapter 54: Something was wrong.

Bonus chapter thanks to '@Zzxx' for subscription to 'Sorrow' tier on Ko-fi.Something was wrong.

And so began the second day of our field trip.

Calling it the "second day" felt somewhat inaccurate, considering it was practically indistinguishable from the first.

The students were out exploring the massive island, while the professors were holed up at base camp, probably playing poker...

'Why did those old geezers even bother coming along...?'

Wouldn't it have been better to just let the students go on their own?

Not that I was complaining. The island was full of interesting sights, so it wasn't boring.

Plus, we were each given a portable magical device for emergencies.

So no, I had no reason to complain.

Except for the fact that the professors were back at camp, relaxing while we did all the work.

Especially professors like Sharon and Kate, who usually gave out a ton of assignments.

'Damn it, someday I'm going to flip this Academy upside down.'

With the power vested in my family, I would liberate all students suffering from the tyranny of homework.

'Well, except for Lucas. He's alright.'

His workload was reasonable, and his classes weren't too difficult.

'Someday...'

I was burning with the righteous fury of a revolutionary, ready to overthrow the Academy's oppressive regime, when Golden Boy, who was walking ahead of me, suddenly spoke.

"Hey, do you even know where we're going? We're pretty deep in now..."

He pulled out a map from his pocket and tried to get his bearings.

Of course, being the idiot that he was, he was holding the map upside down.

As I was about to sigh and correct him, Margaret, who was walking next to me, spoke up.

"We're heading to the 'Grave of Stars', it's at the edge of the island."

"Grave of Stars? Let me see... Grave of Stars..."

Golden Boy's eyes scanned the map, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

"Whoa... It's all the way on the other side of the island?"

"Yeah, it seems to be connected to the canyon nearby."

'The other side of the island?'

I knew this island was huge, but walking all the way there?

We were going to die of exhaustion before we even got close.

"Hmm..."

I groaned inwardly at the thought of the long journey ahead. I fished out a Deathweed from my pocket, desperate for a distraction from my sleep-deprived misery.

As I lit the herb and inhaled the strangely addictive aroma, I felt a gaze on me.

Margaret, who had been looking at the map with Golden Boy, was now staring at me with a hesitant expression.

"Are you... alright?" she asked.

"Are you... asking me?" I replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, who else here would be tired?"

"Don't worry about me. It's not like we're doing anything too strenuous."

"Well... since it's a long way, we'll be riding horses later."

"That's good news."

Margaret gave me a strange look at my nonchalant response before turning away and continuing down the path.

I followed, my eyes trailing after her shimmering silver hair as it swayed with each step.

***

Meanwhile, back at the Reynolds Academy base camp...

Three figures lay sprawled out inside the staff tent.

Aron, Kate, and Sharon.

They were the homeroom professors for Liel, Xenon, and Serina's classes, respectively.

"Haaam... Aron... where's Lucas...?" Kate mumbled, yawning loudly.

Aron, who had been meditating, opened his eyes and shot her a tired glare.

"How many times do I have to tell you? He's out scouting."

"Ugh... but what about lunch duty...? He's the one who's supposed to cook..."

"You can cook, can't you?"

"But... Lucas's cooking is way better..."

"Well, she's not wrong about that," Sharon chimed in.

They had all skipped breakfast to supervise the students earlier, and their stomachs were starting to growl.

"Let's eat as soon as Lucas gets back..." Sharon said, her voice weak with hunger.

"Meat! Let's have meat!" Kate exclaimed.

"And how about some booze to go with that?" Sharon suggested.

"Now you're talking!"

The two women high-fived each other excitedly.

Aron massaged his temples, trying to ignore their ridiculous conversation.

"Seriously? You want to drink during a school trip...?"

"Come on, just for a day!" Kate whined.

"Yeah! I even brought your favorite Rebellion wine, and some Ritrona Honey Mead for Lucas." Sharon added with a wink.

"When did you even...?" Aron sputtered, but Sharon just winked again and snapped her fingers.

A ripple of spatial distortion appeared in the air, and two bottles materialized with a soft thud.

"Ta-da! Alcohol delivery!" Sharon announced proudly.

Aron stared at the bottles, one of which was covered in frost.

"You stored wine in a frozen subspace?!" he exclaimed, exasperated. "And why are you wasting your high-level spatial magic on something like this?!"

"What else am I supposed to use it for? It's all about the little things in life." Sharon said with a shrug, making the bottles disappear back into thin air.

Kate, who had been watching the exchange with amusement, leaned closer to Sharon.

"Did you bring the Letun black beer?" she whispered.

"Of course, I wouldn't forget," Sharon whispered back.

"You're the best..." Kate sighed happily.

And so, the three professors continued to chat and joke amongst themselves, enjoying the rare break from their usual duties. The field trip, it seemed, had brought a newfound energy to not only the students but to the faculty as well.

They chatted excitedly about the feast they would have once Lucas returned.

However, even as lunchtime came and went...

Lucas was nowhere to be found.

***

We had been moving for hours.

Judging by the sun's position, it was almost noon, which meant we had been traveling for at least three hours.

And it wasn't just walking. We had ridden horses, crossed a river on a small boat...

"Even with all the transportation, I'm still exhausted..." I mumbled, my vision blurring slightly from lack of sleep.

We had stopped for breaks, but it wasn't enough to make up for two sleepless nights.

I pulled out another Deathweed, hoping to clear my head.

This was my seventh one today.

No, if I counted the ones I smoked throughout the night, it was closer to twenty.

-Click, click...

The dry herb crackled between my lips as I lit it and took a long drag.

As I exhaled a plume of smoke, I noticed Violet staring at me.

"....!"

She quickly averted her gaze, her cheeks flushing a bright red.

Her head whipped around so quickly that her short purple hair briefly defied gravity, revealing the delicate curve of her neck.

'What's with her?'

I frowned, puzzled by her strange behavior.

'Is it because of what happened this morning...?'

I mentally kicked myself. I had probably been too forward with her back then.

She was always so withdrawn, and I had just barged into her personal space without a second thought.

I should have been more careful...

Lost in thought, I absentmindedly tapped the ash off my Deathweed.

All that came out of my mouth was a puff of smoke.

I watched as it dissipated into the air, spreading out in all directions...

Wait a minute... all directions?

Something about the smoke's movement felt off.

I took another drag of my Deathweed, focusing on the smoke this time.

"Huh..."

Instead of drifting in a single direction, the smoke scattered haphazardly, as if caught in a chaotic wind.

It was like we had entered an area with unstable mana flow.

"..."

I exhaled a few more times, but the result was the same.

There was something wrong with the air currents.

Instead of a gentle flow, there was a sense of unnatural turbulence, a subtle yet unsettling distortion.

I looked around, trying to pinpoint the source of the disturbance.

At first glance, everything seemed normal.

The forest was a picturesque autumn scene, with vibrant red leaves contrasting against the white snow-dusted ground.

Sunlight streamed through the branches, casting dancing shadows on the forest floor.

But then I noticed it.

The silence.

An unnatural silence had descended upon the forest.

The cheerful chirping of birds that had filled the air moments ago...

The rustling of small animals in the undergrowth...

The distant roar of the waterfall...

All gone.

'Something...'

Something was definitely wrong.

Golden Boy must have sensed it too, because he stopped walking and looked around nervously.

"Hey, maniac..." he said, in his uncharacteristically tense voice.

"Something's not right..."

"I know,"

I replied, my hand instinctively reaching for the sword strapped to my waist.

"What the hell..."

Golden Boy muttered under his breath, scanning our surroundings with a wary eye.

Now that we were paying attention, the signs were impossible to miss.

A faint, metallic scent of blood hung in the air.

And then there was the feeling...

A prickling sensation on the back of my neck, like we were being watched.

Cold, predatory eyes, hidden somewhere in the depths of the forest.

"..."

"..."

An oppressive silence descended upon the clearing, broken only by the sound of our own ragged breathing.

We were at a standstill, caught in a silent standoff with an unseen enemy.

The tension was broken by Margaret, who had been oblivious to the shift in atmosphere.

She stood still, gazing at me and Golden Boy, her head tilted in confusion.

"Um... why are you two just standing there...?"

-Twang!

The sound of a bowstring snapping echoed through the clearing, followed by the sharp whistle of an arrow flying through the air.

I barely had time to register what was happening before the arrow was upon us, aimed directly at Margaret's throat.

"Blink × 2!!"

-Crack!

My body vanished in a flash of light, reappearing in front of Margaret.

It was too late to dodge.

I shoved her aside with my left hand, raising my right hand to meet the incoming arrow.

"Reflect!"

-Clang!

The arrow, glowing with a malevolent black aura, collided with my mana-infused hand, the impact sending shockwaves through my arm.

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